οἰωνός, ὁ,
a large bird, bird of prey, οἰωνοί, φῆναι ἢ αἰγυπιοὶ γαμψώνυχες [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 16.216 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; of the eagle, Κρονίωνι.. φίλτατος οἰωνῶν [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 24.293 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; called οἰωνῶν βασιλεύς by [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 114 (Lyric poetry), 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 13.21, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Aves” 515; ἀρχὸς οἰ. 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 1.14 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; mentioned as devouring carcasses, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.5, 22.335, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 205, 698, “Aj.” 830; οἰωνοὶ ὠμησταί 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 11.453; θῆρές τ᾽ οἰωνοί τε 5th c.BC: Empedocles Poeta Philosophus 21.11, 130.2 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὑπ᾽ οἰωνῶν ταφέντα, of corpses devoured by carrion birds, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 1025, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 29 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; as an image of swiftness, οἰωνοῖς ἅμ᾽ ἕπονται [[ 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 268. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__2 generally, birds, opposed to beasts, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Fragmenta” 941.11 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in οἰωνοκτόνος.
__II a bird of omen or augury, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 12.237, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 15.532, 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Opera et Dies” 801; τοὺς ἄνωθεν φρονιμωτάτους οἰωνούς 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 1059 (Lyric poetry); οὔτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ οἰωνῶν.., οὔτ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν του γνωτόν [prev. author] “OT” 395, compare 398; οἰ. αἴσιοι 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 3.3.22, compare 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 12.237, 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.282d ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; of augurs, καθέζεσθαι ἐπ᾽ οἰωνῶν, ἐπ᾽ οἰωνοῖς καθῆσθαι, [[ [prev. author] “Rom.” 22, “Caes.” 47 ] Refs]; οἱ ἐπ᾽ οἰωνοῖς ἱερεῖς the augurs, [[ [prev. author] “Ant.” 5. ] Refs]