1.in Il. mostly of deeds of war, πολεμήϊα ἔργα Il., etc.; so, ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ during the action, Thuc.; ἔργου ἔχεσθαι to engage in battle, id=Thuc.
2.of works of industry, tilled lands, fields, farms, Hom.; οὔτε βοῶν οὔτ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἔργα (cf. Virgil's hominumque boumque labores), Il.; ἔργα Ἰθάκης the tilled lands of Ithaca, Od.; so in attic, τὰ κατ᾽ ἀγροὺς ἔργα, etc.:—then, generally, property, wealth, possessions, ἔργον ἀέξειν Od.
b.of women's work, weaving, Hom.
c.of other occupations, θαλάσσια ἔργα fishing, as a way of life, Od.; periphr., ἔργα δαιτός works of feasting, Il.; so, ἔργα θήρας, etc. Xen., etc.:—in attic also of all kinds of works, such as mines, iron- works, id=Il., Dem.
3.a hard piece of work, a hard task, Il.: also, a shocking deed or act, Lat. facinus, Od.:— also, χερμάδιον λάβε Τυδείδης, μέγα ἔργον a huge mass, Il.
4.a deed, action, often, as opp. to ἔπος, deed, not word, Hom.
III.Pass. that which is wrought, a work, of the arms of Achilles, Il.; metal-work is called ἔργον Ἡφαίστοιο Od., etc.
IV.the following pecul. attic phrases arise from signf. I:
a.c. gen. pers. his business, his proper work, ἔργον ἀγαθοῦ πολίτου Plat.; so, σὸν ἔργον ἐστί it is your business, Aesch.
b.c. gen. rei, there is need of, use of a thing, Eur.
c.c. inf. it is hard work, difficult to do, πολὺ ἔργον ἂν εἴη διεξελθεῖν Xen., etc.; οὐκ ἔργον θρηνεῖσθαι 'tis no use to lament, Soph.
