A.sending of θεωροί or state-ambassadors to the oracles or games, or, collectively, the θεωροί themselves, embassy, mission, “θεωρίαν ἀπάγειν εἰς Δῆλον” Pl.Phd.58b: pl., opp. στρατεῖαι, Id.R.556c; ἄγειν τῷ Διὶ τῷ Νεμείῳ τὴν κοινὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως θ. D.21.115, cf. X.Mem.4.8.2, Decr.Byz. ap. D.18.91 (θεα_ρία), Plb.28.19.4.
II. being a spectator at the theatre or games, S.OT1491; “οὔτ᾽ ἐπὶ θεωρίαν πώποτε ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐξῆλθες” Pl.Cri.52b; personified in Ar.Pax523,al.
III. viewing, beholding, θεωρίης εἵνεκεν ἐκδημεῖν to go abroad to see the world, Hdt.1.30; κατὰ θεωρίης πρόφασιν ib.29; “ἐκπέμπειν τινὰ κατ᾽ ἐμπορίαν καὶ κατὰ θεωρίαν” Isoc.17.4, cf. Arist.Ath.11.1, Th.6.24; pilgrimage, E.Ba.1047.
2. of the mind, contemplation, consideration, Pl.Phlb.38b: pl., θεῖαι θ. Id.R.517d: c. gen., παντὸς μὲν χρόνου πάσης δὲ οὐσίας ib.486a; ἡ τῶν ἀρχῶν, ἡ τῶν ὅλων θ., Epicur.Ep.2p.55U., Phld.Rh.1.288S.; “θ. ποιεῖσθαι περί τινος” Arist.Metaph.989b25; ἡ περὶ φύσεως θ. Epicur.Ep.1p.3U., etc.: pl., τὰς σαθρὰς αὐτοῦ θ. Demetr. Lac.Herc.124.12.
b. theory, speculation, opp. practice, Plb. 1.5.3; ἡ περὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα θ. Id.6.42.6; αἱ νυκτεριναὶ καὶ ἡμεριναὶ θ. theoretic reckoning of night and day, Id.9.14.6; ἡ μαθηματικὴ θ. Plu. Rom.12.
3. Pass., sight, spectacle, A.Pr.802, etc.; esp. public spectacle at the theatre or games, Ar.V.1005, X.Hier.1.12; ἡ τοῦ Διονύσου θ. the Dionysia, Pl.Lg.650a.
4. Rhet., explanatory preface to a μελέτη, Chor. in Hermes 17.208, etc.: so in Philos., continuous exposition, Olymp.in Mete.18.30, al.