ἅλς
ἆρά γε λόγον ἔχει δυοῖν ἀρχαῖν, ὑλικῆς τε καὶ δραστικῆς → does it in fact have the function of two principles, the material and the active?
English (LSJ)
(A), ἁλός [ᾰ], o(: dat. pl. ἅλασιν (v. infr.):—
A salt, πάσσε δ' ἁλὸς θείοιο Il.9.214, cf. Od.17.455; ἁλὸς μέταλλον a salt-mine, Hdt.4.185; ἁλὸς χόνδροι lumps of rock-salt, ib.181 : sg. also Ar.Ach.835, Philyll.28, Axionic.8: more freq. in pl., Od.11.123, Hdt.4.53, al., etc.:—prov. phrases: οὐ σύ γ' ἂν . . σῷ ἐπιστάτη οὐδ' ἅλα δοίης Od.17.455; φῄς μοι πάντα δόμεν· τάχα δ' . . οὐδ' ἅλα δοίης Theoc.27.61; ἅλας συναναλῶσαι, i.e. to be bound by ties of hospitality, Arist.EN1156b27; τῶν ἁλῶν συγκατεδηδοκέναι μέδιμνον to have eaten a bushel of salt together, i.e. to be old friends, Com.Adesp.176; οἱ περὶ ἅλα καὶ κύαμον, of friends, Plu.2.684e, cf. Arist.EE1238a3; ὅρκον μέγαν, ἅλας τε καὶ τράπεζαν Archil.96; ποῦ ἅλες; ποῦ τράπεζαι; D.19.189; τοὺς ἅλας παραβαίνειν ib.191; τοὺς τῆς πόλεως ἅλας περὶ πλείονος ποιήσασθαι τῆς ξενικῆς τραπέζης Aeschin.3.224; ἁλῶν δὲ φόρτος ἔνθεν ἦλθεν, ἔνθ' ἔβη 'light come, light go', Zen.2.20; ἅλασιν ὕει, of great abundance, Suid. 2 in pl. of medical preparations, Dsc.5.109. II brine, Call.Fr.50. III ἃ. ἀμμωνιακός rock-salt, PLond.1.78.90. 2 ἃ. Ἰνδικός sugar, Archig. ap. Paul.Aeg.2.53. IV ἅλες, οἱ, metaph., like Lat. sales, wit, possible but unlikely in Pl. Smp.177b, Ep.Col.4.6; certain in Plu.2.854c; ἅλες called "χάριτες" ib.685a. (Cf.sq.)
ἅλς (B), ἁλός [ᾰ], h( (
A ἁλὸς πολιοῖο Il.20.229), sea (generally of shallow water near shore), εἰς ἅλα δῖαν Il.1.141; χεῖρας νιψάμενος πολιῆς ἁλός in sea-water, Od.2.261; ἢ ἁλὸς ἢ ἐπὶ γῆς 12.27: sts. pleonast. πόντος ἁλός Il.21.59, Thgn.10; ἁλὸς πελάγη or πέλαγος, Od.5.335, h.Ap. 73, E.Tr.88; πελαγίαν ἅλα A.Pers.427; παρ' ἁλμυρὰν ἅλα E.Ba.17; in pl. (with a pun on ἅλς A), Ar.Ach.760.—Poet. word: nom. only Emp.56. (Cf. Lat. sal: both masc. and fem. are from the same root.)