ἐπιεικ-ής, ές,
I fitting, meet, suitable, τύμβον οὐ μάλα πολλὸν.., ἀλλ’ ἐπιεικέα τοῖον not very large but meet in size, Il. 23.246; τείσουσι βοῶν ἐπιεικέ’ ἀμοιβήν a fair recompense for them, Od. 12.382. - Elsewh. Hom. has only the neut. ἐπιεικές, either in the phrase ὡς ἐπιεικές as is meet, Il. 19.147, 23.537, Od. 8.389: or c. inf., ὅν κ’ ἐπιεικὲς ἀκουέμεν whom it may be meet for you to hear, Il. 1.547; ὅπλα.. οἷ’ ἐπιεικὲς ἔργ’ ἔμεν ἀθανάτων such as is meet they should be, 19.21, cf. 23.50, Od. 2.207.
II. after Hom.,
1. of statements, rights, etc.,. reasonable, specious, ἡ δὲ τρίτη τῶν ὁδῶν πολλὸν ἐπιεικεστάτη ἐοῦσα μάλιστα ἔψευσται Hdt. 2.22; ἐ. πρόφασις Th. 3.9; λόγος Pl. Ti. 67d; ἐπιεικῆ λέγειν Id. Ap. 34d; ἐ. ὁδός a tolerable road, Plu. Crass. 22.. opp. δίκαιος, fair, equitable, not according to the letter of the law, ἐπανόρθωμα νομίμου δικαίου Arist. EN 1137b11, cf. Rh. 1374a26; τῶν δικαίων τὰ ἐπιεικέστερα προτιθεῖσι Hdt. 3.53; οὔτε τοὐπ. οὔτε τὴν χάριν οἶδεν, μόνην δ’ ἔστερξε τὴν ἁπλῶς δίκην S. Fr. 770, cf. E. Fr. 645; συγχωρεῖν τἀπιεικῆ τινι Ar. Nu. 1438; ἐπιεικέστερον ἢ δικαιότερον Antipho 2.2.13; ἐ. ὁμολογία Th. 3.4; γνώμη Ar. V. 1027; τὸ ἐ. καὶ σύγγνωμον Pl. Lg. 757e; πρὸς τὸ ἐ., = ἐπιεικῶς 3, Th. 4.19.
2.. of persons, able, capable, παῖς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἐ., ἄφωνος δέ Hdt. 1.85; οἱ ἐπιεικέστατοι τῶν τριηράρχων X. HG 1.1.30; τίνες.. τῶν νέων ἐπίδοξοι γενέσθαι ἐ. may be expected to turn out well, Pl. Tht. 143d, cf. Lg. 957a; τοὺς ἐ. καὶ τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῶν εὐπόρων Arist. Ath. 26.1.. in moral sense, reasonable, fair, good, ἐ. τὴν ψυχήν, φύσει, Pl. Smp. 210b, R. 538c: abs., Th. 8.93, Isoc. 1.48, [Eph 3:17], etc.; ἐ. ἄνδρες, opp. μοχθηροί, Arist. Po. 1452b34; ἐ. περὶ τὰ συμβόλαια D. 34.30; τοὐπιεικές fairness, goodness, S. OC 1127.. with social or political connotation, the upper or educated classes, λέγω ἀντικεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐ. τῷ πλήθει Arist. Pol. 1308b27, cf. Ath. 28.1.
III. Adv. -κῶς, Ion. -κέως,
1. fairly, tolerably, moderately, ἐγγλύσσει ἐ. Hdt. 2.92; ἐ. δάκνειν, παρρησίαν ἄγειν, Phld. Lib. pp.13,45 O.; ἐ. ἔχειν to be pretty well, Hp. Coac. 368; ἐ. ἐξεπίστασθαι Ar. V. 1249; ἔστι τὸ χωρίον ἐ. ἰσχυρόν Hell.Oxy. 13.5; ἐ. ἀναίσθητον Arist. GC 319b20; ἐ. πλατύ Id. HA 495b27, cf. 497a23; οἱ πυρετοὶ ἐς τεταρταῖον ἐ. μεθίστανται about the fourth day, Hp. Coac. 140, cf. Alex. 281; ἐ. τὸ τρίτον μέρος pretty nearly, about, Plb. 6.26.8; ἐ. οἷοί τε ἦσαν κατέχειν were fairly well able.., Pl. Phd. 117c; ἐ. μὲν.. perhaps, Id. Grg. 493c.
2.. probably, reasonably, Id. R. 431e, etc.: Sup. -έστατα, γενέσθαι most suitably, Id. Lg. 753b.
3.. with moderation, mildly, kindly, οὐκ ἐ. ἐντυγχάνων οὐδὲ πρᾴως Plu. Pyrrh. 23; ἐ. ἔχειν πρός τινα Isoc. 15.4: Comp. -έστερον, διακείμενοι Id. 8.61.
4.. generally, usually, Plu. Pel. 18, Jul. MIsa 348c, Lib. Or. 11.19, al.
ἐπιεικής , - ές
( < εἰκός , likely),
[in LXX : [Psa 86:5] (H5546), [Ezr 8:13] * ;]
1. seemly, fitting ( Hom .).
2. equitable, fair, moderate: [1Ti 3:3], [Tit 3:2], [1Pe 2:18], [Jas 3:17]; τὸ ἐ . ( Thuc ., i, 76), [Php 4:5] ( cf. Mayor , Ja, l.c ., and see ἐπιεικία ). †
ἐπιείκεια see ἐπιεικία