All 24 Uses
scarcity
in
The Iliad by Homer - (translated by: Edward)
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- When to thy succour once before I came,
He seiz'd me by the foot, and hurl'd me down
From Heav'n's high threshold; all the day I fell,
And with the setting sun, on Lemnos' isle
Lighted, scarce half alive; there was I found,
And by the Sintian people kindly nurs'd.†Chpt 1.1scarce = in short supply OR barely or hardly (by a small margin) - Down leap'd AEneas, spear and shield in hand,
Against the Greeks to guard the valiant dead;
And like a lion, fearless in his strength,
Around the corpse he stalk'd, this way and that,
His spear and buckler round before him held,
To all who dar'd approach him threat'ning death,
With fearful shouts; a rocky fragment then
Tydides lifted up, a mighty mass,
Which scarce two men could raise, as men are now:
But he, unaided, lifted it with ease.†Chpt 1.5 - Whom answer'd thus the Cloud-compeller, Jove,
With look indignant: "Come no more to me,
Thou wav'ring turncoat, with thy whining pray'rs:
Of all the Gods who on Olympus dwell
I hate thee most; for thou delight'st in nought
But strife and war; thou hast inherited
Thy mother, Juno's, proud, unbending mood,
Whom I can scarce control; and thou, methinks,
To her suggestions ow'st thy present plight.†Chpt 1.5 - Fools, in those wretched walls that put their trust,
Scarce worthy notice, hopeless to withstand
My onset; and the trench that they have dug,
Our horses easily can overleap;
And when I reach the ships, be mindful ye,
To have at hand the fire, wherewith the ships
We may destroy, while they themselves shall fall
An easy prey, bewilder'd by the smoke.†Chpt 2.8 - He scarce had ended, when themselves appear'd,
And from the car descended: welcom'd back
With cordial grasp of hands, and friendly words.†Chpt 2.10 * - He 'mid his friends, escaping death, withdrew,
And to the Greeks with piercing shout he call'd:
"O friends, the chiefs and councillors of Greece,
Turn yet again, and from the doom of death
Great Ajax save, hard press'd by hostile spears:
Scarce can I hope he may escape with life
The desp'rate fight; yet bravely stand, and aid
The mighty Ajax, son of Telamon."†Chpt 2.11 - Scarce might another move it from the board,
When full; but aged Nestor rais'd with ease.†Chpt 2.11 - Scarce might a horse, with well-wheel'd car attach'd,
Essay the passage; but on foot they burn'd
To make th' attempt; and thus Polydamas,
Approaching near, to valiant Hector spoke:
"Hector, and all ye other chiefs of Troy,
And brave Allies, in vain we seek to drive
Our horses o'er the ditch; 'tis hard to cross;
'Tis crown'd with pointed stakes, and them behind
Is built the Grecian wall; there to descend
And from our cars in narrow space to fight
Were certain ruin.†Chpt 2.12 - If it be indeed
The will of Jove, high-thund'ring, to confound
The Greeks in utter rout, and us to aid,
I should rejoice that ev'ry Greek forthwith
Far from his home should fill a nameless grave;
But should they turn, and we again be driv'n
Back from the ships, and hurried down the ditch,
Such were our loss, that scarce a messenger
Would live to bear the tidings to the town
Of our destruction by the rallied Greeks.†Chpt 2.12 - which with both his hands
A man in youth's full vigour scarce could raise,
As men are now;†Chpt 2.12 - Then Hector, stooping, seiz'd a pond'rous stone
That lay before the gates; 'twas broad below,
But sharp above; and scarce two lab'ring men,
The strongest, from the ground could raise it up,
And load upon a wain; as men are now;
But he unaided lifted it with ease,
So light it seem'd, by grace of Saturn's son.†Chpt 2.12 - a sad and wondrous sight is this,
A sight I never deem'd my eyes should see,
Our ships assail'd by Trojan troops; by those
Who heretofore have been as tim'rous hinds
Amid the forest depths, the helpless prey
Of jackals, pards, and wolves; they here and there,
Uncertain, heartless, unresisting, fly:
Such were the Trojans once; nor dar'd abide,
No, not an hour, the strength and arms of Greece;
And these are they, who now beside our ships,
Far from their city walls, maintain the fight,
Embolden'd by our great commander's fault,
And slackness of the people, who, with him
Offended, scarce are brought to guard our ships.†Chpt 2.13 - Great Ajax Telamon to none would yield,
Of mortal birth, by earthly food sustain'd,
By spear or pond'rous stone assailable;
In hand to hand encounter, scarce surpass'd
By Peleus' son Achilles; though with him
In speed of foot he might not hope to vie.†Chpt 2.13 - But there he kept, where first the serried ranks
Of Greeks he broke, and storm'd the wall and gates;
There beach'd beside the hoary sea, the ships
Of Ajax and Protesilaus lay;
There had the wall been lowest built; and there
Were gather'd in defence the chiefest all,
Horses and men: the stout Boeotians there,
Join'd to th' Ionians with their flowing robes,
Loerians, and Phthians, and Epeians proud,
Could scarce protect their ships; nor could repel
Th' impetuous fire of godlike Hector's charge.†Chpt 2.13 - Yet him we scarce should miss, if we, the rest,
But firmly stood for mutual defence.†Chpt 2.14 - Nor, noble Menelaus, did thy heart
Incline thee to remain, and aid thy friends,
Where from their war-worn ranks the Pylian troops
Deplor'd the absence of Antilochus;
But these in godlike Thrasymedes' charge
He left; and to Patroclus hast'ning back,
Beside th' Ajaces stood, as thus he spoke:
"Him to Achilles, to the ships, in haste
I have despatch'd; yet fiercely as his wrath
May burn tow'rd Hector, I can scarce expect
His presence here; for how could he, unarm'd,
With Trojans fight?†Chpt 2.17 - Escap'd the pond'rous weapon, sharpest pain
Flashing across his eyes, in fear he stood,
So close the spear had pass'd him; onward then,
Drawing his trenchant blade, Achilles rush'd,
With fearful shout; a rocky fragment then
AEneas lifted up, a mighty mass,
Which scarce two men, as men are now, could bear,
But he, unaided, lifted it with ease.†Chpt 2.20 - She said, and turn'd away her piercing glance:
Him, deeply groaning, scarce to life restor'd,
Jove's daughter Venus taking by the hand,
Led from the field; which when the white-arm'd Queen
Beheld, in haste to Pallas thus she cried:
"O Heav'n, brave child of aegis-bearing Jove,
Undaunted!†Chpt 2.21 - Scarce in his anguish could the crowd restrain
The old man from issuing through the Dardan gates;
Low in the dust he roll'd, imploring all,
Entreating by his name each sev'ral man:
"Forbear, my friends; though sorrowing, stay me not;
Leave me to reach alone the Grecian ships,
And there implore this man of violence,
This haughty chief, if haply he my years
May rev'rence, and have pity on my age.†Chpt 2.22 - No young companions own the orphan boy:
With downcast eyes, and cheeks bedew'd with tears,
His father's friends approaching, pinch'd with want,
He hangs upon the skirt of one, of one
He plucks the cloak; perchance in pity some
May at their tables let him sip the cup,
Moisten his lips, but scarce his palate touch;
While youths, with both surviving parents bless'd,
May drive him from their feast with blows and taunts,
'Begone!†Chpt 2.22 - To Agamemnon then the Kings of Greece
The royal son of Peleus, swift of foot,
Conducted; yet with him they scarce prevail'd;
So fierce his anger for his comrade's death.†Chpt 2.23 - To any other man of all the Greeks
I scarce so much had yielded; but for that
Thyself hast labour'd much, and much endur'd,
Thou, thy good sire, and brother, in my cause:
I yield me to thy pray'rs; and give, to boot,
The mare, though mine of right; that these may know
I am not of a harsh, unyielding mood.†Chpt 2.23 - a single bar
Of fir the gateway guarded, which to shut
Three men, of all the others, scarce suffic'd,
And three to open;†Chpt 2.24 - The chief he found
Within, his followers seated all apart;
Two only in his presence minister'd,
The brave Automedon, and Alcimus,
A warrior bold; scarce ended the repast
Of food and wine; the table still was set.†Chpt 2.24
Definitions:
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(1)
(scarcity) shortage (having an amount that is less than desired)
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) More rarely (and typically in classic literature), scarce can be short for scarcely or hardly or barely or by a small margin -- such as in "She was scarce ten years old," or "I scarce know why."