Ἐμβριθῆ νοῦν
severe thought, weighty thought
Translated by Antonella Ippolito6 Nov 2006Vetting: high12 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] a serious and prudent [piece of] reasoning.1
The Pisidian [says]: "you came inside the shields with a severe speed".2
Menander [says]: "but Tanchosdro, Chosroes' general, did not collect elephants and a rustic mob and other such terrors -- suitable for a boast but in no way effective and weighty --, but [sc. instead selected] the men bravest at fighting and best armed, as a substitute for the rabble, having picked out those skilled in war".3
And elsewhere: "[...] and to stand up in the most serious way and defend the city".4
The Pisidian [says]: "you came inside the shields with a severe speed".2
Menander [says]: "but Tanchosdro, Chosroes' general, did not collect elephants and a rustic mob and other such terrors -- suitable for a boast but in no way effective and weighty --, but [sc. instead selected] the men bravest at fighting and best armed, as a substitute for the rabble, having picked out those skilled in war".3
And elsewhere: "[...] and to stand up in the most serious way and defend the city".4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἐμβριθῆ νοῦν· στερεὸν καὶ ἔμφρονα λογισμόν. Πισίδης· ἔσω τῶν ἀσπίδων ἦλθες ἐμβριθεῖ τάχει. Μένανδρος· ὁ δὲ Τανχοσδρώ, ὁ τοῦ Χοσρόου στρατηγός, οὐχὶ ἐλέφαντάς τε καὶ ἀγροίκων ὅμιλον καὶ ἕτερα ἄττα φόβητρα κόμπῳ μὲν ἁρμόδια, ἐνεργὰ δὲ καὶ ἐμβριθῆ οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μαχιμωτάτους τε καὶ εὐοπλοτάτους ἀγείρας πλήθους τε ἀγεννοῦς ἀντάλλαγμα, τοὺς τὰ πολέμια δεινοὺς ἀποκρίνας. καὶ αὖθις· ἑστάναι τε ἐμβριθέστατα καὶ ἐπαμύνειν τῇ πόλει.
Betacode
*)embriqh= nou=n: stereo\n kai\ e)/mfrona logismo/n. *pisi/dhs: e)/sw tw=n a)spi/dwn h)=lqes e)mbriqei= ta/xei. *me/nandros: o( de\ *tanxosdrw/, o( tou= *xosro/ou strathgo/s, ou)xi\ e)le/fanta/s te kai\ a)groi/kwn o(/milon kai\ e(/tera a)/tta fo/bhtra ko/mpw| me\n a(rmo/dia, e)nerga\ de\ kai\ e)mbriqh= ou)damw=s, a)lla\ tou\s maximwta/tous te kai\ eu)oplota/tous a)gei/ras plh/qous te a)gennou=s a)nta/llagma, tou\s ta\ pole/mia deinou\s a)pokri/nas. kai\ au)=qis: e(sta/nai te e)mbriqe/stata kai\ e)pamu/nein th=| po/lei.
Notes (3)
- [1] The headword phrase, similarly glossed in other lexica, is in the accusative case; it is taken to be quoted from Attic tragedy (Adespota fr. 328k Kannicht-Snell). See generally epsilon 961 and ps.-Zonaras 700.15 Tittmann.↩
- 2George of Pisidia, Heraclias 3, fr. 46 Tartaglia; but the original reads
e)n me/sw| instead of the (quite odd)e)/sw . There is no context for the fragment to help identify the individual taking cover amidst the shields. ↩- 3Menander Protector fr. 20.3 Blockley (190-191), on Tanchosdro's preference for professional soldiers; again under tau 89. On 'Tanchosdro' see n.3 at delta 1327. On Chosroes see generally chi 418. ↩
- 4Accepted by Blockley as another fragment (his fr. 34, 244-245) of Menander Protector. There is no context to the unplaced fragment which would help identify the city or its defenders. Blockley accepts it on the grounds that it follows directly after fr. 20.3 in the Suda entry and that
e)mbriqh/s is one of Menander's favorite words; cf. Blockley (287, note 328). - 2George of Pisidia, Heraclias 3, fr. 46 Tartaglia; but the original reads
References
R.C. Blockley, ed. and trans., The History of Menander the Guardsman, (Cambridge 1985)
Linked from5 entries
- δ1327Δοκιμάσαςhaving put to the test, having scrutinised[Used] with an accusative. [Meaning he] having judged. Also [sc. attested is] dokimasqei/sais, ["having been scrutinised"], [meaning] having been judged, having been affirmed. "After learning that [the] Romans did not…
- ε958Ἐμβριθέςweighty[Meaning something] solid, sturdy. "[...] the opinion which had prevailed concerning the emperor Justin, that he was very serious and careful." "And Peter the rhetorician and teacher was serious and unassailable in the…
- ε959Ἐμβριθεστάτηmost substantial, very substantial[Meaning] most/very weighty. "He took the city of Ortobriga, which had the reputation of being very substantial both in respect of its size and in respect of the number of its people".
- ε960Ἐμβριθέστατοςmost weighty, very weighty"For [sc. besides] being very weighty and sufficiently learned in his discourses, he also engaged in poetry."
- ε961Ἐμβρίθειαseverity, weight[no gloss]
Neighbouring entries
Revision history12 revisions · last 16 Sep 2025
- augmented n.2 — Ronald Allen
- my typo n.4 — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.4 — Ronald Allen
- tweaked translation after discussion with Catharine Roth — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.3, added bibliography and cross-reference; augmented n.4 — Ronald Allen
- coding — David Whitehead
- cosmeticule — Catharine Roth
- tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- tweaked nn.3-4 — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented n.3 — David Whitehead
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Antonella Ippolito