The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

θέλγω

thelgo

enchant, be witch

Appears 21 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

θέλγω, Ion. impf. θέλγεσκεν Od. 3.264: fut. θέλξω 16.298,A. Pr. 865, Dor. -ξῶ Theoc. Ep. 5.3: aor. ἔθελξα Il. (v. infr.):—Med., Alc. Supp. 11.7:—Pass., fut. θελχθήσομαι Luc. Salt. 85: aor. ἐθέλχθην Od. 10.326, Ep. 3pl. -χθεν 18.212:—poet. Verb (used by Pl. Smp. 197e, and in late Prose, as Phld. Mus.p.72K., Jul. Or. 4.150c, etc.), A. enchant, be witch, [Ἑρμῆς] ἀνδρῶν ὄμματα θέλγει Od. 5.47, al.; τὸν . . Ποσειδάων ἐδάμασσε θέλξας ὄσσε φαεινά Il. 13.435; [Κίρκη] οὐδʼ ὣς θέλξαι σε δυνήσεται Od. 10.291, cf. 326 (Pass.); [Σειρῆνες] πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλγουσιν, ὅτις σφέας εἰσαφίκηται 12.40; [θύελλα] θέλγε νόον spell-bound their senses, Il. 12.255. 2. cheat, cozen, Od. 16.195,298, S. Tr. 710: c. dat. modi, μήτε τί μοι ψεύδεσσι χαρίζεο μήτε τι θέλγε Od. 14.387; μαλακοῖσι καὶ αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισι 1.57; ψεύδεσσι, δόλῳ, Il. 21.276,604; ἔπεσσιν Od. 3.264. 3. metaph., charm, beguile, 17.521; οἱ ἐλπὶς ἔθελγε νόον h.Cer. 37, cf. Pi. P. 1.12, D.Chr. 45.5; καί μʼ οὔτι μελιγλώσσοις πειθοῦς ἐπαοιδαῖσιν θέλξει A. Pr. 174: σὺ δὲ θέλγοις ἂν ἄθελκτον Id. Supp. 1055; θέλγει ἔρως E. Hipp. 1274 (lyr.); ᾠδῆς . . , ἣν ᾄδει θέλγων . . νόημα Pl. Smp. 197e:—Pass., μήθʼ ὕπνῳ θελχθῇς E. IA 142 (lyr.); τὰ δʼ οὔτι θέλγεται A. Ch. 420 (lyr.); ἔρῳ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἔθελχθεν Od. 18.212; Μούσαισιν . . τὴν φρένα θελγομένη (which may be Med.) IG 14.1960. 4. c. inf., ἵμερος θέλξει τὸ μὴ κτεῖναι will persuade her not to kill, A. Pr. 865; ἔρως δέ νιν . . θέλξειεν αἰχμάσαι τάδε S. Tr. 355; ἕπεσθαι θ. Ael. NA 10.14. 5. produce by spells, ἀοιδαὶ θέλξαν νιν (sc. εὐφροσύναν) Pi. N. 4.3; [Γαλήνη] θ. ἀνηνεμίην AP 9.544 (Adaeus). (Perh. cf. Lith. žuelgiù ‘look’, ‘glance’.)
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