αἰτία

αἰτία, ἡ, A. responsibility, mostly in bad sense, guilt, blame, or the imputation thereof, i.e. accusation, first in Pi. O. 1.35 and Hdt., v. infr. (Hom. uses αἴτιος):—Phrases: αἰτίαν ἔχειν bear responsibility for, τινός A. Eu. 579, S. Ant. 1312; but usu. to be accused, τινός of a crime, φόνου Hdt. 5.70: c. inf., Ar. V. 506; foll. by ὡς . . , Pl. Ap. 38c; by ὡς c. part., Id. Phdr. 249d; ὑπό τινος by some one, A. Eu. 99, Pl. R. 565b: reversely, αἰτία ἔχει τινά Hdt. 5.70,71; αἰ. φεύγειν τινός S. Ph. 1404; ἐν αἰτίᾳ εἶναι or γίγνεσθαι, Hp. Art. 67, X. Mem. 2.8.6; αἰτίαν ὑπέχειν lie under a charge, Pl. Ap. 33b, X. Cyr. 6.3.16; ὑπομεῖναι Aeschin. 3.139; φέρεσθαι Th. 2.60; λαβεῖν ἀπό τινος ib.18; αἰτίαις ἐνέχεσθαι Pl. Cri. 52a; αἰτίαις περιπίπτειν Lys. 7.1; εἰς αἰτίαν ἐμπίπτειν Pl. Tht. 150a; αἰτίας τυγχάνειν D. Ep. 2.2; ἐκτὸς αἰτίας κυρεῖν A. Pr. 332; ἐν αἰτίῃ ἔχειν hold one guilty, Hdt. 5.106; διʼ αἰτίας ἔχειν Th. 2.60, etc.; ἐν αἰτίᾳ βάλλειν S. OT 656; τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιφέρειν τινί impute the fault to one, Hdt. 1.26; αἰτίαν νέμειν τινί S. Aj. 28; ἐπάγειν D. 18.283; προσβάλλειν τινί Antipho 3.2.4; ἀνατιθέναι, προστιθέναι, Hp. VM 21, Ar. Pax 640, etc.; ἀπολύειν τινὰ τῆς αἰτίης to acquit of guilt, Hdt. 9.88, etc. 2. in forensic oratory, invective without proof (opp. ἔλεγχος), D. 22.23, cf. 18.15. 3. in good sense, εἰ . . εὖ πράξαιμεν, αἰτία θεοῦ the credit is his, A. Th. 4; διʼ ὅντινα αἰτίαν ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι βελτίους γεγονέναι are reputed to have become better, Pl. Grg. 503b, cf. Alc. 1.119a, Arist. Metaph. 984b19; ὧν . . πέρι αἰτίαν ἔχεις διαφέρειν in which you are reputed to excel, Pl. Tht. 169a; οἳ . . ἔχουσι ταύτην τὴν αἰ. who have this reputation, Id. R. 435e, cf. And. 2.12; αἰτίαν λαμβάνειν Pl. Lg. 624a. 4. expostulation, μὴ ἐπʼ ἔχθρᾳ τὸ πλέον ἢ αἰτίᾳ Th. 1.69. II. cause, διʼ ἣν αἰτίην ἐπολέμησαν Hdt. Prooem., cf. Democr. 83, Pl. Ti. 68e, Phd. 97a sq., etc.; on the four causes of Arist. v. Ph. 194b16, Metaph. 983a26:—αἰ. τοῦ γενέσθαι or γεγονέναι Pl. Phd. 97a; τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ τῇ πόλει αἰτία ἡ κοινωνία Id. R. 464b:—dat. αἰτίᾳ for the sake of, κοινοῦ τινος ἀγαθοῦ Th. 4.87, cf. D.H. 8.29:—αἴτιον (cf. αἴτιος II.2) is used like αἰτία in the sense of cause, not in that of accusation. III. occasion, motive, αἰτίαν ῥοαῖσι Μοισᾶν ἐνέβαλε gave them a the me for song, Pi. N. 7.11; αἰτίαν παρέχειν Luc. Tyr. 13. IV. head, category under which a thing comes, D. 23.75. V. case in dispute, ἡ αἰ. τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός Ev.Matt. 19.10.