πτερόν

πτερόν, τό, (πέτομαι, πτέσθαι) mostly in pl., A. feathers, Od. 15.527, Hdt. 2.73, etc.: in sg., feather, E. Rh. 618, Ar. Ach. 584, 1105; πτεροῦ σῦριγξ quill, Hp. Fist. 6; τὰ ὦτα πτερῷ κνωμένοις Luc. Salt. 2; ἀντὶ τριχῶν πτερὰ φύειν Pl. Ti. 91d (cf. Ar. Av. 106); ἡ τῶν π. ἀποβολή Pl. Phdr. 246d: prov., πόνου δʼ ἴδοις ἂν οὐδαμοῦ ταὐτὸν π. misery is of varied plumage, i.e. manifold, A. Supp. 329; τοῖς αὑτῶν π. ἁλίσκεσθαι to be shot with an arrow feathered from oneʼs own plumes, ‘hoist with oneʼs own petard’, Id. Fr. 139; ἀλλοτρίοις π. ἀγάλλεσθαι pride oneself on ‘borrowed plumes’, Luc. Pro Merc.Cond. 4; κείρευ πτερά ‘have your wings clipped’, Call. Epigr. 47.8. 2. = πτέρυξ, birdʼs wing, freq. in pl., wings, Il. 11.454, Od. 2.151, etc. (sg., A. Fr. 304.4); οἶμον αἰθέρος ψαίρει πτεροῖς Id. Pr. 396; Παλλάδος ὑπὸ πτεροῖς ὄντας, metaph. from chickens under the henʼs wings, Id. Eu. 1001 (lyr.); τὰ τέκνʼ ἔχων ὑπὸ πτεροῖς E. Heracl. 10, etc.: as an emblem of speed, ὡσεὶ π. ἠὲ νόημα Od. 7.36; πόδα τιθεὶς ἴσον πτεροῖς E. IT 32; δοκεῖτε πηδᾶν τἀδικήματʼ εἰς θεοὺς πτεροῖσι; Id. Fr. 506; also τῷ δʼ εὖτε πτερὰ γίγνετο he got as it were wings, i.e. spirit, courage, Il. 19.386; νωμᾷ δʼ ἐν οἰωνοῖσι τοὐκείνης (sc. Ἀφροδίτης) πτερόν, ἐν θηρσίν, ἐν βροτοῖσιν, ἐν θεοῖς her uplifting influence, S. Fr. 941.11. 3. wings of a bat, Hdt. 2.76; of insects, Arist. HA 532a25, PA 682b18, al. II. any winged creature, as the Sphinx, E. Ph. 806 (lyr.); a beetle, Ar. Pax 76. 2. omen, πιστὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν π. S. OC 97. III. anything like wings or feathers: as 1. oars, ἐρετμά, τά τε πτερὰ νηυσὶ πέλονται Od. 11.125; νηὸς πτερά Hes. Op. 628 (unless sails, cf. πτίλον III.2); ὅπῃ νεὼς στείλαιμʼ ἂν οὔριον π. E. Hel. 147; σκάφος ἀΐσσον πτεροῖσι Id. Tr. 1086 (lyr.): hence conversely, of birds, πτεροῖς ἐρέσσει Id. IT 289; πτερῶν εἰρεσίᾳ, of Hermes, Luc. Tim. 40. 2. ἀέθλων πτερά, i.e. the crown of victory, which lifts the victor to heaven, Pi. O. 14.24, cf.P. 9.125. 3. sg., wings of the wind, dub. in S. Fr. 23.3. 4. fan or parasol, Com. Adesp.1129. 5. π. ἱέρακος a hawkʼs wing, worn by the ἱερογραμματεύς in Egypt, D.S. 1.87. 6. feathered arrow, E. Hel. 76. 7. ploughshare, Lyc. 1072. 8. side-walls of Egyptian temples, Str. 17.1.28, Plu. 2.359a. b. battlements, Procop. Aed. 2.8. c. portcullis, or drawbridge, in gateways, Sch.E. Ph. 114. 9. πτερὰ Θετταλικά were the fluttering corners of a χλαμύς (v. πτέρυξ II.4), Poll. 7.46.