Σμηκύθης
Smekythe's, Smecythe's
Translated by Jennifer Benedict4 Dec 2000Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
A proper name. [He] was mocked as being womanish in behaviour. The whole [phrase is] "Smekythe's kyrios"; just as they are accustomed to announce in the introductions of the charges [sc. in court], when the charge is brought against a woman.1 For this is the sort of thing they are accustomed to call out in the court; alternatively "so-and-so and kyrios", that is husband. At the same time, then, he is mocking Smekythos for being womanish and for having a kyrios, as females [do].2 This is [said], then, in reference those who are womanish. He was king of [the] Thracians, a catamite.3 But kyrios, as has been said, means husband. For that is the way they were registered in the courts: "Aspasia and kyrios".4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σμηκύθης· ὄνομα κύριον. διεβέβλητο δὲ ὡς γυναικώδης τὸν τρόπον. τὸ δὲ πλῆρες Σμηκύθης κύριος· ὥσπερ ἐν ταῖς εἰσαγωγαῖς τῶν ἐγκλημάτων κηρύττειν εἰώθασιν, ἐπειδὰν γυναικὶ ἐπιφέρηται ἔγκλημα. οὕτω γὰρ προσκαλεῖσθαι εἰώθασιν ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ· ἢ ὁ δεῖνα καὶ ὁ κύριος, τουτέστιν ὁ ἀνήρ. ἅμα οὖν ὡς γυναικώδη τὸν Σμήκυθον κωμῳδεῖ καὶ ἔχοντα κύριον, ὡς αἱ θήλειαι. εἴρηται οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν γυναικωδῶν. ἦν δὲ Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεύς, κίναιδος. κύριον δέ, ὡς εἴρηται, τὸν ἄνδρα λέγει. οὕτω γὰρ ἀπεγράφοντο ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις· Ἀσπασία καὶ κύριος.
Betacode
*smhku/qhs: o)/noma ku/rion. diebe/blhto de\ w(s gunaikw/dhs to\n tro/pon. to\ de\ plh=res *smhku/qhs ku/rios: w(/sper e)n tai=s ei)sagwgai=s tw=n e)gklhma/twn khru/ttein ei)w/qasin, e)peida\n gunaiki\ e)pife/rhtai e)/gklhma. ou(/tw ga\r proskalei=sqai ei)w/qasin e)n tw=| dikasthri/w|: h)\ o( dei=na kai\ o( ku/rios, toute/stin o( a)nh/r. a(/ma ou)=n w(s gunaikw/dh to\n *smh/kuqon kwmw|dei= kai\ e)/xonta ku/rion, w(s ai( qh/leiai. ei)/rhtai ou)=n e)pi\ tw=n gunaikwdw=n. h)=n de\ *qra|kw=n basileu/s, ki/naidos. ku/rion de/, w(s ei)/rhtai, to\n a)/ndra le/gei. ou(/tw ga\r a)pegra/fonto e)n toi=s dikasthri/ois: *)aspasi/a kai\ ku/rios.
Notes (4)
- Aristophanes, Knights 969 (here misquoted -- it should be "Smikythe and kyrios": web address 1), with comment from the scholia there.
- 1In classical Athens a woman's kyrios was a male relative -- usually husband or father -- who acted for her in all official matters, women being considered, in law, dependents throughout their lives. See generally D.M. MacDowell, The Law in Classical Athens (London 1978) 84-92; in brief S.C. Todd, The Shape of Athenian Law (Oxford 1993) 383. ↩
- 2Hence the name Smekythos is changed to the feminine Smekythe. ↩
- 3Whether or not there was a Thracian king of this name, the Knights passage is far less likely to refer to him than to a contemporary Athenian called Smikythos (sic) -- of which there were several. ↩
- 4The scholiast adds: "that is, Perikles". For Aspasia see alpha 4202. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 14 Mar 2022
- cosmeticule, tweaked link — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- another note; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added note; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Modified headword and translation — William Hutton
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict