τέρμα

A. end, boundary, chiefly poet.:

I. goal round which horses and chariots had to turn at races, περὶ τέρμαθ’ ἑλισσέμεν Il. 23.309; περὶ τ. βαλούσας, εὖ σχεθέειν περὶ τέρμα, ib.462,466; τέρματα θεῖναι or σημῆναι, ib.333,358; ἔστασεν ἐν τέρμασιν ἀγῶνος Pi. P. 9.114; τ. δωδεκάγναμπτον, i.e. doubled twelve times, Id. O. 3.33; δρόμου τέρματα dub. l. in S. El. 686; ἐξωτέρω ἀποκάμπτειν τοῦ τ. Arist. Rh. 1409b23.

2. mark set to show how far a quoit was thrown, ἔθηκε δὲ τέρματ’ Ἀθήνη Od. 8.193.

3. metaph., issue, event, A. Ag. 781,1177 (both lyr.).

II. generally, end, limit, δολιχῆς τ. κελεύθου Id. Pr. 286 (anap.), cf. 706, 823; ποῦ τὸ τ. τῆς φυγῆς; Id. Eu. 422: pl., ὁδοῦ τέρματα Thgn. 1166; ἐπὶ τέρμασι τοῖσι ἐκείνης (sc. τῆς Εὐρώπης) Hdt. 7.54; συνάγουσι τὰ τέρματα (oftwo rivers) they contract their bounds, i.e. draw together and so contract the space between them, Id. 4.52: metaph., πλούτου τέρμα a limit to wealth, Thgn. 227.

2. end, in point of time or distance, ἐπὶ τέρμ’ ἀφίκετο reached the limit, was at the end, S. Aj. 48; Ἑρμῆς σφ’ ἄγει . . πρὸς αὐτὸτ. Id. El. 1397 (lyr.); βιότουτ. the term or end of life, death, Simon. 85.13; τ. βίου or τοῦ βίου, A. Fr. 362, S. OT 1530 (troch.), E. Alc. 643; γήρως ἐσχάτοις πρὸς τ. Id. Andr. 1081; τ. μόχθων, πόνων, ἄθλου, A. Pr. 100 (anap.), 186 (lyr.), 259; Σισύφου πέτρος ἀνήνυτος, οὗ τὰ τέρματα αὖθις ἄρχει πόνων Pl. Ax. 371e; ἐπὶ τέρματι at last, A. Eu. 633: also τέρμα abs., like τέλος, Ps.-Phoc. 138.

3. culmination, highest point, goal, τ. ἀέθλων prize, Pi. I. 4(3).85(67); κακῶν E. Supp. 369 (lyr.); πρὸς τέρμασιν ὥρας Ar. Av. 705; τέρματα νίκης Archestr. Fr. 34.10; τ. τέχνης Parrhas. 2; ὑγιείας ἀκόρεστον τ. the bounds of health are insatiable, A. Ag. 1002 (lyr.); ἀγχόνης τέρματα Id. Eu. 746; θανάτου τ. E. Hipp. 140 (lyr.).

4. highest power, supremacy, τ. Κορίνθου ἔχειν to be sovereign of Corinth, Simon. 112; θεοὶ . . πάντων τέρμ’ ἔχοντες E. Supp. 617 (lyr.); σωτηρίας γὰρ τέρμ’ ἔχεις ἡμῖν μόνη you are the arbiter . ., Id. Or. 1343; τ. τῆς σωτηρίας final pledge . ., S. OC 725; δαίμονες οἳ φιλίης τέρματ’ . . ἔχετε AP 12.170 (Diosc.). (Cf. τέρμων, τέρθρον, Skt. tárati, tiráti 'cross, win through, overcome', Lat. terminus, trans, in-trare.)