Ἅμματα
[Kasiotic] knots
Translated by William Hutton24 Apr 2001Vetting: high16 revisions
Translation
[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to those who are crooked in their ways. [So called] from the Pelousians in Kasion, who by natural skill used to weave knots in order to attach one beam to another.1
[A knot] equivalent to a Kasiote [?].2
Knots, [meaning] ties.3
In the Epigrams "Zeus cut through the bindings of her untouched golden maidenhood, after slipping into Danae's bronze-wrought chambers."4 And elsewhere: "with the binding of her dainty woven head-dress."5
And the Pisidian [writes] about Chosroes: "when, then, he was in bindings, they tied him with a more secure bond."6
[A knot] equivalent to a Kasiote [?].2
Knots, [meaning] ties.3
In the Epigrams "Zeus cut through the bindings of her untouched golden maidenhood, after slipping into Danae's bronze-wrought chambers."4 And elsewhere: "with the binding of her dainty woven head-dress."5
And the Pisidian [writes] about Chosroes: "when, then, he was in bindings, they tied him with a more secure bond."6
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἅμματα· ἐπὶ τῶν σκολιῶν τοὺς τρόπους. ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν Κασίῳ Πηλουσιωτῶν, οἱ φυσικῇ τέχνῃ ἅμματα ἔπλεκον δοκοὺς ἐπὶ δοκοῖς συνάπτοντες. Κασιώτῃ ἴσον. Ἅμματα, δεσμά. ἐν Ἐπιγράμμασι· χρύσεος ἀψαύστοιο διέτμαγεν ἅμμα κορείας Ζεύς, διαδὺς Δανάας χαλκελάτους θαλάμους. καὶ αὖθις· ἁβρῶν τε στρεπτῶν ἅμματι κεκρυφάλων. καὶ Πισίδης περὶ Χοσρόου· ἐπεὶ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐντὸς ἦν τῶν ἁμμάτων, δεσμοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἀσφαλεστέρᾳ δέσει.
Betacode
*(/ammata: e)pi\ tw=n skoliw=n tou\s tro/pous. a)po\ tw=n e)n *kasi/w| *phlousiwtw=n, oi( fusikh=| te/xnh| a(/mmata e)/plekon dokou\s e)pi\ dokoi=s suna/ptontes. *kasiw/th| i)/son. *(/ammata, desma/. e)n *)epigra/mmasi: xru/seos a)yau/stoio die/tmagen a(/mma korei/as *zeu/s, diadu\s *dana/as xalkela/tous qala/mous. kai\ au)=qis: a(brw=n te streptw=n a(/mmati kekrufa/lwn. kai\ *pisi/dhs peri\ *xosro/ou: e)pei\ de\ loipo\n e)nto\s h)=n tw=n a(mma/twn, desmou=sin au)to\n a)sfaleste/ra| de/sei.
