Griceian Aitiologies

by JLS
for the GC

From the Liddell/Scott,


αἰτία , ἡ,

A. responsibility, mostly in bad sense, guilt, blame, or the imputation thereof, i.e. accusation, first in Pi.O.1.35 and Hdt., v. infr. (Hom. uses αἴτιος):—Phrases: αἰτίαν ἔχειν bear responsibility for, “τινός” A.Eu.579, S.Ant.1312; but usu. to be accused, τινός of a crime, “φόνου” Hdt.5.70: c. inf., Ar.V.506; foll. by ὡς . . , Pl.Ap.38c; by ὡς c. part., Id.Phdr.249d; ὑπό τινος by some one, A.Eu.99, Pl. R.565b: reversely, “αἰτία ἔχει τινά” Hdt.5.70,71; “αἰ. φεύγειν τινός” S.Ph.1404; ἐν αἰτίᾳ εἶναι or γίγνεσθαι, Hp.Art.67, X.Mem.2.8.6; αἰτίαν ὑπέχειν lie under a charge, Pl.Ap.33b, X.Cyr.6.3.16; “ὑπομεῖναι” Aeschin.3.139; “φέρεσθαι” Th.2.60; λαβεῖν ἀπό τινος ib.18; “αἰτίαις ἐνέχεσθαι” Pl.Cri.52a; “αἰτίαις περιπίπτειν” Lys.7.1; “εἰς αἰτίαν ἐμπίπτειν” Pl.Tht.150a; “αἰτίας τυγχάνειν” D.Ep.2.2; “ἐκτὸς αἰτίας κυρεῖν” A. Pr.332; ἐν αἰτίῃ ἔχειν hold one guilty, Hdt.5.106; “δι᾽ αἰτίας ἔχειν” Th. 2.60, etc.; “ἐν αἰτίᾳ βάλλειν” S.OT656; τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιφέρειν τινί impute the fault to one, Hdt.1.26; “αἰτίαν νέμειν τινί” S.Aj.28; “ἐπάγειν” D.18.283; “προσβάλλειν τινί” Antipho 3.2.4; ἀνατιθέναι, προστιθέναι, Hp.VM21, Ar.Pax640, etc.; ἀπολύειν τινὰ τῆς αἰτίης to acquit of guilt, Hdt.9.88, etc.

2. in forensic oratory, invective without proof (opp. ἔλεγχος), D.22.23, cf. 18.15.

3. in good sense, εἰ . . εὖ πράξαιμεν, αἰτία θεοῦ the credit is his, A.Th.4; δι᾽ ὅντινα αἰτίαν ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι βελτίους γεγονέναι are reputed to have become better, Pl.Grg.503b, cf. Alc.1.119a, Arist.Metaph.984b19; ὧν . . πέρι αἰτίαν ἔχεις διαφέρειν in which you are reputed to excel, Pl.Tht.169a; οἳ . . ἔχουσι ταύτην τὴν αἰ. who have this reputation, Id.R.435e, cf. And. 2.12; “αἰτίαν λαμβάνειν” Pl.Lg.624a.
4. expostulation, “μὴ ἐπ᾽ ἔχθρᾳ τὸ πλέον ἢ αἰτίᾳ” Th.1.69.


II.

cause,

δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίην ἐπολέμησαν

Hdt.Prooem., cf. Democr.83, Pl.Ti.68e, Phd.97a sq., etc.;

on the four causes of Arist. v. Ph.194b16, Metaph.983a26:

αἰtia τοῦ γενέσθαι or “γεγονέναι” Pl.Phd.97a;

τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ τῇ πόλει αἰτία ἡ κοινωνία” Id.R.464b:—dat.

αἰτίᾳ "for the sake of",

“κοινοῦ τινος ἀγαθοῦ” Th.4.87, cf. D.H.8.29:

—αἴτιον (cf. “αἴτιος” 11.2) is used like αἰτία in the sense of cause, not in that of accusation.

III. occasion,

motive,

αἰτίαν ῥοαῖσι Μοισᾶν ἐνέβαλε

gave them a the me for song, Pi.N.7.11; “αἰτίαν παρέχειν” Luc.Tyr.13.

IV. head, category under which a thing comes, D.23.75.

V. case in dispute, “ἡ αἰ. τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός” Ev.Matt.10.10.