ΣΤΑΣΙΣ

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, στάσις primarily signifies "the act of standing, a standing." However, its meaning extends far beyond simple physical posture, encompassing a wide array of concepts in ancient Greek thought, from philosophy and rhetoric to politics and medicine.

In philosophy, στάσις is often contrasted with κίνησις (motion), forming a fundamental category for understanding nature and existence. Aristotle, for instance, examines στάσις as the state of immobility or rest, in opposition to various forms of motion. This distinction was crucial for his metaphysics and physics.

In politics, στάσις acquires a more dramatic connotation, meaning "civil strife," "rebellion," or "political faction." Thucydides vividly describes the horrors of στάσις in Corcyra, highlighting its destructive nature for the πόλις (city-state). This concept underscores the subversion of social order and the collapse of unity.

Furthermore, in rhetoric, στάσις (Latin: status causae) refers to the "point of dispute" or the "central issue" of a case, which must be determined before argumentation. This technical usage emphasizes the need for clarity and delimitation in any discussion or legal proceeding.

Main Meanings

1. Act of standing, posture — The primary, literal meaning, the physical position of a person or object.
2. State of rest, immobility — The opposite of motion, a condition of stability or cessation, as in natural philosophy (Plato, Aristotle).
3. Position, point, place — A defined point or location, e.g., a military post or a reference point.
4. Civil strife, rebellion, political faction — The most prominent political meaning, the division and conflict within a city-state (Thucydides, Histories).
5. Point of dispute, central issue (rhetoric) — The technical term status causae, the main subject for discussion or judgment (Hermagoras, Cicero).
6. Pause (music, meter) — A break or a fixed moment in a rhythm or melody.
7. State, condition of being — A more general reference to the condition or nature of something.
8. Stability, foundation — The quality of being stable, the basis or principle.

Word Family

sta- / stē- / stas- (root of ἵστημι, meaning "to stand, to place, to establish")

The root sta- / stē- / stas- is fundamental in the Ancient Greek language, expressing the concept of "to stand," "to place," or "to establish." From this root, an extensive family of words develops, covering a wide range of meanings, from simple physical standing and immobility to the founding of institutions, the establishment of standards, and the manifestation of internal states. The variety of vowel grades (e.g., ἵστημι, στάσις, στατός) and the use of prefixes allow for the expression of subtle differences in the concepts of position, motion, and stability, thereby creating a rich semantic field.

In Ancient Texts

The variety of meanings of στάσις is reflected in significant texts of ancient literature, from historiography to philosophy.

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΣΤΑΣΙΣ:

Sources & Bibliography

• Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940.
• Plato — Republic.
• Aristotle — Politics, Physics.
• Thucydides — Histories.
• Kennedy, George A. — The Art of Rhetoric in the Roman World, 300 B.C.–A.D. 300. Princeton University Press, 1972.
• Long, A. A., Sedley, D. N. — The Hellenistic Philosophers. Cambridge University Press, 1987.
• Bauer, Walter, Arndt, William F., Gingrich, F. Wilbur, Danker, Frederick W. — A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press, 2000.