παίγν-ιον,τό,
A. plaything, toy, ἄνθρωπον θεοῦ τι παίγνιον εἶναι
Pl. Lg. 803c
, cf. Plt. 288c ; τύχης π.
Secund. Sent. 7
;πλοῖον ἀνέμων π.ib. 17 ;οἷον π. φεῦγον, of Matter because of its instability, Plot. 3.6.7 : in pl., Pl. Lg. 797b , etc.;dainties, Ephipp. 24 .
2. of persons,darling, pet, Anaxandr. 9.3 : also in pl. (of one person), Ar. Ec. 922 , Plu. Ant. 59 .
II. in Theoc. 15.50 , the Egyptians are calledκακὰ παίγνια, roguishcheats,—unless here it be acc. cogn. (dirty tricks) afterπαίζω.
III. game, Κουρήτων ἐνόπλια π.
Pl. Lg. 796b
: metaph.,child's play, of an easy task, Euphro 1.35 .
2. comic performance, Pl. Lg. 816e , Ephipp. 7 , Suet. Aug. 99 .
3. light poem,
AP 6.322 ( Leon. ), Plb. 16.21.12 ;Ὁμήρου, Κράτητος π., Jul. Or. 2.60d , 6.199d ; title of poems by Philetas , Stob. 2.4.5 , al.; applied to those of Theocritus, Ael. NA 15.19 : metaph., of themerry chirpof the cicada, AP 7.196.6 ( Mel. ).