Κηφήν
drone
Translated by David Whitehead12 Jun 2009Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] the wild bee.1
[Meaning someone] idle, unsuccessful, fickle.2
"Belisarius said with a laugh: '[it is] not right that the drones are destroyed by others with a great effort, while others benefit from the honey on the basis of no travail'."3 He said this to protect the booty, so that it would be properly distributed.
Also [sc. attested is the phrase] "[like] stingless drones", [meaning like] those sitting and guarding the exit of the bees. For guards [are] ouroi. So kouthouroi [are] those guarding the doors.4 From this, too, a man capable of doing nothing is said to be [sc. a drone].5
[Meaning someone] idle, unsuccessful, fickle.2
"Belisarius said with a laugh: '[it is] not right that the drones are destroyed by others with a great effort, while others benefit from the honey on the basis of no travail'."3 He said this to protect the booty, so that it would be properly distributed.
Also [sc. attested is the phrase] "[like] stingless drones", [meaning like] those sitting and guarding the exit of the bees. For guards [are] ouroi. So kouthouroi [are] those guarding the doors.4 From this, too, a man capable of doing nothing is said to be [sc. a drone].5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Κηφήν· ἡ ἀγρία μέλισσα. ἀργός, ἄπρακτος, μετέωρος. ὅτι Βελισάριος ξὺν γέλωτι εἶπεν· οὐ δίκαιον τοὺς κηφῆνας μὲν ὑφ' ἑτέρων πόνῳ μεγάλῳ ἀπόλλυσθαι, ἄλλους δὲ τοῦ μέλιτος οὐδεμιᾷ ταλαιπωρίᾳ ὀνίνασθαι. τοῦτο δὲ εἶπε φυλάσσων τὴν λείαν, ὅπως ἀξίως διανέμοιτο. καὶ Κηφήνεσι κουθούροισι, τοῖς καθεζομένοις καὶ φυλάττουσι τὴν τῶν μελισσῶν ἔξοδον. οὖροι γὰρ οἱ φύλακες. κούθουροι οὖν οἱ τὰς θύρας φυλάσσοντες. λέγεται δὲ ἐκ τούτου καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὁ μηδὲν δρᾶν δυνάμενος.
Betacode
*khfh/n: h( a)gri/a me/lissa. a)rgo/s, a)/praktos, mete/wros. o(/ti *belisa/rios cu\n ge/lwti ei)=pen: ou) di/kaion tou\s khfh=nas me\n u(f' e(te/rwn po/nw| mega/lw| a)po/llusqai, a)/llous de\ tou= me/litos ou)demia=| talaipwri/a| o)ni/nasqai. tou=to de\ ei)=pe fula/sswn th\n lei/an, o(/pws a)ci/ws diane/moito. kai\ *khfh/nesi kouqou/roisi, toi=s kaqezome/nois kai\ fula/ttousi th\n tw=n melissw=n e)/codon. ou)=roi ga\r oi( fu/lakes. kou/qouroi ou)=n oi( ta\s qu/ras fula/ssontes. le/getai de\ e)k tou/tou kai\ a)/nqrwpos o( mhde\n dra=n duna/menos.
Notes (5)
- See also kappa 1910, kappa 2176. ('Kephenes', an old name for the Persians noted by Herodotus 7.61.2-3, is unconnected.)
- 1cf. the scholia to Plato, Laws 901A. ↩
- 2Same or similar glossing in other lexica; see the references at Photius kappa685 Theodoridis. ↩
- 3Procopius, History of the wars of Justininan 6.7.34 (web address 1). For Belisarius see generally beta 233. In early 538 CE, Belisarius instructs his general Ioannes (cf. PLRE IIIa s.v. Ioannes(46)) to invade Picenum (cf. pi 1592 and pi 1593), plunder and enslave, and attack defended fortifications where encountered, but to preserve all of the booty thus collected; cf. Kaldellis (335). ↩
- 4From Timaeus, Platonic Lexicon (and Photius); cf. the scholia to Plato, Laws 901A. ↩
- 5cf. the scholia to Plato, Republic 552B. ↩
References
.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIa, (Cambridge, 1992)
A. Kaldellis, ed. and H.B. Dewing, trans., Prokopios: The Wars of Justinian, (Indianapolis 2014)
A. Kaldellis, ed. and H.B. Dewing, trans., Prokopios: The Wars of Justinian, (Indianapolis 2014)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from1 entry
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 7 Mar 2024
- expanded n.3; added bibliography, cross-references, and link — Ronald Allen
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented primary note — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead