ἄωτον: Difference between revisions

|Definition=[ᾰ], τό, and ἄωτος, ὁ, <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> [[the choicest]], [[the flower of its kind]]: in Hom. mostly of the [[finest wool]], οἰὸς ἄωτον <span class="bibl">Il.13.599</span>,<span class="bibl">716</span>, <span class="bibl">Od.1.443</span>; without [[οἰός]] (which must be supplied from the context), [[flock]], [[down]], <span class="bibl">9.434</span>; once of the [[finest linen]], λίνοιό τε λεπτὸν ἄωτον <span class="bibl">Il.9.661</span>; of the golden fleece, χρύσεον ἄωτον <span class="bibl">A.R.4.176</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Orph.<span class="title">A.</span>1336</span>; <b class="b3">ἄκρον ἄωτον [ὕδατος</b>], of [[pure]] water, <span class="bibl">Call.<span class="title">Ap.</span>112</span>; of the [[foam]] on a wave, κύματος ἄκρῳ ἀ. <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Hec.</span>1.4.3</span>; μέλιτος ἄ. γλυκύς <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">Pae.</span>6.59</span>: freq. in Pi., <b class="b3">ἄ. ζωᾶς</b> [[the prime]] or [[flower]] of life, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">I.</span>5(4).12</span>; <b class="b3">ἄ. στεφάνων</b> [[the fairest]] of... ib.<span class="bibl">6(5).4</span>, cf. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">O.</span>5.1</span>; <b class="b3">Χαρίτων ἄ</b>. their [[fairest gift]], <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">I.</span> 8(7).16</span>; <b class="b3">σοφίας ἄκρος ἄ</b>. the [[choicest gift]] of minstrel's art, ib.<span class="bibl">7(6).18</span>; <b class="b3">ἄ. γλώσσας</b>, i.e. a song, ib.<span class="bibl">1.51</span>; ὕμνων <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">P.</span>10.53</span>; δίκας ἄ. <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">N.</span>3.29</span>; Ἀφροδίτας . . ἄωτον <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Supp.</span>666</span> (lyr.): rarely in plural, στεφάνων ἄωτοι <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">O.</span>9.19</span>; ἡρώων ἄωτοι <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">N.</span>8.9</span>; ῥόδων ἄωτοι <span class="bibl">Simon.148</span>: in Epitaphs, <b class="b3">θνῄσκω . . ἀκμᾶς ἐν ἀώτῳ</b> [[in the flower]] of youth, <span class="title">IG</span>3.1328; τὸν . . ἄωτον τοῦ δήμου <span class="title">CIG</span>2804, cf. <span class="title">Epigr.Gr.</span>455. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> [[that which gives honour and glory]] to a thing, <b class="b3">ἄ. ἵππων</b> [[a song in praise of]] horses, <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">O.</span>3.4</span>; χειρῶν ἄ. ἐπίνικον <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">O.</span>8.75</span>.—The gender is indeterminate in Hom. and A.; Pi. always has [[ἄωτος]], and so <span class="bibl">Theoc.13.27</span>; A.R. and later Ep. [[ἄωτον]] (<span class="bibl">Opp.<span class="title">C.</span>4.154</span>, <b class="b3">οἰὸς ἄωτα</b> in plural).</span>