ἐπικουφίζω
νεκρὸν ἐάν ποτ' ἴδηις καὶ μνήματα κωφὰ παράγηις κοινὸν ἔσοπτρον ὁρᾶις· ὁ θανὼν οὕτως προσεδόκα → whenever you see a body dead, or pass by silent tombs, you look into the mirror of all men's destiny: the dead man expected nothing else | if you ever see a corpse or walk by quiet graves, that's when you look into the mirror we all share: the dead expected this
English (LSJ)
A lighten a ship by throwing out part of its cargo, Hdt. 8.118 (Pass.): metaph., ἐ. ἡ τιμὴ τοὺς πόνους τῷ ἄρχοντι lightens his labours, X.Cyr.1.6.25; τὰς συμφοράς D.23.70; λειτουργίας IG14.1078a; τὴν ταλαιπωρίαν Jul.adThem.253b: c.gen. rei, relieve of a burden, μόχθου E.El.72; τοῦ δέους D.C.43.18:—Med., ταῖς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἡδοναῖς τὸν πόνον -ίζομαι LXX 4 Ma.9.31. II. lift up, support, πατρὸς πλευρὰς σὺν ἐμοὶ τάσδ' ἐπικούφιζ' S.Aj.1411 (anap.); ἐ. τὴν γῆν lift up the soil,X.Oec.17.13. 2. metaph., lift up, encourage, ἐλπίσι Id.Cyr.7.1.18. b. ἐ. νόον ἀνδρός puff up, in bad sense, Thgn.629.
German (Pape)
[Seite 952] erleichtern, aufheben; σὺ δὲ πατρὸς πλευρὰς σὺν ἐμοὶ ἐπικούφιζε Soph. Ai. 1390; τὴν νῆα ἐπικουφισθεῖσαν Her. 8, 118; ἡ τιμὴ ἐπικουφίζει τι τοὺς πόνους τῷ ἄρχοντι Xen. Cyr. 1, 6, 25; Freunde erleichtern, unterstützen, Plat. Ep. III, 315 d; τὰς συμφοράς Dem. 23, 70; ermuntern, Xen. Cyr. 7, 1, 18; auch τινός, von Etwas erleichtern, z. B. μόχθου Eur. El. 72; ἐπεκούφισεν αὐτοὺς τοῦ δέους D. Cass. 43, 18. – Im schlimmen Sinne, leichtfertig machen, νεότης ἐπικουφίζει νόον ἀνδρός, πολλῶν δ' ἐξαίρει θυμὸν ἐς ἀμπλακίην Theogn. 629.
