The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

χλαῖνα

chlaina

upper-garment, cloak, wrapper

Appears 58 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

χλαῖνα, ης, ἡ, A. upper-garment, cloak, wrapper, worn loose over the χιτών, Hom. (v. infr.), Alc. Supp. 9.3, Sapph. Supp. 22.9, etc.: in Hom. worn only by men, ἀνεμοσκεπής, ἀλεξάνεμος, Il. 16.224, Od. 14.529; πυκνὴ καὶ μεγάλη ib.520; οὔλη 4.50, al.; ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα χλαῖναν περονήσατο φοινικόεσσαν διπλῆν ἐκταδίην Il. 10.133; ἀπʼ ὤμοιϊν χ. θέτο Od. 21.118; βῆ δὲ θέειν, ἀπὸ δὲ χ. βάλε Il. 2.183, cf. Od. 14.500; given as a prize, Hdt. 2.91; as ransom, Il. 24.230; αἱ Πελληνικαὶ χ. ἃς καὶ ἆθλα ἐτίθεσαν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι Str. 8.7.5; also used as a blanket or covering in sleep, Od. 4.299, 20.4; δέμνια καὶ χλαῖναι καὶ ῥήγεα 11.189; χλαῖναι καὶ ῥήγεα . . ἐνεύδειν 3.349; of husband and wife, μίμνομεν μιᾶς ὑπὸ χλαίνης S. Tr. 540, cf. E. Fr. 603.4, Theoc. 18.19, AP 5.164 (Mel.), 168 (Ascl.): metaph., χθονὸς χλαῖνα, i. e. earth thrown over a body like a cloak or blanket, A. Ag. 872: porv., ᾗ μήτε χ. μήτε σισύρα συμφέρει content neither with cloak nor rug, i.e. never satisfied, Ar. Ra. 1459 (the σισύρα being coarser, cf. χλαῖναν μαλακήν, σισύραν Id. V. 738 (anap.)); but also χ. δέ σοι λαβὼν παχεῖαν ἐπιβαλῶ Λακωνικήν Theopomp.Com. 10; χ. πωλεῖν, when spring comes, Ar. Av. 715 (anap.), cf. χλαῖνα· χλανίς, ἢ ἱμάτιον χειμερινόν, Hsch.: prov., ἐν τῷ θέρει τὴν χ. κατατρίβων, of reckless improvidence, Metrod. Fr. 55: τράγου χ. μελέα, of a goatskin cloak, E. Cyc. 80 (lyr.).
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