ἔδαφος

A. bottom, foundation, base of anything, τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐ. Th. 1.10; ἔ. νηός bottom of a ship, Od. 5.249; ἔ. πλοίου D. 32.5, cf. Pherecr. 12; ἔ. ποταμοῦ, τῆς θαλάττης, X. Cyr. 7.5.18, Arist. HA 534a11; [ποτηρίου] Pherecr. 143.2.

2. ground-floor, pavement, οἴκου Hdt. 8.137; καθελεῖν ἐς ἔ. raze to the ground, Th. 3.68; τὸ ἔ. ὁμαλίσασι IG 11(2).161 A 57 (Delos, iii B.C.); ἔπεσον εἰς τὸ ἔ. Act.Ap. 22.7; ἀπὸ ἐδάφους μέχρι παντὸς ὕψους CPR 95.17 (iii A. D.), etc.

3. ground, soil, περὶ τοῦ τῆς πατρίδος ἐδάφους ἀγωνίζεσθαι for our country's soil, Aeschin. 3.134, cf. D. 26.11 (pl.); ἐχθρὸς τῷ τῆς πόλεως ἐδάφει, of a mortal foe, Id. 8.39, 10.11; ὀκρυόειν ἔ. Eleg.Alex. Adesp. 1.7; soil, viewed in regard to its quality, Thphr. CP 2.4.1 (pl.), 4.11.8: pl., ἐδάφη lands and tenements (incl. houses), Is. 11.42, IG 2.780, PTeb. 302.10 (i A.D.); also, masses of earth, Epicur. Ep. 2p.48U.

4. text of a manuscript, opp. margin (μέτωπον), Gal. 16.837, 18(2).864.

b. manuscript, Id. 16.468 (s.v.l.).

5. background of puppet-theatre, Hero Aut. 30.1, al.