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πελειάδα. ‘To speak like a bird’ was a Greek expression for speaking unintelligibly. Cf. Aes. Ag. 1050 δίκην χελιδόνος ἀγνῶτα φωνὴν βάρβαρον κεκτημένη, (contemptuously) of Cassandra, and Aristoph. Ran. 681Θρῃκία χελιδών”, of Cleophon. Various suggestions are made to explain H.'s unusual rationalism; there is supposed to be a reference to the fact that the aged were called in Epirus πέλειοι (Hesych.); others suggest that the priestesses were called ‘doves’ metaphorically (cf. the title μέλισσαι for the priestesses of Ephesian Artemis), and that the myth grew up to explain the title. Such suggestions are ingenious but unnecessary. H.'s conjectures are quite in accordance with Hellenic ideas, and also quite valueless.

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