βασμός, βαθμός, ἀναβασμός, ἀναβαθμός
(Phryn. Ecl. 295, Phryn. PS fr. *176, Moer. β 19)

D. General commentary

Phrynichus – both in the Eclogue (A.1) and in the Praeparatio sophistica (A.2) − prescribes (ἀνα)βασμός (‘step’) as the correct Attic form, while he considers the spelling/pronunciation (ἀνα)βαθμός as typical of Ionic and thus to be avoided. The identification of (ἀνα)βασμός as Attic is also found in Moeris (A.3), and this is the form prescribed by Philemon (A.4) and Thomas Magister (A.5) as well.

The verb βαίνω (‘to walk, to go on foot’) generates two semantically equivalent derivative nouns in which the nominal suffixSuffixes -μός is combined with two different enlargements, i.e. -θ- and -σ-, resulting in βαθμός and βασμός (both meaning ‘step’; see LSJ s.vv.). In general, the suffix -σμός has been much more productive than -θμός throughout the history of Greek, because it has spread alongside the verbs in -ίζω-ίζω and -άζω-άζω (see Debrunner 1917, 155–6; Chantraine 1933, 136–8; Schwyzer 1939, 492–3; Heilmann 1963, 122; DELG s.v. βαίνω; entry ἀριθμός). Contrary to this trend, however, in the case of the doublet βαθμός/βασμός (and derivatives) it is the forms in -θμός that became standard in the koine and were therefore rejected by the Atticists.

Literary texts confirm Phrynichus’ and Moeris’ identification of βασμός as Attic (A.1, A.2, A.3): indeed, the spelling/pronunciation with sigma is attested in Attic authors, namely Aristophanes (C.1, with the plural ἀναβασμοί, ‘stairs’, see Bagordo 2017, 80−1) and Plato (C.2, with ἐπαναβασμoί, ‘ascending steps’); a further derivation is καταβασμός, ‘cataract’, attested in [Aesch.] PV 811. However, Phrynichus (A.1, A.2) also maintains that the spelling/pronunciation with theta is Ionic. This is reflected in the literary evidence (see e.g. ἀναβαθμός in Hdt. 2.125.2, 6, 10; the adjective βαθμοειδής, ‘like a step’, in Democr. Diels−Kranz 68 B 155.7; βαθμός in Philox.Leuc. 836b.15 PMG). However, the derivative βαθμίς (‘pedestal’) is found not only in Ionic prose (see Hp. Fract. 2.22, 37.6, 41.11) but also in Pindar (P. 5.7; N. 5.1), which suggests that the variant with theta was not exclusive to Ionic. From the 4th century BCE (see e.g. Arist. Oec. 1347a.5), the spelling/pronunciation with theta becomes standard, while the one with sigma occurs almost exclusively in erudite texts dealing with the two competing forms: the very few exceptions are mainly found in Pausanias (7x) and Cassius Dio (6x), with scanty occurrences in other authors (see in particular Aristides, C.3, and Synesius, C.4, quoted by Thomas Magister, A.5). Be that as it may, when dealing with the data coming from literary texts, one should (as is usually advisable in such cases) allow for the possibility that the transmitted text does not reflect the original spelling, since dialectal adaptations may have occurred both within the manuscript tradition and in the modern editing process (see e.g. West 1973, 18–9; Jouanna 2018, 61–2).

As far as documentary texts are concerned, the two forms (and several derivatives and compounds) are attested epigraphicallyInscriptions in various areas of the Greek-speaking world, but the variant with sigma is found as early as the beginning of the 4th century BCE: see IG 2².1659.4 [Attica, 394−3 BCE]: ἀν]αβασμόν (‘step’), EA 9 (1987) 138.4.4–22 [Erythrai, ca. 340 BCE]: ὁδὸς ἀνδροβασμός (‘foot-path’), IMT Kyz Kapu Dağ 1489.10 [Cyzicus, mid-4th century BCE]: βασμόν (‘step’). The variant with theta, instead, occurs exclusively from the 2nd century BCE onwards − see e.g. SEG 26.1049.80 [Crete, 111−10 BCE] καταβ[α]θ[μ]όν (‘descent’) – and is the only one attested in papyri.

The Atticists’ preference for (ἀνα)βασμός is thus easily understandable, not only because of its literary attestations, but also because of the predominance of (ἀνα)βαθμός in koine Greek. Although Pollux does not deal with the two competing spellings/pronunciations, he confirms the preference for the variant with sigma, showing five occurrences of ἀναβασμός (3.92Poll. 3.92, 4.121Poll. 4.121, 4.132Poll. 4.132, 7.113Poll. 7.113, 10.171Poll. 10.171) and only one of βαθμός (4.127Poll. 4.127). In the fragment of the Praeparatio sophistica (A.2), Phrynichus refers to the Homeric terms μηνιθμός (‘wrath’, see Il. 16.62, 202, 282) and κηληθμός (‘enchantment’, cf. Od. 11.334, 13.2) as examples of typically Ionic words. μηνιθμός is found, along with other -σμο-/-θμο- doublets, in an entry from Orion’s Etymologicum (B.3), which ultimately goes back to the Epimerismi ascribed to Herodian (number 7 in the catalogue of Dickey 2014, 329): here, the forms in -θμο- are explained as resulting (by modification of the consonant) from verbal nouns in -σμο-, formed on the future tense of the respective base verb. In other words, it seems that ancient grammarians considered βαθμός to be a phonetic development of an original βασμός, when in fact the two words are not derived from one another, but result from two different (but semantically equivalent) suffixes attached to the same verbal root (see above). Interestingly, the Etymologicum Gudianum (B.4) labels the forms in -θμο- as Aeolic and not as Ionic, as they are described in A.1 and A.2.

E. Byzantine and Modern Greek commentary

In spite of the Atticists’ preference, βασμός and ἀναβασμός are virtually unattested in Byzantine Greek outside of erudite texts. This confirms the trend towards their replacement by βαθμός and ἀναβαθμός, which can be observed from the 4th century BCE onwards. There is only one instance of βασμός (Acta Monasterii Vazelon 49.18) and six of ἀναβασμός (see Nicetas David Paphlagonius, Homiliae septem 5.289.2, Laudatio in Gregorium theologum 5.110; Constantinus VII Porphyrogenitus, De legationibus 425.17; Joannes VI Cantacuzenus, Historiae 1.197.13, 330.15; Constantinus Harmenopulus, Encomium in sanctum Demetrium 161), although the Byzantine texts suffer from the same problems as the classical texts in terms of the reliability of the spelling transmitted (see D.). Both βαθμός and αναβαθμός are in use in Modern Greek. βαθμός has lost the concrete meaning of ‘step’, but has taken on a wide range of figurative meanings clearly derived from the original sense (see ILNE s.v.): for instance, the word can mean ‘degree’ (within scales of measurement, e.g. of temperature, but also in the expression βαθμός συγγένειας, ‘degree of kinship’), ‘mark’, or ‘grade’ (in the context of evaluation, scholastic or otherwise), but also ‘position’ within a hierarchical system (such as the military). αναβαθμός, on the contrary, retains the meaning of ‘step’, but also has two additional and more specific usages: firstly, in descriptions of ancient architecture, it indicates the staircase surrounding temples, as well as the row of seats in a theatre; secondly, it is the technical term for the antiphonal tropes sung during liturgy on Sundays and feast days (see ILNE s.v.).

F. Commentary on individual texts and occurrences

N/A