ἐφιάλτης

ἐφῐάλτ-ης, ου, ὁ, Aeol. ἐπιάλτης Alc. 129, also ἐπίαλος ibid.:—

• nightmare, conceived as a throttling demon, Phryn.Com. 1, Dsc. 3.140 (pl.), Artem. 2.37, Ruf. ap. Orib. 7.26.177, Str. 1.2.8; pr. n. of one of the Aloidae, Il. 5.385, Od. 11.308, Pi. P. 4.89 (Ἐπ- acc. to Sch.Od. l.c., cf. A.D. Synt. 179.22), and Att. pr. n., cf. Ael.Dion. Fr. 381, IG 1(2).950.92, etc. (Identified with ἠπιόλης by A.D. Fr. 8.12 (or Apollodorus, v. Sophr. 68 note); ἐπιάλτης is expld. as ῥιγοπύρετον by Suid.; popularly connected with ἐφάλλομαι, Sch.B Il. 5.385, or ἐφίαλλω, EM 403.32; cf. incubo.)