SOL Search

Meaning [full of] a marvel.[1]
"With Chosroes enticing him to come to this point of absurdity."[2]
Meaning of irrationality, of thoughtlessness.
And elsewhere: "someone would wonder at the absurdity of the man, who at any rate, aside from other things, has dared to say even these things."[3]
And elsewhere: "when water appeared, it was, to him who had not discovered it, equally [produced] by absurdity."[4] That is, [by] wickedness.
Also [sc. attested is the related adjective] atopon ["absurd"] meaning irrational, amazing, paradoxical, strange, wicked, knavish; and that which does not have a place. Also that which is unbearable, such as not to be able to be pinned down.[5]
Aristophanes [says]: "some strange desire presses upon me, which has worn away at me."[6]
And elsewhere: "[he] having suspected some absurdity."[7]

*)atopi/as ple/wn pra=gma: a)nti\ tou= qau/matos. delea/santos au)to\n e)s tou=to a)topi/as e)lqei=n *xosro/ou. a)nti\ tou= a)logi/as, a)bouli/as. kai\ au)=qis: qauma/sai a)/n tis th\n a)topi/an tou= a)ndro\s, o(/s ge xwri\s a)/llwn teto/lmhke kai\ tau=ta le/gein. kai\ au)=qis: e)pei\ de\ a)nefa/nh u(/dwr, e)ci/sou tw=| mh\ eu(reqe/nti a)rxh\n u(po\ a)topi/as h)=n. toute/sti kaki/as. kai\ *)/atopon a)nti\ tou= a)/logon, qauma/sion, para/docon, ce/non, kako\n, moxqhro/n: kai\ o(\ mh\ e)/xei to/pon. kai\ to\ a)nupomo/nhton, oi(=on o(\ mh/ e)sti topa/sai. *)aristofa/nhs: a)/topos d' e)/gkeitai/ moi/ tis po/qos, o(/s me diaknai/sas e)/xei. kai\ au)=qis: a)topi/an u(potopa/sas tina/.

[1] Phrynichus, Praeparatio sophistica fr.273 (again at nu 222). The phrase "full of absurdity" (without "a matter") comes from Aristophanes, Frogs 1372, where "of a marvel" is a scholiast's gloss.
[2] Part of Menander Protector fr. 9.1 Blockley.
[3] Quotation unidentifiable
[4] Cassius Dio 75.2.2.
[5] cf. the scholia to Plato, Phaedo 60B (and to Republic 405D), where this word occurs.
[6] Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae 956-7 (web address 1 below); cf. delta 586.
[7] Quotation unidentifiable.

David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics) on 10 June 2002@05:09:22.
David Whitehead (modified translation of the Aristophanes passage) on 6 July 2003@06:54:38.
David Whitehead (more keywords; tweaks) on 4 March 2011@09:44:58.
David Whitehead (updated a reference) on 3 January 2012@05:01:45.
David Whitehead on 29 April 2012@04:26:33.
David Whitehead on 10 September 2015@07:30:42.
Catharine Roth (tweaked link) on 13 December 2015@22:24:53.

Suda On Line Search