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σύμβολον , τό,
A.tally, i.e. each of two halves or corresponding pieces of an ἀστράγαλος or other object, which two ξένοι, or any two contracting parties, broke between them, each party keeping one piece, in order to have proof of the identity of the presenter of the other, “ἀποδεικνύντες τὰ ς. ἀπαίτεον τὰ χρήματα” Hdt.6.86.“β́; ξένοις τε πέμψω σύμβολ᾽, οἳ δράσουσί σ᾽ εὖ” E.Med.613 (cf. Sch.); διαπεπρισμένα ἡμίσε᾽ ἀκριβῶς ὡσπερεὶ τὰ ς. Eub.70; ὡς ς. ὀρέγεται ἀλλήλων [τὰ ἐναντία] Arist.EE1239b31; ζητεῖ . . τὸ αὑτοῦ ἕκαστος ς. Pl.Smp.191d; “καθάπερ ἐκ συμβόλων” Arist.Mete.360a26, cf. GA722b11, Pol.1294a35; ἔχειν σύμβολα πρὸς ἄλληλα complementary factors, Id.GC331a24; ποιησάσθω σύμβολα ἡ βουλὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Σιδωνίων, ὅπως ἂν ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ἀθηναίων εἰδῇ, ἐάν τι πέμπῃ κτλ. IG22.141.19.
b. of other devices having the same purpose, e.g. a seal-impression on wax, Plaut. Pseud.55 (hence ς. = signet-ring, Plin.HN33.10); an extant bronze hand is inscribed “ς. πρὸς Οὐελαυνίους” IG14.2432 (Gaul), cf. 279 (Lilybaeum, ii B.C., where the word does not occur).
2. any token serving as proof of identity, “ἔλαβε ς. παρὰ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου φιάλην χρυσῆν” Lys.19.25; πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν . . εὐπορήσειν διὰ τὸ ς. ibid.; ὡς ἔγνω . . τὰ παρὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ς. X.Cyr.6.1.46; τὰ μητρὸς ς. E.Ion 1386, cf. Hel.291, El.577, Com.Adesp.17.16 D., D.S.4.59, Plu.Thes.6; ἰδοὺ τὰ ς. here are my credentials, Arr.Epict.1.16.11, cf. 3.22.99, 4.8.20; ἔχοντες ς. σαφὲς λύπης bearing clear credentials (consisting) of (a common) grief, S.Ph.403, cf. Aristid.1.416 J.
3. guarantee, “ς. τῆς παιδεύσεως πιστότατον” Isoc.4.49; “ς. ὅτι παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ [ἡ ἐπιστολή] ἐστι” Pl.Ep.360a, cf. 363b; “ς. τῆς σωτηρίας” D.15.4; “ς. τοῦ συμφέροντος εἰς τὸ μὴ βλάπτειν ἀλλήλους” Epicur.Sent.31.
4. token, esp. of goodwill, “χρυσίον ς. φιλίας καὶ ξενίας” Plu.Pyrrh.20, cf. Art.18; “χρυσοῦν στέφανον ἔλαβον ς. περιέχοντα τῆς ὑμετέρας πρός με εὐσεβείας” PLond.3.1178.13 (ii A.D.).
5. identity-token given to Athenian dicasts on entering the courts, entitling them to vote, and on presenting which they received another ς., in exchange for which they received their fee, Ar.Pl.278, D.18.210, Arist.Ath.65.2, 68.2, Poll.8.16; also in the ecclesia, Ar.Ec.297 (lyr.); διάδοσις τῶν ς. IG2.1749.76: extant theatre-tokens (without the word ς.) in IG5(2).323 (Mantinea, iv B.C.).
6. at Rome, = tessera, token entitling the bearer to a donation of corn or money, D.C.49.43.
II. of written documents,
1. passport or the seal thereon, Ar.Av.1214 (cf. Sch.); ἐκπλεῖν μηδένα ἀστῶν μηδὲ μέτοικον ἄνευ ς. Aen.Tact.10.8: metaph., Arr.Epict.3.12.15.
2. passenger-list, ἐμοῦ [τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ] τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀπαριθμοῦντος τῷ Αἰακῷ κἀκείνου λογιζομένου αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ . . πεμφθὲν αὐτῷ ς. Luc.Cat.4.
3. pl., treaty between two states providing for the security of one another's citizens and sts. for the settlement of commercial and other disputes (usu. in the law-courts of the defendant's city (cf. Harp. s.v.)); “εἰσὶ . . αὐτοῖς συνθῆκαι περὶ τῶν εἰσαγωγίμων καὶ ς. περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀδικεῖν” Arist.Pol.1280a39; “ς. ποιήσασθαι πρὸς πόλιν” D.7.11, cf. And.4.18; “τὰ ς. συγχέων” D.21.173; ἀπὸ συμβόλων δικάζεσθαι, κοινωνεῖν, Antipho 5.78, Arist.Pol.1275a10; “αἱ ἀπὸ συμβόλων δίκαι” Id.Ath.59.6; cf. “συμβολή” 111: sg. in same sense, Foed. Delph.Pell.1 A 7 (also written συββ- ib. 1 B 10, al.); “ἡ κατὰ τὸ ς. δικαιοδοσία πρός τινα” Plb.23.1.2, cf. 32.7.3; κατὰ τὸ ς. IG12(7).67.48 (Arcesine, iv/iii B.C.), 9(1).331.5 (Chaleion, ii B.C.); κατὰ τὸ δοχθὲν κοινᾷ ς. GDI5040.70 (Crete).
