λαός: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ὁ, Ion. [[ληός]] Hippon.88, Hdt.5.42 (<br><span class="bld">A</span> [[varia lectio|v.l.]] [[λαόν]], which is in all Mss. in 4.148), cj. in Mimn.14.9; Att. [[λεώς]], which is also used in Hdt.1.22, 8.136, while the form [[λαός]] is sometimes used in Trag., and once or twice even in Com. (v. infr. 1.3): also in Inscrr. and Pap. (v. infr.) and in late Prose, as Foed.Byz. ap. Plb.4.52.7 (pl.), Str.14.4.3 (pl.), Plu.2.1096b, etc. (both forms in pr. nn., Λεωβώτης Hdt.7.204, Λαβώτας X.''HG''1.2.18, etc.).<br><span class="bld">1</span> in Il., <b class="b3">λαός </b> ([[λαοί]]) usually means [[men]], i.e. soldiers, both of the whole army and smaller divisions, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν 7.434; λαὸν ἀγείρειν 16.129; πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν 2.115: pl., <b class="b3">ἅμα τῷ γε… ἄριστοι λ. ἕποντ</b>' ib.578; στίχες ἀσπιστάων λ. 4.91; [[periphrasis]], <b class="b3">στρατὸς λαῶν</b> ib.76; λαῶν ἔθνος 13.495; mostly including both foot and horse, as 2.809; but sometimes [[λαός]] denotes [[foot]], as opp. [[horse]], 7.342; also, a land army, opp. [[a fleet]], 4.76, 9.424, 10.14; also, the common men, opp. [[their leaders]], 2.365, 13.108; but<br><span class="bld">2</span> in Od., [[λαοί]], more rarely [[λαός]], almost always means [[men]] or [[people]]; as [[subjects]] of a prince, e.g. 3.214, 305, al. ([[λαοί]] is sometimes so used in Il., e.g. 17.226, 24.611; <b class="b3">λαοὶ ἀγροιῶται</b> country-[[folk]], 11.676; [[work-people]], 17.390); of [[sailors]], Od.14.248; so after Hom., <b class="b3">ναυτικὸς λεώς</b> seafaring [[folk]], A.''Pers''.383; πᾶς ὁ χειρῶναξ λεώς S.''Fr''.844; ὁ γεωργικὸς λεώς Ar.''Pax''920 (lyr.): in sg., [[slave]], <b class="b3">τὸν Εὐρυσθέως λεών</b>, of Heracles, Hecat.23 J.; and so perhaps λεὼς αὔτοικος ''GDI''5533e (Zeleia): more generally, <b class="b3">μέροπες λαοί</b>, i.e. [[man]]kind, A.''Supp''.90 (lyr.); <b class="b3">λ. ἐγχώριοι</b> the natives, ib. 517, cf. Od.6.194; especially in Egypt, of the fellahin, ''PRev.Laws''42.11-16 (iii B. C.), ''PSI''4.380.5 (iii B. C.), etc.; civil population, opp. [[priests and soldiers]], ''OGI''90.12 (Rosetta, ii B. C.), cf. 225.8 (Milet., iii B. C.), al.<br><span class="bld">3</span> people assembled, as in the theatre, ὁ πολὺς λαῶν ὄχλος Ar.''Ra''.676, cf. 219 (both lyr.); especially in the Ecclesia, αἱ στίχες τῶν λαῶν Id.''Eq''.163: hence the phrase <b class="b3">ἀκούετε λεῴ</b> hear O people!—the usual way of beginning proclamations at Athens, like our ''Oyez''! Sus.1.1, Ar.''Pax''551, ''Av''.448; <b class="b3">τιμῶσιν οἱ πάντες λεῴ</b> ib. 1275; δεῦρ' ἴτε, πάντες λεῴ Arist.''Fr''.384; Ἀττικὸς λεώς A.''Eu''.681; <b class="b3">ὁ πολὺς λεώς</b> the multitude, Pl.''R''.458d, etc.<br><span class="bld">4</span> in LXX, of [[the]] [[people]], as opp. [[priests and Levites]], ''1 Es''.5.46; in ''NT'', of ''Jews'', opp. [[Gentiles]], ''Ev.Matt''.2.6, ''Ev.Luc''.2.10, al., cf. ''SIG''1247 (Jewish tombstones); of ''Christians'', opp. [[heathen]], ''Act.Ap''.15.14, al.<br><span class="bld">II</span> a people, i.e. all who are called by one name, first in Pi., Δωριεῖ λαῷ ''O''.8.30; Λυδῶν δὲ λαὸς καὶ Φρυγῶν A.''Pers''.770; ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαός S.''Ph''.1243, cf. ''OT''144, etc.; <b class="b3">ἱππόται λαοί</b>, i.e. the Thessalians, Pi. ''P''.4.153, cf. 9.54, ''N''.1.17. (The resemblance between [[λαός]] [[people]] and [[λᾶος]] [[stone]] (cf. [[λᾶας]]) is implied in Il.24.611 <b class="b3">λαοὺς δὲ λίθους ποίησε Κρονίων</b> (in the story of Niobe); and so Pi. explains the word from the legend of Deucalion, ''O''.9.46, cf. Epich.122, Apollod.1.7.2; but cf. Philoch.12.) (From λᾱϝ-, as shown by the pr.names Λαϝοπτόλεμος ''GDI''3151, [[ϝιόλαϝος]] ib.3132 (Corinth): hence prob. [[λήϊτον]].)