μέσος: Difference between revisions

|Definition=[[μέση]], [[μέσον]], also Arc. (v. [[ἰμέσος]], [[μεσακόθεν]]); Ep. [[μέσσος]] (also Aeol., Sapph.1.12, ''IG''11(4).1064b32, and Lyr., Pi.''P.''4.224, and sometimes in Trag., E.''HF''403 (lyr.), [[Sophocles|S.]]''[[Oedipus Coloneus|OC]]''1247 (lyr.), ''Tr.''635 (lyr.), ''Ant.''1223, 1236, ''Fr.''255.5), Boeot., Cret. [[μέττος]], ''IG''7.2420.20 (iii B. C.), ''GDI'' 5000 ii<br><span class="bld">A</span> b 2 (v B. C.):—[[middle]], [[in the middle]],<br><span class="bld">I</span> of Space, esp. with Nouns, of the [[middle]] [[point]] or [[part]], μέσος [[σάκος]] Il.7.258; ἱστίον 1.481; μέσος [[οὐρανός]] [[zenith]], Od.4.400; μέσης [[ἀπήνη|ἀπήνης]] from [[mid]] [[chariot]], [[Sophocles|S.]]''[[Oedipus Tyrannus|OT]]''812; [[ἐν αἰθέρι μέσῳ]] = [[in mid-air]], Id.''Ant.''416; <b class="b3">μέσῳ μετώπῳ</b> in the [[middle]] of the [[forehead]], ''PRyl.''128.30 (i A. D.): in Prose freq. preceding the Art., κατὰ μέσον τὸν σταθμόν X.''An.''1.7.14; <b class="b3">ἐν μέσῳ τῇ χώρᾳ</b> ib.2.1.11; <b class="b3">ἐκ μέσου τῆς νήσου, κατὰ μέσα τὴν νῆσον</b>, Pl.''Criti.''113d, 119d; <b class="b3">ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ τμάματος</b> at the [[middle point]] of the [[segment]], Archim.''Aequil.''1.6; <b class="b3">ἁ ἐπὶ μέσαν τὰν βάσιν ἀγομένα</b> (''[[sc.]]'' [[εὐθεῖα]]) ib.12: sometimes following the Noun, ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ μέσῃ D.29.12: less freq. [[midmost]], [[central]], of three or more objects, μ. ὁδός Thgn.220, 331; <b class="b3">ὁ μέσος [δάκτυλος]</b> Pl.''R.''523c; τὸ μέσον [[στῖφος]] the [[central]] [[division]] of the [[army]], X.''An.''1.8.13; [[μέσον]], τό, [[centre]], ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον φορά Iamb.''Protr.''21.<br><span class="bld">b</span> with a Verb, ἔχεται [[μέσος]] = [[by the middle]], [[by the waist]], [[proverb|prov.]] from the [[wrestling]]-[[ring]], [[Aristophanes|Ar.]]''[[The Knights|Eq.]]''387 (lyr.), cf. ''Ach.'' 571 (lyr.), ''Nu.''1047, ''Ra.''469; μέσην λαβόντα Id.''Ach.''274, cf. [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]9.107, D.53.17; ὁ [[πέπλος]] ἐρράγη μ. Philippid.25.5.<br><span class="bld">c</span> c. gen., [[midway between]], ἑνὸς καὶ πλήθους τὸ ὀλίγον μ. Pl.''Plt.''303a (also <b class="b3">μ. ἐπ' ἀμφότερα</b>, ibid.):—S. has μέσος ἀπὸ [τοῦ κρατῆρος] τοῦ τε πέτρου ''OC'' 1595.<br><span class="bld">2</span> of [[time]], Hom. only in phrase [[μέσον ἦμαρ]] = [[midday]], Il.21.111, Od.7.288, Pi.''P.''9.113; μέσαι νύκτες Sapph.52, [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]4.181, X. ''An.''7.8.12, etc.; θέρευς ἔτι μέσσου ἐόντος Hes.''Op.''502; χειμῶνος μέσου Ar.''Fr.''569.1; μ. ἡμέρα Hdn.8.5.9; [[μέση ἡλικία]] = [[middle age]], Pl.''Ep.''316c: so μέσοι τὴν ἡλικίαν E.''Ep.''5; <b class="b3">μέσος ἀκμῆς</b> [[varia lectio|v.l.]] in Theoc.25.164.