LogeionPerseus analysis of ἦε:
ἤ 1 (or): epic (indeclform conj)
LSJ entry
ἤ 1
ἤ (A), Ep. also ἠέ (in signf. A.II ἤ (or ἠέ)
folld. by ἦ (or ἦε),
v. infr.), Conj. with two chief senses, Disj. (
or)
and Comp. (
than).
2. ἢ . . ἤ either . . or,
ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντʼ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα Il. 1.27,
cf. 151,
5.484,
etc.; so ἢ . . ἤτοι . . Pi. N. 6.4,
Fr. 138;
ἤτοι . . ἤ . . A. Ag. 662,
S. Ant. 1182,
Th. 2.40,
etc. (in Classical Gr. the alternative introduced by ἤτοι is emphasized, later no distn. is implied, Ep.Rom. 6.16;
ἤτοι . . ἢ . . ἤ . . PTeb. 5.59(ii B.C.));
ἤ repeated any number of times, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι ἢ τεὸν ἢ Αἴαντος ἰὼν γέρας ἢ Ὀδυσῆος Il. 1.138,
cf. Od. 15.84,
S. Ant. 707;
ἤ is prob. wrongly accented in codd. of Il. 2.289,
Od. 3.348,
19.109, v. ἦ Adv.1.3:
ἢ πόλις βροτός θʼ ὁμοίως A. Eu. 524(lyr.) is exceptional. b. without an introductory Particle, θεός νύ τις ἦ βροτός ἐσσι;
art thou a goddess or a mortal? Od. 6.149,
cf. 1.226,
4.314,
372,
643,
20.130,
21.194,
Il. 10.63,
425,
534,
15.203:
accented ἦ,
Hdn.Gr.2.145,
al., but ἤ freq. in codd. of Hom. and always in codd. of later writers: ἤκουσας ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ἢ κωφῇ λέγω;
A. Th. 202;
ἄρτι δὲ ἥκεις ἢ πάλαι;
Pl. Cri. 43a;
κακουργεῖν δεῖ ἢ οὔ;
ib.49c;
preceded by πότερον, πότερον δοκεῖ σοι κάκιον εἶναι, τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἢ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι;
Id. Grg. 474c,
etc. B. COMPARATIVE, than, as,
after a Comp.,
Il. 11.162,
etc.: after positive Adjs. which imply comparison, ἄλλος, ἕτερος ἤ . . ,
S. OT 595,
Tr. 835(lyr.); ἐναντίος ἤ Pl. Grg. 481c;
ἴδιόν τι πάσχειν πάθος ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι ibid.: after Advbs. or adverbial phrases, πλήν, πρίν, πρόσθεν, χωρίς (qq. v.), ἀλλά (v. ἀλλʼ ἤ)
; τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἤ . . Id. Cri. 44a (
f.l. in Smp. 173a);
ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ ϝέτει ἀπὸ τῶ ποτεχεῖ ϝέτεος ἢ Ἀριστίων ἐφορεύει Tab.Heracl. 1.121;
παρὰ δόξαν ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεδόκεε Hdt. 1.79,
cf. 8.4;
διαφερόντως ἤ . . Pl. Phd. 85b;
οὐδʼ ὅσον ἤ . . not so much as . . ,
not more than . . ,
Theoc. 9.21:
after Verbs implying comparison, βούλεσθαι ἤ . . to wish rather than . . , v. βούλομαι IV, αἱρέω B. II.1b; so φθάνειν ἤ . . to come sooner than . . ,
Il. 23.445,
Od. 11.58;
ἐπιθυμεῖν ἤ . . X. Cyr. 1.4.3;
δέχεσθαι ἤ . . Lys. 10.21:
less freq. after a word not implying comparison, δίκαιον ἡμέας ἔχειν . . (sc. μᾶλλον)
ἤ περ Ἀθηναίους Hdt. 9.26;
ἐμοὶ πικρὸς . . ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς S. Aj. 966(s.v.l.); δεδικαιωμένος ἢ ἐκεῖνος Ev.Luc. 18.14.
7. the Disj. and Comp. uses are found together in Il. 15.511 βέλτερον, ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἕνα χρόνον ἠὲ βιῶναι, ἢ δηθὰ στρεύγεσθαι ἐν αἰνῆ δηϊοτῆτι better, either to die once for all or win life, than long to toil in battle. [
ἢ οὐ, ἢ οὐκ combine by Synizesis into one syll. in Trag. and Com., A. Pr. 330,
S. Aj. 334,
Ar. Lys. 128;
so usually in Ep.,
Od. 1.298,
al.; ἢ αὐτός Hes. Fr. 194;
ἢ εἰ Alex. 201.]