σφαῖρᾰ,ας,ἡ,
A. ball,σφαίρῃ παίζεινplayat ball, Od. 6.100 ;σφαῖραν ἔρριψεib. 115 ; ς. καλὴν μετὰ χερσὶν ἕλοντο
8.372
;σφαίρῃ ἀν' ἰθὺν πειρήσαντοib. 377 ; ὥσπερ σφαῖραν ἐκδεξάμενος τὸν λόγον
Pl. Euthd. 277b
;ῥαπτὴ ς. AP 12.44 ( Glauc. ), cf. Nicom.Com. 1.25 , Antiph. 234 ; διὰ σφαίρας . . ἐκπονῆσαι τὸ σῶμα
Gal. 6.134
, cf. Sor. 1.49 , 93 ; ἡ διὰ τῆς ς. ὄρχησις
Ath. 1.14d
: metaph.,σφαῖραν ἐποίησε τὴν οὐσίαν(cf.συστρογγύλλω) Alex. 246.3 : prov.,ς. κατὰ πρανοῦς, of accelerating motion, Eust. 249.1 .
2. any globe, Parm. 8.43 ;sphere, as a geom. figure, Ti.Locr. 95d , etc.; esp.the terrestrial globe, earth, Str. 2.3.1 ;an artificial globe, Hermesian. 7.88 , Str. 12.3.11 .
3. hollow sphereorglobe: in the Ancient Physics, from the time of Anaximander (cf. Placit. 2.16.5 ), of thespheresbelieved to revolve round the earth carrying the heavenly bodies, and according to the Pythagoreans arranged after the intervals of the musical scale (cf. Alex.Eph. ap. Theon.Sm. p.139 H., Cic. de Rep. 6.18 ), Arist. Metaph. 1073b18 , Cael. 286b24 , Mete. 341b20 , 354b24 , Thphr. Ign. 4 ;ς. ἀπλανής,