Σκαλεύειν
to poke
Translated by Catharine Roth22 Jul 2009Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] to stir up,1 to break up.
Aristophanes [writes]: "to live in peace having a female companion and poked coals." Meaning [someone] making the coals blaze; or here he spoke of the female genitals as "coals"; or meaning [someone] spending time in the fields; since these men roast acorns and stir up the coals in the [sc. process of] roasting.2
Aristophanes [writes]: "to live in peace having a female companion and poked coals." Meaning [someone] making the coals blaze; or here he spoke of the female genitals as "coals"; or meaning [someone] spending time in the fields; since these men roast acorns and stir up the coals in the [sc. process of] roasting.2
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σκαλεύειν· ἀνακινεῖν, διαξαίνειν. Ἀριστοφάνης· ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγειν ἔχωνθ' ἑταίραν καὶ σκαλεύτους ἄνθρακας. ἀντὶ τοῦ ζωπυροῦντα τοὺς ἄνθρακας· ἢ ἐνθάδε τὸ γυναικεῖον αἰδοῖον ἄνθρακας εἶπεν· ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀγρῷ διατρίβων· ἐπεὶ οὗτοι ὀπτῶσι βαλάνους καὶ σκαλεύουσι τοὺς ἄνθρακας ἐν τῷ ὀπτεῖν.
Betacode
*skaleu/ein: a)nakinei=n, diacai/nein. *)aristofa/nhs: e)n ei)rh/nh| dia/gein e)/xwnq' e(tai/ran kai\ skaleu/tous a)/nqrakas. a)nti\ tou= zwpurou=nta tou\s a)/nqrakas: h)\ e)nqa/de to\ gunaikei=on ai)doi=on a)/nqrakas ei)=pen: h)\ a)nti\ tou= e)n a)grw=| diatri/bwn: e)pei\ ou(=toi o)ptw=si bala/nous kai\ skaleu/ousi tou\s a)/nqrakas e)n tw=| o)ptei=n.
Notes (2)
- If the headword infinitive is quoted from somewhere (rather than simply being paradigmatic), a likely place is an Aristophanic phrase quoted in Pollux 10.148: 'to poke a wall with a little crowbar'. See also the Pythagorean maxim under alpha 1987 (= pi 3124, twice).
- 1Hesychius glosses
a)nacai/nein with this infinitive. ↩ - 2Aristophanes, Peace 439-440 (web address 1), with scholion. Aristophanes' text reads
skaleu/ont' , i.e. a participle meaning poking, rather than the Suda's plural adjectiveskaleu/tous agreeing with coals. On the sexual interpretation here see J. Henderson, The Maculate Muse (New Haven 1975) 143 #165, 168 #293. ↩
References
Konrad Zacher, "Die Handschriften und Classen der Aristophanesscholien: Mitteilungen und Untersuchungen", Jahrbücher für classische Philologie Supplementband 16.729
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 26 May 2016
- tweaked note — David Whitehead
- typo — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented notes and keywords — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth