πρέσβυς: Difference between revisions

|Definition=<span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">P.</span>4.282</span>, <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Ag.</span>530</span>, εως or εος (v. infr. ''ΙΙ''), ὁ, voc. <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> πρέσβῠ <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Or.</span>476</span>, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Th.</span>146</span>:—[[old man]] (poet. for prose [[πρεσβύτης]]), in this sense only used in nom., acc., and voc., ὁ πρέσβυς Πόλυβος <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span>941</span>; Φοῖνιξ ὁ πρέσβυς <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Ph.</span>562</span>; δριμὺς πρέσβυς <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Av.</span>255</span> (lyr.); πατέρά πρές βυν <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Ph.</span>665</span>; πρέσβυ <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">OT</span>1013</span>, <span class="bibl">1121</span>; ὦ πρέσβυ E. l. c., Ar. l. c.; ὁ [[πρέσβυς]] = the [[elder]], <span class="bibl">A. <span class="title">Ag.</span>184</span> (lyr.), <span class="bibl">205</span> (lyr.), <span class="bibl">530</span>; cf. [[πρέσβα]], [[πρέσβειρα]], [[πρεσβηΐς]], [[πρέσβις]]: pl. [[πρέσβεις]], [[elders]], three times in Trag., always voc. (v. infr. ''III''), <span class="bibl">A. <span class="title">Pers.</span> 840</span>, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span> 1111</span>, <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">HF</span>247</span>; for [[πρεσβῆ]], [[πρεσβῆες]], [[πρισγεῖες]], v. [[πρεσβεύς]]: Comp. and Sup. are the only forms found in Hom., Comp. [[πρεσβύτερος]], α, ον</b> (late πρεσβυτερωτέρα <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PLond.</span>2.177.15</span> (i A. D.)), [[elder]], <span class="bibl">Il.11.787</span>, <span class="bibl">15.204</span>, <span class="bibl">Hdt.2.2</span>, etc.; [[πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ]] = [[by more than a year]], <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ra.</span>18</span>; [[πρεσβυτέρα ἀριθμοῦ]] = [[older than the fit number]], <span class="bibl">Pi. <span class="title">Fr.</span>127</span>; [[βουλαὶ πρεσβύτεραι]] = [[thy counsels wise beyond thy years]], <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">P.</span>2.65</span>; γνώμη π. τῆς ἡλικίας <span class="bibl">D.H.5.30</span>; οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ π. <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">EE</span>1215a23</span>; of animals, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">HA</span>546a7</span>; [[ἵππος]] π. ἤδη ὤν [[rather]] [[old]], PCair.Zen. 225.8 (iii B. C.); also δένδρα π. <span class="bibl">Thphr.<span class="title">CP</span>1.13.8</span>; [[ἐπὶ τὸ πρεσβύτερον ἰέναι]] = [[become]] [[older]], <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Lg.</span>631e</span>; ἵνα μὴ π. ὢν ῥέμβωμαι = [[in my old age]], PCair. Zen. <span class="bibl">447.9</span> (iii B. C.): Sup. [[πρεσβύτατος]], [[πρεσβύτατη]], [[πρεσβύτατον]],</b> [[eldest]], <span class="bibl">Il.4.59</span>, <span class="bibl">11.740</span>, <span class="bibl">Hes.<span class="title">Th.</span>234</span>, etc.; π. γενεῇ <span class="bibl">Il.6.24</span>; as a term of respect, ἐγὼ παλαιότατός εἰμι σὺ δὲ π. <span class="bibl">Plu.<span class="title">Nic.</span>15</span>; of animals, <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">HA</span>546a4</span>, al. : for the poet. forms [[πρέσβιστος]], [[πρεσβίστατος]], v. [[πρέσβιστος]], and cf. [[πρεῖγυς]]. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> Comp. and Sup., of things, [[more important]] or [[most important]], [[taking precedence]], esp. [[πρεσβύτερόν τι ἔχειν]] (or [[πρεσβύτερόν οὐδὲν ἔχειν]]) = [[deem higher]], [[deem more important]], τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πρεσβύτερα ἐποιεῦντο ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν <span class="bibl">Hdt. 5.63</span>; οὐδὲν πρεσβύτερον νομίζω τᾶς σωφροσύνας <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Fr.