ἔδαφος

English (LSJ)

εος, τό,

   A bottom, foundation, base of anything, τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐ. Th.1.10; ἔ. νηός bottom of a ship, Od.5.249; ἔ. πλοίου D.32.5, cf. Pherecr.12; ἔ. ποταμοῦ, τῆς θαλάττης, X.Cyr.7.5.18, Arist.HA534a11; [ποτηρίου] Pherecr.143.2.    2 ground-floor, pavement, οἴκου Hdt.8.137; καθελεῖν ἐς ἔ. raze to the ground, Th. 3.68; τὸ ἔ. ὁμαλίσασι IG11(2).161 A57 (Delos, iii B.C.); ἔπεσον εἰς τὸ ἔ. Act.Ap.22.7; ἀπὸ ἐδάφους μέχρι παντὸς ὕψους CPR95.17 (iii A. D.), etc.    3 ground, soil, περὶ τοῦ τῆς πατρίδος ἐδάφους ἀγωνίζεσθαι for our country's soil, Aeschin.3.134, cf. D.26.11 (pl.); ἐχθρὸς τῷ τῆς πόλεως ἐδάφει, of a mortal foe, Id.8.39, 10.11; ὀκρυόειν ἔ. Eleg.Alex. Adesp. 1.7; soil, viewed in regard to its quality, Thphr.CP2.4.1 (pl.), 4.11.8: pl., ἐδάφη lands and tenements (incl. houses), Is.11.42, IG 2.780, PTeb.302.10 (i A.D.); also, masses of earth, Epicur.Ep.2p.48U.    4 text of a manuscript, opp. margin (μέτωπον), Gal.16.837, 18(2).864.    b manuscript, Id.16.468 (s.v.l.).    5 background of puppet-theatre, Hero Aut.30.1, al.