Χερνῆτις
laboring-woman
Translated by Jennifer Benedict19 Mar 2008Vetting: high10 revisions
Translation
A widow, one who makes her living from [the work of] her hands, living by handiwork.
"[...] he sneaked away at dusk with the laborers who were going out to the fields."1
Also [sc. attested is]xernh/ths , a working man, in the masculine.2
In the Epigrams: "with which they maintained their day-laborer life for a long time, Athena..."3
"He tried to make his daughters into wool-workers and laboring-women."4
"[...] he sneaked away at dusk with the laborers who were going out to the fields."1
Also [sc. attested is]
In the Epigrams: "with which they maintained their day-laborer life for a long time, Athena..."3
"He tried to make his daughters into wool-workers and laboring-women."4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Χερνῆτις· χήρα, ἡ ἀπὸ χειρῶν ζῶσα, χειρόβιος. ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ κνέφα σὺν τοῖς χερνήταις τοῖς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἰοῦσιν ὑπεξῆλθε. καὶ Χερνήτης, ὁ πένης, ἀρσενικῶς. ἐν Ἐπιγράμμασιν· οἷς ἔσχον χερνῆτα βίον δηναιόν, Ἀθάνα. ὁ δὲ τὰς θυγατέρας ἐπειρᾶτο ποιεῖν ταλασιουργοὺς καὶ χερνήτιδας.
Betacode
*xernh=tis: xh/ra, h( a)po\ xeirw=n zw=sa, xeiro/bios. o( de\ u(po\ tw=| kne/fa su\n toi=s xernh/tais toi=s e)pi\ tou\s a)grou\s i)ou=sin u(pech=lqe. kai\ *xernh/ths, o( pe/nhs, a)rsenikw=s. e)n *)epigra/mmasin: oi(=s e)/sxon xernh=ta bi/on dhnaio/n, *)aqa/na. o( de\ ta\s qugate/ras e)peira=to poiei=n talasiourgou\s kai\ xernh/tidas.
Notes (4)
- For the first part of this entry, see the scholia to Homer, Iliad 12.433 (where the headword appears: web address 1 below), Hesychius, Lexicum Ambrosianum 170 and 185, Etymologicum Magnum 808.33 and the scholia to Oribasius (ed. Bussemaker) 3.682. See also chi 248.↩
- 1Aelian fr. 339 Domingo-Forasté (342 Hercher) -- the second part, it has been suggested, of a quotation that begins at alpha 460: see the note there. ↩
- 2cf. Hesychius. ↩
- 3Greek Anthology 6.39.7 (Archias), three sisters dedicate spinning and weaving instruments to Athena; cf. Gow and Page (vol. I, 404-405); (vol. II, 437); and further excerpts from this epigram at alpha 3749, alpha 4378, mu 473, mu 1135, pi 2005, and tau 38. Here
xernh=ta is in apposition tobi/on and has an almost adjectival force in this personification of the worker woman's lifestyle as a poor day-laborer. ↩- 4Aelian fr. 340 Domingo-Forasté (343 Hercher); see also tau 44.
References
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary Epigrams, vol. I, (Cambridge, 1968)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge, 1968)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge, 1968)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from7 entries
- α460Ἀδηλώσαςhaving disguised, having obfuscated[Meaning he] having made [someone or something] unrecognizable. "Having disguised himself with a dirty cloak and taken a scythe as a worker on the land would [sc. wear/carry ...]."
- α3648Ἀποχειροβίωνof handicraft-livers[Meaning] of those who live by their hands and rely upon their skills.
- α3749Ἀράχνειον νῆμαspidery web['Spidery web'] and 'spidery thread': the thinnest. In the Epigrams: "spindle, oft-whirling servant of a spidery thread."
- α4378Ἄτρακτονarrow; spindle[Meaning] a missile [expressed] metaphorically Sophocles [writes]: "in addition to these things, whatever my string-sped arrow might hit, unfortunate wretch that I am, I would crawl to it myself, dragging my foot." And…
- δ480Δηναιόνlong-livedThe [word that means] year-long, long in time. Also [attested is] dhnaio/n [in the sense of lasting] for a long time. But dh/neon [means] the counsel/plan.
- χ248Χειρόβιοιhandiwork-livers[Meaning] those living from [sc. the work of] their hands and devoting themselves to crafts. Another term used [sc. of such people] is a)poxeiro/bioi.
- χ287ΧήραwidowAlso [sc. attested is] xhrei/a ["widowhood"], [formed] out of the [verb] xhreu/w ["I am bereaved"].
Neighbouring entries
Revision history10 revisions · last 12 Nov 2020
- grammatical tweak n.3 — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.3, added bibliography, added cross-references — Ronald Allen
- coding — David Whitehead
- tweaked tr — David Whitehead
- expanded n.1 — David Whitehead
- — David Whitehead
- updated references, upgraded link — Catharine Roth
- more keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- —
- —
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict