Does δόρυ θηγέμεναι imply spears with tips?

Here you can discuss all things Ancient Greek. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Greek, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
ἑκηβόλος
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:19 am
Contact:

Does δόρυ θηγέμεναι imply spears with tips?

Post by ἑκηβόλος »

LSJ θήγω wrote:δόρυ θηξάσθω let him whet his spear, Il.2.382
Am I justifed in thinking that θηγέμεναι (= prose ἀκονᾶν) implies the spear was tipped with a metal tip rather than just being plain wood?

I suspect that ἀποξύνειν (or ἐξαποξύνειν) would be used for bringing a piece of wood to a point.
τί δὲ ἀγαθὸν τῇ πομφόλυγι συνεστώσῃ ἢ κακὸν διαλυθείσῃ;

Markos
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:07 pm
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Does δόρυ θηγέμεναι imply spears with tips?

Post by Markos »

In many places in Homer it is clear that the spears (δόρυ) indeed had bronze (χαλκός) tips.
Il 5:72-75: τὸν μὲν Φυλεΐδης δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν
βεβλήκει κεφαλῆς κατὰ ἰνίον ὀξέϊ δουρί:
ἀντικρὺ δ᾽ ἀν᾽ ὀδόντας ὑπὸ γλῶσσαν τάμε χαλκός:
ἤριπε δ᾽ ἐν κονίῃ, ψυχρὸν δ᾽ ἕλε χαλκὸν ὀδοῦσιν.
ἑκηβόλος wrote:
LSJ θήγω wrote:δόρυ θηξάσθω let him whet his spear, Il.2.382
...θηγέμεναι (= prose ἀκονᾶν)...
Indeed, Gaza has καλῶς μέν τις τὸ ἑαυτοῦ δόρυ ἀκονησάτω.

Post Reply