ἤ

English (LSJ)

(A), Ep. also ἠέ (in signf. A.11 ἤ (or ἠέ) folld. by ἦ (or ἦε), v. infr.), Conj. with two chief senses, Disj. (

   A or) and Comp. (than).    A DISJUNCTIVE, or, ἐγὼ . . ἢ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν Il.2.231, cf. 397,800, 4.142, 7.236, al.; θεόσυτος ἢ βρότειος ἢ κεκραμένη A.Pr.116.    2 ἢ . . ἤ either . . or, ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντ' ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα Il.1.27, cf. 151, 5.484, etc.; so ἢ . . ἤτοι . . Pi.N.6.4, Fr.138; ἤτοι . . ἤ . . A.Ag.662, S. Ant.1182, Th.2.40, etc. (in Classical Gr. the alternative introduced by ἤτοι is emphasized, later no distn. is implied, Ep.Rom.6.16; ἤτοι . . ἢ . . ἤ . . PTeb.5.59(ii B.C.)); ἤ repeated any number of times, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι ἢ τεὸν ἢ Αἴαντος ἰὼν γέρας ἢ Ὀδυσῆος Il.1.138, cf. Od.15.84, S.Ant.707; ἤ is prob. wrongly accented in codd. of Il.2.289, Od.3.348, 19.109, v. ἦ Adv.1.3: ἢ πόλις βροτός θ' ὁμοίως A.Eu.524(lyr.) is exceptional.    3 or else, otherwise, εἰδέναι δεῖ περὶ οὗ ἂν ᾖ ἡ βουλή, ἢ παντὸς ἁμαρτάνειν ἀνάγκη Pl.Phdr.237c; μή με λυπεῖτε, ἢ φεύξομ' ἐκ τῆς οἰκίης Herod.5.74; ζῶντα κακῶς λέγειν ἐκώλυσε... ἢ τρεῖς δραχμὰς ἀποτίνειν ἔταξε Lex Sol. ap. Plu.Sol.21, cf. 24, IG12.94.10, Them.Or.21.260a.    II in Questions or Deliberations in Disj. form(the accentuation is ἢ (ἠέ) folld. by ἦ (ἦε), Hdn. Gr.2.24, al., A.D.Conj.224.28):    1 Direct questions,    a introduced by ἢ (ἠέ), ἢ δολιχὴ νοῦσος ἦ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα . . κατέπεφνεν; Od.11.172; ἤ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἦ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε . .; 3.72, cf. 1.408, 16.462, Il.6.378, 15.735, 16.12, etc.    b without an introductory Particle, θεός νύ τις ἦ βροτός ἐσσι; art thou a goddess or a mortal? Od.6.149, cf. 1.226, 4.314,372,643, 20.130, 21.194, Il.10.63,425,534, 15.203: accented ἦ, Hdn.Gr.2.145, al., but ἤ freq. in codd. of Hom. and always in codd. of later writers: ἤκουσας ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ἢ κωφῇ λέγω; A.Th.202; ἄρτι δὲ ἥκεις ἢ πάλαι; Pl.Cri.43a; κακουργεῖν δεῖ ἢ οὔ; ib.49c; preceded by πότερον, πότερον δοκεῖ σοι κάκιον εἶναι, τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἢ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι; Id.Grg.474c, etc.    2 Indirect questions, freq. epexegetic of a preceding question and identical in form with direct questions.    a εἴπ' ἄγε, . . ἤ ῥ' ἐθέλει... ἦ ἀπέειπε . . Il.9.674; ὄφρα δαῶμεν ἢ ἐτεὸν Κάλχας μαντεύεται ἦε καὶ οὐκί 2.300; διάνδιχα μερμήριξεν ἢ ὅ γε . . ἐναρίζοι ἦε χόλον παύσειεν 1.190; later with εἰ . . ἤ A.Ch.890,Ag.478, S.OC80, etc.; πότερον or πότερα . . ἤ . . Id.Pers.148, 352, Ag.630, etc.; sts. εἴτε . . ἤ E.El.897; ἢ . . εἴτε S.Aj. 177.    b without introductory Particle, οὐδέ τι οἶδα ζώει ὅ γ' ἦ τέθνηκε Od.11.464, cf. Il.10.546, Od.24.238.    