ἐπικλώθω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, for) +‎ κλώθω (klṓthō, spin). Describes the action of the Fates, who spun the thread of each person's destiny.

Pronunciation

 

Verb

ἐπῐκλώθω • (epĭklṓthō)

  1. (transitive or intransitive, active voice or middle voice) to assign to, to destine [with dative ‘someone’, along with accusative ‘something’ or infinitive ‘to do something’]
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey, 1:16–18:
      ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ ἔτος ἦλθε περιπλομένων ἐνιαυτῶν,
      τῷ οἱ ἐπεκλώσαντο θεοὶ οἶκόνδε νέεσθαι
      εἰς Ἰθάκην,
      all’ hóte dḕ étos êlthe periploménōn eniautôn,
      tōî hoi epeklṓsanto theoì oîkónde néesthai
      eis Ithákēn,
      But when the year had finally come in the turning of time,
      in which the gods had destined [Odysseus] to return home
      to Ithaca,
    • 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, Dialogi mortuorum 24.2:
      ὁπόσα ἔπραττον ἐν τῷ βίῳ, πότερα ἑκὼν ἔπραττον ἢ ἐπεκέκλωστό μοι ὑπὸ τῆς Μοίρας
      hopósa épratton en tōî bíōi, pótera hekṑn épratton ḕ epekéklōstó moi hupò tês Moíras
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Inflection

Derived terms

  • ἐπικλωσθέντα n pl (epiklōsthénta, destiny, aorist passive participle)

Further reading

  • ἐπικλώθω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • ἐπικλώθω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • ἐπικλώθω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
  • ἐπικλώθω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963