ἄσημος
Adv.
ὁ
ον
also: ἄσαμος, ἄσημος
A.
without mark or token, ἄ. χρυσός uncoined gold, bullion, or plate, Hdt. 9.41; ἄ. χρυσίον, ἀργύριον, Th. 2.13,6.8, Alex. 69; freq. in Inscrr., opp. ἐπίσημον, IG 1.170.6, 2.652, etc., cf. Luc. Cont. 10; also of cattle, not branded, IG 7.3171; of persons, without distinguishing marks (e. g. οὐλαί), PGrenf. 1.27.7, al.; ἄ. ὅπλα arms without device, E. Ph. 1112: generally, shapeless, formless, Opp. C. 3.160.
2.
later τὸ ἄσημον (sc. ἀργύριον) plate, silver, LXX Jb. 42.11, AP 11.371 (Pall.); μέταλλα ἀσήμου silver-mines, Ptol. Geog. 7.2.17: also, = electron, alloy of gold and silver, or an imitation thereof, Ps.-Democr.Alch.p.49 B., etc.:—masc. ἄσημος, ὁ, PLeid.X. 6, al.
II.
of sacrifices, oracles, and the like , unintelligible, χρηστήρια Hdt. 5.92.β/; χρησμοί A. Pr. 662; ἄ. ὀργίων μαντεύματε S. Ant. 1013.
III.
leaving no mark, indistinct,
a.
to the hearing, πτερῶν γὰρ ῥοῖβδος οὐκ ἄ. ἦν ib.1004; of sounds and voices, inarticulate, unintelligible, ἄσημα φράζειν Hdt. 1.86; ἄ. κνυζήματα Id. 2.2; ἄσημα βοῆς, = ἄσημος βοή, S. Ant. 1209.
b.
without significance, meaningless, [τοῦ διπλοῦ ὀνόματος] τὸ μὲν ἐκ σημαίνοντος καὶ ἀσήμου Arist. Po. 1457a33, Rh. 1405a35; ἄσημα τρίζειν, of a mouse, Babr. 108.23; μόριον Stoic. 2.46; λέξις Simp. in Ph. 1164.4.
c.
to the eye, ἄσημον ἔχειν μυελόν Arist. PA 652a1: generally, πρὸς τὴν αἴσθησιν ‐ότερα Id. Aud. 802a14.
d.
generally, unperceived, unnoticed, A. Ag. 1596, S. Ant. 252; ἀσήμων ὑπὲρ ἑρμάτων hidden, sunken rocks, Anacr. 38.
IV.
of persons, cities, etc., of no mark, obscure, insignificant, οὐκ ἄ. E. HF 849, cf. Ion 8; νὺξ οὐκ ἄ. a night to be remembered (being a feast), Antipho 2.4.8; τὸ τῆς πατρίδος ἢ τοῦ γένους ἄσημον Phld. Sto.Herc. 339.16.
V.
Adv. ‐μως without leaving traces, Hp. Epid. 1.1, Morb.Sacr. 11; ἀ. πορεύεσθαι X. Cyn. 3.4; ἀ. καὶ κενῶς φθέγγεσθαι inarticulately, Theopomp.Hist. 250.
2.
ignobly, οὐκ ἀ. D.S. 5.52, Hdn. 1.10.4.