χάος [ᾰ], εος,
Attic dialect ους, τό, chaos, the first state of the universe, πρώτιστα χ. γένετ᾽, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Γαῖ᾽ εὐρύστερνος κτλ. [[ 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 116, compare 6th c.BC: Ibycus Lyricus 28, 5th c.BC: Epicharmus Comicus 170.3, 5th c.BC: Acusilaus Historicus “fragment” 5J., 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Metaphysica” 1091b6, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Aves” 693 (_anapaest meter_); χάους.. παῖς καλεῦμαι 3rd c.BC: Simmias “Alae” 7 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; represented sometimes as infinite space, [[ 2nd c.AD: Sextus Empiricus Philosophus “Πυρρώνειοι ὑποτυπώσεις” 3.121, compare 3rd c.AD: Plotinus Philosophus 6.8.11 ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]; sometimes as unformed matter, [[ 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Am.” 32 ] Refs 2nd c.AD+] (especially, accusative to the Stoics, water, [[ 4th-3rd c.BC: Zeno Citieus Stoicus 1.29 (with derivation from χέω)). ] Refs 4th c.BC+]
__2 space, the expanse of air, ἄτρυτον χ. [[ 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 5.27, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Nubes” 424 (_anapaest meter_), 627, “Av.” 1218. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.b τὸ χ. τοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα ἀπείρου αἰῶνος, of infinite time, [[ 2nd c.AD: Marcus Antoninus Imperator 4.3. ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__3 the nether abyss, infinite darkness, joined with Ἔρεβος, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Axiochus” 371e ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; with ὄρφνη, [[ 4th c.AD(?): Quintus Smyrnaeus Epicus 2.614 ] Refs 4th c.AD+]; represented as in the interior of the globe, [[ 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.953a] Refs 1st c.AD+]; χάους κύνα, of Cerberus, [[ “APl.” 4.91. ] Refs]