μέθοδ-ος, ἡ,
(μετά, ὁδός) following after, pursuit, νύμφης μέθοδον ποιεῖσθαι [[ Anonymus cited in 10th c.AD: Suidas Legal icographus see entry {ζεῦγος ἡμιονικόν} (“Etymologicum Magnum” 409.35):] Refs] —hence,
__II pursuit of knowledge, investigation, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Sophista” 218d, 235c, +others] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ποιεῖσθαι to pursue one's inquiry,[[ [prev. work] 243d; ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μ. 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Politica” 1289a26 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]: hence, treatise, [[ 5th-6th c.AD: Damascius Philosophus “de Principiis” 451. ] Refs 5th c.AD+]
__II.2 mode of prosecuting such inquiry, method, system, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedrus” 270c, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Ethica Nicomachea” 1129a6, “Pol.” 1252a18, etc.; ἡ διαλεκτικὴ μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 533c, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Rhetorica” 1358a4 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; joined with τέχνη, [[ [prev. author] “EN” 1094a1, compare 1st c.BC: Philodemus Gadarensis Epigrammaticus “Rh.” 1.32 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ἔχειν to have a plan or system, [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Topica” 101a29; ἡ περὶ τὸν πίνακα μ. 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus “Romulus” 12. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.3 ἡ τοῦ πάντα κινεῖσθαι μ. the doctrine of motion, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Theaetetus” 183c. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.4 'methodic' medicine, ἰητὴρ μεθόδου.. προστάτα [[ “epigram Gr.” 306 (from Smyrna), cf. Julian. cited in 2nd c.AD: Galenus Medicus 18(1).256. ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]