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[Meaning] folly, insolence.[1]
Procopius [writes]: "those being wronged are accustomed to turn to senselessness",[2] as the Blues when they suffered at the hands of Justinian. "And first the [styles] of the factions concerning their hair were adapted to new fashion. For they did not cut it at all as the others did. They did not attend to their moustaches or beards at all, but they wished to grow it out forever, as long as possible, just like the Persians. But the hair on their heads in the front they cut up to their temples; the hair in back they allowed to hang down to a great length for no reason, just like the Massagetae. Wherefore this very style was called 'Hunnic'. And they thought their cloaks should be finely-bordered."[3]
And elsewhere Julian [writes]: "not to foresee what is possible and what is impossible in matters is a sign of the utmost senselessness."[4]

*)apo/noia: a)/noia, u(/bris. *proko/pios: a)dikou/menoi ei)w/qasin ei)s a)po/noian tre/pesqai oi( a)/nqrwpoi, o(/per e)/paqon kai\ oi( *be/netoi e)pi\ *)ioustinianou=. kai\ prw=ta me\n toi=s stasiw/tais ta\ a)mfi\ th\n ko/mhn e)s new/tero/n tina parabe/blhtai tro/pon. a)pekei/ronto ga\r au)th\n ou)de\n o(moi/ws toi=s a)/llois. tou= me\n ga\r mu/stakos kai\ tou= genei/ou ou)damh= h(/ptonto, a)ll' au)to\n katakoma=n e)pi\ plei=ston w(/sper oi( *pe/rsai e)s a)ei\ h)/qelon. tw=n de\ e)n th=| kefalh=| trixw=n ta\ e)/mprosqen a)/xri e)s tou\s krota/fous a)potemno/menoi, ta\ o)/pisqen a)pokre/masqai/ sfisin e)pi\ makro/taton lo/gw| ou)deni\ ei)/wn, w(s oi( *massage/tai. dio\ kai\ *ou)nniko\n e)kalei=to to\ au)to\ ei)=dos. kai\ ta\ i(ma/tia eu)pa/rufa h)ci/oun ei)=nai. kai\ au)=qis *)iouliano/s: to\ mh\ proide/sqai to/ te dunato\n kai\ to\ a)du/naton e)n pra/gmasi th=s e)sxa/ths a)ponoi/as e)sti\ shmei=on.

[1] Likewise in other lexica.
[2] Procopius, Secret History 7.5 (web address 1), on the hooliganism and criminality prevalent among the Blue and Green factions; cf. Kaldellis (32). The clause that follows is not in Procopius and is in fact a misrepresentation: Justinian (cf. iota 446) openly supported, agitated, and fired-up the Blues; cf. Procopius, Secret History 7.6 (web address 2). The Blues and Greens were rival circus guilds and enjoyed imperial sponsorship; cf. Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium s.v. Factions and Kaldellis (32 note).
[3] Procopius, Secret History 7.8-11 (web address 3), on the personal styles adopted by adherents of the Byzantine circus guilds; cf. Kaldellis (32), gamma 142, epsilon 3640.
[4] Julian, Epistles fr.165a.

David Whitehead (augmented note; added keywords; cosmetics) on 9 May 2002@10:13:31.
Catharine Roth (cosmetics) on 14 February 2008@18:17:59.
David Whitehead (more keywords; cosmetics) on 4 April 2012@05:35:30.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 11 July 2015@16:28:25.
David Whitehead on 28 August 2015@07:21:52.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.2; added bibliography, cross-reference, and links) on 20 February 2024@12:06:38.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.3, added link) on 22 February 2024@10:55:18.

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