ἔριθος

A. day-labourer, hired servant ; of mowers or reapers, Il. 18.550,560 ; later ἔριθοι,αἱ, spinsters and weavers, workers in wool (prob. because popularly derived from ἔριον), D. 57.45, Theoc. 15.80 ; ἐρίων ἔριθοι PHib. 1.121.34 (iii B.C.); of spiders, πάντα δ’ ἐρίθων ἀραχνᾶν βρίθει S. Fr. 286, cf. Philostr. Im. 2.28.

II. metaph., servant, minister, τλήμων γαστρὸς ἔριθος, = crepitus ventris, h.Merc. 296 ; Ἔρις ..Νίκης κασιγνήτη καὶ ἔ. Timo 21.2 ; ὕπνον νυκτὸς ἔ. Epic.Anon.in BKT 5(1)p.70.