LOGOI

The corpus record

σκοπός

skopos · ὁ

one that watches, one that looks about

Generated live from the audited corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.

Where it lives

Densest 12 of 56 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

σκοπ-ός · skop-os — LSJ

one that watches, one that looks about, after, guardian, protector

one that watches, one that looks about or after things, παρὰ δὲ σκοπὸν εἷσεν Il. 23.359; γυναικῶν δμῳάων σ. ἐσσι, of a housekeeper, Od. l.c.: in Pi., of gods and kings, c. gen. loci, guardian, protector, Ὀλύμπου σ. O. 1.54; Δάλου 6.59; Μαγνήτων σ., of Peleus, N. 5.27; τὸν ὑψόθεν σ., φύλακα βροτῶν A. Supp. 381 (lyr.); also σκοποὶ τῶν εἰρημένων S. Ant. 215.

b one who watches, looks out, watchful, jealous master

one who watches or looks out to take advantage, Od. 22.156; watchful, jealous master, S. Aj. 945.

2 lookout-man, watcher, game-watcher

mostly, lookout-man, watcher, stationed in some high place (σκοπιά) to overlook a country, esp. in war, Il. 2.792, Od. 16.365, X. Cyr. 3.2.1, 4.1.1, etc.; hence Ἠέλιον . . θεῶν σ. ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν h.Cer. 62: also, game-watcher, X. Cyr. 1.6.40.

3 spy, scout, a messenger who has been sent to learn tidings

spy, scout, Il. 10.324, 526, 561 (later κατάσκοπος) σ. καὶ κατοπτῆρας στρατοῦ ἔπεμψα A. Th. 36, cf. E. Tr. 956; of a messenger who has been sent to learn tidings, S. OC 35, cf. Ph. 125; σκοπός, ναῶν κατόπτας E. Rh. 557 (lyr.).

II mark, object on which one fixes the eye, the mark, it

mark or object on which one fixes the eye, σκοπὸν ἄλλον, ὃν οὔ πώ τις βάλεν ἀνήρ, εἴσομαι αἴ κε τύχωμι Od. 22.6; ἀπὸ σκοποῦ away from the mark, 11.344; ἀπὸ σ. εἰρηκέναι, εἰρῆσθαι, Pl. Tht. 179c, X. Smp. 2.10; παρὰ σκοπόν Pi. O. 13.94; σκοπῷ ἐπέχειν τόξον to aim at it, ib. 2.89; σκοποῦ ἄντα τυχεῖν Id. N. 6.27; ἔκυρσας ὥστε τοξότης . . σκοποῦ A. Ag. 628; ὥστε τοξόται σκοποῦ, τοξεύετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε S. Ant. 1033; ἄθλιον σκοπὸν ἐμοὶ ἀκοντίσας Antipho 3.3.6; ἐπὶ σκοπὸν βάλλειν X. Cyr. 1.6.29; παραλλάξα

2 aim, end, object

metaph., aim, end, object, οὗτος . . δοκεῖ ὁ σ. εἶναι πρὸς ὃν βλέποντα δεῖ ζῆν Id. Grg. 507d; τὴν ἡδονὴν σ. ὀρθὸν πᾶσι ζῴοις γεγονέναι Id. Phlb. 60a; στοχάζεσθαι σκοποῦ Id. R. 519c; σ. τυραννικὸς τὸ ἡδύ Arist. Pol. 1311a4, etc.; σκοπός . . nihil praebere ‘his little game’ is to make no allowance, Cic. Att. 15.29.2, cf. Arg. 11 Ar. Eq.

b intention, intention

Medic., of healing, ἐπὶ τῷ πρώτῳ σ. by first intention (i.e. direct union), κατὰ δεύτερον σ. by second intention (i.e. granulation or scar tissue), Gal. 1.387, cf. 10.162.

3 contest in shooting at a mark

contest in shooting at a mark, σ. ἱππέων, πεζῶν, IG 9(2).527.16,18 (Larissa).

III a dance

name of a dance, Eup. 446.

In the wild

6 of 142 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

No etymology authority pointer is recorded for this lemma yet — an honest gap, not an omission. The etymological dictionaries (Beekes, Chantraine, Frisk) are matched incrementally.

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