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ΥΠΗΡΕΤΗΣ

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

L. J. D. Richardson
L. J. D. Richardson
Affiliation:
University College, Cardiff
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Extract

There is one nautical term which has been neglected by those who have written about the Greek ship—for the very good reason that it had ceased to be used literally by the time our records, literary and epigraphic, begin. This is a pity, since the silence of experts has resulted in an absurdity, or at least obscurity, appearing in the dictionaries. An unattested original meaning ‘under-rower’ has been universally assumed for the word ujnjpenjs (e.g. Boisacq, ‘rameur en sous-ordre’; L. & S., ‘under-rower’). This assumption not merely requires proof but is in sore need of explanation. What is an ‘under-rower’? And why did the term pass out of use in that sense?

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 37 , Issue 1-2 , April 1943 , pp. 55 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1943

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References

page 55 note 1 Tottenham, H. R., in the Eagle (1888)Google Scholar, had his fling at the current controversy: τ⋯’ ἂν δυνα⋯μην, ὡς σοϕ⋯ς τις γ⋯γνομαι, μαθεȋν παλαι⋯ν ναȖν ⋯πως ἠρ⋯σσετο.

page 55 note 2 J.H.S. xxv, ‘The Greek Warship’, esp. pp. 137–40.

page 55 note 3 C.R. xx. 1, ‘Thranite, Zugite, and Thalamite’.

page 55 note 4 Cambridge, 1930, esp. p. 126 and Appendix iv.

page 55 note 5 Mariner's Mirror, vol. xxvii, 01. 1941Google Scholar.

page 55 note 6 Ibid., Oct. 1941.

page 55 note 7 But it may be useful to point out that the new Liddell and Scott has not made up its mind in the matter. Under τριῄρης Tarn's book is cited and his view given, as also under ξυγ⋯τηςand μεσ⋯νεοι: but θαλαμ⋯της and θραν⋯της are explained in the old way (as ‘rowers on the lowest, and topmost,bench’).

page 56 note 1 W. H. Thompson, to judge by the date of the edition.

page 57 note 1 Cf. also Gilbert's, Constitutional Antiquities of Sparta and Athens, English trans., p. 327,Google Scholar footnote 2.

page 57 note 2 Greek Metaphor, 1936, pp. 111–17, cf. also his ‘In Lexicographhos’ Greece and Rome, v, No. 15. Compare also Jebb's famous remarks on ναȖς δρȖς, ⋯κ⋯νη, κρατ⋯ρ in J.H.S. iii (1882), p. 171Google Scholar.

page 58 note 1 I am not discussing the exact meaning of these phrases.

page 58 note 2 So Butcher and Lang. But this misrepresents the heterocliteplural of ⋯ρετμ⋯ς. It is the collective neuter akin to the abstract ‘feminine’ in -ᾱ. When B. & L. translate ⋯π' ⋯ρετμ⋯ | ⋯ξ⋯μετοι λε⋯καινον ⋯δωρ ξεστῇς ⋯λ⋯τῃαι ‘sat at the oars and whitened the waters with their polished pine-blades’ they are hiding a tautology which they have themselves introduced behind the fact that English conveniently provides the synonyms ‘blade’ and ‘oar’. There is no datisme in the Greek. It is ‘sat at the oarage’, ‘at the place where the oars are’.

page 58 note 3 i.e. a ‘pre-ethnic’ people (or peoples) speaking a proto-Indo-European speech (or related speeches).

page 58 note 4 The root nᾱu appears in most of the daughter languages.

page 58 note 5 For the widespread distribution of the root er-, note, in addition to Greek ⋯ρ⋯'της (with in ⋯ρε'τμ⋯ς and *⋯ρε'τω), the Sanskrit ari-tras, Latin rēemus, 0. Irish r⋯ama, O.H.G. ruodar (‘oar’), O. Norse r⋯a, Anglo-Sax, r⋯wan (‘row’), Lithuanian ir-Rlas (‘oar’) and ir-ti (‘row’),

page 58 note 6 The Latinindlus ‘mast’ has nothing to do with an apple-tree but stands for mazdos, and is therefore identical with the Germanic mast.

