α?τη (ἀάω): ruinous mischief, ruin, usually in
consequence of blind and criminal folly, infatuation;
ἦ με μαλ᾽ εἰς α?την κοιμήσατε νηλέι
ὕπνῳ (addressed to the gods by Odysseus; while he slept
his comrades had laid hands on the cattle of Helius), Od. 12.372, cf. Il. 2.111, Il. 8.237
; τὸν δ᾽ α?τη φρένας εἷλε,
‘blindness’ (cf. what follows, στῆ δὲ ταφών: Patroclus stands dazed by the shock
received from Apollo), Il. 16.805
; εἵνεκ᾽ ἐμεἶο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου
ἕνεκ̓ α?της (said by Helen), Il. 6.356; pl., ἐμα?ς α?τα_ς
κατέλεξας,
Il. 9.115, Κ
391, Il. 19.270. The
notions of folly and the consequences of folly are naturally confused
in this word, cf. Il. 24.480, and
some of the passages cited above.— Personified, ?῎ατη, Ate, the goddess of
infatuation, πρέσβα Διὸς θυγάνηρ ?῎ατη, ἣ
πάντας ἀᾶται, Il. 19.91
(see what follows as far as v. 130, also Il.
9.500 ff.).