λήθαργος, ἐπιλήσμων
(Phryn. Ecl. 391, [Hdn.] Philet. 150)

A. Main sources

(1) Phryn. Ecl. 391: λήθαργος· οὕτω Μένανδρος, οἱ δ’ ἀρχαῖοι Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπιλήσμονα καλοῦσιν, οἷς πειστέον.

λήθαργος (‘forgetful’): So [says] Menander (fr. 586 = C.4), whereas ancient Athenians call [it] ἐπιλήσμων, and one must follow them.

(2) [Hdn.] Philet. 150: ἐπιλήσμων, ὁ ἐπιλανθανόμενος· λήθαργος δὲ κύων ὁ κρύφα δάκνων.

ἐπιλήσμων [means] someone who forgets. λήθαργος [denotes] instead a dog that bites unexpectedly (cf. Soph. fr. 885 = C.2).

B. Other erudite sources

(1) Phryn. PS 87.9–11: λαίθαργος κύων· ὁ λάθρᾳ προσαλλόμενος καὶ χωρὶς ὑλακῆς δάκνων. τοῦτο δὲ οἱ πολλοὶ παραφθείραντες λαθροδήκτην καλοῦσιν.

λαίθαργος de Borries : λάθαργος cod.

λαίθαργος κύων: [A dog] that attacks unnoticed and bites without barking. Corrupting this [word], laymen call it λαθροδήκτης.

(2) Schol. Ar. Eq. 1068a: λαίθαργον· λαίθαργοι κύνες λέγονται αἱ λάθρᾳ προσιοῦσαι καὶ δάκνουσαι. παρὰ δὲ τὴν παροιμίαν ἔπαιξεν, ‘σαίνεις δάκνουσα καὶ κύων λαίθαργος εἶ’. (VΓΘ)

λαίθαργον (Ar. Eq. 1068 = C.3): The bitches that attack and bite unnoticed are called λαίθαργοι. He (i.e. Aristophanes) played upon the maxim ‘you fawn while biting and you are a bitch that bites treacherously’ (Soph. fr. 885 = C.2).

(3) Hsch. λ 130: λαίθαργοι· κύνες κρύφα δάκνοντες.

Cf. Hippon. fr. 66 West² (= fr. 32 Degani) (C.1), apparatus.

λαίθαργοι: [It indicates] dogs that bite unexpectedly.

(4) Hsch. λ 806: λήθαργος· *ἐπιλήσμων A. ἐπίβουλος r. καὶ κύων ὁ προσαίνων μέν, λάθρα δὲ δάκνων. καὶ τῶν ἵππων οἱ ἀβλεμεῖς καὶ νωθροί. καὶ πάθος τι σὺν πυρετῷ.

Cf. Zenob. 4.90 (CPG 1.109.10–110.2).

λήθαργος: [It means] forgetful (ἐπιλήσμων). Treacherous. And a dog that seemingly fawns but bites unnoticed (cf. Soph. fr. 885 = C.2). And [it is said of] horses that are feeble and sluggish. And [it indicates] an illness accompanied by fever.

(5) Σ λ 12: λαίθαργος· λαιθάργους ἐκάλουν τοὺς κύνας τοὺς λάθρα δάκνοντας.

λαίθαργος: They called λαιθάργους the dogs that bite unnoticed.

(6) Et.Gen. λ 14 (~ Et.Gud. 360.52, EM 558.38–9): λαίθαργος κύων· Ἀριστοφάνης Ἱππεῦσιν· ὁ λαθραῖα δάκνων.

λαίθαργος κύων: Aristophanes [says so] in Knights (Eq. 1068 = C.3). Someone who bites unnoticed.

(7) Su. λ 178: λαίθαργος· λατροδήκτης. σαίνεις δάκνουσα καὶ κύων λαίθαργος εἶ. παροιμία ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκρινομένων δῆθεν εὐνοεῖν, ἐπιβουλευόντων δὲ λάθρα.

Cf. Su. σ 171.

λαίθαργος: [It means] biting unnoticed. ‘You fawn while biting and you are a bitch that bites treacherously’ (Soph. fr. 885 = C.2). [It is] a maxim about those who pretend to be well disposed, but treacherously plot behind the scenes.

