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.OT1261; “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, BGU1592(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.HA496b32, 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.