The corpus record

σῡκοφαντ-έω

sukophanteo

to be a, prosecute vexatiously, blackmail, seek occasion against

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

Where it lives

Against Euthynus 8 · 73.39/10k
Against Callicles 12 · 57.28/10k
Against Pantaenetus 12 · 32.23/10k
For Phormio 10 · 25.46/10k
Against Theocrines 11 · 23.64/10k
Defense Against a Charge of Subverting the Democracy 4 · 19.85/10k
Against Callimachus 6 · 16.93/10k
Against Apaturius 4 · 15.8/10k
Philip's Letter 2 · 14.23/10k
Against Aphobus 3 5 · 12.9/10k
Against Boeotus 1 3 · 11.01/10k
Against Ergocles 1 · 10.99/10k

Densest 12 of 63 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

σῡκοφαντ-έω · sykophant-eō — LSJ

to be a, prosecute vexatiously, blackmail, seek occasion against, oppress, accuse falsely, a false charge brought against, denounce as contraband, extort by false charges, threats

to be a συκοφάντης 1, παππῷος ὁ βίος συκοφαντεῖν ἐστί μοι Ar. Av. 1452, cf. Ach. 828, Ec. 562, al., Lys. 22.1, Isoc. 15.23, 21.5, al., D. 53.1, 55.1, al., Men. Epit. 1, al.; ς κατʼ ἀγοράν Diph. 32.16: c. acc. pers., prosecute vexatiously, blackmail, συκοφαντεῖς τοὺς ξένους; Ar. Av. 1431, cf. V. 1096 (lyr.); τοὺς συμμάχους Isoc. 15.318; ἑτέρους ἔσειε καὶ ἐσυκοφάντει Antipho 6.43; σ. τοὺς τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντας Arist. Pol. 1304b22, cf. Lys. 19.9 (Pass.); συκοφαντοῦμαι νῦν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀδίκως Id. Fr. 43,

2 criticize in a pettifogging way, lay verbal traps for, quibble about, carp at, stint, quibble

criticize in a pettifogging way, τοὺς ποιητάς Arist. Po. 1456a5, cf. D.H. Th. 52, Dem. 34, D.S. 26.1; lay verbal traps for one, τὸν ῥήτορα βουλόμενος δικαίως ἐξετάζειν καὶ μὴ σ. D. 18.232; σ. Θρασύμαχον Pl. R. 341c; ὑποσκελίζειν καὶ σ. D. 18.138: c. acc. rei, quibble about, μὴ τὰ συμβάντα συκοφάντει ib. 192; σ. τὸ πρᾶγμα Id. 23.61, D.H. Dem. 25; carp at, stint, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς καλλίστοις ἔργοις ἔπαινον D.S. 4.8: abs., quibble, Pl. R. 341b, Arist. Top. 139b26, 157a32, D. 20.62.

= κνίζω ἐρωτικῶς, Pl.Com. 255, Men. 1071.

In the wild

ἐσυκοφάντει · esykophantei Aristophanes, Acharnians *dikaio/polos.515 (DIORISIS sentence 404)
συκοφάντης · sykophantēs Aristophanes, Acharnians (DIORISIS sentence 423)
συκοφαντήσεις · sykophantēseis Aristophanes, Acharnians (DIORISIS sentence 645)
συκοφαντεῖς · sykophanteis Aristophanes, Birds 1430 (DIORISIS sentence 1046)
συκοφαντεῖ · sykophantei Aristophanes, Birds 1 (DIORISIS sentence 1085)
συκοφαντεῖν · sykophantein Aristophanes, Birds (DIORISIS sentence 1065)

6 of 177 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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