σταυρός, ὁ,
upright pale or stake, σταυροὺς ἐκτὸς ἔλασσε διαμπερὲς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα πυκνοὺς καὶ θαμέας [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 14.11, compare 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 24.453, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.90, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 5.2.21 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; of piles driven in to serve as a foundation, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 5.16, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 7.25. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II cross, as the instrument of crucifixion, [[ 1st c.BC: Diodorus Siculus Historicus 2.18, NT.Matt.27.40, 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.554a; ἐπὶ τὸν σ. ἀπάγεσθαι 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Peregr.” 34 ] NT+1st c.BC+]; σ. λαμβάνειν, ἆραι, βαστάζειν, metaphorically of voluntary suffering, [[ NT.Matt.10.38, NT.Luke.9.23, 14.27 ] NT]: its form was represented by the Greek letter T, [[ 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Jud.Voc.” 12. ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__II.b pale for impaling a corpse, [[ 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus “Artoxerxes” 17. ] Refs 1st c.AD+]