δῆμος

English (LSJ)

Dor. δᾶμος (cf. infr. IV), ὁ,

   A district, country, land, Βοιωτοὶ μάλα πίονα δ. ἔχοντες Il.5.710; Λυκίης ἐν πίονι δ. 16.437, cf. Od.13.322, etc.; 'Ιθάκης ἐνὶ δ. 1.103; δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων 13.266; λαοὶ ἀνὰ δῆμον 16.95: metaph., δῆμος ὀνείρων the land of dreams, 24.12.    2 the people, inhabitants of such a district, πόληΐ τε παντί τε δήμῳ Il.3.50, cf. h.Cer.271; Βακτρίων ἔρρει πανώλης δ. A.Pers.732.    II hence (since the common people lived in the country, the chiefs in the city), the commons, common people, δήμου ἀνήρ, opp. βασιλεύς, ἔξοχος ἀνήρ, etc., Il.2.198,188, cf. 11.328, Hes.Op.261, Hdt.5.66, Act.Ap.12.22, etc. (rarely of a single person, δῆμον ἐόντα being a commoner, Il.12.213); opp. οἱ εὐδαίμονες, Hdt.1.196; opp. οἱ παχέες, Id.5.30; opp. οἱ δυνατοί, Th.5.4; οἱ . . ἐπαναστάντες τοῖς δυνατοῖς καὶ ὄντες δῆμος Id.8.73; = Lat. plebs, D.H.6.88, etc.; τοῦ πολλοῦ δ. εἷς unus de plebe, Luc. Sat.2; τοῦ δ. ὤν Id.Gall.22; in an army, rank and file, opp. officers, ὁ δ. τῶν στρατιωτῶν X.Cyr.6.1.14.    2 metaph., δ. ἰχθύων Antiph. 206.7; τυράννων Philostr.VS1.15.1; πιθήκων Id.VA3.4; ὀρνέων Alciphr.3.30.    III in a political sense, the sovereign people, the free citizens, A.Th.199,1011, etc.; ὁ δ. ὁ Ἀθηναίων IG12.10.37, etc.; προστάτης τοῦ δήμου Th.6.35, etc.; personified, Ar.Eq.42, al.; ἱερεὺς τοῦ Δ. καὶ τῶν Χαρίτων IG22.1028.    2 popular government, democracy, opp. ὀλιγαρχίη, Hdt.3.82; opp. οἱ τύραννοι, And.1.106; πολίτεομα εἶναι ἐν Χίῳ δ. SIG283.4 (iv B. C.); δήμου κατάλυσις X.HG2.3.28, Arist. Ath.8.4; ταῦτα καταλύει δῆμον, οὐ κωμῳδία Philippid.25.7; δ. καταστῆσαι, καταπαύειν, X.HG7.3.3, Th.1.107: in pl., democracies, Id.3.82, D.20.15; δ. ὁ ἔσχατος Arist.Pol.1277b3.    3 the popular assembly, λέγειν ἐν τῷ δ. Pl.R.565b; ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δ., formula in Inscrr., as IG12.39, etc.; of the assembly of Oxyrhynchus, POxy.41.19 (iii/iv A. D.), 1407.19 (iii A. D.).    IV township, commune ( = Dor. κώμη acc. to Arist.Po.1448a37; but διελόμενοι τὴν μὲν πόλιν κατὰ κώμας, τὴν δὲ χώραν κατὰ δήμους Isoc.7.46, cf. Pl.Lg.746d, and v. infr.), in Attica, Hdt.5.69, Arist.Ath.21.5, Str.9.1.16, IG12.76.9, al.; elsewh., ib.12(5).594 (Ceos), Phib.1.28.13 (iii A. D.), OGI49.14 (Ptolemais), etc.:—Dor. δᾶμος, Michel418.34 (Calymna), IG12(1).58.23 (Lindos): in indications of origin, Σωφάνης ἐκ δ. Δεκελεῆθεν Hdt.9.73; δήμου Ἁλαιεύς Antiph.211; τῶν δήμων Πιτθεύς Pl.Euthphr.2b; τῶν δ. Θορίκιος D.39.30, cf. Arist.Ath.21.4; ἐπιγράψαι τοὺς βουλευτὰς πατρόθεν καὶ τοῦ δ. IG22.223B4: metaph., οἱ τῆς θαλάσσης δ. Philostr. Gym. 44.    V name for a prostitute, Archil.184.    VI faction in the circus, Tab.Defix.Aud.15.8 (Syria, iii A. D.).    VII = κατανάγκη, Ps.-Dsc.4.131. (Perh. cognate with Skt. dā´ti 'reap', δαίομαι, δατέομαι.)