πρέσβυς

English (LSJ)

Pi.P.4.282, A.Ag.530, εως or εος (v. infr. 11), ὁ, voc.

   A πρέσβῠ E.Or.476, Ar.Th.146:—old man (poet. for prose πρεσβύτης), in this sense only used in nom., acc., and voc., ὁ π. Πόλυβος S.OT941; Φοῖνιξ ὁ π. Id.Ph.562; δριμὺς π. Ar.Av.255 (lyr.); πατέρά πρές βυν S.Ph.665; πρέσβυ Id.OT1013, 1121; ὦ πρέσβυ E. l. c., Ar. l. c.; ὁ π. the elder, A. Ag.184 (lyr.), 205 (lyr.), 530; cf. πρέσβα, πρέσβειρα, πρεσβηΐς, πρέσβις: pl. πρέσβεις, elders, three times in Trag., always voc. (v. infr. 111), A. Pers. 840, S.OT 1111, E.HF247; for πρεσβῆ, πρεσβῆες, πρισγεῖες, v. πρεσβεύς: Comp. and Sup. are the only forms found in Hom., Comp. πρεσβύτερος, α, ον (late πρεσβυτερωτέρα PLond.2.177.15 (i A. D.)), elder, Il.11.787, 15.204, Hdt.2.2, etc.; πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ by more than a year, Ar.Ra.18; πρεσβυτέρα ἀριθμοῦ older than the fit number, Pi. Fr.127; βουλαὶ πρεσβύτεραι thy counsels wise beyond thy years, Id.P.2.65; γνώμη π. τῆς ἡλικίας D.H.5.30; οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ π. Arist.EE1215a23; of animals, Id.HA546a7; ἵππος π. ἤδη ὤν rather old, PCair.Zen. 225.8 (iii B. C.); also δένδρα π. Thphr.CP1.13.8; ἐπὶ τὸ π. ἰέναι become older, Pl.Lg.631e; ἵνα μὴ π. ὢν ῥέμβωμαι in my old age, PCair. Zen. 447.9 (iii B. C.): Sup. πρεσβύτατος, η, ον, eldest, Il.4.59, 11.740, Hes.Th.234, etc.; π. γενεῇ Il.6.24; as a term of respect, ἐγὼ παλαιότατός εἰμι σὺ δὲ π. Plu.Nic.15; of animals, Arist.HA546a4, al. : for the poet. forms πρέσβιστος, πρεσβίστατος, v. πρέσβιστος, and cf. πρεῖγυς.    2 Comp. and Sup., of things, more or most important, taking precedence, esp. πρεσβύτερόν τι (or οὐδὲν) ἔχειν deem higher, more important, τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πρεσβύτερα ἐποιεῦντο ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν Hdt. 5.63; οὐδὲν πρεσβύτερον νομίζω τᾶς σωφροσύνας E.Fr.959 (lyr.); ἐμοὶ οὐδέν ἐστι πρεσβύτερον τοῦ . . Pl.Smp.218d; πρεσβύτατον κρἰναί τι Th. 4.61; merely of magnitude, πρεσβύτερον κακοῦ κακόν one evil greater thananother, S.OT1365 (lyr.); χρεῶν πάντων πρεσβύτατα Pl.Lg.717b. Adv., -τέρωσγυμναστικὴν μουσικῆς τετιμηκέναι Id.R.548c, cf. Jul. Or.4.132c.    II = πρεσβευτής, ambassador, in nom. sg. only cj. in A. Supp.727 (v. πρέσβη) and in Prov. ap. Sch.Il.4.394 (v. πρέσβις (A)); gen. πρέσβεως Ar.Ach.93 (at end of line); πρέσβεος Choerob. in Theod. 1.233: dual πρέσβει (written πρεσβε) IG12(1).977.45,57 (Carpathos, iv B. C.): pl. πρέσβεις, Dor. uncontr. πρέσβεες ib.14.952.11 (Acragas, iii B. C.) (at first more freq. than πρεσβευταί (q. v.)), Ar.Ach.61, IG12.52.1, 22.1.20, al., D.19.183; acc. πρέσβεις IG12.46.24, Foed. ap. Th.4.118, X.HG4.8.13; gen. πρέσβεων, dat. πρέσβεσι, Ar.Ach.76,62, IG22.1.7.    III at Sparta a political title, president, τῶν ἐφόρων ib.5(1).51.6, 552.11; νομοφυλάκων ib.555b19; βιδέων ib.556.6; συναρχίας ib.504.16; τῆς φυλῆς ib.564.3; [σφαιρέων] ib.675.5; gen. sg. πρέσβεως ib. 504.16, al.    2 Comp. πρεσβύτερος, elder, alderman, τῆς κώμης BGU 195.30 (ii A. D., pl.), cf. POxy.2121.4 (iii A. D.), etc.; ἐκρίθημεν ἐπί τε Νουμηνίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν π. PCair.Zen.520.4 (iii B. C.), cf. UPZ124.22, 36 (ii B. C.); τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ (both) τοῖς π. καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι OGI194.3 (Egypt, i B. C.); οἱ π. τῶν ὀλυροκόπων ib.729 (Alexandria, iii B. C.); π. τῶν γεωργῶν PTeb.13.5 (ii B. C.); π. γέρδιοι IGRom.1.1122 (Theadelphia, ii A. D.); τέκτονες π. ib.1155 (Ptolemaïs Hermiu, i A. D.): elder of the Jewish Sanhedrin, Ev.Matt.16.21, etc.; later, elder of the Christian Church, presbyter, Act.Ap.11.30, 20.17, 1 Ep.Ti.5.19, POxy.1162.1 (iv A. D.), etc.; of the Apostles, 2 Ep.Jo.1.1, 3 Ep.Jo.1.1.    IV wren, Arist.HA609a17, 615a19, Hsch.; cf. σπέργυς. (-βυ-, Cret. -γυ- (in πρεῖγυς), cogn. with Skt. -gu in vanar-gú- 'one who lives or moves in the forest', Lith. žmogùs 'man' (lit. 'one who moves on the ground'); πρεσ- cogn. with Lat.prae, pris-tinus; the oldest sense of π. is 'going in front, taking precedence'.)