κανών

A. straight rod, bar, esp. to keep a thing straight:

1. in pl., staves which preserved the shape of the shield, [ἀσπίδα] δύω κανόνεσσ’ ἀραρυῖαν Il. 13.407, cf. 8.193, Them. Or. 21.257a.

2. weaver's rod, to which alternate threads of the warp were attached, Il. 23.761, Ar. Th. 822 (anap.), Plu. 2.156b, Nonn. D. 37.631.

3. ruddled line used by masons or carpenters, πύργους . . ὀρθοῖσιν ἔθεμεν κανόσιν E. Tr. 6; βάθρα φοίνικι κανόνι . . ἡρμοσμένα Id. HF 945; also κ. λίθινος rule, straight-edge, IG 12.313.113, 373.217, al., cf. Pl. Phlb. 56b, X. Ages. 10.2, AP 11.120 (Callicter); ὥστε τέκτονος παρὰ στάθμην ἰόντος ὀρθοῦται κ. S. Fr. 474.5; κανόνα προσφέρειν Aeschin. 3.199; ποιῶν ὀρθὰ πάντα πρὸς κανόνα IG 7.3073.108 (Lebad., ii B. C.); κανόνεσσι . . μετρήσασθαι A.R. 1.724, cf. Ar. Av. 1004; μολίβδινος κ., i.e. a flexible rule that cannot be depended on for straight measurement, Arist. EN 1137b31 (unless = κῦμα); κανόνα ποιῆσαι στρεβλόν Id. Rh. 1354a26.

b. ruler, AP 6.63.2 (Damoch.).

c. metaph., κανόνες καὶ πήχεις ἐπῶν Ar. Ra. 799; λαμπρὰ μὲν ἀκτὶς ἡλίου, κ. σαφής E. Supp. 650.

4. beam or tongue of the balance, στῆσαι ἐκ κανόνος AP 11.334, cf. Sch.Ar. Ra. 811.

5. curtain-rod, Chares Fr. 4J.

6. in pl., reeds of a wind-organ, AP 9.365 (Jul. Imp.).

7. bed-post, LXX Ju. 13.6.

8. in pl., poles from which the ancilia were suspended when carried, D.H. 2.71.

9. pl., bars of a window, PSI 5.547.9 (iii B. C.).

10. in Music, monochord, κατατομὴ κανόνος, title of work by Euc., cf. Phld. Mus. p.100K., Ptol. Harm. 1.8, 2.12; ὀκτάχορδος, πεντεκαιδεκάχορδος κ., ib.2.2, 3.1 tit.

11. cross-bar of κιθάρα, Porph. inHarm. p.207.

II. metaph., rule, standard, κανόνι τοῦ καλοῦ μαθών E. Hec. 602; γνώμης πονηροῖς κανόσιν ἀναμετρούμενος τὸ σῶφρον Id. El. 52; κανόνα προσάγειν Luc. Hist. Conscr. 5; of the law, Lycurg. 9; ὁ σπουδαῖος . . ὥσπερ κ. καὶ μέτρον αὐτῶν (sc. καλῶν καὶ ἡδέων)ὤν Arist. EN 1113a33, cf. Arr. Epict. 3.4.5; τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὸ μηδέν’ ἔχειν δεσπότην αὑτῶν, ἃ τοῖς προτέροις Ἕλλησιν ὅροι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἦσαν καὶ κανόνες D. 18.296; ὡς κανόνι τῷ πάθει πᾶν ἀγαθὸν κρίνοντες Epicur. Ep. 3p.63U.; ὁ Ἐπικούρου κ. his treatise on Logic, Id. Fr. 34, Damox. 2.15; ὁ τῆς φιλοσοφίας κ. LXX 4 Ma. 7.21: Κανόνες,οἱ, title of treatise by Democritus; of a philosophic principle, Dam. Pr. 312.

2. in Art, model, standard, ὁ κ., a statue by Polyclitus which furnished a model of proportions, Plin. HN 34.55; also his treatise on the same, Chrysipp.Stoic. 3.122 (adnot.); also in Literature, Ἡρόδοτος τῆς Ἰάδος ἄριστος κ., Θουκυδίδης δὲ τῆς Ἀτθίδος D.H. Pomp. 3.

c. of a person, severe critic, κ. scriptorum, Cic. Fam. 16.17.1.

3. Gramm., general rule, AB 1180, Choerob. inTheod. 2 p.xxi; paradigm, οἱ κ. τῶν ὀνομάτων A.D. Adv. 141.25.

b. metrical scheme showing all possible forms of a verse, Heph. 14.1, al.

4. in Astronomy and Chronology, table of dates, κανόνες Χρονικοί Plu. Sol. 27; sg., κανών,ὁ, system of chronology, D.H. 1.74.

b. astrological table, κανόνων καὶ εἰσόδων πήξεις Vett.Val. 108.19.

5. limit, boundary, expl. as τὸ μέτρον τοῦ πηδήματος, Poll. 3.151.

b. 'province', sphere of action, 2 Ep.Cor. 10.15.

6. assessment for taxation, PLond. 1.99.5 (iv A. D.), etc.; οἱ δεσποτικοὶ κ. the Imperial taxes, ib.234.9 (iv A. D.); ἰδιωτικὸς κ. POxy. 2124.10 (iv A. D.).

7. tariff, Stud.Pal. 20.143.5 (v/vi A. D.).