σπεῖρα (on the accent cf. Buttmann, 11; Chandler § 161; Tdf. Proleg., p. 102), ἡ, genitive σπείρης (Act_10:1; Act_21:31; Act_27:1; see (Tdf. Proleg., p. 117; WH's Appendix, p. 156; and) μάχαιρα, at the beginning) (cognate with σπυρίς (which see)); a. Latinspira; anything rolled into a circle or ball, anything wound, rolled up, folded together. b. a military cohort (Polybius 11, 23, 1 τρεῖς σπείρας. τοῦτο δέ καλεῖται τό σύνταγμα τῶν πεζῶν παρά Ῥωμαίοις κωρτις), i. e. the tenth part of a legion (i. e. about 600 men (i. e. legionaries), or if auxilialies either 500 or 1,000; cf. Marquardt, Römisch. Alterth. III. ii., p. 371. But surely τοῦτο τό σύνταγμα in the quotation comprehends the τρεῖς σπεῖρα; hence, Polybius here makes a σπεῖρα equal to a maniple, cf. 2, 3, 2; 6, 24, 5; cf. Zonaras, Lex., p. 1664, σπεῖρα σύνταγμα διακοσίων ἀνδρῶν. On the other hand, "the later Greek writings almost uniformly employ σπεῖρα as the representative of cohors" (Smith, Dict. of Antiq., edition 2, under the word exercitus, p. 500); and the rise of χιλίαρχος (which was the equivalent of tribunus, the commander of a cohort) in connection with it (Joh_18:12; Act_21:31), together with the uniform rendering of the word by cohors in the Latin versions, warrants the margin cohort uniformly added in R. V. to the rendering band): Mat_27:27; Mar_15:16; Act_10:1; Act_21:31; Act_27:1, and often in Josephus; a maniple, or the thirtieth part of a legion, often so in Polybius ((see above)); any band, company, or detachment, of soldiers (2Ma_8:23; Jdt_14:11): Joh_18:3; Joh_18:12.

σπεῖρα speira 7x anything twisted or wreathed, a cord, coil, band, etc.; a band of soldiers, company, troop; used for a Roman cohort, about 600 soldiers, Mat_27:27 ; Act_10:1 ; the temple guard, Mar_15:16 ; Joh_18:3 ; Joh_18:12 ; Act_21:31 ; Act_27:1

** σπείρα , -ης (on this form of gen ., v. M , Pr., 38, 48; Bl., § 7, 1; Mayser , 12; Deiss., BS , 186), [in LXX : Jdt_14:11 , 2Ma_8:23 ; 2Ma_12:20 ; 2Ma_12:22 * ;] 1. ( = Lat. spira ) anything wound or rolled up, a coil. 2. As a military term used (by Polyb . and later writers) of a body of soldiers, a maniple (third part of a cohort) or cohort ( v. Swete , Mk., 375; Westc ., Jo., 251 f .): Mat_27:27 , Mar_15:16 , Joh_18:3 ; Joh_18:12 , Act_10:1 ; Act_21:31 ; Act_27:1 .†

σπεῖρα [page 582] gen. σπείρης (as in the NT and apparently always in the papyri : see Proleg. pp. 38, 48). The word meant originally a coil, but came to be applied to a maniple or cohort of soldiers. For this, its only meaning in the NT, cf. P Oxy III. 477 .3 (A.D. 132 3) γενομένῳ ἐπάρχῳ σπείρης πρώτης Δαμασ [κ ]ηνῶν , late praefect of the first cohort of the Damascenes, and similarly BGU I. 73 .2 (A.D. 135), 136 .22 (A.D. 135), al. See also PSI V. 447 .11 (A.D. 167) οἱ ὑπογεγρα (μμένοι ) στρατευσάμενοι ἐν εἴλαις καὶ σπείραις . In P Lond 755 verso .35 (iv/A.D.) (= III. p. 223), a list of buildings with measurements, σπ (ε )ῖραι = base mouldings. In the inscrr. the word is used for θίασος : see Deissmann BS p. 186.

σπεῖρα σπεῖρα, ἡ, Lat. spira, anything wound or "coiled": in pl. "the coils or spires" of a serpent, Eur. ; also σπείραις δικτυοκλώστοις with the net's meshy "folds", Soph. σπεῖραι βόειαι "thongs or straps" of ox-hide "bound round" a boxer's fist, the "caestus", Theocr. "a body of men-at-arms", the Roman "manipulus, =" two centuries, Polyb. :—also "a cohort", NTest.

σπείρα, -ης (on this form of genitive, see M, Pr., 38, 48; Bl., § 7, 1; Mayser, 12; Deiss., BS, 186), [in LXX: Jdth.14:11, 2Ma.8:23 2Mac 12:20 2Mac 12:22 * ;] __1. (= Lat. spira) anything wound or rolled up, a coil. __2. As a military term used (by Polyb. and later writers) of a body of soldiers, a maniple (third part of a cohort) or cohort (see Swete, Mk., 375; Westc., Jo., 251 f.): Mat.27:27, Mrk.15:16, Jhn.18:3, 12, Act.10:1 21:31 27:1.† (AS)