Bible Lexicons

μήν,

Dor. (Epich. 78, etc.), Aeol. (Sapph. Supp. 23.5, etc.), and old μάν (in Hom.always folld. by a vowel exc. Il. 5.895, 765, whereas μήν is folld. by a consonant exc. in Il. 19.45; original μάν has prob. been changed to μέν exc. when the metre prevented),

I a Particle used to strengthen asseverations, verily, truly; a synonym of μέν but stronger, and like it always following the word which begins the clause, ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, καὶ μ. τετελεσμένον ἔσται and so verily.., Il. 23.410; ἴστε μὰν.. ye know doubtless, Pi. I. 4(3).35: freq. with imper., ἄγε μ. on then, Il. 1.302; ἄγρει μάν 5.765; ἄναγε μάν A. Ch. 963 (lyr.); ἕπεο μάν S. OC 182 (lyr.).

II after other Particles,

1 ἦ μήν, now verily, full surely, ἦ μὴν καὶ πόνος ἐστίν Il. 2.291, cf. h.Ap. 87, Hes. Sc. 101; ἦ μάν Il. 2.370, 13.354, Sapph.l.c., Pi. P. 4.40, al. (εἶ μάν IG 5 (1).1390.27 (Andania, i B.C.)): strengthd., ἦ δὴ μάν Il. 17.538: freq. later in strong protestations or oaths, c. inf., ὄμνυσι δ' ἦ μὴν λαπάξειν A. Th. 531, cf. S. Tr. 1186, X. An. 2.3.26: in negation, ἦ μ. μή.. Th. 8.81, etc. (but also ὀμνύω μὴ μὰν φρονησεῖν SIG 527.36 (Crete, iii B.C.)): in Prose also to begin an independent clause, ὀμνύω.., ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἐθυόμην X. An. 6.1.31; καὶ νὴ τὸν κύνα,.. ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἔπαθόν τι τοιοῦτον Pl. Revelation 22:1-21 a.

2. καὶ μήν, sts. simply to add an asseveration, v. sub init., cf. Pi. N. 2.13, etc.; καὶ δὴ μάν Theoc. 7.120: freq. to introduce something new or deserving special attention, καὶ μὴν Τάνταλον εἰσεῖδον Od. 11.582, cf. 593, A. Pr. 459, Pers. 406, etc.; esp. in dramatic Poets to mark the entrance of a person on the stage, here comes.., Id. Th. 372, E. El. 339; also ὅδε μ. Αἵμων S. Ant. 626 (anap.), etc.; of new facts, and besides, nay more, καὶ μήν.. γε A. Pr. 982, cf. Ar. Pax 369, X. Smp. 4.15, etc.; in Orators to introduce new arguments, καὶ μήν.. γε Pl. Tht. 153b, D. 21.56; to introduce a counter-argument, Ar. Nu. 1185, Pl. Grg. 452c; καὶ μὴν καί D. 27.30, etc.: also in answers, to denote approbation or assent, ἀλλ' ἢν ἐφῇς μοι.. λέξαιμ' ἂν ὀρθῶς. Answ. καὶ μ. ἐφίημι well, I allow it, S. El. 556; μὴ νῦν διάτριβ', ἀλλ' ἄνυε πράττων.. Answ. καὶ μ. βαδίζω Ar. Pl. 413 (v.l.), cf. Ra. 895, E. Hec. 317; so καὶ μ... γε Pl. R. 426e, etc.

3. ἀλλὰ μήν, yet truly, Id. Pers. 233, etc.; ἀλλὰ μάν Ar. Ach. 765; ἀλλὰ μήν.. γε Id. Ra. 258; to allege something not disputed, Pl. Tht. 187a: rarely separated, ἀλλ' ἐστὶ μ. οἰκητός S. OC 28; ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐγὼ μ... E. Hec. 401: more strongly, ὅμως μ. Pl. Plt. 297d.

4. ναὶ μήν, above all, Emp. 76.2.

5. οὐ μήν, of a truth not, Il. 24.52, A. Ag. 1068, etc.: elsewh. in Hom. οὐ μάν, Il. 12.318, etc.; μὴ μάν (Att. μὴ μήν) oh do not, 8.512, 15.476, etc.; ἀλλ' οὐ μάν 17.41; ἀλλ' οὐ μάν.. γε S. OC 153 (lyr.); οὐδὲ μάν Pi. P. 4.87.

6. ὡς μήν, = ἦ μήν, ὀμμνύω Δία.. ὡς μ. κρινεῖν τὰ ἀντιλεγόμενα Delph. 3(1).362 i 40.

III after interrogatives, τί μ.; well, what of it? A. Eu. 203, Pl. Tht. 145e, etc.; τί μ. οὔ well, why not? E. Rh. 706 (lyr.); τῶς μ.; well, but how.. ? X. Cyr. 1.6.28; τίνος μ. ἕνεκα; ibid.; ποῦ μ.; to express surprise, Pl. Tht. 142a; ἀλλὰ πότε μήν; X. Smp. 4.23. with adversative force, esp. after a neg., so that it is equivalent to μέντοι, νῦν ἐμὲ μὲν στυγέει.., ἔσται μὰν ὅτ' ἄν.. Il. 8.370 - 373; οὐ μὴν ἄτιμοι.. τεθνήξομεν A. Ag. 1279; ἀνάγκη μὲν καὶ ταῦτ' ἐπίστασθαι.., οὐδὲν μ. κωλύει κτλ. Pl. Phdr. 268e, cf. Grg. 493c, R. 529e, etc.; χαλεπῶς ἔχει ὑπὸ τραυμάτων, μᾶλλον μ. αὐτὸν αἱρεῖ τὸ νόσημα Id. Tht. 142b; expressed more strongly by γε μ., Pi. P. 7.18, A. Th. 1067 (anap.), S. OC 587, X. Cyr. 6.1.7, etc.; also οὐ μ... γε A. Pr. 270, Th. 538; οὐδὲ μ. ib. 809, Ch. 189; οὐ μ. οὐδέ nor yet indeed, Th. 1.3, 82, etc.; οὐ μὰν οὐδέ Il. 4.512; ἀλλ' οὐ μὰν οὐδέ 23.441: — on οὐ μὴν ἀλλά, v. ἀλλά 11.5.