ζώνη

ζών-η, ἡ, ([etym.] ζώννυμι)

A belt, girdle:

I prop. the lower girdle worn by women just above the hips,

περὶ δὲ ζώνην βάλετ' ἰξυῖ Od.5.231

, 10.544, cf. Il.14.181, Hdt.1.51, etc.—Phrases:

1 λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζ. unloosed her maiden girdle, of the bridegroom, Od.11.245, cf. Lyr. Alex.Adesp.11.18, Plu.Lyc.15:—[voice] Med., of the bride,

μούνῳ ἑνὶ ζώναν ἀνέρι λυσαμένα AP7.324

(hence ζώνη, abs., of marriage, E.IT204 (lyr.); of sexual intercourse, Philostr.VA7.6): but also,

b ζ. λῦσαι to loose the girdle for childbirth, Hyp.Fr.67; later λύσασθαι or ἀπολύσασθαι, Call.Del.209, Opp.C.3.56; so

ζώναν κατατίθεσθαι Pi.O.6.39

.

c of men on a march, ζ. λύσασθαι to slacken one's belt, i.e. rest oneself, Hdt.8.120;

ζ. ἀναλύεσθαι Call.Del.237

.

2 of pregnant women,

τέκνων ἤνεγχ' ὑπὸ ζώνην βάρος A.Ch.1000

; πῶς γάρ σ' ἔθρεψεν ἐντὸς . . ζώνης; Id.Eu.608;

τοῦτον . . ἔφερον ζώνης ὕπο E.Hec. 762

; also ὑπὸ ζώνῃ θέσθαι to conceive, h.Ven.255.

3 prov., εἰς ζώνην δεδόσθαι to be given for girdle-money (as we should say, pinmoney), of Oriental queens who had cities given them for their small expenses, X.An.1.4.9;

ἣν [χώραν] καλεῖν . . ζ. τῆς βασιλέως γυναικός Pl.Alc.1.123b

.

II man's belt (more freq. ζωστήρ) , ἡ ζ. τοῦ Ὠρίωνος the three stars that form the belt of Orion. Arist.Mete. 343b24; the belt of barbarians, in which they wore the dagger, X.An.1.6.10, 4.7.16, Theopomp.Hist.39a, Luc.Anach.33, Pl.Hp.Mi. 368c.

b belt used as a purse, PRyl.127.32(i A.D.), Ev.Matt.10.9, Plu.2.665b;

ζ. χρυσίον Luc.Fug.31

.

2 part round which the girdle passed, waist,

Ἄρεϊ ζώνην ἴκελος Il.2.479

(misunderstood by Paus.9.17.3), cf. Il.11.234, Orph.Fr.168.28, Hp. ap. Erot. (also expld. as = ὀσφύς).

3 = Lat. cingulum, belt worn by Roman civil and military officers, [Demod.]5; = ἀξίωμα, Suid.; οἱ ὑπὸ ζώνην soldiers, Anon. ap. eund.s.v. αὐθεντήσαντα, cf. Cod.Just.1.5.12.6, 11, Just.Edict. 13.26, PLond.5.1680.21 (vi A.D.).

III anything that goes round like a belt, Plu.2.935a, Luc.Musc.Enc.3; of the girdle of ocean, Porph. Chr.69.

2 one of the zones of the terrestrial sphere, Stoic.2.195, Posidon. ap. Str.2.2.2, Placit.2.12.1 (pl.), etc.; ζ. διακεκαυμένη, εὔκρατος, Str.1.2.24, 1.4.6.

b one of the planetary spheres,

οἱ μὲν [τῶν πλανητῶν] ὑψηλὴν ζ. φέρονται οἱ δὲ ταπεινήν Diog.Oen.8

, cf. Vett.Val.26.18, Corp.Herm.1.25.

c Astrol.,= ζῴδιον, Porph.in Ptol.186.

3 in Archit.,= διάζωμα, frieze, Paus.5.10.5.

4 Lat.zona, in Medic., shingles, Scrib.Larg.63, 247; cf.

ζωστήρ 111.3

.

5 stripes on fish, Ael.NA3.28,al.

IV pl., an order of divine beings presiding over, or engirdled with cosmic zones, opp. ἄζωνοι, Dam.Pr.96, Procl.in Prm.p.494S.