The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

πολιός

polios

grey, grizzled, grisly

Appears 10 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

πολιός, ά, όν, also ός, όν, ἁλὸς πολιοῖο Il. 20.229, Od. 5.410, etc.; χήραν πολιόν E. Andr. 348:—A. grey, grizzled, grisly, λύκοιο Il. 10.334; κορῶναι Ar. Av. 967; σίδηρος Il. 9.366, h.Merc. 41, cf. E. Heracl. 758(lyr.); of the surging sea, πολιῆς ἐπὶ θινὶ θαλάσσης Il. 4.248; πολιὴν ἅλα ναιέμεν 15.190; π. θάλασσα Alc. 51; π. πέλαγος Ar. Av. 350(lyr.); γάλα Q.S. 10.135; λύκοι 1G 42(1).131.12 (Epid.); but, 2. most freq. of human hair, grey from age, κάρη, κεφαλή, Il. 22.74, Od. 24.317, etc.; π. στῆθος Alc. Supp. 20.2; γῆρας π. Pi. I. 6(5).15, E. Ba. 258; πολιοί greyhaired men, Od. 24.499; π. ματέρες S. OT 182 (lyr.), cf. E. Supp. 35, Ar. Ach. 600, 610, 692, Pl. Prm. 127b (rare in Att. Prose), Call. Fr. 473; Γραῖαι, ἐκ γενετῆς πολιαί Hes. Th. 271: Comp. -ώτεροι Arist. Fr. 235: abs., πολιαί (sc. τρίχες) Pi. O. 4.28, Arist. GA 722a7, Pr. 898a31; πολιῶν ἔσχηκας τὸν πώγωνα μεστόν Thphr. Char. 2.3; ἅμα ταῖς π. κατιούσαις as the grey hairs come down (i. e. from the temples to the beard), Ar. Eq. 520, cf. 908; ἕως τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον πολιὰς σχῇ PMich.Zen. 77 (iii B.C.), cf. LXXIs. 47.2, al., Phld. Vit.p.32J. 3. τίς σε πολιᾶς ἐξανῆκε γαστρός; what old womanʼs womb bare thee? as a sarcasm, Pi. P. 4.98; π. δάκρυον ἐκβάλλων an old manʼs tear, E. HF 1209 (lyr.). b. metaph., hoary, venerable, ὃς πολιῷ νόμῳ αἶσαν ὀρθοῖ A. Supp. 673 (lyr.); κληδὼν ἐν πολιαῖσι μένει φήμαις E. El. 701 (lyr.); μάθημα χρόνῳ π. Pl. Ti. 22b; πλοῦτος . . χρόνῳ π. Jul. Or. 2.82b. II. bright, clear, serene, ἔαρ Hes. Op. 477, 492; αἰθήρ E. Or. 1376 (lyr.); ἠήρ A.R. 3.275, Q.S. 2.554.
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