Bible Lexicons

ποικίλος [ῐ], η, ον,

many-coloured, spotted, pied, dappled, παρδαλέη Il. 10.30; ὄφις Hes. Th. 300 codd. ( αἰόλον Sch.); δράκων Pi. P. 8.46; ἴυγξ ib. 4.214; νεβρίδες E. Ba. 249; ὄρνιθες Plot. 4.4.29; also of cattle, PCair.Preis. 37.9 (iii B.C.), etc.; -ώτερον ταὧ Alex. 110.14, cf. Ath. 9.397c; opp. ὁμόχρους, Arist. HA 543a25; κιθῶνες Hdt. 7.61; λίθος Αἰθιοπικὸς π., of the red granite of Syene, Id. 2.127, cf. IG 42(1).106i96, 113(Epid., iv B.C. ); σφαῖρα Pl. Phd. 110b; in X. An. 5.4.32, tattooed. II wrought in various colours, of woven or embroidered stuffs, in Hom. as epith. of πέπλος, Il. 5.735, al.; ἱμάς 14.215; φᾶρος S. Fr. 586; ἐν ποικίλοις . . κάλλεσιν βαίνειν, of a rich carpet, A. Ag. 923; ποικίλα, τά, ib. 926, 936, Theoc. 15.78; π., τό, a broidered robe, Cratin. 38; ἐπίβλημα π. IG 12.387.28; of Cyprian, Carthaginian, and Sicilian stuffs, Ar. Fr. 611, Hermipp. 63.23, Philem. 76.4 . Adv. -λως, ὑφασμένον Antiph. 99 (dub.); στρωμναὶ π. διηνθισμέναι LXX Ezra 1:6 .

2. of metal work, τεύχεα π. χαλκῷ cunningly wrought in bronze, Hes. Sc. [423]; θώρηξ Il. 16.134; τεύχεα, ἔντεα, σάκος, δίφρος, κλισμός, etc., 4.432, 10.75, 149, 501, Od. 1.132, etc.; but δεσμὸς π. intricate, 8.448 .

3. ἡ στοὰ ἡ π. the Painted Hall at Athens, Aeschin. 3.186; ἡ π. στοά D. 45.17, 59.94, cf. Paus. 1.15.1; also Ποικίλη alone, Id. 5.11.6, Luc. DMeretr. 10.2; or ἡ Π., Id. Pisc. 13, 16, etc.; also π. στοά, at Olympia, Paus. 5.21.17; λέσχη π., at Sparta, Id. 3.15.8; θρᾶνος π. PCair.Zen. 445.5 (iii B.C.) .

4. of drugs, complicated, Aret. CD 1.4 .

III metaph., changeful, diversified, manifold, εὐμορφία A. Pr. 495; π. κακῶν ταμιεῖον Democr. 149; -ώτερος αὐτοῦ Πρωτέως Luc. Sacr. 5; ποικίλα ἀντὶ ἁπλοῦ Pl. Tht. 146d; -ώτερα ποιεῖν τὰ νοσήματα Id. R. 426a; παντοδαπὰς ἡδονὰς καὶ π. καὶ παντοίως ἐχούσας ib. 559d; οὕτω δὲ π. τί ἐστι τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ παντοδαπόν Id. Prt. 334b; πηδήσεις ὡς ἔνι -ωτάτας ποιεῖσθαι Arr. Tact. 43.3; π. μῆνες the changing months, Pi. I. 4(3).18 (nisi leg. ποικίλα [χθών] ) ; π. εὐεργεσία IG 5(2).268.22 (Mantinea, i B.C. ). Adv. -λως in various ways, Hp. Art. 33, Gal. 13.91: Comp. -ωτέρως, θρεπτέον Herod. Med. in Rh.Mus. 58.85; but -ώτερον Sor. Vit.Hp. 4 .

2. of Art, π. ὕμνος a song of changeful strain or full of diverse art, Pi. O. 6.87; ποικίλον κιθαρίζων Id. N. 4.14; δεδαιδαλμένοι ψεύδεσι ποικίλοις μῦθοι Id. O. 1.29; of style, λέξις ποιητικωτέρα καὶ π. Isoc. 15.47 ( Comp. ); σχηματισμοί D.H. Is. 3 .

3. intricate, complex, εἱλιγμοὶ -ώτατοι, of a labyrinth, Hdt. 2.148; of an oracle, Id. 7.111 ( Comp. ); ὁ θεὸς ἔφυ τι π. E. Hel. 711; π. νόμος, opp. νοῆσαι ῥᾴδιος, Pl. Smp. 182b; π. μηχάνημα, λόγοι, S. OC 762, Ar. Th. 438; opp. ἁπλούστερος, Arist. Rh. 1416b25; οὐδὲν π. οὐδὲ σοφόν D. 9.37 . Adv. -λως, αὐδώμενος speaking in double sense, S. Ph. 130; π. ᾐνιγμένος Ar. Eq. 196 . of abstruse knowledge, intricate, subtle, εἰδέναι τι π. E. Med. 300; οὐδὲν π. nothing abstruse or difficult, Pl. Men. 75e, Grg. 491d, etc. of persons and things, subtle, artful, wily, of Prometheus, Hes. Th. 511, A. Pr. 310; of Odysseus, E. IA 526; π. γὰρ ἁνήρ Ar. Eq. 758; φύσει π. Plb. 8.18.4; ἀλώπηξ κερδαλέα καὶ π. Pl. R. 365c; π. λαλήματα, of the Sirens, E. Andr. 937; π. τόξον B. 9.43; βουλεύματα Pi. N. 5.28 . Adv. subtly, artfully, E. Ba. 888 (lyr.); σοφῶς . . καὶ π. Alex. 110.20; π. χρώμενοι τοῖς πράγμασιν Plb. 4.30.7 .

4. changeable, unstable, ὁ εὐδαίμων οὐ π. καὶ εὐμετάβολος Arist. EN 1101a8; π. ἐλπίδες doubtful hopes, Plb. 14.1.5; π. περιστάσεις OGI 194.5 (Egypt, i B.C. ). Adv. -λως, ἔχειν to be different, X. Mem. 2.6.21; δέος π. περιαμύττον τὸν νοῦν Pl. Ax. 365c: Comp. -ωτέρως dub. in Epicur. Nat. 5G. (Cf. Skt. pimśáti 'dress (meat)', 'adorn', péśas 'shape', 'colour', 'embroidery', Lith. pi[etilde]šti 'draw', 'write', Slav. p[icaron]sati 'write'.)