ῥύσιον

A. surety, pledge.

I. property held or seized as a pledge or compensation, ῥύσῑ ἐλαυνόμενος driving off his cattle in distraint, Il. 11.674; ῥύσια δόντες Sol. 11.3 (v.l. ῥύματα protection); μεῖζον ῥύσιον πόλει θήσεις· ἐφάψομαι γὰρ οὐ ταύταιν μόναιν, i.e. Oedipus shall himself be seized, not his daughters alone, as a pledge or surety to Thebes, S. OC 858; ἐπαγέτω ῥύτιον δέκα στατήρων shall impose a pledge of ten staters, SIG l.c.; ῥύσιον θεὶς τὸν παῖδα J. BJ 1.14.1; ῥύσια κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἄγων ib.1.19.2; ῥύσια τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τῶν παρ’ ἐκείνοις λῃστῶν ἐποιεῖτο Id. AJ 16.9.2; τῆς προθεσμίας παρελθούσης ῥύσια λαμβάνειν ib.16.10.8; ῥύσια καθέξοντες ἀνθ’ ὧν . . ἀφείλοντο . . Ῥωμαῖοι χρημάτων D.H. 5.33.

2. stolen property taken back as compensation for the theft, τοῦ ῥυσίου θ’ ἥμαρτε A. Ag. 535; ῥυσίων ἐφάπτορες laying hands on alleged stolen property, Id. Supp. 728, cf. 412.

II. reprisals, φόνον φόνου ῥύσιον τείσω suffer death as reprisals for death, S. Ph. 959; ῥύσια κατήγγειλαν τοῖς Ῥοδίοις proclaimed reprisals, Plb. 4.53.2; κατὰ ῤῥύσιον by way of distraint or reprisals, IG 12(2).15.19 (Mytil., iii B.C.); but κατὰ ῥύσιον prob. in search of persons to seize and hold to ransom, ib.12(5).653.11 (Syros, i B.C.).

2. ῥύσια,τά, the right of reprisals, ᾐτοῦντο ῥύσια τοὺς Ἀ χαιοὺς οἱ Δήλιοι κατὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων Plb. 32.7.4; ἀπέδωκε τοῖς αἰτουμένοις τὰ ῥ. κατὰ τῶν Βοιωτῶν granted the right of reprisals against . . , Id. 22.4.13.

III. ῥύσια, τά (cf. ῥύσιος), restitution, deliverance, Ἔπαφος ἀληθῶς ῥυσίων ἐπώνυμος A. Supp. 315.

2. offerings for deliverance, ῥ. ἀνάγουσιν D.P. 527; ὠδίνων ῥ. AP 6.274 (Pers.).