περί around, round about with gen., dat., and acc. prep. with gen., dat., and acc.: Radical sense, round about, all round, whereas ἀμφί properly means on both sides. WITH GENITIVE: of Place, round about, around, Lat. circum, Od. about, near, ἑσδόμεναι περὶ σεῖο Mosch. Causal, to denote the object about or for which one does something: with Verbs of fighting or contending, μάχεσθαι περὶ πτόλιος Il.; περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος Il.; so, τρέχειν περὶ ἑωυτοῦ, περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς Hdt. about, for, on account of, μερμηρίζειν περί τινος Il.; φροντίζειν περί τινος Hdt. with Verbs of hearing, knowing, speaking, about, concerning, Lat. circa, de, περὶ νόστου ἄκουσα Od., etc. rather of the motive, than the object, περὶ ἔριδος μάρνασθαι to fight for very enmity, Il.; περὶ τῶνδε for these reasons, Il. about, as to, in reference to, οὕτως ἔσχε περὶ τοῦ πρήγματος τούτου Hdt.; so, τὰ περί τινος his circumstances, Thuc.:—also without the Art., ἀριθμοῦ πέρι as to number, Hdt. like Lat. prae, before, above, beyond, περὶ πάντων ἔμμεναι ἄλλων Il.; τετιμῆσθαι περὶ πάντων Il.; κρατερὸς περὶ πάντων Hom.: in this sense, divided from its gen., περὶ φρένας ἔμμεναι ἄλλων in understanding to be beyond them, Il. to denote value, περὶ πολλοῦ ἐστὶν ἡμῖν it is worth much to us, Hdt.; περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖσθαί τι to reckon a thing for, i. e. worth, much, Lat. magni facere, Hdt.; περὶ πλείστου ἡγεῖσθαι Thuc. WITH DATIVE: of Place, round about, around, of close-fitting dresses, armour, etc., ἔνδυνε περὶ στήθεσσι χιτῶνα Il.; κνημῖδας περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκεν Il.; περὶ δʼ ἔγχεϊ . . καμεῖται will grow weary by grasping the spear, Il.; περὶ δουρὶ πεπαρμένος spitted upon it, transfixed by it, Il.; πεπτῶς περὶ ξίφει Soph. of a warrior, standing over or going round a dead comrade so as to defend him (v. ἀμφιβαίνω, περιβαίνω) ; Αἴας περὶ Πατρόκλῳ . . βεβήκει Il. Causal, much like περί c. gen., of an object for or about which one struggles, μαχήσασθαι περὶ δαιτί Od.; περὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις κυβεύειν Plat. so also with Verbs denoting fear, ἔδδεισεν δὲ περὶ ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ Il.; δεῖσαι περὶ τῷ χωρίῳ Thuc. generally, of the cause or occasion, for, on account of, by reason of, Lat. prae, μὴ περὶ Μαρδονίῳ πταίσῃ ἡ Ἑλλάς Hdt.; περὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς πταίειν Thuc.:—in Poets also, περὶ δείματι for fear, Pind.; περὶ τάρβει, περὶ φόβῳ Aesch. WITH ACCUSATIVE: of Place, properly referring to the object round about which motion takes place, περὶ βόθρον ἐφοίτων came flocking round the pit, Od.; ἄστυ πέρι διώκειν Il.:—hence, near, ἑστάμεναι περὶ τοῖχον Il.; οἳ περὶ Πηνειὸν ναίεσκον Il.; περὶ τὴν κρήνην somewhere near it, Plat.; ἡ περὶ Λέσβον ναυμαχία the sea-fight off Lesbos, Xen. of persons who are about one, οἱ περί τινα a personʼs suite, attendants, associates, οἱ περὶ τὸν Πείσανδρον πρέσβεις Thuc.; οἱ περὶ Ἡράκλειτον his school, Plat.; οἱ περὶ Ἀρχίαν πολέμαρχοι Archias and his colleagues, Xen.:—later, οἱ περί τινα periphr. for the person himself, Plut. of the object about which one is occupied or concerned, περὶ δόρπα πονεῖσθαι Hom.; εἶναι or γίγνεσθαι περί τι Thuc., etc.; ὁ περὶ τὸν ἵππον the groom, Xen. denoting motion about or in a place, περὶ νῆσον ἀλώμενοι wandering about the island, Od.; χρονίζειν περὶ Αἴγυπτον Hdt. about, in the case of, τὰ περὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον γεγονότα Hdt.; εὐσεβεῖν περὶ θεούς Plat.: —also without a Verb, about, in respect of, in regard to, πονηρὸς περὶ τὸ σῶμα Plat.; ἀκόλαστος περὶ ταῦτα Aeschin.; τὰ περὶ τὰς ναῦς naval affairs, Thuc.; τὰ περὶ τοὺς θεούς Xen., etc. of Time, περὶ λύχνων ἁφάς about the time of lamp-lighting, Hdt.; περὶ μέσας νύκτας about midnight, Xen.; περὶ ἡλίου δυσμάς Xen. of numbers loosely given, περὶ ἑβδομήκοντα about seventy, Thuc. POSITION: περί may follow its Subst., when it suffers anastrophe, ἥν πέρι, ἄστυ πέρι. absol., as ADV., around, about, also near, by, Hom. before or above others, in which case it commonly suffers anastrophe, Τυδείδη, πέρι μέν σε τίον Δαναοί Il.; πέρι κέρδεα οἶδεν Od. περὶ κῆρι very much in heart, right heartily, περὶ κῆρι φιλεῖν Il.; περὶ κῆρι χολοῦσθαι Il.; so, περὶ σθένεϊ Il. strengthd. περὶ πρό, where also περί recovers its accent, Il. IN COMPOS. all its chief senses recur: all round, as in περιβάλλω, περιβλέπω, περιέχω. of return to the same point, about, as in περιάγω, περιβαίνω, περιστρέφω. above, before, as in περιγίγνομαι, περιτοξεύω· also beyond measure, very, exceedingly, as in περικαλλής, περιδείδια, like Lat. per- in permultus, pergratus. rarely = ἀμφί, as in περιδέξιος. PROSODY:—though ι in περί is short, περί does not suffer elision. The exceptions to this rule are few.