Κομήσῃς
you would grow your hair long
Translated by Nick Nicholas19 Jan 2009Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
Aristophanes in Plutus [writes]:1 "and don't you grow your hair long like that". Meaning [don't] be proud. From the [sc. phenomenon of] those growing their hair long and boasting of it. Even if you are telling the truth, he is saying, don't think big thoughts: for they will not be any less convincing.2 And philosophers used to grow their hair long either out of [ascetic] endurance or out of stinginess. "None of them ever shaved, out of frugality." [So] says Aristophanes in Clouds.3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Κομήσῃς· Ἀριστοφάνης Πλούτῳ· μηδὲν ταύτῃ γε κομήσῃς. ἀντὶ τοῦ ὑπερηφανήσῃς. παρὰ τὸ τοὺς κομῶντας καυχητιᾶν. εἰ καὶ ἀληθεύεις, φησί, μὴ μέγα φρονήσῃς· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἧττον τὰ αὐτὰ πείσῃ. ἐκόμων δὲ οἱ φιλόσοφοι ἢ διὰ καρτερίαν ἢ διὰ σμικρολογίαν. ὧν ὑπὸ τῆς φειδωλίας ἀπεκείρατ' οὐδεὶς πώποτε. φησὶν Ἀριστοφάνης ἐν Νεφέλαις.
Betacode
*komh/sh|s: *)aristofa/nhs *plou/tw|: mhde\n tau/th| ge komh/sh|s. a)nti\ tou= u(perhfanh/sh|s. para\ to\ tou\s komw=ntas kauxhtia=n. ei) kai\ a)lhqeu/eis, fhsi/, mh\ me/ga fronh/sh|s: ou)de\n ga\r h(=tton ta\ au)ta\ pei/sh|. e)ko/mwn de\ oi( filo/sofoi h)\ dia\ karteri/an h)\ dia\ smikrologi/an. w(=n u(po\ th=s feidwli/as a)pekei/rat' ou)dei\s pw/pote. fhsi\n *)aristofa/nhs e)n *nefe/lais.
Notes (3)
- The headword is aorist subjunctive of
koma/w , second person singular, from the first quotation given. For this verb, see also kappa 1980. - 1Aristophanes, Plutus [Wealth] 572 (web address 1); in context the phrase clearly means "don't brag about it". ↩
- 2This sentence, like the preceding one, is taken from the scholia to Plutus, but is commenting on the preceding sentence, "But it will be no less = it does not matter." ↩
- 3Aristophanes, Clouds 835-836 (web address 2). ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from3 entries
- κ1980Κομᾷlets the hair grow long[Meaning] bears oneself proudly, is high-minded, is crowned, is putting out young shoots, is adorned with an excess of hair. Or [meaning] boasts at length of an abundance of valuables. "Do not begrudge [sc. us] for our…
- κ2011Κομῶσαhaving long hair, flourishing[Meaning she] blooming. "[They] flourishing with wealth."
- κ2254Κωμάσαιto carouse"But Marcus, the general of the Romans, when he was released from the war, wanted to transfer the war to the Lusitanians and (as they say) having escaped the men's quarters to carouse his way into the women's…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 10 Mar 2013
- upgraded links — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- more keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, links, cross-reference, keywords, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — Nick Nicholas