αὐστηρός, ἀυστηρα, ἀυστηρον (from αὔω to dry up), harsh (Latinausterus), stringent of taste, ἀυστηρον καί γλυκύ (καί πικρόν), Plato, legg. 10, 897 a.; οἶνος, Diogenes Laërtius 7, 117. of mind and manners, harsh, rough, rigid (cf. Trench, § xiv.): Luk_19:21-22; (Polybius 4, 20, 7; Diogenes Laërtius 7, 26, etc. 2Ma_14:30).

αὐστηρός austēros 2x pr. harsh, sour in flavor; met. harsh, rigid, ungenerous, Luk_19:21-22

** αὐστηρός , -ά , -όν ( < αἄω , to dry up), [in LXX : 2Ma_14:30 * ;] prop ., stringent, harsh to the taste. Metaph ., in Inscr ., of a rough country; of disposition and manners, strict, severe (as in Papyri, of an inspector; MM , s v): Luk_19:21-22 .† SYN.: σκληρός G4642 ( Tr ., § xiv).

αὐστηρός [page 93] The epithet of Luk_19:21 is poorly rendered by the word we have borrowed. It obviously means strict, exacting, a man who expects to get blood out of a stone. This sense is well seen in P Tebt II. 315 .19 (ii/A.D.), in which the writer warns his friend, who was evidently connected with the temple finance, to see that his books were in good order, in view of the visit of a government inspector, ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος λείαν ἐστὶ [ν ] αὐστηρός , a regular martinet, Cf. BGU I. 140 .17 ff. , the copy of a military letter or diploma of the time of Hadrian, in which, with reference to certain regulations affecting his soldiers, the Emperor rejoices that he is able to interpret in a milder manner (φιλανθρωπότερ (ον )) τὸ αὐστηρότερον ὑπὸ τῶν πρὸ ἐμοῦ αὐτοκρατόρων σταθέν . In the curious rhetorical exercise (?) P Oxy III. 471 .92 ff. (ii/A.D.) we find τί οὖν ὁ κατηφὴς σὺ καὶ ὑπεραύ [σ ]τηρος οὐκ ἐκώλυες ; why then did not you with your modesty and extreme austerity stop him? (Edd.). Here (as the context shows) a rigorous Puritanism is sarcastically attributed to a high Roman official, whose scandalous relations with a favourite ill became a vir gravis : this is nearer to the English austere. Four centuries earlier, it describes rough country, OGIS 168 .57 αὐστηροῖς τόποις παρορίοις τῆι Αἰθιοπίαι . So in a metrical epitaph from Cos (i/B.C.), Kaibel 201 .5 γυμνάδος αὐστηρὸν διετῆ πόνον ἐκτελέσαντα , of exacting physical work. We may add that the connotation of the adj. in its later sense is very well given by the combination in Vettius Valens, p. 75 .11 , where a particular conjunction of Venus and Saturn produces αὐστηροὺς ἀγελάστους ἐπισκύνιον ἔχοντας , πρὸς δὲ τὰ ἀφροδίσια σκληροτέρους : the sequel however admits vice, but of a gloomy and bizarre type.

αὐστηρός [Etym: αὔω "to dry"] "making the tongue dry and rough, harsh, rough, bitter", Plat. :—metaph. "austere, harsh", id=Plat. , NTest.

αὐστηρός, -ά, -όν (αἄω, to dry up) [in LXX: 2Ma.14:30 * ;] prop., stringent, harsh to the taste. Metaphorical, in Inscr., of a rough country; of disposition and manners, strict, severe (as in π., of an inspector; MM, s v): Luk.19:21-22.† SYN.: σκληρός (Tr., § xiv) (AS)