βέλος

βέλος, εος, τό,

A missile, esp. arrow, dart, freq. in Hom.; of the piece of rock hurled by the Cyclops,

τόντονδε βαλὼν β. Od.9.495

; of an ox's leg thrown by one of the suitors at Ulysses, 20.305; of a stool, 17.464; ὑπὲκ βελέων out of the reach of darts, out of shot, Il.4.465;

ἐκ βελέων 11.163

;

ἔξω βελῶν X.Cyr.3.3.69

, etc.;

ἔξω βέλους Arr.An. 2.27.1

, Luc.Hist.Conscr.4; opp. ἐντὸς βέλους, D.S.20.6, Arr.An. 1.2.5; εἴσω β. παρελθεῖν ib.1.6.8.

2 used of any weapon, as a sword, Ar.Ach.345, cf. S.Aj.658; an axe, E.El.1159; the sting of a scorpion, A.Fr.169; of the gad-fly, Id.Supp.556.

3 ἀγανὰ βέλεα of Apollo, Il.24.759, Od.3.280, and of Artemis, ib.5.124, denote sudden, easy death of men and women respectively; βέλος ὀξύ, of Ilithyia, pangs of childbirth, Il.11.269, cf. Theoc.27.29.

4 after Hom. of anything swift-darting, Διὸς βέλη the bolts of Zeus, lightnings, Pi.N.10.8, cf. Hdt.4.79, etc.;

Ζηνὸς ἄγρυπνον β. A.Pr.360

; πύρπνουν β. ib.917; βέλεσι πυρπνόου ζάλης, of a storm, ib.373;

πάγων δύσομβρα β. S.Ant.358

: metaph., ὀμμάτων β. glance of the eye, A.Ag. 742; φίλοικτον β. a piteous glance, ib. 241 (lyr.); ἱμέρου β. the shaft of love, Id.Pr.649;

θυμοῦ βέλη S.OT893

(s.v.l.); of arguments,

πᾶν τετόξευται β. A.Eu.679

, cf. Pl.Phlb.23b; β. τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος, of invective, Lib.Or.51.8; of mental anguish or fear,

ἄτλατον β. Pi.N. 1.48

(v.l. δέος)

ὁ φθόνος αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἑοῖς βελέεσσι δαμάζει AP10.111

.

5 engine of war, Ph.Bel.82.8: pl., artillery, ib.97.10. (Cf. βάλλω, Lith. gélti 'sting', gēla\ 'sharp pain', OHG.quelan 'feel sharp pain'. Root g[uglide]el- 'pierce', cf. δέλλιθες.)