Ψύλλα
flea
Translated by David Whitehead2 Jan 2006Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
['Flea'] and 'fleas': feminine.1 But in Herodotus [sc. there is mention of masculine] Psylloi, a Libyan people.2 Also the proper name [Psyllos] in Menander's Messenia.3 [Note] that Epicharmus amongst others used the masculine for the tiny creature.4
Aristophanes [writes]: "just recently Socrates asked Chairephon how many of its own feet a flea could leap." [Note] that the story goes that the flea has six feet.5
Aristophanes [writes]: "just recently Socrates asked Chairephon how many of its own feet a flea could leap." [Note] that the story goes that the flea has six feet.5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ψύλλα καὶ Ψύλλαι· θηλυκῶς. παρὰ δὲ Ἡροδότῳ Ψύλλοι, ἔθνος Λιβύης. καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ Μενάνδρου κύριον ὄνομα. ὅτι δὲ τὸ ζῷον τὸ μικρὸν ἀρρενικῶς Ἐπίχαρμος εἶπε καὶ ἕτεροι. Ἀριστοφάνης· ἀνήρετ' ἄρτι Χαιρεφῶντα Σωκράτης, ψύλλαν ὁπόσους ἅλοιτο τοὺς αὑτῆς πόδας. ὅτι ἱστόρηται, ὡς ἡ ψύλλα ἓξ πόδας ἔχει.
Betacode
*yu/lla kai\ *yu/llai: qhlukw=s. para\ de\ *(hrodo/tw| *yu/lloi, e)/qnos *libu/hs. kai\ to\ e)n th=| *messhni/a| *mena/ndrou ku/rion o)/noma. o(/ti de\ to\ zw=|on to\ mikro\n a)rrenikw=s *)epi/xarmos ei)=pe kai\ e(/teroi. *)aristofa/nhs: a)nh/ret' a)/rti *xairefw=nta *swkra/ths, yu/llan o(po/sous a(/loito tou\s au(th=s po/das. o(/ti i(sto/rhtai, w(s h( yu/lla e(\c po/das e)/xei.
Notes (5)
- The first paragraph of this entry is also in Photius, and has parallels elsewhere.
- 1Respectively, nominative singular and nominative plural. See LSJ on this noun (which in context can also mean other insects). ↩
- 2Herodotus 4.173; see also Stephanus of Byzantium s.v. ↩
- 3Menander fr. 272 K.-Th., 232 K.-A. ↩
- 4Epicharmus fr. 199 Kaibel, now 197 K.-A. ↩
- 5Aristophanes, Clouds 144-5 (web address 1), with scholion to 150. For Socrates see sigma 829; for Chairephon see chi 158, chi 159, chi 160. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history7 revisions · last 22 Aug 2023
- cosmeticule — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented notes; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- another x-ref — David Whitehead
- added link, set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead