"Fior da fiore", ospitalmente, politicamente. Nota a Aesch. Suppl. 963

In line 963 of Aeschylus’ Suppliants, Pelasgos provides the Danaids the opportunity to choose from various habitations in Argos, with the expression 'lotisasthe'. It is the first occurrence of the term, and after Aeschylus’ text, it is found only once in Sophocles, Frg. 724 Radt. The verbal form is derived from the name of the Egyptian flower; and “lotos” is indeed an Egyptian word, as confirmed by Herodotus II 92, 2. In the metaphorical expression 'lotisasthe' the political hospitality for the asylum-seekers finds an appropriate rhetorical form, in consonance with the style-code of the ancient aristocratic way of life.