A List of epithets from the Greek Magical Papyri

that are not recorded in the LSJ and LSJ

Supplements
By ELENI PACHOUMI, Thessaloniki

In this paper I enclose a list of epithets which seem to be unique

to the Greek Magical Papyri.1 Particularly, it is a list of epithets
in the PGM2 that are not recorded at all in the LSJ and LSJ
Supplements.3 Most of these epithets that occur only in the PGM
are included in the hymns.4 They are mainly used to describe
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and define the multiple characteristics of the gods. The richness

of the magicians’ religious thinking is suitably accompanied by
rich linguistic inventiveness, above all in the invention of
epithets for the various gods.
For personal use only.

__________
1
I would like to thank David Jordan for his friendship and his kind
advices.
2
Papyri Graecae Magicae, hereafter PGM; Preisendanz, K. and
Henrichs, A. (ed.) (1973–1974) Papyri Graecae Magicae Die Griechischen
Zauberpapyri. Vols. I–II. Stuttgart: Teubner. The dates of the papyri cited in
this paper are: PGM I (iv/v AD), II (iv AD), III (iv AD), IV (iv AD), VII
(iii/iv AD).
3
Liddell, H. G., Scott, R. and Jones, H. S. (eds.), hereafter LSJ, (1996)
Greek-English Lexicon with a revised Supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
4
Preisendanz has identified twenty six hymns in his second volume,
237–264. Of these I include epithets from Hymn 5: “To Helios and to the
gods of all” (PGM III.198–229), Hymn 11: “To Apollo and to Apollo-
Helios” (PGM II.81–101, 133–140, 163–6), Hymn 12: “To Apollo and
Daphne” (PGM III.234–258), Hymn 17: “To Hekate-Selene-Artemis” (PGM
IV.2242–2417), Hymn 18: “To Hekate-Selene-Artemis” (PGM IV.2785–
2870), Hymn 20: “To Hekate-Selene-Artemis” (PGM IV.2522–2567) and
Hymn 21: “To Hekate-Selene-Artemis” (PGM IV.2714–2783). Most are
written in dactylic hexameter, twenty one out twenty six hymns; but, hymns
6, 17 and 25 are in iambic trimeter, hymn 8 in iambic pentameter and hymn
19 in iambic tetrameter acatalectic; therefore, most of these epithets are
metrically useful; Preisendanz (1974) vol.II, 237–264.
Glotta 87, 155–158, ISSN 0017–1298
© Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen 2011
 156 Eleni Pachoumi

PGM epithets that are not recorded in the LSJ and LSJ
Supplements

ἁβρονόη, ἡ: gracious-minded; PGM IV.2547: ἁβρονόη5; in

pap. and Hymn 20: ἀπρονόη;6 ἀπρονόη, ἡ: improvident
αἰωναῖος, ὁ: eternal; PGM I.200: αἰωναῖε7
ἀκρίη, ἡ: extreme; PGM IV.2277: ἀκρίη; in pap. ἀρκηϊ and in
Hymn 17: ἀρκίη8 (ἀρκέω)
ἀμερείη, ἡ: indivisible; PGM IV.3231–2: ἀμερείην9
ἀρηγός, ὁ, ἡ: helper; PGM ΙV.2281 (and Hymn 17): ἀρηγέ10
ἀστρο[δ]ία, ἡ: star-coursing; PGM IV.2559: ἀστρο[δ]ία; in
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pap. and Hymn 20: +αστροχια+; ἀστροχία, ἡ: she who has

stars
Ἀυδναία, ἡ: infernal; PGM IV.2725 (and Hymn 21): Ἀυδναία;
Reitzenstein emends it to Ἀϊδωναία, ἡ;11 also in PGM
IV.2855: ἀϊδωναία
βαριδοῦχος, -ον: the one who has a boat; PGM IV.2274 (and
Hymn 17): βαριδοῦχε
For personal use only.

γιγάεσσα, ἡ: giant; PGM IV.2714 (and Hymn 21): γιγάεσσα

Δαμναμενεύς, ὁ: he who subdues by force; PGM II.165–6
(and Hymn 11): Δαμναμενεύς12
Δαμνομένεια, ἡ: she who subdues by force; PGM IV.2850–1:
Δαμνομένεια (pap.); in Hymn 18: Δαμνομένη13

__________
5 Recorded in: Jordan, D. (2008) “Lexical notes, largely from magical

texts”, 270–5; in: “Licht und Wärme” in Memory of A. F. Christidis (eds.)

(2008) Centre for the Greek Language. Thessaloniki.
6 Preis. (1973) vol.I, 152, (1974) vol.II, 258. “ἀπρόνοος” was recorded

in DGE IIΙ (Diccionario Griego Espaňol; Barcelona, 1959).

7
PGM I.195–222: Protective spell.
8
Preis. (1973) vol.I, 142, (1974) vol.II, 251.
9
PGM IV.3209–54: “Aphrodite’s saucer divination”. “ἀμέρειος” was
recorded in DGE II.
10 “ἀρηγός” was recorded in DGE III; also recorded in Jordan (2008).
11
Preis. (1973) vol.I, 159; also Betz (1986) 89; Betz, H. D. (ed.) (1986)
The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press.
12
Recorded in DGE V.
13
Recorded in DGE V, “fuerza dominadora”.
 A List of epithets from the Greek Magical Papyri that are not recorded 157
in the LSJ and LSJ Supplements

δείχτειρα, ἡ: the one who shows forth, exhibitor; PGM IV.2274

(and Hymn 17): δείχτειρα
Δωδωνίη, ἡ: of Dodona; PGM IV.2275 (and Hymn 17):
Δωδωνίη14
εἰδωλίη, ἡ: ghostly; PGM IV.2272: εἰδωλίη; in pap. and Hymn
17: εἰδωνη
εὐπατόρεια, ἡ: she who is of a noble sire; PGM IV.2717 (and
Hymn 21): εὐπατόρεια
εὐρύστοχος, -ον: wide- aimed; PGM ΙV.2281–2 (and Hymn
17): εὐρύστοχε;15 in pap. εὐροστουχε
ἠροδία, ἡ: walking through the air; PGM VII.882: ἠροδία
(pap.)16
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θοηρυσηρις, ὁ: with muddy wrinkles;17 PGM IV.2185:

θοηρυσηρις18
καπετόκτυπος, -ον: the one who makes the graves to resound;
PGM IV.2867 (and Hymn 18): καπετόκτυπε; in pap.
κοπετ-
κατα<καμ>ψυψαύχενος, -ον: bending down necks that show
For personal use only.

off; PGM IV.2718–9 (and Hymn 21): κατα<καμ>

ψυψαύχενε; in pap. καταψυκαυχενα
Κλωθαίη, ἡ: of Klotho; PGM ΙV.2280 (and Hymn 17):
Κλωθαίη
λοφαίη ἡ: the one with a crest; PGM IV.2267 (and Hymn 17):
λοφαίη
μηνοτύραννος, ὁ: ruler of the month; PGM IV.2664 pap. (and
Hymn 19): μηνοτύραννε; Preis. emends it to: μόνη
τύραννε19
μιτρίη, ἡ: with a headband; PGM IV.2274–5 (and Hymn 17):
μιτρίη
__________
14 “Δωδώνιος” was recorded in DGE VI; in LSJ we find: Δωδωναῖος,

-α, -ον, Δωδωνίς -ίδος, ἡ, and Δωδωνεύς -έως, ὁ.

15
Recorded in Jordan (2008).
16 Also recorded in Pachoumi, E. (2011) “Divine Epiphanies of Paredroi

in the Greek Magical Papyri”, GRBS 51, 155–165, esp. 160.

17
Preisendanz also suggests from Θόηρις - Ὄσιρις; Preis. (1973) vol.I,
139.
18
PGM IV.2145–2240: “Tristych of Homer as assistant”.
19
Preis. (1973) vol.I, 156–7.
 158 Eleni Pachoumi

ὁλκῖτις, ἡ: the one who draws (swords); PGM IV.2267 (and

Hymn 17): ὁλκῖτι (φασγάνων)
ὀμβρολίγματος, ὁ: crying like a shrill storm of rain; PGM
IV.2185: ὀμβρολίγματε20
οὐροδρόμος, -ον: running with fair wind; PGM III.255 (and
Hymn 12) οὐροδρόμε; Dillon and O’Neil read and translate
οὐρ<αν>οδρόμε, “heavens’s runner”; also Preis. as
“Himmelsläufer”21
πανγαίη, ἡ: holding the whole earth; PGM IV.2279: πανγαίη;
in Hymn 17: παγγαίη,22 cf. Hsch. παγαίη
πανθυποτακτ<ικ>ός, ὁ: most subordinate; PGM ΙV.1370:
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πανθυποτακτ<ικ>ούς23
πανφόρβα, ἡ: the one who eats everything; PGM IV.2749
(and Hymn 21): πανφόρβα
πα[ν]υπάτα, ἡ: most high; PGM VII.700: πα[ν]υπάτα24
προμηθική, ἡ: forethinking; PGM IV.2267: προμηθική; (in
LSJ the adverb: προμηθικῶς: shrewdly, warily); in pap. and
Hymn 17: προθμηεισδαυγή25
For personal use only.

πυρεσίθυμος, ὁ: fiery at heart / in spirit; PGM III.209:

πυρεσ[ίθυμε]; in Hymn 5: πυρòς [ἀτμόν
τετραπροσωπεινή, ἡ: with four faces; PGM IV.2560 (and
Hymn 20): τετραπροσωπεινή
φθισίκηρος, ὁ: destroying death; PGM IV.2852 (and Hymn 18):
φθισίκηρε26; in pap. ηφθισικηρε
φώσφω[ρ, ὁ: bringing light; PGM III.255 (and Hymn 12)
φώσφω[ρ; from φωσφόρε27 (φωσφόρος, -ον28); in pap.
φώσφω[ρ
__________
20
PGM IV.2145–2240: “Tristych of Homer as assistant”.
21
Betz (1986) 25, n. 60; and Preis. (1973) vol.I, 43.
22
Recorded in Jordan (2008).
23
PGM IV.1331–89: “Power of the Bear constellation that accomplishes
everything”; also recorded in Jordan (2008).
24
PGM VII.686–702: “Bear Charm”.
25
Preis. (1973) vol.I, 142, (1974) vol.II, 251.
26
Merkelbach also translates φθισίκηρε as, “Vernichter des Todesloses”;
Merkelbach, R. (1982) “ΦΘΙΣΙΚΗΡΕ”, ZPE 47, 172.
27
Also Betz (1986) 25; and Preis. (1973) vol.I, 43.
28
Also in PGM IV 3047–8, 3069, V 175, 210 and LXXVIII 12.