ἄρκτος, ἡ,
bear, especially Ursus arctos, brown bear, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.611, “hymnus ad Mercurium” 223, “hymnus ad Venerem” 159, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.191, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]: the instances of the masculine are uncertain [[(4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “de Coloribus” 798a26 is inconclusive)] Refs 4th c.BC+], the feminine being used even when both sexes are included, [[ [prev. author] “HA” 539b33. ] Refs]
__2 Ἄρκτος, ἡ, the constellation Ursa Major, Ἄρκτον θ᾽, ἣν καὶ Ἄμαξαν ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσιν[[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 18.487, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 5.273, compare 1st c.AD(?): Heraclitus 120, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Ion” 1154, etc.; τὰ ὑπὸ τὴν Ἄ. ἀοίκητα 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 5.10; Ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 131 (Lyric poetry); Ἄρκτου στροφάς τε καὶ Κυνὸς ψυχρὰν δύσιν [prev. author] “fragment” 432.11] Refs 8th c.BC+]: in plural, the Greater and Lesser Bears, [[ 4th-3rd c.BC: Aratus Epicus 27] Refs 4th c.BC+]; Ἄ. μικρά, μεγάλη, [[ 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 2.5.35, 36, compare 1st c.BC: Cicero, M. Tullius Orator et Philosophus “de Natura Deorum” 2.41.105. ] Refs 1st c.BC+]
__3 the north, πρὸς ἄρκτον τετραμμένος[[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.148, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Electra” 733 (Lyric poetry), 4th c.BC: Aeschines Orator 3.165, etc.; ἀπὸ ἄ. “IG” 5(2).444.11 (from Megalopolis), +others: _plural_, 5th c.BC: Hippocrates Medicus “Aër.” 5 and 19, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Critias” 118b, etc. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]