HA´RPAGO
HA´RPAGO (
ἁρπάγη:
λύκος:
κρεάγρα:
κρεαγρίς), a grappling-iron,
a drag, a flesh-hook (Ex. 27.3; 1 Sam. 2.13, 14 Sept.=
fuscinula Vulg.;
Aristoph. Kn.
772,
Vesp. 1155,
Eccl. 1002;
Anaxipp.
fr. 6 M.). The iron-fingered flesh-hook
(
κρεάγρα σιδηροδάκτυλας, Brunck,
Anal. 2.215 =
Anth. Pal. 6.101) is
described by the Scholiast on Aristophanes (
Ep. l.c.), as
“an instrument used in cookery, resembling a hand with the fingers
bent inwards, used to that boiled meat out of the caldron.” Four
specimens of it, in bronze, are in the British Museum.
[p. 1.934]One of them is here represented. Into its hollow extremity a
wooden handle was inserted.
 |
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Harpago, flesh-hook. (British Museum.)
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A similar instrument, or even the flesh-hook itself (Aristoph.
Eccles. l.c.;
Eur. Cycl. 33）
was used to draw up a bucket or to recover anything which had fallen into a
well (Menand.
fr. 730 M.; Hesych.
s. vv.
Ἁρπάγη, Κρεάγρα, Λύκος,). For the
name
λύκος applied to hooked instruments,
cf. L. and S. s. v.
In war the grappling-iron, thrown at an enemy's ship, seized the rigging, and
was then used to drag the ship within reach, so that it might be easily
boarded or destroyed (
Ἅρπαξ, Moschion ap.
Ath. v. p. 208 d; Appian,
App. BC 5.118;
asseres ferreo unco praefixi (
harpagones vocant),
Liv.
30.10.16). These instruments appear to have been much the same as
the
manus ferreae (
manus
ferreae atque harpagones, Caes.
B.C. 1.57; Q.
Curt. 4.9;
D. C.
49.3,
50.32,
34). The
manus ferreae were employed by
Duilius against the Carthaginians (
Flor. 2.2;
Front.
Strateg. 2.3.24), and were said to have been invented
by Pericles (
Plin. Nat. 7.209).
[
J.Y] [
W.W]
