στοιχεῖον: Difference between revisions

|Definition=τό:<br><span class="bld">I</span> in a form of [[sundial]], the [[shadow]] of the [[gnomon]], the length of which in feet indicated the [[time]] of [[day]], <b class="b3">ὅταν ᾖ δεκάπουν τὸ στοιχεῖον</b> when the [[shadow]] is [[ten]] [[feet]] long, Ar.''Ec.''652, v. Sch.; ὁπηνίκ' ἂν εἴκοσι ποδῶν.. τὸ στοιχεῖον ᾖ Eub.119.7, cf. Philem.83.<br><span class="bld">II</span> [[element]],<br><span class="bld">1</span> a [[simple]] [[sound]] of [[speech]], as the [[first]] [[component]] of the [[syllable]], [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Cratylus|Cra.]]''424d; <b class="b3">τὸ ῥῶ τὸ στοιχεῖον</b> ib.426d; γραμμάτων σ. καὶ συλλαβάς Id.''Tht.''202e; στοιχεῖον ἐστι φωνὴ [[ἀδιαίρετος]] Arist.''Po.''1456b22; φωνῆς στοιχεῖα καὶ ἀρχαὶ δοκοῦσιν εἶναι ταῦτ' ἐξ ὧν σύγκεινται αἱ φωναὶ πρώτων Id.''Metaph.''998a23, cf.Gal.15.6:—[[στοιχεῖα]] therefore, strictly, were different from [[letter]]s ([[γράμμα]]τα), Diog.Bab.Stoic.3.213, Sch.D.T.p.32, al., but are freq. not clearly distinguished from them, as by [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Theaetetus|Tht.]]''l.c., ''Cra.''426d; τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν γραμμάτων τὰ τέτταρα καὶ εἴκοσι Aen.Tact.31.21; <b class="b3">στοιχεῖον ε</b> [[letter]] ε (in a filing-system), ''BGU''959.2 (ii A.D.); <b class="b3">ἀκουόμενα στοιχεῖα</b> [[letter]]s which are [[pronounced]], A.D.''Adv.''165.17; [[γράμμα]]τα and στοιχεῖα are expressly identified by D.T.630.32; the ς. and its name are confused by A.D. ''Synt.''29.1, but distinguished by Hdn.Gr. ap. Choerob.''in Theod.''1.340, Sch.D.T. [[l.c.]]:—[[κατὰ στοιχεῖον]] = [[in the order of the letters]], [[alphabetically]], AP11.15 (Ammian.); dub.sens.in Plu.2.422e.<br><span class="bld">2</span> in Physics, [[στοιχεῖα]] were the [[component]]s into which matter is [[ultimately]] [[divisible]], [[element]]s, reduced to four by [[Empedocles]], who called them [[ῥιζὤματα]], the word [[στοιχεῖα]] being first used (acc. to Eudem. ap. Simp.''in Ph.''7.13) by Pl., <b class="b3">τὰ πρῶτα οἱονπερεὶς, ἐξ ὧν ἡμεῖς τε συγκείμεθα καὶ τἄλλα</b> ''Tht.''201e; <b class="b3">τὰ τῶν πάντων στοιχεῖα</b> ''Plt.''278d; αὐτὰ τιθέμενοι στοιχεῖα τοῦ παντός ''Ti.''48b, cf. Arist.''GC''314a29, ''Metaph.''998a28, [[Theophrastus|Thphr.]] ''Sens.''3, al., D.L.3.24; στοιχεῖα σωματικά [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Meteorologica|Mete.]]''338a22, [[Theophrastus|Thphr.]] ''Fragmenta'' 46; <b class="b3">ἄτομα στοιχεῖα</b> Epicur.''Ep.''2p.36U.; equivalent to [[ἀρχαί]], Thales ap.Plu.2.875c, Anaximand. ap. D.L.2.1, Anon. ap. Arist.''Ph.''188b28, ''Metaph.''1059b23, al.; but Arist. also distinguishes στοιχεῖον from [[ἀρχή]] as less [[comprehensive]], ib.1070b23; <b class="b3">τὰ στοιχεῖα ὕλη τῆς οὐσίας</b> ib.1088b27; <b class="b3">τρία τὰ στοιχεῖα</b> Id.''Ph.''189b16; distinguished from [[ἀρχή]] on other grounds by ''Stoic.''2.111; στοιχεῖον used in three senses by [[Chrysippus]], ib.136, cf. Zeno ib.1.24, al.; in Medicine, Gal.6.3, 420, al., 15.7, al.; Αἰθέρ, κόσμου στοιχεῖον ἄριστον Orph.''H.''5.4; <b class="b3">ἀνηλεὲς στοιχεῖον</b>, of the [[sea]], Babr.71.4; <b class="b3">τὸ στοιχεῖον</b>, of the [[sea]], Polem.''Cyn.''44; <b class="b3">ἄμφω τὰ στοιχεῖα</b>, i.e. [[land]] and [[sea]], ib.''ΙΙ'', cf. Hdn.3.1.5, Him.''Ecl.''2.18.<br><span class="bld">3</span> the [[elements of proof]], e.g. in general [[reasoning]] the <b class="b3">πρῶτοι συλλογισμοί</b>, [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Metaphysics|Metaph.]]''1014b1; in Geometry, the propositions whose proof is involved in the proof of other propositions, ib.998a26, 1014a36; title of geometrical works by Hippocrates of Chios, Leon, Theudios, and Euclid, Procl. ''in Euc.''pp.66,67,68F.: hence applied to whatever is one, small, and capable of many uses, [[Aristotle|Arist.]]''[[Metaphysics|Metaph.]]''1014b3; to whatever is most universal, e.g. the unit and the point, ib.6; the line and the circle, Id.''Top.''158b35; the [[τόπος]] (argument applicable to a variety of subjects), ib.120b13, al., ''Rh.''1358a35, al.; στοιχεῖα τὰ γένη λέγουσί τινες Id.''Metaph.''1014b10; <b class="b3">τὸ νόμισμα στοιχεῖον καὶ πέρας τῆς ἀλλαγῆς</b> coin is the unit..of [[exchange]], Id.''Pol.''1257b23; in Grammar, <b class="b3">στοιχεῖα τῆς λέξεως</b> [[parts]] of [[speech]], [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus|D.H.]]''[[De Compositione Verborum|Comp.]]''2; but also, the [[letters]] composing a word, A.D.''Synt.''313.7; [[letters]] of the [[alphabet]], Diog. Bab.''Stoic.''3.213; <b class="b3">στοιχεῖα τοῦ λόγου</b> the [[element]]s of [[speech]], viz. [[word]]s, or the [[kinds of words]], [[part]]s of speech, [[Theophrastus|Thphr.]] ap. Simp. ''in Cat.''10.24, Chrysipp.Stoic.2.45, A.D.''Synt.''7.1, 313.6.<br><span class="bld">4</span> generally, [[elementary]] or [[fundamental]] [[principle]], <b class="b3">ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων</b> [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Memorabilia|Mem.]]''2.1.1; σ. χρηστῆς πολιτείας Isoc.2.16; <b class="b3">τὸ πολλάκις εἰρημένον μέγιστον στοιχεῖον</b> Arist.''Pol.''1309b16; στοιχεῖα τῆς ὅλης τέχνης Nicol.Com.1.30, cf. Epicur. ''Ep.''1p.10U., ''Ep.''3p.59U., Phld.''Rh.''1.127S., Gal.6.306.<br><span class="bld">5</span> <b class="b3">ἄστρων στοιχεῖα</b> the [[star]]s, Man.4.624; στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα λυθήσεται ''2 Ep.Pet.''3.10, cf. 12; esp. [[planet]]s, στοιχείῳ Διός ''PLond.''1.130.60 (i/ii A.D.); so perhaps in ''Ep.Gal.''4.3, ''Ep.Col.''2.8; esp. a [[sign of the Zodiac]], D.L.6.102; of the Great Bear, ''PMag.Par.''1.1303.<br><span class="bld">6</span> [[στοιχεῖον]] = [[ἀριθμός]], as etym. of [[Στοιχαδεύς]], Sch.D.T.p.192 H.