Bible Lexicons

φάτν-η, ἡ,

manger, crib, [ ἵππους] ἀτίταλλ' ἐπὶ φάτνῃ Il. 5.271; ἵππος ἀκοστήσας ἐπὶ φ. 6.506; ἵππους μὲν κατέδησαν.. φάτνῃ ἐφ' ἱππείῃ 10.568; ἐϋξέστῃ ἐπὶ φ. 24.280; ἡ φ. τῶν ἵππων Hdt. 9.70, cf. E. Ba. 510 (pl.), X. Cyr. 3.3.27 (pl.), Luke 2:7, al.; φάτναι Ζηνὸς, of the manger of Pegasus, Pi. O. 13.92: also of oxen, ὥς τίς τε κατέκτανε βοῦν ἐπὶ φ. Od. 4.535, 11.411.

2. βοῦς ἐπὶ φ., proverb. of ease and comfort, Philostr. Im. 2.10; also πλουσίαν ἔχειν φ. E. Fr. 378; φάτναις ἀργυραῖς χρῆσθαι Str. 3.2.14; ἡ ἐν τῇ φ. κύων 'the dog in the manger', Luc. Tim. 14, cf. AP 12.236 (Strat.); θεραπεύειν τὴν φ. τινός to court one who feeds you, Ael. Fr. 107; τοὺς ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς οἱονεὶ φ. ἐδηδοκότας ib. 39: τὴν αὐτὴν φ. ζητεῖν to return to their old haunts, Eub. 129.

II = cross φάτνωμα 1, IG 11(2).161 A 46 (Delos, iii B. C.): pl., ib.42(1).109 iii 85, al. (Epid., iii B. C.), D.S. 1.66.

III socket of tooth, Poll. 2.93. the Manger, name of the nebula (star-cluster) between the ὄνοι in Cancer, Thphr. Sign. 23, al., Arat. 892, 898, Eratosth. Cat. 11, Ptol. Tetr. 23. (Later Gr. πάθνη acc. to Moer., but φάτνη in Attic and Delian Inscrr., IG 22.1487.37, 11(2).l. c., Inscr.Déios 504 A 6, B 9: bhndh, cf. Skt. badhnâti 'tie', Celt. benn 'wicker chariot'.)