ὅρκος
Alt. ὅρκος, ὁ,
I. "the object by which one swears, the witness of an oath", as the Styx among the gods, Hom., etc.:—hence,
2. "an oath", id=Hom., etc.; ὅρκος θεῶν "an oath by" the gods, Od.; ὅρκον ὀμόσαι to swear "an oath", Hom., etc.; ὅρκον ἐπιορκεῖν to take a false "oath", Aeschin.; ὅρκον διδόναι καὶ δέξασθαι to tender "an oath" to another and accept "the tender" from him, Hdt., attic; ὅρκον ἀποδιδόναι to take "an oath", ἀπολαμβάνειν to tender it, Dem.; so, ὅρκον διδόναι καὶ λαμβάνειν Arist.; ὅρκοις τινὰ καταλαμβάνειν "to bind" one by oaths, Thuc.; ὅρκῳ ἐμμένειν "to abide by" it, Eur.; εἶπαι ἐπ᾽ ὅρκου to say "on oath", Hdt.
II. Ὅρκος, personified, son of Ἔρις, a divinity, who punishes the perjured, Hes., etc.
Etym. ὅρκος was orig. equiv. to ἕρκος, as ὁρκάνη to ἑρκάνη, from ἔργω, εἴργω, properly, "that which restrains from doing" a thing.