A grammar of the Homeric dialect - Wilbourhall.org

1
84 PREPOSITIONS.
irpOTi.
205.] The Preposition irpori (irpos, iron) expresses attitude or
direction towards an object. It is found in the adverbial use;
Od. 5 255 upas 8' apa TrrjbaXiov Trotrjo-aro he made a rudder to be
put to (the raft)-, hence commonly in addition, besides a use
which remained in later Greek.
It is a question whether irprt payjEvOai to fight with a man in opposition to a god ; also
addressing (persons), with Verbs of speaking, &c. in one
; place
of time, Od. 17. 191 Trort eWepa towards evening.
Note that the literal local sense appears in all the Homeric
uses of irpori with the Ace. : the metaphorical uses, viz. in respect
of, for the purpose of, in proportion to, according to, &c., are later.
208.] With the Genitive irpOS z>oYou i. e. not at or facing the
north and south, but more generally, in the direction fixed by
north and south ; II. 10. 428-430 irpos pev aXos . .
Trpo? &v^pr]s :
II. 22. 198 Trort Trro'Atoj in the direction of Troy; Od. 8. 29 ?Je 7jy>os
rj
cnrpiu>v avOpvircov (=.from east or west).
Among derived senses we may distinguish
(1) at the hand of, from (persons),
as II. I. 160
irpbs Tpwcov, II. 831
ra o~e Trport fyavL
(2) on the part of, by the will of, as II. I. 239
ot re
Trpds Atoy elpvarai who uphold judgments on behalf of Zeus ;
II. 6. 456 vrpos aAArjy to-roz; v^atW? at another's bidding:
and, perhaps in a metaphorical sense, Od. 6. 207 TT/>OS yap
Atos daiv airavTes fetz/ot re TTT^OL re.