The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

θάλαμος

thalamos

an inner room

Appears 67 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

θάλαμος [θᾰ], ὁ, A. an inner room or chamber, surrounded by other buildings: freq. in Hom., 1. generally, womenʼs apartment, inner part of the house, like μυχός, Il. 3.142,174, Od. 4.121, etc.: in pl., Il. 18.492; ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρεώνων . . ἐς τοὺς θ. Hdt. 1.34. 2. a special chamber in this part of the house, a. bedroom, esp. of the lady of the house, Il. 3.423, al., Hdt. 1.12, 3.78, Plu. Alc. 23; esp. bride-chamber, Il. 11.227, Pi. P. 2.33 (pl.), S. Tr. 913, E. Hipp. 540 (lyr., pl.); also, bedroom of an unmarried son, Od. 1.425, 19.48. b. store-room, esp. for valuables, Il. 24.191, Od. 21.8, X. Oec. 9.3, etc.; ὄλβου διοίγων θάλαμον E. Fr. 285.8. c. generally, chamber, room, Od. 23.192, POxy. 1144.2 (i/ii A.D.). 3. house, mansion (not in Hom.), Pi. O. 5.13 (pl.), 6.1; βασιλικοὶ θ. E. Ion 486 (lyr.). II. metaph., ὁ παγκοίτας θ., of the grave, S. Ant. 804 (anap.); τυμβήρης θ., of the prison of Danae, ib.947 (lyr.); θάλαμοι ὑπὸ γῆς the realms below, A. Pers. 624; γᾶς θάλαμοι E. HF 807 (lyr.); θ. Περσεφονείας Id. Supp. 1022 (lyr.); θ. Ἀμφιτρίτας, of the sea, S. OT 195 (lyr.); πολυδένδρεσσιν Ὀλύμπου θαλάμοις E. Ba. 561 (lyr., θαλάμαις cj. Barnes); ἀρνῶν θ. folds or pens, Id. Cyc. 57 (lyr.). III. the lowest, darkest part of the ship, the hold, Timae. 114, Poll. 1.87; cf. θαλάμη II. IV. used of certain mystic shrines or chapels, sacred to Apis, Ael. NA 11.10, cf. Plin. HN 8.185; the innermost shrine, Luc. Syr.D. 31.
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