Ἀστιβὲς ἄλσος

untrodden glade

Translated by Jennifer Benedict · 6 Jan 2002 · Vetting: high · 9 revisions

Translation

[Meaning] one that is not to be travelled through, unconquerable, unapproachable.¹ Ajax says: "and walking I will go where the land is untrodden, I will bury this sword, my most hated of weapons, and bury it where no one might see; but let night and Hades keep it below."² I will find, he is saying, a place where no one will go. Ajax is saying, where no-one would follow him.³
Also [sc. attested is] a)stibh= ["untrodden"], [meaning] unwalked by foot.⁴
Also [sc. attested is] a)stibh/s ["untrodden"], [meaning] impassable or safe.
Also [sc. attested is] eu)stibh/s ["giving good footing"], [meaning] that which has good passage.
"Rock that gives good footing to the fisher gulls." In the Epigrams.⁵
Also [sc. attested is] a)stei/bhtos,⁷ a track not to be travelled through.⁶

Greek original

Ἀστιβὲς ἄλσος· ἀδιόδευτον, ἀκαταμάχητον, ἀπροσπέλαστον. Αἴας φησί· μολών τε χῶρον ἔνθ' ἂν ἀστιβῆ κίχω, κρύψω τόδ' ἔγχος τοὐμὸν ἔχθιστον βελῶν, γαίας ὀρύξας ἔνθα μή τις ὄψεται· ἀλλ' αὐτὸ νὺξ ᾅδης τε σῳζόντων κάτω. εὑρήσω, φησὶ, τόπον, οὗ οὐδεὶς ἐπιβήσεται. ὁ Αἴας φησὶν, ἵνα μή τις αὐτῷ ἀκολουθήσῃ. καὶ Ἀστιβῆ, ἄβατον ποσί. καὶ Ἀστιβής, ὁ ἄβατος ἢ ἀσφαλής. καὶ Εὐστιβής, ὁ καλὴν βάσιν ἔχων. εὐστιβὲς αἰθυίαις ἰχθυβόλοισι λέπας. ἐν Ἐπιγράμμασι. καὶ Ἀστείβητος, ἀδιόδευτος τρίβος.

Betacode

*)astibe\s a)/lsos: a)dio/deuton, a)katama/xhton, a)prospe/laston. *ai)/as fhsi/: molw/n te xw=ron e)/nq' a)\n a)stibh= ki/xw, kru/yw to/d' e)/gxos tou)mo\n e)/xqiston belw=n, gai/as o)ru/cas e)/nqa mh/ tis o)/yetai: a)ll' au)to\ nu\c a(/|dhs te sw|zo/ntwn ka/tw. eu(rh/sw, fhsi\, to/pon, ou(= ou)dei\s e)pibh/setai. o( *ai)/as fhsi\n, i(/na mh/ tis au)tw=| a)kolouqh/sh|. kai\ *)astibh=, a)/baton posi/. kai\ *)astibh/s, o( a)/batos h)\ a)sfalh/s. kai\ *eu)stibh/s, o( kalh\n ba/sin e)/xwn. eu)stibe\s ai)qui/ais i)xqubo/loisi le/pas. e)n *)epigra/mmasi. kai\ *)astei/bhtos, a)dio/deutos tri/bos.

Notes (6)

The headword phrase comes from Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 126 (web address 1 below). See further, notes 1 and 4.
1The second and third glosses here are from the scholia to Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 127. ↩
2Sophocles, Ajax 657-660 (web address 2). ↩
3From the scholia to the above. ↩
4From the scholia to Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 126. ↩
5Greek Anthology 6.23.2 (author unknown), a fisherman's dedication to Hermes; cf. beta 365, lambda 284, and Page (323-324). ↩
6See LSJ s.v. astibetos.

↩

References

D.L. Page, ed., Further Greek Epigrams, (Cambridge 1981)

External resources

Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu

Linked from (1)

β365Βολίςthrowing-spear

Neighbours in Adler order

α4237Ἀστήρstar α4238Ἀστήρstar α4239Ἀστὴρ ἄστρου διαφέρειastêr differs from astron α4240Ἀστιβὲς ἄλσοςuntrodden glade α4241Ἀστικῶςastutely; urbanely α4242Ἄστιπτοςuntrodden α4243Ἀστισμόςwitticism

Revisions (9)

4 Jul 2023Ronald Allenexpanded n.5, added bibliography, added keywords
19 Apr 2020Catharine Rothtweaked note
5 Dec 2015Catharine Rothtweaked links
2 Sep 2015David Whitehead
7 Jul 2015David Whitehead
25 Apr 2012David Whiteheadtweaks and cosmetics
6 Jan 2002David Whiteheadadded keywords; cosmetics
6 Jan 2002Jennifer Benedicttranslated

Translation

Greek original

Betacode

*)astibe\s a)/lsos: a)dio/deuton, a)katama/xhton, a)prospe/laston. *ai)/as fhsi/: molw/n te xw=ron e)/nq' a)\n a)stibh= ki/xw, kru/yw to/d' e)/gxos tou)mo\n e)/xqiston belw=n, gai/as o)ru/cas e)/nqa mh/ tis o)/yetai: a)ll' au)to\ nu\c a(/|dhs te sw|zo/ntwn ka/tw. eu(rh/sw, fhsi\, to/pon, ou(= ou)dei\s e)pibh/setai. o( *ai)/as fhsi\n, i(/na mh/ tis au)tw=| a)kolouqh/sh|. kai\ *)astibh=, a)/baton posi/. kai\ *)astibh/s, o( a)/batos h)\ a)sfalh/s. kai\ *eu)stibh/s, o( kalh\n ba/sin e)/xwn. eu)stibe\s ai)qui/ais i)xqubo/loisi le/pas. e)n *)epigra/mmasi. kai\ *)astei/bhtos, a)dio/deutos tri/bos.

Notes (6)

The headword phrase comes from Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 126 (web address 1 below). See further, notes 1 and 4.

1The second and third glosses here are from the scholia to Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 127. ↩

2Sophocles, Ajax 657-660 (web address 2). ↩

3From the scholia to the above. ↩

4From the scholia to Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 126. ↩

5Greek Anthology 6.23.2 (author unknown), a fisherman's dedication to Hermes; cf. beta 365, lambda 284, and Page (323-324). ↩

6See LSJ s.v. astibetos.