<br><span class="bld">3</span> metaph., [[impartial]], Th.4.83, ''PLond.''1.113(1).27 (vi A.D.).<br><span class="bld">b</span> [[intermediate]], freq. c. gen., μ. τις γέγονα [[χρηματιστής|χρηματιστὴς]] τοῦ τε πάππου καὶ τοῦ πατρός Pl.''R.''330b; ψιλὸν μὲν τὸ π, δασὺ δὲ τὸ φ, μέσον δὲ ἀμφοῖν τὸ β [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus|D.H.]]''[[De Compositione Verborum|Comp.]]''14 (v. infr. d); <b class="b3">ἡ τρίτη καὶ μέση τῶν εἰρημένων δυεῖν ἁρμονιῶν</b> ib.24; <b class="b3">ὁ μέσος χαρακτήρ</b> ib.21; [[indeterminate]], Luc.''Par.''28; [[τὰ μέσα]] = [[things indifferent]] (neither good nor bad), ''Stoic.''3.135, al.; of words such as [[τύχη]], ''EM''626.38; [[ζῴδια]] (neither lucky nor unlucky) Vett.Val.93.9; μ. δίαιτα Diocl.Fr.141, cf.Sor.1.46.<br><span class="bld">c</span> Gramm., of Verbs, [[middle]], Eust. 1846.30, etc.; <b class="b3">μέση διάθεσις, μέσα σχήματα</b>, A.D.''Synt.''226.10, 210.18; <b class="b3">μέσος ἐνεστώς</b> [[present]] [[middle]], ib.278.25.<br><span class="bld">d</span> Gramm., of consonants, Lat. [[mediae]], i.e. βγδ, D.T.631.23: but also of [[semi-vowel]]s, Pl.''Phlb.''18c: of accent, <b class="b3">ὀξύτητι καὶ βαρύτητι καὶ τῷ μέσῳ</b>, i.e. the [[circumflex]], Arist. ''Po.''1456b33.<br><span class="bld">II</span> [[middling]], [[moderate]],<br><span class="bld">1</span> of size, <b class="b3">μέσοι ὀφθαλμοί, ὦτα, γλῶττα</b>, Id.''HA''492a8,33,b31; <b class="b3">μ. μεγέθει</b> ib.496a21, ''PPetr.''1p.37 (iii B. C.); μ. alone, [[of middle height]], PGrenf.2.23 (a) ii 3 (ii B. C.), ''[[Oxyrhynchus Papyri|POxy.]]'' 73.13 (i A. D.), etc.<br><span class="bld">2</span> of class or quality, πάντων μέσ' ἄριστα Thgn. 335; παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν A.''Eu.''529 (lyr.); μ. ἐν πόλει Phoc.12; <b class="b3">μέσος ἀνήρ</b> a [[man]] [[of middle rank]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]1.107; μέσος [[πολίτης]] Th.6.54; [[τὰ μέσα]] τῶν πολιτῶν Id.3.82 (so τῶν ἀνὰ πόλιν [[τὰ μέσα]] Pi.''P.''11.52); [[οἱ μέσοι]], between [[οἱ εὔποροι]] and [[οἱ ἄποροι]], Arist.''Pol.''1289b31, 1295b3; [[οἱ μέσοι πολῖται]] ib.1296a19; [[τὸ μέσον]] ib.1295b37; <b class="b3">μέση [πολιτεία]</b> ib.1296a7; ὁ μέσος [[βίος]] Luc.''Luct.''9; [[mediocre]], Pl.''Prt.''346d; <b class="b3">τῶν ἑταιρῶν αἱ μ.</b> Theopomp. Com.21. Adv. [[μέσως]], [[ἱκανόν]] [[fairly]] [[adequate]], Phld.''Rh.''2.4S.<br><span class="bld">III</span> [[μέσον]], τό, [[midst]], [[intervening space]], mostly with Preps.,<br><span class="bld">a</span> [[ἐν μέσσῳ]] = [[ἐν μεταιχμίῳ]], Il.3.69,90; [[ἐν τῷ μέσῳ]] = [[in the midst]], Ev.Matt.14.6; <b class="b3">ἡ 'ν μέσῳ [μοῖρα] σῴζει πόλεις</b> the [[middle]] [[class]], E.''Supp.''244: without ἐν, ἔμβαλε μέσῳ Il.4.444; ἔνθορε μέσῳ 21.233; μέσῳ ἀμφοτέρων 3.416, 7.277; τῶνδέ τ' ἐν μέσῳ πεσεῖν E.''Ph.''583; ἐν μέσῳ λόγους ἔχειν Id.''Hel.'' 630; μῆκος ἐν μέσῳ χρόνου A.''Supp.''735; χρόνος οὑν μέσῳ E.''Ph.''589 (troch.); <b class="b3">τὰ ἐν μέσῳ</b> [[what went between]], [[Sophocles|S.]]''[[Oedipus Coloneus|OC]]''583; <b class="b3">οἱ ἐν μέσῳ λόγοι</b> the [[intervening]] words, Id.''El.''1364, E.''Med.''819; κλίνης ἐν μ. Id.''Hec.''1150; <b class="b3">ἐν μέσῳ ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλέως</b> [[between]] us and him, X.''An.''2.2.3; [[σοφία]]ς καὶ [[ἀμαθία]]ς ἐν μέσῳ Pl.''Smp.''203e; [[ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν]] = [[at midnight]], [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Cyropaedia|Cyr.]]''5.3.52; <b class="b3">ἆθλα κείμεν' ἐν μέσῳ</b> [[offered for competition]] (cf. infr. b), D.4.5, cf. Thgn.994, X.''An.''3.1.21; <b class="b3">ἡ τιμὴ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἔστω</b> [[deposit]]ed with the [[court]], Herod.2.90: without <b class="b3">ἐν, καὶ μέσῳ πάντες καὶ χωρὶς ἕκαστος</b> both [[collectively]] and [[severally]], ''IG''12(5).872.27,31,38, al. (Tenos): in plural, κεῖτο δ' ἄρ' ἐν μέσσοισι Il.18.507; ἐν μέσοισ' Xenoph.1.7; <b class="b3">ἐν μέσῳ εἶναι τοῦ συμμεῖξαι</b> to [[stand]] [[in the way of]]... [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Cyropaedia|Cyr.]]''5.2.26; <b class="b3">ἡ γὰρ θάλαττα ἐν τῷ μέσῳ</b> is an [[obstacle]], Id.''Ath.''2.2; οὐδεὶς ἐν μέσσῳ γείτων πέλεν Theoc.21.17; οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν ἐν μέσῳ πολεμεῖν ἡμᾶς D.23.183; cf. [[ἰμέσος]].<br><span class="bld">b</span> <b class="b3">ἐς μέσον, ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέρων</b>, freq. in Hom. for <b class="b3">ἐς μεταίχμιον</b>, Il.4.79, 6.120; <b class="b3">ἀνδρὶ δὲ νικηθέντι γυναῖκ' ἐς μέσσον ἔθηκε</b> [[deposited]] her [[as a prize]] (cf. supr. a), 23.704; ἐς μέσον δεικνύναι τινί τι Pi.''Fr.''42.3; ἐς μέσον [[ἵεσθαι]], ἐς μέσον [[ἐλθεῖν]], ἐς μέσον [[παρελθεῖν]], S.''Tr.''514 (lyr.), Theoc.22.183, Plu. ''Agis''9; ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέροισι… δικάσσατε Il.23.574; <b class="b3">ἐς τὸ μέσον φέρειν</b> [[bring forward]] [[publicly]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]4.97, D.18.139; ἐς τὸ μέσον λέγεσθαι [[Herodotus|Hdt.]] 6.129; <b class="b3">ἐς μέσον Πέρσῃσι καταθεῖναι τὰ πρήγματα</b> to give up the power [[in common to all]], Id.3.80; <b class="b3">ἐς μέσον τὴν ἀρχὴν τιθεὶς ἰσονομίην ὑμῖν προαγορεύω</b> ib.142.<br><span class="bld">c</span> [[ἐκ τοῦ μέσου]] = [[away]], ἐκ μέσου ἀνελεῖν D.10.36, 18.294; [χειρόγραφον] ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μ. ''Ep.Col.''2.14, cf. Arr.''Epict.''3.3.15; also [[ἐκ μέσου]] a [[half]], ἔτη ὀκτὼ καὶ ἔνατον ἐκ μέσου Th.4.133; also <b class="b3">ἐκ μέσου κατῆστο</b> remained [[in the middle]], i.e. [[neutral]] (cf. [[ἐκ]] 1.6 fin.), [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]3.83, cf. 4.118, 8.22,73.<br><span class="bld">d</span> [[διὰ μέσου]] = [[between]], τὸ διὰ μέσου [[ἔθνος]] Id.1.104; διὰ μέσου ποιεῖσθαι [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Cyropaedia|Cyr.]]''6.3.3; <b class="b3">διὰ μέσου γενέσθαι</b> [[intervene]], of an event, Th.4.20: c. gen., διὰ μέσου τῆς πόλεως ῥεῖ ποταμός X. ''An.''1.2.23; <b class="b3">διὰ μέσου ῥεῖ τούτων ποταμός</b> ib.1.4.4, etc.; τὸ τούτων διὰ μέσου [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Leges|Lg.]]''805e; also [[οἱ διὰ μέσου]] the [[middle]] [[party]], the [[moderate]]s, Th. 8.75, X.''HG''5.4.25; [[τὸ διὰ μέσου]] the [[middle]] [[class]], Arist.''Pol.''1296a8; of [[time]], ὁ διὰ μέσου χρόνος [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]9.112; <b class="b3">ἡ διὰ μέσου ξύμβασις</b> an [[interim]] [[agreement]], Th.5.26; [[διὰ μέσου]], as a [[figure of speech]], [[use of parenthesis]], Hdn.''Fig.''p.95S.<br><span class="bld">e</span> <b class="b3">ἀν ([[ὀν]]) τὸ μέσον</b> [[in the midst]], Alc.18.3, Xenoph.1.11, Thgn.839; [[ἀνὰ μέσον]] = [[midway between]], [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Historia Animalium|HA]]''496a22, Antiph. 13, Theoc.22.21, etc.; ἀνὰ μ. τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ ''GDI''2010 (Delph.), cf. ''PTeb.''13.9 (ii B. C.), al.; θρὶξ ἀνὰ μέσσον Theoc.14.9; ἀνὰ μέσσα Nic.''Th.''167; also <b class="b3">ἀνὰ μέσον φέρε</b>, = [[μετρίως]], Men.531.18.<br><span class="bld">f</span> <b class="b3">κατὰ μέσσον</b>, = [[ἐν μέσῳ]], Il.5.8, 16.285, etc.: c. gen., <b class="b3">κὰδ δὲ μέσον τάφρου καὶ τείχεος ἷζον</b> [[between]], 9.87.<br><span class="bld">2</span> [[μέσον]], τό, [[difference]], <b class="b3">τὸ μέσον πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας καὶ ἐλαχίστας</b> the [[average]] [[between]]... Th.1.10; <b class="b3">πολλὸν τὸ μέσον, πολὺ τὸ μέσον</b>, [[the difference is great]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]1.126, E.''Alc.''914 (anap.); <b class="b3">τὸ μέσον οὐδὲν τῆς ἔχθρης ἐστί</b> there is no [[middle course]] for our [[enmity]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]7.11.<br><span class="bld">3</span> [[middle state]], [[mean]], τὸ μέσον καὶ τὸ εὖ [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Nicomachean Ethics|EN]]''1109b26; <b class="b3">ποιήματα μέσα</b>, opp. [[ὀγκώδη]], in the ([[correct]]) [[mean]], Phld.''Po.''5.5. Adv. [[μέσως]], [[ἀναστρέφεσθαι]] Id.''Rh.''1.155S.<br><span class="bld">4</span> in Logic, [[τὸ μέσον]] = [[the middle term]] of a [[syllogism]], opp. [[τὰ ἄκρα]], Arist.''APr.''66a30; also <b class="b3">ὁ μέσος</b> (''[[sc.]]'' [[ὅρος]]) ib.25b33.<br><span class="bld">5</span> Math., [[middle]] terms in a [[proportion]], Euc.6.16; [[μέση]], or <b class="b3">μέση ([[μέσος]]) ἀνάλογον</b> a [[mean proportional]] ([[straight]] [[line]] or [[number]]), ib.13, 17, 8.11, 12, al.; μέσης [[εὕρεσις]] Arist.''de An.''413a19, ''Metaph.''996b21; [[μέση]] [[medial]], a specific kind of [[irrational]] ([[straight]] [[line]]), Euc.10.21, al.; <b class="b3">μέσον ὀρθογώνιον</b> ([[χωρίον]]) [[medial]] [[rectangle]] ([[area]]), ib.24, al.<br><span class="bld">6</span> Astron., <b class="b3">ὁ διὰ μέσων τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος</b> the [[ecliptic]], Hipparch.1.9.3,4, Gem.2.21, Ptol.''Alm.''2.7: without [[κύκλος]], Eudox. ap. [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Metaphysics|Metaph.]]''1073b20, Hipparch.1.9.12; simply, ὁ διὰ μέσων D.L.7.146; but, <b class="b3">ὁ μέσος [κύκλος]</b> the [[equator]] of a [[rotating]] [[sphere]], [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Metaphysics|Metaph.]]''1073b30.<br><span class="bld">7</span> [[μέσα]], τά, = [[μέζεα]], Blaes.p.191 K.<br><span class="bld">b</span> = [[κοιλία]] 1.3, Herod.Med. ap. Orib.5.27.3, Gal.14.732: sg., Heph.Astr.1.1 ([[varia lectio|v.l.]] [[τὰ μέσα]] ''Cat.Cod.Astr.''8(2).45).<br><span class="bld">8</span> [[Μέσον]], τό, one of the law-courts at Athens, Phot., Sch.Ar.''V.''120.<br><span class="bld">9</span> <b class="b3">οὐ τοῖς μέσοις τῆς βίας χρωμένη</b> no [[ordinary]] [[force]], Hierocl.p.15 A.<br><span class="bld">IV</span> [[μέση]], ἡ, as [[substantive]], v. [[μέση]].<br><span class="bld">V</span> Adv. [[μέσον]], Ep. [[μέσσον]], [[in the middle]], Il.12.167, Od.14.300: c. gen., [[between]], οὐρανοῦ μέσον χθονός [[Euripides|E.]]''[[Orestes|Or.]]''983 (lyr.), cf. Arr.''Epict.''2.22.10; [[in the midst of]], μέσον τῆς θαλάσσης [[LXX]] ''Ex.''14.27; μέσον γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς ''Ep.Phil.''2.15: also in plural, μέσα αἰετὸς οὐρανοῦ ποτᾶται E.''Rh.''530 (lyr.), cf. Nic.''Fr.''74.26.<br><span class="bld">2</span> regul. Adv. [[μέσως]], πόλεώς τ' οὐ μέσως εὐδαίμονος [[Euripides|E.]]''[[Andromache|Andr.]]''873, cf. ''Hec.''1113, Isoc.9.23; [[καὶ μέσως]] = [[even in a moderate degree]], [[even a little]], Th.2.60; [[μέσως ἔχειν πρός]] or [[μέσως ἔχειν περί τι]] to [[be in the mean]]... [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Nicomachean Ethics|EN]]''1105b28, 1119a11; θερμότερον ἢ κραυρότερον ἢ μέσως ἔχον Eub.7.1, cf. Sosip. 1.53; <b class="b3">μέσως βεβιωκέναι</b> [[in a middle way]], i.e. [[neither well nor ill]], [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Phaedo|Phd.]]'' 113d; μέσως [[μεθύων]] Men.226; <b class="b3">μέσως διατιθέναι</b> [[in an intermediate way]], [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus|D.H.]]''[[De Compositione Verborum|Comp.]]''14.<br><span class="bld">b</span> Gramm., [[in the middle voice]], A.D. ''Synt.''276.21.<br><span class="bld">VI</span> irreg. Comp. [[μεσαίτερος]] Pl.''Prm.''165b: Sup. [[μεσαίτατος]] [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]4.17, Arist.''Mu.''392b33, Gem.9.3, etc.; ''poet.'' [[μεσσότατος]] A.R.4.649, Man. 6.373. (Cf. Skt. mádhyas 'middle', Lat. [[medius]], etc.)