dipsas

▪ literature

      a serpent with a bite said to produce intense thirst. The snake was the subject of a story told by several Greek authors, including Sophocles. According to the legend, Zeus was grateful to those who revealed to him the identity of the god who had stolen fire. He rewarded the informants by giving them the antidote to old age, which they packed onto the back of an ass that was then allowed to depart alone. The ass became very thirsty and stopped at a spring guarded by the snake. After first refusing him water, the snake then offered to trade it for the contents of the ass's load. The snake, after receiving the contents, shed his skin, and the ass was relieved of his thirst. The word is from the Greek dipsás, a derivative of dípsa, “thirst.”

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