τέττιξ,ῑγος(butῑκος
Ar. and Theoc. acc. to Hdn.Gr. ap. Choerob. in Theod. 1.292 H.),ὁ,
A. cicala, Cicada plebeiaor allied species, a winged insect fond of basking on trees, when the male makes a chirping or clicking noise by means of certain drums or 'tymbals' underneath the wings, whence the joke in Xenarch. 14 ,εἶτ' . . οἱ τέττιγες οὐκ εὐδαίμονες, ὧν ταῖς γυναιξὶν οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν φωνῆς ἔνι; prov., τέττιγος ἐδράξω πτεροῦ
Archil. 143
(v. συλλαμβάνω
11.1
). This noise is freq. used as a simile for sweet sounds, Il. 3.151 , Hes. Op. 582 , Sc. 393 , Simon. 173 , 174 , etc.; and Plato calls themοἱ Μουσῶν προφῆται, Phdr. 262d ; but they also became a prov. for garrulity, λαλεῖν τέττιξ
Aristopho 10.7
: τ. πολλοὶ γινόμενοι νοσῶδες τὸ ἔτος σημαίνουσι
Thphr. Sign. 54
. They were thought to sing continually without food or drink, Ar. Nu. 1360 , Pl. Phdr. 259c ; or on a diet of air and dew, Arist. HA 532b13 , Theoc. 4.16 , AP 6.120 ( Leon. ), Anacreont. 32 , Plu. 2.660f . The Greeks ateτέττιγεςto whet the appetite, Ath. 4.133b , cf. Ar. Frr. 51 , 569.4 , Alex. 162.13 (anap.), Anaxandr. 41.59 (anap., unless here theτέττιξ ἐνάλιοςis meant,v.infr. 11 ); and as a medical remedy, Dsc. 2.51 , Orib. Fr. 64 .