λᾱόσ, ὁ, Ion. ληόσHippon.88, Hdt.5.42 (v.l. λαόν, which is in all Mss. in 4.148), cj. in Mimn.14.9; Att. λεώσ, which is also used in Hdt.1.22, 8.136, while the form λαόσ is sts. used in Trag., and once or twice even in Com. (v. infr. 1.3): also in Inscrr. and Pap. (v. infr.) and in late Prose, as Foed.Byz. ap. Plb.4.52.7 (pl.), Str.14.4.3 (pl.), Plu.2.1096b, etc. (both forms in pr. nn., ΛεωβώτησHdt.7.204, ΛαβώτασX.HG1.2.18, etc.). 1. in Il., λαός (λαοί) usu. means
men
, i.e. soldiers, both of the whole army and smaller divisions, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν 7.434; λαὸν ἀγείρειν 16.129; πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν 2.115: pl., ἅμα τῷ γε ..ἄριστοι λ. ἕποντ' ib.578; στίχες ἀσπιστάων λ. 4.91; periphr., στρατὸς λαῶν ib.76; λαῶν ἔθνοσ 13.495; mostly including both
foot and horse
, as 2.809; but sts. λαόσ denotes
foot
, as opp. horse, 7.342; also,
a land army
, opp. a fleet, 4.76, 9.424, 10.14; also,
the common men
, opp. their leaders, 2.365, 13.108; but 2. in Od., λαοί, more rarely λαόσ, almost always means
men
or
people
; as
subjects
of a prince, e.g. 3.214, 305, al. (λαοί is sts. so used in Il., e.g. 17.226, 24.611; λαοὶ ἀγροιῶται country-
folk
, 11.676;
work-people
, 17.390); of
sailors
, Od.14.248; so after Hom., ναυτικὸς λεώσ seafaring
, τὸν Εὐρυσθέως λεών, of Heracles, Hecat.23 J.; and so perh. λεὼς αὔτοικοσGDI5533e (Zeleia): more generally, μέροπες λαοί, i.e.
man
kind, A.Supp.90 (lyr.); λ. ἐγχώριοι the natives, ib. 517, cf. Od.6.194; esp. in Egypt, of the fellahin, PRev.Laws42.11-16 (iii B. C.), PSI4.380.5 (iii B. C.), etc.;
civil population
, opp. priests and soldiers, OGI90.12 (Rosetta, ii B. C.), cf. 225.8 (Milet., iii B. C.), al. 3.
people assembled
, as in the theatre, ὁ πολὺς λαῶν ὄχλοσAr.Ra.676, cf. 219 (both lyr.); esp. in the Ecclesia, αἱ στίχες τῶν λαῶνId.Eq.163: hence the phrase ἀκούετε λεῴ hear
O people
!— the usual way of beginning proclamations at Athens, like our Oyez! Sus.1.1, Ar.Pax551, Av.448; τιμῶσιν οἱ πάντες λεῴ ib. 1275; δεῦρ' ἴτε, πάντες λεῴArist.Fr.384; Ἀττικὸς λεώσA.Eu.681; ὁ πολὺς λεώσ
the multitude
, Pl.R.458d, etc. 4. in LXX, of
the
people
, as opp. priests and Levites, 1 Es.5.46; in NT, of Jews, opp. Gentiles, Ev.Matt.2.6, Ev.Luc.2.10, al., cf. SIG1247 (Jewish tombstones); of Christians, opp. heathen, Act.Ap.15.14, al. II.
a people
, i.e. all who are called by one name, first in Pi., Δωριεῖ λαῷO.8.30; Λυδῶν δὲ λαὸς καὶ ΦρυγῶνA.Pers.770; ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαόσS.Ph.1243, cf. OT144, etc.; ἱππόται λαοί, i.e. the Thessalians, Pi.P.4.153, cf. 9.54, N.1.17. (The resemblance between λαόσ
people
and λᾶοσ
stone
(cf. λᾶασ) is implied in Il.24.611 λαοὺς δὲ λίθους ποίησε Κρονίων (in the story of Niobe); and so Pi. explains the word from the legend of Deucalion, O.9.46, cf. Epich.122, Apollod.1.7.2; but cf. Philoch.12.) (From λᾱf-, as shown by the pr.names ΛαfοπτόλεμοσGDI3151, fιόλαfοσ ib.3132 (Corinth): hence prob. λήϊτον.)