σπουδαῖος

A. in haste, quick, ς. τοὺς πόδας Poll. 1.197, 3.149; τὸ ς. τῆς πορείας Polyaen. 6.24:—but in ordinary use denoting energy or earnestness:

I. of persons, earnest, serious, X. Cyr. 2.2.16 (Sup.), cf. Smp. 8.3; active, zealous, in canvassing, Plu. Aem. 1.

2. good, excellent in their several kinds, Hdt. 8.69; opp. φαῦλος, Pl. Lg. 757a, 814e, Arist. Po. 1448a2; ἀκροαταὶ‐ότεροι Isoc. 12.271; ς. αὐλητής, opp. ἄνθρωπος μοχθηρός, Antisth. ap. Plu. Per. 1; κιθαριστής Arist. EN 1098a9; σκυτεύς Id. EE 1219a22; ἀνδράποδον D. 9.31; ς. τὴν τέχνην X. Mem. 4.2.2; περί τι Pl. Lg. 817a.

3. in moral sense, good, opp. πονηρός, X. HG 2.3.19; opp. φαῦλος, Id. Cyr. 2.2.24, Zeno Stoic. 1.52; οἱ ς. Λακεδαιμονίων X. HG 3.1.9; ς. τὰ ἤθη Isoc. 1.4; τῷ ἀρετὴν ἔχειν ς. λέγεται Arist. Cat. 10b8, cf. EN 1166a13, Top. 131b2; σπουδαῖον = ἀγαθον, Id. EN 1136b8, 1137b4: generally, of all virtuous objects or qualities, Id. Metaph. 1021b24, 1051b24, EN 1151a27, al.

II. of things, worth serious attention, weighty, χρῆμα, πρῆγμα, Thgn. 65,70,116, etc.; τὰ ‐έστερα(‐έστατα)τῶν πρηγμάτων Hdt. 1.8, 133 (v.l. ‐ότερα, ‐ότατα), cf. Iisoc.2.50; ταῦθ’ ὑμῖν σπουδαιότατ’ ἐστίν D. 24.4; opp. γελοῖος, Ar. Ra. 392 (lyr.); τί γελᾷς ἐπὶ σπουδαίοις πράγμασιν; Pl. Euthd. 300e.

2. good of its kind, excellent, ς. νομαί Hdt. 4.23; ἡ σπουδαιοτάτη [τῶν ταριχεύσεων] the most elaborate, costliest, Id. 2.86, cf. PSI 4.413.26 (iii B.C.); ἡ ἰσηγορίη χρῆμα ς. Hdt. 5.78; λόγος ς. Pi. P. 4.132; μουσική Pl. Lg. 668b; τιμαί Id. R. 519d; σπέρματα X. Mem. 4.4.23; δῶρον οὐ ς. εἰς ὄψιν not goodly to look on, S. OC 577; τραγῳδία ς. Arist. Po. 1449b17; ς. ὑπόδημα Id. EE 1219a22:— a play on senses 11.1 and 11.2 in Arist. EN 1176b25, 1177a3; ironically, ς. χρῆμα a fine thing, h.Merc. 332.

III. Adv. σπουδαίως with haste or zeal, seriously, earnestly, well, X. Cyr. 1.3.9, Pl. Cra. 406b, etc.: Comp. ‐ότερον X. Cyr. 2.3.20; ‐οτέρως Plu. Nob. 15: Sup. τὰ ‐ότατα most carefully, in the best way, Hdt. 2.86.—Besides the regul. Comp. and Sup., we find in Ion. the forms ‐έστερος, ‐έστατος, Hdt. 1.8, 133, Hecat. ap. Eust. 1441.15, Eus.Mynd. 4.