Bible Lexicons

ζών-η, ἡ,

(ζώννυμι)

belt, girdle: I prop. the lower girdle worn by women just above the hips, περὶ δὲ ζώνην βάλετ' ἰξυῖ Od. 5.231, 10.544, cf. Il. 14.181, Hdt. 1.51, etc. —

Phrases:

1 λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζ. unloosed her maiden girdle, of the bridegroom, Od. 11.245, cf. Lyr. Alex.Adesp. 11.18, Plu. Lyc. 15: — Med., of the bride, μούνῳ ἑνὶ ζώναν ἀνέρι λυσαμένα AP 7.324 (hence ζώνη, abs., of marriage, E. IT 204 (lyr.); of sexual intercourse, Philostr. VA 7.6): but also, ζ. λῦσαι to loose the girdle for childbirth, Hyp. Fr. 67; later λύσασθαι or ἀπολύσασθαι, Call. Del. 209, Opp. C. 3.56; so ζώναν κατατίθεσθαι Pi. O. 6.39. of men on a march, ζ. λύσασθαι to slacken one's belt, i.e. rest oneself, Hdt. 8.120; ζ. ἀναλύεσθαι Call. Del. 237.

2. of pregnant women, τέκνων ἤνεγχ' ὑπὸ ζώνην βάρος A. Ch. 1000; πῶς γάρ σ' ἔθρεψεν ἐντὸς.. ζώνης; Id. Eu. 608; τοῦτον.. ἔφερον ζώνης ὕπο E. Hec. 762; also ὑπὸ ζώνῃ θέσθαι to conceive, h.Ven. 255.

3. prov., εἰς ζώνην δεδόσθαι to be given for girdle-money (as we should say, pinmoney), of Oriental queens who had cities given them for their small expenses, X. An. 1.4.9; ἣν [χώραν] καλεῖν.. ζ. τῆς βασιλέως γυναικός Pl. Alc. 1.123b. II

1. man's belt (more freq. ζωστήρ), ἡ ζ. τοῦ Ὠρίωνος the three stars that form the belt of Orion. Arist. Mete. 343b24; the belt of barbarians, in which they wore the dagger, X. An. 1.6.10, 4.7.16, Theopomp.Hist. 39a, Luc. Anach. 33, Pl. Hp.Mi. 368c. belt used as a purse, PRyl. 127.32 (i A.D.), Matthew 10:9, Plu. 2.665b; ζ. χρυσίον Luc. Fug. 31.

2. part round which the girdle passed, waist, Ἄρεϊ ζώνην ἴκελος Il. 2.479 (misunderstood by Paus. 9.17.3), cf. Il. 11.234, Orph. Fr. 168.28, Hp. ap. Erot. (also expld. as = ὀσφύς).

3. = Lat. cingulum, belt worn by Roman civil and military officers, [ Demod. ] 5; = ἀξίωμα, Suid.; οἱ ὑπὸ ζώνην soldiers, Anon. ap. eund.s.v. αὐθεντήσαντα, cf. Cod.Just. 1.5.12.6, 11, Just. Edict. 13.26, PLond. 5.1680.21 (vi A.D.).

III

1. anything that goes round like a belt, Plu. 2.935a, Luc. Musc.Enc. 3; of the girdle of ocean, Porph. Chr. 69.

2. one of the zones of the terrestrial sphere, Stoic. 2.195, Posidon. ap. Str. 2.2.2, Placit. 2.12.1 (pl.), etc.; ζ. διακεκαυμένη, εὔκρατος, Str. 1.2.24, 1.4.6. one of the planetary spheres, οἱ μὲν [τῶν πλανητῶν] ὑψηλὴν ζ. φέρονται οἱ δὲ ταπεινήν Diog.Oen. 8, cf. Vett.Val. 26.18, Corp.Herm. 1.25. Astrol.,= ζῴδιον, Porph. in Ptol. 186.

3. in Archit.,= διάζωμα, frieze, Paus. 5.10.5.

4. Lat. zona, in Medic., shingles, Scrib.Larg. 63, 247; cf. ζωστήρ 111.3.

5. stripes on fish, Ael. NA 3.28,al. pl., an order of divine beings presiding over, or engirdled with cosmic zones, opp. ἄζωνοι, Dam. Pr. 96, Procl. in Prm. p.494S.