ἱππεύς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) +‎ -εύς (-eús, suffix for masculine person concerned)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hip.pěu̯s/ → /ipˈpeɸs/ → /iˈpefs/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hip.pěu̯s/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)ipˈpews/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ipˈpeɸs/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ipˈpefs/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /iˈpefs/

Noun

ἱππεύς • (hippeús) m (genitive ἱππέως or ἱππῆος); third declension (Epic, Ionic, Aeolic, Attic, Koine)

1. charioteer (chariot-driver or person fighting from a chariot)
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.810:

     ἐκ δ’ ἔσσυτο λαὸς / πεζοί θ’ ἱππῆές τε·

     ek d’ éssuto laòs / pezoí th’ hippêés te;

     the people swept out, both infantry and charioteers

2. rider (of a horse), horseman, cavalryman
   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.88
3. (in the plural) knights (early Greek aristocracy)
   • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 4.1297b.18:

     ἡ πρώτη δὲ πολιτεία ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐγένετο μετὰ τὰς βασιλείας ἐκ τῶν πολεμούντων, ἡ μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκ τῶν ἱππέων […]

     hē prṓtē dè politeía en toîs Héllēsin egéneto metà tàs basileías ek tôn polemoúntōn, hē mèn ex arkhês ek tôn hippéōn […]

     After the kingdoms, the first type of state among the Greeks arose from the military: in the beginning from the knights […]

4. A translation of Latin eques.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ ἱ̆ππεύς; τοῦ ἱ̆ππέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἱ̆ππεύς ho hippeús	τὼ ἱ̆ππῆ tṑ hippê	οἱ ἱ̆ππῆς / ἱ̆ππεῖς hoi hippês / hippeîs
Genitive	τοῦ ἱ̆ππέως toû hippéōs	τοῖν ἱ̆ππέοιν toîn hippéoin	τῶν ἱ̆ππέων tôn hippéōn
Dative	τῷ ἱ̆ππεῖ tôi hippeî	τοῖν ἱ̆ππέοιν toîn hippéoin	τοῖς ἱ̆ππεῦσῐ / ἱ̆ππεῦσῐν toîs hippeûsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ἱ̆ππέᾱ tòn hippéā	τὼ ἱ̆ππῆ tṑ hippê	τοὺς ἱ̆ππέᾱς toùs hippéās
Vocative	ἱ̆ππεῦ hippeû	ἱ̆ππῆ hippê	ἱ̆ππῆς / ἱ̆ππεῖς hippês / hippeîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἱ̆ππεύς; ἱ̆ππῆος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἱ̆ππεύς hippeús	ἱ̆ππῆε hippêe	ἱ̆ππῆες hippêes
Genitive	ἱ̆ππῆος / ἱ̆ππέος hippêos / hippéos	ἱ̆ππήοιῐν hippḗoiin	ἱ̆ππήων hippḗōn
Dative	ἱ̆ππῆῐ̈ / ἱ̆ππέῐ̈ hippêï / hippéï	ἱ̆ππήοιῐν hippḗoiin	ἱ̆ππήεσσῐ / ἱ̆ππήεσσῐν / ἱ̆ππεῦσῐ / ἱ̆ππεῦσῐν hippḗessi(n) / hippeûsi(n)
Accusative	ἱ̆ππῆᾰ / ἱ̆ππέᾰ hippêa / hippéa	ἱ̆ππῆε hippêe	ἱ̆ππῆᾰς hippêas
Vocative	ἱ̆ππεῦ hippeû	ἱ̆ππῆε hippêe	ἱ̆ππῆες hippêes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

• Coptic: ϩⲓⲡⲡⲉⲩⲥ (hippeus)

References

• ἱππεύς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ἱππεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press