ἱστίον

histion

web, cloth, sheet

Appears 5 times across Aristotle's works.

Frequency by work

Click a work to list every occurrence by Bekker number — each links into the reader.

Mechanica 4
Open Mechanica ›
Chapter 7 851a38–851b5

851a39
851b2
851b4
Chapter 8 851b6–852a13

851b7
History of Animals 1
Open History of Animals ›
Book IX 1
Chapter 37 620b10–622b18

622b13

Dictionary (LSJ)

ἱστίον, τό (Dim. of ἱστός in form only), A. web, cloth, sheet: hence in pl., hangings, LXXEx. 27.9,15; as a measure, piece, PRyl. 70.25 (ii B.C.); but, II. from Hom. downwds., sail, mostly in pl. ἱστία, ἕλκον δʼ ἱστία λευκὰ . . βοεῦσιν they hauled them up with ox-hide ropes, Od. 2.426; τέταθʼ ἱστία the sails were spread, 11.11, cf. Pi. N. 5.51; ἱστία στέλλεσθαι, μηρύεσθαι, καθελεῖν, to lower or furl sail (v. sub vocc.): λύειν Od. 15.496; ἱστίοισι χρᾶσθαι Hdt. 4.110; ἄκροισι χρώμενος τοῖς ἱστίοις Ar. Ra. 1000: prov., πλήρεσιν ἱ. under full sail, with all oneʼs might, Philostr. VS 1.25.5, cf. Suid.: rarely in sg., ἐν δʼ ἄνεμος πρῆσεν μέσον ἱστίον Il. 1.481; ἐξίει ἱ. ἀνεμόεν Pi. P. 1.92; ἱστίῳ καταπετάσαι τινά Pl. Prm. 131b, cf. PMagd. 11.7 (iii B.C.).

Key passages & sense analysis (Bonitz)

Index Aristotelicus. Hermann Bonitz's sense-by-sense analysis of ἱστίον — with the passages he singles out as decisive for each meaning — will appear here. That curated, interpretive selection is the layer LSJ and a raw concordance don't provide. Digitisation in progress; this entry is not yet available.

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