πύλη

πύλη [ῠ], ἡ, prop.

A one wing of a pair of double gates,

ὀλίγον τι παρακλίναντες τὴν ἑτέρην π. Hdt.3.156

: mostly in pl., gates of a town (whereas θύρα = house-door),

Σκαιαὶ π. Il.3.145

, etc.;

π. εὖ ἀραρυίας 7.339

;

πύκα στιβαρῶς ἀραρυίας 12.454

;

πεπταμένας ἐν χερσὶ π. ἔχετε 21.531

; ἄνεσάν τε π. καὶ ἀπῶσαν ὀχῆας ib.537;

π. ἀνοῖξαι A.Ag.604

;

π. κλῇσαι Pl.R.560c

(the Art. is freq. omitted even in Prose): pl. of several gates, A.Th.125; ἐν πύλαις in or at the gates, ib.160,213 (both lyr.), al.; πρὸς πύλαις ib.377,457;

ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαισιν, οὗ τὸ τάριχος ὤνιον Ar.Eq.1247

.

2 in Trag. sts. of the house-door,

δωμάτων πύλαι A.Ch.732

, cf. 561; γυναικείους π. gate or door leading to the women's apartments, ib.878;

πύλαις διπλαῖς ἐνήλατο S.OT1261

;

ἐκτὸς αὐλείων πυλῶν Id.Ant.18

: also in sg., ib.1186, El.818; of the door of a tent, Id.Aj.11;

πύλης ἄναξ θυρωρέ Id.Fr.775

.

3 πύλαι Ἀΐδαο the gates of the nether world, periphr.for hell, Il.5.646,9.312, Od.14.156;

Ἅιδου πύλαι A.Ag.1291

, cf. Ev.Matt.16.18, etc.; also

σκότου πύλαι E.Hec.1

;

νερτέρων π. Id.Hipp.1447

.

4 custom-house, PTeb.5.34 (ii B.C.); τετελώνηται διὰ πύλης has paid the customs, BGU1592(iii A.D.), etc.;

τὸ σύμβολον τῆς ἱερᾶς Συηνιτικῆς π. PStrassb.79.10

(i B.C.);

μισθωταὶ ἱερᾶς π. Σοήνης Ostr.106

(ii A.D.), al., cf. Ostr.Bodl.v C 1 (ii A.D.),

II generally, entrance, orifice,

ἀμφὶ πύλας ἰσθμοῖο Emp.100.19

;

ἀναπεπταμένας ἔχω τῶν ὤτων τὰς π. Ath.4.169a

;

πύλας τοῖς ὠσὶν ἐπίθεσθε Pl.Smp.218b

; ἡλίου πύλαι, Pythag. name for the eyes, D.L.8.29; portal fissure of the liver,

π. καὶ δοχαὶ χολῆς E.El.828

, cf. Hp.Epid. 2.4.1, Anat.1, Pl.Ti.71c, Arist.HA496b32, Gal.15.145; portal vein of the liver, Ruf.Onom.179, Gal.2.785,5.542.

b pl., of the carceres in the circus, Aristid.1.124J.

c metaph.,

πύλας ὕμνων ἀναπιτνάμεν Pi.O.6.27

;

ἐπέων π. B.Fr.4

;

ἐν πύλαις γήρως D.C.57.24

, cf. 76.7.

2 entrance into a country through mountains, pass, Hdt.5.52: hence, Πύλαι, αἱ, the common name for Θερμοπύλαι, the Gates of Greece, Id.7.201, etc.: of other passes,

π. τῆς Κιλικίας καὶ τῆς Συρίας X.An.1.4.4

; αἱ Σύριαι π. ib.5; αἱ Κάσπιαι π. Str.11.12.1;

π. Λύδιαι Id.13.1.65

; Ἀμανίδες π. Id.14.5.18, 16.2.8 (

αἱ Ἀμανικαὶ καλούμεναι Arr.An.2.7.1

): these passes were sometimes really barred by gates, Hdt.7.176, cf. 3.117, 5.52, X. l.c.: the Isthmus is called πόντοιο πύλαι, Pi.N.10.27;

Κορίνθου π. Id.O.9.86

;

αἱ π. τῆς Πελοποννήσου X.Ages.2.17

; Πέλοπος νάσου θεόδματοι π. B.p.437 J.

3 of narrow straits, by which one enters a broad sea, Πύλαι Γαδειρίδες the Straits of Gibraltar, Pi.Fr.256; ἐπ' αὐταῖς στενοπόροις λίμνης π., of the Thracian Bosporus, A.Pr.729; ἐν πύλαις, of the Euripus, E.IA803.