πρόσχημα

English (LSJ)

ατος, τό, (προέχω)

   A that which is held before: hence,    I that which is held before to cover, screen, cloak, τὸ σῶφρον τοῦ ἀνάνδρου π. Th.3.82; pretence, pretext, πατὴρ . . σοὶ π. ἀεί, ὡς ἐξ ἐμοῦ τέθνηκεν S. El.525; τοῦτο π. ποιούμενος Lys.6.37; also π. τοῦ λόγου in the same sense, Hdt.4.167, cf. 6.133: c. gen., αὗται [αἱ πόλεις] π. ἦσαν τοῦ στόλου ib.44; Φίλιππος γίγνεται π. τοῦ πολέμου Plb.11.5.4; τῷ τῆς τέχνης π. on the ground of... D.5.6; π. ποιεύμενος ὡς ἐπ' Ἀθήνας ἐλαύνει making a pretence or show of marching against Athens, Hdt.7.157: c. inf., π. ποιούμενοι τοὺς ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης μὴ προδώσειν pretend that they will not... Th.5.30; π. ἦν ἀμύνεσθαι Id.1.96; also π. ποιεῖσθαι or ποιήσασθαί τι to put forward as a screen or disguise, Pl.Prt.316d, 316e, cf. 317a: πρόσχημα, as acc. abs., by way of pretext, Hdt.9.87; καλῶν ὀνομάτων καὶ προσχημάτων μεστή full of fair words and appearances, Pl.R.495d.    2 preface, π. καὶ ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου Id.Hp.Ma.286a.    II ornament, τῆς Ἰωνίης π., of Miletus, Hdt.5.28, cf. Plb.3.15.3; τῆς Ἑλλάδος Str.10.2.3, cf. 11.11.1, Plu.Alex.17; τὸ κλεινὸν Ἑλλάδος π. ἀγῶνος, of the Pythian games, S.El.682; μετὰ προσχήματος ἀξίου τῆς πόλεως with a dignity, D.18.178; τὸ τοῦ γένους π. the nobility of his birth, OGI470.23 (i B.C./i A.D.); Ἀχιλλέα τιν' ἢ Νιόβην... π. τῆς τραγῳδίας the pomp or show of tragedy, Ar.Ra.913; Δαρείου τὸ π. his pomp, Arist.Mu.398a12; of a person, π. ἑαυτῆς (sc. τῆς πόλεως) IG 12(7).395.17 (Amorgos).    2 outward appearance of a wound, f.l. in Hp. Ulc.24; aspect, τῆς ὅλης θεουργίας διττόν ἐστι π., τὸ ἱερατικὸν τῶν θεῶν π., Iamb.Myst.4.2.    3 costume, uniform, PMasp.334.12, PFlor.288.9 (both vi A.D.).