The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

ἔθνος

ethnos

number of people living together, company, body of men

Appears 29 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

ἔθνος, εος, τό: (ϝέθνος, cf. Il. 2.87, 7.115, al.): -
number of people living together, company, body of men, ἑτάρων ἔ., ἔ. ἑταίρων, band of comrades, Il. 3.32, 7.115, etc.; ἔθνος λαῶν host of men, 13.495; of particular tribes, Λυκίων μέγα ἔ. 12.330; Ἀχαιῶν ἔ. 17.552: pl., ἔθνεα πεζῶν 11.724, cf. 2.91; ἔ. νεκρῶν Od. 10.526; of animals, ἔ. μελισσάων, ὀρνίθων, μυιάων, swarms, flocks, etc., Il. 2.87, 459, 469; ἔθνη θηρῶν S. Ph. 1147 (lyr.), Ant. 344; ἔ. ἀνέρων, γυναικῶν, Pi. O. 1.66, P. 4.252; ἔ. βρότεον, θνατόν, Id. N. 3.74, 11.42; ἔ. τόδε, of the Erinyes, A. Eu. 366 (lyr.).
2. after Hom., nation, people, τὸ Μηδικὸν ἔ. (γένος being a subdivision of ἔθνος) Hdt. 1.101; ἔ. ἠπειρογενές, μαχαιροφόρον, A. Pers. 43, 56 (anap.), etc.; τῶν μηδισάντων ἐθνέων τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Hdt. 9.106.
b. later, τὰ ἔ. foreign, barbarous nations, opp. Ἕλληνες, Arist. Pol. 1324b10; ἔ. νομάδων, of Bedawîn, LW 2203 (Syria); at Athens, athletic clubs of non-Athenians, IG 2.444, al.; in LXX, non-Jews, LXX Ps. 2.1, al., cf. Act.Ap. 7.45; Gentiles, τῶν ἐθνῶν τε καὶ Ἰουδαίων ib. 14.5, etc.; used of Gentile Christians, Ep. Rom. 15.27.
c. at Rome, = provinciae, App. BC 2.13, Hdn. 1.2.1, PStrassb. 22.19 (iii A. D.), D.C. 36.41, etc.: so in sg., province, ὁ τυραννήσας τοῦ ἔθνους D.Chr. 43.11; ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῦ ἔθνους the governor of the province, POxy. 1020.5 (iii A. D.).
3. class of men, caste, tribe, τὸ Θετταλῶν . . πενεστικὸν ἔ. Pl. Lg. 776d; ἔθνος κηρυκικόν Id. Plt. 290b; οἶσθά τι ἔ. ἠλιθιώτερον ῥαψῳδῶν; X. Smp. 3.6; δημιουργικὸν ἔ. Pl. Grg. 455b, cf. Arist. Ath. 3; ἔ. βραχμάνων D.S. 17.102; τὰ ἱερὰ ἔ. the orders of priests, OGI 90.17 (ii B. C.); trade-associations or guilds, ἔθνη καὶ ἐργαστήρια PPetr. 3p.67 (iii B. C.), al.; class in respect to rank or station, οὐ πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντες . . ὅπως . . ἕν τι ἔ. ἔσται διαφερόντως εὔδαιμον Pl. R. 420b, cf. 421c, D. 21.131.
4. sex, θῆλυ, ἄρρεν ἔ., X. Oec. 7.26.
5. part, member, Hp. Loc.Hom. 1.
II. of a single person, a relation, Pi. N. 5.43.
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