(8) Eust. in Od. 1.161.16–20: ὅρα δὲ ὅτι ἐν μὲν τῷ ἐπίληθον καθὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ λήθη καὶ λῆστις καὶ ἐπιλησμοσύνη καὶ Λητὼ, φυλάσσεται τὸ η τοῦ λήθω ἐνεστῶτος, ἐν ἄλλοις δὲ, ἀντ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ α κεῖται ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔλαθον δευτέρου ἀορίστου. τοιοῦτον τὸ λάθρα σὺν τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὁ λάθαργος. ἕτερος ὢν αὐτὸς παρὰ τὸν διὰ τοῦ η λήθαργον. ὃς λάθαργος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ἰῶτα γινόμενος λαίθαργος, δηλοῖ μὲν, κύνα. τροπικῶς δὲ, σημαίνει καὶ ἐπίβουλον ἄνθρωπον κρύφα βλάπτοντα. καὶ ἔστιν ἐκεῖνος, ὡς περ εἴ φασιν λαθροδήκτης, ἀπὸ κυνῶν. Σοφοκλῆς. σαίνουσα δάκνεις καὶ κύων λαίθαργος εἶ.

Cf. Suet. Blasph. 93 (4.52–4).

You see that η from the present tense λήθω (‘to escape notice’) is retained in the word ἐπίληθον (‘causing to forget’) just as in λήθη (‘forgetfulness’), λῆστις (‘forgetfulness’), ἐπιλησμοσύνη (‘forgetfulness’), and Λητώ (‘Leto’), whereas in other [words] it is replaced by α, since they derive from the second aorist ἔλαθον (‘I escaped notice’). The word λάθρα (‘secretly’) falls into the latter category along with the words that derive from it. The word λάθαργος as well. This is different from λήθαργον written with η. λάθαργος, which becomes λαίθαργος by adding ι, indicates a dog. Figuratively, it also indicates a treacherous person who causes harm unexpectedly. This meaning derives from the [use of this word in relation to] dogs, as if it amounted to λαθροδήκτης. Sophocles (fr. 885 = C.2) [says]: ‘You fawn while biting and you are a bitch that bites treacherously’.

(9) [Zonar.] 1283.7–8: λαίθαργος. ὁ κρυφοδάκτης καὶ ἀργός· ὁ λαθραίως δάκνων. καὶ οἷόν τις κύων λαίθαργος.

λαίθαργος: Someone who bites unexpectedly and is swift. Someone who bites unnoticed. And likewise [you say] a dog [is] λαίθαργος.

(10) Thom.Mag. 222.11–4: λήθαργος καὶ ἡ ληθώδης νόσος καὶ ὁ ταύτην νοσῶν. Ἀττικοὶ μὲν οὖν λήθαργον ἐπὶ τῆς νόσου φασὶν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ταύτην νοσοῦντος ἐπιλήσμων· Μένανδρος δὲ καὶ τὸν νοσοῦντα λήθαργον λέγει.

λήθαργος [means] both the illness of lethargy and the person suffering from this illness. Attic speakers call λήθαργος the illness, whereas [they call] ἐπιλήσμων the person suffering from it; Menander (fr. 586 = C.4) says λήθαργος about the person suffering [from this illness].

C. Loci classici, other relevant texts

(1) Hippon. fr. 66 West² (= fr. 32 Degani):
κοὐκ ὡς κύων λαίθαργος ὕστερον τρώγει.

λαίθαργος Masson (1950, 74) : κρυφιοδάκτης λάθαργος cod.

And he doesn’t gnaw later like a dog biting unnoticed.

(2) Soph. fr. 885:
σαίνεις δάκνουσα καὶ κύων λαίθαργος εἶ

Suet. Blasph. 4.93 (cod. M) and schol. Ar. Eq. 1031a (codd. Lh) read λήθαργος.

You fawn while biting and you are a bitch that bites treacherously.

(3) Ar. Eq. 1067–9:
Αἰγεΐδη, φράσσαι κυναλώπεκα, μή σε δολώσῃ,
λαίθαργον, ταχύπουν, δολίαν κερδώ, πολύιδριν.
οἶσθ’ ὅ τι ἐστὶν τοῦτο;

“Scion of Aegeus, ponder the fox-dog lest he beguile you; he’s treacherous, swift of foot, a wily trickster, and very crafty.” Do you get that one? (Transl. Henderson 1998, 363).

(4) Men. fr. 586 = Phryn. Ecl. 391 re. λήθαργος (A.1).