A.carpenter's line or rule, ξέσσε δ᾽ ἐπισταμένως καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνεν [δοῦρα] Od.5.245, cf.23.197; [πελέκεας] ἐπὶ ς. ἴθ. 21.121; also “στάθμη δόρυ νήϊον ἐξιθύνει” Il.15.410; “τόρνου καὶ στάθμης καὶ γνώμονος . . ἰθύτερον” Thgn.805; ἐπὶ ς. θεῖναι μίαν on a level, Arist.PA657a10: prop. στάθμη was the line rubbed with chalk or red ochre, being distd. from the rule (κανών) by Pl.Phlb.56c, X.Ages.10.2; “κανόσι καὶ στάθμαις” Plu.2.807d, etc.; λευκὴ ς., v. λευκός 11.1a: metaph., ἀτεχνῶς λευκὴ ς. εἰμὶ πρὸς τοὺς καλούς a white measuring-line, i.e. unable to discriminate, Pl.Chrm.154b, cf. Plu.2.513f.
2. παρὰ στάθμην by the rule, “εἶμι παρὰ ς. ὀρθὴν ὁδόν” Thgn.945, cf. 543; “τέκτονος παρὰ ς. ἰόντος” S.Fr.474; for A.Ag.1045 v. παρά c. 11.2; κατὰ στάθμην ἵστασθαι, c. gen., in a straight line with, Democr. ap. Plu.2.929c; κατὰ ς. ἐνόησας you guessed aright, Theoc.25.194; “ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ στάθμης” D.H.Comp.23; “στάθμῃ” Aret.SD2.11; πρὸς στάθμῃ πέτρον τίθεσθαι, μή τι πρὸς πέτρῳ στάθμην, i.e. when facts are obstinate, do not relax your standard, Com.(?) ap.Plu.2.75f(cf. Bergk PLG3.740); στάθμα πατρῴα perh. the measure [of piety] towards his father, Pi.P.6.45; στάθμας ἑλκόμενοι περισσᾶς perh. straining at an over-exact measure, ib.2.90.
3. verification, certification, τὰς ς. τῶν μέτρων ἀπὸ τοῦ βελτίστου ποιεῖσθαι prob. in PTeb.5.88 (ii B.C.).
II. plummet or plumbline, “μολιβαχθής” AP6.103 (Phil.); ῥιπτεῖσθαι ἄνω κατὰ στάθμην to be thrown perpendicularly upwards, Arist.Cael.296b24.
III. like γραμμή, the line which bounds the racecourse, goal, δραμεῖν ποτὶ στάθμαν, metaph. of man's life, Pi.N.6.7; “παρ᾽ οἵαν ἤλθομεν ς. βίου” E.Ion 1514.
