Bible Lexicons

ὅρκος, ὁ,

I

1. the object by which one swears, as the Styx among the gods, Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅς τε μέγιστος ὅ. δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι Il. 15.38, cf. 2.755, Hes. Th. 400, 784, 805, h.Cer. 259, Arist. Metaph. 983b31; or as Zeus among mortals, Pi. P. 4.167; so of things, ὅρκον δ' ἐνοσφίσθης μέγαν, ἅλας τε καὶ τράπεζαν Archil. 96; οἷς ἦν μέγιστος ὅ... κύων, ἔπειτα χήν Cratin. 231, cf. Placit. 1.3.8: hence,

2. oath, mostly with epith. μέγας, καρτερός, Hom. (v. infr.), etc.; θεῶν ὅ. an oath by the gods, Od. 2.377; μακάρων ὅ. 10.299, cf. S. OT 647, E. Hipp. 657; ὅ. ἐκ θεῶν μέγας A. Ag. 1284; ὅ. κατὰ τῶν.. ὀφθαλμῶν Aeschin. 2.153; ὅ. πλατύς a firm-based oath, Emp. 30.3; ὅρκον ὀμόσαι swear an oath, ὄμοσέν τε τελεύτησέν τε τὸν ὅ. Od. 2.378, etc.; ὅ. ἀπώμνυ ib. 377, cf. 10.381; ἐπὶ δ' ὅρκον ὀμεῖται Hes. Op. 194; κατομόσαι E. IT 790; ὅ. ἐπιορκῆσαι take a false oath, Aeschin. 1.115, etc.; ὅρκου προστεθέντος when an oath is added, S. Fr. 472, cf. El. 47; δαίμονι τῷ Πλεισθενιδῶν ὅρκους θεμένη having made a sworn compact with.., A. Ag. 1570 (anap.); ὅ. ἀλλήλοις ποιοῦνται οἱ μὲν ἔφοροι ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως, βασιλεὺς δ' ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ X. Lac. 15.7; ὅρκους συνῆψαν E. Ph. 1241, etc.; of the person demanding the oath, ὅ. ἑλέσθαι τινός or τινί take it of him, i.e. make him swear, Od. 4.746, Il. 22.119; ὅρκους ἐπελάσαι and προσάγειν τινί lay oath upon a man, put him on his oath, Hdt. 1.146, 6.62, 74; τὸν ὅ... ἐπάγειν.. Ὀποντίοις readminister the oath, IG 9(1).334.12 (Locr., v B. C.); ὅρκους δοὺς καὶ δεξάμενος after tendering his oath to them and accepting theirs, Hdt. 6.23, cf. IG 12.52.18, A. Eu. 429, Ar. Ra. 589, D. 39.3 and 4; so ὅρκον διδόναι καὶ λαμβάνειν Arist. Rh. 1377a7, 8; ἀποδοῦναι take it oneself, D. 19.318, Aeschin. 3.74; ἀπολαμβάνειν administer or tender it, D. 5.9, 18.25; ὅρκους καὶ πίστιν ἀλλήλοις δότε swear to one another, Ar. Lys. 1185, cf. And. 1.107; ὅρκοις καταλαβὼν τὰ τέλη having bound the authorities by oaths, Th. 4.86; ὅρκοις κατειλημμένους Id. 1.9; ὅρκῳ ἐμμένειν abide by it, E. Med. 754; ὅ. τηρεῖν Democr. 239; παραβαίνειν E. Fr. 286.7, Ar. Av. 332, D. 19.318; ἐκβάντι τῶν ὅ. Pl. Smp. 183b; ἐκλιπεῖν E. Supp. 1194; συγχέαι Id. Hipp. 1063; ἐμπεδοῦν X. An. 3.2.10: after ὅρκος aor., pres., or fut. inf. may refer to fut. time, ὤμοσα καρτερὸν ὅ., μὴ.. ἀναφῆναι Od. 4.253; ἐμεῦ δ' ἕλετο μέγαν ὅ., μὴ πρὶν σοὶ ἐρέειν ib. 746; ὅρκους ἔδοσαν καὶ ἔλαβον, ἀποδοῦναι.., Ἀθηναίους δὲ μὴ πολεμεῖν.. X. HG 1.3.9: with Preps., οὐκ αὔτως.., ἀλλὰ σὺν ὅρκῳ Od. 14.151; σὺν θεῶν ὅρκῳ X. Cyr. 2.3.12; εἶπαι ἐπ' ὅρκου say on oath, Hdt. 9.11; κατὰ τοὺς ὅ. X. HG 5.4.54; opp. παρ' ὅρκον Pi. O. 13.83; παρὰ τοὺς ὅ. X. An. 2.5.41: prov., ὅρκους ἐγὼ γυναικὸς εἰς ὕδωρ γράφω S. Fr. 811; parodied by Philonid. 7 ὅρκους δὲ μοιχῶν εἰς τέφραν.. γράφω, cf. Xenarch. 6, Men. Mon. 25.

II Ὅρκος, personified, son of Eris, Hes. Op. 804; a divinity who punishes the false and perjured, ib. 219, Th. 231, Orac. ap. Hdt. 6.86. γ; Διὸς Ὅ., as servant of Zeus, S. OC 1767 (anap.). (Cogn. with ἕρκος.)