ἀθεΐα

See also: αθεΐα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

ᾰ̓́θεος (ắtheos, “godless, impious; slighting or denying the gods”) +‎ -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.tʰe.í.aː/ → /a.θeˈi.a/ → /a.θeˈi.a/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.tʰe.í.aː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.tʰeˈi.a/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.θeˈi.a/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.θeˈi.a/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.θeˈi.a/

Noun

ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ • (ătheĭ̈́ā) f (genitive ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱς); first declension (Koine)

1. disbelief in the gods, incredulity with regard to the divine

   Synonym: ᾰ̓θεότης (ătheótēs)

   • 175 CE – 235 CE, Claudius Aelianus, Fragments 39
   • Sm., Ho. 4.15
   • 300 CE – 400 CE, Sallustius, On the Gods and the Cosmos 18, (plural):

     Διὰ τί ἀθεΐαι γίνονται. καὶ ὅτι Θεὸς οὐ βλάπτεται.

     Dià tí atheḯai gínontai. kaì hóti Theòs ou bláptetai.

2. atheism

   Synonym: ᾰ̓θεότης (ătheótēs)

   • Hierocl., in CA 1.418.M.
   • 329 CE – 390 CE, Gregory of Nazianzus 2.14, (Migne)
   • 500 CE – 565 CE, Procopius, The Buildings of Justinian 6.4.12
3. varia lectio of ἀθεσία (athesía, “faithlessness, fickleness”)
   • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 16.17

Declension

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ; τῆς ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ hē ătheĭ̈́ā	τὼ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ tṑ ătheĭ̈́ā	αἱ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́αι hai ătheĭ̈́ai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱς tês ătheĭ̈́ās	τοῖν ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́αιν toîn ătheĭ̈́ain	τῶν ᾰ̓θεῐ̈ῶν tôn ătheĭ̈ôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾳ têi ătheĭ̈́āi	τοῖν ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́αιν toîn ătheĭ̈́ain	ταῖς ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́αις taîs ătheĭ̈́ais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱν tḕn ătheĭ̈́ān	τὼ ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ tṑ ătheĭ̈́ā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱς tā̀s ătheĭ̈́ās
Vocative	ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ ătheĭ̈́ā	ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́ᾱ ătheĭ̈́ā	ᾰ̓θεῐ̈́αι ătheĭ̈́ai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → Greek: αθεΐα (atheḯa) (learned)

Further reading

• “ἀθεΐα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ἀθεΐα in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• ἀθεΐα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Pape, Wilhelm, Benseler, Gustav Eduard (1884) “ἀθεΐα”, in Wörterbuch der griechischen Eigennamen (in German), 3rd edition, Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn