A.word, speech, freq. in Hom. and other Poets, in sg. and pl., “ἔπος καὶ μῦθος” Od.11.561; opp. “ἔργον, μύθων τε ῥητῆρ᾽ ἔμεναι πρηκτῆρά τε ἔργων” Il.9.443, cf. 19.242; esp. mere word, μύθοισιν, opp. ἔγχεϊ, 18.252; “ἔργῳ κοὐκέτι μύθῳ” A.Pr.1080 (anap.), etc.:—in special relations:
2. public speech, “μ. ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει” Od.1.358; “μύθοισιν σκολιοῖς” Hes.Op.194; μύθου ἐπισχεσίη the submission of a plea, Od.21.71; “πρὶν ἂν ἀμφοῖν μ. ἀκούσῃς, οὐκ ἂν δικάσαις” Ar.V.725; μύθοισι κεκάσθαι to be skilled in speech, Od.7.157.
4. thing said, fact, matter, μῦθον δέ τοι οὐκ ἐπικεύσω ib.744; “τὸν ὄντα μ.” E.El.346; threat, command, “ἠπείλησεν μῦθον” Il.1.388, cf. 25, 16.83; charge, mission, 9.625; counsel, advice, 7.358.
5. thing thought, unspoken word, purpose, design, 1.545 (pl.); “μύθων οὓς μνηστῆρες ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βυσσοδόμευον” Od.4.676, cf.777; “ἔχετ᾽ ἐν φρεσὶ μῦθον” 15.445; “ἔχε σιγῇ μ., ἐπίτρεψον δὲ θεοῖσι” 19.502, cf. 11.442; matter, “θεοῖσι μῦθον ἐπιτρέψαι” 22.289; μῦθον μυθείσθην, τοῦ εἵνεκα λαὸν ἄγειραν the reason why . . , 3.140.
6. saying, “κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον μ.” Pl.Epin.980a; οὐκ ἐμὸς ὁ μ. ἀλλ' . . E.Fr.484, cf. Pl.Smp.177a, Call.Lav.Pall.56, Ph.1.601, Plu. 2.661a; saw, proverb, “τριγέρων μ. τάδε φωνεῖ” A.Ch.314 (anap.).
7. talk of men, rumour, “ἀγγελίαν . . τὰν ὁ μέγας μ. ἀέξει” S.Aj.226 (lyr.), cf. 188 (lyr., pl.), E.IA72; report, message, S.Tr.67 (pl.), E.Ion 1340.
II. tale, story, narrative, Od.3.94, 4.324, S.Ant.11, etc.: in Hom. like the later λόγος, without distinction of true or false, μ. παιδός of or about him, Od.11.492: so in Trag., ἀκούσει μῦθον ἐν βραχεῖ λόγῳ (χρόνῳ cod. M.) A.Pers.713; “μύθων τῶν Λιβυστικῶν” Id.Fr.139.1: in Prose, τὸν εἰκότα μ. the like ly story, like lihood, Pl.Ti.29d: prov., μ. ἀπώλετο, either of a story which never comes to an end, or of one told to those who do not listen, Cratin.59, Crates Com.21, Pl.Tht. 164d, cf. R.621b, Lg.645b, Phlb.14a; μ. ἐσώθη 'that's the end of the story', Phot.
2. fiction (opp. λόγος, historic truth), Pi.O.1.29 (pl.), N.7.23 (pl.), Pl.Phd.61b, Prt.320c, 324d, etc.
3. generally, fiction, “μ. ἴδιοι” Phld.Po.5.5; legend, myth, Hdt.2.45, Pl.R.330d, Lg. 636c, etc.; “ὁ περὶ θεῶν μ.” Epicur.Ep.3p.65U.; “τοὺς μ. τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους γέγραφεν” SIG382.7 (Delos, iii B.C.).
4. professed work of fiction, children's story, fable, Pl.R.377a; of Aesop's fables, Arist. Mete.356b11.