# ἐφίστημι
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* ἐπῐ́στημῐ (epĭ́stēmĭ) — Ionic
* ἐφιστάνω (ephistánō) — late

### Etymology

From ἐπί (epí, “upon”) +‎ ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ, “to stand”). Compare ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι (epĭ́stămai).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /e.pʰís.tɛː.mi/ → /eˈɸis.ti.mi/ → /eˈfis.ti.mi/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /e.pʰís.tɛː.mi/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /eˈpʰis.te̝.mi/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /eˈɸis.ti.mi/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /eˈfis.ti.mi/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /eˈfis.ti.mi/

### Verb

ἐφῐ́στημῐ • (ephĭ́stēmĭ)
* (transitive, active voice of present, imperfect, future, and 1st aorist tenses)
** to set or place upon
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.75
*** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Critias 116A
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 3.1.7
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Spudias 6
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 498C
*** 60 BCE – 7 BCE, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 1.16
** to set over
*** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1202
*** 470 BCE, Aeschylus, The Suppliants 303
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.27
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Constitution of Sparta 2.1
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.1.15
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, To Nicocles 27
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1292B.28
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 2.65.9
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 10.20.5
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Aristogiton 2 22
*** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 112
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Areopagiticus 37
** to set up, establish, institute
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.167
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.38
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1287A.26
*** 61 CE – 112 CE, Pliny the Younger, Letters 6.31.12
** to set by or near to
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.72
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 1.33.6
** to stop, halt
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.2.18
*** 36 BCE – 30 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library 17.112
*** 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Cimon 1
*** 86 CE – 160 CE, Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 5.16.1
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 16.34.2
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 7.11.1
*** 40 CE – 90 CE, Dioscorides, Materia medica 1.125
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 1.8.15
** to fix one's mind upon, attend to
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Evagoras 69
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Metaphysics 987B.3
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Metaphysics 1090A.2
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, On Youth, Old Age, Life and Death, and Respiration 470B.5
*** 36 BCE – 30 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library 12.1
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Topics 135A.26
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, On the Universe 391A.26
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, On Generation and Corruption 315B.18
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, History of Animals 487A.13
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 1.65.5
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1335B.3
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1144A.22
*** (with accusative of person) to arrest the attention of
**** 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Tiberius Gracchus 17
**** 129 CE – 216 CE, Galen, Collected Works 18.105
**** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 2.61.11
**** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 10.21.2
**** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 31.23.1
**** AD 254–270, Plotinus, Enneades 1.4.5
* (intransitive, middle and passive voice, active voice of perfect, pluperfect, and 2nd aorist)
** to stand upon
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.515
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.373
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.609
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 23.201
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Metaphysics 1051A.28
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 3.46.8
*** to be imposed upon
**** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 1170
*** to stand on the top or surface
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.2
**** 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, Prognostics 12
**** 40 CE – 90 CE, Dioscorides, Materia medica 1.72
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, On Youth, Old Age, Life and Death, and Respiration 469B.31
** to be set over
*** 467 BCE, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes 538
*** 422 BCE, Aristophanes, The Wasps 955
*** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 945
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hiero 9.5
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 460B
*** 343 BCE, Demosthenes, On the False Embassy 298
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.117
*** 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 1098
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 21.9
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.148
*** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 1072
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 3.5.19
** to stand by or near
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.133
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.52
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 11.644
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.77
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 212D
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Philebus 64C
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.34
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.14
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 10.496
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Helen 65
*** 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of Luke 2:9
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.78
*** 95 CE – 165 CE, Appian, Syrian Wars 10
*** New Testament, Acts of the Apostles 22:20
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.59
*** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 172E
*** 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, Collected Works 3.79
*** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 558
*** 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of Luke 2:38
*** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 16.18.7
*** (in a hostile sense) to stand against
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.703
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.624
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 22.203
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 24.380
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.203
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Evagoras 58
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 8.69
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, On the Peace 41
**** 344 BCE – 343 BCE, Demosthenes, Second Philippic 5
**** 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, Dialogues of the Gods 17.1
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Against Callimachus 9
**** New Testament, First Epistle to the Thessalonians 5:3
**** 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of Luke 21:34
**** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 18.20.7
**** New Testament, Acts of the Apostles 28:2
*** (figuratively, of events) to impend, be at hand
**** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 777
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.82
**** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 176
**** New Testament, Second Epistle to Timothy 4:6
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1287A.2
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Metaphysics 999A.25
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.326
** to halt, stop
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.4.26
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 172A
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.91
** to fix one's mind on, give one's attention to
*** 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 547
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Helen 29
*** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 60
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, First Philippic 12
*** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 233
*** 344 BCE – 343 BCE, Demosthenes, Second Philippic 19

#### Derived terms

* ᾰ̓νεπῐ́στᾰτος (ănepĭ́stătos)
* ἀντεφῐ́στημῐ (antephĭ́stēmĭ)
* κᾰτεφῐ́στᾰμαι (kătephĭ́stămai)
* προεφῐ́στημῐ (proephĭ́stēmĭ)
* σῠνεφῐ́στημῐ (sŭnephĭ́stēmĭ)

#### Related terms

* ἐπῐστᾰδόν (epĭstădón)
* ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι (epĭ́stămai)
* ἐπῐστᾰσίᾱ (epĭstăsíā)
* ἐπῐστᾰσιάζω (epĭstăsiázō)
* ἐπῐστᾰ́σῐον (epĭstắsĭon)
* ἐπῐστᾰ́σῐος (epĭstắsĭos)
* ἐπῐ́στᾰσῐς (epĭ́stăsĭs)
* ἐπῐστᾰτέον (epĭstătéon)
* ἐπῐστᾰτεύω (epĭstăteúō)
* ἐπῐστᾰτέω (epĭstătéō)
* ἐπῐστᾰ́τη (epĭstắtē)
* ἐπῐστᾰτήρ (epĭstătḗr)
* ἐπῐστᾰτήρῐος (epĭstătḗrĭos)
* ἐπῐστᾰ́της (epĭstắtēs)
* ἐπῐστᾰτῐκός (epĭstătĭkós)
* ἐπῐ́στᾰτον (epĭ́stăton)
* ἐπῐ́στημᾰ (epĭ́stēmă)
* ἐπῐστηρίζω (epĭstērízō)

#### References

* “ἐφίστημι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “ἐφίστημι”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “ἐφίστημι”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* ἐφίστημι in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* ἐφίστημι in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* G2186 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible