πύλη

A. one wing of a pair of double gates, ὀλίγον τι παρακλίναντες τὴν ἑτέρην π. Hdt. 3.156: mostly in pl., gates of a town (whereas θύρα = house-door), Σκαιαὶ π. Il. 3.145, etc.; π. εὖ ἀραρυίας 7.339; πύκα στιβαρῶς ἀραρυίας 12.454; πεπταμένας ἐν χερσὶ π. ἔχετε 21.531; ἄνεσάν τε π. καὶ ἀπῶσαν ὀχῆας ib.537; π. ἀνοῖξαι A. Ag. 604; π. κλῇσαι Pl. R. 560c (the Art. is freq. omitted even in Prose): pl. of several gates, A. Th. 125; ἐν πύλαις in or at the gates, ib.160,213 (both lyr.), al.; πρὸς πύλαις ib.377,457; ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαισιν, οὗ τὸ τάριχος ὤνιον Ar. Eq. 1247.

2. in Trag. sts. of the house-door, δωμάτων πύλαι A. Ch. 732, cf. 561; γυναικείους π. gate or door leading to the women's apartments, ib.878; πύλαις διπλαῖς ἐνήλατο S. OT 1261; ἐκτὸς αὐλείων πυλῶν Id. Ant. 18: also in sg., ib.1186, El. 818; of the door of a tent, Id. Aj. 11; πύλης ἄναξ θυρωρέ Id. Fr. 775.

3. πύλαι Ἀΐδαο the gates of the nether world, periphr.for hell, Il. 5.646,9.312, Od. 14.156; Ἅιδου πύλαι A. Ag. 1291, cf. Ev.Matt. 16.18, etc.; also σκότου πύλαι E. Hec. 1; νερτέρων π. Id. Hipp. 1447.

4. custom-house, PTeb. 5.34 (ii B.C.); τετελώνηται διὰ πύλης has paid the customs, BGU 1592 (iii A.D.), etc.; τὸ σύμβολον τῆς ἱερᾶς Συηνιτικῆς π. PStrassb. 79.10 (i B.C.); μισθωταὶ ἱερᾶς π. Σοήνης Ostr. 106 (ii A.D.), al., cf. Ostr.Bodl.v C 1 (ii A.D.),

II. generally, entrance, orifice, ἀμφὶ πύλας ἰσθμοῖο Emp. 100.19; ἀναπεπταμένας ἔχω τῶν ὤτων τὰς π. Ath. 4.169a; πύλας τοῖς ὠσὶν ἐπίθεσθε Pl. Smp. 218b; ἡλίου πύλαι, Pythag. name for the eyes, D.L. 8.29; portal fissure of the liver, π. καὶ δοχαὶ χολῆς E. El. 828, cf. Hp. Epid. 2.4.1, Anat. 1, Pl. Ti. 71c, Arist. HA 496b32, Gal. 15.145; portal vein of the liver, Ruf. Onom. 179, Gal. 2.785,5.542.

b. pl., of the carceres in the circus, Aristid. 1.124J.

c. metaph., πύλας ὕμνων ἀναπιτνάμεν Pi. O. 6.27; ἐπέων π. B. Fr. 4; ἐν πύλαις γήρως D.C. 57.24, cf. 76.7.

2. entrance into a country through mountains, pass, Hdt. 5.52: hence, Πύλαι,αἱ, the common name for Θερμοπύλαι, the Gates of Greece, Id. 7.201, etc.: of other passes, π. τῆς Κιλικίας καὶ τῆς Συρίας X. An. 1.4.4; αἱ Σύριαι π. ib.5; αἱ Κάσπιαι π. Str. 11.12.1; π. Λύδιαι Id. 13.1.65; Ἀμανίδες π. Id. 14.5.18, 16.2.8 (αἱ Ἀμανικαὶ καλούμεναι Arr. An. 2.7.1): these passes were sometimes really barred by gates, Hdt. 7.176, cf. 3.117, 5.52, X. l.c.: the Isthmus is called πόντοιο πύλαι, Pi. N. 10.27; Κορίνθου π. Id. O. 9.86; αἱ π. τῆς Πελοποννήσου X. Ages. 2.17; Πέλοπος νάσου θεόδματοι π. B.p.437 J.

3. of narrow straits, by which one enters a broad sea, Πύλαι Γαδειρίδες the Straits of Gibraltar, Pi. Fr. 256; ἐπ’ αὐταῖς στενοπόροις λίμνης π., of the Thracian Bosporus, A. Pr. 729; ἐν πύλαις, of the Euripus, E. IA 803.