Bible Lexicons

Comparative of πρεσβυς presbus (elderly)

πρέσβῠς, Pi. P. 4.282, A. Ag. 530, εως or εος (v. infr. 11 ), ὁ, voc. πρέσβῠ E. Or. 476, Ar. Th. 146: —

old man (poet. for prose πρεσβύτης ), in this sense only used in nom., acc., and voc., ὁ π. Πόλυβος S. OT 941; Φοῖνιξ ὁ π. Id. Ph. 562; δριμὺς π. Ar. Av. 255 (lyr.); πατέρά πρές βυν S. Ph. 665; πρέσβυ Id. OT 1013, 1121; ὦ πρέσβυ E. l. c., Ar. l. c.; ὁ π. the elder, A. Ag. 184 (lyr.), 205 (lyr.), 530; cf. πρέσβα, πρέσβειρα, πρεσβηΐς, πρέσβις: pl. πρέσβεις, elders, three times in Trag., always voc. (v. infr. 111 ), A. Pers. 840, S. OT 1111, E. HF 247; for πρεσβῆ, πρεσβῆες, πρισγεῖες, v. cross πρεσβεύς: Comp. and Sup. are the only forms found in Hom., Comp. πρεσβύτερος, α, ον (late πρεσβυτερωτέρα PLond. 2.177.15 (i A. D.) ), elder, Il. 11.787, 15.204, Hdt. 2.2, etc.; πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ by more than a year, Ar. Ra. 18; πρεσβυτέρα ἀριθμοῦ older than the fit number, Pi. Fr. 127; βουλαὶ πρεσβύτεραι thy counsels wise beyond thy years, Id. P. 2.65; γνώμη π. τῆς ἡλικίας D.H. 5.30; οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ π. Arist. EE 1215a23; of animals, Id. HA 546a7; ἵππος π. ἤδη ὤν rather old, PCair.Zen. 225.8 (iii B. C.); also δένδρα π. Thphr. CP 1.13.8; ἐπὶ τὸ π. ἰέναι become older, Pl. Lg. 631e; ἵνα μὴ π. ὢν ῥέμβωμαι in my old age, PCair. Zen. 447.9 (iii B. C.): Sup. πρεσβύτατος, η, ον, eldest, Il. 4.59, 11.740, Hes. Th. 234, etc.; π. γενεῇ Il. 6.24; as a term of respect, ἐγὼ παλαιότατός εἰμι σὺ δὲ π. Plu. Nic. 15; of animals, Arist. HA 546a4, al.: for the poet. forms πρέσβιστος, πρεσβίστατος, v. cross πρέσβιστος, and cf. πρεῖγυς.

2. Comp. and Sup., of things, more or most important, taking precedence, esp. πρεσβύτερόν τι (or οὐδὲν ) ἔχειν deem higher, more important, τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πρεσβύτερα ἐποιεῦντο ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν Hdt. 5.63; οὐδὲν πρεσβύτερον νομίζω τᾶς σωφροσύνας E. Fr. 959 (lyr.); ἐμοὶ οὐδέν ἐστι πρεσβύτερον τοῦ . . Pl. Smp. 218d; πρεσβύτατον κρἰναί τι Th. 4.61; merely of magnitude, πρεσβύτερον κακοῦ κακόν one evil greater than another, S. OT 1365 (lyr.); χρεῶν πάντων πρεσβύτατα Pl. Lg. 717b . Adv., -τέρωσγυμναστικὴν μουσικῆς τετιμηκέναι Id. R. 548c, cf. Jul. Or. 4.132c .

II = cross πρεσβευτής, ambassador, in nom. sg. only cj. in A. Supp. 727 (v. πρέσβη ) and in Prov. ap. Sch. Il. 4.394 (v. πρέσβις (A)); gen. πρέσβεως Ar. Ach. 93 (at end of line); πρέσβεος Choerob. in Theod. 1.233: dual πρέσβει (written πρεσβε ) IG 12(1).977.45,57 (Carpathos, iv B. C. ): pl. πρέσβεις, Dor. un contr. πρέσβεες ib.14.952.11 (Acragas, iii B. C. ) (at first more freq. than πρεσβευταί (q. v.)), Ar. Ach. 61, IG 12.52.1, 22.1.20, al., D. 19.183; acc. πρέσβεις IG 12.46.24, Foed. ap. Th. 4.118, X. HG 4.8.13; gen. πρέσβεων, dat. πρέσβεσι, Ar. Ach. 76, 62, IG 22.1.7.

III at Sparta a political title, president, τῶν ἐφόρων ib.5(1).51.6, 552.11; νομοφυλάκων ib.555b19; βιδέων ib.556.6; συναρχίας ib.504.16; τῆς φυλῆς ib.564.3; [ σφαιρέων ] ib.675.5; gen. sg. πρέσβεως ib. 504.16, al.

2. Comp. πρεσβύτερος, elder, alderman, τῆς κώμης BGU 195.30 ( ii A. D., pl.), cf. POxy. 2121.4 (iii A. D.), etc.; ἐκρίθημεν ἐπί τε Νουμηνίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν π. PCair.Zen. 520.4 (iii B. C.), cf. UPZ 124.22, 36 (ii B. C.); τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ ( both ) τοῖς π. καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι OGI 194.3 (Egypt, i B. C. ); οἱ π. τῶν ὀλυροκόπων ib.729 (Alexandria, iii B. C. ); π. τῶν γεωργῶν PTeb. 13.5 (ii B. C.); π. γέρδιοι IGRom. 1.1122 (Theadelphia, ii A. D. ); τέκτονες π. ib.1155 (Ptolemaïs Hermiu, i A. D. ): elder of the Jewish Sanhedrin, Ev.Matthew 16:21, etc.; later, elder of the Christian Church, presbyter, Acts 11:30, Acts 20:17, 1 Timothy 5:19, POxy. 1162.1 (iv A. D.), etc.; of the Apostles, 2 John 1:1; . wren, Arist. HA 609a17, 615a19, Hsch.; cf. σπέργυς. ( -βυ-, Cret. -γυ- (in πρεῖγυς ), cogn. with Skt. -gu in vanar-gú- 'one who lives or moves in the forest', Lith. žmogùs 'man' (lit. 'one who moves on the ground'); πρες- cogn. with Lat. prae, pris-tinus; the oldest sense of π. is 'going in front, taking precedence'.)