σκῆπτρον,τό: Dor.
σκᾶπτον( Pi. O. 7.28 , P. 1.6 , etc.), laterσκᾶπτρον( AP 7.428 ( Mel. )), butσκῆπτρονin lyr. passages of Trag., as S. Ph. 140 : (σκήπτω):—
A. stafforstick, used by the lame or aged, Il. 18.416 , Od. 13.437 , 14.31 , 17.199 , 18.103 ; ἰσχὺν . . νέμοντες ἐπὶ σκήπτροις
A. Ag. 75
;σκήπτρῳ προδεικνύς, of a blind man feeling his way, S. OT 456 ; πρεσβῦται . . σκήπτροισιν ἄκασκα προβῶντες
Cratin. 126
: metaph. of the daughters of Oedipus,ὦ σκῆπτρα φωτόςhisstaffsorsupports, S. OC 1109 , cf. 848 :—the Prose word isβακτηρία.
II. stafforbaton, esp. as the badge of command,sceptre: in Hom. borne by kings and chiefs, and transmitted from father to son (whence Il. 2.101 sqq. is calledἡ τοῦ σκήπτρου παράδοσις, Th. 1.9 ), Il. 9.156 , Od. 11.569 : also borne by heralds, Il. 7.277 , al.; by speakers, who on rising to speak received it from the herald, 1.234 , 18.505 , 23.568 , Od. 2.37 ; by priests and soothsayers, Il. 1.15 , A. Ag. 1265 ; later by minstrels, first in Hes. Th. 30 ; ς. χρύσεον
Il. 1.15
, 2.268 , Od. 11.91 , 569 ; wrought by Hephaestus, Il. 2.101 ; χρυσείοις ἥλοισι πεπαρμένον