ψάμμος
τίς δ' οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μέν ἐστι κατθανεῖν, τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν κάτω νομίζεται → who knows if life is death, and if in the underworld death is considered life
English (LSJ)
ἡ, but in Archim.Aren.1.1, al., always ὁ:—
A sand, used by Hom. for ψάμαθος only in Od.12.243, later very freq., Hdt.8.71, etc.: pl., grains of sand, αἱ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἐσκεδασμέναι ψάμμοι S.E.P.1.130: prov., ψάμμος ἀριθμὸν περιπέφευγεν Pi.O.2.98; οἶδα δ' ἐγὼ ψάμμου τ' ἀριθμόν Orac. ap. Hdt.1.47; ἐκ ψάμμου σχοινίον πλέκειν, of labour in vain, Aristid.2.309J.; of something worthless, LXX Wi.7.9, D. Chr.77/8.30; ψάμμου ἄξιον Oenom. ap. Eus.PE5.21. 2 metallic ore used by alchemists, in pl., Olymp.Alch.p.106B., Zos.Alch. p.239 B. II ἡ ψ. the sandy desert of Libya, the sand, Hdt.3.25, 4.173; πλείστης ψάμμου OGI666.27 (Egypt, i A. D.). (Prob. Ψαφ-μος, cf. ψαφαρός, ψῆφος, Lat. sabulum.)
German (Pape)
[Seite 1391] ἡ, bei Archimed. immer ὁ, 1) der Sand, die lockere Erde, die sich leicht aufscharren, aufkratzen (ψάω) läßt; Hom. nur einmal, Od. 12, 243; Her. oft u. Folgde; ψάμμου ἀριθμὸν πέφευγεν Pind. Ol. 2, 108; παραλία Aesch. Prom. 573. – 2) alles dem Sande Aehnliche, Lockere, Kleingeriebene, Staub, Pulver, Mehl, Sp.
