πότνια

1. as Subst., = δέσποινα (cf. Apion ap.Apollon. Lex.), mistress, queen (v. sub fin.), πότνιαν ἁγνήν h.Cer. 203: mostly c. gen., πότνια θηρῶν (nom.) queen of wild beasts, of Artemis, Il. 21.470; πότνια βελέων Pi. P. 4.213; τὰν ἐρώτων πότνιαν, of Aphrodite, E. Fr. 781.16 (lyr.); π. λαῶν, τοξοφόρων, Arat. 112, Call. Fr.anon. 338: without a gen., π. Αὔως Sapph. 153; πότνῑ Ἐρινύς A. Th. 887 (lyr.), Eu. 951 (anap.); πότνιαν ἐξαπαφὼν ἐμάν E. Ion 704 (lyr.); [Ἱστίην] πότνιαν h.Ven. 24; ναὶ τὰν πότνιαν Theoc. 15.14: in voc., ὦ πότνῑ Ἥρα A. Th. 152 (lyr.); ὦ πότνια (sc. Ἀθηναία) Ar. Eq. 1170, al.; ὦ πότνῑ E. IT 533, Ar. Pax 445; addressed to a mistress, AP 5.269 (Paul.Sil.).

2. in pl. of the Eumenides, ὦ πότνιαι δεινῶπες S. OC 84; τὸ τῶν ποτνιέων ἱρόν Hdt. 9.97; of Demeter and Kore, S. OC 1050 (lyr.), Ar. Th. 1149 (lyr.); θεσμοφόρους ἁγνὰς π. Inscr.Prien. 196.3.

3. as Adj., revered, august, in Hom. of Hebe, Enyo, Calypso, Circe, Il. 4.2, 5.592, Od. 1.14, 8.448; most freq. of Hera, Il. 1.551, al., cf. Sapph. Supp. 6.2; in Hes. of Hera, Tethys, and Peitho, Th. 11, 368, Op. 73; Τριτογένεια Id. Th. 926; Νίκη Bacis ap.Hdt. 8.77, cf. B. 11.5; π. μήτηρ Il. 1.357, al., Od. 6.30, al.; esp. in invocation, π. γῆ Hom. Epigr. 7.1; ὦ π. χθών A. Ch. 722 (anap.), E. Hec. 70 (anap.); μᾶτερ π., addressed to Earth, S. Ph. 395 (lyr.) (also of a bird, Mosch. 4.24); π. νύξ E. Or. 174 (lyr.); ὦ π. λήθη τῶν κακῶν ib.213; Ἔνοσι π. Id. Ba. 585 (lyr.); ὦ μεγάλα Θέμι καὶ π. Ἄρτεμι Id. Med. 160 (anap.); ὦ π. αἰδώς Id. IA 821; ὦ π. μοῖρα καὶ τύχη ib.1136: the phrase π. συκῆ is used by Arist. Rh. 1408a16 as a parody of Cleophon's style.—Mostly used in voc. [The first syll. is short in A. Th. 152, Ch. 722, E. Med. 160, Ion 873, al., Theoc. l. c., but elsewh. long, cf. πότμος: the final syll. always short in nom., voc., and acc.sg.]