Ἄθυρμα

plaything

Translated by Jennifer Benedict · 6 Nov 2000 · Vetting: high · 13 revisions

Translation

A children's toy.¹
Josephus [writes]: "who was a plaything of the king and was exhibited to be teased and laughed at during the drinking sessions".²
And elsewhere: "it is not the part of men to linger with playthings of children".³
Also in the Epigrams: "they stripped it and hung it up by the road as a plaything for Pan".⁴ Meaning as a delight.
Cratinus in Odysseuses: "a novel plaything had been introduced".⁵

Greek original

Ἄθυρμα· παίγνιον. Ἰώσηπος. ὃς ἦν τοῦ βασιλέως ἄθυρμα καὶ πρὸς τὰ σκώμματα καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πότοις γέλωτας ἐπεδείκνυτο. καὶ αὖθις· οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνδρῶν ἀθύρμασιν ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν παιδίων. καὶ ἐν Ἐπιγράμμασι· Πανὶ δέ μιν ξέσσαντες ὁδῷ ἔπι καλὸν ἄθυρμα κάτ- θεσαν. ἀντὶ τοῦ ἄγαλμα. Κρατῖνος Ὀδυσσεῦσι· νεοχμὸν παρῆχθαι ἄθυρμα.

Betacode

*)/aqurma: pai/gnion. *)iw/shpos. o(\s h)=n tou= basile/ws a)/qurma kai\ pro\s ta\ skw/mmata kai\ tou\s e)n toi=s po/tois ge/lwtas e)pedei/knuto. kai\ au)=qis: ou)k e)/stin a)ndrw=n a)qu/rmasin e)mfiloxwrei=n paidi/wn. kai\ e)n *)epigra/mmasi: *pani\ de/ min ce/ssantes o(dw=| e)/pi kalo\n a)/qurma ka/t-  qesan. a)nti\ tou= a)/galma. *krati=nos *)odusseu=si: neoxmo\n parh=xqai a)/qurma.

Notes (5)

The headword is a neuter noun related to alpha 768 and alpha 769.
1Same glossing in Photius (Lexicon alpha492 and alpha493 Theodoridis) and elsewhere. ↩
2Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 12.212 (web address 1 below) on Tryphon. ↩
3Quotation unidentifiable; a proverb? ↩
4Greek Anthology 6.37.3 (on an oak bough). The author is unknown. On this epigram, in which herdsmen have fashioned something out of an oak branch and dedicated it to Pan, see Page (381-382) and another extract from it at rho 316. Page argues that the object was most likely a statue (ibid.). ↩
5Cratinus fr.145 Kock, now 152 K.-A.

↩

References

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

External resources

Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu

Linked from (2)

α768Ἀθύρεινto sport α769Ἀθύρμιονlittle toy

Neighbours in Adler order

α764Ἄθρυπτοςunbroken α765Ἄθυμοςdejected, fainthearted α766Ἀθυμότεροςmore dejected, rather dejected α767Ἄθυρμαplaything α768Ἀθύρεινto sport α769Ἀθύρμιονlittle toy α770Ἀθυρογλωττίαimpudent loquacity

Revisions (13)

11 Jul 2023Ronald Allenexpanded n.4, added bibliography, added cross-reference
3 Oct 2018Catharine Rothtweaked link
3 May 2015Catharine Rothcoding
23 Dec 2014David Whitehead
19 Aug 2013David Whitehead
25 Jan 2012Catharine Rothfixed link
22 Jan 2012David Whiteheadaugmented notes and keywords; cosmetics
13 Dec 2005David Whiteheadanother keyword; cosmetics
16 Nov 2005David Whiteheadmore keywords; cosmetics
23 May 2002David Whiteheadadded keywords; cosmetics
6 Nov 2000David Whiteheadadded note; cosmetics
6 Nov 2000Jennifer Benedicttranslated

Translation

Greek original

Betacode

*)/aqurma: pai/gnion. *)iw/shpos. o(\s h)=n tou= basile/ws a)/qurma kai\ pro\s ta\ skw/mmata kai\ tou\s e)n toi=s po/tois ge/lwtas e)pedei/knuto. kai\ au)=qis: ou)k e)/stin a)ndrw=n a)qu/rmasin e)mfiloxwrei=n paidi/wn. kai\ e)n *)epigra/mmasi: *pani\ de/ min ce/ssantes o(dw=| e)/pi kalo\n a)/qurma ka/t-  qesan. a)nti\ tou= a)/galma. *krati=nos *)odusseu=si: neoxmo\n parh=xqai a)/qurma.

Notes (5)

The headword is a neuter noun related to alpha 768 and alpha 769.

1Same glossing in Photius (Lexicon alpha492 and alpha493 Theodoridis) and elsewhere. ↩

2Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 12.212 (web address 1 below) on Tryphon. ↩

3Quotation unidentifiable; a proverb? ↩

4Greek Anthology 6.37.3 (on an oak bough). The author is unknown. On this epigram, in which herdsmen have fashioned something out of an oak branch and dedicated it to Pan, see Page (381-382) and another extract from it at rho 316. Page argues that the object was most likely a statue (ibid.). ↩

5Cratinus fr.145 Kock, now 152 K.-A.