previous next
πότνια , , poet.title of honour, used chiefly in addressing females, whether goddesses or women:
1. as Subst., = δέσποινα (cf. Apion ap.Apollon.Lex.), mistress, queen (v. sub fin.), “πότνιαν ἁγνήνh.Cer. 203: mostly c. gen., πότνια θηρῶν (nom.) queen of wild beasts, of Artemis, Il.21.470; “πότνια βελέωνPi.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. ΑὔωςSapph.153; “πότνι᾽ ἘρινύςA.Th.887 (lyr.), Eu.951 (anap.); “πότνιαν ἐξαπαφὼν ἐμάνE.Ion704 (lyr.); [“Ἱστίην] πότνιανh.Ven.24; “ναὶ τὰν πότνιανTheoc.15.14: in voc., “ πότνι᾽ ἭραA.Th.152 (lyr.); πότνια (sc. Ἀθηναία) Ar.Eq. 1170, al.; “ πότνι᾽E.IT533, Ar.Pax445; addressed to a mistress, AP5.269 (Paul.Sil.).
2. in pl. of the Eumenides, “ πότνιαι δεινῶπεςS.OC84; “τὸ τῶν ποτνιέων ἱρόνHdt.9.97; of Demeter and Kore, S. OC1050 (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; “ΤριτογένειαId.Th.926; Νίκη Bacis ap.Hdt.8.77, cf. B. 11.5; “π. μήτηρIl.1.357, al., Od.6.30, al.; esp. in invocation, “π. γῆHom.Epigr.7.1; “ π. χθώνA.Ch.722 (anap.), E.Hec.70 (anap.); μᾶτερ π., addressed to Earth, S.Ph.395 (lyr.) (also of a bird, Mosch. 4.24); “π. νύξE.Or.174 (lyr.); π. λήθη τῶν κακῶν ib.213; “Ἔνοσι π.Id.Ba.585 (lyr.); “ μεγάλα Θέμι καὶ π. ἌρτεμιId.Med.160 (anap.); “ π. αἰδώςId.IA821; 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.]
hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
How to enter text in Greek:
hide References (37 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (37):
    • Aeschylus, Eumenides, 951
    • Aeschylus, Libation Bearers, 722
    • Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes, 152
    • Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes, 887
    • Aristophanes, Knights, 1170
    • Aristophanes, Peace, 445
    • Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae, 1149
    • Bacchylides, Epinicians, 11.5
    • Euripides, Bacchae, 585
    • Euripides, Hecuba, 70
    • Euripides, Iphigeneia in Aulis, 1136
    • Euripides, Iphigeneia in Aulis, 821
    • Euripides, Ion, 704
    • Euripides, Ion, 873
    • Euripides, Iphigeneia in Taurus, 533
    • Euripides, Medea, 160
    • Euripides, Orestes, 174
    • Euripides, Orestes, 213
    • Herodotus, Histories, 8.77
    • Herodotus, Histories, 9.97
    • Hesiod, Theogony, 11
    • Hesiod, Theogony, 926
    • Hesiod, Theogony, 368
    • Hesiod, Works and Days, 73
    • Homer, Iliad, 1.357
    • Homer, Iliad, 1.551
    • Homer, Iliad, 21.470
    • Homer, Iliad, 4.2
    • Homer, Iliad, 5.592
    • Homer, Odyssey, 1.14
    • Homer, Odyssey, 6.30
    • Homer, Odyssey, 8.448
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 2 to Demeter, 203
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 5 to Aphrodite, 24
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1050
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 84
    • Sophocles, Philoctetes, 395
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: