ἕρκος
herkos
fence, enclosure
Appears 35 times across Homer's epics.
Frequency by work
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Dictionary (LSJ)
ἕρκος, εος, τό,
‹ All lexicon entries fence, enclosure (πᾶν ὅσον ἂν ἕνεκα κωλύσεως εἴργῃ τι περιέχον Sph. 220b) round gardens and vineyards, Od. 7.113, Il. 5.90, 18.564 ; esp. round the court-yards of houses, Od. 21.238 (pl.), al.; ὑπὲρ ἕρκος ὑπερθορεῖν 4.29, 6.134 : pl., Aj. 1274; also, the place enclosed, court-yard, στὰς μέσῳ ἕρκεϊ Il. 16.231, cf. Od. 8.57 (pl.), etc.; Κίσσιον ἕρκος, i.e. Susa, Pers. 17 (anap.); ποῖον γαίας ἕ.; what city? Heracl. 441 ; ἕ. ἱερόν sacred enclosure, Tr. 607; shell of the pinna, Sollert. 2.980b.
2. wall for defence, ἕρκεϊ χαλκείῳ Il. 15.567 ; ἕρκος..ἐκ ναυηγίων περιεβάλοντο 7.191, cf. 9.99.
3. periphr., ἕ. ὀδόντων the fence (consisting) of the teeth, mostly in phrase, ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕ. ὀδόντων; Il. 4.350, cf. 27.1 ; ἀμείψεται ἕ. ὀδόντων Il. 9.409, Od. 10.328 ; κάρχαρον ἕ., without ὀδόντων, H. 1.506 ; ἀγγέων ἕρκεσι, = ἄγγεσι, N. 10.36 ; μέλαν ἕ. ἅλμας, i.e. the sea, Dith. Oxy. 1.16, cf. P. 2.80 (= ἐπιφάνεια, Sch.); σφραγῖδος ἕ., i.e. a seal, Tr. 615.
4. metaph., defence, ἕ. ἀκόντων, of a shield, a defence against javelins, Il. 15.646 ; ἕ. βελέων 5.316; ἕ. ἰωχμοῖο, of the lionʼs skin, 25.279; ἕρκεσιν εἴργειν κῦμα θαλάσσας Pers. 89 (lyr.).
b. of persons, ἕ. Ἀχαιῶν, of Ajax, Il. 3.229; of Achilles, Pae. 6.85; of soldiers, ἕρκος πολέμοιο a defence against war, Il. 4.299; of Achilles, ἕ. Ἀχαιοῖσιν..πολέμοιο 1.284; of Clytaemnestra, γαίας μονόφρουρον ἕ. Ag. 257 (lyr.): abs., P. 5.113, etc.
5. a net, toils, for birds, Od. 22.469 : mostly in pl., σπίζʼ ὅπως ἐν ἕρκεσιν Fr. 431, cf. Av. 528 (anap.), 209, HA 617b24; for deer, N. 3.51; coils of a lasso, 7.85: metaph., τῆς Δίκης ἐν ἕρκεσιν Ag. 1611, cf. Aj. 60, Med. 986 (lyr.); λέκτρων ἔχεσθαι φιλτάτοις ἐν ἕρκεσι Ba. 958, cf. Hymn.Is. 158; χρυσοδέτοις ἕρκεσιν..γυναικῶν, of Eriphyleʼs necklace, El. 838 (lyr.).