Bible Lexicons

τέλος, εος, τό, (τέλλομαι, τέλλω) coming to pass, performance, consummation, εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀρῇσιν τ. ἡμετέρῃσι γένοιτο Od. 17.496; ἐν [θεοῖς] τ. ἐστὶν ὁμῶς ἀγαθῶν τε κακῶν τε Hes. Op. 669; δίκη δ' ὑπὲρ ὕβριος ἴσχει ἐς τ. ἐξελθοῦσα issuing in fulfilment, execution, ib. 218; καθάπερ ἐκ δίκης κατὰ νόμον τ. ἐχούσης PEleph. 1.12 (iv B.C.), cf. IG 12(7).67.48 (Arcesine, iv/iii B.C.); καθήκει νῦν [τὰν γνώμαν] ἐπὶ τέλος ἀχθῆμεν SIG 793.7 (Halasarna, i A.D.); ἔλπομαι μέν, ἐν θεῷ γε μὰν τ. Pi. O. 13.105, cf. N. 8.45, 10.29, D. 18.193; ἢν θεὸς ἀγαθὸν τ. διδῷ αὐτῷ X. Cyr. 3.2.29; ἐν πείρᾳ τ. διαφαίνεται Pi. N. 3.70; ψευστήσεις, οὐδ' αὖτε τ. μύθῳ ἐπιθήσεις Il. 19.107, cf. Isoc. 5.71, 6.77; result, τ. δ' οὔ πώ τι πέφανται Il. 2.122; εἵως κε τ. πολέμοιο κιχείω 3.291; ἐν γὰρ χερσὶ τ. πολέμου 16.630; ἶσον τείνειεν πολέμου τ. 20. 101, cf. Hes. Th. 638 (but ἢ πολέμοιο ἢ λοιμοῖο τ. ποτιδέγμενοι the coming to pass (outbreak) of.., A.R. 4.1282); τί μὰν ἀφήσει τ.; S. OC 1468 (lyr.); τί ἔσται τὸ τ. τῶν γιγνομένων τούτων ἐμοί; Hdt. 1.155, cf. Isoc. 6.50; ἀποίητον.. θέμεν ἔργων τ. undo things done, Pi. O. 2.17; ὁδοῦ τ. S. OC 1400; φόνου τ. A.R. 1.834; τοῦ δ' ὔμμι τέλος κρηῆναι ἔοικεν Id. 3.172; τῷ τ. πίστιν φέρων the outcome, S. El. 735; Ζεὺς πάντων ἐφορᾷ τ. Sol. 13.17; ἀκόλουθον τὸ τ. ἐξέβη τοῦ κινδύνου ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς Plb. 4.11.9; ἀμφίδοξα τὰ τ. τῶν κινδύνων αὐτοῖς ἀπέβαινε Id. 18.28.11, cf. 18.32.12, 3.5.7; τ. τοιόνδε ἐγένετο τῆς μάχης Hdt. 9.22, cf. Plb. 1.61.2; μάχης.. κεκύρωται τ. A. Ch. 874; διὰ μάχης ἥξω τέλους, = διὰ μάχης ἥξω, Id. Supp. 475; ἐπ' ἀμφότερα μαχᾶν τάμνειν τ. to seek to determine the issue of the battles in both directions, Pi. O. 13.57; more generally, event, οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγέ τί φημι τ. χαριέστερον εἶναι ἢ ὅτε.. Od. 9.5: in concrete sense, result, product, τ. εὐπεψίας αἱματικῆς πιμελὴ καὶ στέαρ Arist. PA 672a4, cf. GA 725b8.

