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The rotting of the marrow is called putrefication [sfakelismo/s]. From putrefication also comes spasm[s]. It is also called throbbing and shaking. Some [writers] call rotting of the bones sfa/kelos.[1]
Aelian [writes]: "and I hear that his foot rose up into a swelling and, getting inflamed, putrefied [sphakelisai] and killed the man".[2]
The middle finger of the hand is also called sfa/kelos.[3]
And [there is] a proverb: "even spasms get you a tax-break" [It arose] because Pisistratus the tyrant required the Athenians to give him a tithe of their farm-produce. Passing by once and seeing an old man working the rocks and rocky fields he asked the old man what produce he got from his place. He answered, "Pains and spasms, and Pisistratus takes a tenth of them." Pisistratus, amazed at his free-speaking, gave him a remission of the tithe. And since then the Athenians use the proverb.[4]

*sfakelismo/s: h( sh=yis tou= muelou= sfakelismo\s kalei=tai. gi/netai de\ e)k tou= sfakelismou= kai\ spasmo/s. le/getai de\ kai\ o( sfugmo\s kai\ o( palmo/s. sfa/kelon d' e)/nioi th\n sh=yin le/gousi tw=n o)ste/wn. *ai)liano/s: kai\ a)kou/w to\n po/da e)kei=non [au)to\n] e)s oi)/dhma a)rqh=nai kai\ flegmh/nanta sfakeli/sai kai\ a)poktei=nai to\n a)/ndra. le/getai de\ kai\ sfa/kelos o( me/sos th=s xeiro\s da/ktulos. kai\ paroimi/a: *kai\ sfa/keloi poiou=sin a)te/leian: *peisi/stratos ga\r o( tu/rannos deka/thn tw=n gewrgoume/nwn a)ph/|tei tou\s *)aqhnai/ous. pariw\n de/ pote kai\ i)dw\n presbu/thn pe/tras e)rgazo/menon kai\ to/pous liqw/deis h)/reto to\n presbu/thn, ti/nas e)k tw=n to/pwn komi/zoito tou\s karpou/s: o( de\ a)pekri/nato o)du/nas kai\ sfake/lous, kai\ tou/twn deka/thn *peisi/stratos fe/rei. qauma/sas de\ o( *peisi/stratos th\n parrhsi/an au)tou= th=s deka/ths a)te/leian e)/dwke. kai\ e)k tou/tou *)aqhnai=oi th=| paroimi/a| e)xrh/santo.

As in sigma 1710, the headword is a noun in the masculine singular nominative. For the LSJ entry see web address 1.
[1] = (with minor differences) Synagoge sigma400, Photius sigma858 Theodoridis; cf. Hesychius sigma2839, and (post-Suda) Etymologicum Magnum 737.49-54.
[2] Aelian fr. 40b Domingo-Forasté (37 Hercher), lacking (Adler reports) in mss FV. Also quoted at epsilon 1211 (with more context) and omicroniota 31; the aorist active infinitive of a verb related to the headword (sfakeli/zw) occurs in the quotation.
[3] In other sources this information is found with the rest of the material in the first part of the entry (see n. 1).
[4] = Zenobius 4.76 (with minor differences); cf. Diodorus Siculus 9.37.2-3, specifying Mt Hymettus. This part of the entry illustrates not the headword but the related noun sfa/kelos ['rot', 'spasm', 'swelling']. The proverb gets its own entry at kappa 1206.

William Hutton (cosmetics, tweaked translation, augmented notes, added keywords, set status.) on 3 July 2014@01:06:19.
Catharine Roth (upgraded link, updated reference) on 3 July 2014@01:21:55.
David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics; raised status) on 3 July 2014@08:34:33.
Catharine Roth (typo) on 3 July 2014@12:59:20.

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