ἦθος

ethos

an accustomed place

Appears 3 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Iliad 2
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Book 6 1
Chapter ?

6511
Book 15 1
Chapter ?

15268
Odyssey 1
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Book 14 1
Chapter ?

14411

Dictionary (LSJ)

ἦθος, εος, τό (cf. ἔθος),

an accustomed place: hence, in pl., haunts or abodes of animals, μετά τʼ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων Il. 6.511; [σύας] ἔρξαν κατὰ ἤθεα κοιμηθῆναι Od. 14.411; of lions, Hdt. 7.125; of fish, Opp. H. 1.93; of the abodes of men, Hes. Op. 167, 525, Hdt. 1.15, 157, A. Supp. 64 (lyr.), E. Hel. 274, Pl. Lg. 865e, Arist. Mu. 398b33; ἔλεγον ἐξ ἠθέων τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατεῖλαι away from his accustomed place, Hdt. 2.142; of plants, Callistr. Stat. 7: metaph., with play on signf. II, Pl. Phdr. 277a.

II. custom, usage: in pl., manners, customs, Hes. Op. 137, Th. 66, Hdt. 2.30, 35, 4.106, Th. 2.61; τρόποι καὶ ἤθη Pl. Lg. 896c; ἐθρέψω Ξέρξην ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἤ. ib. 695e; φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρήσθʼ ὁμιλίαι κακαί PHib. 1.7.94 (E. Fr. 1024 = Men. 218); τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἁπλοῦς D.S. 5.21.

2. disposition, character, ἐπίκλοπον ἦθος Hes. Op. 67, 78; ἦ. ἐμφυές Pi. O. 11(10).20; ἀκίχητα ἤ., of Zeus, A. Pr. 187; τοὐμὸν ἦ. παιδεύειν S. Aj. 595; ὦ μιαρὸν ἦ. Id. Ant. 746; τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἦ. Isoc. 2.31; βελτίων τῆς πόλεως τὸ ἦ. D. 20.14; esp. moral character, opp. διάνοια, Arist. EN 1139a1; as the result of habit, τὸ πᾶν ἦ. διὰ ἔθος Pl. Lg. 792e, cf. Arist. EE 1220a39; ἦ. ἀνθρώπῳ δαίμων Heraclit. 119; ἦ. πηγὴ βίου Stoic. ap. Stob. 2.7.1; τῆς ψυχῆς, τῆς γνώμης, Pl. R. 400d, D. 61.16: freq. opp. πάθος, Arist. Rh. 1356a23 (pl.), etc.; ἠθῶν τε καὶ παθῶν μίμησις D.H. Pomp. 3; τὸ ἦ. πρᾶος Pl. Phdr. 243c: less freq. in dat., ἀγοραῖος τῷ ἤ. Thphr. Char. 6.2, cf. Inscr.Magn. 164.3 (i/ii A.D.): pl., traits, characteristics, Pl. R. 402d, Arist. EN 1144b4 (in sg., τὸ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἦ. Pl. Lg. 836d): seldom in pl., of an individual, στερρὸν τὰ ἤθεα Hp. Ep. 11; ἱερὸς κατὰ τὰ ἤθη Ath. 1.1e.

b. of outward bearing, ὡς ἱλαρὸν τὸ ἦ. X. Smp. 8.3; ὑγρότης ἤθους Lycurg. 33; ὑψηλὸς τῷ ἤ. Plu. Dio 4: in pl., of facial expression, ὀφθαλμῶν ἤθη Philostr. Gym. 25.

c. in Rhet., delineation of character, ἦ. ἔχουσιν οἱ λόγοι ἐν ὅσοις δήλη ἡ προαίρεσις Arist. Rh. 1395b13; ἦ. ἐμφαίνειν Phld. Rh. 1.200S.; esp. opp. πάθος, Longin. 9.15, etc.; κατʼ ἦ. λέγεσθαι, opp. κατὰ πάθος, D.H. Comp. 22, cf. Lys. 19: in pl., πραγμάτων καὶ ἠθῶν Phld. Po. 5.5; ἐν πάθεσι καὶ ἤθεσιν Demetr. Eloc. 28, etc.; so of works of art, ἡ Ζεύξιδος γραφὴ οὐδὲν ἔχει ἦ. Arist. Po. 1450a29; πάθος καὶ ἦ. καὶ σχημάτων χρῆσις Ael. VH 4.3; πολλὰ ἤθη ἐπιφαίνει Philostr. Her. 2.10; also of Music, S.E. M. 6.49.

d. dramatis persona, εἰσάγει ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ ἄλλο τι ἦ. Arist. Po. 1460a11, al.

3. also of animals, ἦ. τὸ πρὸς τοκέων (prob.l.for ἔθος) A. Ag. 727, cf. E. Hipp. 1219, Pl. R. 375e, Arist. HA 487a12 (pl.); τὸ ἦ. ἀσθενής, of a bird, ib. 615a18; of things, nature, kind, παρὰ δʼ ἦ. ἑκάστῳ (to each of the four elements) Emp. 17.28; τοῦ πυρετοῦ Gal. 7.353.

4. ἐν ἤθει tactfully (cf. ἠθικός II 2), προσφέρεσθαι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν Plu. Adul. 2.73e. cf. Herm. in Phdr. p.195A.; διὰ μέτριον ἦθος, of the expression δοκεῖ μοι, Steph. in Hp. 1.59D.

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