ἀμήχανος: Difference between revisions

|Definition=Dor. [[ἀμάχανος]], ον, <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> [[without means]] or [[resources]], [[helpless]], <span class="bibl">Od.19.363</span>; πενία ἀ. <span class="bibl">B.1.61</span>; πόριμον αὑτῷ τῇ πόλει δ' ἀ. <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ra.</span>1429</span>; ἀ. καὶ ἄτεχνος <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Plt.</span>274c</span>; of animals, opp. [[εὐμήχανος]], <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">HA</span> 614b34</span>: hence, </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> [[incapable]], [[awkward]], ἀφραδέες καὶ ἀ. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">h.Ap.</span> 192</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Theoc.1.85</span>; τὸν ἀ. ὀρθοῦν <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Th.</span>227</span>; ἀ. γυνή <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Hipp.</span>643</span>; <b class="b3">ἀ. εἴς τι</b> [[awkward at]] thing, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Med.</span>408</span>. Adv., <b class="b3">ἀμηχάνως ἔχειν</b>, = [[ἀμηχανεῖν]], <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Ch.</span>407</span>, E., etc. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">3</span> c. inf., [[at a loss how to]] do, [[unable to]] do, τὸ δὲ βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀ. <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Ant.</span>79</span>; <b class="b3">ἀμηχανώτατος ὅ τι χρὴ λέγειν πορίσασθαι</b> [D.]<span class="bibl">60.12</span>, etc. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> more freq. in pass. sense, [[allowing of no means]]: </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">1</span> [[impracticable]], [[unmanageable]], c. inf., ἀμήχανός ἐσσι πιθέσθαι <span class="bibl">Il.13.726</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">b</span> of things, [[hard]], [[impossible]], <b class="b3">τοῦτό μ' ἄνωγας ἀμήχανον ἄλλο τελέσσαι</b> ib. <span class="bibl">14.262</span>; τοῦτο δ' ἀ. εὑρεῖν <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">O.</span>7.25</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Hdt.1.48</span>; <b class="b3">ὁδὸς ἀ. εἰσελθεῖν</b> road [[hard]] or [[impossible]] to enter on, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">An.</span>1.2.21</span>; ἀ. ἐστὶ γενέσθαι <span class="bibl">Emp.12</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Hdt. 1.48</span>,<span class="bibl">204</span>, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Ant.</span>175</span>, etc.: abs., [[ἀμήχανα]] [[impossibilities]], <b class="b3">ἀμηχάνων ἐρᾶν</b> ib.<span class="bibl">90</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">92</span>; δεινὸς . . εὑρεῖν κἀξ ἀ. πόρον <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pr.</span>59</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Eq.</span>759</span>: Sup., <span class="bibl">Them. <span class="title">in Ph.</span>91.12</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> [[against whom]] or [[which nothing can be done]], [[irresistible]], freq. in Hom. of Zeus, Hera, Achilles; <b class="b3">ἀ. ἐσσι, ἀ. ἔπλευ</b>, <span class="bibl">Il.10.167</span>, <span class="bibl">16.29</span>; Ἔρος . . ἀ. ὄρπετον Sapph.40. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">b</span> of things, <b class="b3">ἀ. ἔργα</b> mischief [[without help]] or [[remedy]], <span class="bibl">Il.8.130</span>; δόλος <span class="bibl">Hes.<span class="title">Th.</span> 589</span>; κήδεα <span class="bibl">Archil.66</span>; δύαι <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Eu.</span>561</span> (lyr.); [[ἄλγος]], [[νόσοι]], <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">El.</span>140</span> (lyr.), <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Ant.</span>363</span> (lyr.); συμφορά <span class="bibl">Simon.5.11</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Med.</span>392</span>; [[κακόν]] ib.<span class="bibl">447</span>: Comp. -ωτέρα, ἀγλαΐα <span class="bibl">Them.<span class="title">Or.</span>4.51c</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">c</span> especially of dreams, [[inexplicable]], [[not to be interpreted]], <span class="bibl">Od.19.560</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">3</span> [[extraordinary]], [[enormous]], ποταμῶν ἀ. μεγέθη <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Phd.</span>111d</span>;ἡδοναί <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Phlb.</span>46e</span>; <b class="b3">ἀμή χανον εὐδαιμονίας</b> [[an inconceivable amount]] of happiness, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Ap.</span>41c</span>: freq.c.acc., <b class="b3">ἀ. τὸ μέγεθος, τὸ κάλλος, τὸ πλῆθος</b>, etc., i.e. [[inconceivable]] in point of size, etc., <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">R.</span>584b</span>, <span class="bibl">615a</span>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>7.5.38</span>: c. dat., ἀ. πλήθει τε καὶ ἀτοπία <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Phdr.</span>229d</span> ([[nisi legendum|nisi leg.]] <b class="b3">ἀμηχάνων πλήθη τε καὶ ἀτοπίαι</b>, where [[ἀ]]. = <b class="b2">monsters):</b> abs., [[infinitely great]], δύναμις <span class="bibl">Plot.5.3.16</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">b</span> freq. in Pl. with οἷος, ὅσος, ἀμήχανον ὅσον χρόνον <span class="title">Phd</span> 95c; <b class="b3">ἀμηχάνῳ ὅσῳ πλέονι</b> by [[it is impossible to say]] how much more, <span class="title">R.</span>588a; ἀμή χανόν τι οἷον <span class="title">Chrm.</span>155d. Adv., ἀμηχάνως ὡς εὖ <span class="title">R.</span>527e; ἀ. γε ὡς σφόδρα <span class="title">Phdr.</span>263d.</span>