Bible Lexicons

πόλεμος in the general sense of ";war"; may be illustrated from P Amh II. 30.27 (ii/B.C.) where in an inquiry regarding the ownership of a house proof is adduced Μαρρῆν. . κατεσχηκέναι τὴν οἰκίαν πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου, ";that Marres had become owner of the house before the war, ";and from P Oxy IV. 705.33 (A.D. 200–2) where the Emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla are reminded of the loyalty of the Oxyrhynchites in helping them in the war against the Jews—κατὰ τὸν πρὸς Εἰουδαίους πόλεμον συμμαχήσαντες. An interesting ex. of the word is found in the letter of the Emperor Claudius to the Alexandrines P Lond 1912.74 (A.D. 41) τῆς δὲ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ταραχῆς καὶ στάσεως, μᾶλλον δ᾽ εἰ χρὴ τὸ ἀλη ̣θὲς εἰπεῖν τοῦ πολέμου, πότεροι μὲν αἴτιοι κατέστησαν. . οὐκ ἐβουλήθην ἀκριβῶς ἐξελένξαι, ";as to the question which of you were responsible for the riot and feud (or rather, if the truth must be told, the war) against the Jews, I was unwilling to commit myself to a decided judgment"; (Bell). It may be noted that in the calendar inscr. Priene 105.36 (c. B.C. 9) the Emperor Augustus is signalized as σωτῆρα. . τὸν παύσαντα τὸν πόλεμον, κοσμήσαντα [δὲ πάντα.

For the meaning ";battle,"; as in Luke 14:31; LXX 3Ki. 22:34 [MT 1 Kings 22:34 ], al. see Field Notes, p. 67 f., and add the striking phrase LXX 2 Kings 11:7 [MT 2 Samuel 11:7] ἐπερωτᾶν. . εἰς εἰρήνην τοῦ πολέμου, ";to ask how the battle progressed.";