η οἷον διατόρως καὶ σαφῶς διαλεγόμενος

Grammatical information: adj.

Meaning: surname of Hermes (Hom.); by later poets, who understood it as `messenger', also used from Iris, Athena, the Eagle of Zeus etc. (Call.); finally also as adjective ( διάκτορα... ἔγχεα Nonn.). Sec. διάκτωρ (AP, H.; cf. διάκων = διάκονος).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: The meaning was early lost; by A. Pr. 941 used as `διάκονος', later simply interpreted as `messenger': ἀπὸ τοῦ διάγειν τὰς ἀγγελίας H., who however adds: η οἷον διατόρως καὶ σαφῶς διαλεγόμενος. - Acc. to Bechtel Lex. with Fick and Solmsen as διά-κτορος to κτέρας: "one who disposes of treasure" (?); Östergaard Hermes 37, 333ff. takes it as god of death to κτέρες νεκροί H., but this is prob. a guess by grammarians, to explain κτέρεα as `honours of the dead'(Solmsen IF 3, 98). Objections by Thieme Studien 52f., who analyzes *δια-ακτ-τορος "transmitting to the other side [of Persephoneia]"; "mehr kühn als überzeugend" (Frisk).

Page in Frisk: 1,385-386