ἐπει-δή-περ [ἐπειδή περ Lehm.], conjunction, (fr. ἐπεί, δή and πέρ), seeing that, forasmuch as; Itala and Vulg. quoniam quidem, since now, [ οἵ. W. 448 (417)]: Lk. i. 1. (Aristot. phys. 8, 5 [p. 256", 25]; Dion. Hal. 2, 72; Philo ad Gai. § 25, and Attic writ. fr. Thue. down.)

ἐπειδήπερ epeidēper 1x

since now, since indeed, considering that, Lk. 1:1*

* ἐπει-δή-περ conj.,

forasmuch as ("a stately compound," freq. in cl. and suitable for the formal introduction of Lk): Lk 1:1.†

ἐπειδήπερ appears with its usual meaning ‘‘since” in P Flor 11. 118° (A.D. 254) ἐπέστειλα ὅπως χόρτου por ἡμιξηροῦ φροντίδα ποιησῆσθαι ἐπειδήπερ μετὰ τὴν αὔριον γίνομαι εἰς τὸν νομὸν ἐποψόμενος τὰ παρ᾽ ὑμῖν ἔργα, P Ryl 11. 2381 (Α.}. 262) κτηνύδριον δὲ αὐτοῖς ἕν γοργὸν τῶν ὑπὸ σὲ παράσχες, ἐπειδήπερ τὸ αὐτῶν ὃ εἶχαν βουρδωνάριον εἰς ἐμὴν ὑπηρεσίαν κατέσχον, ‘‘ give them one spirited donkey from those in your charge, since I have kept for my own use the mule which they had” (Edd.), P Strass I. 5° (a.p. 262) ὅμως αὐτός, ἐπειδήπερ ἐκ παλαιοῦ χρόνου τὴν γεωργίαν ἐνπιστευθὲὶς ἐτύνχανεν, τοὺς φόρους καταβέβληκεν.

ἐπειδήπερ (epeidēper) — since. Included with: ἐπεί, conjunction, both temporal and causal; also ἐπειδή, ἐπείτε. OF TIME (ἐπειδή is more frequently in this sense in Prose), after that, since, when, from [Refs 8th c.BC+]

I. with Ind.,

I.1. of a definite occurrence in past time, mostly with aorist, ἐπεί π᾽ εὔξαντο after they had prayed, [Refs 8th c.BC+]after [Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with imperfect, ἐπειδὴ εἱστιώμεθ᾽ [Refs 5th c.BC+]pluperfect, ἐπειδὴ ἐξηπάτησθε.. after you had been deceived.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but generally the aorist is found, the pluperfect being used only for special emphasis: with imperfect to express an action not yet complete, ἐπεὶ ὑπηντίαζεν ἡ φάλαγξ καὶ ἡ σάλπιγξ ἐφθέγξατο after the phalanx began to advance and the trumpet had sounded, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.2. with implied reference to some later time, ἐ. or ἐπειδή, ={ἐξ οὗ}, from the time when, since, mostly with aorist, πολλὰ πλάγχθη, ἐ. ἔπερσε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπείτε παρέλαβον τὸν θρόνον, τοῦτο ἐφρόντιζον ever since I came to the throne, I had this in mind, [Refs 5th c.BC+]present (used in perfect sense) and perfect, ἐ. δὲ φροῦδός ἐστι στρατός since the army is gone, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπείτε ὑπὸ τῷ Πέρσῃ εἰσί, πεπόνθασι τοιόνδε ever since they have been, now that they are.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. with Subj., ἄν being always added in Attic dialect Prose, and ἄν or κε generally in Poetry: ἐπεί with ἄν becomes ἐπήν (so in Comedy texts, [Refs 5th c.BC+], Ionic dialect ἐπεάν [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II.1. referring to future time with future apodosis, τέκνα ἄξομεν.. ἐπὴν πτολίεθρον ἕλωμεν when we shall have taken the city, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ταῦτ᾽, ἐπειδὰν περὶ τοῦ γένους εἴπω, τότ᾽ ἐρῶ I will speak of this, when I have spoken.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χρὴ δέ, ὅταν μὲν τιθῆσθε τοὺς νόμους,.. σκοπεῖν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ θῆσθε, φυλάττειν whenever you are enacting your laws,.. and after you have enacted them.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.2. of repeated action, with a present apodosis, whenever, when once, δαμνᾷ, ἐ. κε λίπῃ ὀστέα θυμός [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπειδὰν ἡ ἐκφορὰ ᾖ.. ἄγουσι whenever the burial takes place they bring, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπειδὰν κρύψωσι γῇ.. λέγει when they have covered them with earth, [Refs] κε in Poets, ἐ. ἂρ βλέφαρ᾽ ἀμφικαλύψῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II.3. like [Refs 4th c.BC+] within ten days from the passing of the resolution, [Refs]

