πλῆθος, εος, τό,
Doric dialect and [[ 4th c.AD(?): Arcadius Grammaticus ] Refs 4th c.AD+] πλῆθος [[ “Schwyzer” 84.8, +others (Argive, found in Crete, 5th c.BC), “IG” 5(2).6.20 (Tegea, 4th c.BC), etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect πλεῖθος [[[prev. work]7.3171.46 (Orchom. _Boeotian dialect_)] Refs]; pseudo-Doric dialect and pseudo-Aeolic dialect πλᾶθος [[ “GDI” 5176.21 (from Crete), “IGRom.” 4.1302.18 (Cyme, 1st c.BC/ 1st c.AD), Hippodamus Pythagoreus cited in 5th c.AD: Stobaeus, Joannes 4.1.93: (πλήθω,] Refs 1st c.BC+] see at {πίμπλημι}):—great number, multitude, especially of people, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 17.330, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.49, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]; στρατοῦ π., periphrastic for στρατὸς πολύς, [[ [prev. author] 9.73 ] Refs]; ὡς πλήθει for the mass of men, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 389d. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 τὸ π. the greater number, the mass, main body, τὸ π. τοῦ στρατοῦ [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.82, compare 5.92 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ π. τῆς ψυχῆς the largest part of.., [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 689a ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: as Noun of Multitude with plural Verb, Ἀθηναίων τὸ π. οἴονται [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.20 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ π. ἐψηφίσαντο πολεμεῖν the majority,[[ [prev. work] 125, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 2.4.20 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῷ π. by a majority, [[ Berl.Sitzb. 1927.8 (_Locrian dialect_, 5th c.BC)] Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence, people, population, σμικρὸν τὸ π. τῆσδε γῆς [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Phoenissae” 715. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.b the commons, [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.9, etc.; ἡ τοῦ π. ἀρχή, δημοκρατία τοὔνομα κληθεῖσα 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Politicus” 291d; ἐς τὸ π. φέρειν τὸ κράτος 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.81 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently of the popular assembly, τὸ ὑμέτερον π., τὸ π. τὸ ὑμέτερον, [[ 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 12.42, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 31c ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ἐρυθραίων τῷ π., Ἀθηναίων τοῦ π., [[ “IG” 12.10.21, 22] Refs]; = Latin plebs, [[ 2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 6.15.11, 1st c.BC: Diodorus Siculus Historicus 12.25, 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis 4.71 ] Refs 2nd c.BC+]; also, association, corporation, or guild, τὸ π. τὸ Ἁλιαδᾶν [[ “IG” 12(1).155.6, 156.5 (from Rhodes)] Refs]; τὸ τῶν Πανιαστῶν π. [[ “IGRom.” 4.1680 (Pergam.); τὸ π. τῶν ἱερέων “OGI” 56.24 (Canopus, 3rd c.BC)] Refs 3rd c.BC+]; π. τῶν ἁλιέων [[ “PSI” 5.498.2 (3rd c.BC)] Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τὸ π. τῶν μαχαιροφόρων [[ “OGI” 737 (Memphis, 2nd c.BC)] Refs 2nd c.BC+]; opposed to αἱ ἀρχαί, οἱ ὀλίγοι, [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 5.84 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also, populace, mob, opposed to δῆμος (commons), [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Respublica Atheniensium” 2.18, 2nd c.AD: Appianus Historicus “Bella Civilia” 1.10: also in _plural_, πείθειν τὰ π.] Refs 5th c.BC+] the masses, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 452e, compare “Sph.” 268b; ὃ πᾶσι.. σωτήριον, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς π. πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 6.24; φιλόσοφον.. π. ἀδύνατον εἶναι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 494a. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]