Ἀπόρρητα
unspeakable [things]
Translated by Jennifer Benedict19 Dec 2001Vetting: high8 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] incomprehensible [ones], hidden [ones].1
They used to say aporrêta to imply prohibited things,2 not only forbidden ones. "And they are saying things that should not be spoken to our enemies." Aristophanes [writes this] in Thesmophoriazusae.3
Unspeakable [things are] the ones prohibited in the laws. Thus Demosthenes [uses this word] in the [speech] In Defence of Ctesiphon.4
Everything which is prohibited they also call forbidden. Aristophanes [writes]: "he does not intend to do anything unspeakable."5 Therefore they also give this name to things which are not to be exported.
They used to say aporrêta to imply prohibited things,2 not only forbidden ones. "And they are saying things that should not be spoken to our enemies." Aristophanes [writes this] in Thesmophoriazusae.3
Unspeakable [things are] the ones prohibited in the laws. Thus Demosthenes [uses this word] in the [speech] In Defence of Ctesiphon.4
Everything which is prohibited they also call forbidden. Aristophanes [writes]: "he does not intend to do anything unspeakable."5 Therefore they also give this name to things which are not to be exported.