2. in contexts like Hes. Op. 669, Il. 16.630 (v. supr.), τ. can be understood as power of deciding, supreme power, and so we have τ. μὲν Ζεὺς ἔχει.. πάντων ὅσ' ἐστί Semon. 1.1; ἐν δ' ἐμοὶ τ. αὐτοῖν γένοιτο τῆσδε τῆς μάχης πέρι S. OC 423; [ Ἄπολλον].. ὅθεν πολεμόκραντον ἁγνὸν, τ. ἐν μάχᾳ A. Th. 162 (lyr.); τελέων τελειότατον κράτος, ὄλβιε Ζεῦ Id. Supp. 525 (lyr.); τ. ἔχει δαίμων βροτοῖς, τ. ὅπᾳ θέλει E. Or. 1545 (lyr.); τ. δ' ἐφ' ἡμῖν, εἴτε.. εἴτε.. Id. Hel. 887; καὶ τοῖσ' (sc. ἰητροῖς) οὐδὲν ἔπεστι τ. they have no power or efficacy, Sol. 13.58: and in the civil sphere, τ. ἔχειν, of persons, to have the power to ratify, IG 12.57.25, Foed. ap. Th. 4.118, Arist. Pol. 1322b13; ὅ τι ἂν δόξῃ τοῖς πλείοσι τοῦτ' εἶναι τ. the decision of the majority must be final, ib. 1317b6; κύριος ἔστω ἐπιβάλλειν κατὰ τὸ τ. shall have authority to inflict a fine up to the limit of his powers, Lexap. D. 43.75; κατὰ τὸ τ. ζημιοῦσθαι Isa 4.11; τοῖς κατ' ἐμπορίαν παραγιγνομένοις μηδὲν ἔστω τ. πλὴν ἐπὶ κήρυκι ἢ γραμματεῖ Foed. ap. Plb. 3.22.8; τ. ἔχειν, of things, to have decisive or final authority, σφῷν μὲν ἐντολὴ Διὸς ἔχει τ. δή A. Proverbs 13:1-25; ἡ.. τούτου αἰτίασις οὐκ ἔχει τ. has no validity, Antipho 5.89; πρὶν τ. τι αὐτῶν ἔχειν before any of the terms had validity, i.e. had been ratified, Th. 5.41, cf. D. 35.27; τοῦ ζῆν καὶ μὴ ζῆν τὸ τ. ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἀναπνεῖν the decisive difference between.., Arist. Resp. 480b19.

3. magistracy, office, τ. δωδεκάμηνον Pi. N. 11.9 (δυω- codd.); οἱ ἐν τ. men in office, magistrates, S. Aj. 1352, Ph. 385, Th. 3.36; ἔξω τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν μάλιστα ἐν τ. Id. 1.10, cf. 6.88; οἱ ἐν τέλεϊ ἐόντες Hdt. 3.18, 9.106; poet., οἱ ἐν τέλει βεβῶτες S. Ant. 67; οἱ τὰ τ. ἔχοντες Foed. ap. Th. 5.47; ὂρ μέγιστον τ. ἔχοι Schwyzer 409.3 (Elis, V B.C.); τοὺς.. τὸ ὁροφυλακικὸν τ. ἔχοντας SIG 633.94 (Milet., ii B.C.); τὸ τ. the government, τοιαῦτ' ἔδοξε τῷδε Καδμείων τέλει A. Th. 1030; τὰ τ. the magistrates, Th. (with a masc. part. and pl. (v.l.) verb) 1.58, 4.15, X. An. 2.6.4.

4. decision, doom, Ζεὺς.. οἶδε, ὁπποτέρῳ θανάτοιο τ. πεπρωμένον ἐστί Il. 3.309; Κῆρες δὲ παρεστήκασι.., ἡ μὲν ἔχουσα τ. γήραος ἀργαλέου, ἡ δ' ἑτέρη θανάτοιο Mimn. 2.6; μήτηρ.. μέ φησι διχθαδίας Κῆρας φερέμεν θανάτοιο τέλος δέ (or τέλοσδε) Il. 9.411, cf. 13.602; ἐξέφυγον θανάτου τ. Archil. 6.3; τ. θανάτου ἀλεείνων Od. 5.326; τ. θανάτοιο κάλυψεν Il. 5.553; οὐδέ κέ μ' ὦκα τ. θανάτοιο κιχείη 9.416, cf. 11.451; ἡμετέρου θανάτοιο κακὸν τ., οἷον ἐτύχθη Od. 24.124, cf. A. Th. 906 (lyr.): — judicial decision, ἀμμενῶ τ. δίκης Id. Eu. 243; κύριον μένει τ. ib. 544 (lyr.); οὐκ ἔχουσα τῆς δίκης τ. not having authority to decide the case, ib. 729; ἦ κἀπ' ἐμοὶ τρέποιτ' ἂν αἰτίας τ.; will you submit the decision of this case to me? ib. 434; τὸ τ. κρίνειν Pl. Lg. 768b; τ. ἐπιθέτω τῇ δίκῃ ib. 767a, cf. 761e, 957b; decision of an assembly, A. Supp. 603, 624; of a king, Id. Ag. 934; ἐξαιτράπης ἐὼν Ἰωνίης, τ. ἐποίησε τὴν γῆν εἶναι Μιλησίων prob. in SIG 134b30 (Milet., iv B.C.); ὥς τοι ἐγὼ μύθου τ. ἐν φρεσὶ θείω the summing up or crux of the matter, Il. 16.83.

