μετά
Perseus. "in the midst of, among with gen., dat., and acc."
I. Prep. with gen., dat., and acc.
A. WITH GEN. "in the midst of, among" a number, μετ᾽ ἄλλων ἑταίρων Od.; πολλῶν μετὰ δούλων Aesch.
II. "in common, along with", μετὰ Βοιωτῶν ἐμάχοντο Il.; μ. ξυμμάχων κινδυνεύειν Thuc.; μετά τινος πάσχειν, στῆναι Aesch., Soph.
III. "with, by means of", ἱκετεύειν μετὰ δακρύων Plat.; μετ᾽ ἀρετῆς πρωτεύειν Xen.:—as a periphr. for Adverbs, ὁσίως καὶ μετ᾽ ἀληθείας Plat.
B. WITH DAT., only poet., mostly epic,
1. properly of persons, "among, in company with", μετὰ τριτάτοισιν ἄνασσεν "in or among" the third generation Nestor reigned, Il.
2. of things, μετὰ νηυσί, ἀστράσι "among, in the midst of", Hom.; μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο "in company with" the winds, "as swift as" they, id=Hom.
3. "between", μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχειν to hold "between", i. e. "in", the hands, Il.; μετὰ φρεσίν id=Il.
II. to complete a number, "with, besides", πέμπτος μετὰ τοῖσιν "a fifth" with them, Hom.;—N. B., μετά is never used with dat. sg., unless of collective Nouns, μετὰ στρατῷ Il.
C. WITH ACCUS.,
I. of motion, "into the middle of coming among" a number, μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν Hom.; μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν Il.
II. "in pursuit or quest of", βῆναι μετὰ Νέστορα id=Il.; in hostile sense. βῆναι μετά τινα to go "after", pursue him, id=Il.;—also, βῆναι μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουήν to go "in search of" news of thy father, Od.; πόλεμον μέτα θωρήσσοντο they were arming "for" the battle, Il.
III. of mere sequence or succession,
1. of Place, "after, next after, behind", λαοὶ ἕπονθ᾽ ὡσεὶ μετὰ κτίλον ἕσπετο μῆλα as sheep follow "after" the bell-wether, Il.
2. of Time, "after, next to", μεθ᾽ Ἕκτορα πότμος ἑτοῖμος "after" Hector thy death is at the door, id=Il.; μετὰ ταῦτα "thereupon, thereafter", attic; μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν "in the course of" the day, Hdt.
3. of Worth, Rank, "next to, next after", following a Sup., κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ μετ᾽ ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα Il.
IV. "after, according to", μετὰ σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κῆρ "as" you and I "wish", id=Il.; μετ᾽ ὔλμον "by the line of" the furrow, id=Il.
V. generally, "among, between", as with dat., μετὰ πάντας ἄριστος best "among all", Il.; μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχειν Hdt.
D. absol. as ADV. "among them, with them", Il.
II. "and then, next afterwards, thereafter", Hom., Hdt.
E. μέτα for μέτεστι, Od., etc.
F. IN COMPOS:
I. of "community or participation", as μεταδίδωμι, μετέχω, c. gen. rei.
2. of action "in common with" another, as μεταδαίνυμαι, c. dat. pers.
II. of "an interval", as μεταίχμιον.
III. of "succession", as μεταδόρπιος.
IV. of "pursuit", as μετέρχομαι.
V. of "letting go", as μεθίημι.
VI. "after, behind", as μετάφρενον.
VII. "back again, reversely", as μετατρέπω, μεταστρέφω.
VIII. most often of "change" of place, condition, plan, etc., as μεταβαίνω, μεταβουλεύω, etc.