Οὐδ' ἐν σελίνοις
not even among celeries
Translated by David Whitehead5 Jul 2001Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to those who have not even made a start. [Derived] from those going into their gardens; for at the edges, the so-called garden surrounds, they used to grow celeries and rues. So the proverb seeks to say, you have not yet made even a start on the business -- just as those not even entering their gardens are "among the celeries".
Greek original · Adler’s text
Οὐδ' ἐν σελίνοις· ἐπὶ τῶν μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πεφθακότων. ἀπὸ τῶν εἰς τοὺς κήπους ἰόντων· ἐπὶ γὰρ τὰ ἄκρα, τοὺς λεγομένους περικήπους, σέλινα καὶ πήγανα κατεφύτευον. βούλεται οὖν λέγειν ἡ παροιμία, οὔπω οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἔχεις τοῦ πράγματος· καθάπερ οὐδὲ οἱ ἐν τοῖς κήποις εἰσιόντες ἐν τοῖς σελίνοις εἰσίν.
Betacode
*ou)d' e)n seli/nois: e)pi\ tw=n mhde\ th\n a)rxh\n pefqako/twn. a)po\ tw=n ei)s tou\s kh/pous i)o/ntwn: e)pi\ ga\r ta\ a)/kra, tou\s legome/nous perikh/pous, se/lina kai\ ph/gana katefu/teuon. bou/letai ou)=n le/gein h( paroimi/a, ou)/pw ou)de\ a)rxh\n e)/xeis tou= pra/gmatos: kaqa/per ou)de\ oi( e)n toi=s kh/pois ei)sio/ntes e)n toi=s seli/nois ei)si/n.
Notes
- Same entry in Photius, Lexicon omicron619 Theodoridis, and similar ones in several of the paroemiographers. From a scholion to Aristophanes, Wasps 480, where the phrase occurs (with celery in the singular: web address 1).
See the concise but admirable note in MacDowell 198, preferring another scholiast's way of explaining the phrase (from the association of celery with newborn babies).
References
Aristophanes, Wasps, edited with introduction and commentary by Douglas M. MacDowell (Oxford 1971)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history7 revisions · last 22 Feb 2021
- more keywords — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- typo, upgraded link — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- added link — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead