ἦθος

A. an accustomed place: hence, in pl., haunts or abodes of animals, μετά τ’ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων Il. 6.511; [σύας] ἔρξαν κατὰ ἤθεα κοιμηθῆναι Od. 14.411; of lions, Hdt. 7.125; of fish, Opp. H. 1.93; of the abodes of men, Hes. Op. 167, 525, Hdt. 1.15, 157, A. Supp. 64 (lyr.), E. Hel. 274, Pl. Lg. 865e, Arist. Mu. 398b33; ἔλεγον ἐξ ἠθέων τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατεῖλαι away from his accustomed place, Hdt. 2.142; of plants, Callistr. Stat. 7: metaph., with play on signf. 11, Pl. Phdr. 277a.

II. custom, usage: in pl., manners, customs, Hes. Op. 137, Th. 66, Hdt. 2.30,35, 4.106, Th. 2.61; τρόποι καὶ ἤθη Pl. Lg. 896c; ἐθρέψω Ξέρξην ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἤ. ib.695e; φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρήσθ’ ὁμιλίαι κακαί PHib. 1.7.94 (E. Fr. 1024 = Men. 218); τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἁπλοῦς D.S. 5.21.

2. disposition, character, ἐπίκλοπον ἦθος Hes. Op. 67,78; ἦ. ἐμφυές Pi. O. 11(10).21; ἀκίχητα ἤ., of Zeus, A. Pr. 187; τοὐμὸν ἦ. παιδεύειν S. Aj. 595; ὦ μιαρὸν ἦ. Id. Ant. 746; τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἦ. Isoc. 2.31; βελτίων τῆς πόλεως τὸ ἦ. D. 20.14; esp. moral character, opp. διάνοια, Arist. EN 1139a1; as the result of habit, τὸ πᾶν ἦ. διὰ ἔθος Pl. Lg. 792e, cf. Arist. EE 1220a39; ἦ. ἀνθρώπῳ δαίμων Heraclit. 119; ἦ. πηγὴ βίου Stoic. ap. Stob. 2.7.1; τῆς ψυχῆς, τῆς γνώμης, Pl. R. 400d, D. 61.16: freq. opp. πάθος, Arist. Rh. 1356a23 (pl.), etc.; ἠθῶν τε καὶ παθῶν μίμησις D.H. Pomp. 3; τὸ ἦ. πρᾶος Pl. Phdr. 243c: less freq. in dat., ἀγοραῖος τῷ ἤ. Thphr. Char. 6.2, cf. Inscr.Magn. 164.3 (i/ii A.D.): pl., traits, characteristics, Pl. R. 402d, Arist. EN 1144b4 (in sg., τὸ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἦ. Pl. Lg. 836d): seldom in pl., of an individual, στερρὸν τὰ ἤθεα Hp. Ep. 11; ἱερὸς κατὰ τὰ ἤθη Ath. 1.1e.

b. of outward bearing, ὡς ἱλαρὸν τὸ ἦ. X. Smp. 8.3; ὑγρότης ἤθους Lycurg. 33; ὑψηλὸς τῷ ἤ. Plu. Dio 4: in pl., of facial expression, ὀφθαλμῶν ἤθη Philostr. Gym. 25.

c. in Rhet., delineation of character, ἦ. ἔχουσιν οἱ λόγοι ἐν ὅσοις δήλη ἡ προαίρεσις Arist. Rh. 1395b13; ἦ. ἐμφαίνειν Phld. Rh. 1.200S.; esp. opp. πάθος, Longin. 9.15, etc.; κατ’ ἦ. λέγεσθαι, opp. κατὰ πάθος, D.H. Comp. 22, cf. Lys. 19: in pl., πραγμάτων καὶ ἠθῶν Phld. Po. 5.5; ἐν πάθεσι καὶ ἤθεσιν Demetr. Eloc. 28, etc.; so of works of art, ἡ Ζεύξιδος γραφὴ οὐδὲν ἔχει ἦ. Arist. Po. 1450a29; πάθος καὶ ἦ. καὶ σχημάτων χρῆσις Ael. VH 4.3; πολλὰ ἤθη ἐπιφαίνει Philostr. Her. 2.10; also of Music, S.E. M. 6.49.

d. dramatis persona, εἰσάγει ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ ἄλλο τι ἦ. Arist. Po. 1460a11, al.

3. also of animals, ἦ. τὸ πρὸς τοκέων (prob.l.for ἔθος) A. Ag. 727, cf.E. Hipp. 1219, Pl. R. 375e, Arist. HA 487a12 (pl.); τὸ ἦ. ἀσθενής, of a bird, ib.615a18; of things, nature, kind, παρὰ δ’ ἦ. ἑκάστῳ (to each of the four elements) Emp. 17.28; τοῦ πυρετοῦ Gal. 7.353.

4. ἐν ἤθει tactfully (cf. ἠθικός 11.2), προσφέρεσθαι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν Plu. 2.73e. cf. Herm. in Phdr. p.195A.; διὰ μέτριον ἦθος, of the expression δοκεῖ μοι, Steph. in Hp. 1.59D.