θεσπέσιος

θεσπέσιος, α, ον, also ος, ον E. Andr. 296 (lyr.), Luc. Sacr. 13: (perh. for θεσ-σπέσιος, cf. θεός, ἔσπον):—prop. of the voice,

• divinely sounding, divinely sweet, ἀοιδή Il. 2.600; Σειρῆνες Od. 12.158; ἔπεα Pi. I. 4(3).39; ἀχέτας Ar. Av. 1095 (lyr.).
• • • 2 divinely uttered or decreed, dat. sg. fem. θεσπεσίῃ as Adv., Il. 2.367.
    • • b oracular, γένος Pi. P. 12.13 (of the Graiae); δάφνα E. l.c.; θ. ὁδός the way of divination, of Cassandra, A. Ag. 1154 (lyr.); εὐχαῖς ὑπὸ θ. with prayers to the gods, Pi. I. 6(5).44.
      • c = θεῖος, βηλός Il. 1.591; ἄντρον Od. 13.363.
  • II more than human: hence, awful, of natural phenomena, θ. νέφος Il. 15.669; ἀχλύς Od. 7.42; λαῖλαψ 9.68; marvellous, χάρις 2.12; θ. ἄωτον, χαλκός, 9.434, Il. 2.457; θ. ὀδμή a smell divinely sweet, Od. 9.211; ὀσμὴ θ. Hermipp. 82.9; of human affairs, θ. φύζα, φόβος, Il. 9.2, 17.118; πλοῦτος 2.670; ἠχή 8.159; βοή Od. 24.49; θ. ὅμιλος Theoc. 15.66: also in Prose, τέχνη θ. τις καὶ ὑψηλή Pl. Euthd. 289e; θ. βίος Id. R. 365b; θ. καὶ ἡδεῖα ἡ διαγωγή ib. 558a; σοφοὶ καὶ θ. ἄνδρες Id. Tht. 151b, cf. Philostr. Dial. 1; φύσεις Id. VS 2.9.2; θ. τὴν γνώμην Luc. Alex. 4.
  • III Adv. -ίως, θ. ἐφόβηθεν they trembled unspeakably, Il. 15.637: neut. θεσπέσιον as Adv., θ. ὑλᾶν Theoc. 25.70; also ἀπόζει θ. ὡς ἡδύ Hdt. 3.113; ὠδώδει θ. οἷον Plu. Alex. 20; θεσπεσίηθεν divinely, ἀρηρότα Emp. 96.4. —Chiefly Ep., once in Hdt., twice in Trag. (lyr.), once in Ar. (lyr.).

θεσπέσιος, auch 2 Endgn, Eur. Andr. 297 u. Luc., eigtl. von Gott gesprochen (θεός, εἰπεῖν, ἔσπετε), von Gott eingegeben, göttlich tönend, ἀοιδή Il. 2.600, wie Pind. N. 9.7 ; Σειρῆνες Od. 12.158 ; ἔπη Pind. I. 3.57 ; so auch Aesch. Ag. 1125, πόθεν ὅρους ἔχεις θεσπεσίας ὁδοῦ κακορρήμονας, der weissagenden Klage Ziel ; gew. übh. göttlich, βηλός Il. 1.591, θεσπεσίῃ, sc. βουλῇ, nach göttlichem Willen od. Ratschluß, Il. 2.367 ; von allem Vortrefflichen, z.B. von trefflicher Wolle, Od. 9.434, gutem Erze, Il. 2.457, lieblichem Dufte, Od. 9.211 ; gewaltig, ungeheuer, ἀλαλητός, ὅμαδος, ἠχή, βοή. Auch was von den Göttern gesendet, verhängt ist, teils von Naturerscheinungen, νέφος, λαῖλαψ, ἀχλύς, Il. 15.669, Od. 7.42, 9.68, 12.314, Il. 20.342, teils von Ereignissen des Menschenlebens, θεσπέσιον γάρ σφιν φόβον ἔμβαλε Φοῖβος 17.118, πλοῦτος 2.670, θεσπεσίη χάρις, göttliche Anmut, Od. 2.12. Man faßt alle diese Bedeutungen auch so zusammen, daß man, auf die Zusammensetzung des Wortes zurückgehend, es erklärt : so daß nur ein Gott es aussprechen kann, unaussprechlich groß, schön u. dgl., vgl. ἀθέσφατος u. Buttmann Lexil. I p. 166. Einzeln auch bei sp.D., ὅμιλος Theocr. 15.66, u. in Prosa, ἀπόζει θεσπέσιον ὡς ἡδύ Her. 3.113, τέχνη Plat. Euthyd. 289e, βίος, διαγωγή, Rep. II.365b, VIII.558a, θεσπέσιος τὴν γνώμην Luc. Alex. 4, ὀδώδει θεσπέσιον οἷον Plut. Alex. 20.
• Adv., θεσπεσίως ἐφόβηθεν, unsäglich, Il. 15.637.

θεσπέσιος

-η, -ον

[θε-, θεός + σ(ε)π-. See ἐννέπω.]

• • 1

    Absol. in fem., sentence pronounced by a god, the will of heaven: εἰ καὶ θεσπεσίῃ πόλιν οὐκ ἀλαπάξεις Il. 2.367.

  • 2

    Of song, befitting a god, divinely sweet Il. 2.600.

    Of singers, heavenly sweet of voice: σειρήνων Od. 12.158.

  • 3
  • • a

      Of shouting or lamentation, such as might come from a god’s throat, immense, deafening: ἠχῇ Il. 8.159 = Il. 15.590, Il. 12.252, Il. 13.834, Il. 15.355. Cf. Il. 16.295, Il. 18.149: βοή Od. 24.49. Cf. Od. 3.150, Od. 11.43, 633.

    • b

      Of inarticulate sounds. Of the sound of branches of trees smiting each other Il. 16.769.

      Of that of rushing winds Il. 13.797, Il. 23.213.

  • 4

    The force of the second element lost

  • • a

      Of or pertaining to the gods, divine: βηλοῦ Il. 1.591.

    • b

      Indicating a high degree of some quality such as abundance, greatness, greatness of extent, completeness, swiftness, beauty, sweetness or the like: πλοῦτον Il. 2.670. Cf. Il. 2.457, Il. 9.2, Il. 15.669, Il. 17.118, Il. 20.342: ὀδμή Od. 9.211. Cf. Od. 2.12 = Od. 17.63, Od. 7.42, Od. 8.19, Od. 9.68 = Od. 12.314, Od. 9.434, Od. 13.363, Od. 20.289, Od. 24.6.

θεσπέσιος

• • a divine (of speech) θεσπεσία δʼ ἐπέων καύχας ἀοιδὰ πρόσφορος N. 9.7 αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν ὀρθώσαις ἀρετὰν κατὰ ῥάβδον ἔφρασεν θεσπεσίων ἐπέων λοιποῖς ἀθύρειν (sc. Ὅμηρος) I. 4.39 “νῦν σε, νῦν εὐχαῖς ὑπὸ θεσπεσίαις λίσσομαι” (Ceporinus: θεσπεσίαν codd.: prayers to the goods) I. 6.44 μαντευμάτων τε θεσπεσίων δοτῆρα καὶ τελεσσιεπῆ θεοῦ ἄδυτον Pae. 7.1
  • b more than human, monstrous cf. Fraenkel on Ag. 1154. ἤτοι τό τε θεσπέσιον Φόρκοιʼ ἀμαύρωσεν γένος P. 12.13

θεσπέσιος (θεός, root σεπ, ἔσπετε): divinely uttered or uttering (θεσπεσίῃ, ‘by divine decree,’ Il. 2.367), divine; ἀοιδή, Il. 2.600; Σειρῆνες, ‘heavenlysinging,’ Od. 12.158; βηλός, ‘of heaven,’ Il. 1.591; then of anything prodigious, vast, wondrous, mighty, a storm, clamor, panic, etc.—Adv., θεσπεσίως, Il. 15.637.

θεσπέσιος θεός, ἔσπον εἶπον, v. θέσπις

• • Iproperly of the voice, divinely sounding, divinely sweet, Hom., Pind.
  • IIthat can be spoken by none but God, i. e. unspeakable, ineffable; hence,
  • • 1like θεῖος, divine, Hom.; dat. fem. θεσπεσίῃ (sc. βουλῇ) by the will of God, Hom.; θ. ὁδός the way of divination, of Cassandra, Aesch.
    • 2wondrous, marvellous, portentous, awful, of things, Hom.; θ. χαλκός marvellous fine brass, Od., Il.; θ. ὀδμή a smell divinely sweet, Od.; so in Hdt., θεσπέσιον ὡς ἡδύ:—of human affairs, θ. φόβος Il., etc.
  • IIIadv. -ίως, θ. ἐφόβηθεν they trembled unspeakably, Il.: so neut. as adv., Theocr.