θήρ

θήρ, θηρός, Ep. dat. pl. θήρεσσι, ὁ: later also ἡ, Ael. NA 6.24, etc.: (v. sub fin.):—A. beast of prey, esp. a lion (so used in Cephallenia, Sch. Il. 15.324), Il. 15.586, etc.; ὁ Νέμειος θ. E. HF 153: coupled with λέων, ib.465, Epimenid. 2: with λέαινα, AP 14.63.4 (Mesom.); of the wild boar, Ἐρυμάνθιος θ. S. Tr. 1097; of Cerberus, Id. OC 1569 (lyr.); ὁ θ., of a hind, Id. El. 572: pl., generally, beasts, opp. birds and fishes, ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰσθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετʼ Od. 24.291; ἰχθύσι μὲν καὶ θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖς πετεηνοῖς Hes. Op. 277; ἐν θηρσίν, ἐν βροτοῖσιν, ἐν θεοῖς ἄνω S. Fr. 941.12; ἐν ἄγρῃ θηρῶν Hdt. 3.129; ἄφοβοι θῆρες S. Aj. 366: metaph., θῆρες ξιφήρεις, of Orestes and Pylades, E. Or. 1272, cf. Ph. 1296 (lyr.); ἡ σφοδρότης . . θηρός (sc. Ἔρωτος) Alex. 245.12: prov., ἔγνω θὴρ θῆρα Arist. Rh. 1371b16. 2. of any living creature, πλωτοὶ θῆρες, i.e. dolphins, Arion 1.5; of vermin killed by birds, Ar. Av. 1064 (lyr.); of gnats, AP 5.150 (Mel.); of the sacred animals in Egypt, ἀρχιστολιστὴς θηρῶν Sammelb. 4011.4. 3. any fabulous monster, as the Sphinx, A. Th. 558 codd.; esp. of a centaur, S. Tr. 556, 568 (cf. φήρ); of Satyrs, E. Cyc. 624; οὐ θεῶν τις οὐδʼ ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲ θ. A. Eu. 70.—Less freq. than θηρίον in Prose, but found in Hdt. l.c. (v.l. θηρίων), X. Cyr. 4.6.4, Pl. R. 559d, Sph. 235a, Ael. l.c., etc.; ἄγριοι θῆρες Arist. EE 1229a25. (I.-E. ĝhṷēr-, cf. φήρ, Lith. žvėrìs ‘wild beast’.)