Stephanos of Byzantium - Ethnika
La: a city in Lakonike. Lykophron: ‘and you will pass La’. The Dioskouroi, after taking it, were called ‘Lapersai’. It is also used as masculine. Homer, resolving this form, says: ‘those who held Laan, and dwelt around Oitylos’. It lies on a high rock, and for this reason is called La. Its inhabitants are ‘Laoi’.
Stephanos excerpt (left) is aligned with matched Herodian passages (right). Colors indicate corresponding overlap spans.
Λᾶ, πόλις Λακωνική. Λυκόφρων “καὶ Λᾶν περήσεις”. ταύτην ἑλόντες οἱ Διόσκουροι Λαπέρσαι ἐκλήθησαν. λέγεται καὶ ἀρσενικῶς. ταύτην διαλύσας Ὅμηρός φησιν “οἵ τε Λάαν εἶχον, ἠδ´ Οἴτυλον ἀμφενέμοντο”. κεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ πέτρας ὑψηλῆς, διὸ Λᾶ καλεῖται. οἱ οἰκοῦντες Λᾶοι.
(v. 95) »καὶ Λᾶν περήσεις«. ταύτην δὲ διαλύσας Ὅμηρός φησιν (Β 585) »οἵ τε Λάαν εἶχον ἠδ´ Οἴτυλον ἀμφενέμοντο«. κεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ πέτρας ὑψηλῆς, διὸ Λᾶ καλεῖται. Μᾶ, ἣ τῇ Ῥέᾳ εἵπετο. ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ καὶ ἡ Ῥέα Μᾶ. * Τὰ εἰς 'η' μονοσύλλαβα ἐκ συναιρέσεως περισπᾶται, μόνη δὲ ἡ γῆ κοινὴ συνήθης, τὸ γὰρ Ῥῆ ἡ Ῥέα ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ Συρίου καὶ οὐ πᾶσιν ἴσως ἢ καὶ Ἀττικοῖς γνωστόν· τὸ δὲ πλῆ ε…