ἄθεος, (Θεός) (from Pindar down], without God, knowing and worshipping no God, in which sense Aelian v. h. 2, 31 declares ὅτι μηδείς τῶν βαρβάρων ἄθεος; in classic authors generally slighting the gods, impious, repudiating the gods recognized by the state, in which sense certain Greek philosophers, the Jews (Josephus, contra Apion 2, 14, 4), and subsequently Christians were called ἄθεοι by the heathen (Justin, Apology 1, 13, etc.). In Eph_2:12 of one who neither knows nor worships the true God; so of the heathen (cf. 1Th_4:5; Gal_4:8); Clement, οἱ τόν ὄντως ὄντα ... Alex. protr, 2:23, p. 19 Pott. ἀθεους Θεόν ἠγνοήκλασι, Philo, leg. ad Gai. § 25 αἰγυπτιακὴ ἀθεότης, Hos_4:15 Symm. οἶκος ἀθεΐας, a house in which idols are worshipped, Ignatius ad Trall. 10 [ET] ἄθεοι τοῦτ᾿ἔστιν ἄπιστοι (of the Docetae); (others understand Ephesians, the passage cited passively deserted of God, Vulg.sine Deo; on the various meanings of the word see Meyer (or Ellicott)).

ἄθεος atheos 1x an atheist; godless, estranged from the knowledge and worship of the true God, Eph_2:12

* ἄ -θεος , -ον , 1. in cl . (a) slighting or denying the gods ( Plat .; cf. MM , VGT , s.v. ); (b) godless, ungodly (find.); ( c ) abandoned by the gods ( Soph .) 2. In the NT ( cf. Lft . on Ign. ad Trall., § 3), of the heathen, without God, not knowing God ( Cremer , 281): Eph_2:12 .†

ἄθεος [page 12] OGIS 569 .22 (iv/A.D.) τῆς τῶν ἀθέων ἀπεχθοῦς ἐπιτηδεύσεως . For the popular cry αἶρε τοὺς ἀθέους , Away with the atheists, directed against the early Christians, see the account of the martyrdom of Polycarp in Eus. H.E. iv. 15, 19 : cf. ib. ix. 10, 12, παρ᾽ ᾧ γε (Maximinus) μικρῷ πρόσθεν δυσσεβεῖς ἐδοκοῦμεν καὶ ἄθεοι καὶ παντὸς ὄλεθροι τοῦ βίου . See also the Logion P Oxy I. 1 recto .3 ἐὰν ὦσιν [`b᾽ οὐκ ] ε [ἰσὶ ]ν̣ ὰ̣θ̣εοι .

ἄ-θεος, -ον, __1. in cl. __(a) slighting or denyiyig the gods (Plat.; cf. MM, VGT, see word); __(b) godless, ungodly (Pind.); __(with) abandoned by the gods (Soph.) __2. In the NT (cf. Lft. on Ign. ad Trail, §3), of the heathen, without God, not knowing God (Cremer, 281): Eph.2:12. † (AS)