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προστα?́τ-ης , ου, ὁ, (προΐστημι)
A.one who stands before, front-rank man, f.l. for πρωτοστάτης in X.Cyr. 3.3.41, Eq.Mag.2.2,6:—but elsewh.,
II. leader, chief, esp. of a democracy, “προστάτεω ἐπιλαβέσθαι” Hdt.1.127, 5.23; “οἱ π. τοῦ δήμου” Th.3.75, 4.46,66; οἱ τῶν δήμων π. Id.3.82; “ὁ π. Κλέων” Ar.Ra.569, cf. Eq.1128 (lyr.); “μεταβολὴ ἐκ προστάτου ἐπὶ τύραννον” Pl.R.565d; [Σόλων] πρῶτος τοῦ δήμου π. Arist.Ath.2.2,al.
2. generally, ruler, opp. ἀστοί, A.Supp.963; “Καδμείων” Id.Th.1031; “Κνωσίων” Arr.Epict.3.9.3; “Μολοσσῶν” GDI1334 (Epirus, iii B.C.); χώρας, χθονός, E.Heracl. 964, IA373 (troch.); τῆς Ἑλλάδος προστάται, of the Spartans, X.HG 3.1.3, cf. Isoc.4.103, D.9.23; π. τοῦ ἐμπορίου, of Greeks in Egypt, Hdt. 2.178; “τοῦ πολέμου” X.Cyr.7.2.23; προστάται τῆς εἰρήνης its chief authors, Id.HG5.1.36; τῆς πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπιμελείας π. D.22.78; administrator, “τῆς κεχωρισμένης προσόδου” PTeb.81.19 (ii B.C.); [τοῦ ἱεροῦ] OGI531.3 (Bithynia, iii A.D.); θεᾶς ib.209.4 (Philae, iii A.D.), cf. Ostr.412, al. (i A.D.): metaph., “ἔρως π. τῶν ἀργῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν” Pl.R. 572e.
3. president or presiding officer, “π. τοῦ γυμνασίου” CIG2881.16 (Branchidae), cf. OGI130.16 (Egypt, ii B.C.), Supp.Epigr.4.598.37 (Teos, i B.C.), IG22.1368.13; π. συνεδρίου ib.9(2).205.33 (Aetolian League); προβούλων ib.9(1).694.116 (Corc.); [γερουσίας] ib.7.2808 (Hyettus, iii B.C.); δαμιοργῶν ib.5(1).1425.16 (Messene); [βουλᾶς] ib.14.256.5 (Phintias); “τῆς μέσης Ἀκαδημίας” S.E.P.1.232: freq. in pl., = πρυτάνεις, SIG194.15 (Amphipolis, iv B.C.), etc.; γνώμα προστατᾶν ib.187.1 (Cnidus, iv B.C.), cf. IG12(8).264.13 (Thasos, iv B.C.).
III. one who stands before and protects, guardian, champion, “πυλωμάτων” A.Th.408, cf. 798; “πόλεως” Pl.Grg.519b; [τῆς ποιητικῆς] Id.R.607d; “τῆς πάντων ἐλευθερίας” D.15.30, etc.; epith. of gods, as Apollo, S.Tr.209 (lyr.), IPE12.89 (ii A.D.).
2. at Athens, etc., patron who took charge of the interests of μέτοικοι, etc.: hence ἐπὶ προστάτου οἰκεῖν live under protection of a patron, Lys.31.9, 14, Lycurg.145; προστάτην ἐπιγράφειν τινά choose as one's patron, Luc. Peregr.11; “αὑτῷ πονηρὸν προστάτην ἐπεγράψατο” Ar.Pax684; “ἔχειν” Id.Pl.920, cf. S.OT882 (lyr.); νέμειν π. Arist.Pol.1275a13; also γράφεσθαι προστάτου to be entered by one's patron's name, be attached to a patron, “οὐ Κρέοντος προστάτου γεγράφομαι” S.OT411.
3. = Lat. patronus, Plu.Rom.13, Mar.5, IG3.687, 14.1078 (Rome, iii A.D.), OGI549.6 (Ancyra, iii A.D.), etc.
IV. θεοῦ π. one who stands before a god to entreat him, suppliant, S.OC1278, cf. 1171.
V. Medic., prostate gland, Herophil. ap. Gal.UP14.11 (v.l.).
Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (41):
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