στήλη

A. block of stone used as a prop or buttress to a wall, στήλας τε προβλῆτας ἐμόχλεον Il. 12.259; block of rock-crystal, in which the Ethiopian mummies were cased, Hdt. 3.24: generally, block or base, κόρη χρυσῆ ἐπὶ στήλης IG 12.256.5; μεταξὺ τοῦ κίονος καὶ τῆς ς. ἐφ’ ᾗ ἐστιν ὁ στρατηγὸς ὁ χαλκοῦς And. 1.38, cf. Thphr. Lap. 25; ς. ξύλιναι, λέβητε ἀπὸ στηλῶν, IG 12.314.130,133.

II. block or slab used as a memorial, monument:

1. gravestone, Il. 11.371, 16.457, Od. 12.14, Hippon. 15, Simon. 183; ὥς τε ς. μένει ἔμπεδον, ἥ τ’ ἐπὶ τύμβῳ ἑστήκῃ Il. 17.434; ὥς τε στήλην ἀτρέμας ἑσταότα 13.437; στῆλαι ἀπὸ σημάτων Th. 1.93; οὐ στηλῶν μόνον . . ἐπιγραφή Id. 2.43; μήτε στήλαις μήτε ὀνόμασι δηλοῦντας τοὺς τάφους Pl. Lg. 873d; στάλαν θέμεν Παρίου λίθου λευκοτέραν (metaph. of a poet) Pi. N. 4.81.

2. monument inscribed with record of victories, dedications, votes of thanks, treaties, laws, decrees, etc., Hdt. 2.102,106, 4.87, Ar. Ach. 727, Th. 5.56; στήλη λιθίνη, χαλκῆ, ib.47, IG 12.13.18; τί βεβούλευται περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἐν τῇ ς. παραγράψαι; Ar. Lys. 513; τὰς θυσίας τὰς ἐκ τῶν κύρβεων καὶ τῶν ς. Lys. 30.17, cf. And. 1.96, 3.34; ἐν στήλῃ ἀναγραφῆναι, whether for honour, as in Hdt. 6.14; or for infamy, as in And. 1.51, cf. D. 9.41, etc. (cf. στηλίτης, στηλιτεύω):—also the record itself, contract, agreement, στήλας ἀναγράψαι Lys. 30.21; κατὰ τὴν ς. according to the agreement, Ar. Av. 1051; ς. αἱ πρὸς Θηβαίους D. 16.27; μάτην ἐν ταῖς ς. ἐστίν Isoc. 4.176; τῆς ς. τὰ ἀντίγραφα D. 20.127; παραβῆναι τὰς ς. Plb. 24.8.4.

3. post placed on mortgaged ground, as a record of the fact, Poll. 3.85; cf. στίζω 3.

4. boundary-post, στήλας ὁρίσασθαι X. An. 7.5.13; στήλαις διαλαβεῖν τοὺς ὅρους Decr. ap. D. 18.154; turning-post at the end of the racecourse, IG 12.817, S. El. 720,744, X. Smp. 4.6: hence περὶ στήλην διαφθείρεσθαι Lys. Fr. 1.4.

5. for Στῆλαι Ἡρακλήϊαι, v. Ἡράκλειος, and cf. Str. 3.5.5; so ς. Διονύσου mountains in India marking the limits of the progress of Dionysus, D.P. 623, cf. 1164. (Written στήλλη in some late Inscrr., CIG 3627.1 (Ilium), 3982.18 (Philomelium), al.)