σύμβολον σύμβολον, ου, τό, συμβάλλω III a sign or token by which one infers a thing, Trag.; λαμπάδος τὸ σύμβολον the token of the beacon-fire, Aesch.:—often in pl., of marks on the body, Eur.; of omens, Aesch. a pledge or pawn, on which money was advanced, Lys. in pl. tallies, Lat. tesserae hospitales, i.e. the halves of a bone or coin, which two persons broke between them, each keeping one piece, Hdt., Eur., etc. at Athens, a ticket, counter, Lat. tessera, such as were given to the dicasts, on presenting which they received their fee, Dem. a permit or licence to reside, given to aliens, Ar.; a ticket given by each person who joined in a picnic, to be presented for payment at the end (cf. συμβολή IV), Ar. in Eccl. the distinctive mark of Christians, a confession of faith, a creed, Lat. symbolum. in legal phrase, σύμβολα were covenants between two states for protection of commerce, Dem., etc.; σύμβολα ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς πόλιν to make a commercial treaty with a state, τὰ σ. συγχέειν to violate such treaty, Dem.