γέρων, οντος, ὁ,
I
1. old man, Il. 1.33, etc.: pleon., παλαιοὶ γέροντες Ar. Ach. 676; ἄνους τε καὶ γ. S. Ant. 281, cf. Ar. Eq. 1349; ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡβᾷ τοῖς γέρουσιν εὖ μαθεῖν A. Ag. 584; καλὸν δὲ καὶ γέροντα μανθάνειν σοφά Id. Fr. 396.
2. γέροντες, οἱ, Elders, Chiefs, κίκλησκεν δὲ γέροντας ἀριστῆας Παναχαιῶν Il. 2.404 sq., cf. 9.574, Od. 2.14; later, Senators, esp. at Sparta, Hdt. 1.65, 6.57, Pl. Lg. 692a, IG 22.687, Arist. Pol. 1265b38 (sg. γέροντι IG 5(1).1346, but usu. γερουσίας, q. v.); in other states, as at Elis, Arist. Pol. 1306a17, cf. 1272a7, OGI 479.11 (Dorylaeum).
II as Adj., old, γέρον σάκος Od. 22.184; γ. γράμμα A. Fr. 331; more freq. in masc., γ. πατήρ Il. 1.358, Od. 18.53; ἀνὴρ γ. Thgn. 1351; γ. χαλκός Simon. 144; γ. λόγος A. Ag. 750 (lyr.); ἵππος S. El. 25; πόνος Id. OC 1258 (codd. but πίνος Scaliger, edd.); οἶνος Alex. 167.5, cf. Eub. 124; πέπλος, λέμβος, Theoc. 7.17, 21.12: rarely in Prose, οἱ γέροντες τῶν ἰχθύων Arist. HA 607b28; of stags, ib. 611b3; Ἀντίγονος ὁ γ. Antigonus the Elder, Plu. Pel. 2: neut. pl., γέροντα βουλεύεις (for ἀρχαῖα) S. Fr. 794.
III part of the spinning-wheel, Pherecr. 114. (Skt. járant- ’old’, járati ’render infirm’; cf. γέρας.)