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[Meaning] a missile [expressed] metaphorically
Sophocles [writes]: "in addition to these things, whatever my string-sped arrow might hit, unfortunate wretch that I am, I would crawl to it myself, dragging my foot."[1]
And Procopius [writes]: "when one of those defending themselves in the battlements sent forth a well-aimed arrow, he was hurt and killed."[2]
And Menander [writes]: "he shot at the barbarian and then stretched out the wing [sc. of the battle line] and sent a well-aimed arrow at Koch."[3]
And in the Epigrams: "he sends forth burning arrow upon burning arrow."[4]
An atraktos ["spindle"] [is] also the instrument of women.
"The spindle, the whirling servant of the spidery thread, not without its long distaff."[5]
And elsewhere: "and the finger-worn spindle, skimming over the spinning thread."[6]
And elsewhere: "and the staggering whistling spindle, agile spinner of the pliant thread."[7]

*)/atrakton: be/los metaforikw=s. *sofoklh=s: pro\s de\ tou/tois, o(/ moi ba/loi neurospadh\s a)/traktos, au)to\s a)\n ta/las ei)luo/mhn du/sthnos e)ce/lkwn po/da. kai\ *proko/pios: tino\s tw=n e)n tai=s e)pa/lcesin a)munome/nwn eu)stoxw/tata a)fie/ntos to\n a)/trakton a)nh/|rhtai blabei/s. kai\ *me/nandros: o( de\ e)petoca/zeto kata\ tou= barba/rou, kai\ ma/la eu)stoxw/tata to\ ke/ras e)ktei/nas a)fi/hsi to\n a)/trakton kata\ tou= *kw/x. kai\ e)n *)epigra/mmasi: qermo\n d' e)pi\ qermw=| i)a/llei a)/trakton. *)/atraktos kai\ to\ gunaikei=on e)rgalei=on. a)raxnai/oio mi/tou poludi/nea la/trin a)/trakton, dolixa=s ou)k a)/ter a)laka/tas. kai\ au)=qis: kai\ daktulo/tripton a)/trakton, spondulodinh/tw| nh/mati nhxo/menon. kai\ au)=qis: to/n te karhbare/onta, poluroi/bhton a)/trakton, klwsth=ra strepta=s eu)/dromon a(rpedo/nas.

[1] Sophocles, Philoctetes 289-291 (web address 1 below); cf. nu 271.
[2] Adler queried the attribution of this quotation to Procopius, and it is in fact unidentifiable.
[3] Menander Protector fr. 31.1 Blockley (242-245); cf. kappa 2311. Blockley notes that Koch (Kok, Kokh, Coch) is Turkish (cf. Blockley 286 note 325), but there is no context for this unplaced fragment which would help to name the archer or to further identify his victim. The Avar envoy to Priscus (in 593; cf. PLRE IIIb s.v. Priscus(6)) at Theophylact Simocatta, Histories 6.6.6 has the same name, but is evidently a different man; cf. PLRE IIIa s.v. Coch. On the Avars see generally alpha 18 note.
[4] Greek Anthology 5.188.3-4 (Leonidas of Tarentum), on the assaults of love; cf. Gow and Page (Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. I, 136) and (Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, 389-390).
[5] Greek Anthology 6.39.3-4 (Archias), three sisters dedicate spinning and weaving instruments to Athena, already in part at alpha 3749 and again at mu 1135; cf. Gow and Page (Garland of Philip, vol. I, 404-405); (Garland of Philip, vol. II, 437); and further excerpts from this epigram at mu 473, pi 2005, tau 38, and chi 208.
[6] Greek Anthology 6.247.3-4 (Philip), the weaver Aesione dedicates implements of her craft to Athena; cf. Gow and Page (Garland of Philip, vol. I, 312-313); (Garland of Philip, vol. II, 345); and further extracts from the same epigram at kappa 2515, lambda 371, omicron 587, and tau 39. An excerpt from another epigram (6.160) with the same theme follows.
[7] Greek Anthology 6.160.3-4 (Antipater of Sidon), another dedication of spinning and weaving instruments to Athena; cf. Gow and Page (Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. I, 12) and (Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, 36-37). Gow and Page find neither this epigram nor the previous one (6.247) to be compellingly genuine dedications (Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, 36).

R.C. Blockley, ed. and trans., The History of Menander the Guardsman, (Cambridge 1985)
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vols. IIIa and IIIb, (Cambridge, 1992)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. I, (Cambridge, 1965)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: Hellenistic Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge, 1965)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary Epigrams, vol. I, (Cambridge, 1968)
A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, eds., The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary Epigrams, vol. II, (Cambridge, 1968)

David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics) on 11 April 2002@11:57:20.
David Whitehead (another keyword) on 18 October 2005@05:58:38.
David Whitehead (tweaks and cosmetics) on 9 February 2011@10:13:48.
David Whitehead (updated a reference) on 3 January 2012@05:02:54.
David Whitehead on 29 April 2012@04:38:57.
David Whitehead on 10 September 2015@07:42:57.
Catharine Roth (tweaked notes) on 18 January 2020@23:29:15.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.6 and n.7, added bibliography, added cross-references, added keywords) on 23 October 2020@01:48:51.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.4, rearranged bibliography) on 24 October 2020@23:33:38.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.5, added cross-references) on 26 October 2020@14:05:06.
Ronald Allen (typo n.6) on 5 January 2023@13:09:36.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.3, added to bibliography, added cross-reference) on 25 August 2024@11:25:39.

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