1. χρέος · chreos — LSJ
that which one needs must pay, obligation, debt, Ἄρης . . χρέος καὶ δεσμὸν ἀλύξας Od. 8.353, cf. 355; χρεῖος ἀποστήσασθαι, i.e. pay it in full, Il. 13.746: esp. of the obligation to restore or pay for ‘lifted’ cattle and plunder, so the heralds of the Pylians summoned to share in booty all οἷσι χρεῖος ὀφείλετʼ· . . πολέσιν γὰρ Ἐπειοὶ χρεῖος ὄφειλον (where Sch. A, τὰ περιελασθέντα ἐκ τῆς Πύλου ὑπὸ τῶν Ἐπειῶν θρέμματα χρέως καλεῖ) Il. 11.686, cf. Od. 3.367, 21.17; later simply, debt, αὐτὸς ἔτεισε
metaph., the debt that all must pay, fate, death, οὐκ ἔστι τὸ χ. φυγεῖν Alciphr. 1.25; τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπαιτηθεὶς χ. LXX Wi. 15.8; also ἂν μή τις θᾶττον ὡς χ. ἀποδιδῷ τὸ ζῆν Pl. Ax. 367b; ὁπότε εἰς τὸν ἀέρα ἀναδράμῃ τὸ χ. (sc. ἡ ψυχή, regarded as lent to the body) Vett.Val. 330.33.
in Poets, business, affair, matter, ἑὸν αὐτοῦ χρεῖος ἐελδόμενος Od. 1.409, cf. 2.45; χρέος πᾶν ἐπικραίνεις, of Pelasgos, A. Supp. 374 (lyr.); purpose, object, εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὑμῖν μὴ τόδʼ ἐκπράξω χρέος ib. 472, cf. S. OT 156 (lyr.); πᾶν ὃ θέλεις . . χ. ἐκτετέλεσται Theoc. 25.53: c. gen., σὸν οὐκ ἔλασσον ἢ κείνης χ. your affair, E. Hec. 892.
almost = χρῆμα, thing, τί χρέος; = τί χρῆμα; A. Ag. 85 (anap.), E. Heracl. 95 (lyr.), cf. S. OC 251 (lyr.); ἐφʼ ὅ τι χ. ἐμόλετε E. Or. 150 (lyr); τί χ. ἔβα δῶμα; Id. Fr. 1011 (lyr.); τί καινὸν ἦλθε δώμασιν χ.; Id. HF 530, cf. Ar. Nu. 30 (with play on signf. I), Theoc. 24.66.
ἐλάφους, μέγα τι χ. (cf. χρῆμα II.3) Call. Dian. 100.
in Od. 11.479, ἦλθον Τειρεσίαο κατὰ χρέος seems to be = Τειρεσίᾳ χρησόμενος (10.492) to consult him.
elsewh. κατὰ χρέος means according to what is needful, in due fashion, h.Merc. 138, A.R. 3.189, Arat. 343.
duty, task, charge, office, ἦλθε τωὔτʼ ἐπὶ χρέος Pi. O. 1.45, cf. 7.40; οἷς τόδʼ ἦν χρέος A. Pers. 777, cf. Th. 20; τὸ σὸν μελέσθω . . φρουρῆσαι χρέος S. El. 74, cf. E. Or. 1253 (lyr.), IT 883 (lyr.).
τὸ συνδρῶν χ. the circumstance of being an accomplice, E. Andr. 337.
anything useful or serviceable, χρεῶν χρηΐζοντι μετάδοσιν ποιήσασθαι Hp. Jusj.; δέκα στατῆρανς καταστασεῖ, τῶ δὲ χρήϊος( = χρέους) διπλεῖ ὄτι κʼ ὀ δικαστὰς ὀμόσει συνεσσάκσαι Leg.Gort. 3.14, cf. 11, GDI 5100.11 (Malla).
value, validity, μηδὲν ἐς χρῆος (or χρέος) ἤμην τὰν δόσιν the gift shall be of no value, i. e. invalid, Leg.Gort. 10.24, cf. 31.
παρὰ χρέος, = παραχρῆμα, Call. Aet. Oxy. 2080.14 [Fr. 43.14 Pf.] (παραχρῆμʼ ap. Stob.), Nic. Al. 614 (prob. orig. = signf. VIII).
= χρεία, χρεώ, need, τί δʼ, ὦ τάλας, σε τοῦδʼ ἔχει πλέκους χρέος; Answ. χ. μὲν οὐδέν, βούλομαι δʼ ὅμως λαβεῖν Ar. Ach. 454, cf. Bion Fr. 2.2.