help, aid, succour, first in Hdt. (v. infr.); opp. βλάπτω, Th. 6.14, Pl. Phd. 107d; opp. ζημιόω, Isoc. 6.5.—Construction:
abs., to be of use or service, τὰ μηδὲν ὠφελοῦντα A. Pr. 44, cf. S. Fr. 196, E. IA 348 (troch.), X. Oec. 1.9; οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ Th. 2.87; τὸ πολλάκις ὠφελοῦν Isoc. 8.35.
c. acc. pers., to be of service to, benefit, Hdt. 2.95, A. Pr. 507; τὰς ψυχὰς ὠ. διδάσκοντες X. Cyr. 2.3.23; ὠ. τινα ἔς τι to be of use to one towards a thing, Th. 4.75; τί δέ μʼ ὠφελήσουσʼ οἱ ῥυθμοὶ πρὸς τἄλφιτα; how will rhythms help me to earn my bread? Ar. Nu. 648: abs., ἐπὶ τοῖς δεινοῖσιν E. Fr. 84; διὰ τῶν ὤτων Plu. Aud. 2.38c, cf. Coniug. 145b: c. part., αὐτοὺς ὠφελεῖ προσκείμενον E. Hipp. 970.
esp. of a general, enrich his soldiers by booty, Plu. Aem. 29; τοὺς στρατιώτας ὠφεληκὼς ἀπὸ τῶν στρατειῶν Id. Caes. 12; cf. ὠφέλεια II.3.
in Poets also (v. Thom.Mag. p.408R.) c. dat. pers., A. Pr. 342, Pers. 842, S. Ant. 560, E. Or. 666, 681, Heracl. 681, Ar. Av. 421 (lyr.); also in Antipho 6.38, and v.l. in Th. 5.23; the compds. προσωφελέω, ἐπωφελέω, συνωφελέω also take both constructions.
c. gen., dub. in οὐδεὶς ἔρωτος τοῦδʼ ἐφαίνετʼ ὠφελῶν S. OC 436 (fort. leg. ἔρωτʼ ἐς τόνδʼ).
c. acc. cogn., ὠφελίαν ὠ. τινα to render him a service, Pl. R. 519e, cf. Euthd. 275e; ὠφελίαν κοινῇ -οῦνται πάντες οἱ δημιουργοί Id. R. 346c: with a neut. Adj., οὐδέν τινα ὠ. to do one no service, Hdt. 3.126, E. Alc. 875 (lyr.); πολλά, πλέον, πλεῖστον, ὡς πλεῖστα ὠ. τινα, Isoc. 3.30, E. Andr. 679, 681, Th. 6.14.
Pass., receive help or succour, derive profit or advantage, πρός τινος from a person or thing, Hdt. 2.68; ἔκ τινος A. Pr. 222, Antipho 3.2.3; ἀπό τινος Th. 3.64, X. Oec. 1.15, cf. Gorg. Pal. 10; ὑπό or παρά τινος, Pl. Grg. 512a, Amat. 132d; ὠ. τοῦ νόμου to derive benefit from . . , Antipho 5.17 (dub. l.); τινι by a thing, Th. 3.67; διά τι ib. 13; παρʼ ἐμοῦ ὠφελεῖσθαι to make something out of me, Antipho 2.2.13; ἐκ τῶν ὑμετέρων help themselves, Lys. 27.7: esp. of troops, acquire booty, πολλὰ παρὰ