λῃστής

Ancient Greek edit

Alternative forms edit

λᾳστής (lāistḗs) — Doric
ληϊστής (lēïstḗs) — Ionic

Etymology edit

From ληΐς (lēḯs), Epic form of λεία (leía, “plunder, spoils”).

Pronunciation edit

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /lɛːi̯s.tɛ̌ːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /le̝sˈte̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /lisˈtis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /lisˈtis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /lisˈtis/

Noun edit

λῃστής • (lēistḗs) m (genitive λῃστοῦ); first declension (Attic)

robber, bandit
- 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 122:
  (Κρέων) λῃστὰς ἔφασκε συντυχόντας οὐ μιᾷ ῥώμῃ κτανεῖν νιν, ἀλλὰ σὺν πλήθει χερῶν.
  (Οἰδίπους) πῶς οὖν ὁ λῃστής, εἴ τι μὴ ξὺν ἀργύρῳ ἐπράσσετ’ ἐνθένδ’, ἐς τόδ’ ἂν τόλμης ἔβη;
  (Kréōn) lēistàs éphaske suntukhóntas ou miâi rhṓmēi ktaneîn nin, allà sùn plḗthei kherôn.
  (Oidípous) pôs oûn ho lēistḗs, eí ti mḕ xùn argúrōi eprásset’ enthénd’, es tód’ àn tólmēs ébē?
  Translation by Sir Richard Jebb. 1887. @perseus
  (Creon) He said that robbers fell upon them, not one man alone, but with a great force.
  (Oedipus) How then, unless some intrigue had been worked with bribes from here in Thebes, would the robbers have been so bold?
- 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 535:
  οὗτος σύ, πῶς δεῦρ’ ἦλθες; ἦ τοσόνδ’ ἔχεις / τόλμης πρόσωπον ὥστε τὰς ἐμὰς στέγας / ἵκου, φονεὺς ὢν τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς ἐμφανῶς / λῃστής τ’ ἐναργὴς τῆς ἐμῆς τυραννίδος;
  hoûtos sú, pôs deûr’ êlthes? ê tosónd’ ékheis / tólmēs prósōpon hṓste tàs emàs stégas / híkou, phoneùs ṑn toûde tandròs emphanôs / lēistḗs t’ enargḕs tês emês turannídos?
  Translation by Sir Richard Jebb. 1887. @perseus
  You, how did you get here? Are you so / boldfaced that you have come to my house, / you who are manifestly the murderer of its master, / the palpable thief of its crown?
pirate, buccaneer
revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla
(figuratively)
- APl. (Anthology of Planudes).4.198. [Maecius/Maccius]: Μελέαγρος [Meleager]
  σωφροσύνας ὑβριστά, φρενοκλόπε, λῃστὰ λογισμοῦ, πτανὸν πῦρ, ψυχᾶς τραῦμ’ ἀόρατον, Ἔρως
  sōphrosúnas hubristá, phrenoklópe, lēistà logismoû, ptanòn pûr, psukhâs traûm’ aóraton, Érōs
  [you,] insolent of prudence, robber of the mind, pirate of reason, flying fire, invisible trauma of the soul, [you,] Eros

Inflection edit

First declension of ὁ λῃστής; τοῦ λῃστοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ λῃστής ho lēistḗs	τὼ λῃστᾱ́ tṑ lēistā́	οἱ λῃσταί hoi lēistaí
Genitive	τοῦ λῃστοῦ toû lēistoû	τοῖν λῃσταῖν toîn lēistaîn	τῶν λῃστῶν tôn lēistôn
Dative	τῷ λῃστῇ tôi lēistêi	τοῖν λῃσταῖν toîn lēistaîn	τοῖς λῃσταῖς toîs lēistaîs
Accusative	τὸν λῃστήν tòn lēistḗn	τὼ λῃστᾱ́ tṑ lēistā́	τοὺς λῃστᾱ́ς toùs lēistā́s
Vocative	λῃστᾰ́ lēistá	λῃστᾱ́ lēistā́	λῃσταί lēistaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms edit

(robber): κλέπτης m (kléptēs, “thief, cheat”), κλώψ m (klṓps, “thief”)
(pirate): πειρατής (peiratḗs)

Derived terms edit

ἀρχιλῃστής (arkhilēistḗs)
λῃστάρχης (lēistárkhēs)
λῄσταρχος (lḗistarkhos)
λῃστεία (lēisteía)
λῃστεύω (lēisteúō)
λῃστήρ (lēistḗr)
λῃστήριον (lēistḗrion)
λῃστικός (lēistikós)
λῃστοδῐώκτης (lēistodiṓktēs)
λῃστοκτόνος (lēistoktónos)
λῃστοπιαστής (lēistopiastḗs)
λῃστοσαλπιγκτής (lēistosalpinktḗs)
λῃστρικός (lēistrikós)
λῃστρίς (lēistrís)
συλλῃστεύω (sullēisteúō)
συλλῃστής (sullēistḗs)
φρενολῃστής (phrenolēistḗs)
ψευδολῃστής (pseudolēistḗs)

Related terms edit

ἀλήστευτος (alḗsteutos)
ληΐδιος (lēḯdios)
ληΐζομαι (lēḯzomai)
ληϊστός (lēïstós)
ληϊστύς (lēïstús)
ληΐστωρ (lēḯstōr)
ληῖτις (lēîtis)
λῄστωρ (lḗistōr)

Descendants edit

Greek: ληστής (listís)
→ Arabic: لِصّ (liṣṣ)
→ Aramaic: לִסְטָא (lesṭā) / ܠܣܛܐ (lesṭā)
→ Hebrew: לסטים

λῃστής

Contents

Ancient Greek edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

Inflection edit

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Descendants edit

Further reading edit