ἤπειρ-ος, Dor.
ἄπ-[ᾱ],ἡ ,
A. terra firma, land, opp.the sea, Od. 3.90 , 10.56 , Il. 1.485 , Hes. Op. 624 , etc.;κατ' ἤπειρονbyland, Hdt. 4.97 , 8.66 ; μήτ' ἐν θαλάττῃ μήτ' ἐν ἠπείρῳ
Ar. Ach. 534
, cf. Timocr. 8 : hence, even of an island, ἤπειρόνδε
Od. 5.56
; but,
II. esp.the mainland of Western Greece, opp. the neighbouring islands, Od. 14.97 , al.; ἤπειρόνδε
18.84
, cf. Th. 3.114 (so as pr. n., Pi. N. 4.51 , X. HG 6.1.7 , etc.): generally,mainland, opp. islands, Hdt. 1.148 , 171 , al., Th. 1.5 , Philostr. VA 1.20 , etc.
III. later,a continent, esp. of Asia. Hdt. 1.96 , 4.91 , A. Pers. 718 (troch.), X. HG 3.1.5 , D. 60.11 , etc.;ῥεῖθρον ἠπείροιν(-ωνcodd.)ὅρον, of the Tanais or Phasis, A. Pr. 790 ; soδισσαὶ ἄπειροι, i.e. Europe and Asia, S. Tr. 101 (lyr.); τὼ δύ' ἠπείρω
Id. Fr. 881
;ἐφ' ἑκατέρας τῆς ἠ. Isoc. 4.35 ;ἤ. δοιαί, δίδυμαι, ἀμφότεραι, Mosch. 2.8 , AP 7.18 (Antip. Thess.), 240 (Adaeus), Lib. Ep. 783.3 ;ῥίζαν ἀπείρον τρίταν, of Libya, Pi. P. 9.8 .