βᾰσᾰν-ος, ἡ,
touchstone, on which pure gold leaves a yellow streak, ἐς βάσανον δ᾽ ἐλθὼν παρατρίβομαι ὥστε μολύβδῳ χρυσός [[ 6th c.BC: Theognis Elegiacus 417; χρυσὸν τριβόμενον βασάνῳ [prev. author] 450, compare 1105; παρατρίβεσθαι πρὸς τὰς β. 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “de Coloribus” 793b1, compare “HA” 597b2: _metaphorically_, β. τοῦ ἀρώματος (i.e. τοῦ κινναμώμου) τὴν αἶγα εἶναι 2nd-3rd c.AD: Philostratus Sophista “Vita Apollonii” 3.4. ] Refs 6th c.BC+]
__II the use of this as a test, χρυσὸς ἐν β. πρέπει [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 10.67 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, test, trial of genuineness, οὐκ ἔστιν μείζων β. χρόνου [[[ 4th-5th c.BC: Simonides Lyricus] 175.1; δόμεν τι βασάνῳ ἐς ἔλεγχον 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “N.” 8.20; σοφὸς ὤφθη βασάνῳ θ᾽ ἁδύπολις 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 510 (Lyric poetry), compare 494; βάσανον λαμβάνειν περί τινος 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 648b ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰς β. εἶ χερῶν wilt come to a trial of strength, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 835; πλοῦτος β. ἀνθρώπου τρόπων 4th c.BC: Antiphanes Comicus 232.5 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; [νόσου] ἔσχ᾽ ἐπὶ σοὶ βάσανον had experienced it in you, i. e. you had had it first, [[ “IG” 14.1320] Refs]; βάσανον ὑποκείσονται will be subjected to a test, of candidates, [[ “POxy.” 58.25 (3rd c.AD). ] Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__III inquiry by torture, ἐς πᾶσαν β. ἀπικνέεσθαι [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 8.110; εἰς β. αἰτεῖν 3rd c.BC: Herodas Mimographus 2.88; ἐξετάσαι διὰ βασάνων “SIG” 780.12 (Astypalaea, Aug.)] Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially at Athens, used to extort evidence from slaves, εἰς β. δέχεσθαι [[ 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 1.12; εἰς β. παραδοῦναι 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 8.17; ἐκ βασάνων εἰπεῖν [prev. work] 12 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: in plural, confession upon torture, [[ 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 53.24, 4th c.BC: Hyperides Orator “Fragmenta” 5, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Rhetorica” 1355b37. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]