A.b 2 (v B. C.):—middle, in the middle,
I. of Space, esp. with Nouns, of the middle point or part, “μ. σάκος” Il.7.258; “ἱστίον” 1.481; οὐρανός zenith, Od.4.400; μ. ἀπήνης from mid chariot, S.OT812; ἐν αἰθέρι μ. in mid-air, Id.Ant.416; μ. μετώπῳ in the middle of the forehead, PRyl.128.30 (i A. D.): in Prose freq. preceding the Art., “κατὰ μέσον τὸν σταθμόν” X.An.1.7.14; ἐν μ. τῇ χώρᾳ ib.2.1.11; ἐκ μ. τῆς νήσου, κατὰ μ. τὴν νῆσον, Pl.Criti.113d, 119d; ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ τμάματος at the middle point of the segment, Archim.Aequil.1.6; ἁ ἐπὶ μέσαν τὰν βάσιν ἀγομένα (sc. εὐθεῖα) ib.12: sts. following the Noun, “ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ μέσῃ” D.29.12: less freq. midmost, central, of three or more objects, “μ. ὁδός” Thgn.220, 331; ὁ μ. [δάκτυλος] Pl.R.523c; τὸ μ. στῖφος the central division of the army, X.An.1.8.13; μέσον, τό, centre, “ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ μ. φορά” Iamb.Protr.21.
b. with a Verb, ἔχεται μ. by the middle, by the waist, prov. from the wrestling-ring, Ar.Eq.387 (lyr.), cf. Ach. 571 (lyr.), Nu.1047, Ra.469; “μέσην λαβόντα” Id.Ach.274, cf. Hdt.9.107, D.53.17; “ὁ πέπλος ἐρράγη μ.” Philippid.25.5.
c. c. gen., midway between, “ἑνὸς καὶ πλήθους τὸ ὀλίγον μ.” Pl.Plt.303a (also μ. ἐπ᾽ ἀμφότερα, ibid.):—S. has “μέσος ἀπὸ [τοῦ κρατῆρος] τοῦ τε πέτρου” OC 1595.
2. of Time, Hom. only in phrase μέσον ἦμαρ midday, Il.21.111, Od.7.288, Pi.P.9.113; “μέσαι νύκτες” Sapph.52, Hdt.4.181, X. An.7.8.12, etc.; “θέρευς ἔτι μέσσου ἐόντος” Hes.Op.502; “χειμῶνος μέσου” Ar.Fr.569.1; “μ. ἡμέρα” Hdn.8.5.9; μ. ἡλικία middle age, Pl.Ep.316c: so “μέσοι τὴν ἡλικίαν” E.Ep.5; μέσος ἀκμῆς v.l. in Theoc.25.164.
3. metaph., impartial, Th.4.83, PLond.1.113(1).27 (vi A.D.).
b. inter-mediate, freq. c. gen., “μ. τις γέγονα χρηματιστὴς τοῦ τε πάππου καὶ τοῦ πατρός” Pl.R.330b; “ψιλὸν μὲν τὸ π_, δασὺ δὲ τὸ φ_, μέσον δὲ ἀμφοῖν τὸ β_” D.H.Comp.14 (v. infr. d); ἡ τρίτη καὶ μ. τῶν εἰρημένων δυεῖν ἁρμονιῶν ib.24; ὁ μ. χαρακτήρ ib.21; indeterminate, Luc.Par.28; τὰ μ. things indifferent (neither good nor bad), Stoic.3.135, al.; of words such as τύχη, EM626.38; ζῴδια (neither lucky nor unlucky) Vett.Val.93.9; “μ. δίαιτα” Diocl.Fr.141, cf.Sor.1.46.
c. Gramm., of Verbs, middle, Eust. 1846.30, etc.; μ. διάθεσις, σχήματα, A.D.Synt.226.10, 210.18; μ. ἐνεστώς present middle, ib.278.25.
d. Gramm., of consonants, Lat. mediae, i. e. β_γ_δ_, D.T.631.23: but also of semi-vowels, Pl.Phlb.18c: of accent, ὀξύτητι καὶ βαρύτητι καὶ τῷ μέσῳ, i. e. the circumflex, Arist. Po.1456b33.
II. middling, moderate,
1. of size, μέσοι ὀφθαλμοί, ὦτα, γλῶττα, Id.HA492a8,33,b31; μ. μεγέθει ib.496a21, PPetr.1p.37 (iii B. C.); μ. alone, of middle height, PGrenf.2.23（a） ii 3 (ii B. C.), POxy. 73.13 (i A. D.), etc.
2. of class or quality, “πάντων μέσ᾽ ἄριστα” Thgn. 335; “παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν” A.Eu.529 (lyr.); “μ. ἐν πόλει” Phoc.12; μ. ἀνήρ a man of middle rank, Hdt.1.107; “μ. πολίτης” Th.6.54; “τὰ μ. τῶν πολιτῶν” Id.3.82 (so “τῶν ἀνὰ πόλιν τὰ μ.” Pi.P.11.52); οἱ μ., between οἱ εὔποροι and οἱ ἄποροι, Arist.Pol.1289b31, 1295b3; οἱ μ. πολῖται ib.1296a19; τὸ μ. ib.1295b37; μ. [πολιτεία] ib.1296a7; “ὁ μ. βίος” Luc.Luct.9; mediocre, Pl.Prt.346d; τῶν ἑταιρῶν αἱ μ. Theopomp. Com.21. Adv. μέσως, ἱκανόν fairly adequate, Phld.Rh.2.4S.
a. ἐν μέσσῳ, = ἐν μεταιχμίῳ, Il.3.69,90; “ἐν τῷ μ.” in the midst, Ev.Matt.14.6; ἡ 'ν μέσῳ [μοῖρα] σῴζει πόλεις the middle class, E.Supp.244: without “ἐν, ἔμβαλε μέσσῳ” Il.4.444; “ἔνθορε μέσσῳ” 21.233; “μέσσῳ ἀμφοτέρων” 3.416, 7.277; “τῶνδέ τ᾽ ἐν μ. πεσεῖν” E.Ph.583; “ἐν μ. λόγους ἔχειν” Id.Hel. 630; “μῆκος ἐν μ. χρόνου” A.Supp.735; “χρόνος οὑν μ.” E.Ph.589 (troch.); τὰ ἐν μ. what went between, S.OC583; οἱ ἐν μ. λόγοι the intervening words, Id.El.1364, E.Med.819; “κλίνης ἐν μ.” Id.Hec.1150; ἐν μ. ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλέως between us and him, X.An.2.2.3; “σοφίας καὶ ἀμαθίας ἐν μ.” Pl.Smp.203e; ἐν μ. νυκτῶν at midnight, X.Cyr.5.3.52; ἆθλα κείμεν᾽ ἐν μέσῳ offered for competition (cf. infr. b), D.4.5, cf. Thgn.994, X.An.3.1.21; ἡ τιμὴ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἔστω deposited with the court, Herod.2.90: without ἐν, καὶ μέσῳ πάντες καὶ χωρὶς ἕκαστος both collectively and severally, IG12(5).872.27,31,38, al. (Tenos): in pl., “κεῖτο δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν μέσσοισι” Il.18.507; “ἐν μέσοισ᾽” Xenoph.1.7; ἐν μέσῳ εἶναι τοῦ συμμεῖξαι to stand in the way of . . , X.Cyr.5.2.26; ἡ γὰρ θάλαττα ἐν τῷ μ. is an obstacle, Id.Ath.2.2; “οὐδεὶς ἐν μέσσῳ γείτων πέλεν” Theoc.21.17; “οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν ἐν μ. πολεμεῖν ἡμᾶς” D.23.183; cf. ἰμέσος.
b. ἐς μέσον, ἐς μ. ἀμφοτέρων, freq. in Hom. for ἐς μεταίχμιον, Il.4.79, 6.120; ἀνδρὶ δὲ νικηθέντι γυναῖκ᾽ ἐς μέσσον ἔθηκε deposited her as a prize (cf. supr. a), 23.704; “ἐς μ. δεικνύναι τινί τι” Pi.Fr.42.3; ἐς μ. ἵεσθαι, ἐλθεῖν, παρελθεῖν, S.Tr.514 (lyr.), Theoc.22.183, Plu. Agis9; “ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέροισι . . δικάσσατε” Il.23.574; ἐς τὸ μ. φέρειν bring forward publicly, Hdt.4.97, D.18.139; “ἐς τὸ μ. λέγεσθαι” Hdt. 6.129; ἐς μ. Πέρσῃσι καταθεῖναι τὰ πρήγματα to give up the power in common to all, Id.3.80; ἐς μ. τὴν ἀρχὴν τιθεὶς ἰσονομίην ὑμῖν προαγορεύω ib.142.
c. ἐκ τοῦ μέσου away, “ἐκ μ. ἀνελεῖν” D.10.36, 18.294; [“χειρόγραφον] ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μ.” Ep.Col.2.14, cf. Arr.Epict.3.3.15; also ἐκ μ. a half, “ἔτη ὀκτὼ καὶ ἔνατον ἐκ μ.” Th.4.133; also ἐκ μ. κατῆστο remained in the middle, i. e. neutral (cf. “ἐκ” 1.6 fin.), Hdt.3.83, cf. 4.118, 8.22,73.
d. διὰ μέσου between, “τὸ διὰ μ. ἔθνος” Id.1.104; “διὰ μ. ποιεῖσθαι” X.Cyr.6.3.3; διὰ μ. γενέσθαι intervene, of an event, Th.4.20: c. gen., “διὰ μέσου τῆς πόλεως ῥεῖ ποταμός” X. An.1.2.23; διὰ μ. ῥεῖ τούτων ποταμός ib.1.4.4, etc.; “τὸ τούτων διὰ μ.” Pl.Lg.805e; also οἱ διὰ μέσου the middle party, the moderates, Th. 8.75, X.HG5.4.25; τὸ διὰ μ. the middle class, Arist.Pol.1296a8; of Time, “ὁ διὰ μ. χρόνος” Hdt.9.112; ἡ διὰ μ. ξύμβασις an interim agreement, Th.5.26; διὰ μέσου, as a figure of speech, use of parenthesis, Hdn.Fig.p.95S.
e. ἀν （ὀν） τὸ μ. in the midst, Alc.18.3, Xenoph.1.11, Thgn.839; ἀνὰ μέσον midway between, Arist.HA496a22, Antiph. 13, Theoc.22.21, etc.; “ἀνὰ μ. τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ” GDI2010 (Delph.), cf. PTeb.13.9 (ii B. C.), al.; “θρὶξ ἀνὰ μέσσον” Theoc.14.9; “ἀνὰ μέσσα” Nic.Th.167; also ἀνὰ μέσον φέρε, = μετρίως, Men.531.18.
f. κατὰ μέσσον, = ἐν μέσῳ, Il.5.8, 16.285, etc.: c. gen., κὰδ δὲ μέσον τάφρου καὶ τείχεος ἷζον between, 9.87.
2. μέσον, τό, difference, τὸ μ. πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας καὶ ἐλαχίστας the average between . . , Th.1.10; πολλὸν τὸ μ., πολὺ τὸ μ., the difference is great, Hdt.1.126, E.Alc.914 (anap.); τὸ μ. οὐδὲν τῆς ἔχθρης ἐστί there is no middle course for our enmity, Hdt.7.11.
3. middle state, mean, “τὸ μ. καὶ τὸ εὖ” Arist.EN1109b26; ποιήματα μέσα, opp. ὀγκώδη, in the (correct) mean, Phld.Po.5.5. Adv. -ως“, ἀναστρέφεσθαι” Id.Rh.1.155S.
4. in Logic, τὸ μ. the middle term of a syllogism, opp. τὰ ἄκρα, Arist.APr.66a30; also ὁ μ. (sc. ὅρος) ib.25b33.
5. Math., middle terms in a proportion, Euc.6.16; μέση, or μέση （μέσος） ἀνάλογον a mean proportional (straight line or number), ib.13, 17, 8.11, 12, al.; “μέσης εὕρεσις” Arist.de An.413a19, Metaph.996b21; μέση medial, a specific kind of irrational (straight line), Euc.10.21, al.; μέσον ὀρθογώνιον （χωρίον) medial rectangle (area), ib.24, al.
6. Astron., ὁ διὰ μέσων τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος the ecliptic, Hipparch.1.9.3,4, Gem.2.21, Ptol.Alm.2.7: without κύκλος, Eudox. ap. Arist.Metaph.1073b20, Hipparch.1.9.12; simply, “ὁ διὰ μέσων” D.L.7.146; but, ὁ μέσος [κύκλος] the equator of a rotating sphere, Arist.Metaph.1073b30.
b. = κοιλία 1.3, Herod.Med. ap. Orib.5.27.3, Gal.14.732: sg., Heph.Astr.1.1 (v.l. τὰ μέσα Cat.Cod.Astr.8(2).45).
V. Adv. μέσον, Ep. μέσσον, in the middle, Il.12.167, Od.14.300: c. gen., between, “οὐρανοῦ μ. χθονός <τε>” E.Or.983 (lyr.), cf. Arr.Epict.2.22.10; in the midst of, “μ. τῆς θαλάσσης” LXX Ex.14.27; “μ. γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς” Ep.Phil.2.15: also in pl., “μέσα αἰετὸς οὐρανοῦ ποτᾶται” E.Rh.530 (lyr.), cf. Nic.Fr.74.26.
2. regul. Adv. “μέσως, πόλεώς τ᾽ οὐ μ. εὐδαίμονος” E.Andr.873, cf. Hec.1113, Isoc.9.23; καὶ μ. even in a moderate degree, even a little, Th.2.60; μ. ἔχειν πρός or περί τι to be in the mean . . , Arist.EN1105b28, 1119a11; “θερμότερον ἢ κραυρότερον ἢ μ. ἔχον” Eub.7.1, cf. Sosip. 1.53; μ. βεβιωκέναι in a middle way, i. e. neither well nor ill, Pl.Phd. 113d; “μ. μεθύων” Men.226; μ. διατιθέναι in an intermediate way, D.H. Comp.14.
b. Gramm., in the middle voice, A.D. Synt.276.21.
VI. irreg. Comp. “μεσαίτερος” Pl.Prm.165b: Sup. “μεσαίτατος” Hdt.4.17, Arist.Mu.392b33, Gem.9.3, etc.; poet. “μεσσότατος” A.R.4.649, Man. 6.373. (Cf. Skt.mádhyas 'middle', Lat. medius, etc.)
