ἐρημία

I. of places, a solitude, desert, wilderness, Hdt. 3.98, A. Pr. 2, etc. ; ἡ Σκυθῶν ἐ. Ar. Ach. 704 ; ἀφίκετ’ εἰς ἐ. Id. Lys. 787 ; ἕρπει εἰς τὰς ἐρημίας to solitary places, Arist. HA 610b24, etc.

II. as a state or condition, solitude, loneliness, ἐρημίαν ἄγειν, to keep alone, E. Med. 50 ; μονάδ’ ἔχουσ’ ἐ. Id. Ba. 609 (troch.) ; ἐρημίας τυχών Id. El. 510 ; ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ἐλοιδοροῦντο Antipho 2.1.4 ; of persons, isolation, destitution, S. OC 957, Lys. 18.25 ; πολλὴν ἡμῶν ἐ. καταγνόντες Is. 1.2 ; δῑ ἐρημίαν from being left alone, Th. 1.71, cf. 3.67 ; ἐρημίας ἐπειλημμένοι D. 3.27 ; εὑρετικὸν εἶναί φασι τὴν ἐ. Men. 39.

b. of places, desolation, ἐρημίᾳ δοῦναί τι E. Tr. 97 ; ἐρημία..πόλιν ὅταν λάβῃ ib.26 ; ἀτριβὴς ὑπ’ ἐρημίας Th. 4.8.

2. c. gen., want of, absence, φίλων X. Mem. 2.2.14 ; ἀρσένων, βροτῶν, ἀνδρῶν, E. Hec. 1017,Ba. 875 (lyr., pl.), Th. 6.102 ; λύχνων Ar. Av. 1484 (lyr.), etc. ; δῑ ἐρημίας πολεμίων πορευόμενος without finding any enemy, X. HG 3.4.21 ; τὴν ἐ. τῶν κωλυσόντων ὁρῶν seeing that there would be none to hinder him, D. 4.49 ; ἐ. σώματος, = κενόν, Zeno Stoic. 1.26 ; even ἐ. κακῶν freedom from evil, E. HF 1157.