Am I right in thinking that if there is a difference to be made between these, I think that that χαλινός would be the whole thing including the στόμιον, while στόμιον would be just the part in the mouth as distinct from the χαλινός. [Reins are τὰ ἡνία.] Are metal bits an ancient or modern invention? Could it be that the leather of the bridle became the leather of the bit? Consider:James 3:3 wrote: Ἴδε, τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν πρὸς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν.
While noting that E. C. Marchant and G. W. Bowersock were not translating literally, it seems that the bridle (χαλινός) could be too tight or loose, and the bit (στόμιον) is what the horse could take between its teeth. Was it one and the same material, just twisted or plaited a different way?Xenophon, [i]On the Art of Horsemanship[/i], 6.9 (Loeb via Perseus) wrote:δεδιδάχθω δὲ καὶ τάδε ὁ ἱπποκόμος, πρῶτον μὲν μήποτε ἄγειν τῆς ἡνίας τὸν ἵππον: τοῦτο γὰρ ἑτερογνάθους ποιεῖ: ἔπειτα δὲ ὅσον δεῖ ἀπέχειν τὸν χαλινὸν τῶν γνάθων. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἄγαν πρὸς αὐταῖς τυλοῖ τὸ στόμα, ὥστε μὴ εὐαίσθητον εἶναι, ὁ δὲ ἄγαν εἰς ἄκρον τὸ στόμα καθιέμενος ἐξουσίαν παρέχει συνδάκνοντι τὸ στόμιον μὴ πείθεσθαι.
The groom should also be instructed in the following points: first, never to lead the horse on the rein—that gives the horse a hard mouth on one side—and secondly, what is the correct distance from the bit to the jaws. For if it is too high up, it hardens the mouth so that it loses its sensitiveness; and if it lies too low in the mouth, it gives the horse power to take it between his teeth and refuse to obey.
Another thing is that, while I get that "Ὁ ἱππεὺς ἐπέβην ἵππον." is talking about "The rider mounted a horse.", is there a difference to be made between "Ὁ ἱππεὺς ἐπιβέβηκεν (/ ὁ ἐπιβεβηκώς) [ἐπὶ] ἵππον. The rider is seated on a horse." and "Ὁ ἱππεὺς ὁ καθημένος ἐφ’ ἵππον." (cf. Rev. chapters 6, 9 and 19)? What would a difference be in English between "mounted on" and "seated on"? Is καθημένος a current Koine usage, or a legacy Epic (Homeric) usage?