The Meaning of βαπτίζειν in Greek, Jewish, and Patristic Literature 21 Phoenicians who live in what is called Gades, on sailing outside the Pillars of Hera- cles with an east wind for four days, came to some desert lands, full of rushes and seaweed, which were not submerged when the tide ebbed, but were covered when the tide was full, upon which were found a quantity of tunny-fish, of incredible size and weight when brought to shore”; W. S. Hett) (IV). Menander, Epitrepontes 1069-1075: κρίνομαι πρὸς Σωφρόνην; μετάπεισον αὐτήν, ὅταν ἴδηις. οὕτω τί μοι ἀγαθὸν γένοιτο Σωφρόνη γάρ, οἴκαδε ἀπιών τὸ τέλμ’ εἶδες παριοῦς; ἐνταῦθά σε τὴν νύκτα βαπτίζων ὅλην ἀποκτενῶ, κἀγώ σε ταὔτ’ ἐμοὶ φρονεῖν ἀναγκάσω καὶ μὴ στασιάζειν (“Is Sophrone my judge? No! When you see the girl, it’s you must make her change her mind. If not, so heaven help me, Sophrone, on my way home—you saw that pond we passed? I’ll plunge you in all night and murder you. I’ll force you to agree with me and stop this arguing”; M. Balme) (IV/III) (cf. sense 1d). Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.179-184: Ταίναρον αὖτ’ ἐπὶ τοῖσι λιπὼν Εὔφημος ἵκανε, τόν ῥα Ποσειδάωνι ποδωκηέστατον ἄλλων Εὐρώπη Τιτυοῖο μεγασθενέος τέκε κούρη: κεῖνος ἀνὴρ καὶ πόντου ἐπὶ γλαυκοῖο θέεσκεν οἴδματος, οὐδὲ θοοὺς βάπτεν πόδας, ἀλλ’ ὅσον ἄκροις ἴχνεσι τεγγόμενος διερῇ πεφόρητο κελεύθῳ (“After them from Taenarus came Euphemus whom, most swift-footed of men, Europe, daughter of mighty Tityos, bare to Poseidon. He was wont to skim the swell of the grey sea, and wetted not his swift feet, but just dipping the tips of his toes was borne on the watery path”; R. C. Seaton) (III). Aratus, Phaenomena 949-953: λακέρυζα παρ’ ἠϊόνι προυχούσῃ χείματος ἐρχομένου χερσαῖ’ ὑπέτυψε κορώνη, ἤ που καὶ ποταμοῖο ἐβάψατο μέχρι παρ’ ἄκρους ὤμους ἐκ κεφαλῆς, ἢ καὶ μάλα πᾶσα κολυμβᾷ, ἢ πολλὴ στρέφεται παρ’ ὕδωρ παχέα κρώζουσα (“or perhaps a chattering crow along a projecting shore-line dips its head into an oncoming wave on the shore, or perhaps immerses itself in a river from its head to the top of its shoulders, or even plunges in completely, or walks restlessly to and fro at the water’s edge croaking hoarsely”; D. Kidd) (III). Polybius, Historiae 3.72.4: ἐπιγενομένης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Τρεβία ποταμοῦ διαβάσεως, καὶ προσαναβεβηκότος τῷ ῥεύματι διὰ τὸν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ γενόμενον ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὰ στρατόπεδα τόποις ὄμβρον, μόλις ἕως τῶν μασθῶν οἱ πεζοὶ βαπτιζόμενοι διέβαινον (“when they had to cross the Trebia, swollen as it was owing to the rain that had fallen during the night higher up the valley than where the armies were, the infantry had great difficulty in crossing, as the water was breast-high (as they were being immersed to the breasts)”; W. R. Paton) (III). Polybius, Historiae 5.47.2: οἳ καὶ συνεγγίσαντες τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ξενοίταν διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τῶν τόπων οὐ προσεδέοντο τῶν πολεμίων, αὐτοὶ δ’ ὑφ’ αὑτῶν