The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

θέμις

themis

that which is laid down

Appears 30 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

θέμις, ἡ, old Ep. gen. θέμιστος (in Hom. the only declension): acc. θέμιστα Il. 5.761, θέμιν A. Ag. 1431, etc.: gen. pl. θεμιστέων Hes. Th. 235: pr. n. Θέμις, Θέμιστος Od. 2.68, Θέμιστα Il. 20.4; dat. Θέμιστι 15.87; but Θέμιτος Pi. O. 13.8, Θέμιδος A. Pr. 18, etc., Θέμιος (v.l. -ιδος) Hdt. 2.50, Θέμιν Hes. Th. 16, IG 22.1611.71: voc. Θέμι Il. 15.93, E. Med. 160(anap.): I. that which is laid down or established, law (not as fixed by statute, but) as established by custom, θ. ἐστί ʼtis meet and right, c. dat. pers. et inf., οὔ μοι θ. ἐστὶ ξεῖνον ἀτιμῆσαι Od. 14.56; ἅ τε ξείνοις θ. ἐστὶν [παραθεῖναι] Il. 11.779; ὅ οἱ Διόθεν θ. ἦεν [ἐκτελέσαι] Hes. Sc. 22; γυναικὶ οὐ θ. SIG 1024.9(Myconos,iii/ii B.C.): without dat., Il. 16.796, 23.44; οὐ θ. ἐν μοισοπόλων οἰκίᾳ θρῆνον ἔμμενʼ Sapph. 136; ὅτι δυνατὸν καὶ θ. αἰνεῖν A. Ag. 98, cf. S. Ant. 880(lyr.), Ph. 346, E. Med. 678, Pl. Phdr. 250b, Isoc. 4.92, etc.; ἡ γὰρ θ. for so ʼtis right [to do], Od. 24.286; freq. ἣ θ. ἐστί as the custom is, Il. 2.73: c. dat. (= loc.), ἣ θ. ἐστίν . . ἀγορῇ 9.33: c. gen., ἣ θ. ἀνθρώπων πέλει ib.134; ἣ θ. ἐστὶ γυναικός Od. 14.130; also ᾗ θ. ἀνθρώποις κατὰ ἤθεα Hes. Op. 137; θύειν τοὺς γεωργοὺς . . ᾗ (with ι) θέμις IG 22.1364 (i A.D.); but ᾗ θέμις ἐστί is rejected for Hom. by Hdn.Gr.2.516, cf. A.D. Adv. 148.28: indecl., πότερα κατʼ ἔχθραν ἢ τὸ μὴ θέμις λέγεις; A. Supp. 336; ὥστε μὴ . . θέμις σέ γʼ εἶναι κεῖνον ἀντιδρᾶν κακῶς S. OC 1191; οὐδὲ . . φασὶ θέμις εἶναι Pl. Grg. 505c, cf.X. Oec. 11.11, Ael. NA 1.60. 2. justice, right, S. Tr. 810; ὅσα τείνει πρὸς θέμιν Pl. Smp. 188d; penalty, ἐκτίνειν ὁμοιΐαν θ. A. Supp. 436 (lyr.); sanctity, ὁρκίων ἐμῶν θ. Id. Ag. 1431. II. = ἀγὼν θεματίτης, IGRom. 3.319 (Pisid.); νικήσας θέμιν ἀνδρῶν ib.437 (Termessus). III. pl. θέμιστες, decrees of the gods, oracles, Διὸς θ. Od. 16.403; θέμισσιν by oracles, Pi. P. 4.54, cf. O. 10(11).24. 2. dooms, customary laws, ordinances, δικασπόλοι, οἵ τε θέμιστας πρὸς Διὸς εἰρύαται Il. 1.238, cf. Hes. Th. 235; τοῖσιν δʼ (i.e. the Cyclopes) οὔτʼ ἀγοραὶ βουληφόροι οὔτε θέμιστες Od. 9.112; οὔτε δίκας εὖ εἰδότα οὔτε θέμιστας neither rights nor laws, ib.215: in sg., ὃς οὔ τινα οἶδε θέμιστα Il. 5.761; ἵνα σφʼ ἀγορή τε θέμις τε 11.807. 3. judgements, decisions given by the kings or judges, οἳ . . σκολιὰς κρίνωσι θέμιστας 16.387; σκολιῇς δὲ δίκῃς κρίνωσι θ. Hes. Op. 221; διακρίνοντα θ. ἰθείῃσι δίκῃσιν Id. Th. 85. 4. tribute, dues, λιπαρὰς τελέουσι θέμιστας Il. 9.156. IV. pr. n., Themis, ἥ τʼ ἀνδρῶν ἀγορὰς ἠμὲν λύει ἠδὲ καθίζει 2.68, cf. Il. 15.87, 20.4, Hes. Th. 16, A. Pr. 18, etc.
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