Notes (5)
- [1] See already alpha 1459, and again kappa 454 (for this and what follows) and pi 1516. "Knots" alone as a headword doesn't constitute a proverbial phrase; "Kasiotic" must have dropped out in the Suda compiler's source. The same applies to alpha 1459.↩
- 2This doesn't make sense. In [Plutarch], On the proverbs of the Alexandrians, there is an entry (fr.48) for
*kasiwtiko\n a)/mma "Kasiotic knot" with similar information on using knots to lash beams together. So*kasiw/th| i)/son could be a corruption of*kasiwtiko\n , here and again at kappa 454. However, the singular "Kasiotic knot" seems out of place here -- more appropriate to alpha 1459. ↩- 3Likewise or similarly in other lexica; references at Photius alpha1208 Theodoridis. ↩
- 4Greek Anthology 5.217.1-2 (Paul the Silentiary); cf. kappa 454 and kappa 2075. Find further extracts from this epigram, on Zeus's seduction of Danae, at delta 57, epsilon 919, and rho 317. ↩
- 5Greek Anthology 6.219.4 (attributed to Antipater of Sidon), having taken shelter in a lion's den, a Gallus drives the animal away by beating the tambour; cf. Gow and Page (vol. I, 33); (vol. II, 84-86); and further extracts from this protracted epigram at alpha 1828, alpha 4172, epsilon 747, zeta 19, kappa 2544, lambda 869, sigma 299, and sigma 1723. The Galli (cf. gamma 41, gamma 42) were eunuch priests of Kybele (kappa 2586). Gow and Page note (vol. I, 33) that here the Suda follows the Anthologia Palatina and the Anthologia Planudea in reading the genitive plural,
a(brw=n . However, along with Paton (412-413), they adopt a suggestion of R.F.P. Brunck (Alsatian scholar, 1729-1803) and transmit the dative singulara(brw=| . Paton's rendering (413) thus becomes: "with well-plaited tresses and a dainty hair-caul". ↩- 6George of Pisidia, Heraclias 3 fr. 51 Tartaglia, on the capture and imprisonment (early 628) of Chosroes II by his son Cavades II (cf. PLRE IIIa s.v.). See alpha 324 note for related entries. For Chosroes (the Sasanian king Khosrow II (590-628 CE)), see generally chi 418 note.
- 2This doesn't make sense. In [Plutarch], On the proverbs of the Alexandrians, there is an entry (fr.48) for
References
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. I, (Cambridge 1965)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge 1965)
W.R. Paton, trans., The Greek Anthology: Books I-VI, (Cambridge, MA 1993)
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIa, (Cambridge, 1992)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge 1965)
W.R. Paton, trans., The Greek Anthology: Books I-VI, (Cambridge, MA 1993)
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIa, (Cambridge, 1992)
Linked from7 entries
- α324Ἀγωγόνescorting[Meaning] leading. And the Pisidian [writes]: "he turned to the channels of the Tigris." The statement [is] about Chosroes. Also [sc. attested is] a)gwgou/s ["escorts"], [meaning] guides.
- α1459Ἅμμα[Kasiotic] knot[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to those who are crooked in their ways; [sc. named] from the Pelusians in Kasion, who by native skill used to tie knots when joining beams to beams.
- α1828ἈνάγκηnecessityIn the Epigrams: "see how all-wise necessity taught him to find an escape from Hades." And [there is] a proverb: "with necessity not even gods fight." It recommends that one should be satisfied with what is available.…
- α4172Ἀσκητόςtricked-out[Meaning one who/which is] adorned with care. "Wearing a woman's chiton [and] tricked-out with well-wreathed ivy clusters."
- δ57ΔανάηDanaëA proper name. The [daughter] of Acrisius. "Go be judged: you are not Danaë the [daughter] of Acrisius." For when she was responding stubbornly to a lawsuit, a certain wiseguy said to her: "Go be judged: you are not…
- ε747Ἐλαστρηθείςdriven[Meaning he who was] forced, made to move. "Driven by the limb-stiffening snow of Zeus."
- ε919Ἐλύγωσενmastered[Meaning he/she/it] subdued. "And this mastered the mind of Danae;" that is, gold.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history16 revisions · last 29 Jul 2025
- added cross-reference n.6 — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.6, added to bibliography, added keyword — Ronald Allen
- expanded notes 1 and 2, with input from David Whitehead — Catharine Roth
- tweaked translation, augmented note 6 — William Hutton
- new note 2 — Catharine Roth
- augmented n.3, added cross-references — Ronald Allen
- missing bibliography item — Ronald Allen
- further expanded n.4, added keyword — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.4, added bibliography, added cross-references, added keywords — Ronald Allen
- tweaked notes — Catharine Roth
- tweak — Catharine Roth
- another note — David Whitehead
- coding — Catharine Roth
- more keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- tweaked headword and tr — David Whitehead
- added notes and keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — William Hutton