5. something done or ordered to be done, task, service, duty, γνῶ.. ὅ οἱ οὔ τι τ. κατὰ καίριον ἦλθεν on no fatal errand, Il. 11.439 (nisi leg. κατακαίριον) ; οὐδὲ μακύνων τ. οὐδέν Pi. P. 4.286; ὅσοις τοῦτ' ἐπέσταλται τ. A. Eu. 743, cf. Ag. 908; μ' Ἀπόλλων τῷδ' ἐπέστησεν τέλει ib. 1202, cf. Ch. 760; ἄυπνα ὀμμάτων τέλη the wakeful duties (or services) of the eyes, E. Supp. 1137 (lyr.); ἀμφοτερᾶν τοι χαρίτων.. ζεύξω τ. the rendering of both services, Pi. I. 1.6; αἰτουμένῳ μοι κοῦφον εἰ δοίης τ. a small service or favour, A. Th. 260; ἡξῶ ναὶ τὸν Πᾶνα κακὸν τ. αὐτίκα δωσῶν Theoc. 4.47; obligation to render a service or payment, ὅτε δὴ μισθοῖο τ. πολυγηθέες ὧραι ἐξέφερον the Payment(-day) of the wage, Il. 21.450; οἱ δ' ἐλάττω τῶν ἱκανῶν κεκτημένοι, τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἀτέλειαν ἔχοντες, ἔξω τοῦ τ. εἰσὶ τούτου D. 20.19, cf. Poll. 8.156; ἐν τέλει μαθεῖν to be taught for a fee, Id. 4.46.

6. pl., services or offerings due to the gods, δαίμοσιν θῦσαι θέλουσα πελανόν, ὧν τέλη τάδε A. Pers. 204; ἔνθ' ὁρίζεται βωμοὺς τ. τ' ἔγκαρπα Κηναίῳ Διί S. Tr. 238; ἔλιπον Ζηνὶ τροπαίῳ πάγχαλκα τ. Id. Ant. 143 (anap.); γῇ δὲ τῇδε Σισύφου σεμνὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ τέλη προσάψομεν E. Med. 1382; θεοῖσι μικρὰ θύοντες τέλη Id. Fr. 327.6; of the Eleusinian mysteries, οὗ πότνιαι σεμνὰ τιθηνοῦνται τ. S. OC 1050 (lyr.), cf. Fr. 837; σεμνῶν ἐς ὄψιν καὶ τ. μυστηρίων E. Hipp. 25; called μεγάλα τ., Pl. R. 560e; rarely in sg., τοῦδε μυστικοῦ τέλους this mystic rite, A. Fr. 387; of the marriage rite, τ. γάμοιο Od. 20.74, cf. A.R. 4.1202, AP 6.276 (Antip.); γαμήλιον τ. A. Eu. 835; τὰ νυμφικὰ τ. S. Ant. 1241; τ. ὁ γάμος ἐκαλεῖτο Poll. 3.38, cf. Paus.Gr. Fr. 306, Sch. Ar. Th. 982, Stob. 2.7.3a.

7. service rendered by a citizen in the Solonian constitution to the state, also his rating according to this service, θητικοῦ ἀντὶ τέλους ἱππάδ' ἀμειψάμενος Epigr. ap. Arist. Ath. 7.4; τιμήματι διεῖλεν εἰς τέτταρα τ. four ratings or classes, ib. 7.3; later, τὸ τῶν ἱππέων τ., Lat. ordo equester, D.C. 48.45, al.

