# ποιέω
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* ποιϝέω (poiwéō) — Doric, Boeotian
* ποέω (poéō) — Aeolic

### Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *kʷoiwéyō, as shown by Doric/Aeolic ποιϝέω (poiwéō), perhaps derived from a noun *ποιϝός (*poiwós) (seen in many compounds as the suffix -ποιός (-poiós)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoywós, from *kʷey- (“pile, stow, to gather”). Cognates include Sanskrit चिनोति (cinoti, “to arrange, pile up”) and Proto-Slavic *činiti (“to instigate, perform”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /poi̯.é.ɔː/ → /pyˈe.o/ → /piˈe.o/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /poi̯.é.ɔː/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /pyˈe.o/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /pyˈe.o/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /pyˈe.o/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /piˈe.o/

### Verb

ποιέω • (poiéō)
* to make
** 361 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Midias 16
** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Herodas, Collected Works 4.22
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.135
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.62
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.65
** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Works and Days 503
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.608
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.735
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.435
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.168
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.482
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.796
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.251
** 100 CE – 200 CE, Longus, Collected Works 1.4
** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Epistles 361a
** 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Themistocles 5
** 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 3.1.5
** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, 4 31
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.5.14
** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7.5.22
** to create
*** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, Against Alcibiades 22
*** 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, On the Mysteries 124
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Eubulides 43
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, First Philippic 11
*** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Theogony 161
*** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Works and Days 110
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 203b
*** 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 76c
*** 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, 2 312a
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 5.3.19
** to produce
*** 175 CE – 235 CE, Claudius Aelianus, Various History 1.15
*** 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 1322
*** 422 BCE, Aristophanes, The Wasps 261
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, History of Animals 522b.32
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Phaenippus 20
*** 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 3:10
*** AD 254–270, Plotinus, Enneades 2.3.1
*** 64 BCE – 24 CE, Strabo, Geography 9.1.23
*** 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, On the Causes of Plants 1.19.3
*** (mathematics) to make, to produce
**** 287 BCE – 212 BCE, Archimedes, On Conoides and Spheroids 12
**** c. 225 BCE, Archimedes, On the Sphere and Cylinder 1.16
**** c. 225 BCE, Archimedes, On the Sphere and Cylinder 2.6
**** 350 BCE – 250 BCE, Euclid, Elements 7.19
*** to postulate, imply
**** AD 254–270, Plotinus, Enneades 3.9.3
*** to solve
**** c. 225 BCE, Archimedes, On the Sphere and Cylinder 1.2
**** 262 BCE – 190 BCE, Apollonius of Perga, Conics 2.49
** (post-Homeric) to compose, write poetry
*** 411 BCE, Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 153
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.23
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.53
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.38
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.14
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Helen 64
*** 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Ion 534b
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 60d
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedrus 243b
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 383a
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 223d
*** to write of (an event) in poetry
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Poetics 1453b.29
**** 396 BCE – 323 BCE, Lycurgus of Athens, Collected Works 100
**** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 525d
**** 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Hippias Minor 369c
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 61b
**** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 379a
**** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 174b
**** 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Moralia 2.105b
*** to invent
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Rhetoric 1404b.29
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Poetics 1457b.2
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.115
**** 399 BCE, Plato, Euthyphro 3b
** to cause
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.432
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.250
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.452
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Areopagiticus 54
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.89
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.6
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 6.3.10
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 3.10.8
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 4.3.14
*** to cause someone [with accusative] to [with infinitive]
**** 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 59
**** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 351
**** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 912
**** 388 BCE, Aristophanes, Plutus 459
**** 388 BCE, Aristophanes, Plutus 746
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.209
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.109
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 23.258
**** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 926
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 3.2.29
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.5.48
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 6.1.23
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 6.3.18
*** to procure
**** 341 BCE, Demosthenes, Fourth Philippic 76
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.126
**** 4th century BC, Isaeus, Hagnias 1
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.25
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.60
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 8.76
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 6.11
*** to celebrate, observe
**** 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 169
**** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 746
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.49
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.57
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 9.19
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 8.2
**** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Menexenus 234b
**** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 328a
**** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Exodus 31.16
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.15
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.91
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.28
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 4.5.1
*** Used in the middle with a noun periphrastically for the verb derived from said noun.
**** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Against the Stepmother for Poisoning 4
**** 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, On the Murder of Herodes 21
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.29
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.95
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.42
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 21.71
**** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Defence against a Charge of subverting the Democracy 2
**** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 527a
**** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 302
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.128
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.89
** (with predicate adjective) to make, cause to be
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Spudias 3
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.57
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.156
*** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Fr. 76.5
*** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Works and Days 707
*** 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Theogony 818
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.409
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.30
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.363
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.387
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 13.42
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 23.12
