DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0526
OF THE MILITARY AFFAIRS OF GREECE.
interpret the word *cV/]Xr,g, not of the animal called a camel, but a ca-
ble (1).
Pu'fiara, <s'Xxoj, or tfsrsl^ai, parolcones, remtilci, ropes by which ships
were towed.
"Airoysi*, fo'fyeut, ^s/rffxara, w^ufxvytfia, retinacula, cords wherewith ships
were tied to the shore. In most harbours stones were erected for this
purpose, being bored through like rings, and thence called SaxruXior to
these the cords cast out of the stern were bound : this custom was al-
ways observed when ships came into port: and therefore, when they put
to sea, it is usually said they did solvate Junes, loose their cords. Instan-
ces of this are every where frequent; but I shall only give you one out
of Ovid (2), who speaks thus of ./Eneas's followers :
JEncada. gaudent, caisoquc in littere tauro,
Torla coronaice, solvuni retinacula navis.
A bull the joyful Trojans ?acrific'd
Upon the shore, then loos'd the ropes that ty'd
The ship all crown'd with garlands.-
The end of doing this, was, that the ships might be secured from the
violence of the winds and waves ; for which reason;, in those commodi-
ous harbours that lay not exposed to them, ships remained loose and un-
tied ; whence Homer (3) :
'Ev S'l Alfxtiv i:Jog(j.t>s, h' Xgtu 7ri',<rfxctro( Wlv.
So still the port, there was no need of ropes,
I proceed to the instruments, which were only necessary to some sort
of navigation ; where I shall first treat of those required in rowing,
which were as follow :
Kwa-ai, remi, oars, so called from one Copas, by whom it is said they
were first invented. TIX«<n'), in Latin, palmula, or tonsa, was the blade,
or broad part of the oar, which was usually covered with brass, that it
might with greater strength and force repel the waves, and endure the
longer. There were several banks of oars placed gradually above one
another ; the oars of the lowest bank were shorter than the rest, and
called 2r*X«iwai, or &aAKf*idtar* those of the middle banks were termed
Qytar those of the uppermost, Sgavrptxai and ^gavinSsg and were the long-
est, being at the greatest distance from the water ; wherefore, that the
rowers might be the better able to wield and manage them, it was custo-
mary to put lead upon their handles (4), lest the bottom should outpoise
the top.
2xaXfji.o<, were round pieces of wood, whereon the rowers hung their
oars when they rested from their labours: hence, vctvs T^[<SxaK^os, i. e,
a ship with three rows of scalmi, or a trireme.
Tgotfoi, frgotfoi-jj'^ss, strophi, or struppi, were leathern thongs (5), where
with the oars were hung upon the the scalmi ; those also with which the
rudder was bound. Leather, and skins of beasts were applied also to se-
veral other uses, as to cover the scalmi, and the holes through which the
oars were put forth, to preserve them from being worn (6). There
were skins under the rowers, called otf^stfia, and sometimes vKctyxuvm,
or vtoievyia <rwv igsrwv, from saving the elbows or breeches of the rowers.
(1) Matthsei Evangel, cap. 19. (4) Athenaus, lib. v.
(2) Metam. lib. xv. v. 695. (5) Etymologici Auctor. Homeri Scholiast. .
(3) Odyss. /. v. 136. Vide Annotations Odyss.5'.
nostras in Lycophronis Gassandr. v. 20. (6) Suidas, v. Ai<p6i?a.
interpret the word *cV/]Xr,g, not of the animal called a camel, but a ca-
ble (1).
Pu'fiara, <s'Xxoj, or tfsrsl^ai, parolcones, remtilci, ropes by which ships
were towed.
"Airoysi*, fo'fyeut, ^s/rffxara, w^ufxvytfia, retinacula, cords wherewith ships
were tied to the shore. In most harbours stones were erected for this
purpose, being bored through like rings, and thence called SaxruXior to
these the cords cast out of the stern were bound : this custom was al-
ways observed when ships came into port: and therefore, when they put
to sea, it is usually said they did solvate Junes, loose their cords. Instan-
ces of this are every where frequent; but I shall only give you one out
of Ovid (2), who speaks thus of ./Eneas's followers :
JEncada. gaudent, caisoquc in littere tauro,
Torla coronaice, solvuni retinacula navis.
A bull the joyful Trojans ?acrific'd
Upon the shore, then loos'd the ropes that ty'd
The ship all crown'd with garlands.-
The end of doing this, was, that the ships might be secured from the
violence of the winds and waves ; for which reason;, in those commodi-
ous harbours that lay not exposed to them, ships remained loose and un-
tied ; whence Homer (3) :
'Ev S'l Alfxtiv i:Jog(j.t>s, h' Xgtu 7ri',<rfxctro( Wlv.
So still the port, there was no need of ropes,
I proceed to the instruments, which were only necessary to some sort
of navigation ; where I shall first treat of those required in rowing,
which were as follow :
Kwa-ai, remi, oars, so called from one Copas, by whom it is said they
were first invented. TIX«<n'), in Latin, palmula, or tonsa, was the blade,
or broad part of the oar, which was usually covered with brass, that it
might with greater strength and force repel the waves, and endure the
longer. There were several banks of oars placed gradually above one
another ; the oars of the lowest bank were shorter than the rest, and
called 2r*X«iwai, or &aAKf*idtar* those of the middle banks were termed
Qytar those of the uppermost, Sgavrptxai and ^gavinSsg and were the long-
est, being at the greatest distance from the water ; wherefore, that the
rowers might be the better able to wield and manage them, it was custo-
mary to put lead upon their handles (4), lest the bottom should outpoise
the top.
2xaXfji.o<, were round pieces of wood, whereon the rowers hung their
oars when they rested from their labours: hence, vctvs T^[<SxaK^os, i. e,
a ship with three rows of scalmi, or a trireme.
Tgotfoi, frgotfoi-jj'^ss, strophi, or struppi, were leathern thongs (5), where
with the oars were hung upon the the scalmi ; those also with which the
rudder was bound. Leather, and skins of beasts were applied also to se-
veral other uses, as to cover the scalmi, and the holes through which the
oars were put forth, to preserve them from being worn (6). There
were skins under the rowers, called otf^stfia, and sometimes vKctyxuvm,
or vtoievyia <rwv igsrwv, from saving the elbows or breeches of the rowers.
(1) Matthsei Evangel, cap. 19. (4) Athenaus, lib. v.
(2) Metam. lib. xv. v. 695. (5) Etymologici Auctor. Homeri Scholiast. .
(3) Odyss. /. v. 136. Vide Annotations Odyss.5'.
nostras in Lycophronis Gassandr. v. 20. (6) Suidas, v. Ai<p6i?a.