| 28c | Middell-Liddell highlights that βάθος, while primarily signifying “depth” (i.e., a vertical measurement downward), can also denote height or vertical extension upward. This dual meaning corresponds to a dimension measured “up or down.”
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In Greek literature, βάθος is used in contexts such as:
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Ταρτάρου βάθη (Aeschylus), meaning “the depths of Tartarus” — clearly downward depth.
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αἰθέρος βάθος (Euripides), where it means “the height of the sky” — upward measurement.
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In military terminology, βάθος designates the depth of a battle line (Thucydides, Xenophon), implying a spatial dimension in the vertical plane or front-to-back.
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The term extends beyond physical depth into other measurable dimensions, e.g.:
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Metaphorically, it signifies the depth or intensity of abstract qualities, such as the “depth of evils” (Aeschylus) or “depth of wealth” (Sophocles).
The Latin equivalent for this vertical dimension—whether height or depth—is altitudo, capturing the sense of vertical measurement in either direction. Thus, βάθος in Greek, especially in classical and later literature, can mean depth or height, as measured vertically upward or downward.
(cf. Middell-Liddell)
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