Skip to content
Σ
οῦδα
Browse
Topics
Random
About
Aa
Settings
Searching…
⌕
Search
Α
Letters
⤨
Random
Aa
Settings
Keyboard shortcuts
j
Next entry
k
Previous entry
g
Toggle Greek
/
Search
?
Show shortcuts
Close
Search
Search the Suda
⌕
Search
All
Headwords
Translation
Greek
Notes
Filters (1)
Keyword
proverbs
71
daily life
68
ethics
45
definition
43
comedy
40
geography
39
biography
38
religion
35
dialects, grammar, and etymology
30
history
26
food
25
military affairs
25
31 more
zoology
24
economics
23
mythology
23
imagery
22
tragedy
20
philosophy
19
poetry
19
aetiology
17
epic
14
historiography
14
science and technology
14
rhetoric
13
Letter
Α
alpha
38
Δ
delta
19
Χ
chi
11
Β
beta
5
ΑΙ
alphaiota
3
Ε
epsilon
1
Vetting status
high
77
Length
✓
Medium
77
Translator
Jennifer Benedict
34
Catharine Roth
10
William Hutton
10
David Whitehead
6
Malcolm Heath
3
Antonella Ippolito
2
9 more
Oliver Phillips â
2
Robert Dyer
2
Ross Scaife ✝
2
Bobbiejo Winfrey ✝
1
Craig Gibson
1
77 entries for
proverbs
Relevance
Adler order
Longest first
Length: medium
×
Clear all
χ
191
Χελώνη μυιῶν
a tortoise [uncaring] of flies
[sc. a
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those who think little of someone/something. Also [sc. attested is] 'to a tortoise'. "You think your frankness is 'worth four obols', as the saying goes. You do …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
2819
Ἄξιος λαβεῖν ὁ μισθός
the wage [is] worth taking
… hiding the anger with silence. Also [sc. attested is the
proverbial
phrase] "worth a hair"; in reference to something cheap and commonplace; inasmuch as hair is worth nothing. Aristophanes [writes]: "if I stole something …
Matched in translation
high
medium
αι
86
Αἰδώς
shame
[Meaning] honor. And [there is] a
proverb:
"shame is not good for a man who is a beggar in need." In reference to those whose pleasantness harms them. Homer [says this]. Hesiod [writes]: "shame …
women
women
13
13
meter and music
11
meter and music
11
gender and sexuality
10
gender and sexuality
10
chronology
9
chronology
9
law
9
law
9
politics
9
politics
9
botany
8
botany
8
trade and manufacture
7
trade and manufacture
7
children
6
children
6
clothing
6
clothing
6
medicine
6
medicine
6
architecture
5
architecture
5
agriculture
4
agriculture
4
art history
4
art history
4
Christianity
4
Christianity
4
athletics
3
athletics
3
constitution
3
constitution
3
stagecraft
3
stagecraft
3
dreams
2
dreams
2
Debra Hamel
Debra Hamel
1
1
Ioannis Doukas
1
Ioannis Doukas
1
Nathan Greenberg ✝
1
Nathan Greenberg ✝
1
Tony Natoli
1
Tony Natoli
1
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1445
Δωδωναῖον χαλκεῖον
Dodonian bronze
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those who speak a little. For Demon says that the oracle of Zeus at Dodona is surrounded by cauldrons in a circle. They touch each other, and …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
400
Δηλίου κολυμβητοῦ
Delian diver
This [sc.
proverbial
phrase] was uttered in reference to a book of Heraclitus, because it was hard to understand, that it needed a Delian diver who would not be drowned in it. Some entitle …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
249
Ἀγκών
elbow
… the evil exit of the man." And [there is] a
proverbial
expression: wiping one's nose with the elbow. Bion the philosopher said: "my father was a freed slave, wiping his nose with his elbow;" …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
1510
Ἅμματα
[Kasiotic] knots
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those who are crooked in their ways. [So called] from the Pelousians in Kasion, who by natural skill used to weave knots in order to attach one …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
1183
Ἀληλεσμένον
ground-up
… worked on, ready to eat. Also [sc. attested is the
proverbial
phrase] a)lhlesme/nos bi/os, in reference to those with an ample supply of what they need. But another
proverb
says: "for [there are] no …
Matched in translation
high
medium
β
457
Βοῦς ἕβδομος
seventh ox
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those without feeling. For paupers when they did not have anything living to sacrifice used to mould [an ox] out of dough. When the 6 living [beasts] …
Matched in translation
high
medium
β
458
Βοῦς ἕβδομος
seventh ox
… in Euripides in Erechtheus and in Achaeus in Iris. The
proverb
is applied to those who are excessively unfeeling. Also [sc. attested is the
proverbial
phrase] "sea ox" [bous enalios], in reference to people/things …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
319
Δειλότερος τοῦ παρακύπτοντος
more cowardly than a peeper
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference those who are extremely cowardly. For there was a certain cowardly man who, peeping out of a cave and seeing Heracles, was turned to stone; and the stone …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1267
Δὶς ἑπτὰ πληγαῖς πολύπους πιλούμενος
an octopus pounded with twice seven blows
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those who deserve punishment, inasmuch as when the octopus has been caught it is beaten many times to make it tender. And [there is] another
proverb:
"twice …
Matched in translation
high
medium
χ
16
Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά
excellent things are difficult
… things are difficult." For this reason both sayings have become
proverbial.
"Excellent things are difficult": they say that Periander of Corinth in the beginning was a popular leader, but later he changed his political …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
732
Ἀθηναίων δυσβουλία
Athenians' ill-counsel
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to those who prosper against expectations and undeservedly. For taking decisions badly is practiced by Athenians; Athena offers to turn that which has been decided badly to good; …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
1355
Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔνεστι συκοφάντου δήγματος
but it does not have [a charm] against an informer's bite
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to ineffectual things. It leaves out the [word] "charm". The attendant says in character that there is no spell on the ring that serves as an antidote for …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
3438
Ἀπὸ μηχανῆς
from a machine
[sc. A
proverbial
phrase] in reference to unexpected and unbelievable things. For the tragic poets, when they brought onto the stage a bold move designed to make the spectators disturbed at the things that …
Matched in translation
high
medium
χ
171
Χαιριδεῖς
Chairideis
… come, to play the pipes uninvited". And [there is] a
proverb:
'Chairis singing in a steep-pitched style'. The steep-pitched [is] a style [no/mos] for playing the pipe, so called because it was rising and …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1029
Διθυραμβοδιδάσκαλοι
dithyramb-directors
… gay man (lambda 264, lambda 278, pi 3225, cf. the
proverb
for homosexual acts, ta\ *kinhsi/ou dra=| 'he does the acts of Cinesias': Michael Apostolius,
Proverbs
15.89) and lampooned for his gruesome appearance, covered …
Matched in notes
high
medium
δ
1168
Διονύσια
Dionysia
… Many quotations of Aristophanes in the Suda are introduced as
'proverbs'
(paroimiai), even if they would be better described as “pithy sayings”: cf. e.g. delta 1282, epsilon 3234, nu 597. It is possible that …
Matched in notes
high
medium
α
1173
Ἀληθέστερα τῶν ἐπὶ Σάγρᾳ
truer things than those at Sagra
A
proverb
in reference to things that are true, but are not believed. For Sagra [is] a place in Lokris. Menander in Anatithemene mentions the
proverb.
They say that the Epizephyrian Lokrians were at …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1164
λέγεται καὶ ἵππος
Diomedeian compulsion
Also found is '[Diomedeian] horse'. A
proverb,
[stemming] from [Diomedes [Author, Myth]] the son of Tydeus or from the Thracian [Diomedes]. The latter compelled his guests to have intercourse with his daughters and then …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
328
Ἀγωνάρχαι
contest-judges
… my arms to the Achaeans." Also [sc. attested is] a
proverb:
"a contest does not accept excuses." It is applied to those who have not profited at all if they made excuses. Also [sc. …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
3729
Ἀράβιος ἄγγελος
Arabian messenger
… Dedicated Girl or Messenian Woman [uses the phrase]. From the
proverb
[about the] "Arabian piper". "So I started an Arabian pipe going"; it is applied to those who speak incessantly. Long ago, they say, …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
4599
Ἀφεὶς καὶ Ἀπαλλάξας
having let go and having set free
… This is also found in Demosthenes. And [there is] a
proverb:
"having let go the brace he chases the sheet". The
proverb
[is found] in Hyperides. In reference to those who ignore more important …
Matched in translation
high
medium
χ
586
Χρυσοχοεῖον
goldsmithy
… for him as to experience it". Plato too employs the
proverb:
"well, said Thrasymachus, is he 'smelting gold'?". They say that the
proverb
originated as follows. A certain rumor once struck the mass of …
Matched in translation
high
medium
α
878
Ἀκκιζόμενος
acting coyly, being prudish, toying
… the man naturally on to jealousy". And [there is] a
proverb:
a Scythian toying with the donkey. In reference to those ostensibly nauseated but in fact avid. For someone who had seen a dead …
Matched in translation
high
medium
β
587
Βύβλον
Byblian
… by the voice [applying?] to all." And [there is] a
proverb:
"but a Byblian's seedhead does not hold a big ear," in reference to those who are not able to make do with their …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1207
Διὸς Κόρινθος
Zeus' [son] Korinthos
A
proverb
applying to those who keep saying the same things, it was coined for the following reason: the Megarians, subject to the Corinthians, were oppressed with their orders and clearly vexed on this …
Matched in translation
high
medium
δ
1423
Δούλων πόλις
slaves' city
A
proverb;
[sc. also a city] in Libya: Ephorus in [volume] 5 [mentions it]. Also another [city] of sacred slaves, in which one man is free. There is also, in Crete, Slave-city [Doulopolis], as …
Matched in translation
high
medium
χ
362
Χοᾶ
chous; pitcher
… of the blame that befell Orestes. And [there is] a
proverb:
'[it] will hold six choas.' In reference to those who talk nonsense. That is, his brain [will hold six choas]. At the same …
Matched in translation
high
medium
Page 1 of 3
Next →