ἦθος

English (LSJ)

εος, τό (cf. ἔθος),

   A an accustomed place: hence, in pl., haunts or abodes of animals, μετά τ' ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων Il.6.511; [σύας] ἔρξαν κατὰ ἤθεα κοιμηθῆναι Od.14.411; of lions, Hdt.7.125; of fish, Opp.H.1.93; of the abodes of men, Hes.Op.167, 525, Hdt.1.15, 157, A.Supp.64 (lyr.), E.Hel.274, Pl.Lg.865e, Arist.Mu.398b33; ἔλεγον ἐξ ἠθέων τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατεῖλαι away from his accustomed place, Hdt. 2.142; of plants, Callistr.Stat.7: metaph., with play on signf. 11, Pl.Phdr.277a.    II custom, usage: in pl., manners, customs, Hes.Op.137, Th.66, Hdt.2.30,35, 4.106, Th.2.61; τρόποι καὶ ἤθη Pl. Lg.896c; ἐθρέψω Ξέρξην ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἤ. ib.695e; φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρήσθ' ὁμιλίαι κακαί PHib.1.7.94 (E.Fr.1024 = Men.218); τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἁπλοῦς D.S.5.21.    2 disposition, character, ἐπίκλοπον ἦθος Hes.Op. 67,78; ἦ. ἐμφυές Pi.O.11(10).21; ἀκίχητα ἤ., of Zeus, A.Pr.187; τοὐμὸν ἦ. παιδεύειν S.Aj.595; ὦ μιαρὸν ἦ. Id.Ant.746; τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἦ. Isoc.2.31; βελτίων τῆς πόλεως τὸ ἦ. D.20.14; esp. moral character, opp. διάνοια, Arist.EN1139a1; as the result of habit, τὸ πᾶν ἦ. διὰ ἔθος Pl.Lg.792e, cf. Arist.EE1220a39; ἦ. ἀνθρώπῳ δαίμων Heraclit.119; ἦ. πηγὴ βίου Stoic. ap. Stob.2.7.1; τῆς ψυχῆς, τῆς γνώμης, Pl.R.400d, D.61.16: freq. opp. πάθος, Arist.Rh.1356a23 (pl.), etc.; ἠθῶν τε καὶ παθῶν μίμησις D.H.Pomp.3; τὸ ἦ. πρᾶος Pl.Phdr.243c: less freq. in dat., ἀγοραῖος τῷ ἤ. Thphr.Char.6.2, cf. Inscr.Magn.164.3 (i/ii A.D.): pl., traits, characteristics, Pl.R.402d, Arist.EN1144b4 (in sg., τὸ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἦ. Pl.Lg.836d): seldom in pl., of an individual, στερρὸν τὰ ἤθεα Hp.Ep.11; ἱερὸς κατὰ τὰ ἤθη Ath.1.1e.    b of outward bearing, ὡς ἱλαρὸν τὸ ἦ. X.Smp.8.3; ὑγρότης ἤθους Lycurg.33; ὑψηλὸς τῷ ἤ. Plu.Dio4: in pl., of facial expression, ὀφθαλμῶν ἤθη Philostr.Gym. 25.    c in Rhet., delineation of character, ἦ. ἔχουσιν οἱ λόγοι ἐν ὅσοις δήλη ἡ προαίρεσις Arist.Rh.1395b13; ἦ. ἐμφαίνειν Phld.Rh.1.200S.; esp. opp. πάθος, Longin.9.15, etc.; κατ' ἦ. λέγεσθαι, opp. κατὰ πάθος, D.H.Comp.22, cf. Lys.19: in pl., πραγμάτων καὶ ἠθῶν Phld.Po.5.5; ἐν πάθεσι καὶ ἤθεσιν Demetr.Eloc.28, etc.; so of works of art, ἡ Ζεύξιδος γραφὴ οὐδὲν ἔχει ἦ. Arist.Po.1450a29; πάθος καὶ ἦ. καὶ σχημάτων χρῆσις Ael.VH4.3; πολλὰ ἤθη ἐπιφαίνει Philostr.Her.2.10; also of Music, S.E.M.6.49.    d dramatis persona, εἰσάγει ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ ἄλλο τι ἦ. Arist.Po.1450a11, al.    3 also of animals, ἦ. τὸ πρὸς τοκέων (prob.l.for ἔθος) A.Ag.727, cf.E.Hipp.1219, Pl.R.375e, Arist. HA487a12 (pl.); τὸ ἦ. ἀσθενής, of a bird, ib.615a18; of things, nature, kind, παρὰ δ' ἦ. ἑκάστῳ (to each of the four elements) Emp. 17.28; τοῦ πυρετοῦ Gal.7.353.    4 ἐν ἤθει tactfully (cf. ἠθικός 11.2), προσφέρεσθαι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν Plu.2.73e. cf. Herm. in Phdr.p.195A.; διὰ μέτριον ἦθος, of the expression δοκεῖ μοι, Steph.in Hp.1.59D.