ὄπισθεν

• • I of Place, behind, at the back, opp. πρόσθε, Il. 5.595; πρόσθε λέων ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων μέσση δὲ χίμαιρα 6.181; ὄπισθεν καταλιπεῖν Od. 10.209; μένειν Il. 9.332, etc.; πέμψει οὖρον ὄ. Od. 15.34; ὄπιθεν κομόωντες with long back-hair, Il. 2.542; ὄπιθεν κομόωσαι ἔθειραι IG 12(9).1179.9 (Euboea); ὄ. ἕπεσθαι, ἀκολουθεῖν, A. l.c., etc.; οἱ ὄπιθεν those who are left behind, e.g. at home, Od. 11.66; but also, those who are in the rear, X. Cyr. 2.2.8; εἰ τοὺς ὄ. ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν shall bring the rear ranks to the front (metaph.), S. Aj. 1249; αἱ ὄ. ἁψῖδες the hinder fellies, Hdt. 4.72; τὰ ὄ. the hinder parts, rear, back, Il. 11.613; οἱ ὄ. ἁρμοί IG 1(2).372.117; εἰς τοὔπισθεν back, backwards, E. Ph. 1410, Pl. Sph. 261b, etc.; εἰς τ. τοξεύειν, i.e. ‘versis sagittis’, like the Parthians, X. An. 3.3.10: opp. ἐκ τοὔπισθεν Ar. Ec. 482, cf. Th. 7.79, X. An. 4.1.6; ἐν τῷ ὄ. Pl. R. 614c, X. Cyn. 9.8, etc.; ὄ. ποιήσασθαι τὸν ποταμόν place the river in his rear, Id. An. 1.10.9.
  • • 2 Prep. c. gen., behind, στῆ δʼ ὄπιθεν δίφροιο Il. 17.468; ὄπισθε μάχης 13.536; ὄπισθε τῆς θύρης Hdt. 1.9; ἔμπροσθέ τε Θερμοπυλέων καὶ ὄ. Id. 7.176; ὄ. ἐμοῦ . . εἰσῄει Pl. Smp. 175a, etc.: sts. after its case, δίφρου ὄπισθεν Il. 24.15; ἴμεν φάμας ὄπισθεν follow the voice, Pi. O. 6.63; γνώμης πατρῴας πάντʼ ὄ. ἑστάναι S. Ant. 640; also τούτοισι δʼ ὄ. ἴτω Cratin. 30; πνοιαῖς ὄπιθεν Βορέα Pi. O. 3.31 (s. v.l.).
  • II of Time, after, in future, hereafter, Il. 4.362, Od. 2.270, 18.168, etc.; either of a thing absolutely future, or of one which follows something else, opp. αὐτίκα, Il. 9.519; ὄπιθεν οὐ πολλόν Pi. O. 10(11).35; πολλοῖς μησὶν ὄ. Theoc. Ep. 22.8; cf. ὀπίσω II.1.
  • • 2 ἐν τοῖσι ὄ. λόγοισι in the books yet to come, in the following books, Hdt. 5.22, 7.213; cf. ὀπίσω II.2: but, in Gramm., of what has gone before, Sch. Od. 3.366, Hsch. s.v. Ἴωνες, Sch. Ar. Ra. 1488; ὁ ὄπιθεν χρόνος the earlier time, PMasp. 158.22 (vi A. D.):—for Comp. ὀπίστερος, Sup. ὀπίστατος, v. sub vocc. (Prob. from *ὄπις ‘back’, contained in ἀνόπιν, κατόπιν, μετόπιν, ὀπίσω.)

[-θε 2. Cf. ὀπίσσω.]

• I
• • 1

    Of place.

  • • a

      Behind, in rear, in the hinder part : στῆ ὄπιθεν Il. 1.197, πρόσθε λέων, ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων Il. 6.181. Cf. Il. 2.542, Il. 11.397, Il. 13.289, Il. 17.718 (covering the rear), Il. 19.397 (following him), etc. : σανίδας ἐκδῆσαι ὄπισθεν Od. 22.174 (i.e. his feet and hands were to be bound together behind him and were to be made fast to the boards). Cf. Od. 4.357, Od. 5.167, Od. 6.307, Od. 8.527, Od. 13.84, Od. 15.34, Od. 19.436.–τὰ ὄπισθεν, the hinder parts Il. 11.613.

    • b

      Behind, remaining behind, while another departs or others depart : ὄπισθε μένων Il. 9.332. Cf. Od. 10.209, Od. 11.72, Od. 15.88, Od. 17.201.– τοὺς ὄπιθεν Ἀχαιούς Il. 13.83 (the laggards).

      Absent : τῶν ὄπιθεν Od. 11.66 (those left at home).

    • c

      Towards the rear : ὄπιθεν σάκος βάλεν (behind his back) Il. 11.545.

  • 2

    Of time, afterwards, hereafter, there-after, in the future, in time to come, late : ταῦτʼ (τὰ) ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθα Il. 4.362, Il. 6.526. Cf. Il. 9.515 and 519 (for the future), Il. 12.34 : κακῶς ὄπιθεν φρονέουσιν (i.e. they are awaiting their opportunity) Od. 18.168. Cf. Od. 2.270, 278, Od. 14.393, Od. 22.55, Od. 23.249, 261.

• II

  With genit., of place, behind, in rear of : ὄπισθε μάχης Il. 13.536= Il. 14.430. Cf. Il. 5.595, Il. 17.468, Il. 24.15.

• 1after, following of place. “ὄρσο, τέκνον, δεῦρο πάγκοινον ἐς χώραν ἴμεν φάμας ὄπισθεν O. 6.63 ὄπισθεν δὲ κεῖμαι θρασειᾶν ἀλωπέκων ξανθὸς λέων fr. 237.

• • Iof Place, behind, at the back, Hom., etc.; οἱ ὄπιθεν those who are left behind, Od.; also, τοὺς ὄπισθεν ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ἕξομεν shall bring the rear ranks to the front, Soph.; τὰ ὄπ. the rear, back, Il., Xen.:— εἰς τοὔπισθεν back, backwards, Eur., etc.
  • • 2as prep. with gen. behind, ὄπιθεν δίφροιο Il.; ὄπισθε τῆς θύρης Hdt., etc.
  • IIof Time, in future, hereafter, Hom., etc.
  • • 2ἐν τοῖσι ὄπισθε λόγοισι in the following books, Hdt.