στήλη

English (LSJ)

Dor. στάλα, Aeol. στάλλα (q.v.), ἡ,

   A block of stone used as a prop or buttress to a wall, στήλας τε προβλῆτας ἐμόχλεον Il.12.259; block of rock-crystal, in which the Ethiopian mummies were cased, Hdt.3.24: generally, block or base, κόρη χρυσῆ ἐπὶ στήλης IG12.256.5; μεταξὺ τοῦ κίονος καὶ τῆς σ. ἐφ' ᾗ ἐστιν ὁ στρατηγὸς ὁ χαλκοῦς And.1.38, cf. Thphr.Lap.25; σ. ξύλιναι, λέβητε ἀπὸ στηλῶν, IG12.314.130,133.    II block or slab used as a memorial, monument:    1 gravestone, Il.11.371, 16.457, Od.12.14, Hippon.15, Simon.183; ὥς τε σ. μένει ἔμπεδον, ἥ τ' ἐπὶ τύμβῳ ἑστήκῃ Il.17.434; ὥς τε στήλην ἀτρέμας ἑσταότα 13.437; στῆλαι ἀπὸ σημάτων Th.1.93; οὐ στηλῶν μόνον . . ἐπιγραφή Id.2.43; μήτε στήλαις μήτε ὀνόμασι δηλοῦντας τοὺς τάφους Pl.Lg.873d; στάλαν θέμεν Παρίου λίθου λευκοτέραν (metaph. of a poet) Pi.N.4.81.    2 monument inscribed with record of victories, dedications, votes of thanks, treaties, laws, decrees, etc., Hdt.2.102,106, 4.87, Ar.Ach.727, Th.5.56; στήλη λιθίνη, χαλκῆ, ib.47, IG12.13.18; τί βεβούλευται περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἐν τῇ σ. παραγράψαι; Ar.Lys.513; τὰς θυσίας τὰς ἐκ τῶν κύρβεων καὶ τῶν σ. Lys.30.17, cf. And.1.96, 3.34; ἐν στήλῃ ἀναγραφῆναι, whether for honour, as in Hdt.6.14; or for infamy, as in And.1.51, cf. D.9.41, etc. (cf. στηλίτης, στηλιτεύω):—also the record itself, contract, agreement, στήλας ἀναγράψαι Lys.30.21; κατὰ τὴν σ. according to the agreement, Ar.Av.1051; σ. αἱ πρὸς Θηβαίους D.16.27; μάτην ἐν ταῖς σ. ἐστίν Isoc.4.176; τῆς σ. τὰ ἀντίγραφα D.20.127; παραβῆναι τὰς σ. Plb.24.8.4.    3 post placed on mortgaged ground, as a record of the fact, Poll.3.85; cf. στίζω 3.    4 boundary-post, στήλας ὁρίσασθαι X.An.7.5.13; στήλαις διαλαβεῖν τοὺς ὅρους Decr. ap. D.18.154; turning-post at the end of the racecourse, IG12.817, S.El.720,744, X.Smp.4.6: hence περὶ στήλην διαφθείρεσθαι Lys.Fr.1.4.    5 for Στῆλαι Ἡρακλήϊαι, v. Ἡράκλειος, and cf. Str.3.5.5; so σ. Διονύσου mountains in India marking the limits of the progress of Dionysus, D.P.623, cf. 1164. (Written στήλλη in some late Inscrr., CIG3627.1 (Ilium), 3982.18 (Philomelium), al.)