A). FORMS: nom. σφεῖς Hdt. 7.168 , Th. 5.46 , 65 , X. An. 7.5.9 , HG 5.2.8 , Pl. R. 487c :—the uncontr, form σφέες is never found, cf. A.D. Pron. 93.1 , though recognized by Greg.Cor. p.479 S.:—the obl. cases only are used by Hom.

2). Gen. σφέων, in Hom. a monosyll., and sts. enclitic, Il. 18.311 , Od. 3.134 ; poet. σφείων only in Il., and always in phrase ὦσαν ἀπὸ σφείων, 4.535 , 5.626 , 13.148 ; σφέων also in Hdt. 2.4 , 4.35 , al.; Att. σφῶν IG 12.39.67 , al., Th. 1.120 , al., Antipho 6.23 , etc., also in Hom. in the phrase σφῶν αὐτῶν, Il. 12.155 , 19.302 .

3). Dat. σφίσι(ν) or σφισι(ν) 4.2 , 17.453 , 22.288 , 474 , A. Pr. 481 , Hdt. 1.4 , al., Th. 1.19 , al., X. HG 1.7.5 , etc.; more freq. in the forms σφι , σφιν, Il. 2.612 , 614 , al., A. Pr. 254 , al., Hdt. 1.31 , al. (not in Att. Prose); in Trag. never σφι; sts. elided σφ’, Il. 3.300 , 8.4 , etc.; σφιν also in Dor. Prose, SIG 56.48 (Argos, v B.C.), IG 22.1126.25 (Delph. Amphict., iv B.C.), Schwyzer 92.5 (Argos, iii B.C.), Anon. in PSI 9.1091.21 :—σφίσι(ν) is not enclitic acc. to A.D. Pron. 98.12 , sts. enclitic acc. to Hdn.Gr. 2.42 (who says elsewh.( 2.57 ) that pronouns beginning with σφ- are always enclitic); σφι(ν) is enclitic, exc. at the beginning of a phrase, as σφὶν δ’ αὐτοῖς Hes. Fr. 49 (cited by A.D. Pron. 98.11 ).

4). Acc., Ep. and Ion. σφέᾰς (enclit. σφεας) Hom. (v. infr.), Archil. 27.2 , Hdt. 1.4 , 5 , al.; freq. to be pronounced as one long syllable, as in οὐ μέν σφεας ἔτ’ ἔολπα Od. 8.315 , cf. 480 , 13.213 , 276 ; but also as a disyll., Il. 12.43 , Od. 12.225 , al.; σφᾰς enclit. in Il. 5.567 , Parm. 1.12 , Theoc. 21.16 , not enclit. in Opp. C. 1.471 , H. 2.231 ; Att. σφᾶς IG 12.101.3 , Th. 1.24 , E. Med. 1378 , Or. 1127 , etc.; enclit. σφας [ᾱ, cf. S. Ant. 128 (anap.)] S. OT 1470 , 1508 , OC 486 ; also σφε Il. 19.265 , Simon. 99 , Pi. P. 5.86 , A. Th. 630 (lyr.), 788 (lyr.), 864 (anap.), S. OT 1505 , OC 605 , 1669 , E. Med. 394 , etc.; never in Com. (for Ar. Eq. 1020 is a burlesque oracle), nor in Att. Prose; once in Hdt. ( 7.170 , sed leg. σφέας): neut. σφεα (v. infr. 111 ).

II). Rare dialectic forms:— Lacon. dat. φιν, EM 702.41 ; used also by Emp. 22.3 , Call. Dian. 125 , 213 , Fr. 183 , Nic. Th. 725 : Aeol. dat. and acc. ἄσφι, ἄσφε, Sapph. 43 , Alc. 73 : Syrac. dat. and acc. ψιν , ψε, Sophr. 93 , 94 , Theoc. 4.3 ; ψε and ψεαυτόνς also Cretan, Rendic.Pont. Accad.Rom. di Arch. 7.106 , Riv.Fil. 58(1930).473 ; Cret. dat. ψιναυτοῖς Riv.Ist.Arch. 2.19 : Arc. dat. σφεις IG 5(2).6.10 , 18 (Tegea).-- For the dual v. σφωέ : like other pl. forms σφε can be used with reference to two persons, Il. 11.111 , Od. 8.271 , 21.192 , 206 ; so σφεας, Il. 11.128 .

