Search | ReadSuda

438 entries for proverbs

ε49Ἐγένετο καὶ Μάνδρωνι συκίνη ναῦςeven Mandron got a fig-wood ship… 255 (Mulierum Virtutes #18); Polyaenus 7.31. The Mandros of the proverb can hardly be him; nevertheless there is a tantalizing link between the geographical location of his kingdom and the fact that Zenobius (above) …Matched in noteshighshort
α4582Ἀφέντες τὴν ὑπέραν τὸν πόδα διώκουσινthey let go the brace and chase the sheet[1] A proverb using nautical terminology, as is made explicit in Harpokration s.v. (from which the present entry derives). [2] Hyperides fr. 181 Jensen (from the first of the two speeches For Chairephilos, on …Matched in noteshighshort
β212Βαίτηskin-coat, skin-tent… (where the Doric accusative form bai/tan is used). [2] This proverb is not in the standard collections in quite this form, but cf. Macarius Chrysocephalus 8.71 (on lentil soup).Matched in noteshighshort
λ8ΛάβραξbassThe entry derives from the scholia to Aristophanes, Knights 361, where the phrase 'eating Milesian basses' occurs (web address 1); hence the accusative plural here. For 'Milesian basses' as a byword/proverb, applying to gluttons, …Matched in noteshighmedium
ε1426Ἐν πίθῳ τὴν κεραμίαν μανθάνεινto learn the potter's craft on a wine-jarThis proverb -- of those running before they can walk -- appears in e.g. Plato (Laches 187B, with scholion; Gorgias 514E); cf. also Zenobius 3.65 and other paroemiographers.Matched in noteshighshort
ν274Νεφέλας ξαίνειςyou are carding clouds… very similar epsilon 3207, and for this common genre of proverb cf. (e.g.) alpha 1621, alpha 2169, epsilon 1111, epsilon 1536, epsilon 3196. [2] From epsiloniota 165, q.v.Matched in noteshighshort
κ2745Κύρβειςkyrbeis, kurbeis, crested stelae, crested tablets… qusi/as 'sacrifices'. [8] Likewise in Zenobius (4.77), a compiler of proverbs in the second century CE, and doubtless the Suda's source here. [9] In mythology the Corybantes accompanied Dionysus from infancy on and were …Matched in noteshighmedium
ε1421Ἐν παντὶ μύθῳ καὶ τὸ Δαιδάλου μύσοςin every myth (there is) also the defilement of Daedalus… 4.6 and other paroemiographers. (There is wordplay, mythos/mysos, in the proverb itself which gets lost in translation.) For Daedalus (Daidalos) cf. generally delta 106, delta 107, delta 108, delta 109, delta 110; for Pasiphae …Matched in noteshighmedium
αι332Αἰσώπειον αἷμαAesopic blood… of Aesop's death is told at alphaiota 334. For the proverb -- in its second version here -- see Zenobius 1.47, etc.Matched in noteshighshort
χ444Χωρὶς ἱππεῖςcavalry away!… and attacked. For this see Rhodes (below) 4. Such a 'proverb', in any event, appears only here, i.e. not in any of the paroemiographers; and the headword phrase itself is otherwise attested only once …Matched in noteshighshort
δ1423Δούλων πόλιςslaves' city… 197 Kock, now 212 Kassel-Austin). [1] Bernhardy felt that "a proverb" (paroimi/a) was out of place here, and suggested emending to paroiki/a ("a settlement"). The headword phrase does, nevertheless, appear in several of the …Matched in noteshighmedium
κ2027ΚοννᾶςKonnas, Connas… 4576. [1] The Suda often calls pithy lines from Aristophanes "proverbs"; in this instance, as in many others, they do not feature in the paroemiographers. [2] cf. kappa 2159, kappa 2161. [3] Cratinus fr. …Matched in noteshighmedium
κ2183Κουρήτων στόμαKouretes' mouthSuch a proverb is cited in Zenobius 4.61, Diogenianus (Mazarin ms.) 5.60, and Apostolius 9.95, as well as in Hesychius kappa3848. The present gloss is from Zenobius, though oi(=on "as in" appears there instead …Matched in noteshighshort
κ1439Κευθωνύμου κλέος ἢ αἶσχοςKeuthonymos' fame -- or shame… of E. himself; hence the struggle, here, to interpret the proverb. [1] This attempt at explanation is etymological; cf. generally kappa 1435, kappa 1436, kappa 1438.Matched in noteshighshort
ε3254Ἔσχατος Μυσῶν πλεῖνto sail last of the MysiansFor Mysians and a proverb cf. mu 1478, mu 1479. [1] Apollo. For this particular oracle see J. Fontenrose, The Delphic Oracle (1978) 382-383 ##L73-74. [2] This portion of the entry is also in …Matched in noteshighmedium
ε3408Εὐδαίμων ὁ Κορίνθιος ἐγὼ δ' εἴην Τενεάτηςfortunate is Corinth but for myself I would rather be a Teneate… Korinthos into the unmetrical Korinthios. The headword phrase was already proverbial in the time of Strabo, who classifies it as an oracular response (8.6.22). See J. Fontenrose, The Delphic oracle: its responses and operations …Matched in noteshighshort
α878Ἀκκιζόμενοςacting coyly, being prudish, toying… participle, masculine nominative singular, of a)kki/zomai, presumably extracted from the proverb mentioned later in the entry. [1] See alpha 946. [2] Part of Aelian fr. 126e Domingo-Forasté (123 Hercher); cf. upsilon 35. [3] cf. …Matched in noteshighmedium
β587ΒύβλονByblian… implicit in "all"? [3] cf. Zenobius 2.73 (omitting 'big'). The proverb itself is an iambic trimeter.Matched in noteshighmedium
η187Ἡ κύων ἐν τῇ φάτνῃthe bitch in the manger… in Hesychius and Photius. See again kappa 2729, where this proverb reappears without the definite article of the present entry. That allows it to be translated in the form still more familiar today: "dog …Matched in noteshighshort
δ1419Δοῦλος ὢν κόμην ἔχειςdespite being a slave you have [long] hair[1] Aristophanes, Birds 911 (web address 1), and scholion; proverbial in Apostolius 6.34. [2] As at e.g. Herodotus 7.7.1 (web address 2), of Egypt after Xerxes' punitive invasion. Note also the proverb 'more enslaved …Matched in noteshighshort
η358Ἢ Μορσίμου τὶς ῥῆσιν ἐξεγράψατοor (if) someone has copied out a passage of Morsimos… would encounter in the underworld. For its afterlife as a proverb see Apostolius 8.57. cf. mu 1262, psi 176. For Morsimos see also TGrF; Aristophanes, Knights 401, Peace 802; scholia to Birds 281.Matched in noteshighshort
η62Ἡ γλῶττα τῷ κήρυκι τούτων τέμνεταιthe tongue of these is cut for the herald… long scholion on it. The headword phrase seems to be proverbial; indeed all the entry could have been taken from a proverb collection. (In Appendix Proverbiorum 3.1 the whole gloss occurs identically, while the …Matched in noteshighshort
β460Βοῦς ἐπὶ γλώττηςan ox on the tongueLikewise in Hesychius, Zenobius 2.70, and elsewhere. This proverb is used by, amongst others, Theognis, verse 815, and Aeschylus, Agamemnon 36 (text at web address 1). Only the first of the explanations given has …Matched in noteshighshort
κ388Καρικῇ Μούσῃwith a Carian muse… Iliad 2.867. [3] cf. Macarius Chrysocephalus [metropolitan of Philadelphia, 1336-82], Proverbs 5.9: *ka/rios ai)=nos: e)pi\ tw=n a)porou/ntwn ti diapra/casqai: a(lie/a ga/r fasi trofh=s a)porou=nta xeimw=ni ei)pei=n: *kolumbh/sw, a)lla\ r(igh/sw: mh\ kolumbh/sw, a)lla\ peina/sw; "Carian …Matched in noteshighshort
χ171ΧαιριδεῖςChairideis… scholia, which are compiled in the entry here. [5] Appendix Proverbiorum 5.21. On the o)/rqios [no/mos] see nu 478, omicron 574, omicron 575 and omicron 585 and the notes there. [6] Homer, Iliad 11.10-11 …Matched in noteshighmedium
ε695Ἐκκυβεύεινto gamble (everything) on dice… common in Greek, of gambling all on battle, see the proverbs "Let the die be cast (or, rather, tossed)" (alpha 2310, epsilon 3013, kappa 2591, kappa 2602) and "Triple six or just three dice" …Matched in noteshighshort
ε2239Ἐπιβολήplan, project… as a compliment to his patron, Scipio Aemilianus. [3] This proverb is the second line of an elegiac couplet, listed as of unknown authorship in Iambi et Elegi, ed. M.L. West, vol.2 (2nd. edn., …Matched in noteshighshort
α2886Ἁπαλώτερος τρύχνουmore tender than trychnon… plants and fruits.) Despite having every appearance of being a proverb, no such phrase occurs in the paroemiographers.Matched in noteshighshort
α2287Ἀνεπαρίασανthey broke treaties like the Parians… single word in the Greek. A fuller version of this proverb (Zenobius 2.21 and other paroemiographers) occurs in Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Paros, quoting Ephorus (FGrH 70 F63). The episode in question is the …Matched in noteshighshort
γ461Γρῦgrunt, ugh… papyrus of the C2 CE (Youtie 96.2). [4] See Appendix Proverbiorum 4.91, Apostolius 17.3 (cf. 5.64), and fully at tau 730.Matched in noteshighmedium