LOGOI

The corpus record

πίστις

pistis · ἡ

trust, faith, persuasion

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Where it lives

Densest 12 of 86 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

πίστις · pistis — LSJ

trust, faith, persuasion, confidence, assurance, persuaded

trust in others, faith, first in Hes., πίστιες καὶ ἀπιστίαι ὤλεσαν ἄνδρας Op. 372; πίστει χρήματʼ ὄλεσσα, ἀπιστίῃ δʼ ἐσάωσα Thgn. 831 ; π. ἴσχειν τινί S. OC 950 ; τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις Id. OT 1445, etc.: generally, persuasion of a thing, confidence, assurance, Pi. N. 8.44 (πιστόν Sch.), etc.; ἡ βεβαιοτάτη π., ἀταραξία καὶ π. βέβαιος, Epicur. Ep. 1p.19, 2p.36U.; σωφροσύνης π. ἔχειν περί τινος to be persuaded of his probity, D. 18.215 ; π. περὶ θεῶν ἔχειν Plu. Suav. 2.1101c.

2 good faith, trustworthiness, honesty

in subjective sense, good faith, trustworthiness, honesty, Thgn. 1137, A. Pers. 443, Hdt. 8.105 ; θνῄσκει δὲ π., βλαστάνει δʼ ἀπιστία S. OC 611.

b credence, credit

of things, credence, credit, τὰν π. σμικρὰν παρʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἔχει E. El. 737 (lyr.); πίστιν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχει τινά Arist. EN 1179a17; π. λαβεῖν Plb. 1.35.4.

c

καλῇ π., = Lat. bona fide, PGnom. 180 (ii A.D.), etc.; αἱ κατὰ πίστιν γεινόμεναι κληρονομίαι, = Lat. hereditates fideicommissariae, ib. 56.

3 credit, credit

in a commercial sense, credit, π. τοσούτων χρημάτων ἐστί τινι παρά τισι he has credit for so much money with them, D. 36.57, cf. 44; εἰς πίστιν διδόναι [τί τινι] Id. 32.16; εἰ ἕξω ἐλπίδα πίστεως Astramps. Orac. 68p.6H.

b position of trust, trusteeship, in trust

position of trust or trusteeship, ἐν πίστει κληρονόμος ἀπολειφθείς left in trust, as guardian, Plu. Cic. 41, cf. Lib.educ. [Lib. educ.] 2c supr.; ἐν πίστει ὢν τῷ βασιλεῖ IG 2(2).646.11.

4 faith

Theol., faith, opp. sight and knowledge, 1 Ep.Cor. 13.13, etc.

II that which gives confidence

that which gives confidence : hence,

1 assurance, pledge of good faith, guarantee, assurances, assurances, them, assurances, an assurance against

assurance, pledge of good faith, guarantee, οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ὅρκοι π. ἀλλʼ ὅρκων ἀνήρ A. Fr. 394, cf. S. El. 887, E. Hipp. 1055; ὅρκοις καὶ πίστεσιν ἀναγκάζειν Antipho 6.25 : distd. from ὅρκοι and δεξιαί, Arist. Rh. 1375a10, cf. E. Med. 22; ἔμβαλλε χειρὸς πίστιν S. Ph. 813 ; δός μοι χερὸς σῆς π. Id. OC 1632 ; ὅρκους παρασχών, πίστιν οὐ σμικράν, θεῶν E. Hipp. 1037, cf. Med. 414 (lyr.); πίστιν καὶ ὅρκια ποιέεσθαι make a treaty by exchange of assurances and oaths, Hdt. 9.92, cf. And. 1.107; οἷσιν . . οὔτ

2 means of persuasion, argument, proof

means of persuasion, argument, proof, φρὴν παρʼ ἡμέων (sc. τῶν αἰσθήσεων) λαβοῦσα τὰς πίστεις Democr. 125; τοὺς δεομένους πίστεως αἰσθήσει κεκραμένης Plot. 4.7.15 ; esp. of proofs used by orators, Antipho 5.84, 6.28, Pl. Phd. 70b, Isoc. 3.8, etc.: in Arist., opp. a demonstrative proof (ἀπόδειξις) , π. ἔντεχνοι, ἄτεχνοι, Rh. 1355b35, 1375a22: also, generally, π. ἐκ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς APo. 90b14, al.; π. ἡ διὰ συλλογισμοῦ Top. 103b7 ; ἡ τῶν λόγων π. (cf. λόγος IV. 1) Pol. 1326a29; ὁ ἀναιρῶν ταύτην τὴν π

III that which is entrusted, a trust, given in trust

that which is entrusted, a trust, πίστιν ἐγχειρίζειν τινί Plb. 5.41.2, cf. 16.22.2, IG 7.21.12 (Megara, ii B.C.), 5 (1).26.6 (Amyclae, ii/i B.C.), BMus.Inscr. 422.7 (Priene, ii B.C.); σὴ π. given in trust to thee, IG 14.2012A23 (Sulp.Max.).

IV protection, suzerainty

political protection or suzerainty, Lat. fides, Αἰτωλοὶ . . δόντες αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων π. . . τῷ τῆς π. ὀνόματι πλανηθέντες Plb. 20.9.10, cf. 3.30.1 ; πάντες εἰς τὴν [τῆς συγκλήτου] π. ἐνδεδεμένοι Id. 6.17.8.

2 safe-conduct, safeguard

in Egypt, safe-conduct, safeguard, UPZ 119.32 (pl., ii B.C.); δοῦναί μοι ἔγγραπτον π. ib. 124.30 (ii B.C.).

V ten

Pythag. name for ten, Theol.Ar. 59, 60.

VI Fides publica

personified, = Lat. Fides, Plu. Num. 16, App. BC 1.16, D.C. 45.17 ; π. δημοσία, = Fides publica, D.H. 2.75.

In the wild

6 of 513 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

  • Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) Treated in Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) s.v. πίστις (scan p. 1248; entry #5009).
  • Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque Treated in Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque s.v. πίστις (scan p. 924; entry #6555).
  • Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. πίστις (scan p. 1516; entry #4665).

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