Zenobius 2.12
A salt-bought slave
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English
Proverb
A salt-bought slave
Explanation
equivalent to "barbarian and cheap." For merchants going up into the interior used to bring salt, in exchange for which they got slaves. Whence also the comic poet says, "A noble Thracian you are, bought for salt!"
Greek
Proverb
Ἁλώνητον ἀνδράποδον
Explanation
ἶσον τῷ, βάρβαρον καὶ εὐτελές. Εἰς τὴν μεσόγειον γὰρ ἀναβάντες οἱ ἔμποροι ἐκόμιζον ἅλας, ἀνθ’ ὧν τοὺς οἰκέτας ἐλάμβανον. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ κωμικὸς φησί· Θρᾷξ εὐγενὴς εἶ πρὸς ἅλας ἠγορασμένος.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:2.12