αἰθήρ

A. ether, the heaven (wrongly distinguished by Aristarch. from ἀήρ (q.v.) as upper from lower air); δῑ ἠέρος αἰθέρ’ ἵκανεν Il. 14.288; [Ζεὺς] αἰθέρι ναίων 2.412, Hes. Op. 18; νόμοι δῑ αἰθέρα τεκνωθέντες S. OT 867; αἰθὴρ μὲν ψυχὰς ὑπεδέξατο σώματα δὲ χθών IG 1.442, cf. E. Supp. 533; of the sky, both cloudless, νήνεμος αἰ. Il. 8.556, and clouded, ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι 15.192, cf. 16.365; freq. in Trag., etc., A. Pr. 1044, 1088, Pers. 365, E. Ba. 150; αἰ. ζοφερός, ἀχλυόεις, A.R. 3.1265, 4.927; of the fumes of the Cyclops' mouth, E. Cyc. 410.

2. air, Emp. 100.5.

3. fifth element, Pl. Epin. 981c, 984b, Arist. Cael. 270b22; but equivalent to πῦρ, Anaxag. 1,15.

b. = πῦρ τεχνικόν, Chrysipp.Stoic. 2.168, cf. Arist. Mu. 392a5.

4. the divine element in the human soul, Philostr. VA 3.34, cf. 42.

II. clime, region, E. Alc. 594 (lyr.).