σῆμα

σῆμα, Dor. σᾶμα Berl.Sitzb. 1927.161 (Cyrene), etc.: ατος, τό:—

• sign, mark, token, Il. 10.466, 23.326, Od. 19.250, etc.; of the star on a horseʼs forehead, Il. 23.455; ἥβης σήματα γεινομένης Sol. 27.4; νέφος σ. χειμῶνος Archil. 54; esp.
• • • 1 sign from heaven, omen, portent, in phrases, σήματα φαίνω Il. 2.353, cf. 308; κτύπε Ζεύς, σ. τιθεὶς Τρώεσσι 8.171; δεικνὺς σ. βροτοῖσι 13.244; θεοῦ σάμασιν πιθόμενοι Pi. P. 4.200, cf. 1.3; φλογωπὰ σ. A. Pr. 498, cf. Ch. 259; of things heard as well as seen, ἔπος φάτο σ. ἄνακτι Od. 20.111.
    • 2 generally, sign to do or begin something, τόδε σ. τετύχθω 21.231; σ. ἀροτοῖο Hes. Op. 450; esp. watchword, τί τὸ σῆμα; θρόει E. Rh. 12 (anap.), cf. 688; battle-sign, signal, σ. μάχης Id. Ph. 1378.
    • 3 sign by which a grave is known, mound, cairn, barrow, Il. 2.814, etc.; τοῦ δὲ τάφον καὶ σῆμʼ ἀϊδὲς ποίησεν Ἄναυρος Hes. Sc. 477; ἐπὶ σῆμʼ ἔχεεν raised a mound, Il. 6.419, etc.; σ. κυνός E. Hec. 1273: c. dat. pers., σῆμά τέ οἱ χεύω Od. 2.222; σῆμά τέ μοι χεῦαι . . ἀνδρὸς δυστήνοιο 11.75; σάματι πὰρ Πέλοπος Pi. O. 10(11).24; grave, tomb, Hdt. 1.93, 4.72, Berl.Sitzb. l.c., etc.; τὸ δημόσιον σ. Th. 2.34; στῆλαι ἀπὸ σημάτων Id. 1.93, cf. Ar. Th. 886, 888, etc.; ἤδη του . . ἤκουσα τῶν σοφῶν ὡς τὸ μὲν σῶμά ἐστιν ἡμῖν σ. Pl. Grg. 493a, cf. Cra. 400c.
    • 4 mark to show the cast of a quoit or javelin, ὑπέρβαλε σήματα πάντων Il. 23.843; ὑπέρπτατο σ. πάντων Od. 8.192; also, boundary, D.P. 18.
    • 5 token by which any oneʼs identity or commission was certified, μιν ἐρέεινε καὶ ᾔτεε σ. ἰδέσθαι Il. 6.176, cf. 178; σ. λυγρά, of written characters or symbols, ib. 168; mark, token on the lot of Ajax, 7.189; so, device or bearing on a shield, by which a warrior is known, freq. in A. Th., as 387, 404, E. El. 456 (lyr.); of the seal set on a box, τῶνδʼ ἀποίσεις σ. S. Tr. 614; mark made by an illiterate person, PMasp. 163.37 (vi A.D.).
    • 6 constellation, mostly in pl., heavenly bodies, S. Fr. 432; also λαμπρότατος μὲν ὅ γʼ ἐστί, κακὸν δέ τε σῆμα τέτυκται, of Sirius, Il. 22.30. (Perh. cogn. with Skt. dhyāti ‘thinks’.)

