σφᾰγ-ή, ἡ,
slaughter; the singular is frequently in [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus, as “Hec.” 571, 1037, +others; in _plural_, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 187, 450, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Electra” 37, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hecuba” 522, +others] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἕστηκε.. μῆλα πρὸς σφαγὰς πυρός ready for the sacrificial fire, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 1057 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; πολυθύτους τεύχειν σ. to offer many sacrifices, [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 756 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: also in Prose, ὑπὸ σφαγῆς [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 610b; θανάτους τε καὶ σφαγάς [prev. author] “Lg.” 682e; σφαγὰς ποιεῖσθαι 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 4.4.2 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; σφαγὰς τῶν γνωρίμων ποιήσαντες[[ [prev. work] 2.2.6, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 8.96, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 19.260; ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι σφαγὰς ἐμποιοῦντες 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 5.107. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 with collateral sense of a wound, αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν σ. [[ 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 573, compare 717 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκφυσιῶν.. αἵματος σφαγήν the blood gushing from the wound, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 1389 ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; καθάρμοσον σφαγάς close the gaping wound, [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Electra” 1228 (Lyric poetry); ἐσφάγη.. σφαγὴν βραχεῖαν 2nd c.AD: Athenaeus Epigrammaticus 9.381a. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II the throat, the spot where the victim is struck (κοινὸν μέρος αὐχένος καὶ στήθους σφαγή [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 493b7), 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.69: _plural_, ἐν σφαγαῖσι βάψασα ξίφος 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 863; ἐς σφαγὰς ὦσαι ξίφος 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Orestes” 291 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in prose, οἰστοὺς.. ἐς τὰς σ. καθιέντες [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.48, compare 2nd c.AD: Soranus Medicus 2.63 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν.. διὰ τῶν σ. [[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 511b35. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]