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ἰδιώτης

idiotes

private person, individual

Appears 94 times across Plato's dialogues.

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Dictionary (LSJ)

ἰδιώτης, ου, ὁ, (ἴδιος) A. private person, individual, opp. the State, ξυμφέροντα καὶ πόλεσι καὶ ἰδιώταις Th. 1.124, cf. 3.10, SIG 37.3 (Teos, v B.C.), Pl. Smp. 185b, X. Vect. 4.18, etc.; opp. γένος, SIG 1013.6 (Chios, iv B.C.); opp. φατρία, ib.987.28 (ibid., iv B.C.). II. one in a private station, opp. to one holding public office, or taking part in public affairs, Hdt. 1.59,123, al., cf. Decr. ap.And. 1.84, Th. 4.2, etc.; opp. βασιλεύς, Hdt. 7.3; opp. ἄρχων, Lys. 5.3, Pl. Plt. 259b, SIG 305.71 (iv B.C.); opp. δικαστής, Antipho 6.24; opp. πολιτευόμενος, D. 10.70; opp. ῥήτωρ, Hyp. Eux. 27; private soldier, opp. στρατηγός, X. An. 1.3.11, cf.PHib. 1.30.21 (iii B.C.); layman, opp. priest, OGI 90.52 (Rosetta, ii B.C.), PGnom. 200 (ii A.D.), 1 Ep.Cor. 14.16: as Adj., ἰ. ἄνδρες Hdt. 1.32,70, Th. 1.115; ἰ. θεοί homely (with play on ἴδιος), Ar. Ra. 891. 2. common man, plebeian, οἱ ἰ. καὶ πένητες Plu. Thes. 24; ἰ. καὶ εὐτελής, opp. βασιλεύς, Hdn. 4.10.2. 3. as Adj., ἰ. βίος private station, Pl. R. 578c; ἰ. λόγος everyday speech, D.H. Dem. 2, cf. Longin. 31.2. III. one who has no professional knowledge, layman, καὶ ἰατρὸς καὶ ἰ. Th. 2.48, cf. Hp. VM 4, Pl. Tht. 178c, Lg. 933d; ἰ. ἤ τινα τέχνην ἔχων Id. Sph. 221c; of prose-writers, ἐν μέτρῳ ὡς ποιητής, ἢ ἄνευ μέτρου ὡς ἰ. Id. Phdr. 258d, cf. Smp. 178b; ἰ. καὶ μηδὲν αὐλήσεως ἐπαΐων Id. Prt. 327c; opp. to a professed orator, Isoc. 4.11; to a trained soldier, X. Eq.Mag. 8.1; ἰδιώτας, ὡς εἰπεῖν, χειροτέχναις (-νας codd.) ἀνταγωνισαμένους Th. 6.72; opp. ἀσκητής, X. Mem. 3.7.7, cf. 12.1; opp. ἀθλητής, Arist. EN 1116b13; opp. a professed philosopher, Id. Pol. 1266a31, Phld. Lib. p.51 O., D. 1.25; in Music, Id. Mus.p.42 K.; opp. δημιουργός, Pl. Prt. 312a, Thg. 124c: as Adj., ὁ ἰ. ὄχλος, opp. artificers, Plu. Per. 12. 2. c. gen. rei, unpractised, unskilled in a thing, ἰατρικῆς Pl. Prt. 345a, cf. Ti. 20a; ἔργου X. Oec. 3.9; ἰ. κατὰ τοὺς πόνους, κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον, Id. Cyr. 1.5.11; ἰ. τὰ ἄλλα Hdn. 4.12.1; ἰ. ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγωνίζεσθαι X. Cyr. l.c., cf. Luc. Herm. 81. 3. generally, raw hand, ignoramus, ἄν τε δεινοὶ λάχωσιν ἄν τε ἰδιῶται . . D. 4.35; παιδάρια καὶ ἰ., of slaves, S.E. M. 1.234 (cf. ἰ. οἰκέται Luc. Alex. 30); ἀμαθὴς καὶ ἰ., opp. τεχνίτης, Id. Ind. 29; voc. ἰδιῶτα, as a term of abuse, Men. Sam. 71. 4. ‘average man’, opp. a person of distinction, Plu. 2.1104a. IV. ἰδιῶται, οἱ, oneʼs own countrymen, opp. ξένοι, Ar. Ra. 459.
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