III. with Opt. (without ἄν):

III.1. referring to future time, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἔλθοι, ὁρᾶν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἓν δύνασθαι (i.e. οὐκ οἴει); after he had come into the light.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.2. more frequently of repeated action, with a past apodosis, ἐ. ζεύξειεν.., δησάσκετο [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.3. in indirect speech after past tenses, representing a subjunctive in direct speech, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπεὶ διαβαίης, ἀπιέναι ἔφησθα (the direct form being ἐπὴν διαβῶ) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; after optative in a final clause, ἐπορεύοντο, ὅπως ἐπειδὴ γένοιντο ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ.. ἴοιεν [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.4. by assimilation to optative in principal clause, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν.. νῦν μὲν ἀνώγοιμι πτολεμίζειν.. ἐπὴν τεισαίμεθα λώβην [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.5. ἐπειδάν with optative is falsa lectio in some passages of early authors, as [Refs 5th c.BC+]: found in later Gr., [Refs 1st c.BC+]

IV. with Inf., only in indirect speech, ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ σχολὴν σκέψασθαι, κόπτεσθαι (i.e. ἔφη) [Refs 5th c.BC+]

V. with other words:

V.1. ἐ. τάχιστα as soon as, frequently separated by a word, ἐ. ἦλθε τάχιστα,.. ἀπέδοτο [Refs 5th c.BC+]

V.1. b ἐ. τὰ πρῶτα [Refs 8th c.BC+]

V.2. with emphatic Particles, ἐπεὶ ἄρα when then, in continuing a narrative, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπεὶ οὖν when then, in resuming a narrative, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B CAUSAL (ἐπεί more frequently in this sense in early Prose: ἐπειδή whereas is used in preambles of decrees, [Refs]inasmuch as, NT.Luke.1.1), since, seeing that, frequently from [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.1 with Ind. (after both present and past tenses), ἐ. οὐδὲ ἔοικε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently with past tenses with ἄν, ἐπεὶ οὔποτ᾽ ἂν στόλον ἐπλεύσατ᾽ ἄν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοντά γε εἷλέν μ᾽· ἐπεὶ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὧδ᾽ ἔχοντ᾽ (i.e. εἷλεν) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: especially in the sense, for otherwise.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]future, ἐξέστω δὲ μηδενὶ.. τεθῆναι.., ἐ. ἀποδώσει.. otherwise he shall pay.., [Refs] for teach me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with an interrogative, ἐ. πῶς ἂν καλέσεια; for how would you call him? [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.2 with Opt., ἐ. ἂν μάλα τοι σχεδὸν ἔλθοι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so after past tenses on the principle of indirect speech, ἐπείπερ ἡγήσαιντο since (as they said) they believed, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.3 with Inf. in indirect speech, ἐ. γιγνώσκειν γε αὐτά [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.4 in elliptical expressions, ἀδύνατός [εἰμι], ἐ. ἐβουλόμην ἂν οἷός τ᾽ εἶναι I am unable (and yet I am sorry), for I should like to have the power, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so εἶμι· ἐ. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἴσως οὐκ ἀηδῶς σου ἤκουον [Refs]and yet, although, compare [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐ. ὅ γε ἀποθανὼν πελάτης τις ἦν ἐμός and yet (moreover) the murdered man was my own hired man, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.4.b sometimes after a vocative, where 'listen' may be supplied, Ἕκτορ, ἐ. με κατ᾽ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.5 with other Particles, ἐ. ἄρα, ἐ. ἂρ δή since then, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐ. γε (ἐπεί.. γε [Refs 8th c.BC+] since indeed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπειδή γε[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. ἦ since in truth, ἐ. ἦ πολὺ φέρτερόν ἐστι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπείπερ (ἐ... περ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπειδήπερ in Comedy texts and Prose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. τοι since surely, [Refs 8th c.BC+] sometimes begins a verse in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes coalesces by synizesis with οὐ, οὐδέ, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]