that which is laid down, law, ordinance, once in Hom., λέκτροιο παλαιοῦ θεσμὸν ἵκοντο Od. 23.296; εἰρήνης θεσμοί the order of peace, h.Hom. 8.16; esp. of divine laws, θ. τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν A. Eu. 391; ἵμερος . . τῶν μεγάλων πάρεδρος θ. S. Ant. 800 (lyr.); οἱ τῶν θεῶν θ. X. Cyr. 1.6.6; θ. Ἀδραστείας, οἱ τῆς εἱμαρμένης θ., Pl. Phdr. 248c, Plu. Cons.Apoll. 2.111d; παρέβη θ. ἀρχαίους Ar. Av. 331 (lyr.).
of human law, οἱ πάτριοι θ. Hdt. 3.31; at Athens, esp. of the laws of Draco, IG 1(2).115.20, And. 1.81, Decr. ib. 83, Arist. Ath. 4.1, etc., cf. Ael. VH 8.10: used by Solon of his own laws, Sol. 36.16, cf. 31.2, Plu. Sol. 19; ὁ ταῦτα ἀπεργαζόμενος θ. νόμος ἂν ὀρθῶς εἴη κείμενος Pl. Ep. 355c; ὁ τοῖς ἄλλοις τιθέμενος θεσμοὺς Δημήτριος Duris 10J.; ὅδʼ ὁ τεθμὸς πὲρ τῶν ἐντοφηΐων GDI 2561C 19 (Delph.): in later poetry, θεσμοί,= law, jurisprudence, Epigr.Gr. 434.4, al.; θεσμῶν ταμίης, πρόμαχος, IG 3.6
generally, rule, precept, rite, S. Tr. 682; θ. πυρός the law of the beacon-fire, A. Ag. 304; τεθμὸς ἀέθλων Pi. O. 6.69; στεφάνων τ. the appointed crowns, ib. 13.29; θ. ὅδʼ εὔφρων the cheering strain (cf. νόμος), A. Supp. 1034 (lyr.); ὕμνου τεθμὸν Ὀλυμπιονίκαν Pi. O. 7.88; μακάρων Id. Pae. 4.47.
institution, as the tribunal of the Areopagus, A. Eu. 615; τεθμὸς Ἡρακλέος, Ποτειδᾶνος τεθμοί, the Olympian, Isthmian games, Pi. N. 10.33, O. 13.40.
= θησαυρός, Anacr. 58.
θεσμοί· αἱ συνθέσεις τῶν ξύλων, Hsch.