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Panegyricus 39
*** The Gospel of Mark 3:14
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 923c
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 411b
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, 1 Samuel 12.6
*** 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 547
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.29
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.5.2
** to put
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Theocrines 61
*** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 136
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.27
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.201
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.33
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.55
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 14.274
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Nicocles or the Cyprians 37
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.109
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.3
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 8.53
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Agesilaus 1.22
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 3.4.21
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.2.11
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.1.3
*** (mathematics) to multiply
**** 10 CE – 70 CE, Hero, Metrica 1.8
**** 10 CE – 70 CE, Hero, Metrica 2.14
** (middle voice) to consider, deem
*** 349 BCE, Demosthenes, First Olynthiac 16
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.83
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 6.61
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.3
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Against Callimachus 63
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, To Nicocles 15
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, To Philip 138
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Trapeziticus 58
*** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Against Alcibiades 1 40
*** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, On the Murder of Eratosthenes 1
*** 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Apology 21e
*** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 489c
*** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 584
*** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 498
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.118
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.5
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 6.6.11
** to assume
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.184
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 498a
*** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 197d
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.7.9
** to take time, spend time
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Conon 26
*** 343 BCE, Demosthenes, On the False Embassy 163
*** 36 BCE – 30 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library 1.35
*** New Testament, Acts of the Apostles 20:3
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Philebus 50d
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Tobit 10.7
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Proverbs 13.23
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.28
** (later Greek) to sacrifice
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Exodus 29.36
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Job 42.8
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, 1 Kings 11.33
** to prepare
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Genesis 18.7
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, 2 Samuel 19.24
** to play (sense 3)
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, 1 Kings 20.7
* to do
** 470 BCE, Aeschylus, The Suppliants 911
** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 811
** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Leptines 12
** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, First Philippic 5
** 341 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Chersonese 2
** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 62
** 350 BCE – 250 BCE, Euclid, Elements 1.1
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.134
** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.40
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.56
** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 60e
** 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 1010
** to do something [with accusative] to someone [with accusative; or with dative]
*** 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 259
*** 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 388
*** 422 BCE, Aristophanes, The Wasps 697
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Aphobus 3 37
*** 349 BCE, Demosthenes, First Olynthiac 18
*** 361 BCE – 291 BCE, Dinarchus, Collected Works 1.17
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.115
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.152
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.166
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.37
*** 4th century BC, Isaeus, Nicostratus 19
*** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, On the Team of Horses 50
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Genesis 26.29
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, 1 Samuel 5.8
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 2.3.8
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, On Horsemanship 9.12
** (with adverb) to act
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Aristocrates 143
*** 349 BCE, Demosthenes, First Olynthiac 28
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Leptines 110
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.112
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.24
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Charmides 166c
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 60c
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 328d
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 469b
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 174e
*** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 652
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.4.9
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7.4.13
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 1.3.1
** (pro-verb) Refers back to a previous verb: to do
*** 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 52
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.97
*** 4th century BC, Isaeus, Apollodorus 35
** to act
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Categories 2a.3
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, On Generation and Corruption 322b.11
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Physics 225b.13
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.11
*** (medicine) to operate, to be efficacious
**** 129 CE – 216 CE, Galen, Collected Works 13.183
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 117b
**** 200 CE – 400 CE, Pseudo-Plutarch, On Rivers 1.6
**** 200 CE – 400 CE, Pseudo-Plutarch, On Rivers 16.2
**** 64 BCE – 24 CE, Strabo, Geography 5.3.6
**** 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 7.14.1
*** (in Thucydides) to have effect
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.8.4:ἡ δὲ εὔνοια παρὰ πολὺ ἐποίει τῶν ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους.hē dè eúnoia parà polù epoíei tôn anthrṓpōn mâllon es toùs Lakedaimoníous.The goodwill of the men had a lot of effect on the Lacedaemonians.
**** (in Thucydides, impersonal) it yields [with genitive ‘something’] + [with dative ‘to someone’]
***** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.12.3:ἐπὶ πολὺ γὰρ ἐποίει τῆς δόξης ἐν τῷ τότε τοῖς μὲν ἠπειρώταις μάλιστα εἶναι καὶ τὰ πεζὰ κρατίστοιςepì polù gàr epoíei tês dóxēs en tôi tóte toîs mèn ēpeirṓtais málista eînai kaì tà pezà kratístoisFor it yielded them, on the one hand, much fame at that time that they were mostly footfolk and superior on land.
** (Koine) to do customarily, to practise
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Proverbs 1.7
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Ezekiel 8.9,17
*** 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 5:19
*** 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 23:3
*** 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of Luke 6:27
*** New Testament, Revelation 22:15
* (middle voice) to pretend
** 500 CE – 565 CE, Procopius, Secret History 10

#### Derived terms

* ἀγαθοποιέω (agathopoiéō)
* ἀγαθοποιός (agathopoiós)
* ἀμηχανοποιέομαι (amēkhanopoiéomai)
* ἀντιποιέω (antipoiéō)
* ἐμποιέω (empoiéō)
* νεωτεροποιός (neōteropoiós)
* περιποιέω (peripoiéō)
* ποίημᾰ (poíēmă)
* ποιηρός (poiērós)
* ποιησείω (poiēseíō)
* ποίησῐς (poíēsĭs)
* ποιητέος (poiētéos)
* ποιητής (poiētḗs)
* ποιητῐκός (poiētĭkós)
* ποιητός (poiētós)
* προσποιέω (prospoiéō)

#### Descendants

* Greek: ποιώ (poió)

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ποιέω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1216

### Further reading

* “ποιέω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “ποιέω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “ποιέω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* ποιέω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
* ποιέω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* G4160 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
* ποιέω in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften