Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §103.1

The Idiom of the Basin and Athens Resident Aliens

Passage 108 of 196 · Greek

Summary

The passage explains the origin of the idiom "more tightly closed than a basin," linking it to the low status of resident aliens in Athens and their obligation to carry basins in public processions.

§103.1Fr. 103 Συστομώτερον σκάφης τάσσεται ἐπὶ τῶν διὰ τὸ ἀγενὲς σιωπώντων.
Fr. 103 The expression "more tightly closed than a basin" is applied to those who keep silent because of their low birth.
Θ. γὰρ ἐν τῷ περὶ νόμων εἰρῆσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ τοὺς μετοίκους Ἀθήνῃσιν ἐν ταῖς δημοτελέσι πομπαῖς σκάφας φέροντας πομπεύειν καὶ ὁπότε δὲ ἐβούλοντο μέτοικον δηλῶσαι ἢ σκάφην ἔλεγον ἢ σκαφηφόρον· διὰ δὲ τὸ ἀπαρρησίαστον εἶναι συστομώτερον ποιήσειν ἀπειλεῖν σκάφης.
For Theophrastus in On Laws is said to have stated that this is derived from the fact that the resident aliens in Athens processed carrying basins in the public processions, and whenever people wished to indicate a resident alien, they would call them either "basin" or "basin-bearer"; and because of their lack of freedom of speech, they would threaten to make them "more tightly closed than a basin".

Notes

  1. §103.1Συστομώτερον σκάφης — An idiomatic expression consisting of the comparative adverb συστομώτερον (from συστέλλω, "to draw together, close") and the genitive of comparison σκάφης ("basin, tub").
  2. §103.1εἰρῆσθαι — An infinitive of report or hearsay ("it is said that...") commonly found in lexicographical summaries, where the governing main verb (such as λέγεται) is omitted.
  3. §103.1ἀπειλεῖν — This infinitive is governed by the prepositional article ἀπὸ τοῦ, standing in parallel with the preceding πομπεύειν connected by καὶ. ποιησειν is a future infinitive functioning as the complement of ἀπειλεῖν.
  4. §103.1ἀγενές — Meaning "low birth" or "lack of noble status," referring here to the low legal and social status of resident aliens (metics) in Athens, and their lack of the citizen's right to free speech (parrhesia).

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §103.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:103.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.