σποδός,ἡ,
A. wood-ashes, embers, Od. 9.375 , h.Merc. 238 : generally,ashes, Hdt. 2.140 ;ἐπ' Ἰσμηνοῦ τε μαντεία ς., ofthe ashesof an altar, S. OT 21 , cf. Ant. 1007 , Hdt. 4.35 ; ς. ἱερὰ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ βωμοῦ
SIG 1171.18
(Lebena); of the dead, A. Ag. 435 , 443 (both lyr.), Ch. 687 , S. El. 758 , etc.;ἀμφὶ σποδὸν κάρᾳ κεχύμεθα, in sign of mourning, E. Supp. 827 (lyr.), cf. 1160 ; σποδὸς δὲ τἄλλα, Περικλέης, Κόδρος, Κίμων
Alex. 25.12
:—death by plunging into a room filled with ashes, αὐτήν μιν ῥῖψαι ἐς οἴκημα σποδοῦ πλέον
Hdt. 2.100
; as a Persian punishment (cf. Val. Max. 9.2.6 ), εἰς τὴν σποδὸν ἐμβάλλεται
Ctes. Fr. 29.48
, cf. 51 , al., LXX 2 Ma. 13.5 sq.—There seems to be no difference in sense betweenσποδόςandτέφρα: both occur in Trag., the latter alone in Att. Prose.
II. dust, τῆς χαμᾶθεν σποδοῦ
Hdt. 4.172
;μετρεῖν τὴν ς., of labour in vain, Arr. Epict. 3.26.17 .