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Δίδυμον ξύλον · two-pronged timber, gallows (δ 870) · Suda

Letters

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

Near δ870

δ866double-drachm, double-drachma
δ867I give to you
δ868Didymachias
δ869Didymaios, Didymaean, Twin
δ870two-pronged timber, gallows
δ871Didymos, Didymus
δ872Didymus, Didymos
δ873Didymus the younger
δ874Didymus, Didymos

Suda/Δ delta/δ870

← Previous entry,δ869 Next entry,δ871 →

Δίδυμον ξύλον

two-pronged timber, gallows

Translated by Antonella Ippolito14 Apr 2005Vetting: high12 revisions

biography
daily life
definition
dialects, grammar, and etymology
historiography
history
+2
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- religion

3 notes · 30 words

Translation

That [which is] called furca¹ among Romans.
"After finding that Illustus was a murderer, he hanged him on a gallows".²
"[He] hanging these last from gallows while still alive [...]."³

Greek original · Adler’s text

Δίδυμον ξύλον· ἡ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις φοῦρκα. εὑρὼν δὲ Ἰλλοῦστον φθορέα ἐκρέμασεν ἐπὶ διδύμου ξύλου. οὓς δὲ ζῶντας ἐκ διδύμων ξύλων ἀπαρτῶν.

Betacode

*di/dumon cu/lon: h( para\ *(rwmai/ois fou=rka. eu(rw\n de\ *)illou=ston fqore/a e)kre/masen e)pi\ didu/mou cu/lou. ou(\s de\ zw=ntas e)k didu/mwn cu/lwn a)partw=n.

Notes (3)

The headword is a biblical lemma, stemming from Joshua 8.29 LXX (Joshua hangs the king of Ai "on a two-pronged timber").
1Furca (see phi 628) denotes in Latin two different instruments of punishment: the fork-shaped wood to be placed on the neck of the punished, generally a slave (cf. furcifer) (as by Plautus, Persa 5,2,71, Casina 2,6,37; Cicero, On divination 1.26.55; Livy 2.36.1; etc.); and the gallows, corresponding to Greek di/dumon cu/lon. This meaning is common in juridical sources: see Digest 48.19.28, passim. Most common expressions are furca figere, furcae subicere, in furcam tollere, suspendere or damnare. ↩
2Like the following one, this quotation (again at iota 325) stems from an unknown historical source, probably via the Excerpta Constantiniana. ↩
3Although the quotation is very short, the participle a)partw=n suggests that it could be the beginning of a sentence; if so, the relative pronoun ou(/s may be used in its well-known function of connection with the information provided in the preceding passage.

Linked from1 entry

δ878ΔίδυμοιtwinsWe customarily [use this word to mean] those who are born together; in a special sense [it is used to mean] single individuals. Or [for things which occur] doubly, as "with twin pipes."

Neighbouring entries

δ868ΔιδυμαχίαςDidymachias δ869ΔιδυμαῖοςDidymaios, Didymaean, Twin δ870Δίδυμον ξύλονtwo-pronged timber, gallows δ871ΔίδυμοςDidymos, Didymus δ872ΔίδυμοςDidymus, Didymos

Revision history12 revisions · last 16 Jan 2019

16 Jan 2019tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
1 Nov 2015coding and other cosmetics — David Whitehead
15 Feb 2015coding — Catharine Roth
14 Nov 2014coding — Catharine Roth
4 Jul 2012coding — Catharine Roth
4 Jul 2012cosmetics — David Whitehead
9 Mar 2011another keyword; tweaks — David Whitehead
15 Apr 2005cosmetics — David Whitehead
14 Apr 2005cosmetics — Antonella Ippolito
14 Apr 2005cosmetics, keyword, status — Catharine Roth
—
—
14 Apr 2005Translated — Antonella Ippolito

Cite this entry

Suda On Line, s.v. Δίδυμον ξύλον (Adler number delta 870), trans. Antonella Ippolito, 14 Apr 2005. https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/delta/870

Translation by Antonella Ippolito for Suda On Line, revised by Catharine Roth, David Whitehead, Antonella Ippolito, , licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Shown unchanged, under the same licence, non-commercially. Original on SOL ↗