Explained vocabulary

Missile — βέλος

βέλος

belos

Both occurrences describe Zeus’s thunderbolt as a sudden, invincible or sharp heavenly missile.

From the book

The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns

Attributed to Orpheus · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Browse this book’s lexicon →
English renderings
missile; bolt; projectile

Meaning

Both occurrences describe Zeus’s thunderbolt as a sudden, invincible or sharp heavenly missile. The noun gives the storm weapon the direction and force of something hurled. Although βέλος can also name an arrow, these passages concern the celestial bolt rather than an ordinary bow-shot.

Places to read

  1. Hymn XIX · Line 9Read the word in its hymn.

Attested forms

βέλος

Occurrence inventory

2 in total. XIX.9; XIX.12

Consequential readings

AV034_07

Lexical references

LSJ βέλος (n19775)