μυστήριον: Difference between revisions

|Definition=τό, ([[μύστης]], [[μυέω]]) <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> [[mystery]] or [[secret rite]]: mostly in plural, <b class="b3">τὰ μυστήρια</b> = [[the mysteries]], first in <span class="bibl">Heraclit.14</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Hdt.2.51</span> (of [[the mysteries]] of the [[Cabiri]] in [[Samothrace]]), etc.; esp. those of Demeter at Eleusis, <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Fr.</span>479</span>, <span class="bibl">S. <span class="title">Fr.</span>804</span>, <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Supp.</span>173</span>, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ra.</span>887</span>, etc.; <b class="b3">μυστηρίοις τοῖς μείζοσιν, τοῖς ὀλείζοσιν μ</b>., <span class="title">IG</span>12.6.93,96; but usu., <b class="b3">τὰ μεγάλα μυστήρια, τὰ μικρὰ μυστήρια</b>, Sch.<span class="bibl">Ar. <span class="title">Pl.</span>846</span>, cf. <span class="title">IG</span>12.313.144, 22.1672.4, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Grg.</span>497c</span>, etc.; πρὸ τῶν μεγάλων μ. τὰ μικρὰ παραδοτέον <span class="bibl">Iamb.<span class="title">Protr.</span>2</span>; <b class="b3">ἀπιέναι πρὸ τῶν μ</b>., i.e. before you have reached the heart of the matter, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Men.</span>76e</span>; <b class="b3">τὰ τῆς θεοῦ</b> (''[[sc.]]'' <b class="b3">Μεγάλης Μητρὸς</b>) μ. <span class="title">OGI</span>540.21 (Pessinus, i A.D.); οἱ θεοὶ οἷς τὰ μ. ἐπιτελεῖται <span class="title">IG</span>5(1).1390.2 (Andania, i B.C.); τὰ μυστήρια ποιεῖν <span class="bibl">And.1.11</span>, <span class="bibl">Lys.14.42</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Th.6.28</span> (Pass.); <b class="b3">μ. ἐρεῖν</b> And.l.c.: later in sg., <span class="title">PMag.Leid.W.</span>3.42 (ii/iii A.D.). </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> [[mystic]] [[implement]]s and [[ornament]]s, σεμνὰ στεμμάτων μυστήρια <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Supp.</span>470</span>; esp. [[properties]], such as were carried to [[Eleusis]] at the celebration of the mysteries, [[ὄνος ἄγω μυστήρια]], [[proverb|prov.]] of an [[overloaded]] [[beast]], <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ra.</span> 159</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">b</span> later, [[object used in magical rites]], [[talisman]], δότε [[πνεῦμα]] τῷ ὑπ' ἐμοῦ κατεσκευασμένῳ μ. <span class="title">PMag.Leid.V.</span>10.19 (iii/iv A.D.). </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">3</span> metaph., [[ὕπνος]], τὰ μικρὰ τοῦ θανάτου μυστήρια <span class="bibl">Mnesim.11</span>; <b class="b3">τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς σεμνὸν μ</b>., of the military [[sacramentum]], <span class="bibl">Hdn.8.7.4</span>: generally, [[mystery]], [[secret]], <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Tht.</span>156a</span>; μυστήριόν σου μὴ κατείπῃς τῷ φίλῳ <span class="bibl">Men.695</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">[[LXX]] <span class="title">Si.</span>27.16</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">To.</span>12.7</span>; <b class="b3">προσήγγειλε τὰ μυστήρια τοῖς πολεμίοις</b> ib.<span class="bibl"><span class="title">2 Ma.</span>13.21</span>; μυστήρια βίου <span class="bibl">Sor.1.3</span>; <b class="b3">τοὐμὸν τὸ μ</b>. [the remedy] is my [[secret]], <span class="bibl">Aret.<span class="title">CD</span>2.7</span>: hence, of a medicine, Gal.13.96, <span class="bibl">Alex.Trall. 5.4</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">4</span> [[secret revealed by God]], i.e. [[religious]] or [[mystical]] [[truth]], Corp. Herm.<span class="bibl">1.16</span>, etc.; τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Ev.Matt.</span>13.11</span>; πνεύματι λαλεῖν μυστήρια <span class="bibl"><span class="title">1 Ep.Cor.</span>14.2</span>; <b class="b3">τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀνομίας</b> the [[mystery]] of [[iniquity]], <span class="bibl"><span class="title">2 Ep.Thess.</span>2.7</span>; τὸν Ἀντιπάτρου βίον οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοιτις εἰπὼν κακίας μ. <span class="bibl">J.<span class="title">BJ</span>1.24.1</span>; especially of the Gospel or parts of it, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Ep.Eph.</span>6.19</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">3.9</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Ep.Col.</span>1.26</span>, al.; [[symbol]], τὸ μυστήριον τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀστέρων <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Apoc.</span>1.20</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">17.7</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">5</span> <b class="b3">σύνηθές τι μυστήριον</b> some [[vulgar]] [[superstition]], <span class="bibl">Sor.1.4</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> Dionysius the tyrant called [[mouse]]-[[hole]]s [[μυστήρια]] ([[μῦς]], [[τηρεῖν]]), <span class="bibl">Ath.3.98d</span>.</span>