αἰτία: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ἡ,<br><span class="bld">A</span> [[responsibility]], mostly in bad sense, [[guilt]], [[blame]], or the imputation thereof, i.e. [[accusation]], first in Pi.''O.''1.35 and [[Herodotus|Hdt.]], v. infr. (Hom. uses [[αἴτιος]]):—Phrases: [[αἰτίαν ἔχειν]] = [[bear]] [[responsibility]] for, τινός A.''Eu.''579, S.''Ant.''1312; but usually to [[be accused]], τινός of a crime, φόνου [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]5.70: c. inf., Ar.''V.''506; foll. by [[ὡς]]…, Pl.''Ap.''38c; by [[ὡς]] c. part., Id.''[[Phaedrus|Phdr.]]''249d; <b class="b3">ὑπό τινος</b> [[by]] some one, A.''Eu.''99, Pl. ''R.''565b: reversely, αἰτία ἔχει τινά [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]5.70,71; αἰ. φεύγειν τινός S.''Ph.''1404; ἐν αἰτίᾳ εἶναι or ἐν αἰτίᾳ [[γίγνεσθαι]], Hp.''Art.''67, [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Memorabilia|Mem.]]''2.8.6; αἰτίαν [[ὑπέχειν]] = lie under a [[charge]], Pl.''Ap.''33b, [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Cyropaedia|Cyr.]]''6.3.16; ὑπομεῖναι Aeschin.3.139; φέρεσθαι Th.2.60; <b class="b3">λαβεῖν ἀπό τινος</b> ib.18; αἰτίαις ἐνέχεσθαι Pl.''Cri.''52a; αἰτίαις περιπίπτειν Lys.7.1; εἰς αἰτίαν ἐμπίπτειν [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Theaetetus|Tht.]]''150a; αἰτίας τυγχάνειν D.''Ep.''2.2; ἐκτὸς αἰτίας κυρεῖν A. ''Pr.''332; <b class="b3">ἐν αἰτίῃ ἔχειν</b> hold one [[guilty]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]5.106; δι' αἰτίας ἔχειν Th. 2.60, etc.; ἐν αἰτίᾳ βάλλειν [[Sophocles|S.]]''[[Oedipus Tyrannus|OT]]''656; τὴν αἰτίαν [[ἐπιφέρειν]] τινί = [[impute]] the [[fault]] to one, [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]1.26; αἰτίαν νέμειν τινί [[Sophocles|S.]]''[[Ajax|Aj.]]''28; ἐπάγειν D.18.283; προσβάλλειν τινί Antipho 3.2.4; [[ἀνατιθέναι]], [[προστιθέναι]], Hp.''VM''21, Ar.''Pax''640, etc.; <b class="b3">ἀπολύειν τινὰ τῆς αἰτίης</b> to acquit of [[guilt]], [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]9.88, etc.<br><span class="bld">2</span> in forensic oratory, [[invective]] without proof (opp. [[ἔλεγχος]]), D.22.23, cf. 18.15.<br><span class="bld">3</span> in good sense, <b class="b3">εἰ… εὖ πράξαιμεν, αἰτία θεοῦ</b> the [[credit]] is his, A.''Th.''4; <b class="b3">δι' ὅντινα αἰτίαν ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι βελτίους γεγονέναι</b> are [[repute]]d to have become better, [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Gorgias|Grg.]]'' 503b, cf. ''Alc.''1.119a, [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Metaphysics|Metaph.]]''984b19; <b class="b3">ὧν… πέρι αἰτίαν ἔχεις διαφέρειν</b> in which you [[are reputed]] to excel, [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Theaetetus|Tht.]]''169a; <b class="b3">οἳ… ἔχουσι ταύτην τὴν αἰ.</b> who have this [[reputation]], Id.''R.''435e, cf. And. 2.12; αἰτίαν λαμβάνειν Pl.''Lg.''624a.<br><span class="bld">4</span> [[expostulation]], μὴ ἐπ' ἔχθρᾳ τὸ πλέον ἢ αἰτίᾳ Th.1.69.<br><span class="bld">II</span> [[cause]], δι' ἣν αἰτίην ἐπολέμησαν [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]''Prooemia'', cf. Democr.83, Pl.''Ti.''68e, ''Phd.''97a sq., etc.; on the four causes of Arist. v. ''Ph.''194b16, ''Metaph.''983a26:—<b class="b3">αἰ. τοῦ γενέσθαι</b> or γεγονέναι [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Phaedo|Phd.]]'' 97a; τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ τῇ πόλει αἰτία ἡ κοινωνία Id.''R.''464b:—dat. [[αἰτίᾳ]] = [[for the sake of]], κοινοῦ τινος ἀγαθοῦ Th.4.87, cf. D.H.8.29:—[[αἴτιον]] (cf. [[αἴτιος]] II.2) is used like [[αἰτία]] in the sense of [[cause]], not in that of [[accusation]].<br><span class="bld">III</span> [[occasion]], [[motive]], <b class="b3">μελίφρον' αἰτίαν ῥοαῖσι Μοισᾶν ἐνέβαλε</b> = he [[cast]]s a [[cause]] for [[sweet]] [[thought]]s into the [[stream]]s of the [[Muse]]s, Pi.''N.''7.11; αἰτίαν παρέχειν Luc.''Tyr.''13.<br><span class="bld">IV</span> [[head]], [[category]] under which a thing comes, D.23.75.<br><span class="bld">V</span> [[case in dispute]], ἡ αἰ. τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός ''Ev.Matt.''10.10.