About
Menu

κέρας

κέρας, the horn of an animal

κέρᾰς, τό, Ep. gen. *κέρᾰος, Att. contr. κέρως; Ep. dat. κέρᾰϊ (elided) or κέραι or κέρᾳ Il. 11.385, cf. Hdn.Gr. 2.75, κέρᾳ also in Th. 2.90, 7.6: nom. pl. κέρᾱ (v. infr.), gen. κεράων, κερῶν, dat. κέρασι, Ep. κεράεσσι:—Att. Inscrr. have dual [κέρ]ατε IG 1(2).301.109: pl. κέρατα ib. 237.59; later Ep. κεράατα (⏑_⏑⏑) Nic. Th. 291, κεράατος (⏑_⏑⏑) Arat. 174, Q.S. 6.225:—Hdt. has gen. κέρεος 6.111, dat. κέρεϊ 9.102: pl. κέρεα 2.38, κερέων ib. 132; but Hp. has gen. sg. κέρως, pl. κέρατα, Aër. 18. [In nom. and acc. κέρας, ᾰ always: in the obl. cases ᾰ in Ep., as κέρᾰσιν Od. 3.384 (in contr. dat. κέρᾱ, nom. pl. κέρᾱ (cf. Batr. 165), a is shortd. before a vowel, Il. 11.385, Od. 19.211); but ᾱ in Trag.and Com., κέρᾱτος Hermipp. 43, κέρᾱτα E. Ba. 921, κεράτων [ᾱ] prob. in S. Tr. 519 (lyr.), κέρᾱσι A. Fr. 185. In later Ep. the quantity varies.] (κέρας is prob. related to κάρα; cf. κεραός.)
    • I the horn of an animal, in Hom. mostly of oxen, Il. 17.521, etc.; ταῦροι . . εἰς κέρας θυμούμενοι E. Ba. 743; ὀφθαλμοὶ δʼ ὡς εἰ κέρα ἕστασαν his eyes stood fixed and stiff like horns, Od. 19.211; as a symbol of strength, LXX Ps. 17(18).3, Diogenian. 7.89, cf. Arist. PA 662a1; of elephants’ tusks, Aret. SD 2.13, Opp. C. 2.494.
      • 2 antennae of crustaceans, Arist. HA 526a31, 590b27; of the silkwormʼs grub, ib. 551b10.
    • II horn, as a material, αἱ μὲν γὰρ [πύλαι] κεράεσσι τετεύχαται Od. 19.563; the horn of animals’ hoofs, Longus 2.28.
    • III anything made of horn,
      • 1 bow, τόξον ἐνώμα . . πειρώμενος . . μὴ κέρα ἶπες ἔδοιεν Od. 21.395, cf. Theoc. 25.206, Call. Epigr. 38, AP 6.75 (Paul.Sil.); for Il. 11.385 v. infr. v.l.
      • 2 of musical instruments, horn for blowing, σημῆναι τῷ κέρατι X. An. 2.2.4, cf. Arist. Aud. 802a17; also, the Phrygian flute, because it was tipped with horn (cf. Poll. 4.74), αὐλεῖν τῷ κ. Luc. DDeor. 20[12].1; καὶ κέρατι μὲν αὐλεῖν Τυρρηνοὶ νομίζουσι Poll. 4.76, cf. Ath. 4.184a.
      • 3 drinking-horn, ἐκ τοῦ κέρατος αὖ μοι δὸς πιεῖν Hermipp. 43, cf. X. An. 7.2.23, OGI 214.43 (Didyma, iii B.C.); ἐξ ἀργυρέων κ. πίνειν Pi. Fr. 166, cf. IG 1(2).280.77; ἀργυρηλάτοις κέρασι χρυσᾶ στόμια προσβεβλημένοις A. Fr. 185; ἐκπιόντι χρύσεον κ. S. Fr. 483; for measuring liquids, Gal. 13.435.
      • 4 Ἀμαλθείας κ. cornucopiae, v. Ἀμάλθεια.
    • IV βοὸς κ. prob. a horn guard or cover attached to a fishing-line, Il. 24.81, cf. Sch.; ἐς πόντον προΐησι βοὸς κέρας Od. 12.253; ψάμμῳ κ. αἰὲν ἐρείδων AP 6.230 (Maec.), cf. Aristarch. ap. Apollon. Lex. s.v. κέρᾳ ἀγλαέ, Arist. ap. Plu. Sollert. 2.977a (also expld. as a fishing-line of ox-hair (cf. infr. V.1), ap. Plu. 2.976f, cf. Poll. 2.31; perh. an artificial bait).
      • 2 clyster-pipe, Orib. 8.32 7.
      • 3 in pl., horn points with which the writing-reed was tipped, AP 6.227 (Crin.).
    • V of objects shaped like horns,
      • 1 a mode of dressing the hair, κέρᾳ ἀγλαέ Il. 11.385 (unless the meaning be bow), cf. Aristarch. ad loc., Herodorus and Apion ap. Eust. ad loc.: hence κέρας is expld. as = θρίξ or κόμη, Apollon. Lex., Hdn.Gr. ap. Eust. l.c., Poll. 2.31, Hsch.; cf. IV.1, and v. κεροπλάστης.
      • 2 arm or branch of a river, Ὠκεανοῖο κ. Hes. Th. 789; Νείλου Pi. Fr. 201; τὸ Μενδήσιον κέρας Th. 1.110; ἐν Ἰνδοῖς ἐν τῷ Κέρατι καλουμένῳ Arist. Mir. 835b5, cf. Mu. 393b5; τὸ κ. τὸ Βυζαντίων the ‘Golden Horn’, Str. 7.6.2, cf. Plb. 4.43.7, Sch. A.R. 4.282; Ἑσπέρου K., name of a bay, Hanno Peripl. 14, cf. Philostr. VS 1.21.2.
      • 3 wing of an army, Hdt. 9.26, etc.; or fleet, Id. 6.8, Th. 2.90, etc.; κ. δεξιόν, λαιόν, A. Pers. 399, E. Supp. 704; τὸ εὐώνυμον κ. ἀναπτύσσειν X. An. 1.10.9.
        • b κατὰ κέρας προσβάλλειν, ἐπιπεσεῖν, to attack in flank, Th. 3.78, X. HG 6.5.16, etc.; κατὰ κ. προσιέναι, ἕπεσθαι, Id. Cyr. 7.1.8 and 28; κατὰ κ. συμπεσών Plb. 1.40.14; πρὸς κ. μάχεσθαι X. Cyr. 7.1.22.
        • c ἐπὶ κέρας ἀνάγειν τὰς νέας to lead a fleet in column, Hdt. 6.12, cf. 14; κατὰ μίαν ἐπὶ κέρως παραπλεῖν Th. 2.90, cf. 6.32, X. Cyr. 6.3.34, Eub. 67.4; of armies, κατὰ κέρας, opp. ἐπὶ φάλαγγος, X. Cyr. 1.6.43, cf. An. 4.6.6, HG 7.4.23; εἰς κ. Id. Eq.Mag. 4.3; ἐκ κέρατος εἰς φάλαγγα καταστῆσαι Id. Cyr. 8.5.15; οὐκ ἐλᾶτε πρὸς τὸ δεξιὸν κ.; Ar. Eq. 243.
      • 4 corps of 8192 men, = διφαλαγγαρχία, Ascl. Tact. 2.6, Arr. Tact. 10.7.
        • b = μεραρχία, Ascl. Tact. 2.10.
        • c contingent of thirty-two chariots, ib. 8, Ael. Tact. 22.2.
      • 5 sailyard, = κεραία, AP 5.203 (Mel.), OGI 674.30 (Egypt, i A.D.), Luc. Am. 6, POxy. 2136.6 (iii A.D.).
      • 6 mountainpeak, v.l. in h.Hom. 1.8; spur, τὸ κ. τοῦ ὄρους X. An. 5.6.7, cf. Lyc. 534: in pl., extremities of the earth, γῆς Philostr. VA 2.18 (pl.).
      • 7 in Anatomy, extremities of the uterus, Hp. Superf. 1, Gal. 7.266; of the diaphragm, Sor. 1.57.
        • b ἁπαλὸν κ., = πόσθη, Archil. 171, cf.Neophro (?) in PLit.Lond. 77 Fr. 2.19, E. Fr. 278, AP 12.95.6 (Mel.).
      • 8 of the πήχεις of the lyre, χρυσόδετον κ. S. Fr. 244 (lyr.) (rather than the bridge, because made of horn, Ael.Dion. Fr. 133, Poll. 4.62).
    • VI κέρατα ποιεῖν τινι to give him horns, cuckold him, prov. in Artem. 2.11; cf. κερασφόρος II.
    • VII = κερατίνης, Luc. DMort. 1.2.
    • VIII = σταφυλῖνος ἄγριος, Dsc. 3.52; = οἰνάνθη, dub. in Ps.-Dsc. 3.120.

Saved

Recent