Bible Lexicons

κόραξ, ᾰκος, ὁ,

I

1. raven, Corvus corax (not in Hom.); πάντα τάδ' ἐν κοράκεσσι καὶ ἐν φθόρῳ 'food for crows ', Thgn. 833; κόρακες ὣς ἄκραντα γαρύετον Διὸς πρὸς ὄρνιχα θεῖον Pi. O. 2.87; ἐπὶ σώματος δίκαν κόρακος.. σταθεῖσα A. Ag. 1473 (lyr.); κόρακες ὥστε βωμῶν ἀλέγοντες οὐδέν Id. Supp. 751 (lyr.); κόραξι καὶ λύκοις χαρίζεσθαι Luc. Tim. 8; in imprecations, ἐς κόρακας 'go and be hanged', Ar. V. 852, 982; βάλλ' ἐς κ. Id. Nu. 133; ἀπόφερ' ἐς κ. Id. Pax 1221; οὐκ ἐς κ. ἐρρήσετε; ib. 500; ἔρρ' ἐς κ. Pherecr. 70; πλείτω ἐς κ. Ar. Eq. 1314; οὐκ ἐς κ. ἀποφθερεῖ; Id. Nu. 789; ἐς κ. οἰχήσεται Id. V. 51; ἐξελῶ σ' ἐς κ. ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας Id. Nu. 123; ἐς κ. ἔρρειν ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς Alex. 94.5: as a prophet of bad weather, Arist. Fr. 253, Thphr Sign. 16, Plu. 2.129a, etc.; of fair weather, Arat. 1003, Gp. 1.2.6, etc.; λευκὸς κ., prov. of something unheard of, AP 11.417, Luc. Epigr. 43; but white ravens are mentioned by Arist. HA 519a6.

2. cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, ib. 593b18.

3. the constellation Corvus, Arat. 449, Ptol. Tetr. 27, etc.

4. title of a grade in the mysteries of Mithras, Porph. Abst. 4.16.

II anything hooked or pointed like a raven's beak, cf. κορώνη 11,

1. engine for grappling ships, Plb 1.22.3, App. BC 5.106. siege-engine, Ph. Bel. 100.18, D.S. 17.44.

2. hooked door-handle, Posidipp. 7, AP 11.203, Alex.Aphr. in SE 25.17; hook on a machine, Hero Aut. 15.3, Orib. 49.4.16, Ath.Mech. 36.10, Bito 50.9: generally, hook, Sammelb. 1.24 (iii A. D.).

3. instrument of torture, Luc. Nec. 11 (s.v.l.).

4. = κατακλείς, Hero Bel. 79.11.

5. point of a surgical knife, σμιλαρίου Heliod. ap. Orib. 44.10.5; κατιάδος Id. ap. Sch. Orib. 44.14.4.

6. cock's bill, Hsch.

III tub-fish (cf. κορακῖνος), Diph.Siph. ap. Ath. 8.356a. a plaster, Philum. ap. Aët. 5.127, Orib. Fr. 84. (Cf. κορώνη, Lat. corvus, cornix, etc.)