III). Gender:—in Hom. this Pron. has no neut.; in Od. 9.70 , 10.355 , it refers to things, denoted by feminine nouns: but in Ion. Prose occurs the neut. pl. σφεα, Hdt. 1.46 , 89 , 2.119 , 3.53 (σφε codd.), 7.50 , Abyd. 9 ; σφε is acc. pl. neut. in Theoc. 15.80 .

B). MEANINGS:

I). they, them, pl. of οὗ B.I, ἐκ γάρ σφεων φρένας εἵλετο Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη Il. 18.311 ; τῶ σφεων πολέες κακὸν οἶτον ἐπέσπον Od. 3.134 ; μετὰ δέ σφισι πότνια Ἥβη νέκταρ ἐῳνοχόει Il. 4.2 ; οὔ σφι θαλάσσια ἔργα μεμήλει 2.614 ; ἐγώ σφισιν ἔδειξα κράσεις ἠπίων ἀκεσμάτων A. Pr. 481 , cf. 443 , 457 , S. OT 1470 , al., E. Med. 1378 ; this use is not found in Prose, exc. in dialects, SIG 56.48 (Argos, v B.C.), IG 22.1126.25 (Delph. Amphict., iv B.C.), Hdt. 1.3 , 2.15 , al.

b). παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ δίζυγες ἵπποι ἑστᾶσι beside each of them, Il. 5.195 .

2). reflexively, as pl. of οὗ B. 11.1 , ὦσαν ἀπὸ σφείων 4.535 , al.; αἵ ἑ μετὰ σφίσιν εἶχον 22.474 , cf. Th. 2.76 ; later with the same restriction as for οὗ B. 11.1 , e.g. φράζοντες ὡς οὔ σφι περιοπτέη ἐστὶ ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἀπολλυμένη· ἢν γὰρ σφαλῇ, σφεῖς γε οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ δουλεύσουσι τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν ἡμερέων Hdt. 7.168 , cf. Th. 5.46 , 65 , X. An. 7.5.9 , HG 5.2.8 , Pl. R. 487c .

3). oblique cases in combination with αὐτῶν, αὐτούς, etc., forming a reflex. Pron. used without the foreg. restriction, ἐντὸς δὲ πυκάζοιεν σφέας αὐτούς Od. 12.225 ; σφῶν δ’ αὐτῶν κήδε’ ἑκάστη Il. 19.302 , cf. 12.155 ; σφᾶς δ’ αὐτάς Hes. Th. 34 ; Κερκυραῖοι σφῶν αὐτῶν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναι ἐφόνευον Th. 3.81 , cf. 1.139 , al.; it sts. = ἀλλήλους (-ων) , ἀλλήλοις κοτέοντες ἐπὶ σφέας ὁρμήσωσι Hes. Sc. 403 ; ποθεινοτέρως σφῶν αὐτῶν ἔχειν X. Lac. 1.5 ; σφᾶς (σφὰς cod. L) αὐτοὺς .. ἐπέφραδον informed one another, A.R. 2.959 ; but σφᾶς ἑωυτάς is prob. f.l. in Hp. Epid. 2.1.3 : cf. Thom.Mag. p.329 R.

II). as sg., = him, her, in the dat. and acc. forms σφἱν), σφε; σφιν is so used in h.Pan. 19 , h.Hom. 30.9 , A. Pers. 759 , S. OC 1490 (in Od. 15.524 σφιν refers to all the suitors, and in Hes. Sc. 113 to Ares and Cycnus); σφι in Lyc. 1242 ; σφε = him, her, in Pi. I. 6(5).74 , A. Pr. 9 , Th. 469 , al., S. OT 761 , Ant. 44 , Ph. 200 (anap.), al., E. Alc. 107 (lyr.), 149 , 200 , Med. 33 , al.; = it (of a masc. noun) in S. OC 40 : f.l. for σφεα in Hdt. 3.52 , 53 , and for σφεας Id. 1.71 , al.

III). once as 2 pers. pl. reflex., ἠνώγει δέ μ’ ἰόντα .. πυθέσθαι ἠὲ .. ἦ .. φύξιν βουλεύοιτε μετὰ σφίσιν Il. 10.398 (reported from φύξιν βουλεύουσι μετὰ σφίσιν ib. 311 ); σφέας for ὑμᾶς in Hdt. 3.71 (but with v.l. σφεα).

IV). later as 1 pers. pl. (cf. σφέτερος, σφωΐτερος, ἑός) , ἧμιν ἐνὶ σφίσι A.R. 2.1278 ; σφᾶς = ἡμᾶς , Men.Prot. p. 119 D.; censured by Luc. Sol. 8 , 9 .