φθάνω φθανω always in Attic; φθᾱνω twice in Il. to come or do first or before others: c. acc. pers. to be beforehand with, overtake, outstrip, anticipate, Il., Hdt., Attic; so, ἔφθησαν τὸν χειμῶνα Hdt.:—Pass. to be overtaken, Anth. absol. to come first, Eur., etc.; τοῦ φθάσαντος ἁρπαγή the prey of the first comer, Aesch.:—with Preps. to come or arrive first, ἐς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον Thuc., etc. the action in which one outstrips another is expressed by the part. agreeing with the subject, [Ἄτη φθάνει βλάπτουσα is beforehand in doing mischief, Il.; φθῆ μιν Τηλέμαχος βαλών Telemachus was beforehand with him in striking, Od.:—in translation, the part. often becomes the chief Verb and φθάνειν is rendered by an adv., quicker, sooner, first, before, beforehand, ἔφθησαν ἀπικόμενοι arrived first, Hdt.; so with part. pass. εἴ κε φθήηι τυπείς should he be wounded first, Il.; φθάνω εὐεργετῶν I am the first to shew a kindness, Xen.:— these clauses, being compar. in sense, are sometimes foll. by a gen., φθὰν ἱππήων κοσμηθέντες they were marshalled before the horsemen, Il.; or by πρὶν . . , πρὶν ἢ . . , ἔφθη ὀρεξάμενος, πρὶν οὐτάσαι Il.; ἔφθησαν ἀναβάντες πρὶν ἢ . . Hdt. part. φθάς or φθάσας, Epic φθάμενος, used like an adv., ὅς μʼ ἔβαλε φθάμενος, for ὅς μʼ ἔφθη βαλών, Il.; οὐκ ἄλλος φθὰς ἐμεῦ κατήγορος ἔσται no other shall be an accuser before me, Hdt.; ἀνέωιξάς με φθάσας you opened the door before me, Ar. rarely with the inf., like Lat. occuro, μόλις φθάνει θρόνοισιν ἐμπεσοῦσα μὴ χαμαὶ πεσεῖν hardly escapes falling on the ground by falling first on the seat, Eur.; φθάνει ἐλθεῖν he is first to come, Ar. φθάνω with οὐ and part., followed by καί, like Lat. simul ac, denotes two actions following close on each other, οὐ φθάνειν χρὴ συσκιάζοντας γένυν, καὶ ὁρμᾶν you must no sooner get your beard, than you march, Ar.; οὐκ ἔφθη μοι συμβᾶσα ἡ ἀτυχία καὶ εὐθὺς ἐπεχείρησαν no sooner had misfortune befallen me, when they attempted, Dem. οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις, οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιτε, with part. pres., denote impatience, οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιτε ἀπαλλασσόμενοι you could not be too quick in departing, i. e. make haste and be off, Hdt.; οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιτε τοῦτο πράττοντε Ar.; οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις λέγων Plat.:—so, the part. φθάσας is used with imperat., λέγε φθάσας speak quickly, τρέχε φθάσας, etc. in answers, οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιμι I could not be too quick, i. e. I will begin directly, Plat.