4. contract between individuals, PCair.Zen.724.7,13, 790.2 (iii B.C.), PTeb.5.212 (ii B.C.), 52.10 (ii B.C.); αἰσχρὰ κακοῖς ἔργοις ς. θηκάμενοι forming disgraceful compacts (sealed) by evil deeds, Thgn.1150; “τὰ τῷ Καίσαρι πεπραγμένα κυροῦν συμβόλῳ” App.BC2.132.
5. receipt, sts. made out in duplicate, “ς. διπλᾶ ἐσφραγισμένα” PSI4.324.4 (iii B.C.), cf. PRev.Laws52.19 (iii B.C.), UPZ25.25, 26.16 (ii B.C.); “τὸ ς. τῆς ἀποχῆς” PCair.Zen. 144.2 (iii B.C.); “ς. ἀποχῆς” PEnteux.73.4 (iii B.C.); “σύμβολον ποιήσασθαι πρὸς αὐτόν” PLille 4.18 (iii B.C.), cf. PHib.1.67.16 (iii B.C.); “ς. καὶ ἀντισύμβολα” BGU1741.10 (i B.C.); receipt for a pledged article, PCair. Zen.120.3 (iii B.C.).
b. fee for making out a receipt, PRyl.192.10 (ii A.D.), BGU1605.13 (ii A.D.), etc.
6. unilateral undertaking in writing, guarantee, PPetr.3p.164 (iii B.C.), PMich.Zen.57.4 (iii B.C.), UPZ112 ii 1 (ii B.C.).
7. warrant entitling the holder to draw allowances over a period, “τοῦ κθ́ ἔτους τὸ ς. τοῦ ὀψωνίου καὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς σύνταξον γράψαι” PSI5.504.8 (iii B.C.); ς. σιτικὰ καὶ ἀργυρικά (bequeathed) PGrenf.1.21.16 (ii B.C.); σφράγισαι τὸ ς. PCair.Zen.375.11 (iii B.C.), cf. PSI4.349.2,7 (iii B.C.), UPZ14.89 (ii B.C.); “τὰ ς. τῶν σιταρχιῶν” BGU1755.5 (i B.C.).
8. warrant or commission from the Emperor, by which officers held their posts, Cod.Just.1.5.12.1, 11; ς. τριβούνου ib.12.33.8 Intr.
III. more generally, token, φυλάσσω λαμπάδος τὸ ς. the beacon-token, A.Ag.8; τέκμαρ τοιοῦτο ς. τέ σοι λέγω ib.315; μανθάνω τὸ ς. E.Or.1130, cf.Rh.220; clue, S.OT221; χειμῶνος ς. a sign of an approaching storm, Anaxag. 19, Sch.Arat.832; “νόμισμα ς. τῆς ἀλλαγῆς ἕνεκα γενήσεται” Pl.R. 371b; “ἔστι τὰ ἐν τῇ φωνῇ τῶν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ παθημάτων ς., καὶ τὰ γραφόμενα τῶν ἐν τῇ φωνῇ” Arist.Int.16a4, cf. 24b2, Sens.437a15; τὰ τεχνητὰ τῶν ς. Plu.Per.6; νίκης ς. Ἰσθμιάδος, of the celery-wreath, Call.Fr.103; τὰ τῶν στρατοπέδων ς. legionary standards, Hdn.4.7.7; insignia of deities, D.H.8.38; “τῆς βασιλείας” Plu.Comp.Cim. Luc.3; εἰράνας ς. καὶ πολέμον, of a trumpet, AP6.151 (Tymn.).
2. omen, portent, Archil.44, A.Ag.144 (lyr.); “ς. δ᾽ οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθονίων πιστὸν ἀμφὶ πράξιος ἐσσομένας εὗρεν θεόθεν” Pi.O.12.7 (cf. Sch.); οἱ διὰ συμβόλων . . προλέγοντες distd. from other kinds of μάντεις, Gal. 15.442; “περὶ οἰωνῶν καὶ ς. καὶ διοσημιῶν” Iamb.VP13.62;= auspicium, Gloss.; ἐν τοῖς λικμητηρίοις γεννώμενα τὰ βρέφη ἐτίθεσαν εἰς ς. εὐτροφίας Sch.Arat.268.
3. Medic., symptom, Gal.19.217, Aret.CD1.4, al.
4. prearranged signal, “ἐπιχειρήσεως” Plu.Rom.14; watchword, E.Rh.573.
5. secret code, “τὰ μυστικὰ ς. τῶν περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον ὀργιασμῶν, ἃ σύνισμεν ἀλλήλοις οἱ κοινωνοῦντες” Plu.2.611d, cf. Orph.Fr.31.23; consisting of a signum and a responsum, Firm. De Errore 18; τὰ ς. [Πυθαγόρου] Arist.Fr.197, Plu.2.727c; περὶ Πυθαγορικῶν ς., title of a work by Androcydes, Iamb.VP28.145; secret sign, γράψαι τι ς. ἐν πίνακι, . . μαθεῖν τὸν θέντα τὸ ς. ib.33.238, cf. 23.103, 32.227, Luc.Laps.5; allegory, Chrysipp.Stoic.2.256,257, Demetr. Eloc.243; “διὰ συμβόλων μηνύειν” Ph.2.559, cf. 1.681, al., Dam.Pr. 210.
6. religious creed, τὸ ἅγιον μάθημα ἤτοι ς. Cod.Just.1.1.7.11, cf. 13.
IV. pl., standard weights, IG22.1013.8.
V. a small coin, perh. a half-obol, shaped D, Hermipp.61, Ar.Fr.44, Archipp. 8: hence σύμβολον κεκαρμένος with half the head shaved, Hermipp.14.
Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (45):
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