Μαστιγίας ἐκ Μελίτης
a floggable (slave) from Melite
Translated by David Whitehead7 Dec 2000Vetting: high2 revisions
Translation
Herakles [is] a slave, [born] of the nymph Melite. And Melite [is also] a deme of Attica.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μαστιγίας ἐκ Μελίτης· δοῦλος ὁ Ἡρακλῆς, ἀπὸ Μελίτης νύμφης. καὶ Μελίτη, δῆμος τῆς Ἀττικῆς.
Betacode
*mastigi/as e)k *meli/ths: dou=los o( *(hraklh=s, a)po\ *meli/ths nu/mfhs. kai\ *meli/th, dh=mos th=s *)attikh=s.
Notes
- The headword phrase quotes (loosely) Aristophanes, Frogs 501 (web address 1), and the body of the entry reflects scholiastic comment on the line -- where, in referring to the god Herakles, the phrase "from Melite" (a city-centre deme where he had a famous sanctuary: mu 521) comes first and the unexpected noun
mastigi/as then creates the joke.
See also mu 261.
References
J.S. Traill, The Political Organization of Attica (Princeton 1975) 50
D. Whitehead, The Demes of Attica (Princeton 1986) index s.v.
D. Whitehead, The Demes of Attica (Princeton 1986) index s.v.
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from5 entries
- ε1380Ἐν Κλάρῳin Klaros, in Clarus[It was] customary for the ancients to speak of the gods [by saying] 'he in Melite', 'he in Klaros'; but in reference to humans [it would be] 'he from Melite', 'he from Klaros'. Similarly also in reference to every city…
- μ248ΜάσθληςleatherIn a special sense [this is] a thong which has been softened and relaxed. So the shifty and uncontrolled man who knows nothing certain or fixed is a masthles there. Or one who is sinewy and needs whipping. From a…
- μ261Μαστιγίαςfloggable[Meaning] a slave being flogged because of an offence.
- μ263ΜαστιγῶI lash, I whip[Used] with an accusative.
- μ266Μάστιξwhip[That] with which we hit the horse. In the Epigrams: "and a well-stitched binding of jaws [and this ...] a whip."
Neighbouring entries
Revision history2 revisions · last 8 May 2013
- expanded note — David Whitehead
- added link — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead