ξύλον

ξύλον [ῠ], τό (pl. spelt ξύλεα Abh. Berl. Akad. 1928(6).32 (Cos, v B. C.)), A. wood cut and ready for use, firewood, timber, etc., Hom., mostly in pl., Il. 8.507,547, Od. 14.418 ; ξ. νήϊα ship-timber, Hes. Op. 808 ; ξ. ναυπηγήσιμα Th. 7.25, X. An. 6.4.4, Pl. Lg. 706b, D. 17.28 ; ξ. τετράγωνα logs cut square, Hdt. 1.186, cf. Pl. Prt. 325d, Arist. EN 1109b7. 2. in pl., also, the wood-market, ἐπὶ ξύλα ἰέναι Ar. Fr. 403. II. in sg., piece of wood, log, beam, post, once in Hom., ξ. αὖον . . ἢ δρυὸς ἢ πεύκης Il. 23.327 ; ξ. σύκινον spoon made of fig wood, Pl. Hp.Ma. 291c ; peg or lever, Arist. MA 701b9 ; perch, ἐπὶ ξύλου καθεύδειν Ar. Nu. 1431 : by poet. periphr., Ἀργοῦς ξύλον A. Fr. 20 ; ἵπποιο κακὸν ξ., of the Trojan horse, AP 9.152 (Agath.) : hence anything made of wood, as, 2. cudgel, club, Hdt. 2.63,4.180, Ar. Lys. 357, PHal. 1.187 (iii B.C.); μετὰ ξύλων εἰσπηδῆσαι PTeb. 304.10 (ii A.D.); ξύλοις συντρίψειν Luc. Demon. 50 ; of the club of Heracles, Plu. Lyc. 30. 3. an instrument of punishment, a. wooden collar, put on the neck of the prisoner, ξύλῳ φιμοῦν τὸν αὐχένα Ar. Nu. 592 ; ἐς τετρημένον ξ. ἐγκαθαρμόσαι . . τὸν αὐχένα Id. Lys. 680 ; or, b. stocks, in which the feet were confined, Hdt. 9.37, 6.75, Ar. Eq. 367, D. 18.129 ; ξ. ἐφέλκειν Polyzel. 3 ; ἐν τῷ ξ. δεδέσθαι Lys. 10.16 (v. ποδοκάκκη), cf. Act.Ap. 16.24, OGI 483.181 (Pergam., ii A.D.) : also in pl., ἔδησεν ἐν τοῖς ξ. And. 1.45. c. πεντεσύριγγον ξύλον (v. sub voc.) was a combination of both, with holes for the neck, arms, and legs, Ar. Eq. 1049. d. gallows, κρεμάσαι τινὰ ἐπὶ ξύλου LXX De. 21.22 ; ξ. δίδυμον ib.Jo. 8.29 : prov., ἐξ ἀξίου τοῦ ξύλου κἂν ἀπάγξασθαι, i.e. if one must be hanged, at least let it be on a noble tree, App.Prov. 2.67, cf. Ar. Ra. 736 ; in NT, of the cross, Act.Ap. 5.30,10.39. e. stake on which criminals were impaled, Alex. 222.10. 4. bench, table, esp. money-changerʼs table, D. 45.33. 5. πρῶτον ξύλον front bench in the Athenian theatre, Ar. Ach. 25, V. 90, cf. Sch.adlocc. : hence οὑπὶ τῶν ξύλων the official who had to take care of the seats, Hermipp. 9 (according to Meineke). 6. the Hippocratic bench, Hp. Fract. 13, Art. 72. III. of live wood, tree, [ὄρος] δασὺ πολλοῖς καὶ παντοδαποῖς καὶ μεγάλοις ξύλοις X. An. 6.4.5, cf. Call. Cer. 41, Agatharch. 55, LXX Ca. 2.3, al. : opp. σάρξ, Thphr. HP 1.2.6,al. ; τῷ ξ. τοῦ δένδρου ἀνάλογον τὴν λεγομένην εἶναι γῆν Plot. 6.7.11 ; τὸ ξ. τῆς ἀμπέλου E. Cyc. 572; εἴρια ἀπὸ ξύλου, of cotton, Hdt. 3.47 ; εἵματα ἀπὸ ξύλων πεποιημένα Id. 7.65, cf.Poll. 7.75. IV. of persons, blockhead, APl. 16.187 ; of a stubborn person, σίδηρός τις ἢ ξ. πρὸς τὰς δεήσεις Ach.Tat. 5.22. V. a measure of length, = 3 (also 2 2/3) cubits, the side of the ναύβιον, Hero *Geom. 23.4,11, POxy. 669.11,28 (iii A.D.), 1053 (vi/vii A.D.).