The Anathemata

Keel, Ram, Stauros (continued)

Day by day

the sustaining lauds

of the few?

Occasionally?

Phrynea 

regularly?

Laisb 

for a quick decade?c 

Sometimes the flambeaus

with the flora mingled?

mostly a penny flame or two?

often the votive bunch

plucked out of school?

Always lifted up?

seen of the polloi?c 

reckoned worthy of latria?1 

loved of the polis?d 

evident hope of it?

Agios Stauros

stans?2 

David Jones notes

1 See note 2 to page 165 above.

2 ‘Holy Cross standing?’

additional notes

DJ note 2: stans: Cf. Stat crux dum volvitur orbis (‘the cross stands while the world revolves’)‚ the motto of the Carthusian order of monks and nuns.

a Phryne the Thespian (born about 371 BCE) was a famed courtesan of Athens, better known for the court case she won by baring her breasts. Her actual name was Mnesarete but people referred to her as Phryne (“toad”) because of the yellow complexion of her skin.

b Lais of Hyccara (died 340 BCE) was a courtesan of Ancient Greece. She was probably born in Hyccara, Sicily (in the place of modern Carini) and died in Thessaly. Another hetaira (courtesan) with the same name was Lais of Corinth. Since ancient authors in their (usually indirect) accounts often confuse them or do not indicate which they refer to, the two are inextricably linked.

c i.e. a decade of the rosary, saying the Hail Mary ten times.

comments

The paragraph ends with the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday.

see also

semantic structures

glossary

c polloi: the people (Greek).

d polis: the state (Greek).