σκῆπτρον

σκῆπτρον, τό: Dor. σκᾶπτον (Pi. O. 7.28, P. 1.6, etc.), later σκᾶπτρον (AP 7.428 (Mel.)), but σκῆπτρον in lyr. passages of Trag., as S. Ph. 140: (σκήπτω):—

• staff or stick, used by the lame or aged, Il. 18.416, Od. 13.437, 14.31, 17.199, 18.103; ἰσχὺν . . νέμοντες ἐπὶ σκήπτροις A. Ag. 75; σκήπτρῳ προδεικνύς, of a blind man feeling his way, S. OT 456; πρεσβῦται . . σκήπτροισιν ἄκασκα προβῶντες Cratin. 126: metaph. of the daughters of Oedipus, ὦ σκῆπτρα φωτός his staffs or supports, S. OC 1109, cf. 848:—the Prose word is βακτηρία.
• • II staff or baton, esp. as the badge of command, sceptre: in Hom. borne by kings and chiefs, and transmitted from father to son (whence Il. 2.101 sqq. is called ἡ τοῦ σκήπτρου παράδοσις, Th. 1.9), Il. 9.156, Od. 11.569: also borne by heralds, Il. 7.277, al.; by speakers, who on rising to speak received it from the herald, 1.234, 18.505, 23.568, Od. 2.37; by priests and soothsayers, Il. 1.15, A. Ag. 1265; later by minstrels, first in Hes. Th. 30; σ. χρύσεον Il. 1.15, 2.268, Od. 11.91, 569; wrought by Hephaestus, Il. 2.101; χρυσείοις ἥλοισι πεπαρμένον 1.245. In oaths or protests it was held up, the gods being called to witness, ib. 234, 7.412, 10.321, 328; ὁ δʼ ὅρκος ἦν τοῦ σ. ἐπανάτασις Arist. Pol. 1285b12; used as a stick or cudgel to punish the refractory, Il. 2.199, 265, Pi. O. 7.28, S. OT 811.
  • • 2 as a symbol of royalty, kingly power, etc., Il. 6.159, 9.38; τοι Ζεὺς ἐγγυάλιξε σκῆπτρόν τʼ ἠδὲ θέμιστας ib. 99, cf. 156, 298, A. Pr. 172 (anap.); τὸ θεῖον Διὸς σ. S. Ph. 140 (lyr.): freq. in pl. in this sense, Hdt. 7.52; τύραννα σ. A. Pr. 761, cf. Eu. 626; ὃς . . σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους ἔχει S. OC 425, cf. 449, etc.; σκῆπτρα χώρας E. HF 1167.
  • III = Hebr. Shevet, of the tribes (φυλαί) of Israel, LXX 3 Ki. 11.13, al.(but in 1 Ki. 10.20 sq., φυλή is a sub-division of σκῆπτρον).
  • IV = λυχνὶς στεφανωματική, Ps.-Dsc. 3.100.

σκῆπτρον, τό, der Stab, eigtl. das, worauf man sich stützt (s. σκήπτω), wie der hinkende Hephästus ihn braucht, Il. 18.416 ; οἱ σκῆπτρον θυμαρὲς ἔδωκεν, Od. 17.199, dem ῥόπαλον in v. 195 entsprechend ; dah. Wanderstab, Bettlerstab, 13.437, 14.31, 18.103 ; Her. 1.195 ; ἰσχὺν ἰσόπαιδα νέμοντες ἐπὶ σκήπτροις, Aesch. Ag. 75 ; vgl. Soph. O.R. 456, 811, der auch die den Vater stützenden u. leitenden Töchter so nennt, O.C. 852 ; ὦ σκῆπτρα φωτός, 1111. – Bes. als Zeichen irgendeiner Würde od. Gewalt, das Szepter, Herrscherstab, Richterstab, Priesterstab, Heroldstab ; bei Hom. bes. von Königen getragen, Il. 1.234, 245, 2.46, 101, 186, 199, 265, 268, 279 ; vgl. bes. Ζεὺς γάρ οἱ ὑπὸ σκήπτρῳ ἐδάμασσε, sc. δῆμον, Il. 6.159 ; καί τοι Ζεὺς ἐγγυάλιξεν σκῆπτρόν τʼ ἠδὲ θέμιστας, 9.99, wo die Vrbdg der königlichen u. richterlichen Gewalt bezeichnet ist ; eben so, als Zeichen der königlichen Würde, Her. 7.52 ; von Priestern u. Sehern, στέμματʼ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, Il. 1.15 ; Od. 11.91 ; vom Richter, Il. 1.238. Od. 11.569 ; von Gesandten u. Rednern, Il. 3.216, Od. 2.80, wenn Einer in der Volksversammlung auftritt, um zu reden, reicht ihm der Herold das σκῆπτρον, Il. 23.568, Od. 2.37 ; von Herolden, Il. 7.277, 18.505 ; später auch von Sängern, Hes. Th. 30 (vgl. ῥάβδος, ῥαψῳδός). Beim Szepter schwört Agamemnon, ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον, Il. 1.234, wo es ausführlicher beschrieben wird ; es wird beim Schwur in die Höhe gehoben, Il. 7.412, 10.321, 328 ; es dient auch zum Schlagen, 2.199, 265, 268 ; ein solcher Stab ist gewöhnlich golden od. mit Gold belegt, χρύσεον, Il. 1.15, 2.268, Od. 11.91, 569 ; mit goldenen Buckeln beschlagen, χρυσείοις ἥλοισι πεπαρμένον, Il. 1.245 ; übh. von kunstvoller Metallarbeit, 2.101. So auch Tragg.: πρὸς τοῦ τύραννα σκῆπτρα συληθήσεται, Aesch. Prom. 763 ; ἔχοντα σκῆπτρον ἰθυντήριον, Pers. 750 ; διοσδότοις σκήπτροισι τιμαλφούμενον, Eum. 596 ; ὃς νῦν σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους ἔχει, Soph. O.C. 426 ; u. so im plur., von der Königsherrschaft, 450, 1356, El. 641 ; vgl. παρʼ ὅτῳ τὸ θεῖον Διὸς σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται, Phil. 140 ; παλαιὰ σκῆπτρα Ταντάλου λιπών, Eur. El. 11 ; σκῆπτρον ἀποδιδόναι τινί, Ar. Av. 1600, u. öfter.

σκῆπτρον

-ου, τό

[σκήπτομαι.]

• • 1

    A stick or staff for support in walking : ἕλε σ. παχύ, βῆ δὲ θύραζε Il. 18.416. Cf. Od. 13.437, Od. 14.31, Od. 17.199, Od. 18.103 (i.e. to be used in defence).

  • 2

    A staff of office. Borne

  • • a

      By a priest : σ. καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο Il. 1.28. Cf. Il. 1.15 = 374.

    • b

      By a king or chief : Ζεύς οἱ ὑπὸ σκήπτρῳ ἐδάμασσεν [Ἄργείους] Il. 6.159. Cf. Il. 2.46, 101, 186, 199, 206, 265, 268, Il. 7.412, Il. 9.38, 99, 156, 298, Il. 18.557 :Od. 3.412, Od. 11.569.

    • c

      By heralds Il. 7.277.

    • d

      By a seer Od. 11.91.

  • 3

    A staff in the custody of a herald and handed by him to one wishing to speak in an assembly in token of his right to a hearing : ἐν κῆρυξ χειρὶ σ. ἔθηκεν Il. 23.568. Cf. Il. 1.234, 245, Il. 2.279, Il. 3.218, Il. 10.321 (the speaker offering the staff which he holds), 328, Il. 18.505 (app. a single staff held by the speakers in succession is meant) : Od. 2.37, 80.

σκῆπτρον : staff of a wanderer or mendicant, sceptre of kings, priests, heralds, judges. (See the cut, No. 109, representing Agamemnon.) When a speaker arose to address the assembly, a sceptre was put into his hands by a herald. Fig., as symbol of royal power and dignity, Il. 2.46; see also Od. 2.37, Od. 11.91.

σκῆπτρον, ου, τό, σκήπτω

• • Ia staff or stick to lean upon, a walking-stick, Hom., Aesch.: metaph. of the daughters of Oedipus, σκῆπτρα φωτός his staffs or supports, Soph.
  • IIa staff, as the badge of command, a sceptre: in Hom. borne by chiefs, and transmitted from father to son, whence the passage in Il. 2 is called ἡ τοῦ σκήπτρου παράδοσις, Thuc.:—also borne by judges, by heralds, by speakers, who on rising to speak received it from the herald, Hom.
  • • 2the sceptre, i. e. royalty, kingly power, rule, Il., Trag.