διάκονος [ᾱ],
Ionic dialect διήκονος, ὁ, later διάκων (which see):— servant, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.71, 72, “PFlor.” 121.3 (3rd c.AD), etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; messenger, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 942, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 497; ὄρνιθα καὶ κήρυκα καὶ δ. [prev. author] “fragment” 133:—as _feminine_, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 1116, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 24.197. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 attendant or official in a temple or religious guild, [[ “Inscription Magn.” 109,217, “IG” 9(1).486 (Acarnania, 2nd-1st c.BC), 4.774.12 (Troezen, 3rd c.BC): _feminine_, “CIG” “Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum” “Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum” 3037 (Metropolis in Lydia)] Refs 3rd c.BC+]:—especially in the Christian church, deacon, [[ NT.1Tim.3.8, etc., “POxy.” 1162.3 (4th c.AD)] NT+4th c.AD+]: feminine, deaconess, [[NT.Rom.16.1. ] NT]
__II as adjective, servile, menial, ἐπιστήμη [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Politicus” 290c ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: irregular comparative διᾱκονέστερος [[ 5th c.BC: Epicharmus Comicus 159 Ahr. (Cf. ἐγ-κονέω, ἀ-κονιτί.) ] Refs 5th c.BC+]