SOL Search

[Meaning something] very distinct, very talkative, cunning, sophistical, persuasive, artful. At times it also means good and impressive.[1]
"As he could not tolerate the subtlety of the misfortunes, he rubbished Bahram with insults in women's clothing".[2]
Aristophanes in Clouds [writes]: "first, to be pleasant in company". Namely to be winning and gracious in meeting and in society with others.[3] Aristophanes [sc. also writes]: "my Kleitophon and the elegant Theramenes". Meaning urbane. Kleitophon used to be satirised as lazy. But here [Aristophanes] wants to show that he is untrustworthy and cunning.[4]
"Completing a treatise on the soul, which he subtly meditated over for some time".[5]
"And if someone were to say that he would die twice, he would not appear [sc. too] subtle, but rather [one] of the more sensible people."[6]
And elsewhere: "the notion [is] subtle and very much your kind of thing."[7]

*komyo/n: peri/tranon, peri/lalon, panou=rgon, a)pathtiko/n, piqano/n, texniko/n. e)/sti d' o(/te kai\ a)gaqo\n kai\ spoudai=on. o( de\ to\ tw=n a)tuxhma/twn ou) fe/rwn komyo\n ai)sxi/stais u(/bresi to\n *bara\m e)couqe/nhse gunaikei/a| e)sqh=ti. *)aristofa/nhs *nefe/lais: prw=ton me\n ei)=nai komyo\n e)n sunousi/a|. toute/sti piqano\n kai\ eu)/xarin e)n suno/dw| kai\ th=| pro\s tou\s e(te/rous koinwni/a|. *)aristofa/nhs: ou(mo\s de\ *kleitofw=n te kai\ *qhrame/nhs o( komyo/s. a)nti\ tou= a)stei=os. *kleitofw=n de\ w(s a)rgo\s e)kwmw|dei=to. nu=n de\ w(s pali/mbolon kai\ panou=rgon bou/letai au)to\n a)podei=cai. dielqw\n lo/gon peri\ yuxh=s, e)k xro/nou komyw=s memerimnhme/non. kai\ ei)/ tis au)tou\s a)poqanei=n di\s le/goi, ou)k a)\n fanei/h komyo/s, a)lla\ tw=n sunetwte/rwn. kai\ au)=qis: to\ pra=gma komyo\n kai\ sfo/dr' e)k tou= sou= tro/pou.

See also kappa 2022, kappa 2023 kappa 2024.
[1] Neuter singular of this adjective, with same or similar glossing elsewhere (see the references at Photius, Lexicon kappa926 Theodoridis). These senses cluster around "elegant" as applied to rhetoric.
[2] Theophylact Simocatta, Histories 3.8.1. "When Hormizd discerned these matters, and as he could not tolerate the subtlety of the misfortunes, he rubbished Bahram with most disgraceful insults, bestowing women's clothing to him as trophies for his infamy." The misfortune was Bahram Chobin's defeat by the Byzantines; following his humiliation by Khosrau II (and not Khosrau's father, Hormizd IV), Bahram briefly overthrew Khosrau in 590. The "subtlety" of the misfortune may be that Bahram was thought to have been outsmarted by the Byzantines.
[3] Aristophanes, Clouds 649. The interpretation is taken from the scholia there.
[4] Aristophanes, Frogs 967. The interpretation is excerpted from the scholia there.
[5] Damascius, Life of Isidore fr. 178 Zintzen (109 Asmus).
[6] Quotation unidentifiable.
[7] Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 93.

David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 25 January 2009@05:32:43.
David Whitehead (tweaking) on 11 March 2013@05:34:46.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 9 April 2013@01:52:48.
David Whitehead (coding) on 2 May 2016@04:53:25.

Suda On Line Search