Αἶρε πλῆκτρον
raise a spur
Translated by Catharine Roth2 Mar 2003Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
That is, a defensive weapon. The metaphor [comes] from cocks; for they too have spurs with which they fight. We call these [spurs] the kentra of the birds; others [call them] plektra. But plektra are the bronze [spikes] which are attached to the [sc. natural] plektra of the cocks.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Αἶρε πλῆκτρον· τουτέστιν ὅπλον ἀμυντήριον. ἡ μεταφορὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων· κἀκεῖνοι γὰρ ἔχουσι πλῆκτρα, ἐν οἷς μάχονται· ἃ ἡμεῖς κέντρα λέγομεν τῶν ὀρνίθων, οἱ δὲ πλῆκτρα. πλῆκτρα δέ εἰσι τὰ ἐμβαλλόμενα τοῖς πλήκτροις τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων τὰ χαλκᾶ.