γατομῶν

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: 1. Thessalian, son of Myrmidon or Triopas, because of his destruction of a wood sacred to Demeter punished by the goddess with an unsatiable hunger (Hellanik. ap. Ath. 416b, Call. Cer. 33ff.); by Strat. Com. 1, 19 (Ath. 382d) used as a travesty as name of an animal, prob. a swine (an ox?), because of his voracity or his destructive disposition. 2. Athenian, son of Kekrops and Agraulos (Pl. Kriti. 111a).

Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]

Etymology: For the formation cf. ἐρυσί-πτολις `town protecting' (Ζ 305 a. e.). A later time, that wanted to connect the name better with the deeds of its owner, changed it to, connecting ἐρύω `draw, pull', "earth-puller", a name, that does not fit well with the destruction of the wood; Έρυσίχθων is then described by Lykophr. 1396 as γατομῶν. - Schulze Q. 318 (s. also KZ 55, 112 n. 2) took ἐρυσίχθων as "grub the earth" and connected Lat. ruō `grub', OCS rъvǫ `pull out' etc. (Pok. 868); cf also ῥυτοῖσι λάεσσι [Od.], which belongs rather to ἐρύω `draw'; s. v.); this would not fit the place in Straton. - Cf. v. Wilamowitz Hellen. Dichtung 2, 40f. No doubt a Pre-Greek name that has nothing to do with χθών.

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