CHAPTER ITERMS USED FOR NURSE
Of the various terms employed in the literature to designate the nurse we shall speak only of four:τροφός,τιθήνη,μαῖα, andτίτθη. The first three are found in Homer[1]and the Hymns[2]with no apparent difference of meaning.τίτθηis of later origin and is used of a wet-nurse by Plato,[3]Demosthenes,[4]Aristotle,[5]Antiphanes,[6]Plutarch,[7]Soranus.[8]The ancient lexicographers generally bear out this meaning of the word. While Herodianus (I, 456, l. 2, Lentz), Hesychius and Photius giveτροφόςas a synonym forτίτθη, Suidas defines it more at length:τίτθαι, οὕτω καλοῦνται αἱ τοῖς τιτθίοις καὶ τῷ γάλακτι τρέφουσαι τὰ παιδία. Eustathius[9]calls wet-nursesτίτθαι, and those who have the care of children after weaningτιθηνοίandτροφοί:τίτθαι ... αἱ τοὺς τιτθοὺς παρέχουσαι ... τιθηνοὶ δέ, ἔτιδὲ καὶ τροφοί ... αἱ τὸν ἄλλον φασί, πόνον μετὰ τὸν ἀπογαλακτισμὸν ἀναεχόμεναι. Pollux definesτίτθαιasαἱ θηλάζουσαι(II, 163) and again (III, 50) he says:τὴν δὲ θηλάζουσαν Εὔπολις τίτθην θηλάστριαν ὠνόμασε. Betweenτιθήνηandτίτθηhe makes this distinction:ἡ δὲ τροφὸς τῆς κόρης, τιθήνη· καὶ ἡ γάλα παρέχουσα τίτθη(III, 41). However, a writer of the second centuryA. D.plainly referring to a wet-nurse, usesτίθηνη,
κοῦρος ὑπ’ ἐκ μαζοῖο τιθήνηςχείλεσιν αὖἐρύει λαρὸν γλάγος.[10]
κοῦρος ὑπ’ ἐκ μαζοῖο τιθήνηςχείλεσιν αὖἐρύει λαρὸν γλάγος.[10]
κοῦρος ὑπ’ ἐκ μαζοῖο τιθήνηςχείλεσιν αὖἐρύει λαρὸν γλάγος.[10]
κοῦρος ὑπ’ ἐκ μαζοῖο τιθήνης
χείλεσιν αὖἐρύει λαρὸν γλάγος.[10]
The Etymologicum Magnum refersτιθήνηtoτιτθόν:τιθήνας, τροφοὺς παρὰ τὸ τιτθόν. According to Brugmann[11]τίτθη,τιθήνη,τίτθοςare formed by reduplication besideθήλη, “mother’s breast.”
As to the wordτροφός, Herodianus (I, 225, l. 11, Lentz) refers it toτρέφω. Hesychius[12]contrasts it withθρέμμα, “nursling.” Pollux (l. c.) seems to distinguishτροφόςandμαῖαand to take the latter as meaning more strictly, “Ea quae lactat,” as Stephanus remarks in his Thesaurus.
Various meanings were attached to the wordμαῖα. Besides its use as “mid-wife,” it was employed as a form of address in speaking to nurses:
εἰ δ’ ἄγε δή μοι, μαῖα φίλη.[13]μαῖα, θεῶν μὲν δῶρα καὶ ἀχνύμενοι περ ἀνάγκῃ.[14]μαῖα, πάλιν μου κρύψον κεφαλάν.[15]
εἰ δ’ ἄγε δή μοι, μαῖα φίλη.[13]μαῖα, θεῶν μὲν δῶρα καὶ ἀχνύμενοι περ ἀνάγκῃ.[14]μαῖα, πάλιν μου κρύψον κεφαλάν.[15]
εἰ δ’ ἄγε δή μοι, μαῖα φίλη.[13]
εἰ δ’ ἄγε δή μοι, μαῖα φίλη.[13]
μαῖα, θεῶν μὲν δῶρα καὶ ἀχνύμενοι περ ἀνάγκῃ.[14]
μαῖα, θεῶν μὲν δῶρα καὶ ἀχνύμενοι περ ἀνάγκῃ.[14]
μαῖα, πάλιν μου κρύψον κεφαλάν.[15]
μαῖα, πάλιν μου κρύψον κεφαλάν.[15]
The signification was even extended to embrace the true mother, as attested by Euripides, Alcestis 393, where the child says of its mother:μαῖα δὴ κάτω βέβακεν.
To distinguish accurately and sharply between the different words for nurse is not our present purpose. Doubtless the differences between them were not broad and clear even to the Greeks themselves.τροφόςseems to be employed as the generic term, whileτίτθηis generally used for “wet-nurse” andτροφόςandτιθήνηfor “nursery-maid.”