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