Plato › Greek Lexicon › φάρμακον

φάρμακον

pharmakon

drug

Appears 72 times across Plato's dialogues.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

φάρμακον [v. sub fin.], τό, A. drug, whether healing or noxious: in Hom. the sense is freq. determined by an epith., φάρμακα, πολλὰ μὲν ἐσθλὰ . . , πολλὰ δὲ λυγρά Od. 4.230; τόδε φ. ἐσθλόν 10.287, cf. 292; φ. ἤπια, ὀδυνήφατα (v. infr. 2); κακὰ φ. ib.213; φ. λυγρά ib. 236; φ. οὐλόμενον ib.394; ἀνδροφόνον 1.261; θυμοφθόρα φ. 2.329; so, after Hom., προσανέα φ. Pi. P. 3.52; παιώνια A. Ag. 848; χρήσιμον Pl. R. 382c; θανάσιμα Ph. Bel. 103.31; ὀλέθριον Luc. Herm. 62. 2. healing remedy, medicine, in Hom. mostly of those applied outwardly, ἐπιθήσει φάρμαχʼ ἅ κεν παύσῃσι μελαινάων ὀδυνάων Il. 4.191; ἐπʼ ἄρʼ ἤπια φάρμακα πάσσε ib.218; ὀδυνήφατα φ. πάσσων 5.401,900, cf. 11.515,830, 15.394; προσάλειφεν ἑκάστῳ φ. Od. 10.392; φ. περιαλείφειν Ar. Eq. 906; also of potions, πιὼν φάρμακʼ Od. 10.326; φ. πεπωκώς Hdt. 4.160, cf. Pi. l. c.; παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ Pl. R. 406d, cf. Grg. 467c; φ. χριστόν E. Hipp. 516; ἔγχριστον Theoc. 11.1; ἐπίχριστον Str. 17.1.10; ἐπίπαστον Theoc. l. c.; καταπλαστόν Ar. Pl. 716; ποτόν E. Hipp. l.c.; freq. in Medic. writers, Sor. 1.4, Gal. 6.265, etc.; of medicines for cattle, PFlor. 222.11 (iii A. D.). b. c. gen. (v. infr. II), φ. νόσου a medicine for it, remedy against it, A. Pr. 251,606 (lyr.); βηχός Phryn.Com. 60: κεφαλῆς for a head-ache, Pl. Chrm. 155b; στραγγουρίας Arist. HA 612b16, cf. 624a16; μέθης Amphis 37; δίψης AP 6.170 (Thyill.); but ὑγιείας φ. a medicine to restore or maintain health, Aristid. Or. 37(2).11. 3. enchanted potion, philtre: hence, charm, spell, Od. 4.220 sq., Ar. Pl. 302, Theoc. 2.15, PSI 1.64.20 (i B. C.); φαρμάκοις τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἔμηνεν Ar. Th. 561; τοιαῦτα ἔχω φ. such charms have I, Hdt. 3.85, cf. Apoc. 9.21. 4. poison, S. Tr. 685, E. Med. 385; πιεῖν τὸ φ. Antipho 6.15, Pl. Phd. 57a, 115a; φάρμακα ἐσβεβληκέναι ἐς τὰ φρέατα Th. 2.48; φ. δηλητήρια SIG 37 A 1 (Teos, v B. C.); τοξικὸν φ. BGU 21 ii 14 (iv A. D.). 5. lye for laundering, Stud.Pal. 22.56.12 (iii A. D.). II. generally, remedy, cure, Hes. Op. 485, Alc. 35, etc.; μεῖζον . . τῆς νόσου τὸ φ. the cure too strong for, i. e. worse than, the disease, S. Fr. 589.4, cf. Com.Adesp. 455; φ. πραΰ, of a bridle, Pi. O. 13.85; φ. τινι for a thing, Thgn. 1134 (pl.), Archil. 9; πρός τι Arist. Pol. 1321a16; ποττὸν ἔρωτα Theoc. 11.1; but most freq. φ. τινός remedy against . . χλαῖνα . . φ. ῥίγευς Hippon. 19; Ζεὺς πάντων φ. μοῦνος ἔχει Simon. 87; τὸ σιγᾶν φ. βλάβης ἔχω A. Ag. 548; φ. πόνων, λύπης, E. Ba. 283, Fr. 1079; δόλοι . . χρείας ἀνάνδρου φ. ib.288; φόβου Pl. Lg. 647e; λήθης φάρμακα (of γράμματα) E. Fr. 578.1; v. εὐδιανός. 2. c. gen. also, a means of producing something, φ. σωτηρίας Id. Ph. 893; μνήμης καὶ σοφίας φ. Pl. Phdr. 274e; ὑπομνήσεως ib.275a, cf. 230d; ἀθανασίας Antiph. 86.6; ἡσυχίας Arist. Pol. 1273b23; φ. μανίας, of the oil applied to wrestlers, D.L. 1.104. 3. ἐπὶ θανάτῳ φ. ἑᾶς ἀρετᾶς εὑρέσθαι a remedy or consolation in his own virtue, Pi. P. 4.187. III. dye, paint, colour, Emp. 23.3, Hdt. 1.98, A. Fr. 134, Ar. Ec. 735, Pl. R. 420c, Plt. 277c, PCair.Zen. 789.13 (iii B. C.), etc. IV. chemical reagent, PLeid.X. 25, PHolm. 13.46, 22.10, Ps.-Democr. ap. Zos.Alch.p.160 B.; used by tanners, Sch.Ar. Eq. 44,368.—Cf. φαρμάσσω. [μᾰ; but μᾱ in φαρμακός.]
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