Κήρ

ker-2

the goddess of death

Appears 3 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

Κήρ, , Aeol. Κᾶρ Alc. (v. infr.), gen. Κηρός, acc. Κῆρα; Dor.pl. Κᾶρες Hipparch. ap. Stob. 4.34.8 (v.l. Κῆρες), but sg. κήρ Trag. in lyr. (v. infr.):—A. the goddess of death or doom, Κὴρ . . Θανάτοιο Od. 11.171, etc.; Κῆρες . . Θανάτοιο Il. 2.834, etc.; ἐν δʼ Ἔρις ἐν δὲ Κυδοιμὸς ὁμίλεον ἐν δʼ ὀλοὴ K.Il. 18.535; ἐμὲ μὲν K.ἀμφέχανε στυγερή, ἥ περ λάχε γιγνόμενόν περ 23.79; διχθάδιαι Κῆρες, of Achilles, 9.411; Κῆρες μυρίαι 12.326; Κῆρες Ἀχαιῶν, Τρώων, 8.73, 74; K. νηλεόποινοι Hes. Th. 217; K. Ἐρινύες A. Th. 1060 (anap.); K. ἀναπλάκητοι S. OT 472 (lyr.), cf.Tr. 133 (lyr.), Pi. Fr. 277, E. El. 1252, HF 870 (troch.); ἁρπαξάνδρα K., of the Sphinx, A. Th. 777 (lyr.): prov., θύραζε Κῆρες (v.l. Κᾶρες) , οὐκ ἔνι (v.l. ἔτʼ) Ἀνθεστήρια, of those who want the same always, Zen. 4.33, Suid. s.v. θύραζε. II. as Appellat., doom, death, esp. when violent, rarely without personal sense in Hom., τὸ δέ τοι κὴρ εἴδεται εἶναι that seems to thee to be death, Il. 1.228; κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων 3.32, al.; φόνον καὶ κ. φέροντες 2.352, al.: freq. later, ὐπὰ κᾶρι . . διννάεντʼ Ἀχέροντʼ ἐπέραισε Alc. Supp. 7.7; μέλαιναν κῆρʼ ἐπʼ ὄμμασιν βαλών E. Ph. 950. 2. νοσῶν παλαιᾷ κηρί plague, disease, S. Ph. 42, cf. 1166 (lyr.): in a general sense, βαρεῖα μὲν κ. τὸ μὴ πιθέσθαι grievous ruin it were not to obey, A. Ag. 206 (lyr.); ἐλευθέρῳ ψευδεῖ καλεῖσθαι κ. πρόσεστιν οὐ καλή an unseemly disgrace, S. Tr. 454. 3. pl.sts. in Prose, blemishes, defects, [τοῖς καλοῖς] κ. ἐπιπεφύκασιν Pl. Lg. 937d; [τόποι] ἰδίας ἔχουσι κῆρας Thphr. CP 5.10.4; κ. σύμφυτοι D.H. 2.3, cf. 8.61; ἁμαρτίαι καὶ κ. Plu. Cim. 2; σῶμα ἀκήρατον τῶν ἐκτὸς κ. Ti.Locr. 95b, cf. Ph. 1.368, al.: rarely sg., συνήθειαν ὥσπερ τινὰ κ. Plu. Ant. 2, cf.Ph. 1.440. (Perh. cogn. with κεραΐζω.)
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