Μελιτοῦττα
honeycake
Translated by David Whitehead3 Jun 2008Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
A barleycake soaked in honey, which they used to take, apparently, to the snakes producing the oracular responses at Trophonius' [oracle]. It is in Lebadeia.1 Honeycake [is] an epithet of well-kneaded cakes.2 Note that the honeycake used to be provided for corpses, as [if] to be given to Cerberus; and an obol as fee for the ferryman [sc. Charon [Author, Myth]], and a crown, as [if] having competed in life's struggle [sc. deserves a prize].3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μελιτοῦττα· μάζα μέλιτι δεδευμένη, ἣν ἔφερον, ὡς ἐδόκουν, τοῖς ὄφεσι τοῖς ἐς Τροφωνίου μαντευομένοις. ἐν Λεβαδείᾳ ἐστίν. ἡ μελιτοῦττα ἐπίθετον τῶν ναστῶν. ἰστέον, ὅτι ἡ μελιτοῦττα ἐδίδοτο τοῖς νεκροῖς, ὡς εἰς τὸν Κέρβερον· καὶ ὀβολὸς μισθὸς τῷ πορθμεῖ, καὶ στέφανος, ὡς τὸν βίον διηγωνισμένος.
Betacode
*melitou=tta: ma/za me/liti dedeume/nh, h(\n e)/feron, w(s e)do/koun, toi=s o)/fesi toi=s e)s *trofwni/ou manteuome/nois. e)n *lebadei/a| e)sti/n. h( melitou=tta e)pi/qeton tw=n nastw=n. i)ste/on, o(/ti h( melitou=tta e)di/doto toi=s nekroi=s, w(s ei)s to\n *ke/rberon: kai\ o)bolo\s misqo\s tw=| porqmei=, kai\ ste/fanos, w(s to\n bi/on dihgwnisme/nos.
Notes (3)
- 1From the scholia to Aristophanes, Clouds 507. See generally tau 1065. ↩
- 2From the scholia to Aristophanes, Birds 567. ↩
- 3From the scholia to Aristophanes, Lysistrata 601. See generally chi 135, chi 140. ↩
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Revision history3 revisions · last 15 May 2013
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented notes — David Whitehead
- set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead