ἄφεσις

A. letting go, release, περὶ τῆς τῶν πλοίων ἀφέσεως Philipp. ap. D. 18.77, cf. Pl. Plt. 273c; καρπῶν PAmh. 2.43.9 (ii B. C.); γῆ ἐν ἀφέσει land in private hands, opp. βασιλική, PTeb. 5.37 (ii B. C.), etc.

b. of persons, dismissal: in ritual, λαοῖς ἄ. Apul. Met. 11.17; release, Plb. 1.79.12, IG 2.314.21, Ev.Luc. 4.18.

2. c. gen., ἀ. φόνου quittance from murder, Pl. Lg. 869d: so abs., Hermog. Stat. 8; discharge from a bond, D. 33.3; ἄ. ἐναντίον μαρτύρων ποιήσασθαι Id. 45.41; opp. ἀπόδοσις χρημάτων, Isoc. 17.29; exemption from attendance, leave of absence, Arist. Ath. 30.6; ἀ. τῆς στρατείας exemption from service, Plu. Ages. 24; remission of a debt, ταλάντου Michel 1340B7 (Cnidus, ii B. C.); χρημάτων IPE 12.32 (Olbia, iii B. C.); sc. καταδίκης, Inscr.Magn. 93c16.

b. forgiveness, Ev. Marc. 3.29; ἁμαρτιῶν Ev.Matt. 26.28.

3. relaxation, exhaustion, Hp. Epid. 3.6.

4. divorce, τινὶ πέμπειν Plu. Pomp. 42.

5. starting of horses in a race, ἵππων ἄ. ποιεῖν D.S. 4.73: hence, starting-post itself, ἰσώσας τἀφέσει (Musgr. for τῇ φύσει)τὰ τέρματα having made the winning-post one with the starting-post, i.e. having completed the δίαυλος and come back to the starting-post, dub. cj. in S. El. 686, cf. Paus. 5.15.5, 6.20.9: metaph., the first start, beginning of anything, Man. 3.405, etc.

6. discharge, emission, ὕδατος Arist. PA 697a24; βέλους D.S. 17.41; τοῦ θοροῦ, τοῦ ᾠοῦ Arist. GA 756a12; τοῦ κυήματος Id. HA 608a1; the dropping of a foal, ib.576a25.

b. discharge, release of an engine, Ph. Bel. 58.24.

7. = ἀφεσμός, Arist. HA 625a20 (pl.).

8. release, ὕδατος PPetr. 2p.34 (iii B. C.): hence, in concrete sense, conduit, sluice, ib.3p.88, PFlor. 388.44 (iii A. D.): pl., ἀφέσεις θαλάσσης channels, LXX 2 Ki. 22.16.

9. Astrol., reckoning of the vital quadrant, Ptol. Tetr. 127, cf. Vett.Val. 136.2 (but ἀπὸ Λέοντος τὴν ἄφεσιν ποιούμενοι, simply, starting from . . , Id. 31.8).