Etymology and morphology

Verb composed of the noun subject thue-, 'sacrifice', and the verb subject pole-, 'to walk'. The noun subject thue- is a derivative from the verb θύω and forms the basis of the noun θύος, εος, n. "sacrifice" (Hom. Il. 6.270, Od. 15.261; Hes. Op. 338; A. Ag. 1409, Eu. 835). The verb πολέω "to move, to be somewhere" is deverbativum from ie. the subject *kwel-, "to turn" (Beekes 2010: 1168-1169 s.v. πέλομαι, 1462-1463 s.v. τέλομαι). In the compound semantics pole- gravitates towards 'to strive for something, take care of something, deal with something', cf. πυρπολέω, 'to take care of the fire', αἰπόλος 'goat herder'.

Testimonies

The verb θ. occurs mainly in poetry written in iambic metre (A. Ag. 262; E. Tr. 330, El. 665, 1134, Heracl. 401, S. fr. 47.9 Nauck = Strabo 10.3.14), for which its ilo-temporal structure predestines it (this is also noted by Casabona, 1966: 121), and is synonymous with θύω. In classical prose, θ. appears only in Plato's State (R. 364e), where it refers to itinerant ritual specialists who make sacrifices (θυηπολοῦσιν) according to the writings of Musaeus and Orpheus. It can be assumed that Plato took the expression from the jargon of the Orpheotists themselves, while they found it in the poetic texts they referred to.

We also find the verb θ. in the text of the Delphic oracle, delivered by iamb and transmitted by Pausanias (4.9.4), and on two inscriptions. The first is IG XI.4 1299 from the 3rd century BC, containing the story of the bringing of the Sarapis cult to Delos (see Moyer 2008). The story is transmitted partly in prose and partly in hexameter, and we find the verb of interest in the metrical part. The second inscription is IosPE I² 175 from 2nd century AD from Olbia, addressed to Apollo and commissioned by the strategists who financed the finishing of the god's temple. The inscription ends with an elegiac distich, in which we find the verb θ. We may therefore assume that the verb θ., like the related → θυηπόλος ➚, belonged to the poetic register and was not technical in nature.

In post-classical prose the verb θ. is used by Dionysius of Halicarnassus (2.67) in reference to the cultic duties of the Roman Vestals. This is certainly a conscious effort by the author, who consistently refers to the Vestalki as θυηπόλοι (2.64, 2.65, 3.67).

Occurrences

A. Ag. 262; E. Tr. 330; El. 665, 1134; Heracl. 401; S. fr. 47.9 Nauck = Strabo 10.3.14; S. fr. 126; Pl. R. 364e; D.H. 2.67; Paus. 4.9.4.