A.strength, might, esp. bodily strength, freq. in Il., less freq. in Od.; “κάρτεΐ τε σθένεΐ τε” Il.17.329; ἀλκῆς καὶ σθένεος ib. 499; “χερσίν τε ποσίν τε καὶ σθένει” 20.361; ποδῶν χειρῶν τε ς. Pi.N.10.48; opp. φρήν, ib.1.26; “γνῶμαι πλέον κρατοῦσιν ἢ σθένος χερῶν” S.Fr. 939: c.inf., ἐν δὲ ς. ὦρσεν ἑκάστῳ . . πολεμίζειν strength to war, Il.2.451; “ς. ποιεῖν εὖ φερέγγυον” A.Eu.87; “ς. ὥστε καθελεῖν” E.Supp.66 (lyr.): less freq. of the force of things, as of a stream, Il.17.751; “ς. ἀελίου” Pi.P.4.144; [“ἄρουραι] σθένος ἔμαρψαν” Id.N.6.11: σθένει by force, S.OC 842 (lyr.), E.Ba.953; λόγῳ τε καὶ σθένει both by right and might, S. OC68; “ὑπὸ σθένους” E.Ba.1127; παντὶ σθένει with all one's might, freq. in treaties, SIG122.6, al., Foed. ap. Th.5.23, Pl.Lg.646a—the only phrase in which early prose writers use the word (cf. infr. 111); found in LXX, Jb.4.10, al.
2. later, generally, strength, might, power, moral as well as physical, “ἀνάγκης” A.Pr.105; “τῆς ἀληθείας” S.OT369; ἀγγέλων ς. their might or authority, A.Ch.849: c. gen. obj., ἀγωνίας ς. strength for conflict, Pi.P.5.113 (s.v.l., -ίαις Bgk.); εἰ ς. λάβοιμι if I should gain strength enough, S.El.333, cf. 348, etc.