Ὦ μέλε
o friend
Translated by Sheila Kurian6 Jun 2000Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
In the more recent [writers] it is spoken by women only,1 like the [phrase] "o wretch"; but in the ancient ones by men also. And [it is used] in Aristophanes' Knights2 and in Plato's Theatetus.3 Menander in She Who Loves [writes]: "send the fellow away! Why are you knocking, o friend?"4 He means o wretched man, o wicked man. But some [say that it means] o one who is worthy of care and, in effect, one who has been cared for.5
An epithet, that is, o wickedest, o one possessed by the most evil genius, o most contemptible.6
An epithet, that is, o wickedest, o one possessed by the most evil genius, o most contemptible.6
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ὦ μέλε· παρὰ τοῖς νεωτέροις ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν λέγεται μόνον· ὡς τὸ ὦ τάλαν· παρὰ δὲ τοῖς παλαιοῖς καὶ ὑπ' ἀνδρῶν. καὶ ἐν Ἱππεῦσιν Ἀριστοφάνους καὶ ἐν Θεαιτήτῳ Πλάτωνος. Μένανδρος Συνερώσῃ· ἄφες τὸν ἄνθρωπον. τί κόπτεις, ὦ μέλε; σημαίνει δὲ ὦ δείλαιε, ὦ πονηρέ. ἔνιοι δὲ ὦ ἐπιμελείας ἄξιε καὶ οἷον μεμελημένε. πρόσφθεγμα, τουτέστι κάκιστε, κακοδαιμονέστατε, οἰκτρότατε.
Betacode
*)=w me/le: para\ toi=s newte/rois u(po\ tw=n gunaikw=n le/getai mo/non: w(s to\ w)= ta/lan: para\ de\ toi=s palaioi=s kai\ u(p' a)ndrw=n. kai\ e)n *(ippeu=sin *)aristofa/nous kai\ e)n *qeaith/tw| *pla/twnos. *me/nandros *sunerw/sh|: a)/fes to\n a)/nqrwpon. ti/ ko/pteis, w)= me/le; shmai/nei de\ w)= dei/laie, w)= ponhre/. e)/nioi de\ w)= e)pimelei/as a)/cie kai\ oi(=on memelhme/ne. pro/sfqegma, toute/sti ka/kiste, kakodaimone/state, oi)ktro/tate.
Notes (6)
- LSJ entry at web address 1. See also omega 260.
- 1cf. the scholia to Plato, Theaetetus 178E, cited below. ↩
- 2Aristophanes, Knights 671. ↩
- 3Plato, Theaetetus 178E. ↩
- 4Menander fr. 457 Kock, 392 Koerte, now 345 Kassel-Austin. ↩
- 5For the entry so far, cf. Timaeus' Platonic Lexicon. ↩
- 6From the scholia to Aristophanes, Knights 671, cited above. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from1 entry
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 31 Dec 2014
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- coding — Catharine Roth
- tweaked note and link — Catharine Roth
- more notes; tweaking — David Whitehead
- streamlined translator's notes; added note and keywords — David Whitehead
- Translated — Sheila Kurian