δίκη
ὦ δυσπάλαιστον γῆρας, ὡς μισῶ σ' ἔχων, μισῶ δ' ὅσοι χρῄζουσιν ἐκτείνειν βίον, βρωτοῖσι καὶ ποτοῖσι καὶ μαγεύμασι παρεκτρέποντες ὀχετὸν ὥστε μὴ θανεῖν: οὓς χρῆν, ἐπειδὰν μηδὲν ὠφελῶσι γῆν, θανόντας ἔρρειν κἀκποδὼν εἶναι νέοις → Old age, resistless foe, how do I loathe your presence! Them too I loathe, whoever desire to lengthen out the span of life, seeking to turn the tide of death aside by food and drink and magic spells; those whom death should take away to leave the young their place, when they no more can benefit the world
English (LSJ)
[ῐ], ἡ,
A custom, usage, αὕτη δ. ἐστὶ βροτῶν this is the way of mortals, Od.11.218; ἡ γὰρ δ. ἐστὶ γερόντων 24.255, etc.; ἥ τ' ἐστὶ δ. θείων βασιλήων 4.691; ἡ γὰρ δμώων δ. ἐστίν 14.59, etc.; ἡ γὰρ δ., ὁππότε . . this is always the way, when... 19.168 (so in late Prose, ἥπερ ἱππομαχίας δ. Arr.An.3.15.2); δίκαν ἐφέπειν τινός to imitate him, Pi.P.1.50; δ. ἐπέχειν τινός to be like... Anon.Lond.6.18; normal course of nature, ἐκ τουτέων ὁ θάνατος οὐ γίνεται κατά γε δίκην, οὐδ' ἢν γένηται Hp.VC3: hence, 2 adverb. in acc. δίκην, in the way of, after the manner of, c. gen., λύκοιο Pi.P.2.84; πώλου S. Fr.659; τοξότου Pl.Lg.705e; in later Prose, Arist.Mu.395b22, Luc. Dem.Enc.31, Alciphr.1.6, etc.: mostly of living creatures or persons, but also of things, as δίκην ὕδατος, ἀγγείου, A.Th.85 (lyr.), Pl. Phdr.235d. II order, right, μή τι δίκης ἐπιδευές nothing short of what is fit, Il.19.180; opp. βία, might, 16.388; opp. σχέτλια ἔργα, Od.14.84; personified, Hes.Th.902, A.Th.662, etc.; Δίκης βωμός Id.Ag.383 (lyr.), Eu.539 (lyr.); Truth, Pi.P.8.71. 2 δίκη ἐστί, = δίκαιόν ἐστι, A.Ag.259, cf. 811, Eu.277. 3 Adverb. usages, δίκῃ duly, rightly, Il.23.542, Pl.Criti.112e; ἐν δίκᾳ Pi.O.6.12, cf.S.Tr.1069, etc.; σὺν δίκῃ Thgn.197, Pi.P.9.96, A.Th.444, etc.; κατὰ δίκην Hdt. 7.35, E.Tr.888, etc.; μετὰ δίκης Pl.Lg.643e; πρὸς δίκης S.OT1014, El.1211 (but πρὸς δίκας on the score of justice, Id.OC546 (lyr.)); διαὶ δίκας A.Ch.641; ἐκ δίκης Herod.4.77: opp. παρὰ δίκαν Pi.O.2.18, etc.; ἄνευ δίκης A.Eu.554; πέρα δίκης Id.Pr.30; βίᾳ δίκης Id.Supp.430 (lyr.); δίχα δίκης without trial, Plu.Ages.32; πρὸ δίκης in preference to legal proceedings, Th.1.141. III judgement, δίκην ἰθύντατα εἰπεῖν give judgement most righteously (cf. ἰθύς), Il.18.508: esp. in pl., Λυκίην εἴρυτο δίκῃσί τε καὶ σθένεϊ ᾧ 16.542; περὶ οἶδε δίκας Od.3.244, etc.; δίκαι σκολιαί Hes.Op.219,250; κρῖνε εὐθεῖαν δίκην A.Eu.433. IV after Hom., of proceedings instituted to determine legal rights, hence, 1 lawsuit, Pl.Euthphr.2a, D.18.210, etc.; prop. private suit or action, opp. γραφή (q. v.), Lys.1.44, etc.; ἐκαλοῦντο αἱ γραφαὶ δίκαι, οὐ μέντοι αἱ δίκαι καὶ γραφαί Poll.8.41; οἱ δίκην ἔχοντες the parties to a suit, IG7.21.8 (Megara), cf. Plu.Cic. 17. 2 trial of the case, πρὸ δίκης Is.5.10, etc.; μέχρι τοῦ δίκην γενέσθαι Th.2.53; court by which it was tried, ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστι καὶ τῇ δίκῃ Antipho 6.6. b δίκην εἰπεῖν to plead a cause, X.Mem.4.8.1; δ. μακρὰν λέγειν Ar.V.776, cf. Men.Epit.12. 3 the object or consequence of the action, atonement, satisfaction, penalty, δίκην ἐκτίνειν, τίνειν, Hdt.9.94, S.Aj.113: adverbially in acc., τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε; A.Pr.614; freq. δίκην or δίκας διδόναι suffer punishment, i. e. make amends (but δίκας δ., in A.Supp.703 (lyr.), to grant arbitration); δίκας διδόναι τινί τινος Hdt.1.2, cf. 5.106; ἔμελλε τῶνδέ μοι δώσειν δίκην S.El.538, etc.; also ἀντί or ὑπέρ τινος, Ar.Pl. 433, Lys.3.42; also δίκην διδόναι ὑπὸ θεῶν to be punished by... Pl. Grg.525b; but δίκας ἤθελον δοῦναι they consented to submit to trial, Th.1.28; δίκας λαμβάνειν sts. = δ. διδόναι, Hdt.1.115; δίκην ἀξίαν ἐλάμβανες E.Ba.1312, Heracl.852; more freq. its correlative, inflict punishment, take vengeance, Lys.1.29, etc.; λαβεῖν δίκην παρά τινος D.21.92, cf.9.2, etc.; so δίκην ἔχειν to have one's punishment, Antipho 3.4.9, Pl.R.529c (but ἔχω τὴν δ. have satisfaction, Id.Ep.319e; παρά τινος Hdt.1.45); δίκας or δίκην ὑπέχειν stand trial, Id.2.118, cf. S. OT552; δίκην παρασχεῖν E.Hipp.50; θανάτου δίκην ὀφλεῖν ὑπό τινος to incur the death penalty, Pl.Ap.39b; δίκας λαγχάνειν τινί D.21.78; δίκης τυχεῖν παρά τινος ib.142; δίκην ὀφείλειν, ὀφλεῖν, Id.21.77, 47.63; ἐρήμην ὀφλεῖν τὴν δ. Antipho 5.13; δίκην φεύγειν try to escape it, be the defendant in the trial (opp. διώκειν prosecute), D. 38.2; δίκας αἰτέειν demand satisfaction, τινός for a thing, Hdt.8.114; δ. ἐπιτιθέναι τινί Id.1.120; τινός for a thing, Antipho 4.1.5; δίκαι ἐπιφερόμεναι Arist.Pol.1302b24; δίκας ἀφιέναι τινί D.21.79; δίκας ἑλεῖν, v. ἔρημος 11; δίκην τείσασθαι, v. τίνω 11; δὸς δὲ δίκην καὶ δέξο παρὰ Ζηνί h.Merc.312; δίκας διδόναι καὶ λαμβάνειν παρ' ἀλλήλων, of communities, submit causes to trial, Hdt.5.83; δίκην δοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ X.Ath.1.18, etc.; δίκας δοῦναι καὶ δέξασθαι submit differences to a peaceful settlement, Th.5.59. V Pythag. name for three, Plu.2.381f, Theol.Ar.12; for five, ib.31. (Cf. Skt. diś-, diśā 'direction', 'quarter of the heavens'.)