Δι' αἰφνιδίου ὀπός

by an unforeseen voice

Translated by Dennis McHenry5 Apr 2005Vetting: high7 revisions

6 words

That is [by] an inspired [one].

Greek original · Adler’s text

Δι' αἰφνιδίου ὀπός· τουτέστι τῆς ἐνθουσιαστικῆς.

Betacode

*di' ai)fnidi/ou o)po/s: toute/sti th=s e)nqousiastikh=s.

Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 127 (web address 1), with the gloss of the scholia there; repeated at omicron 471.
The word denotes a sudden "voice attack". According to Sommerstein (below), it may also refer to the abrupt attack at the beginning of each choral section.