A.earth, esp. the surface of it (rarely soil, “χθονὸς τρίμοιρον χλαῖναν” A.Ag.872): poet. word (Com. only in lyr. or paratrag.), very rare in Prose, LXX 3 Ki.14.15 (cod. Alex.), Supp.Epigr. 2.520 (Rome); seldom with Art. (only when an Adj. is added, v. infr. 11); “ἀπὸ χ. ὑψόσ᾽ ἀερθείς” Od.8.375, cf. 10.149, Il.14.349; “ἐξ ἵππων ἀποβάντες ἐπὶ χθόνα” 8.492, cf. 11.619; “ἐπὶ χθονὶ κεῖτο τανυσθείς” 20.483; “κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονί” 6.473, cf. 3.89; “χθονὶ φύλλα πελάσσαι” 13.180; ἐπὶ χ., opp. οὐρανῷ, 4.443; “ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ δερκομένοιο” 1.88; “ἐπὶ χ. σῖτον ἔδοντες” Od.8.222, etc.; “τοὶ ἐπὶ χ. ναιετάουσι” 6.153; “ἄριστον ἄνδρα τῶν ἐπὶ χ.” S.Tr.811; χθόνα δύμεναι to go beneath the earth, i.e. to die, Il.6.411, Hes.Sc.151; ἐτέθαπτο ὑπὸ “χθονός” Od.11.52; κεκευθὼς ὑπὸ χθονὸς buried, A.Th.588; “κατὰ χθονὸς κρύψαι τινά” S.Ant.24, cf. OC1546 (Pass.); “χθονὶ γυῖα καλύψαιμι” Pi.N.8.38; “κούφα σοι χ. ἐπάνωθε πέσοι” E.Alc.463 (lyr.); opp. θάλασσα, A.Ag.576; ὑπὸ χθονός, of the nether world, “Τάρταρον . . , ἧχι βάθιστον ὑπὸ χ. ἐστι βέρεθρον” Il.8.14; “κάτω μελαίνας χ.” Alc.Supp.7.10, cf. A.Eu.72; οἱ ὑπὸ χ. φίλοι, i.e. those in the shades below, Id.Ch.833 (lyr.), cf. S.Ant.65; ὦ κατὰ χθονὸς θεαί, i.e. the Erinyes, A.Eu.115; εἰς τοὺς ἔνερθε καὶ κάτω χ. τόπους ib. 1023.
II. land, country, once in Hom., εἴσατο δὲ χ., of Ithaca, Od. 13.352; πολύμηλος χ., of Libya, Pi.P.9.7; εὔκαρπος χ., of Sicily, Id.N.1.14; freq. in Trag., freq. without Art., χ. Ἀσιᾶτις, Φωκέων, A.Pers.61 (anap.), 485; with Art., “πᾶσαν τὴν Μυκηναίων χθόνα” S.El.423; “τῆς περιρρύτου χ. Αήμνου” Id.Ph.1; “τὴν Κορινθίαν χ.” Id.OT795; “τὴν ἐμὴν χ.” Id.Aj.846; τῆς Ἀθηναίων χ. (paratrag.) Ephipp. 14.13; even of a city, “τῆσδε δημοῦχοι χ.” S.OC1348; “νόμους χθονός” Id.Ant.368 (lyr.), cf. OT736,939; Com., “ὦ πόλι φίλη Κέκροπος, . . οὖθαρ ἀγαθῆς χθονός” Ar.Fr.110 (lyr.); “ξένης ἀπὸ χ.” Eup.71 (paratrag.). (Cf. Skt. loc. k[snull ]ámi 'on the ground', Hittite tegan 'ground', Tocharian tkan- 'place', Ir. dū 'place' (acc. don, dat. dun).)
