Ὀλέθρου πείρατ' ἐφῆπται
culminations of destruction hang over [you]
Translated by Nick Nicholas29 Nov 2009Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] the limit of your destruction is bound to you and hangs from you. In effect, you have been bound to destruction.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ὀλέθρου πείρατ' ἐφῆπται· ἐπιδέδεται καὶ ἐξῆπται τὸ τοῦ ὀλέθρου ὑμῶν πέρας. οἷον δέδεσθε τῷ ὀλέθρῳ.
Betacode
*)ole/qrou pei/rat' e)fh=ptai: e)pide/detai kai\ e)ch=ptai to\ tou= o)le/qrou u(mw=n pe/ras. oi(=on de/desqe tw=| o)le/qrw|.
Notes
- The headword phrase (which became proverbial: see below) occurs three times in Homer: Iliad 7.402 (web address 1) and 12.79, Odyssey 22.41. LSJ s.v.
e)ca/ptw remarks on the frequent metaphorical use ofe)ch=ptai in Homer to mean 'is or was hung over one, fixed as one's fate or doom'.
Same glosses in Hesychius (omicron517) and Photius (omicron201 Theodoridis); cf. also Diogenianus 7.96 and other paroemiographers.
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from1 entry
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 29 Dec 2020
- tweaked link — Catharine Roth
- expansions to notes; tweaking — David Whitehead
- fixed link, tweaked translation, added keyword — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks — David Whitehead
- Translated — Nick Nicholas