page 58 note 7 I am not concerned with the question whether this controller was, necessarily or at all times, also the πρῳρε⋯ς or helmsman.

page 59 note 1 The best known and most important is at Soph. Ajax, 1329—Lobeck's emendation adopted by Dindorf, Jebb, Pearson et celt..

page 59 note 2 Et. Mag. 112. 40 cites ⋯ντηρετ⋯ω, and Bekker's Anecd. Graeca, 411, apparently has ⋯ντηρ⋯της in a literal sense.

page 59 note 3 Just as ⋯ξυπηρετ⋯ω (Soph, . Track. 1156, Lysias, Eratosth. 23Google Scholar, etc.) connotes the exertion of the utmost pains in assistance (cf. συνηρετ⋯ω) or, it may be, in humouring—for the latter, see Housman, (J.P. xx, 1891, pp. 29–30)Google Scholar and Pearson (C.Q. xxiii, 1929, p. 92)Google Scholaron Soph. O.T. 217.

page 59 note 4 The Septem both begins and ends with the metaphor of the Ship of State, which is introduced, sometimes with much elaboration, on at least six other occasions (w. 62,114, 208–10, 652, 759–61, 795–6). Other figures from the ship are frequent in the play, e.g. horses’ bridles called rudders (vv. 206–7), the beating of the hands in mourning compared to rowing (v. 855). Since this was written I note Stanford's remarks on the ‘dominant image’ of the Septem (Aeschylus in His Style, 09 1942, pp. 96–8)Google Scholar.

page 60 note 1 I am neglecting a small number of words which are said to have a third origin, viz. to be cognate with ρα (acc.) e.g. ⋯ρ⋯ηρος. Though ⋯ρ⋯ηρες ⋯ταȋροι is used, I find, in connexion with ships in more than half its occurrences in Homer, ⋯ρ⋯ηρος is also applied to ⋯οιδ⋯ς (ter) and is qualified erg- by ⋯μο⋯ in Od. ix. 555, which effectively disposes of any attractive attempt to take it as ‘good at the oar’. But there is much doubt about these words. It is usual, for instance, to connect θυμᾱρ⋯ς with ⋯ραρ⋯σκω (e.g. by L. & S.9), but I should be inclined to relate it to ρα, cf. the phrase θυμῷ ρα ϕ⋯ροντς, II. xiv. 132. Boisacq unfortunately does not discuss θυμᾱρ⋯ς.

page 60 note 2 Both principles, generalization and analogical creation, are well illustrated in Greek by the extensive series of adjectives σϕηκώδης, ⋯γκώδης, ληρώδης, etc., formed from εὐώδης, ‘sweet- scented’.

page 60 note 3 I use ‘sea’ throughout for ‘sea’ or ‘lake’ or ‘river’, as I refrain from seeking to use the root erg- to throw light on the problem of the Urheimat.

page 60 note 4 Such an oblivion as is shown in (say) the sentence ‘he uses a quill for a pen’. It was, in the fact, no longer a metaphor, there being, apart from lexicography, no such thing as a ‘dead metaphor’ (see Stanford's Greek Metaphor, pp. 84–5).

page 60 note 5 I do not think that it can be argued that this name had any reference to their specially trained crews of crack oarsmen.

page 61 note 1 For a similar transference of a word from one fighting service to another cf. the English word ‘crew’, which originally meant ‘militaryreinforcements’ (cresco) Then it was extended to any company of men and has become largely (but not altogether) maritime.

page 61 note 2 Of the 30 instances of the four allied forms Dittenberger's SIG 2 only one has reference naval matters. This is in No. 129 (Hicks and Hill, 140), where ὑπηρεσἰαι is used ofthe ships’ crews which Spartocus and Paerisades, joint kings of Bosporus, requested the Athenians to supply (B.C. 346). ὑπηρεσἰα ‘trusty body of attendants’ (Tyrrell and Purser) occurs among Greek, Cicero's words (Epp. ad Atticum, ix. 13)Google Scholar.

page 61 note 3 All three peculiar to St. Luke, see Hobart, , Medical Language of St. Luke, Dublin, 1882 pp. 88–9, 224–5Google Scholar.

page 61 note 4 I must express my obligation to Miss Esmee M. Thomas for making this accessible to me.