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1 σκυτάλη
A staff, cudgel, club, D.S.3.8; σ. ἀγριέλαιος, of Heracles' club, AP9.237 (Eryc.); cf. σκύταλον:—Special usages:1 at Sparta, staff or baton, used as a cypher for writing dispatches, a strip of leather being rolled slantwise round it, on which the dispatches were written lengthwise, so that when unrolled they were unintelligible: commanders abroad had a staff of like thickness, round which they rolled these strips, and so were able to read the dispatches:—hence σκυτάλη came to mean a Spartan dispatch, Th.1.131, X.HG3.3.8, Ar.Lys. 991, Plu.Lys.19, Gell.17.9.15; and, generally, dispatch, message, as Pi. calls the bearer of his odeσκυτάλα Μοισᾶν O.6.91
, where the Sch. quotes ἀχνυμένη σκυτάλη (dub. sens.) from Archil. (Fr.89.2); ἡ σκυτάλης περιτροπή, of labour in vain (cf. ὕπερος), Pl.Tht. 209d.3 strickle for levelling grain piled up in a measure,σ. δικαία PTeb.823.15
, PAmh.2.43.10 (both ii B.C.), cf. Poll.4.170.5 strip or rod of metal or ivory,κασσιτέρου Inscr.Délos 442
B 170 (ii B.C.); ἐλέφαντος ibid.; cf. Hld.9.15.7 handle or lever in a machine, Orib.49.3.3; handspike for turning a wheel, Ph.Bel.68.6, 85.2, Hero Bel.86.12 (pl.).III cylinder or roller wherewith weights are moved, Arist.Mech. 852a16, cf. CPHerm. 95.16 (iii A.D.).IV a serpent, of uniform roundness and thickness, Nic.Th. 384, Sor. ap. Philum.Ven.27.3 (for Plu.Crass.32 v. Σκύλλα).V finger-bone, phalanx, Paul.Aeg.6.43, Tz.H.9.126.Greek-English dictionary (Αγγλικά Ελληνικά-λεξικό) > σκυτάλη
См. также в других словарях:
strickle — n. scythe sharpening instrument; template; instrument for levelling off material, especially grain, in a container … Dictionary of difficult words
