Ancient Greek

Verb

τίθημι • ‎(títhēmi)

1. I put, place, set
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.405

     τόν ῥ᾽ ἄνδρες πρότεροι θέσαν ἔμμεναι οὖρον ἀρούρης

     [a stone] that men of former days had set to be the boundary mark of a field

   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 14.518

     τίθει δ᾽ ἄρα οἱ πυρὸς ἐγγὺς εὐνήν

     he sprang up and placed a bed for Odysseus near the fire

   • 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 1160

     χρυσοῦν τε θεῖσα στέφανον ἀμφὶ βοστρύχοις

     setting the gold crown around her locks

   1. in phrases
      1. (with πόδα ‎(póda)) I plant the foot, i.e. walk, run
         • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Eumenides 294

           τίθησιν ὀρθὸν ἢ κατηρεφῆ πόδα

           she is in action or at rest

      2. (with ἐν χειρί, ἐν χερσίν ‎(en kheirí, en khersín)) I put something into someone's hands
         • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.441

           Ὀδυσσεὺς πατρὶ φίλῳ ἐν χερσὶ τίθει

           Odysseus placed her in the arms of her dear father

      3. (with παῖδα ‎(paîda), υἱὸν ‎(huiòn), etc. ὑπὸ ζώνῃ ‎(hupò zṓnēi)) I have a child put under my girdle, i.e. I concieve
         • Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 282

           ἢν δέ τις εἴρηταί σε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, / ἥ τις σοι φίλον υἱὸν ὑπὸ ζώνῃ θέτο μήτηρ

           And if any mortal man ask you who got your dear son beneath her girdle

      4. (with ἐν ὄμμασι ‎(en ómmasi)) I set before one's eyes
         • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Nemean Ode 8.43

           μαστεύει δὲ καὶ τέρψις ἐν ὄμμασι θέσθαι πιστόν

           yet delight also seeks to set a trustworthy pledge before the eyes

      5. (with ψῆφον ‎(psêphon)) I give my vote or opinion, I vote
         • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 816

           ἀνδροθνῆτας Ἰλίου φθορὰς / ἐς αἱματηρὸν τεῦχος οὐ διχορρόπως / ψήφους ἔθεντο

           they cast into the bloody urn their ballots for the murderous destroying of Ilium

      6. (with ἐν στήθεσσι ‎(en stḗthessi), ἐν φρεσί ‎(en phresí), etc.) I put or plant in one's heart
         • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.732

           ἄλλῳ δ᾽ ἐν στήθεσσι τιθεῖ νόον εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς ἐσθλόν

           and in the breast of another Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, [he] puts a mind of understanding

      7. (with τὰ ὅπλα ‎(tà hópla))
         1. I rest arms, halt
            • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.44.1

              ὑπεχώρησαν πρὸς τὸν λόφον καὶ ἔθεντο τὰ ὅπλα

              and they retired to the summit of the ridge, where they grounded their arms

         2. I bear arms, fight
            • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians 8.5

              ὃς [...] μὴ θῆται τὰ ὅπλα μηδὲ μεθ᾽ ἑτέρων, ἄτιμον εἶναι

              whoever [...] did not join forces with either party was to be disenfranchised

         3. I lay down arms, surrender
            • 100 BCE – 1 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, 20 31
            • 100 BCE – 1 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, 20 45
            • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Moralia 2.759.a
         4. (with εὖ ‎(eû)) I keep arms in good order
            • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.5.3

              τὰ δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτοὶ ὁρᾶτε καὶ τὰ ὅπλα εὖ τίθεσθε

              but look out for what may happen in the tents and have your arms stacked conveniently

      8. (with τὰ γόνατα ‎(tà gónata)) I kneel
         • New Testament, The Gospel of Mark 15.19

           τιθέντες τὰ γόνατα προσεκύνουν αὐτῷ

           bowing their knees they did homage to him

   2. I deposit
      • 390 BCE – 322 BCE, Hyperides, Against Athenogenes 5

        θεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τὰς τετταράκοντα μνᾶς

        I deposited the forty minas in the bank

   3. I pay
      • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Androtion 43

        τὴν εἰσφορὰν μὴ τιθέναι

        to fail to pay the property-tax

   4. I put down in writing
      • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 793.b

        τε καὶ κειμένων καὶ τῶν ἔτι θησομένων

        both those already enacted in writing and those still to be enacted

   5. I bury
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 23.83

        μὴ ἐμὰ σῶν ἀπάνευθε τιθήμεναι ὀστέ᾽ Ἀχιλλεῦ

        Lay not my bones apart from thine, Achilles

   6. I offer, set before
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 23.263

        ἱππεῦσιν μὲν πρῶτα ποδώκεσιν ἀγλά᾽ ἄεθλα θῆκε

        For swift charioteers first he set forth goodly prizes

      • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 719.a

        ὁ δὲ προάγων λόγος ὅ γέ μοι ἀπείργασται, βούλομαι ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ μέσον αὐτὸ θεῖναι.

        Now I wish to put before you what I take to be the result of the foregoing argument.

   7. I assign, award
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.57

        εἰ δὴ ὁμὴν Ἀχιλῆϊ καὶ Ἕκτορι θήσετε τιμήν

        if indeed ye gods will vouchsafe like honour to Achilles and to Hector

      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 18.5

        Ἀρναῖος δ᾽ ὄνομ᾽ ἔσκε: τὸ γὰρ θέτο πότνια μήτηρ ἐκ γενετῆς:

        Arnaeus was his name, for this name his honored mother had given him at his birth.

   8. (often with νόμον ‎(nómon)) I lay down, enact
      • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 580

        ὅρα τιθεῖσα τόνδε τὸν νόμον βροτοῖς / μὴ πῆμα σαυτῇ καὶ μετάγνοιαν τιθῇς.

        See that by laying down such a law for men, you do not lay down trouble and remorse for yourself.

      • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Constitution of Sparta 15.2

        ἔθηκε γὰρ θύειν μὲν βασιλέα πρὸ τῆς πόλεως τὰ δημόσια ἅπαντα

        He ordained that the King shall offer all the public sacrifices on behalf of the state

      1. (middle voice) I agree upon
         • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Phaenippus 13

           ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς συγχωρήσαντες ἐθέμεθα

           we fix upon another [day] by mutual agreement

      2. (of a legal document) I execute
   9. I establish, institute
      • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 845

        ἀγῶνας θέντες ἐν πανηγύρει βουλευσόμεσθα

        we shall establish open debates and consider

   10. I order, ordain, cause to happen
       • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 8.465

         οὕτω νῦν Ζεὺς θείη, [...] οἴκαδέ τ᾽ ἐλθέμεναι

         so may Zeus grant, [...] that I may reach my home

       • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1673

         ἐγὼ καὶ σὺ θήσομεν κρατοῦντε τῶνδε δωμάτων καλῶς.

         I and you will be masters of this house and order it aright.

       1. (in board games) I place (pieces)
          • 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 604.c

            ὥσπερ ἐν πτώσει κύβων πρὸς τὰ πεπτωκότα τίθεσθαι τὰ αὑτοῦ πράγματα

            as it were in the fall of the dice, to determine the movements of our affairs

2. (copulative) I make, cause to be
   1. (with attributive substantive)
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.290

        εἰ δέ μιν αἰχμητὴν ἔθεσαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες

        If the gods who exist for ever made him a spearman

      1. (middle voice) I cause to be my
         • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 21.72

           ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὲ ἱέμενοι γῆμαι θέσθαι τε γυναῖκα

           save only as desiring to wed me and make me your wife

   2. (with infinitive)
      • 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 718

        παύσω γέ σ᾽ ὄντ᾽ ἄπαιδα καὶ παίδων γονὰς σπεῖραί σε θήσω

        I will put an end to your childlessness and cause you to beget children

   3. I regard, consider as; I hold, reckon that
      • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 1270

        δαιμόνιον αὐτὸ τίθημ᾽ ἐγώ.

        I regard it as a work of the divine.

      • 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 1166

        τὰς γὰρ ἡδονὰς ὅταν προδῶσιν ἄνδρες, οὐ τίθημ᾽ ἐγὼ ζῆν τοῦτον

        When a man has forfeited his pleasures, I hold not that he lives

      1. I assume
         • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 79.a

           θῶμεν οὖν βούλει, ἔφη, δύο εἴδη τῶν ὄντων;

           "Now," said he, "shall we assume two kinds of existences?"

      2. I affirm
         • 204 CE – 270 CE, Plotinus, Collected Works 5.5.6
3. I make
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.418

     οὔτε γὰρ ἴφθιμοι Λύκιοι Δαναῶν ἐδύναντο / τεῖχος ῥηξάμενοι θέσθαι παρὰ νηυσὶ κέλευθον

     For neither could the mighty Lycians break the wall of the Danaans, and make a path to the ships

   1. (in periphrasis)
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.116

        εἴ ποθεν ἐλθὼν μνηστήρων τῶν μὲν σκέδασιν κατὰ δώματα θείη

        should he perchance come from somewhere and make a scattering of the wooers in the palace

Usage notes

The first aorist is used only in the indicative, and mostly in the singular and third-person plural.

Inflection

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

• κεῖμαι ‎(keîmai)

References

• τίθημι in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• BDAG
• “G5087”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible, 1979
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English-Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • appoint idem, page 36.
  • assume idem, page 47.
  • begin idem, page 70.
  • class idem, page 135.
  • commence idem, page 147.
  • deposit idem, page 212.
  • devote idem, page 220.
  • display idem, page 236.
  • enact idem, page 270.
  • establish idem, page 283.
  • evince idem, page 286.
  • exercise idem, page 291.
  • exhibit idem, page 291.
  • frame idem, page 342.
  • hold idem, page 402.
  • imprint idem, page 424.
  • lay idem, page 480.
  • make idem, page 508.
  • manifest idem, page 511.
  • mortgage idem, page 542.
  • offer idem, page 570.
  • ordain idem, page 578.
  • pass idem, page 595.
  • place idem, page 616.
  • plant idem, page 617.
  • posit idem, page 628.
  • postulate idem, page 629.
  • print idem, page 641.
  • put idem, page 660.
  • rank idem, page 671.
  • render idem, page 694.
  • secondary idem, page 746.
  • set idem, page 756.
  • show idem, page 770.
  • time idem, page 875.
  • upside down idem, page 939.
  • wage idem, page 958.