στάθμη

English (LSJ)

ἡ,

   A carpenter's line or rule, ξέσσε δ' ἐπισταμένως καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνεν [δοῦρα] Od.5.245, cf.23.197; [πελέκεας] ἐπὶ σ. ἴθ. 21.121; also στάθμη δόρυ νήϊον ἐξιθύνει Il.15.410; τόρνου καὶ στάθμης καὶ γνώμονος . . ἰθύτερον Thgn.805; ἐπὶ σ. θεῖναι μίαν on a level, Arist.PA657a10: prop. στάθμη was the line rubbed with chalk or red ochre, being distd. from the rule (κανών) by Pl.Phlb.56c, X.Ages.10.2; κανόσι καὶ στάθμαις Plu.2.807d, etc.; λευκὴ σ., v. λευκός 11.1a: metaph., ἀτεχνῶς λευκὴ σ. εἰμὶ πρὸς τοὺς καλούς a white measuring-line, i.e. unable to discriminate, Pl.Chrm.154b, cf. Plu.2.513f.    2 παρὰ στάθμην by the rule, εἶμι παρὰ σ. ὀρθὴν ὁδόν Thgn.945, cf. 543; τέκτονος παρὰ σ. ἰόντος S.Fr.474; for A.Ag.1045 v. παρά c. 11.2; κατὰ στάθμην ἵστασθαι, c. gen., in a straight line with, Democr. ap. Plu.2.929c; κατὰ σ. ἐνόησας you guessed aright, Theoc.25.194; ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ στάθμης D.H.Comp.23; στάθμῃ Aret.SD2.11; πρὸς στάθμῃ πέτρον τίθεσθαι, μή τι πρὸς πέτρῳ στάθμην, i.e. when facts are obstinate, do not relax your standard, Com.(?) ap.Plu.2.75f(cf. Bergk PLG3.740); στάθμα πατρῴα perh. the measure [of piety] towards his father, Pi.P.6.45; στάθμας ἑλκόμενοι περισσᾶς perh. straining at an over-exact measure, ib.2.90.    3 verification, certification, τὰς σ. τῶν μέτρων ἀπὸ τοῦ βελτίστου ποιεῖσθαι prob. in PTeb.5.88 (ii B.C.).    II plummet or plumbline, μολιβαχθής AP6.103 (Phil.); ῥιπτεῖσθαι ἄνω κατὰ στάθμην to be thrown perpendicularly upwards, Arist.Cael.296b24.    III like γραμμή, the line which bounds the racecourse, goal, δραμεῖν ποτὶ στάθμαν, metaph. of man's life, Pi.N.6.7; παρ' οἵαν ἤλθομεν σ. βίου E.Ion 1514.    2 starting point, 'scratch', στάθμης ὁρμηθέντες ἀπόσσυτοι Opp.H.4.102, cf. Eust.1023.5.    IV metaph., law, rule, ὑπὸ στάθμᾳ νέμεσθαι Pi.Fr.1.4; Υλλίδος στάθμας ἐν νόμοις, i.e. according to laws of Dorian rule, Id.P.1.62.    V δοράτων στάθμαι butt-ends, like σαυρωτῆρες, D.S.17.35, cf. PCair.Zen. 782 (a).49 (iii B.C.).