πρόφασις
Alt. πρόφα^σις, εως,
Etym. προφαίνω or πρόφημι
1. "that which is alleged as the cause, an allegation, plea", καὶ ἐπὶ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐπὶ βραχείᾳ ὁμοίως προφάσει to great or small "plea" alike, Thuc.; πρ. ἀληθεστάτη id=Thuc.
2. mostly in bad sense, "a mere pretext, a pretence, excuse", Hdt., etc.; opp. to the true cause (αἰτία), Thuc.: c. gen. "the pretext or pretence for" a thing, Hdt., etc.:—absol. in acc., πρόφασιν "in pretence", Il., attic; πρόφασιν μέν, opp. to τὸ δ᾽ ἀληθές, Thuc.; so in dat., προφάσει id=Thuc.: — ἀπὸ προφάσιος τοιῆσδε "from or on" some such pretext as this, Hdt., etc.:— προφάσιος εἵνεκεν id=Hdt.:— ἐπὶ προφάσει by way of "excuse", Theogn., Thuc.; so, ἐπὶ προφάσιος Hdt.; κατὰ πρόφασιν id=Hdt.:—foll. by an inf., αὕτη ἦν σοι πρ. ἐκβαλεῖν ἐμέ for casting me out, Soph.; πρόφασιν ἔχει τοῖς δειλαίοις μὴ ἰέναι gives them "an excuse" for not going, Plat.
3. phrases, πρόφασιν διδόναι, ἐνδιδόναι to give "occasion", make "an excuse", Dem.; πρ. ἐνδοῦναί τινι Thuc.; πρ. προτείνειν, προΐσχεσθαι to put forward "an excuse", Hdt.; παρέχειν Ar.; προφάσιας ἕλκειν to keep making "pretences", Hdt., etc.; elliptically, μή μοι πρόφασιν (sc. πάρεχε) no "excuse", no "shuffling", Ar.
II. Pind. personifies Πρόφασις, as daughter of Epimetheus (Afterthought).
III. in Soph. it must mean "suggestion."