ἱππεύς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) +‎ -εύς (-eús, suffix for masculine person concerned).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hip.pěu̯s/ → /ipˈpeɸs/ → /iˈpefs/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hip.pěu̯s/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)ipˈpeʍs/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ipˈpeɸs/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ipˈpefs/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /iˈpefs/

Noun

ῐ̔ππεύς • (hĭppeús) m (genitive ῐ̔ππέως or ῐ̔ππῆος); third declension (Epic, Ionic, Aeolic, Attic, Koine)

1. charioteer (chariot-driver or person fighting from a chariot)
   • c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.810:

     ἐκ δ’ ἔσσυτο λαὸς / πεζοί θ’ ἱππῆές τε·

     ek d’ éssuto laòs / pezoí th’ hippêés te;

     the people swept out, both infantry and charioteers

2. rider (of a horse), horseman, cavalryman
   • 460 BCE – 430 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.88
3. (in the plural) knights (early Greek aristocracy)
   • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 4.1297b.18:

     ἡ πρώτη δὲ πολιτεία ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐγένετο μετὰ τὰς βασιλείας ἐκ τῶν πολεμούντων, ἡ μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκ τῶν ἱππέων […]

     hē prṓtē dè politeía en toîs Héllēsin egéneto metà tàs basileías ek tôn polemoúntōn, hē mèn ex arkhês ek tôn hippéōn […]

     After the kingdoms, the first type of state among the Greeks arose from the military: in the beginning from the knights […]

4. A translation of Latin eques.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ ῐ̔ππεύς; τοῦ ῐ̔ππέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ῐ̔ππεύς ho hĭppeús	τὼ ῐ̔ππῆ tṑ hĭppê	οἱ ῐ̔ππῆς / ῐ̔ππεῖς hoi hĭppês / hĭppeîs
Genitive	τοῦ ῐ̔ππέως toû hĭppéōs	τοῖν ῐ̔ππέοιν toîn hĭppéoin	τῶν ῐ̔ππέων tôn hĭppéōn
Dative	τῷ ῐ̔ππεῖ tōî hĭppeî	τοῖν ῐ̔ππέοιν toîn hĭppéoin	τοῖς ῐ̔ππεῦσῐ / ῐ̔ππεῦσῐν toîs hĭppeûsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν ῐ̔ππέᾱ tòn hĭppéā	τὼ ῐ̔ππῆ tṑ hĭppê	τοὺς ῐ̔ππέᾱς toùs hĭppéās
Vocative	ῐ̔ππεῦ hĭppeû	ῐ̔ππῆ hĭppê	ῐ̔ππῆς / ῐ̔ππεῖς hĭppês / hĭppeîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ῐ̔ππεύς; ῐ̔ππῆος / ῐ̔ππέος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ῐ̔ππεύς hĭppeús	ῐ̔ππῆε / ῐ̔ππῆ / ῐ̔ππέε / ῐ̔ππεῖ hĭppêe / hĭppê / hĭppée / hĭppeî	ῐ̔ππῆες / ῐ̔ππῆς / ῐ̔ππέες / ῐ̔ππεῖς hĭppêes / hĭppês / hĭppées / hĭppeîs
Genitive	ῐ̔ππῆος / ῐ̔ππέος hĭppêos / hĭppéos	ῐ̔ππήοιῐ̈ν / ῐ̔ππέοιῐ̈ν hĭppḗoiĭ̈n / hĭppéoiĭ̈n	ῐ̔ππήων / ῐ̔ππέων hĭppḗōn / hĭppéōn
Dative	ῐ̔ππῆῐ̈ / ῐ̔ππέῐ̈ / ῐ̔ππεῖ hĭppêĭ̈ / hĭppéĭ̈ / hĭppeî	ῐ̔ππήοιῐ̈ν / ῐ̔ππέοιῐ̈ν hĭppḗoiĭ̈n / hĭppéoiĭ̈n	ῐ̔ππεῦσῐ / ῐ̔ππεῦσῐν / ῐ̔ππήεσσῐ / ῐ̔ππήεσσῐν hĭppeûsĭ(n) / hĭppḗessĭ(n)
Accusative	ῐ̔ππῆᾰ / ῐ̔ππέᾰ hĭppêă / hĭppéă	ῐ̔ππῆε / ῐ̔ππῆ / ῐ̔ππέε / ῐ̔ππεῖ hĭppêe / hĭppê / hĭppée / hĭppeî	ῐ̔ππῆᾰς / ῐ̔ππέᾰς hĭppêăs / hĭppéăs
Vocative	ῐ̔ππεῦ hĭppeû	ῐ̔ππῆε / ῐ̔ππῆ / ῐ̔ππέε / ῐ̔ππεῖ hĭppêe / hĭppê / hĭppée / hĭppeî	ῐ̔ππῆες / ῐ̔ππῆς / ῐ̔ππέες / ῐ̔ππεῖς hĭppêes / hĭppês / hĭppées / hĭppeîs
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ῐ̔ππείᾱ (hĭppeíā)
• ῐ̔ππεύω (hĭppeúō)

Descendants

• Coptic: ϩⲓⲡⲡⲉⲩⲥ (hippeus)
• → Greek: ιππέας (ippéas) (learned)

References

• ἱππεύς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ἱππεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press