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[532] βούβρωξτις is explained by the scholia as “οἶστρος”, a fatal gadfly drives him over the earth (“ἔνιοι δὲ βούβρωστιν τὸν οἶκτον ἐξεδέξαντο” Schol. A: “ λεγ. τὸν οἶστρον”). Cf. Aisch. P. V. 681οὶστροπλὴξ δ᾽ ἐγὼ μάστιγι θείαι γῆν πρὸ γῆς ἐλαύνομαι”. The metaphor is a very favourite one in Greek, as will be seen on reference to “οἶστρος” and its compounds in the Lexica. This gives a good enough sense. Another explanation also found favour in antiquity, viz. that the word meant famine, ravenous hunger, on the analogy of the later “βουλιμία”. But this looks hardly like an Epic formation; and as to the real meaning of the word the late Epics and scholiasts had probably no better means of judging than we. The most important piece of information we get from them is that a goddess “Βούβρωστις” was worshipped at Smyrna with a sacrifice of a black bull. If the word really means ‘gadfly,’ this will be an interesting parallel to Apollo “Σμινθεύς” and “Παρνόπιος”, while a goddess of famine is not a Greek conception. For the formation of the word cf. “βούπρηστις”, a beetle which poisons cattle.

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    • Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound, 681
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