I.middle, in the middle, Lat. medius, Hom., etc.; μέσον σάκος the middle or centre of the shield, Il.; ἐν αἰθέρι μέσῳ in mid air, Soph.; with the Art. following, διὰ μέσης τῆς πόλεως, ἐν μ. τῇ χώρᾳ Xen.
II.middling, moderate, μέσος ἀνήρ a man of middle rank, id=Hdt.; μ. πολίτης Thuc.; also οἱ διὰ μέσου the moderate or neutral party, id=Thuc.
2.middling, i. e. middling good, Plat.
III.μέσον epic μέσσον, ου, as Subst. the middle, the space between, ἐν μέσσῳ, for ἐν μεταιχμίῳ, Il.; or without ἐν, ἔνθορε μέσσῳ he leaped into the middle, id=Il.; οἱ ἐν μ. λόγοι the intervening words, Soph.; τὰ ἐν μ. what went between, id=Soph.; ἐν μ. ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλέως between us and him, Xen.; ἐν μ. νυκτῶν at mid night, id=Xen.; ἆθλα κείμενα ἐν μέσῳ prizes set up for all to contend for, Dem.;—so in pl., κεῖτο δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν μέσσοισι Il.
b.ἐς μέσον, ἐς μ. ἀμφοτέρων Hom.; ἐς μ. τιθέναι τισί τι to set a prize before all, for all to contest, Lat. in medio ponere, Il.; ἐς τὸ μ. τιθέναι to propose, bring forward in public, Hdt.; ἐς τὸ μ. λέγειν to speak before all, id=Hdt.; ἐς μ. Πέρσῃσι καταθεῖναι τὰ πρήγματα to give up the power in common to all, id=Hdt.
c.ἐκ τοῦ μέσου καθέζεσθαι to keep clear of a contest, i. e. remain neutral, id=Hdt.
2.in attic μέσως, moderately, id=Eur.; καὶ μέσως even a little, Thuc.; μέσως βεβιωκέναι in a middle way, i. e. neither well nor ill, Plat.