Ἀμύσσειν
to mangle
Translated by Jennifer Benedict18 Oct 2000Vetting: high11 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] to agitate, to lacerate, to scrape, to tear at.1
"Now mangling his cheeks with his talons, now pecking his eyes with his beak."2 "When he came out of his own division, a raven sat on the man's right arm, facing the Celt who was his opponent, and pecking his face with his talons and covering his eyes with his wings; this handed the war to Valerius without a fight, and he was granted both the victory and the nickname at the same time. For thenceforth he was called "Korbios"."3
It is also said "Korbinos" [Corvinus].4
"Now mangling his cheeks with his talons, now pecking his eyes with his beak."2 "When he came out of his own division, a raven sat on the man's right arm, facing the Celt who was his opponent, and pecking his face with his talons and covering his eyes with his wings; this handed the war to Valerius without a fight, and he was granted both the victory and the nickname at the same time. For thenceforth he was called "Korbios"."3
It is also said "Korbinos" [Corvinus].4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀμύσσειν· ταράσσειν, ἑλκοῦν, ξέειν, σπαράσσειν. ποτὲ μὲν τοῖς ὄνυξιν ἀμύττων τὰς παρειάς, ὁτὲ δὲ τῷ ῥύγχει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔκοπτεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ προῆλθε τοῦ οἰκείου τάγματος, κόραξ ἐφιζάνει τῷ δεξιῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς βραχίονι, ἀντιπρόσωπος τῷ Κελτῷ κατὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα φερόμενος καὶ τοῖς τε ὄνυξιν ἀμύττων τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ταῖς πτέρυξιν ἐπικαλύπτων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἀφύλακτον τῷ Βαλερίῳ τὸν πόλεμον παραδέδωκε, ὁμοῦ τήν τε νίκην καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν χαρισάμενος. Κόρβιος γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκλήθη. λέγεται καὶ Κορβῖνος.
Betacode
*)amu/ssein: tara/ssein, e(lkou=n, ce/ein, spara/ssein. pote\ me\n toi=s o)/nucin a)mu/ttwn ta\s pareia/s, o(te\ de\ tw=| r(u/gxei tou\s o)fqalmou\s e)/kopten. e)pei\ de\ proh=lqe tou= oi)kei/ou ta/gmatos, ko/rac e)fiza/nei tw=| deciw=| tou= a)ndro\s braxi/oni, a)ntipro/swpos tw=| *keltw=| kata\ to\n a)gw=na fero/menos kai\ toi=s te o)/nucin a)mu/ttwn to\ pro/swpon kai\ tai=s pte/rucin e)pikalu/ptwn tou\s o)fqalmou\s, a)fu/lakton tw=| *baleri/w| to\n po/lemon parade/dwke, o(mou= th/n te ni/khn kai\ th\n e)pwnumi/an xarisa/menos. *ko/rbios ga\r e)nteu=qen e)klh/qh. le/getai kai\ *korbi=nos.
Notes (4)
- 1(cf. alpha 1683, eta 365.) This glossing is paralleled in other lexica, and also in glosses on Herodotus 3.76.3 (which has the participle
a)mu/ssonta ). See web address 1. ↩ - 2Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 15.1.2. ↩
- 3John of Antioch fr. 49 FHG (4.557), now 95 Roberto (166-169); cf. kappa 1307. ↩
- 4On this aetiology of how M. Valerius acquired the cognomen "Raven" (Corvus, Corvinus) in c.349 BCE, see in brief OCD(4) p.1534, and kappa 2070. ↩
References
U. Roberto, ed., Ioannis Antiocheni Fragmenta ex Historia chronica, (Berlin 2005)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from9 entries
- α1683Ἀμύξειςyou will scratch, you will tear[Meaning] you will grieve, you will wound, you will strike. And [there is] a proverb: "not even a thorn scratches good men." Also [sc. attested is the singular] a)/mucis ["a scratching"], [meaning] a tearing, a rending,…
- α1688ἈμυχήscratchA superficial wound.
- ε2841Ἐπώνυμονsobriquet, nickname[A name] which is said along with another proper name. "[Camillus] giving a sobriquet to Marcius, Corvinus, in reference to the animal which fought with him in his single combat." For Romans call the crow corvus. And…
- ε3916Ἐφιζάνειsits on[Meaning he/she/it] takes a seat on.
- η365ἨμύωI bow down[Meaning] I bend. But h)mu/sseto th\n kardi/an ["he/she/it was being torn at heart"] means was being disturbed.
- κ1307ΚελτοίKeltoi, Celtae, CeltsName of a people, the ones called Germans. They are on both sides of the Rhine river; they overran the land of the Albanians. They are also called Senones. Concerning the Celts: [note] that the Celts waged war against…
- κ2070ΚορβῖνοςCorvinus[a.k.a.] Valerius. [Surnamed] after the crow -- for Romans call crows corvi -- and perhaps after croaking; since the crow took part in the duel against a Celt. Find the story of this in the 'to mangle' entry.
- κ2112ΚόρβοιcorviAmong Romans crows [are called this]. And Lucius was named Corvi[n]us, after what happened with the crow.
- λ627Λιφαιμεῖlacks blood, loses blood[Meaning he/she/it] has a haemorrage. Is lacking in blood. Appian [writes]: "the Celt, angry and losing blood, pursued Valerius, eager to have them fall together; but with Valerius constantly retreating underfoot, the…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history11 revisions · last 27 Aug 2026
- added bibliography n.3 — Ronald Allen
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- tweaked link — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- tweaked and augmented n.3 — David Whitehead
- tweaked tr — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- added cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- added note and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- modified translation; added notes and keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict