σῖτος

σῖτος, ὁ, heterocl. pl. σῖτα, τά, Xenoph.2.8, Hdt.4.128, 5.34 (neut. sg. σῖτον only Delph.3(5).3 ii 19 (iv B.C.)):—

A grain, comprehending both wheat ([etym.] πυρός) and barley ([etym.] κριθή)

, ἐν [Ἰθάκῃ] σ. ἀθέσφατος ἐν δέ τε οἶνος γίγνεται Od.13.244

; περὶ σίτου ἐκβολήν about the shooting of the corn into ear, Th.4.1; τοῦ σ. ἀκμάζοντος at its ripening, Id.2.19;

πρὶν τὸν σ. ἐν ἀκμῇ εἶναι Id.4.2

;

τὸν νέον σ. σὺν τῇ καλάμῃ ἀποκείμενον X.An.5.4.27

; σ. ἀληλεσμένος or -εμένος ground corn, Hdt.7.23, Th.4.26;

σ. ἀπηλοημένος D.42.6

;

σῖτον ἐσαγαγεῖν Th.2.6

, etc.;

σ. ἐπείσακτος D.18.87

; σίτου εἰσαγωγή, ἐξαγωγή, Arist.EN1133b9, IG12.57.35;

συγκομιδή X.HG7.5.14

;

ἐγδοχεία PMich.Zen.23

(iii B.C.); comprehending πυρός, κριθή, ὄλυρα, and φακός, PTeb.66.41 (ii B.C.);

περὶ τοῦ σ. καὶ τοῦ σησάμου PMich.Zen.43.3

(iii B.C.); ὁ σ. καὶ τὰ λάχανα as examples of πόα, Thphr.HP1.3.1.

2 food made from grain, bread, opp. flesh-meat,

σ. καὶ κρέα Od.9.9

, 12.19, cf. Hdt.2.168; σῖτον ἔδοντες, a general epith. of men as opp. to beasts, ὅσσοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σ. ἔδ. Od.8.222, cf. 9.89; of savages, who eat flesh only,

οὐδέ τι σῖτον ἤσθιον Hes.Op.146

; of civilized men,

σῖτον καὶ σπείρουσι καὶ σιτέονται Hdt.4.17

;

σωρὸν σίτου κεχυμένον Id.1.22

;

ἐσθίειν ἐπὶ τῷ σ. ὄψον X.Mem.3.14.2

; κάρδαμον ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῷ ς. Id.Cyr.1.2.11; πίνειν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τῷ ς. ib.6.2.27, cf. Plu. Them.29, with Id.2.328f.

3 in a wider sense, food, as opp. to drink,

σ. ἠδὲ ποτής Od.9.87

, cf. Il.19.306;

σ. καὶ οἶνος Od.3.479

, Il.9.706;

σ. καὶ μέθυ Od.4.746

, etc.; even of porridge ([etym.] κυκεών), 10.235;

σῖτα καὶ ποτά Hdt.5.34

, X.An.2.3.27;

σ. ποιεῖν καὶ οἶνον Pl.R.372a

;

ἄκμηνος σίτοιο Il.19.163

, cf. A.Fr.182; εὐνὴ καὶ ς. Od. 20.130, cf. Il.24.129;

ὕπνον καὶ σ. αἱρεῖσθαι Th.2.75

; provisions,

σῖτα ἀναιρέεσθαι Hdt.4.128

;

παρέχειν σῖτα καὶ νέας Id.7.21

; παρέχειν μέχρι τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν ς. Foed. ap. Th.5.47.

4 rarely of beasts, fodder, Hes.Op.604, E.HF383 (lyr.), X.Eq.4.1.—In the general sense of food, Prose writers prefer the dim. form σιτία, τά.

II in [dialect] Att. Law, allowance of grain made to widows and orphans. σῖτον διδόναι, ἀποδιδόναι, D.27.15, 28.11, Arist.Ath.56.7.

2 δίκην σίτου δικάσασθαι, bring an action under the Athen. Corn-law against regraters and monopolists, Is.3.9, cf. D.59.52.

3 allowance made to the Ἱππεῖς, IG12.304.4, al.

4 public distribution of corn in Rome, Lat. frumentatio,

τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ σίτου ὄντα ἐν Ῥώμῃ Arr.Epict.1.10.2

.