ἑρπετόν,
Aeolic dialect perhaps ὄρπετον (which see), τό, (ἕρπω) beast or animal which goes on all fours, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 4.418; πᾶν ἑ. πληγῇ νέμεται 1st c.AD(?): Heraclitus 11; ἑρπετὰ ὅσσα τρέφει μέλαινα γαῖα 7th c.BC: Alcman Lyricus 60.3; ὄφις καὶ σαύρας καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἑρπετῶν 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.183; τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἑρπετοῖς πόδας ἔδωκεν.., ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ καὶ χεῖρας 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 1.4.11 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἑρπετά, opposed to πετεινά, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.140, compare 3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 15.118, 3rd c.BC: Apollonius Rhodius Epicus 4.1240: generally, ἑ. οὐδὲ γυνή 3rd c.BC: Callimachus Epicus “Hymnus in Jovem” 13 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; πυκινώτατον ἑ., of a hound, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “Fragmenta.” 106 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of insects, [[ 7th-6th c.BC(?): Semonides Iambographus 13, 2nd c.BC: Nicander Epicus “fragment” 74.46. ] Refs 7th c.BC+]
__II creeping thing, reptile, especially snake, [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Andromache” 269, 3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 24.57; περὶ κιναδέων τε καὶ ἑ. 3rd c.AD: Democritus Epigrammaticus 259; ἑρπετά τε καὶ δάκετα [πάντα] 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Aves” 1069 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the monster Typhoeus, with a snake's body, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 1.25. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 as adjective, creeping, κακὸν ἑ. πρᾶγμα [[ “POxy.” 1060.7 (6th c.AD)] Refs 6th c.AD+]; τὰ ἑ. θηρία [[ 3rd c.AD: Philumenus Medicus “de Venenatis Animalibus” 10.1. ] Refs 3rd c.AD+]