The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

κώπη

kope

handle

Appears 5 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

κώπη, ἡ,
handle (v. fin.); esp.
1. handle of an oar, Hsch.: hence, the oar itself (not in Il.), ἐμβαλέειν κώπῃς Od. 9.489; κώπῃσιν ἁλὸς ῥηγμῖνα . . τύπτετε 12.214, cf. Sapph. 120, etc.; οἱ τὰς κ. ξύοντες Thphr. HP 5.1.6, cf. κωποξύστης; κώπαν σχάσον, metaph., ‘stay thy hand’, Pi. P. 10.51; νερτέρᾳ προσήμενος κώπῃ, = θαλαμίτης, metaph., of a man of low rank, A. Ag. 1618; πομπίμοις κώπαις ἐρέσσων S. Tr. 561; παραπέμπειν ἐφʼ ἕνδεκα κώπαις, a prov. of dub. origin, meaning ‘to escort with all the honours’, Ar. Eq. 546, cf. Eust. 1540.44, Suid. s.v. ἐφʼ ἕνδεκα; κώπαισι πλεῖν take to the oars, when the wind fails, Men. 241; κώπαις ποιεῖσθαι τὸν πλοῦν Arist. IA 710a19: poet., to express ships, κλεινᾷ σὺν κώπᾳ, of Agamemnonʼs fleet, E. IT 140 (lyr.), cf. Hel. 1272, 1452 (lyr.).
2. handle of a sword, hilt, ἐπʼ ἀργυρέῃ κώπῃ σχέθε χεῖρα Il. 1.219, cf. Od. 8.403; ξίφεος δʼ ἐπεμαίετο κώπην 11.531; χεῖρα κώπης ἐπιψαύουσαν S. Ph. 1255; φάσγανον κώπης λαβών E. Hec. 543.
3. handle of a key, κώπη δʼ ἐλέφαντος ἐπῆεν Od. 21.7.
4. haft of a torch, E. Cyc. 484 (anap.).
5. handle or spoke by which a mill is turned, PSI 5.530.10 (iii B.C.), Agatharch. 26, PRyl. 167.11 (i A.D.), Luc. Asin. 42.
6. haft of a whip, Hsch. s.v. Κερκυραία μάστιξ.
7. pl., spars or bars used in building-operations, IG 1(2).313.135. (Cf. Lat. cap-io, Engl. haft, etc.)
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