βασιλεύς

English (LSJ)

ὁ, gen. έως, Ep. ῆος, Cypr. ῆϝος Inscr.Cypr.104,135H.: acc. βασιλέα, contr. -ῆ Orac. ap. Hdt.7.220, E.Fr.781.24 (lyr.): nom. pl. βασιλεῖς, Aeol.

   A -ηες Sapph.Supp.6.4, IG12(2).6 (Mytil.), -ειες ib. 646a45, al., Ep. -ῆες, old Att. -ῆς S.Aj.188,960 (both lyr.), cf. Hdn. Gr.1.430: acc. pl. βασιλέας IG12.115, later βασιλεῖς ib.2.243, etc.:— king, chief, Hom., etc.: freq. with collat. sense of captain or judge, Hes. Op.202; διοτρεφέες β. Il.2.445, etc.; θεῖοι Od.4.691, etc.; later, hereditary king, opp. τύραννος, Arist.EN1160b3, etc.; but also of tyrants, as Hiero, Pi.O.1.23; of Gelo, Hdt.7.161; of Pisistratus, Eup.123, cf. Sch. Ar.Ach.61: joined with a Subst., βασιλεὺς ἀνήρ Il.3.170, etc.; ἀνὴρ β. Hdt.1.90; ἄναξ β. lord king, A.Pers.5, cf. B.17.1: c. gen., β. νεῶν A. Ag.114 (anap.); οἰωνῶν β., of the eagle, ibid., Pi.O.13.21: Comp. βασιλεύτερος more kingly, Il.9.160,392, Od.15.533, Tyrt.12.7: Sup. βασιλεύτατος Il.9.69.    b of the gods, Ζεὺς θεῶν β. Hes.Th.886, cf. Pi.O.7.34, Emp.128.2, etc. (in this sense Hom. uses ἄναξ); as cult title of Zeus, IG7.3073.90 (Lebad.), SIG1014.110 (Erythrae), etc. (but Ζεὺς β., = Ahuramazda, X.Cyr.3.3.21, al., Arr.An.4.20.3); ὁ μέγας β., of God, LXX Ps.47(48).2, Ph.2.107: Sup. βασιλεύτατοι τῶν θεῶν Max.Tyr.29.5.    2 as a title of rank, prince, β. εἰσὶ καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ ἐν . . Ἰθάκῃ Od.1.394, cf. 8.390, etc.; of Cyrus, X.Oec. 4.16.    b descendant of a royal house, esp. in Ionia, Arist.Ath. 41.3; βασιλέων οἶκοι 'estates of the royal house', name of a district in Chios, Ἀθηνᾶ 20.168.    3 generally, lord, master, Il.18.556, Pi.O.6.47.    4 metaph., πόλεμος πάντων β. Heraclit.53; νόμος ὁ πάντων β. Pi.Fr.169.    II at Athens, the second of the nine Archons, IG12.76, al., Antipho 6.38, Lys.6.4, Arist.Pol.1285b17, Ath. 57, etc.; ἡ τοῦ β. στοά Pl.Euthphr.2a.    2 title of magistrates in other Greek states, as βασιλᾶες at Elis, GDI1152, cf. IG12(2).6 (Mytil.), etc., Arist.Pol.1322b29.    3 at Rome, β. τῶν ἱερῶν, = rex sacrorum, D.H.5.1, cf. D.C.54.27.    III after the Persian war (without Art.), the king of Persia, Hdt.7.174,al.; ἄναξ Ξέρξης β. A.Pers.5, cf. 144, Ar.Ach.61, Th.8.48, IG22.141 (βασιλῆς βασιλέως ὕποχοι μεγάλου, of the Satraps, A.Pers.24, cf. 44, S.E.M.2.22); less freq. ὁ βασιλεύς Hdt.1.132,137, Arist.Pol.1304b13; β. ὁ μέγας Hdt. 1.188.    2 of Alexander and his successors, usually with Art., IG22.641,687, Men.293,340(pl.); Σέλευκος Antiph.187; Ἀντίγονος Alex.III; Πτολεμαῖος Id.244; Ὀσυμανδύας βασιλεὺς βασιλέων D.S. 1.47; title used by Parthian kings, Plu.Pomp.38, D.C.37.6, etc.; by Antony, Plu.Ant.54; of God, Apoc.17.14,19.16.    3 of the Roman emperors, AP10.25 (Antip. Thess.); β. Ῥωμαίων BGU588.10 (i A.D.), etc., cf. 1 Ep.Ti.2.2, J.AJ14.15.14; β. αὐτοκράτωρ IG3.13 (Hadrian), Hdn.1.6.5; without Art., Paus.10.32.19.    IV of any great man, πένησί τε καὶ βασιλεῦσιν Ps.-Phoc.113.    2 first or most distinguished of any class, Ἡρώδην τὸν β. τῶν λόγων Philostr. VS2.10.1, cf. Luc.Rh.Pr.II; winner at a game, Poll.9.106, Sch.Pl. Tht.146a; Stoic sage, μόνος β. Luc.Herm.16; βασιλέως ἐγκέφαλος 'morsel fit for a king', Clearch.5; β. σῦκα, name of a choice kind, Philem.Lex. ap. Ath.3.76f., cf. Poll.6.81.    V = συμποσίαρχος, Plu.2.622a, Luc.Sat.4.    VI wren, Arist.HA592b27.    VII queen-bee, ib.623b9, GA759a20, etc. (The form βασιλέα is scanned in Pi.N.1.39; codd. βασίλεια.)