Beyond Ones 2

στεφανόω (to crown, to wreathe) in the active voice means "to put around in a circle" (e.g., to surround, to encircle) and is used figuratively to mean "to crown" or "to honor." In the middle/passive voice, it often denotes being crowned or surrounded, such as to crown oneself or to be crowned. The verb is used by Homer and Hesiod predominantly in the passive form, describing something being surrounded or encircled, such as clouds surrounding a person (Il. 15.153) or the sea surrounding an island (Od. 10.195). In later periods, it takes on the more specific sense of crowning a person or object, with various applications like crowning a victor (Pi. O. 7.15) or a tomb (IG 1(2).1037). The verb is also used metaphorically to describe rewarding or honoring with a crown.