Πεδιεύς

Notes

1. This cautious (or despairing) gloss reflects the inherent ambiguity of the headword. Is it to be understood as upper- or lower-case? If the former, the headword will be the singular ethnikon for Pedieis (in Karia↗: Stephanus of Byzantium↗ s.v.; Barrington Atlas map 55 grid D3 has another in Phokis) or for one of the several attested places called Pedion: in Arkadia (Pausanias 8.25.12; map 58 grid B2) and on the island of Rhodes↗ and elsewhere. Nevertheless it is possible that the word is simply derived from the generic noun pedion ('plain') and means plainsman/plains-dweller. The word in this exact form is found elsewhere in Greek only in Stephanus of Byzantium↗ s.v. pedion -- a poor entry which merely defines it as 'a place broad and level' with an ethnic pedieus (sic: lower-case), and wrongly asserts that there was an Athenian tribe called Pedias. If Athens↗ is relevant here at all, it may be because in the mid C6 BCE the Pedieis or Plainsmen were one of the three factions jockeying for political dominance, and Pedieus would be its singular.