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52. Pluralis maiestatis.

The use of the plural often gives the idea of fulness (“ὄγκος”); cf. AR. Rhet. 3.6, Ps.- Longin. § 23; hence it is often used in poetry, e. g. “δόμοι”, apartments;μέγαρα”, halls;γάμοι”, nuptial rites;ταφαί”, sepulchre (burial-grounds). Compare also the poetical use of “τεχνήματα, τεχνάσματα”, handiwork,παιδεύματα”, nursling, etc., and the prose expression “παιδικά”, favorite, which is used only in the plural form.

ISOC.9.16:μόνου τούτου” (sc. “Πηλέως”) “φασὶ τὧν προγεγενημένων ὑπὸ θεῶν ἐν τοῖς γάμοις ὑμέναιον ᾀσθῆναι”.

PLATO, Protag. 315E:παιδικὰ Παυσανίου τυγχάνει ὤν”, and so “παιδικά” elsewhere. Rpb. 383 B:ἐν τοῖς αὑτῆς” (sc. “Θέτιδος”) “γάμοις”.

XEN. Ven. 1.7:τῶν . . . μεγίστων γάμων μόνος ἔτυχεν ῾σξ. “Μελανίων”) Ἀταλάντης” .

THUC.1.132.5:ἀνὴρ Ἀργίλιος, παιδικά ποτε ὢν αὐτοῦ”.

HDT.3.10:ἐτάφη ἐν τῇσι ταφη?σι . . . τὰς αὐτὸς οἰκοδομήσατο”. 5.63: “ταφαί”.

AR. Ach. 450:ἀπωθοῦμαι δόμων” (parod.). 456:δόμων” (parod.). Vesp. 1026:παιδίχ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ” . Pax, 1206:σοι . . . εἰς τοὺς γάμους” . Av. 132:ἑστιᾶν γάμους” . Ran. 423:ἐν ταῖς ταφαῖσι” (parod.).

EUR. Hipp. 11: “Ἱππόλυτος, ἁγνοῦ Πιτθέως παιδεύματα”. Ion, 192:χρυσέαις ἅρπαις” . Or. 1053:μνῆμα . . . κέδρου τεχνἀσματα” .

SOPH. Ai. 231:κελαινοῖς ξίφεσιν” . Ibid. 1090 and 1109:εἰς ταφάς” , tomb. O. R.825:γάμοις”, and sim. elsewhere. Ibid. 861: “ἴωμεν ἐς δόμους”. Ibid. 1006: “σοῦ πρὸς δόμους ἐλθόντος”. So “δόμοι” and forms very often. Ph. 35-6: “ ἔκπωμα
” . . . | “τεχνήματ”(“α”).

AESCHYL. Ag. 1265:σκῆπτρα”. P. V. 909-10:ἐκ τυραννίδος θρόνων τε” .

PIND. O. 3.28: “ἀγγελίαις Εὐρυσθέος”. Ibid. 7.29: “ἐκ θαλάμων Μιδέας”. P. 3.26: “λέκτροισιν”. Ibid. 4.242: “Φρίξου μάχαιραι”. Ibid. 9.29: “ἐκ μεγάρων”. N. 3.43: “Φιλύρας ἐν δόμοις”.

HOM. Od. 3.476: “ἅρματ”(“α”). 5.6: “ἐν δώμασι νύμφης”. 8.268: “ἐν Ἡφαίστοιο δόμοισιν”. 21.424-5: “ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν” . . . | “ἥμενος”.

Il. 3.17: “καμπύλα τόξα”, bow;τ.” also bow and arrows. 5.745: “ὄχεα” (always in plural in Homer). 14.238: “δω_ρα δέ τοι δώσω καλὸν θρόνον”, and so “δῶρα” elsewhere. 18.141: “δώματα πατρός”. 22.503: “εὕδεσκ᾽ ἐν λέκτροισιν”. 24.455: “κληῖδα θυράων”, but v. 453: “θύρην”. However, “θύραι” is usually to be translated as folding-doors.πύλαι”, gate, is always plural in Homer.

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