ξύλον

ξύλον [pron. full] [ῠ], τό (pl. spelt

A

ξύλεα

Abh. Berl. Akad.

1928(6).32

(Cos, v B. C.)), wood cut and ready for use, firewood, timber, etc., Hom., mostly in pl., Il.8.507,547, Od.14.418 ; ξ. νήϊα ship-timber, Hes.Op. 808 ;

ξ. ναυπηγήσιμα Th.7.25

, X.An.6.4.4, Pl.Lg.706b, D.17.28 ; ξ. τετράγωνα logs cut square, Hdt.1.186, cf. Pl.Prt.325d, Arist.EN 1109b7.

2 in pl., also, the wood-market,

ἐπὶ ξύλα ἰέναι Ar.Fr. 403

.

II in sg., piece of wood, log, beam, post, once in Hom.,

ξ. αὖον . . ἢ δρυὸς ἢ πεύκης Il.23.327

; ξ. σύκινον spoon made of fig wood, Pl.Hp.Ma.291c ; peg or lever, Arist.MA701b9 ; perch,

ἐπὶ ξύλου καθεύδειν Ar.Nu.1431

: by poet. periphr.,

Ἀργοῦς ξύλον A.Fr.20

; ἵπποιο κακὸν ξ., of the Trojan horse, AP9.152 (Agath.) : hence anything made of wood, as,

2 cudgel, club, Hdt.2.63,4.180, Ar.Lys.357, PHal.1.187 (iii B.C.);

μετὰ ξύλων εἰσπηδῆσαι PTeb.304.10

(ii A.D.);

ξύλοις συντρίψειν Luc.Demon.50

; of the club of Heracles, Plu.Lyc.30.

3 an instrument of punishment,

a wooden collar, put on the neck of the prisoner,

ξύλῳ φιμοῦν τὸν αὐχένα Ar.Nu.592

;

ἐς τετρημένον ξ. ἐγκαθαρμόσαι . . τὸν αὐχένα Id.Lys.680

; or,

b stocks, in which the feet were confined, Hdt.9.37, 6.75, Ar.Eq.367, D.18.129 ;

ξ. ἐφέλκειν Polyzel.3

;

ἐν τῷ ξ. δεδέσθαι Lys.10.16

(v. ποδοκάκκη), cf. Act.Ap.16.24, OGI483.181 (Pergam., ii A.D.) : also in pl.,

ἔδησεν ἐν τοῖς ξ. And.1.45

.

c πεντεσύριγγον ξύλον (v. sub voc.) was a combination of both, with holes for the neck, arms, and legs, Ar.Eq.1049.

d gallows,

κρεμάσαι τινὰ ἐπὶ ξύλου LXX De.21.22

; ξ. δίδυμον ib.Jo.8.29 : prov., ἐξ ἀξίου τοῦ ξύλου κἂν ἀπάγξασθαι, i.e. if one must be hanged, at least let it be on a noble tree, App.Prov.2.67, cf. Ar.Ra.736 ; in NT, of the cross, Act.Ap.5.30,10.39.

e stake on which criminals were impaled, Alex.222.10.

4 bench, table, esp. money-changer's table, D.45.33.

5 πρῶτον ξύλον front bench in the Athenian theatre, Ar.Ach.25, V.90, cf. Sch.adlocc. : hence οὑπὶ τῶν ξύλων the official who had to take care of the seats, Hermipp.9 (according to Meineke).

6 the Hippocratic bench, Hp.Fract.13, Art.72.

III of live wood, tree,

[ὄρος] δασὺ πολλοῖς καὶ παντοδαποῖς καὶ μεγάλοις ξύλοις X.An.6.4.5

, cf. Call.Cer.41, Agatharch.55, LXX Ca.2.3, al. : opp. σάρξ, Thphr.HP1.2.6,al. ;

τῷ ξ. τοῦ δένδρου ἀνάλογον τὴν λεγομένην εἶναι γῆν Plot.6.7.11

;

τὸ ξ. τῆς ἀμπέλου E.Cyc.572

; εἴρια ἀπὸ ξύλου, of cotton, Hdt.3.47 ;

εἵματα ἀπὸ ξύλων πεποιημένα Id.7.65

, cf.Poll.7.75.

IV of persons, blockhead, APl.4.187 ; of a stubborn person,

σίδηρός τις ἢ ξ. πρὸς τὰς δεήσεις Ach.Tat.5.22

.

V a measure oflength, = 3 (also 2 2/3) cubits, the side of the ναύβιον, Hero *Geom.23.4,11, POxy.669.11,28 (iii A.D.), 1053 (vi/vii A.D.).