μέλος , εος, to/,
A. limb, in early writers always in pl.,
Il.7.131,
Pi.N. 1.47, etc. (
κατὰ μέλος is corrupt for
κατὰ μέρος in
h.Merc.419);
μελέων ἔντοσθε within my
bodily frame,
A.Pers.991 (lyr.), cf.
Eu.265 (lyr.);
κατὰ μέλη （-
εα)
limb by limb, like
μελεϊστί,
Pi.O.1.49,
Hdt.1.119; “
τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη καὶ μέρη”
Pl.Lg.795e;
μέλη ποιεῖν dismember,
LXX 2 Ma.1.16: later in sg.,
AP9.141,
Gal.UP12.3,al.; “
ἡ κατὰ μέλος τομή”
Str.2.1.30.
B. esp.
musical member, phrase: hence,
song, strain, first in
h.Hom.19.16 (pl.), of the nightingale (the
Hom. word being
μολπή), cf.
Thgn.761, etc.; “
μέλη βοῶν ἄναυλα”
S.Fr.699; esp. of
lyric poetry, “
τὸ Ἀρχιλόχου μ.”
Pi.O.9.1;
ἐν μέλεϊ ποιέειν to write in
lyric strain,
Hdt.5.95, cf.
2.135; “
ἐν μέλει ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ μέτρῳ”
Pl.R.607d, cf.
D.H. Comp.11; “
Ἀδμήτου μ.”
Cratin.236;
μέλη,
τά,
lyric poetry, choral songs, opp. Epic or Dramatic verse,
Pl.R.379a,
607a, al.; [
μ.
] ἐκ τριῶν συγκείμενον,
λόγου τε καὶ ἁρμονίας καὶ ῥυθμοῦ ib.
398d.
b. lyric portion of the Comic
παράβασις,
Heph.Poëm.8.2.
2. music to which a song is set, tune,
Arist.Po.1450a14; opp.
ῥυθμός,
μέτρον,
Pl.Grg. 502c; opp.
ῥυθμός,
ῥῆμα,
Id.Lg.656c;
Κρητικόν,
Καρικόν,
Ἰωνικὸν μ.,
Cratin.222,
Pl.Com.69.12,
14: metaph.,
ἐν μέλει properly, correctly, “
ἐν μ.
φθέγγεσθαι”
Pl.Sph.227d;
παρὰ μέλος incorrectly, inopportunely, “
πὰρ μ.
ἔρχομαι”
Pi.N.7.69; “
παρὰ μ.
φθέγξασθαι”
Pl.Phlb.28b,
Lg.696d; “
παρὰ μέλος λαμπρύνεσθαι”
Arist.EN1123a22, cf.
EE1233a39.
source: SLJ