A). v.l. λαόν , which is in all Mss. in 4.148 ), cj. in Mimn. 14.9 ; Att. λεώς, which is also used in Hdt. 1.22 , 8.136 , while the form λαός is sts. used in Trag., and once or twice even in Com. (v. infr. 1.3 ): also in Inscrr. and Pap. (v. infr.) and in late Prose, as Foed.Byz. ap. Plb. 4.52.7 (pl.), Str. 14.4.3 (pl.), Plu. 2.1096b , etc. (both forms in pr. nn., Λεωβώτης Hdt. 7.204 , Λαβώτας X. HG 1.2.18 , etc.).

1). in Il., λαός (λαοί) usu. means men, i.e. soldiers, both of the whole army and smaller divisions, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν 7.434 ; λαὸν ἀγείρειν 16.129 ; πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν 2.115 : pl., ἅμα τῷ γε .. ἄριστοι λ. ἕποντ' ib. 578 ; στίχες ἀσπιστάων λ. 4.91 ; periphr., στρατὸς λαῶν ib. 76 ; λαῶν ἔθνος 13.495 ; mostly including both foot and horse, as 2.809 ; but sts. λαός denotes foot, as opp. horse, 7.342 ; also, a land army, opp. a fleet, 4.76 , 9.424 , 10.14 ; also, the common men, opp. their leaders, 2.365 , 13.108 ; but

2). in Od., λαοί, more rarely λαός, almost always means men or people; as subjects of a prince, e.g. 3.214 , 305 , al.(λαοί is sts. so used in Il., e.g. 17.226 , 24.611 ; λαοὶ ἀγροιῶται country-folk, 11.676 ; work-people, 17.390 ); of sailors, Od. 14.248 ; so after Hom., ναυτικὸς λεώς seafaring folk, A. Pers. 383 ; πᾶς ὁ χειρῶναξ λεώς S. Fr. 844 ; ὁ γεωργικὸς λεώς Ar. Pax 920 (lyr.): in sg., slave, τὸν Εὐρυσθέως λεών, of Heracles, Hecat. 23 J.; and so perh. λεὼς αὔτοικος GDI 5533e (Zeleia): more generally, μέροπες λαοί, i.e. mankind, A. Supp. 90 (lyr.); λ. ἐγχώριοι the natives, ib. 517 , cf. Od. 6.194 ; esp. in Egypt, of the fellahin, PRev.Laws 42.11 - 16 (iii B. C.), PSI 4.380.5 (iii B. C.), etc.; civil population, opp. priests and soldiers, OGI 90.12 (Rosetta, ii B. C.), cf. 225.8 (Milet., iii B. C.), al.

3). people assembled, as in the theatre, ὁ πολὺς λαῶν ὄχλος Ar. Ra. 676 , cf. 219 (both lyr.); esp. in the Ecclesia, αἱ στίχες τῶν λαῶν Id. Eq. 163 : hence the phrase ἀκούετε λεῴ hear O people!—the usual way of beginning proclamations at Athens, like our Oyez! Sus. 1.1 , Ar. Pax 551 , Av. 448 ; τιμῶσιν οἱ πάντες λεῴ ib. 1275 ; δεῦρ’ ἴτε, πάντες λεῴ Arist. Fr. 384 ; Ἀττικὸς λεώς A. Eu. 681 ; ὁ πολὺς λεώς the multitude, Pl. R. 458d , etc.

4). in LXX , of the people, as opp. priests and Levites, 1 Es. 5.46 ; in NT, of Jews, opp. Gentiles, Ev.Matt. 2.6 , Ev.Luc. 2.10 , al., cf. SIG 1247 (Jewish tombstones); of Christians, opp. heathen, Act.Ap. 15.14 , al.

II). a people, i.e. all who are called by one name, first in Pi., Δωριεῖ λαῷ O. 8.30 ; Λυδῶν δὲ λαὸς καὶ Φρυγῶν A. Pers. 770 ; ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαός S. Ph. 1243 , cf. OT 144 , etc.; ἱππόται λαοί, i.e. the Thessalians, Pi. P. 4.153 , cf. 9.54 , N. 1.17 . (The resemblance between λαός people and λᾶος stone (cf. λᾶας) is implied in Il. 24.611 λαοὺς δὲ λίθους ποίησε Κρονίων (in the story of Niobe); and so Pi. explains the word from the legend of Deucalion, O. 9.46 , cf. Epich. 122 , Apollod. 1.7.2 ; but cf. Philoch. 12 .) (From λᾱv-, as shown by the pr.names Λαvοπτόλεμος GDI 3151 , vιόλαvος ib. 3132 (Corinth): hence prob. λήϊτον.)