B COMPARATIVE, than, as, after a Comp., Il.11.162, etc.: after positive Adjs. which imply comparison, ἄλλος, ἕτερος ἤ . ., S.OT595, Tr.835(lyr.); ἐναντίος ἤ Pl.Grg.481c; ἴδιόν τι πάσχειν πάθος ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι ibid.: after Advbs. or adverbial phrases, πλήν, πρίν, πρόσθεν, χωρίς (qq. v.), ἀλλά (v. ἀλλ' ἤ) ; τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἤ . . Id.Cri.44a (f.l. in Smp.173a); ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ ϝέτει ἀπὸ τῶ ποτεχεῖ ϝέτεος ἢ Ἀριστίων ἐφορεύει Tab.Heracl.1.121; παρὰ δόξαν ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεδόκεε Hdt.1.79, cf. 8.4; διαφερόντως ἤ . . Pl.Phd.85b; οὐδ' ὅσον ἤ . . not so much as . ., not more than . ., Theoc.9.21: after Verbs implying comparison, βούλεσθαι ἤ . . to wish rather than . ., v. βούλομαι IV, αἱρέω B. 11.1b; so φθάνειν ἤ . . to come sooner than . ., Il.23.445, Od.11.58; ἐπιθυμεῖν ἤ . . X.Cyr.1.4.3; δέχεσθαι ἤ . . Lys.10.21: less freq. after a word not implying comparison, δίκαιον ἡμέας ἔχειν . .(sc. μᾶλλον) ἤ περ Ἀθηναίους Hdt.9.26; ἐμοὶ πικρὸς . . ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς S.Aj.966(s.v.l.); δεδικαιωμένος ἢ ἐκεῖνος Ev.Luc.18.14.    2 joining two Comparatives which refer to the same subject, πάντες κ' ἀρησαίατ' ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι ἢ ἀφνειότεροι Od.1.165; ταχύτερα ἢ σοφώτερα Hdt.3.65; μανικώτεροι ἢ ἀνδρειότεροι Pl.Tht.144b, cf. Ar.Ach.1078.    3 rarely after a Sup., πλεῖστα θωμάσια ἔχει Αἴγυπτος ἢ ἄλλη πᾶσα χώρη Hdt.2.35 (s.v.l.); πίθοιτό κεν ὔμμι μάλιστα ἢ ἐμοί A.R.3.91.    4 ἢ οὐ is used when a neg. precedes, οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπ' ἡμέας ἢ οὐ καὶ ἐπ' ὑμέας Hdt.4.118, cf.5.94, Th.2.62, etc.: after an implied neg., ὠμὸν . . πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἢ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους Id.3.36.    5 freq. omitted with numerals after πλείων, ἐλάττων, μείων, ἔτη . . πλείω ἑβδομήκοντα v.l. in Pl.Ap.17d; οὐ μεῖον πεντακοσίους X.An.6.4.24: sts. with an inf. or conditional clause, τί γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κακὸν μεῖζον ἁμαρτεῖν E.Alc. 879; τίς εὐπραξία σπανιωτέρα... εἰ [δύναμις] πάρεστιν (for ἢ δύναμιν παρεῖναι); Th.1.33.    6 pleon. with a gen., τίς ἂν αἰσχίων εἴη ταύτης δόξα, ἢ δοκεῖν . . Pl.Cri.44c, cf. Lys.10.28.    7 the Disj. and Comp. uses are found together in Il.15.511 βέλτερον, ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἕνα χρόνον ἠὲ βιῶναι, ἢ δηθὰ στρεύγεσθαι ἐν αἰνῆ δηϊοτῆτι better, either to die once for all or win life, than long to toil in battle. [ἢ οὐ, ἢ οὐκ combine by Synizesis into one syll. in Trag. and Com., A.Pr.330, S.Aj.334, Ar.Lys.128; so usually in Ep., Od.1.298, al.; ἢ αὐτός Hes.Fr.194; ἢ εἰ Alex.201.]
ἤ (B), an exclamation expressing disapproval,

   A ἢ ἢ σιώπα Ar.Nu. 105; ἢ ἤ· τί δρᾶς; E.HF906(lyr.), cf. Suid.    2 to call attention, ποῦ Ξανθίας; ἢ Ξανθία where's Xanthias? hi, Xanthias! Ar.Ra.271.
ἤ (or ἦ) (C), Cypr. for

   A if, Inscr.Cypr.135.6H.    2 Cret. for when, after, ἤ κ' ἀποστᾷ μωλῆν after retiring, he shall take proceedings, Leg.Gort.1.52; ἐν ταῖς τριάκοντα ἤ κα ϝείποντι within 30 days from the time of their proclamation, ib.8.18.