στῆθος

English (LSJ)

εος, τό,

   A breast, of both sexes, being the front part of the θώραξ, divided into two μαστοί (Arist.HA493a12, PA688a13, al.), Hom. and later (cf. στέρνον), esp. in Prose, rare (and usu. metaph.) in post-Homeric verse; found once in Pi., twice in B., twice in A., never in S. or E. (v. infr. 1, 11); βάλε σ. παρὰ μαζόν Il.4.480; ἔβαλε σ. μεταμάζιον 5.19; κληῒς ἀποέργει αὐχένα τε στῆθός τε 8.326, cf. Pl.Ti. 69e, 79c (pl.), Prt.352a (pl.): in pl., διὰ στήθεσφιν (Ep. gen.) ἔλασσε Il.5.41; στήθεά τ' ἠδ' ἁπαλὴν δειρήν (of Briseis) 19.285; of animals, 11.282, 16.163, al., cf. X.Cyn.4.1, Arist.HA496a9, 15, al., PCair.Zen. 532.7,18 (iii B.C.), BGU469.7 (ii A.D.); σ. φάσσης ἑψημένης Sor.2.41, cf. 1.51: as the seat of the voice and breath, Il.3.221, 9.610, B.5.15, A.Th.563 (lyr.), 865 (anap.); more freq. as the seat of the heart, Il.1.189, Od.1.341, Sapph.2.6, etc.; chest, Hp.Prorrh. 1.70, Ar.Nu.1012, 1017 (both anap.), Th.2.49 (pl.), Diocl.Fr.142, IG42(1).121.100 (pl., Epid., iv B.C.), freq. in Arist. (v. supr.), PEnteux. 79.7 (iii B.C.), PTeb.316.19 (i A.D.), Sor.1.70b, al.; τὰ σ. breasts of a woman, Hp.Mul.2.133.    II metaph., the breast as the seat of feeling and thought, as we use heart, freq. in Hom., but always in pl., θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινε Il.2.142, al.; θάρσος ἐνὶ σ. ἐνῆκεν 17.570; ἔχει κότον . . ἐν σ. ἑοῖσι 1.83; ἐν γάρ τοι σ. μένος πατρώϊον ἧκα 5.125; νόον καὶ θυμὸν ἐνὶ σ. ἔχοντες 4.309; μῆτιν ἐνὶ σ. κέκευθε Od. 3.18, cf. Pi.Fr.218, B.10.54: in Prose, εἰπεῖν ἃ ἔφησθα ἐν τῷ σ. ἔχειν Pl.Phdr.236c; πλῆρες τὸ σ. ἔχειν ib.235c.    III = στέρνον 111, breastbone, Hp.Art.14.    2 ball of the foot, ib.55,58, cf. Epid.4.1, Ruf.Onom.125; τὸ σαρκῶδες [τοῦ ποδὸς] κάτωθεν στῆθος Arist.HA 494a13; ball of the hand (below the thumb), Ruf.Onom.86; (below the fingers), Gal.14.704; palm, dub. in Hp.Oss.9: cf. προστηθίς.    3 swelling, tumour, ἐν τῷ ἥπατι Aret.CA2.6 (pl.).    IV breastshaped hill or bank, Plb.4.41.3, PMasp.169b47 (vi A.D.), cf. Hsch. (στῆθος has pan-Hellenic η, Sapph., Pi. ll.cc., IG42(1) l.c., Call. Lav.Pall.88, Theoc.2.79, 15.108,135.)