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Kineas · 10-29-2008, 07:42 PM

Since I first read the LSJ, I've been fascinated by the fact that hoplon refers to the ropes on a ship--the very ropes, in fact,t hat serve as tackle. And the very weaponry of an animal--it's claws, or the sting in its tail.

Quote:ὅπλον , τό,

A. tool, implement, mostly in pl., like ἔντεα, τεύχεα: (prob. from ἕπω A):

I. a ship's tackle, tackling, Hom.(only in Od.), 2.390, al., Hes.Op.627 ; esp. ropes, halyards, etc., δησάμενοι δ' ἄρα ὅπλα Od. 2.430 , etc.; in which sense Hom. twice uses the sg., rope, 14.346, 21.390: generally, any ropes, Hdt.7.25, 9.115, Hp.Art.78.

II. tools, strictly so called, in Hom. esp. of smiths' tools, Il.18.409,412 ; in full, ὅπλα χαλκήϊα Od.3.433 : in sg., ὅπλον ἀρούρης sickle, AP6.95 (Antiphil) ; ὅπλον γεροντικόν staff, Call.Epigr.1.7 ; δείπνων ὅπλον ἑτοιμότατον, of the wine-flask, AP6.248 (Marc. Arg.).

III. in pl., also, implements of war, arms and armour, Hom. (only in Il.), αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πάνθ' ὅπλα κάμε, of the arms of Achilles, 18.614, cf. 19.21 ; ὅπλοισιν ἔνι δεινοι̂σιν ἐδύτην 10.254 ,272 ; so in Pi.N.8.27, IG12.1.9, E.Hec. 14, etc.: rarely in sg., weapon, οὐδέ τι ἀρήϊον ὅπλον ἐκτέαται Hdt.4.23 , cf. 174, E.HF161,570,942, Pl.R.474a, X.Cyr.7.4.15 ; ποτὶ πονηρὸν οὐκ ἄχρηστον ὅπλον ἁ πονηρία [Epich.]275 ; piece of armour, D.S.3.49.

2. the large shield, from which the men-at-arms took their name of ὁπλι̂ται (εἰκόνα γραπτὴν ἐν ὅπλῳ IG22.1012.18 (ii B. C.), cf. IGRom.4.1302.35 (Cyme, i B. C./i A. D.), Th.7.75, D.S.15.44, 17.18); ὅπλον στύππινον IG11(2).203 B99 (Delos, iii B. C.) : metaph., τη̂ς πενίας ὅπλον ἡ παρρησία Nicostr.Com.29 ; ὅ. μέγιστον . . ἁρετὴ βροτοι̂ς Men. Mon.433 , cf. 619.

3. in pl., also, heavy arms, Hdt.9.53 ; ὅπλων ἐπιστάτης, = ὁπλίτης, opp. κώπης ἄναξ, A.Pers.379 ; ὁ πόλεμος οὐχ ὅπλων τὸ πλέον ἀλλὰ δαπάνης Th.1.83 ; ὅπλα παραδου̂ναι Id.4.69 ; ὅπλα ἀποβάλλειν Ar.V.27 , etc.

4. ὅπλα, = ὁπλι̂ται, men-at-arms, πολλω̂ν μεθ' ὅπλων S.Ant.115 (lyr.): and freq. in Prose, ἐξέτασιν ὅπλων ποιει̂σθαι to have a muster of the men-at-arms, Th.4.74, etc.; ὁ ἐπὶ τω̂ν ὅπλων στρατηγός, opp. ὁ ἐπὶ τη̂ς διοικήσεως, Decr. ap. D.18.38, Decr.ib. 115 ; χειροτονηθεὶς ἐπὶ τὰ ὅ. πρω̂τος . . στρατηγός IG22.682.44 (iii B. C.); στρατηγει̂ν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅ. SIG697 E (Delph., ii B. C.), etc.

5. τὰ ὅ. the place of arms, camp, ἠ̂λθεν εἰς τὰ ὅ. Lys.13.12 , cf.X.Cyr.7.2.5, etc.; ἐκ τω̂ν ὅ. προϊέναι Th.1.111 , cf. 3.1.

6. Phrases : ἐνέδυνον (v.l. ἐνέδυντο) τὰ ὅ. Hdt.7.218 , etc.; ἐν ὅπλοισι εἰ̂ναι or γενέσθαι to be in arms, under arms, Id.1.13, cf.E.Ba.303, Th.6.56 ; ἐν ὄπλοισι [ἰππομ]άχεντας Sapph.Supp.5.19 ; ἐν ὅπλοις μάχεσθαι Pl.Grg.456d ; ἡ ἐν τοι̂ς ὅπλοις μάχη Id.Lg.833e ; ποιη̂σαι ἐξέτασιν ἐν ὅπλοις Decr. ap. Arist.Ath.31.2 ; εἰς τὰ ὅ. παραγγέλλειν X.An.1.5.13 ; ἐφ' ὅπλοις or παρ' ὅπλοις ἡ̂σθαι, E.Supp.674,357 ; μένειν ἐπὶ τοι̂ς ὅπλοις X.Cyr.7.2.8 ; for ὅπλα ῥίπτειν, ἀφιέναι, κατατίθεσθαι, v. sub vocc. ; for ὅπλα τίθεσθαι, v. τίθημι.

IV. of the arms possessed by animals for self-defence, [τὸν ἄνθρωπον] οὐκ ἔχοντα ὅπλον πρὸς τὴν ἀλκήν Arist.PA687a25 , cf. b4, al.

V. membrum virile, Nic.Fr.74.30, APl.4.242 (Eryc.), Hsch.

VI. a gymnastic exercise, the last which came on in the games, Artem.1.63.

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