A.watching or guarding, esp. by night, “φυλακῆς μνήσασθε” Il.7.371; φυλακὰς ἔχειν keep watch and ward, 9.1,471; “φ. κατέχειν” E.Tr.194 (lyr.); φυλακὴ ἔχει αὐτόν watching engages him, v.l. in Hes.Fr.188.4; “φ. νυκτερινή” Ar.V.2: prov., γυμνῷ φυλακὴν ἐπιτάττειν tell an unarmed man to stand on the defensive, i.e. to give commands that cannot be obeyed, Pherecr.144, cf. Philem.12; “περὶ φυλακῆς Εὐβοίας . . ἐπιμέλεσθαι” IG12.39.76; ὅπως ἀφανὴς εἴη ἡ φ. that there might be nothing visible to watch, Th.4.67; “φυλακὴν [τῶν τειχῶν] ἔρημον καταλιπεῖν” Lycurg.17; φυλακὰς φυλάξειν keep watch and ward, X.An.2.6.10, cf. Pl.Lg.758d; “τὴν ἐν θαλάττῃ φ. φυλάττειν” D.7.14; “φ. ποιῆσαι” X.An.5.7.31; “τὴν φ. ποιεῖσθαι” Lys.12.16; “φυλακὰς ποιήσασθαι” X.An.6.3.21; “ἰσχυρὰς φ. ποιεῖσθαι” Id.Cyr.1.6.37; φυλακὰς καταστήσασθαι, κατασκευάσασθαι, Ar.Av.841, X.HG7.2.23.
2. watch or guard, of persons, Pl.Prt.321d (pl.), Act.Ap.12.10, etc.; “φ. ἑωυτοῦ ποιεύμενός [τινας]” Hdt.2.154; φ. τοῦ σώματος a body guard, D.23.3; “τῶν σωμάτων” Din.1.9; “φ. περὶ τὸ σῶμα” X.Cyr.7.5.58, cf. PHib.1.59.5 (iii B. C.), etc.; garrison of a place or fortress, Hdt.2.30; ἡ ἐν τῇ Ναυπάκτῳ φ., of a squadron of ships, Th.7.17, cf. X.HG1.1.22.
3. station, post, Il.10.408 (pl.), 416 (pl.), X.HG5.4.49; “φυλακὰς προλιπών” E.Rh.18 (anap.); Διὸς φ., Pythag. name for the centre of the universe, Arist.Cael. 293b3.
4. of time, a watch of the night, “ἐπεὰν τῆς νυκτὸς ἦ δευτέρη φ.” Hdt.9.51; πρώτης φ. ἀρχομένης Wilcken Chr.1 ii 18 (iii B. C.); “φυλακαῖσι νυκτέροισιν” E.Rh.765; “φ. νυκτερινὰς καὶ ἡμερινὰς καθιστάναι” X.Cyr.1.6.43: of these there were three, acc. to Sch.E. Rh.5; but five are mentioned in Stesich.55, Simon.219 A, E.Rh. 543 (lyr.); and the Roman division was four, Ev.Matt.14.25, Suid.
5. place for keeping others in, ward, prison, “δημοσία φ.” D.S.10.30; “εἰς φυλακὴν βληθείς” AP11.276 (Lucill.); “βαλεῖν τινὰ εἰς φ.” Ev.Matt.18.30, cf. Arr.Epict.1.1.24; “θέσθαι τινὰ ἐν φυλακῇ” LXX Ge.40.3, cf. Ev.Matt.14.3; πολιτικὴ φ. the town-prison, POxy.259.8 (i A. D.).
6. Astrol. = ταπείνωμα, PMich. in Class.Phil.22.22 (pl.).
II. guarding, keeping, preserving, whether for security or custody, “ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχειν τινά” Hdt.1.24; “ἐν φ. ἀδέσμῳ ἔχειν τινά” Th.3.34; “ἐν φυλακῇσι μεγάλῃσι ἔχεσθαι” Hdt.2.99; τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἔχειν ἐν φ. to keep the Isthmus guarded or occupied, Id.7.207, cf. 8.40; τὸν ἠνείκαντο γλώσσης χαρακτῆρα τοῦτον ἔχειν ἐν φ. to preserve the same character of language, Id.1.57; “ἔχειν νόον ἐν φ.” Thgn.439; “τὰ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐν πλείστῃ φ., παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας” D.18.215; “τὰ κατὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον διὰ φυλακῆς ἔχων” Th.7.8; “τὸν πλοῦν διὰ φ. ποιησάμενοι” Id.8.39; στόματος φυλακᾷ κατασχεῖν φθόγγον prob. in A.Ag.236 (lyr.); ἐν φ. σχεθέμεν μεγάλᾳ be very ware of, Pi.P.4.75; φυλακὴν ἔχειν, = φυλάττεσθαι, keep guard, be on the watch, “περί τινα” Hdt.1.39; φ. ἔχων εἴ κως δυναίμην . . ib.38; φ. ἔχειν μή . . Th.2.69; φ. λαμβάνειν μή . . Men.Pk.20; δεινῶς ἦσαν ἐν φυλακῇσι were straitly on their guard, Hdt.3.152, cf. A.Pers.592 (lyr.).
2. custody of property, Arist.Pol.1309b6, EN1120a9.
3. safeguard, τὴν μεγίστην φ. ἀνῄρηκε τῆς πόλεως its chief safeguard, And.4.19; “φ. παρέχειν” Isoc.11.13; δημοκρατίας, μοναρχίας φ., Lys.25.28, Arist. Pol.1315a8.
III. (from Med.) precaution, “πολλῆς φ. ἔργον” Pl.R. 537d; “φ. θαυμαστῆς δεομένη” Id.Lg.906a, al., cf. Th.5.99.
2. c. gen., precaution against, “εὐλάβεια φ. κακοῦ” Pl.Def.413d; “ὑποψίας φυλακὴν ποιήσασθαι” Antipho 2.1.2; “φ. τῶν πάντα μολυνόντων” Epicur. Sent.Vat.80, cf. 73.