</span>959</span> (lyr.); ἐμοὶ οὐδέν ἐστι πρεσβύτερον τοῦ… <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Smp.</span>218d</span>; πρεσβύτατον κρἰναί τι <span class="bibl">Th. 4.61</span>; merely of [[magnitude]], [[πρεσβύτερον κακοῦ κακόν]] = [[one evil greater than another]], <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span>1365</span> (lyr.); χρεῶν πάντων πρεσβύτατα <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Lg.</span>717b</span>. Adv., [[πρεσβυτέρως]] γυμναστικὴν μουσικῆς τετιμηκέναι <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">R.</span>548c</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Jul. <span class="title">Or.</span>4.132c</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> = [[πρεσβευτής]], [[ambassador]], in nom. sg. only cj. in <span class="bibl">A. <span class="title">Supp.</span>727</span> (v. [[πρέσβη]]) and in Prov. ap. Sch.<span class="bibl">Il.4.394</span> (v. [[πρέσβις]] (A)); gen. πρέσβεως <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ach.</span>93</span> (at end of line); πρέσβεος <span class="bibl">Choerob. <span class="title">in Theod.</span> 1.233</span>: dual πρέσβει (written πρεσβε) <span class="title">IG</span>12(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 [[πρεσβευτής|πρεσβευταί]] ([[quod vide|q.v.]])), <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ach.</span>61</span>, <span class="title">IG</span>12.52.1, 22.1.20, al., <span class="bibl">D.19.183</span>; acc. πρέσβεις <span class="title">IG</span>12.46.24, Foed. ap. <span class="bibl">Th.4.118</span>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">HG</span>4.8.13</span>; gen. πρέσβεων, dat. πρέσβεσι, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ach.</span>76</span>,<span class="bibl">62</span>, <span class="title">IG</span>22.1.7. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">III</span> at Sparta a political title, [[president]], τῶν ἐφόρων ib.5(1).51.6, 552.11; νομοφυλάκων ib.555b19; βιδέων ib.556.6; [[συναρχία]]ς ib.504.16; τῆς φυλῆς ib.564.3; (σφαιρέων) ib.675.5; gen. sg. πρέσβεως ib. 504.16, al. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> Comp. [[πρεσβύτερος]], [[elder]], [[alderman]], τῆς κώμης <span class="bibl"><span class="title">BGU</span> 195.30</span> (ii A. D., pl.), cf. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">POxy.</span>2121.4</span> (iii A. D.), etc.; ἐκρίθημεν ἐπί τε Νουμηνίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν π. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PCair.Zen.</span>520.4</span> (iii B. C.), cf. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">UPZ</span>124.22</span>, <span class="bibl">36</span> (ii B. C.); τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ ([[both]]) τοῖς π. καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι <span class="title">OGI</span>194.3 (Egypt, i B. C.); οἱ π. τῶν [[ὀλυροκόπος|ὀλυροκόπων]] ib.729 (Alexandria, iii B. C.); πρέσβυς τῶν γεωργῶν <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PTeb.</span>13.5</span> (ii B. C.); π. γέρδιοι <span class="title">IGRom.</span>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, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">1 Ep.Ti.</span>5.19</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">POxy.</span>1162.1</span> (iv A. D.), etc.; of the Apostles, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">2 Ep.Jo.</span>1.1</span>, <span class="bibl">3</span> <span class="title">Ep.Jo.</span>1.1. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">IV</span> [[wren]], <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">HA</span>609a17</span>, <span class="bibl">615a19</span>, Hsch.; cf. [[σπέργυς]]. (<b class="b3">-βυ-</b>, Cret. <b class="b3">-γυ-</b> (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]], [[pristinus]]; the oldest sense of [[πρέσβυς]] is 'going in [[front]], taking [[precedence]]'.)</span>