Plato › Greek Lexicon › πλῆθος

πλῆθος

plethos

great number, multitude

Appears 111 times across Plato's dialogues.

Frequency by work

Click a work to list every occurrence by Stephanus page — each links into the reader.

Dictionary (LSJ)

πλῆθος, εος, τό, Dor. and Arc. πλῆθος Schwyzer 84.8, al. (Argive, found in Crete, v B.C.), IG 5(2).6.20 (Tegea, iv B.C.), etc.; Boeot. πλεῖθος ib.7.3171.46 (Orchom. Boeot.); pseudo-Dor. and pseudo-Aeol. πλᾶθος GDI 5176.21 (Crete), IGRom. 4.1302.18 (Cyme, i B.C./ i A.D.), Hippod. ap. Stob. 4.1.93: (πλήθω, A. v. πίμπλημι):—great number, multitude, esp. of people, Il. 17.330, Hdt. 7.49, etc.; στρατοῦ π., periphr. for στρατὸς πολύς, Id. 9.73; ὡς πλήθει for the mass of men, Pl. R. 389d. 2. τὸ π. the greater number, the mass, main body, τὸ π. τοῦ στρατοῦ Hdt. 1.82, cf. 5.92; τὸ π. τῆς ψυχῆς the largest part of . . , Pl. Lg. 689a: as Noun of Multitude with pl. Verb, Ἀθηναίων τὸ π. οἴονται Th. 1.20; τὸ π. ἐψηφίσαντο πολεμεῖν the majority, ib.125, cf. X. Cyr. 2.4.20; τῷ π. by a majority, Berl.Sitzb. 1927.8 (Locr., v B.C.): hence, people, population, σμικρὸν τὸ π. τῆσδε γῆς E. Ph. 715. b. the commons, Th. 1.9, etc.; ἡ τοῦ π. ἀρχή, δημοκρατία τοὔνομα κληθεῖσα Pl. Plt. 291d; ἐς τὸ π. φέρειν τὸ κράτος Hdt. 3.81: freq. of the popular assembly, τὸ ὑμέτερον π., τὸ π. τὸ ὑμέτερον, Lys. 12.42, Pl. Ap. 31c; Ἐρυθραίων τῷ π., Ἀθηναίων τοῦ π., IG 12.10.21, 22; = Lat. plebs, Plb. 6.15.11, D.S. 12.25, D.H. 4.71; also, association, corporation, or guild, τὸ π. τὸ Ἁλιαδᾶν IG 12(1).155.6, 156.5 (Rhodes); τὸ τῶν Πανιαστῶν π. IGRom. 4.1680(Pergam.); τὸ π. τῶν ἱερέων OGI 56.24 (Canopus, iii B.C.); π. τῶν ἁλιέων PSI 5.498.2 (iii B.C.); τὸ π. τῶν μαχαιροφόρων OGI 737 (Memphis, ii B.C.); opp. αἱ ἀρχαί, οἱ ὀλίγοι, Th. 5.84; but also, populace, mob, opp. δῆμος (commons), X. Ath. 2.18, App. BC 1.10: also in pl., πείθειν τὰ π. the masses, Pl. Grg. 452e, cf. Sph. 268b; ὃ πᾶσι . . σωτήριον, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς π. πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους D. 6.24; φιλόσοφον . . π. ἀδύνατον εἶναι Pl. R. 494a. II. quantity or number, πόσον π. ἦν νεῶν Ἑλληνίδων; A. Pers. 334; τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως τί φῂς π. εἶναι; X. Cyr. 2.1.6; ὅμιλος πλήθει φοβερώτατος Th. 2.98; ἰσχύϊ καὶ πλήθει προέχων Id. 3.74; τῷ π. αὐτῶν καταπλαγέντες Id. 4.10; πλήθεϊ πολλοί Hdt. 3.11, cf. 6.44; σὺν πλήθει χερῶν S. OT 123; πλήθει παρόντες in force, Th. 8.22: abs. in acc., κόσοι πλῆθος Hdt. 1.153; πόσοι τὸ π.; Diph. 17.1; ἐρέται . . π. ἀνάριθμοι A. Pers. 40 (anap.); π. ὡς δισχίλιοι X. An. 4.2.2; ἄπειρα τὸ π. Id. Mem. 1.1.14; ἄπειρα καὶ π. καὶ σμικρότητα Anaxag. 1; π. τι πάμπολυ φθειρῶν IG 42(1).122.45, cf. 32 (Epid., iv B.C.). III. magnitude, size, or extent, [ὄρος] πλήθεϊ μέγιστον καὶ μεγάθεϊ ὑψηλότατον Hdt. 1.203; πεδίον πλῆθος ἄπειρον ib.204; ἡ ἐρῆμος . . ἐοῦσα πλῆθος ἑπτὰ ἡμερέων ὁδοῦ Id. 4.123; π. χώρας καὶ ἀνθρώπων X. An. 1.5.9. 2. in Att., of quantity or amount, διὰ π. τῆς ζημίας Th. 3.70; χρημάτων π. Id. 1.9; διὰ πλῆθος οὐσίας Pl. R. 591e, cf. Arist. Pol. 1279a19; ταῦτα οὐδέν ἐστι πλήθει οὐδὲ μεγέθει πρὸς ἐκεῖνα Pl. R. 614a; μετὰ πλήθους ἱδρῶτος multa sudans, Id. Ti. 84e; τὸ π. τοῦ ῥεύματος Plb. 1.75.5; τὸ παρακείμενον π. the amount entered against each, Ostr.Bodl.i 252 (ii B.C.); of money, τὸ ἴσον π. TAM 2.526 (Pinara): in pl., quantities, ἐμβρύων Cratin. 326; θαυμαστὸν ὅσʼ ἐστʼ ἀγαθῶν π. Mnesim. 4.51 (anap.); οἰκοδομημάτων πλήθεσι ἢ μεγέθεσι D.C. 52.30, cf. 10. 3. more than enough, π. φέρειν LXXEx. 36.5. 4. plurality, opp. ἕν, Dam. Pr. 45. IV. of Time, length, χρόνου Th. 1.1, Pl. Tht. 158d, Isoc. 12.180; π. ἐτῶν Ar. Nu. 855; πλήθει πολλῶν μηνῶν S. Ph. 722(lyr.). V. with Preps., or Advbs., ἐς π. in great numbers, Th. 1.14; κατὰ πλῆθος a large number at a time, IG 12.6.112; ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ π. usually, mostly, Pl. Phdr. 275b; ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ π. εἰπεῖν Arist. GA 786a35; κατὰ π. D.H. 6.67.
‹ All lexicon entries