σῆμα, τό, das Zeichen, Kennzeichen, Wahrzeichen, Merkmal, woran man Etwas erkennt, unterscheidet ;
   a) ein von einer Gottheit gesendetes Zeichen, Vorzeichen, Anzeichen ; ἔνθʼ ἐφάνη μέγα σῆμα, δράκων, Il. 2.308 ; von Zeus heißt es ἐναίσιμα σήματα φαίνων, 353, vgl. 4.381, 9.236 ; τρὶς δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ᾿Ιδαίων ὀρέων κτύπε Ζεύς, σῆμα τιθεὶς Τρώεσσι, 8.171 ; ἀστεροπῇ δεικνὺς σῆμα βροτοῖσιν, 13.244 ; vom Sirius λαμπρότατος μὲν ὅδʼ ἐστί, κακὸν δέ τε σῆμα τέτυκται, 22.30, weil er die Hitze andeutet ; θεοῦ σήμασι πιθέσθαι, Pind. P. 4.199, vgl. 1.3 ; πέμπειν ἔχοις ἂν σήματʼ εὐπειθῆ βροτοῖς, Aesch. Ch. 257 ; Soph. O.C. 1508.
   b) ein Zeichen, woran man ein Grab erkennt, Grabmal, Grabhügel ; ἐπὶ σῆμʼ ἔχεεν, Il. 6.419, 7.86 u. öfter ; vgl. πρίν γʼ ἐνὶ Πάτροκλον θέμεναι πυρί, σῆμά τε χεῦαι, 23.45, u. σῆμά τέ οἱ χεῦαι καὶ ἐπὶ κτέρεα κτερεΐξαι, Od. 2.222 ; u. so bei Folgenden übh. Grabmal, ἀρχαίῳ παρὰ σάματι Πέλοπος, Pind. Ol. 11.24, Ar. Eccl. 1108, ἐς τὸ δημόσιον σῆμα τιθέασιν, Thuc. 2.34 ; Plat. Gorg. 493a, Crat. 400b ; Dem. u. Folgde ; Sp. auch der Leichenstein mit der darauf befindlichen Grabschrift.
   c) Malzeichen, bezeichneter Zielpunkt, wie beim Wettwerfen, Il. 23.843, Od. 8.192 ff.; Grenzzeichen, Dion.Per. 18.
   d) anderweitige Zeichen, Etwas zu erkennen, z.B. eine Art von Zeichen, welche die noch ungebräuchliche Schrift vertrat, Il. 6.166, 176, 178 ; Wahrzeichen, auf dem Schilde, eine Art Wappen, Aesch. Spt. 369, 414 u. öfter in diesem Stück ; ἀσπίδος ἐν κύκλῳ τοιάδε σήματα τετύχθαι, Eur. El. 456. – Auch die Sterne, himmlische Zeichen, Soph. fr. 379.

σῆμα

-ατος, τό.

• • 1

    A distinguishing mark : γνῶ κλήρου σ. ἰδών Il. 7.189.

  • 2

    A spot or patch of white hair on the forehead of a horse, a star Il. 23.455.

  • 3

    A peg or something similar stuck in the ground to mark the distance of a throw (cf. τέρμα 2) : ὑπέρβαλε σήματα πάντων Il. 23.843. Cf. Od. 8.192, 195.

  • 4

    A guiding mark Il. 10.466.

  • 5

    A sign or token.

  • • a

      Something indicating that a stage or point has been reached Od. 11.126, Od. 23.273.

    • b

      Something indicated to a person for guidance of his action Il. 23.326.

    • c

      A signal for action Od. 21.231.

    • d

      Something adduced as proof, an evidence : σ. ἀριφραδὲς ἄλλο τι δείξω Od. 21.217. Cf. Od. 19.250= Od. 23.206, Od. 23.73, 110, 188, 202, 225, Od. 24.329, 346.

    • e

      A guest-token, the credentials brought by a guest to satisfy his host as to his identity : ᾔτεε σ. ἰδέσθαι Il. 6.176. Cf. Il. 6.178.

      So in pl.: πόρε σήματα λυγρά Il. 6.168.

  • 6

    A sign from heaven, a portent or omen : ἔνθʼ ἐφάνη μέγα σ. Il. 2.308. Cf. Il. 2.353, Il. 4.381, Il. 8.171, Il. 9.236, Il. 13.244, Il. 22.30 : Od. 21.413.

    An omen or presage of human origin Od. 20.111.

  • 7

    A mound of earth or stones erected over and marking a grave, a grave-mound or barrow (= τύμβος) : παρὰ σήματι Ἴου Il. 10.415. Cf. Il. 2.814, Il. 6.419, Il. 7.86, 89, Il. 11.166, Il. 21.322, Il. 23.45, 255, 257, Il. 24.16, 51, 349, 416, 755, 799, 801 : Od. 1.291, Od. 2.222, Od. 11.75.

    A wooden post erected on and marking a grave : ξύλον . . . σῆμά τευ βροτοῖο πάλαι κατατεθνηῶτος Il. 23.331.

σῆμα , ατος: sign, token, mark, by means of which anything is identified, Od. 23.188; of the mark on a lot, Il. 7.189; a spot or star on a horse, Il. 23.455; mark to show the length of a throw, Od. 8.195; a sign from heaven, prodigy, Od. 21.413, Il. 13.244, Il. 22.30; a sepulchre, Il. 2.814, Il. 7.86; characters as a sort of pictorial writing, Il. 6.168.

σῆμα, Doric σᾶμα, ατος, τό,

• • • 1a sign, mark, token, Hom., etc.; the star on a horseʼs forehead, Il.
    • 2a sign from heaven, an omen, portent, Hom., etc.
    • 3generally, a sign to do or begin something, Od.; a watchword, Eur.; a battle-sign, signal, Eur.
    • 4the sign by which a grave is known, a mound, cairn, barrow, Lat. tumulus, Hom., etc.:—generally, a grave, tomb, Hdt., Attic
    • 5a token by which any oneʼs identity was certified: the σήματα λυγρά of Bellerophon were pictorial, not written, tokens (v. γράφω init.), Il.:— the mark on the lot of Ajax, Il.: the device or bearing on a shield, Aesch.; the seal impressed on a letter, Soph.
    • 6a constellation, Il., Eur.