ἔθνος

ἔθνος, εος, τό: (ϝέθνος, cf. Il.2.87, 7.115, al.): -

A number of people living together, company, body of men, ἑτάρων ἔ., ἔ. ἑταίρων, band of comrades, Il.3.32, 7.115, etc.; ἔθνος λαῶν host of men, 13.495; of particular tribes,

Αυκίων μέγα ἔ. 12.330

;

Ἀχαιῶν ἔ. 17.552

: pl.,

ἔθνεα πεζῶν 11.724

, cf. 2.91;

ἔ. νεκρῶν Od.10.526

; of animals, ἔ. μελισσάων, ὀρνίθων, μυιάων, swarms, flocks, etc., Il.2.87,459,469;

ἔθνη θηρῶν S.Ph.1147

(lyr.), Ant.344; ἔ. ἀνέρων, γυναικῶν, Pi.O.1.66, P.4.252; ἔ. βρότεον, θνατόν, Id.N.3.74, 11.42; ἔ. τόδε, of the Erinyes, A.Eu.366 (lyr.).

2 after Hom., nation, people, τὸ Μηδικὸν ἔ. (γένος being a subdivision of ἔθνος) Hdt.1.101; ἔ. ἠπειρογενές, μαχαιροφόρον, A.Pers.43, 56 (anap.), etc.;

τῶν μηδισάντων ἐθνέων τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Hdt.9.106

.

b later, τὰ ἔ. foreign, barbarous nations, opp. Ἕλληνες, Arist.Pol.1324b10; ἔ. νομάδων, of Bedawîn, LW2203 ([place name] Syria); at Athens, athletic clubs of non-Athenians, IG2.444, al.; in LXX, non-Jews, Ps.2.1, al., cf. Act.Ap.7.45; Gentiles, τῶν ἐθνῶν τε καὶ Ἰουδαίων ib.14.5, etc.; used of Gentile Christians, Ep. Rom.15.27.

c at Rome, = provinciae, App.BC2.13, Hdn.1.2.1, PStrassb.22.19 (iii A. D.), D.C.36.41, etc.: so in sg., province,

ὁ τυραννήσας τοῦ ἔθνους D.Chr.43.11

; ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῦ ἔθνους the governor of the province, POxy.1020.5 (iii A. D.).

3 class of men, caste, tribe, τὸ Θετταλῶν . . πενεστικὸν ἔ. Pl.Lg.776d;

ἔθνος κηρυκικόν Id.Plt.290b

; οἶσθά τι ἔ. ἠλιθιώτερον ῥαψῳδῶν; X.Smp.3.6; δημιουργικὸν ἔ. Pl.Grg.455b, cf. Arist.Ath.3;

ἔ. βραχμάνων D.S.17.102

; τὰ ἱερὰ ἔ. the orders of priests, OGI90.17 (ii B. C.); trade-associations or guilds,

ἔθνη καὶ ἐργαστήρια PPetr.3p.67

(iii B. C.), al.; class in respect to rank or station,

οὐ πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντες . . ὅπως . . ἕν τι ἔ. ἔσται διαφερόντως εὔδαιμον Pl.R.420b

, cf. 421c, D.21.131.

4 sex, θῆλυ, ἄρρεν ἔ., X.Oec.7.26.

5 part, member, Hp.Loc.Hom.1.

II of a single person, a relation, Pi.N.5.43.