Φλέω
wool-tufted reed
Translated by Ronald Allen27 Jul 2007Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
The wool-tufted reed1 [is] a plant growing in clumps; [it is one] of which Theophrastus too2 makes mention, indicating that it is a riparian grass like butomus.3 And in Amphiaraus [Aristophanes writes]: "where might I get a plug of reed for my arse?"4 Aristophanes in Frogs [writes]: "we hopped through galingale5 and reed, rejoicing in our song's oft-diving melodies."6
Greek original · Adler’s text
Φλέω· φλέως λοχμῶδες φυτόν· οὗ μνημονεύει καὶ Θεόφραστος, παραδηλῶν, ὅτι ποτάμιός ἐστι βοτάνη ὡς τὸ βούτομον. καὶ ἐν Ἀμφιαράῳ· πόθεν ἂν λάβοιμι βύσμα τῷ πρωκτῷ φλέων; Ἀριστοφάνης Βατράχοις· ἡλάμεθα διὰ κυπείρου καὶ φλέω, χαίροντες ᾠδῆς πολυκολύμβοισι μέλεσι.
Betacode
*fle/w: fle/ws loxmw=des futo/n: ou(= mnhmoneu/ei kai\ *qeo/frastos, paradhlw=n, o(/ti pota/mio/s e)sti bota/nh w(s to\ bou/tomon. kai\ e)n *)amfiara/w|: po/qen a)\n la/boimi bu/sma tw=| prwktw=| fle/wn; *)aristofa/nhs *batra/xois: h(la/meqa dia\ kupei/rou kai\ fle/w, xai/rontes w)|dh=s polukolu/mboisi me/lesi.
Notes (6)
- The headword (evidently taken from the Frogs passage quoted) is genitive singular of the masculine noun
fle/ws . - 1Probably Saccharum ravennae (syn. Erianthus ravennae), ravenna grass or wool-tufted reed (Dover, p. 226; cf. LSJ s.v.; Tutin, p. 265; Polunin, no. 1807). ↩
- 2Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 4.10.6. ↩
- 3
*bou/tomon (cf. beta 470) is probably Carex riparia, great pond sedge (LSJ s.v.; Tutin, p. 304; Polunin, no. 1858). But Dunbar (p. 420) identifies it as Butomus umbellatus, flowering reed (Tutin, p. 3; Polunin, no. 1564). ↩ - 4Aristophanes fr. 24 Kock (Edmonds, p. 579). ↩
- 5
*ku/peiron (cf. kappa 2736) is probably Cyperus longus, galingale (Dover, ibid., cf. LSJ s.v.; Tutin, p. 286; Polunin, no. 1830). ↩ - 6Aristophanes, Frogs 243-5 (web address 1), with scholion. ↩
References
K.J. Dover (ed.), Aristophanes: Frogs, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993
T.G. Tutin, et al. (eds.), Flora Europaea, vol. 5, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980
O. Polunin, Flowers of Europe, London: Oxford University Press, 1969
N. Dunbar (ed.), Aristophanes: Birds, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995
J.M. Edmonds, The Fragments of Attic Comedy, vol. I, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1957
T.G. Tutin, et al. (eds.), Flora Europaea, vol. 5, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980
O. Polunin, Flowers of Europe, London: Oxford University Press, 1969
N. Dunbar (ed.), Aristophanes: Birds, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995
J.M. Edmonds, The Fragments of Attic Comedy, vol. I, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1957
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 4 Mar 2023
- cosmeticules — Catharine Roth
- tweak — Catharine Roth
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Ronald Allen