σῡκοφάντ-ης,ου,ὁ,
A. common informer, voluntary denouncer(there being no Public Prosecutor), e.g. of contraband imports,καὶ ς. εἴ τις ἦν ὠνείδισας; did you dare to reproach aς.? Ar. Ach. 559 , cf. 725 , 825 ; of unlawful possession, Id. Pl. 873 , 879 , 885 ; of disaffection to Athens, Isoc. 15.313 (cf. 316 - 18 );κλητήρ εἰμι νησιωτικὸς καὶ ς. Ar. Av. 1423 ; theς. became notorious as pettifoggers, Lycurg. 31 (cf. Ar. Ach. 920 - 4 ), D. 20.62 , vexatious prosecutors of innocent persons esp. if rich, Lys. 25.3 , D. 57.34 , and blackmailers, Antipho 5.78 , 80 , Lys. 7.20 , And. 1.105 , D. 21.103 , 58.27 , Aeschin. 2.5 , 3.256 , Hyp. Lyc. 2 , Theopomp. Hist. 107 , 267 , Luc. Tim. 36 ; having thus abused their legal powers, they were treated as criminals, [ οἱ τριάκοντα] τοὺς ς . . . ἀνῄρουν
Arist. Ath. 35.3
, cf. X. HG 2.3.38 , Isoc. 15.313 , 18.3 ; συκοφαντῶν προβολαί
Arist. Ath. 43.5
, cf. Aeschin. 2.145 ; they were numerous in democracies, Thphr. Char. 26.5 ;χρῆν . . ἐγγίγνεσθαι . . πάσῃ δημοκρατίᾳ ς. Plu. Tim. 37 ;δημαγωγῶν πλῆθος καὶ ς. at Syracuse, D.S. 11.87 ; rarer in oligarchies, e.g. Boeotia, Ar. Ach. 904 ;βασιλεὺς ἐνδεὴς προσόδων μέγας ς. a greatextortioner, LXX Pr. 28.16 .
2. in New Com.,professional swindlerorconfidential agent,πράττει δ' ὁ κόλαξ ἄριστα πάντων, δεύτερα ὁ ς. Men. 223.17 , cf. Georg. Fr. 1 , Philippid. 29 : so in Lat.sycophanta, Plaut. Poen. 1032 , Trin. 815 , Ter. Andr. 815 ;humbug, Favorin. ap. Gell. 14.1.32 .