Χάονες

Chaones; Chaonians

Translated by Jennifer Benedict · 12 Mar 2008 · Vetting: high · 7 revisions

Translation

An Epirote people. Aristophanes [writes]: "his ass-hole is exactly over the Chaonians." ¹ Since Geres was also being accused of effeminacy.² And elsewhere Aristophanes [writes]: "it's not possible to elude the Paphlagonian. For he sees everything: he has one leg in Pylos and the other in the assembly."³ "Among the Chaonians" comes from "to be opened wide" (kexhne/nai).⁴ The Chaonians [are] a tribe of Thrace.

Greek original

Χάονες· ἔθνος Ἠπειρωτικόν. Ἀριστοφάνης· ὁ πρωκτός ἐστιν αὐτόχρημ' ἐν Χάοσιν. ἐπειδὴ καὶ εἰς μαλακίαν διεβάλλετο ὁ Γέρης. καὶ αὖθις Ἀριστοφάνης· τὸν Παφλαγόνα λαθεῖν οὐχ οἷόν τε. ἐφορᾷ γὰρ αὐτὸς πάντ'· ἔχει γὰρ τὸ σκέλος τὸ μὲν ἐν Πύλῳ, τὸ δ' ἕτερον ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. ἐν Χάοσι δὲ παρὰ τὸ κεχηνέναι. Θρᾴκης δὲ ἔθνος οἱ Χάονες.

Betacode

*xa/ones: e)/qnos *)hpeirwtiko/n. *)aristofa/nhs: o( prwkto/s e)stin au)to/xrhm' e)n *xa/osin. e)peidh\ kai\ ei)s malaki/an dieba/lleto o( *ge/rhs. kai\ au)=qis *)aristofa/nhs: to\n *paflago/na laqei=n ou)x oi(=o/n te. e)fora=| ga\r au)to\s pa/nt': e)/xei ga\r to\ ske/los to\ me\n e)n *pu/lw|, to\ d' e(/teron e)n th=| e)kklhsi/a|. e)n *xa/osi de\ para\ to\ kexhne/nai. *qra/|khs de\ e)/qnos oi( *xa/ones.

Notes (4)

See generally N.G.L. Hammond in OCD(4) s.v. (pp.304-5): 'name of a tribal state in north Epirus which extended from the Dexari, probably near Berat, to the river Kalamas (ancient Thyamis) in the 6th cent. BC but was eaten into later by the Illyrii and the Thesproti'.
1Aristophanes, Knights 78 (web address 1 below). ↩
2From a scholion to Aristophanes, Acharnians 604, where "Geretotheodorus" is said to be "among the Chaonians" (web address 2 below); cf. gamma 197. ↩
3Aristophanes, Knights 74-76 (web address 1 below), with a scholion. The 'Paphlagonian' is Kleon (kappa 1731). See also alpha 4537. ↩
4The pun potential of the "Chaonians" is due to the similarity between the name of the tribe and the root xa- as in xa/skw "I gape" (chi 81), whence kexhne/nai, the perfect active infinitive.

↩

External resources

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

Linked from (1)

α4537Αὐτόχρημα ὅμοιονexactly the same, straight away

Neighbours in Adler order

χ79ΧαναάνCanaan χ80Χανδόνgapingly χ81Χάνοιmight gape χ82ΧάονεςChaones; Chaonians χ83Χάοςchaos, space χ84ΧάοςChaos χ85Χαράjoy

Revisions (7)

17 Apr 2023Catharine Rothbetacode cosmeticule
17 Apr 2023Catharine Rothtweaked links
1 Aug 2014David Whiteheadupdated a ref
8 Nov 2013David Whiteheadadded primary note; tweaking
13 Mar 2008David Whiteheadaugmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics
12 Mar 2008Jennifer Benedicttranslated

Translation

Greek original

Betacode

*xa/ones: e)/qnos *)hpeirwtiko/n. *)aristofa/nhs: o( prwkto/s e)stin au)to/xrhm' e)n *xa/osin. e)peidh\ kai\ ei)s malaki/an dieba/lleto o( *ge/rhs. kai\ au)=qis *)aristofa/nhs: to\n *paflago/na laqei=n ou)x oi(=o/n te. e)fora=| ga\r au)to\s pa/nt': e)/xei ga\r to\ ske/los to\ me\n e)n *pu/lw|, to\ d' e(/teron e)n th=| e)kklhsi/a|. e)n *xa/osi de\ para\ to\ kexhne/nai. *qra/|khs de\ e)/qnos oi( *xa/ones.

Notes (4)

See generally N.G.L. Hammond in OCD(4) s.v. (pp.304-5): 'name of a tribal state in north Epirus which extended from the Dexari, probably near Berat, to the river Kalamas (ancient Thyamis) in the 6th cent. BC but was eaten into later by the Illyrii and the Thesproti'.

1Aristophanes, Knights 78 (web address 1 below). ↩

2From a scholion to Aristophanes, Acharnians 604, where "Geretotheodorus" is said to be "among the Chaonians" (web address 2 below); cf. gamma 197. ↩

3Aristophanes, Knights 74-76 (web address 1 below), with a scholion. The 'Paphlagonian' is Kleon (kappa 1731). See also alpha 4537. ↩

4The pun potential of the "Chaonians" is due to the similarity between the name of the tribe and the root xa- as in xa/skw "I gape" (chi 81), whence kexhne/nai, the perfect active infinitive.