θηρίον, τό
(in form diminutive of θήρ), wild animal, especially of such as are hunted, μάλα γὰρ μέγα θηρίον ἦεν, of a stag, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 10.171, 180 (never in 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad”)] Refs 8th c.BC+]; in Trag. only in Satyric drama, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ichn.” 147 (uncertain in 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Fragmenta - American Journal of Philology” 26): used in Prose for θήρ, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 1.2.7, 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 12.163, etc. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the spider's prey, [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 623a27 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; frequently of elephants, [[ 2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 11.1.12, +others] Refs 2nd c.BC+]: plural, beasts, opposed to men, birds, and fishes, [[ “hymnus ad Venerem” 4, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.108. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 generally, animal, [[ [prev. author] 1.119; νενόμισται πῦρ θ. εἶναι ἔμψυχον [prev. author] 3.16 ] Refs]; of men, ἄνθρωπος πάντων θ. θεειδέστατον [[ 5th c.BC: Antipho Sophista 48; εἰς θηρίου βίον ἀφικνεῖσθαι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedrus” 249b; also θ. ὕειον [prev. author] “R.” 535e ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the dog, [[ 3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 25.79 ] Refs 3rd c.BC+]; of fishes, [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 598b1 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; of eels, [[ 4th c.BC: Antiphanes Comicus 147.7 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; of leeches, [[ “IG” 4.951.101 (Epid.) ] Refs]; of other small creatures, [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 552b11, 625b32, 5th c.BC: Hippocrates Medicus cited in 2nd c.AD: Galenus Medicus 19.103, 3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 19.6; οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν θ. τῶν ἰχθύων ἀτυχέστερον 4th c.BC: Antiphanes Comicus 161.1; opposed to plants, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 188b: proverbial, ἢ θηρίον ἢ θεός] Refs 5th c.BC+], either above or below the nature of man, [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Politica” 1253a29, compare “EN” 1145a25. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]