ψιμύθιον
κινδυνεύει μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν οὐδέτερος οὐδὲν καλὸν κἀγαθὸν εἰδέναι, ἀλλ᾽ οὗτος μὲν οἴεταί τι εἰδέναι οὐκ εἰδώς, ἐγὼ δέ, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐκ οἶδα, οὐδὲ οἴομαι· ἔοικα γοῦν τούτου γε σμικρῷ τινι αὐτῷ τούτῳ σοφώτερος εἶναι, ὅτι ἃ μὴ οἶδα οὐδὲ οἴομαι εἰδέναι. → for neither of us appears to know anything great and good; but he fancies he knows something, although he knows nothing; whereas I, as I do not know anything, so I do not fancy I do. In this trifling particular, then, I appear to be wiser than he, because I do not fancy I know what I do not know.
English (LSJ)
(v. infr.), τό,
A = ψίμυθος, white lead, used as a pigment, esp. to whiten the skin of the face, Ar.Ec.878,929, Amips.3, Dialex.2.6, etc.; even for the hair, Pl.Ly.217d; ἐντετριμμένην ψιμυθίῳ X.Oec.10.2; περιπεπλασμένη ψιμυθίοις... ἀνάπλεῳ ψιμυθίου, Eub.98, cf. Ar.Ec.1072; τῷ ψ. κεχρισμένος Jul.Or.7.233b; also used in salves, Gp.17.7.2, 18.15.3: for its preparation, v. Thphr.Lap.56. (Written ψιμίθιον in PCair.Zen.763.19, 789.11,12 (iii B. C.), IG5(1).1390.22 (Andania, i B. C.), POxy.1088.4 (i A. D.), PLond.3.928.21, PMed.Strassb.p.4 (ii A. D.), and as v.l. in Dsc.5.88, etc.; ψιμμύθιον Jul. l. c., v. l. in GP. Il. cc.; ψιμμίθιον as v. l. in Dsc. l. c.: Aeol. ψημύθιον, acc. to Choerob. in Theod.1.201 H., Id. in An.Ox.2.241 (Ion. acc. to EM103.25): v. ψιμυθιόω.) [ῡ, Ar. ll. cc., etc.; ψῑ- indeterminate in these passages; ψῑμῡθίου in a hexam. (Nic.Al.75) might be due to metrical lengthening of ψῐ-: cf. ψίμυθος.]