8. dues exacted by the state, Ar. V. 658 (pl.), Pl. R. 425d (pl.); ἀγορᾶς τ. a market- toll, Ar. Ach. 896; πορνικὸν τ. Aeschin. 1.119; τ. πρίασθαι, πωλεῖν, farm a tax or let it, D. 24.144, Aeschin. l.c.; ἐκλέγειν. πράττειν, levy it, D.l.c., Alex. 263.3, Aeschin. 3.113; τελεῖν pay a tax or duty, Pl. Lg. 847b; εἰ τὰ τ. τελεῖ, ποῖον τ. τελεῖ, questions put to candidates at Athens, Din. 2.17, Arist. Ath. 7.4; τέλη κατατίθησιν Antipho 5.77; καταβαλεῖν And. 1.93; freq. in Inscrr., IG 12.46.12, al., SIG 135.14 (Olynthus, iv B.C.), al., and Papyri, τὸ ὡρισμένον τῆς αἰτήσεως τ., etc., POxy. 1473.30 (iii A.D.), cf. PCair.Zen. 240.7 (iii B.C.), etc.: metaph., τέλη λύειν, v. λύω v. 2.

9. financial means, expenditure, usu. in dat. pl., ὃς ἂν τοῖς ἰδίοις τ. μὴ ἑαυτὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὠφελῇ by the use of his own means, Th. 6.16; κακῶς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ποιούντων τέλεσι τοῖς οἰκείοις if we harm ourselves at our own expense, Id. 4.60; ἀναγραψάτω.. τέλεσι τοῖς Λεωνίδου IG 12.56.22, cf. 94.14, al.; Χερρόνησον τοῖς αὑτοῦ τ. διορύξει D. 6.30; δημοσίοις τέλεσι Plu. Phoc. 38: in nom. sg., μάτην γὰρ οἴκῳ σὸν τόδ' ἐκβαίη τ. E. Fr. 639.

10. a military station or post with defined duties (cf. signf. 5), ἐλθεῖν εἰς φυλάκων ἱερὸν τ. Il. 10.56; αἶψα δ' ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν τ. ἷξον ἰόντες ib. 470; δόρπον ἔπειθ' ἑλόμεσθα κατὰ στρατὸν ἐν τελέεσσιν at our posts, in the ranks, 11.730, cf. 18.298; later, military unit, division, squadron, τέλει ἑνὶ τῶν ἱππέων Th. 2.22, cf. 4.96; πελταστῶν τέλη E. Rh. 311; κατὰ τέλεα Hdt. 1.103, 7.87, al.; κατὰ τέλη Th. 6.42, Plb. 11.11.6, cf. 11.15.2, Polyaen. 2.1.17; in the Roman army, legion, J. AJ 14.16.2, BJ 1.17.9, Plu. Ant. 18.56, App. BC 5.87, al. a force of 2048 infantry, = μεραρχία, Ascl. Tact. 2.10, Arr. Tact. 10.5, Ael. Tact. 9.7. a force of 2048 cavalry, Ascl. Tact. 7.11, Arr. Tact. 18.4, Ael. Tact. 20.2. II δίρρυμά τε καὶ τρίρρυμα τέλη troops or columns of.. chariots, A. Pers. 47 (anap.); of ships, τρία τ. ποιήσαντες τῶν νεῶν Th. 1.48: also ὀρνίθων τέλεα flocks of birds, v.l. for γένεα, Hdt. 2.64; τ. ἀθανάτων A. Fr. 151 (anap.).

12. a territorial division, Στρατικὸν τ. SIG 421.44 (Acarnania, iii B.C.); Κορωνείων τὸ τ. Supp.Epigr. 3.354 (Thebes, iii B.C.); τὸ Λοκρικὸν τ. GDI 2070 (Delph., ii B.C.). II degree of completion or attainment, τόσσον μὲν ἔχον τ., οὔατα δ' οὔ πω.. προσέκειτο Il. 18.378; degree of maturity, age, ἐπὴν δὴ τοῦτο τ. παραμείψεται ὥρης Mimn. 2.9; ἥβης πρὶν τ. ἄκρον ἰδεῖν Simon. 123; ἥβης τ. μολόντας E. Med. 920; εἰς ἀνδρὸς τ. ἰέναι man's estate, Pl. Mx. 249a; εἰς πρεσβύτου τ. ἀφικομένοις Id. Epin. 992d; τὸ τῶν παίδων τ. ἄδηλον οἷ τελευτᾷ κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς ψυχῆς τε πέρι καὶ σώματος Id. Smp. 181e; οὐδὲ γήρως ἔβας τ. σὺν τᾷδε E. Alc. 413 (lyr.). a length of time (or space), term, course, ἀρετάς, αἷσι Κλεωνυμίδαι θάλλοντες αἰεὶ σὺν θεῷ θνατὸν διέρχονται βιότου τ. Pi. I. 4(3).5(23); so perh. in E. Hipp. 87 (v. infr. 3), and in διὰ τέλους (v. infr. 2 c).

2. state of completion or maturity, τ. λαβεῖν, ἔχειν, of plants or animals, to attain maturity, Pl. Phdr. 276b, Lg. 834c, cf. 899e: hence, completion, end, finish, τ. ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ complete it, Id. Smp. 186a, cf. Prt. 348a; ὃ πᾶσι τοῖς προτέροις ἐπ έθηκε τ. as a finish to all his former acts, D. 18.140; τὸ τ. τῆς σκηνῆς ἐποιήσαντο X. Cyr. 2.3.24; ταύτης.. τῆς ἡμέρας τοῦτο τὸ τ. ἐγένετο Id. An. 1.10.18; τ. λαβεῖν to be completed, Pl. R. 501e, Isoc. 4.5; τ. ἔχειν Pl. Lg. 772c; οὐ τ. ἵκεο μύθων didst not reach the end of thy speech, Il. 9.56; ἐπὶ τέλους τοῦ δρόμου Pl. R. 613d; μέχρι τοῦ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπὶ τέλος ἀχθῆναι PTeb. 14.8 (ii B.C.); ἑκάστων πρὸς τέλος ἀχθέντων UPZ 108.29 (ii B.C.), cf. BGU 1816.11 (i B.C.); ἡ εἰκοστὴ τοῦ νοσήματος ἡμέρα τ. μὲν τριῶν ἑβδομάδων, ἓξ δὲ τετράδων Gal. 18(2).234: — freq. in Adverbial phrases: τέλος at last, ὥστε τ. ἡσυχίαν ἦγον Th. 2.100, cf. 5.46; but most freq. at the beginning of the clause, μάχης δὲ καρτερῆς γενομένης, τέλος οὐδέτεροι νικήσαντες διέστησαν Hdt. 1.76, cf. 4.131, al.; τέλος δέ Id. 1.36, Thgn. 1294, etc.; ἀλλὰ τ. Hdt. 6.137; τ. μέντοι Id. 5.89, X. HG 5.4.30; τ. γε μέντοι S. Ant. 233; καὶ τ. Hdt. 4.154, Th. 1.109; τό γε τ. Pl. Lg. 740e. < ἐς τ. in the end, in the long run, πάντως ἐς τ. ἐξεφάνη Sol. 13.28, cf. Hdt. 9.37; εἰς τ. S. Ph. 409; θνητῶν δ' εἰς τ. ὄλβιος οὐδείς E. IA 161 (anap.), cf. Hdt. 3.40; ὁρῶντες τὴν Λιβύην εἰς τ. ἀβλαβῆ διαμένουσαν altogether, completely, Plb. 1.20.7, cf. PTeb. 38.11 (ii B.C.), OGI 90.12 (Rosetta, ii B.C.), PSI 10.1120.5 (i B.C. /i A.D.); ἐς τ. ἄνυε μοίρας dub. l. in Theoc. 1.93. διὰ τέλους (orig. perh. from signf. 1.1 or 5, or 11.1b, through the (whole) performance or time), through to the end, completely, A. Pr. 275, S. Aj. 685, E. Supp. 270, Isoc. 5.24, 8.17, 19.4; throughout, all the time, always, Antipho 5.42, Timocl. 8.5, Hegesipp.Com. 2.3; so διὰ τέλεος Hp. Acut. 46 (= διὰ παντὸς καὶ ἀεί acc. to Gal. 15.618); διὰ τέλους ἀεί Pl. Phlb. 36e; permanently, for good, τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί σε διὰ τ. PPetr. 2p.45 (iii B.C.). ἐπὶ τέλος at the end, opp. ἐν ἀρχῇ, Gal. 19.183. τέλει perh. in the end, S. OT 198 (lyr.).

3. esp. τ. ἔχειν βίου to have reached the end of life, to be dead, Pl. Lg. 801e; ἐμοὶ μὲν τοῦ βίου τὸ τ. ἤδη πάρεστιν X. Cyr. 8.7.6; πᾶσίν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις τ. τοῦ βίου θάνατος D. 57.27;