συκο·φάντης, ου (ὁ) [ῡ] dénonciateur de ceux qui exportent des figues par contrebande ou de ceux qui volent les figues des figuiers consacrés, d’où :
      1 délateur, calomniateur, AR. Ach. 559, 818, etc. ; LYS. 171, 14 ; DÉM. 1309, 12 ; PLUT. Sol. 24, M. 523 b, etc. ;
      2 p. ext. celui qui donne de faux renseignements, PLAT. Rsp. 340 d ; DÉM. 475, 27.

Étym. σῦκον, φαίνω ; cf. franç. « faire la figue à qqn ».

ου, ὁ, common informer, voluntary denouncer (there being no Public Prosecutor), e.g. of contraband imports, καὶ σ. εἴ τις ἦν ὠνείδισας ; did you dare to reproach a σ. ? Ar. Ach. 559, cf. 725, 825; of unlawful possession, Id. Pl. 873, 879, 885; of disaffection to Athens, Isoc. 15.313 (cf. 316-18); κλητήρ εἰμι νησιωτικὸς καὶ σ. Ar. Av. 1423; the σ. became notorious as pettifoggers, Lycurg. 31 (cf. Ar. Ach. 920-4), D. 20.62, vexatious prosecutors of innocent persons esp. if rich, Lys. 25.3, D. 57.34, and blackmailers, Antipho 5.78, 80, Lys. 7.20, And. 1.105, D. 21.103, 58.27, Aeschin. 2.5, 3.256, Hyp. Lyc. 2, Theopomp.Hist. 107, 267, Luc. Tim. 36; having thus abused their legal powers, they were treated as criminals, [οἱ τριάκοντα] τοὺς ς.… ἀνῄρουν Arist. Ath. 35.3, cf. X. HG 2.3.38, Isoc. 15.313, 18.3; συκοφαντῶν προβολαί Arist. Ath. 43.5, cf. Aeschin. 2.145; they were numerous in democracies, Thphr. Char. 26.5; χρῆν… ἐγγίγνεσθαι… πάσῃ δημοκρατίᾳ σ. Plu. Tim. 37; δημαγωγῶν πλῆθος καὶ σ. at Syracuse, D.S. 11.87; rarer in oligarchies, e.g. Boeotia, Ar. Ach. 904; βασιλεὺς ἐνδεὴς προσόδων μέγας σ. a great extortioner, LXX Pr. 28.16. in New Com., professional swindler or confidential agent, πράττει δ’ ὁ κόλαξ ἄριστα πάντων, δεύτερα ὁ σ. Men. 223.17, cf. Georg. Fr. 1, Philippid. 29; so in Lat. sycophanta, Plaut. Poen. 1032, Trin. 815, Ter. Andr. 815; humbug, Favorin. ap. Gell. 14.1.32. = Lat. delator, ὁ πικρὸς σ. Ἰσίδωρος Ph. 2.597, cf. OGI 669.41 (Egypt, i AD), Cod.Just. 1.4.34.17, al.
(From σῦκον φαίνειν, orig. used of denouncers of the attempted export of figs from Athens, acc. to Ister 35, Plu. Sol. 24, 2.523b; orig. of citizens entrusted with the collection of figs as part of the public revenues of Athens and the denouncing of tax-evaders, acc. to Philomnest. 1; of denouncers of figs which had been stolen from the sacred fig-trees during a famine and had become cheap, the famine having passed, Sch. Ar. Pl. 31, cf. Fest. p. 393 L. ; these and modern explanations are mere guesses; the word first in Ar. but implied by συκοπέδιλος.)

[ῡ], ὁ, der Sykophant, eigtl. der Feigenanzeiger, ein Aufpasser, der diejenigen ausspürt u. anzeigt, die gegen das Verbot handeln, nach welchem man keine Feigen aus Attika ausführen und verkaufen sollte ; dah. ein Jeder, der aus Bosheit oder Gewinnsucht Andere anklagte ; ein ränkevoller, falscher Ankläger, Chikaneur ; eine in Athen seit Perikles sehr zahlreiche und verachtete Menschenklasse ; Ar. Ach. 533, Av. 1423, Plut. 31 u. öfter ; Xen. Mem. 2.9.3 ; συκοφάντης γὰρ εἶ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις Plat. Rep. I.340d, u. öfter, u. Folgde.

a false accuser, slanderer , [Aristophanes Comicus (5th/4th c.BC)], etc.; (never used in the modern sense of sycophant , i. e. κόλαξ); generally, a false adviser , [Demosthenes Orator (Refs 4th c.BC)] (Commonly derived from σῦκον, φαίνω, one who informed against persons exporting figs from Attica: better perhaps a fig-shewer , i. e. one who brings figs to light by shaking the tree (the figs having been hidden in the thick foliage); and then, metaphorically, one who makes rich men yield up their fruit by false accusations). (ML)