ὁρμαίνω
μή, φίλα ψυχά, βίον ἀθάνατον σπεῦδε, τὰν δ' ἔμπρακτον ἄντλει μαχανάν → Oh! my soul do not aspire to eternal life, but exhaust the limits of the possible. | Do not yearn, O my soul, for immortal life! Use to the utmost the skill that is yours. | Do not, my soul, strive for the life of the immortals, but exhaust the practical means at your disposal.
English (LSJ)
used by Hom. only in pres., impf., and aor.
A ὥρμηνα Il.21.137, Od.2.156: (ὁρμάω) :—poet. Verb, I in Hom. always, turn over or revolve anxiously in the mind, debate, ponder, mostly c. acc., ἧος ὁ ταῦθ' ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν Il.1.193, etc. : more shortly, κατὰ φρένα 10.507; ἐνὶ φρεσίν Od.4.843, h.Merc.66 ; φρεσίν Il. 10.4, Od.3.151 ; ἀνὰ θυμόν 2.156 ; θυμῷ A.R.3.451 ; μετὰ φρεσί ib.18; also ὁρμαίνειν τι alone, ponder over, meditate, πόλεμον, πλόον, etc., Il. 10.28, Od.3.169, etc.; πολλά or ἄλλα δέ οἱ κῆρ ὅρμαινε 7.83, 18.345; ὁρμαίνων τέρας Pi.O.8.41. 2 abs., think, muse, ὣς ὥρμαινε thus he debated with himself, Il.21.64, cf. 14.20. 3 folld. by a clause, ἤ... ἦ . . debate whether... or... 16.435, Od.4.789, 15.300; ὁ. ὅπως debate, ponder how a thing is to be done, Il.21.137, 24.680. 4 c. inf., long, desire, Hom.Epigr.4.16, A.R.3.620, Theoc.24.26; ὁ. νᾶας καῦσαι rushing on to . ., B.12.106. II after Hom., 1 set in motion, drive forth, θυμὸν ὁ. gasp out one's life, A.Ag.1388 (ὀρυγάνει cj. Hermann); excite, urge, τινὰ πορεύειν Pi.O.3.25 (v.l. ὥρμα). 2 intr., to be eager or impatient, chafe, fret, [ἵππος] βοὴν σάλπιγγος ὁρμαίνει κλύων A.Th.394 ; κέαρ ὁ. B.Fr.16.12 ; ἄπρηκτον ὁ. Semon.1.7 : part. ὁρμαίνων eagerly, quickly, Pi.O.13.84.
