Σκυταλίδες
skytalides, scytalides
Translated by David Whitehead2 Apr 2008Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
Fire-bearing constructions. Things like this were small wooden rods, some a foot [sc. long], some a cubit; but all were surface-touching1 in their constructions. These had been divided with iron spurs at the heads; through the spurs had been woven oakum and torches, and pitch had been smeared over them. Some of the men grasped [these] and delivered them [sc. by hand], while others were throwing them from a torsion-spring towards the first of the houses; as they struck their targets with force and the spurs dug into the planking, the fire kept going and swiftly kindled.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σκυταλίδες· πυροβόλα ἐργαλεῖα. ἦσαν δὲ τοιαῦτα σκυτάλια ξύλινα, τὰ μὲν ποδιαῖα, τὰ δὲ πηχυαῖα· πάντα δὲ ταῖς κατασκευαῖς ἦσαν ἀκροθιγῆ. ταῦτα κέντροις σιδηροῖς διείληπτο τὰς κεφαλάς· διὰ δὲ τῶν κεντρῶν διεπέπλεκτο στίππυον καὶ δᾷδες, κατὰ δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν πίττα κατεκέχυτο. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀνεδίδοσαν ἐνάπτοντες, οἱ δὲ ἔβαλλον ἀπὸ τόνου ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς πρώτας οἰκίας· ὧν προσπιπτόντων μετὰ βίας καὶ τῶν κέντρων ταῖς σανίσι πηγνυμένων, προσέμενε τὸ πῦρ καὶ ταχέως ᾖθε.
Betacode
*skutali/des: purobo/la e)rgalei=a. h)=san de\ toiau=ta skuta/lia cu/lina, ta\ me\n podiai=a, ta\ de\ phxuai=a: pa/nta de\ tai=s kataskeuai=s h)=san a)kroqigh=. tau=ta ke/ntrois sidhroi=s diei/lhpto ta\s kefala/s: dia\ de\ tw=n kentrw=n diepe/plekto sti/ppuon kai\ da=|des, kata\ de\ tw=n au)tw=n pi/tta kateke/xuto. kai\ oi( me\n a)nedi/dosan e)na/ptontes, oi( de\ e)/ballon a)po\ to/nou tau=ta pro\s ta\s prw/tas oi)ki/as: w(=n prospipto/ntwn meta\ bi/as kai\ tw=n ke/ntrwn tai=s sani/si phgnume/nwn, prose/mene to\ pu=r kai\ taxe/ws h)=|qe.
Notes (1)
- This fascinating entry is the only attested illustration of sense 6 ('engine for hurling fire') in LSJ s.v. skytalis. Its source, apparently an historiographical account, is indeterminable; so too, therefore, is the period and context.
- 1The adjective transmitted is
a)kroqigh= ; but Bernhardy'sa)kroqhgh= , "sharpened at the point", makes better sense. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 18 Aug 2011
- Revised — David Whitehead
- corrected one point of tr — David Whitehead
- cosmeticule, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead