A Little Poem by Leo the Philosopher

This poem is a little strange and might not really project Epicurean beliefs…but I like it any way.

LEO THE PHILOSOPHER, GR. ANTH, 15.12

“Fortune, you kindly grant me Epicurus’
sweetest leisure and his delightful peace.
Why do I need the many-pained business of men?
I don’t want wealth, a blind, unstable friend,
Nor honors—human honors are a feeble dream.
Go to hell, Kirkê’s dusky cave: for I am ashamed
To eat the acorns of beasts when I am born from gods.
I hate the sweet, amnesiac fruit of the Lotus-eaters,
And I reject the seduction of the Sirens as an enemy’s song.
But I hope to obtain from the gods the soul-saving bloom,
Moly, an antidote against evil beliefs. And my ears,
I will block firmly with wax to escape innate compulsion.
May I reach the end of my life, saying and writing these things.”

Εὖγε, Τύχη, με ποεῖς ἀπραγμοσύνῃ μ’ ᾿Επικούρου
ἡδίστῃ κομέουσα καὶ ἡσυχίῃ τέρπουσα.
τίπτε δέ μοι χρέος ἀσχολίης πολυκηδέος ἀνδρῶν;
οὐκ ἐθέλω πλοῦτον, τυφλὸν φίλον, ἀλλοπρόσαλλον,
οὐ τιμάς· τιμαὶ δὲ βροτῶν ἀμενηνὸς ὄνειρος·
ἔρρε μοι, ὦ Κίρκης δνοφερὸν σπέος· αἰδέομαι γὰρ
οὐράνιος γεγαὼς βαλάνους ἅτε θηρίον ἔσθειν·
μισῶ Λωτοφάγων γλυκερὴν λιπόπατριν ἐδωδήν,
Σειρήνων τε μέλος καταγωγὸν ἀναίνομαι ἐχθρῶν·
ἀλλὰ λαβεῖν θεόθεν ψυχοσσόον εὔχομαι ἄνθος,
μῶλυ, κακῶν δοξῶν ἀλκτήριον· ὦτα δὲ κηρῷ
ἀσφαλέως κλείσας προφυγεῖν γενετήσιον ὁρμήν.
ταῦτα λέγων τε γράφων τε πέρας βιότοιο κιχείην.

Leo the Philosopher is from the 8th century CE! He is also called Leo the Mathematician.

leon

Idomeneus, Cretan Kleptocrat?

In our new political age, it seems that we might require more indirect language to speak the truth. perhaps in these examples below there is something useful for describing kleptocracy.

From the Suda

“To speak Cretan to Cretans: Since they liars and deceivers”

Κρητίζειν πρὸς Κρῆτας. ἐπειδὴ ψεῦσται καὶ ἀπατεῶνές εἰσι.

 

Hesychius

krêtizein: used for lying and deceiving. People use this phrase because Krêtans are liars.”

κρητίζειν· ἐπὶ τοῦ ψεύδεσθαι καὶ ἀπατᾶν. ἔταττον δὲ τὴν λέξιν ἀπὸ <τοῦ> τοὺς Κρῆτας ψεύστας εἶναι

 

Zenobius, 4.62.10

“To be a Cretan: People use this phrase to mean lying and cheating. And they say it developed as a proverb from Idomeneus the Cretan. For, as the story goes, when there was a disagreement developed about the greater [share] among the Greeks at troy and everyone was eager to acquire the heaped up bronze for themselves, they made Idomeneus the judge. Once he took open pledges from them that they would adhere to the judgments he would make, he put himself in from of all the rest! For this reason, it is called Kretening.”

Κρητίζειν: ἐπὶ τοῦ ψεύδεσθαι καὶ ἀπατᾶν ἔταττον τὴν λέξιν, καὶ φασὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ᾿Ιδομενέως τοῦ Κρητὸς τὴν παροιμίαν διαδοθῆναι. Λέγεται γὰρ διαφορᾶς ποτὲγενομένης τοῖς ἐν Τροίᾳ ῞Ελλησιν περὶ τοῦ μείζονος, καὶ  πάντων προθυμουμένων τὸν συναχθέντα χαλκὸν ἐκ τῶν λαφύρων πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποφέρεσθαι, γενόμενον κριτὴν τὸν ᾿Ιδομενέα, καὶ λαβόντα παρ’ αὐτῶν τὰς ἐνδεχομένας πίστεις ἐφ’ ᾧ κατακολουθῆσαι τοῖς κριθησομένοις, ἀντὶ πάντων τῶν ἀριστέων ἑαυτὸν προτάξαι. Διὸ λέγεσθαι τὸ Κρητίζειν.

 

Dionysius Attic, Aelian

Krêtizein: to lie. For Idomenus, when he was placed in charge of distributing the bronze from the spoils, chose the best for himself.”

κρητίζειν· τὸ ψεύδεσθαι. ᾿Ιδομενεὺς γὰρ ἐπιτραπεὶς τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν λαφύρων χαλκὸν διανεῖμαι τὸν ἄριστον αὑτῷ ἐξείλετο.

 

Photius

Krêtizein: to lie. For Idomenus, when he was placed in charge of distributing the bronze from the spoils, chose the best for himself.”

Κρητίζειν: τὸ ψεύδεσθαι· ᾿Ιδομενεὺς γὰρ ἐπιτραπεὶς τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν λαφύρων χαλκὸν διανεῖμαι, τὸν ἄριστον αὐτωῖ ἐξείλετο.

idomeneus
Give me the loot.

 

Happy Halloween: Here’s Some Byzantine Verse on Lycanthropy

There is a Byzantine didactic poem based on Greek medical treatises. Thankfully, it does not skip the good stuff.

Master Psellos, What can you tell us about wolves about men and anything else you embellish?
Master Psellos,
What can you tell us
about wolves
about men
and anything else you embellish?

The poem is from a collection of didactic verses attributed to Michael Psellos of Constantinople who lived and worked in the 11th century CE. The text comes from the Teubner edition of his poems edited by L. G. Westernik (1982).

Poemata 9.841

“One kind of melancholy is lykanthropy.
And it is clearly a type of misanthropy.
Mark thus a man who rushes from the day
When you see him at night running round graves,
With a pale face, dumb dry eyes, not a care in his rage.”

Μελάγχολόν τι πρᾶγμα λυκανθρωπία·
ἔστι γὰρ αὐτόχρημα μισανθρωπία,
καὶ γνωριεῖς ἄνθρωπον εἰσπεπτωκότα
ὁρῶν περιτρέχοντα νυκτὸς τοὺς τάφους,
ὠχρόν, κατηφῆ, ξηρόν, ἠμελημένον.

 

wolfbyz2

The Fantastic Dog-headed People of India

There are remnants of three Indika (‘History of India’) from ancient Greece. The oldest is attributed to a Kteisias of Knidos (Ctesias of Cnidus) who is said to have traveled with the failed rebellion of Cyrus (the same trip as Xenophon). He gathered his account from stories the Persians told.  The following is taken from the summary made by the Byzantine scholar Photius in his Bibliotheca.

(There is a translation available free here. It leaves out anything about menstruation and sex.)

 

Ctesias, Indica (fragments From Photius’ Bibliotheca, Codex 72 47b-48b)

Appearance, Language, and Population

“On these mountains he says there are men who have a dog’s head. They wear clothing from wild animals. They do not speak with a voice, but they bark like dogs and thus understand one another. They have larger teeth than a dog and have claws similar to them but they are larger and rounder as well. They live in the mountains near the river Indus. They are dark-skinned and are completely just, just like the rest of the Indians they encounter. They know the language of the other Indians but they cannot speak it—instead they just make signs by barking or with their hands and digits like the deaf. They are called Kalustrioi by the Indians, which equates to Kunokephaloi among the Greeks [“Dog-heads”]. There tribe is almost 120,000 strong.”

᾿Εν τοῖσδε τοῖς ὄρεσί φασιν ἀνθρώπους βιοτεύειν κυνὸς ἔχοντας κεφαλήν· ἐσθῆτας δὲ φοροῦσιν ἐκ τῶν ἀγρίων θηρίων, φωνὴν δὲ διαλέγονται οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλ’ὠρύονται, ὥσπερ κύνες, καὶ οὕτω συνιᾶσιν αὑτῶν τὴν φωνήν. ᾿Οδόντας δὲ μείζους ἔχουσι κυνός, καὶ τοὺς ὄνυχας ὁμοίους κυνός, μακροτέρους δὲ καὶ στρογγυλωτέρους. Οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι μέχρι τοῦ ᾿Ινδοῦ ποταμοῦ, μέλανες δέ εἰσι καὶ δίκαιοι πάνυ, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι  ᾿Ινδοί, οἷς καὶ ἐπιμίγνυνται καὶ συνιᾶσι μὲν τὰ παρ’ ἐκείνων λεγόμενα, αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐ δύνανται διαλέγεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὠρυγῇ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ τοῖς δακτύλοις σημαίνουσιν, ὥσπερ οἱ κωφοί· καλοῦνται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν᾿Ινδῶν Καλύστριοι, ὅπερ ἑλληνιστὶ Κυνοκέφαλοι· τὸ δὲ ἔθνος ἐστὶν ἕως δώδεκα μυριάδων.

doghead

Economics (Codex, 48b)

[Ctesias] says that the Kunokephalai who live in the mountains do not work the land but instead live by hunting. When they kill their prey, they cook it in the sun. They do tend many sheep, goats, and donkeys. They drink milk and milk-whey from sheep, and they eat the fruit of the Siptakhora which yields sweet amber. They dry this as well and store it in baskets in the way the Greeks store raisins. The Kunokephaloi build rafts, load them and send them as tribute which includes the amber, prepared purple flowers with 260 talents of amber annually and as much purple die and they send 1000 more talents as annual tribute for the king. The rest of the amber they sell to Indians for bread, grain, cotton. They also buy swords which they use in hunting for their quarry along with bows and javelins. For they are extremely talented at throwing javelins and shooting arrows. They are invincible in war because they inhabit mountains that are unreachable and high. The king gives them gifts every five years: 300,000 bows, the same number of spears, 120,000 shields, and 50,000 swords.”

῞Οτι οἱ Κυνοκέφαλοι οἰκοῦντες ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν οὐκ ἐργάζονται, ἀπὸ θήρας δὲ ζῶσιν· ὅταν δ’ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτά, ὀπτῶσι πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον. Τρέφουσι δὲ καὶπρόβατα πολλὰ καὶ αἶγας καὶ ὄνους. Πίνουσι δὲ γάλα καὶ ὀξύγαλα τῶν προβάτων, ἐσθίουσι δὲ καὶ τὸν καρπὸν τοῦ σιπταχόρου, ἀφ’ οὗ τὸ ἤλεκτρον (γλυκὺς γάρ), καὶ ξηραίνοντες αὐτούς, σπυρίδας συσσάσσουσιν ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ῞Ελλησι τὴν ἀσταφίδα. Οἱ δὲ Κυνοκέφαλοι, σχεδίαν ποιησάμενοι καὶ ἐπιθέντες, ἀπάγουσι  φόρτον τούτου, καὶ τῆς πορφύρας τὸ ἄνθος καθαρὸν ποιήσαντες, καὶ τοῦ ἠλέκτρου ξ′ καὶ ς′ τάλαντα τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, καὶ ὅτῳ τὸ φοινίκιον βάπτεται τοῦ φαρμάκου ἕτερα τοσαῦτα, καὶ ἠλέκτρου χίλια τάλαντα, ἀπάγουσι κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν τῷ ᾿Ινδῶν βασιλεῖ. Καὶ ἕτερα δὲ κατάγοντες πωλοῦσι τοῖς ᾿Ινδοῖς πρὸς ἄρτους καὶ ἄλφιτα καὶ ξύλινα ἱμάτια· πωλοῦσι δὲ καὶ ξίφη οἷς χρῶνται πρὸς τὴν τῶν θηρίων ἄγραν, καὶ τόξα καὶἀκόντια· πάνυ γὰρ καὶ δεινοί εἰσιν ἀκοντίζειν καὶ τοξεύειν· ἀπολέμητοι δ’ εἰσὶ διὰ τὸ οἰκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὄρεα ἄβατα καὶ ὑψηλά. Δίδωσι δὲ αὐτοῖς διὰ πέμπτου ἔτους δῶρα ὁ βασιλεὺς λ′ μὲν μυριάδας τόξων, καὶ ἀκοντίων τοσαύτας, πελτῶν δὲ δώδεκα, καὶ ξίφη δὲ πεντακισμύρια.

 

Living Arrangements, Wealth, and Sexual Mores

“The Kunokephaloi do not live in houses but inhabit caves. They hunt wild animals with bows, javelins and they overcome some by running. For they run quickly. The women wash themselves once a month whenever they have their periods, but not otherwise. The men do not wash themselves but they do wash their hands. They anoint themselves with oil made from milk and they wipe themselves with skins. They do not have hairy raiment, but the women and the men wear skins that are well-tanned. The wealthiest wear linen, but there are very few. They do not have beds, but they made piles of straw. The man who has the most sheep is considered the wealthiest. The case is similar with their other possessions. All of them have tails which sit above their hips like dogs, but they are longer and harrier. The have sex with the females on four-feet, just like dogs. It is considered shameful to have sex in any other way. They are just and they are the most long-lived of all men: they live 170 and even 200 years.”

Τούτοις τοῖς κυνοκεφάλοις οὐκ εἴσιν οἰκίαι, ἀλλ’ ἐν σπηλαίοις διαιτῶνται. Θηρεύουσι δὲ τὰ θηρία τοξεύοντες, ἀκοντίζοντες, καὶ διώκοντες καταλαμβάνουσι· ταχὺ γὰρ τρέχουσι.Λούονται δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἅπαξ τοῦ μηνός, ὅταν τὰ καταμήνια αὐταῖς ἔλθῃ, ἄλλοτε δ’ οὔ· οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οὐ λούονται μέν, τὰς δὲ χεῖρας ἀπονίζονται, ἐλαίῳ δὲ χρίονται τρὶς τοῦ μηνὸς τῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ γάλακτος γινομένῳ, καὶ ἐκτρίβονται δέρμασι. Τὴν δὲ ἐσθῆτα ἔχουσιν οὐ δασείαν, ἀλλὰ ψιλῶν τῶν μασθλημάτων ὡς λεπτοτάτων καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν· οἱ δὲ πλουσιώτατοι αὐτῶν λίνα φοροῦσιν. Οὗτοι δ’ εἰσὶν ὀλίγοι. Κλῖναι δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐκ εἴσιν, ἀλλὰ στιβάδας ποιοῦνται. Οὗτος δ’ αὐτῶν πλουσιώτατος νομίζεται εἶναι ᾧ ἂν πλεῖστα πρόβατα ᾖ· ἡ δὲ ἄλλη οὐσία παραπλησία. Οὐρὰν δὲ ἔχουσι πάντες καὶ ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰσχίων οἵανπερ κύων, μείζονα δὲ καὶ δασυτέραν· καὶ μίσγονται ταῖς γυναιξὶ τετραποδιστί, ὥσπερ οἱ κύνες· ἄλλως δὲ μιγῆναι αὐτοῖς ἐστιν αἰσχρόν. Δίκαιοι δέ εἰσι καὶ μακροβιώτατοι πάντων ἀνθρώπων· ζῶσι γὰρ ἔτη ρ′ καὶ ο′, ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ διακόσια.

(Crazy) Sh*t the Suda Says About India

Gangês: A king of the Ethiopians whom Alexander killed. He was ten cubits tall possessing a beauty which no man has rivaled. A son of the river Ganges. His father used to flood India, so he turned him to the Erythean sea and reconciled him with the land so that it brought treasures to him alive and avenged him when he was dead. When Homer sends Achilles to Troy for Helen, he says that he sacked 12 cities by sea and 11 by land and that the woman who was taken from him by the king put him to rage when he seemed to be inconsolable and savage. Let us consider the Indian in comparison. Ganges settled 60 cities which were the most famous of those in his country. If anyone believes sacking cities is more glorious than building them, it is not. Once when the Skythians from beyond the Caucasus attacked this land, he repelled them. To appear a good man by freeing your own country is much better than enslaving another’s city.”

Γάγγης, βασιλεὺς Αἰθιόπων, ὃν ἀπέκτεινεν ᾿Αλέξανδρος, δεκάπηχυς τὸ μῆκος, τὴν δὲ ὥραν οἷος οὔπω τις ἀνθρώπων, ποταμοῦ δὲ Γάγγου παῖς. τὸν δὲ πατέρα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν ᾿Ινδικὴν ἐπικλύζοντα, αὐτὸς ἐς τὴν ἐρυθρὰν ἔτρεψε καὶ διήλλαξεν αὐτὸν τῇ γῇ, ὅθεν ἡ γῆ ζῶντι μὲν ἄφθονα ἔφερεν, ἀποθανόντι δὲ ἐτιμώρει. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν ᾿Αχιλλέα ῞Ομηρος ἄγει μὲν ὑπὲρ ῾Ελένης ἐς Τροίαν, φησὶ δὲ αὐτὸν ιβ′ μὲν πόλεις ἐκ θαλάττης ᾑρηκέναι, πεζῇ δὲ ια′, γυναῖκα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀφαιρεθέντα εἰς μῆνιν ἀπενεχθῆναι, ὅτε δὲ ἀτεράμονα καὶ ὠμὸν δόξαι· σκεψώμεθα τὸν ᾿Ινδὸν πρὸς ταῦτα. πόλεων μὲν τοίνυν ξ′ οἰκιστὴς ἐγένετο, αἵπερ εἰσὶ δοκιμώταται τῶν τῇδε· τὸ δὲ πορθεῖν πόλεις ὅστις εὐκλεέστερον ἡγεῖται τοῦ ἀνοικίζειν πόλιν, οὐκ ἔστιν. Σκύθας δὲ τοὺς ὑπὲρ Καύκασον στρατεύσαντάς ποτε ἐπὶ τήνδε τὴν γῆν ἀπώσατο· τὸ δὲ ἐλευθεροῦντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν φαίνεσθαι, πολλῷ βέλτιον τοῦ δουλείαν ἐπάγειν τῇ πόλει.

Demetrius
Demetrius, a Hellenistic King with an Indo-Greek Kingdom

The Suda’s entry on Indians:

 

“Indoi: A barbarian people. For war the standards for their cavalry for each body of a thousand was a dragon arranged up a pole with a head made out of silver pictured with grinning teeth and a terrible open mouth. The rest of the body was made of silk,  and was decorated from beginning to end like a real dragon. A cavalryman carrying this standard raises the pole into the air and pursues the cavalry with force. Then it falls as is probable when the wind drives upon it. When it is turned in the folds of the hollow weaving and cannot unfurl because of the covering, it undulates in the air and rotates the decorated standard as if it moved like a real dragon. Note that during the time of Constantine the Great, the inner Indians, the Iberians, and the Armenians were baptized.”

᾿Ινδοί: ἔθνος βάρβαρον. κατὰ δὲ τὸν πόλεμον ἦσαν αὐτοῖς σημαῖαι τῶν ἱππέων καθ’ ἑκάστην χιλιοστὺν δράκων ἐπὶ κάμακος ἀνατεταμένος, οὗ ἀργυρᾶ μὲν ἡ κεφαλὴ πεποίηται, σεσηρότων ὀδόντων καὶ τοῦ χάσματος ἀπειλὴν ἔχοντος· τὸ δὲ ἄλλο σῶμα σηρικόϋφον ἦν, ἔς τε μῆκος καὶ βάθος καὶ τὸ ποικίλον τῆς χρόας ἐς ἀληθινὸν δράκοντα. τοῦτον φέρων ἱππεύς, μετεωρίσας ἐς τὸν ἀέρα τὴν κάμακα ῥύμῃ διώκει τὸν ἵππον. καὶ ἐμπίπτει μὲν ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἐλαυνόμενον βίᾳ τὸ πνεῦμα· εἰλούμενον δὲ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ κοίλου ὕφους καὶ διέξοδον εὑρεῖν διὰ τὸ στεγανὸν οὐ δυνάμενον κυμαίνει τε εἰς τὸν ἀέρα καὶ μετεωρίζον τὸ ποικίλον ἤτριον πάσας ἑλίσσει τροπάς, ὥσπερ ὁλκὸς δράκοντος ἀληθινοῦ. ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Κωνσταντίνου ἐβαπτίσθησαν οἱ ἐνδότεροι ᾿Ινδοὶ καὶ ῎Ιβηρες καὶ ᾿Αρμένιοι,

 

Zonaras 7.2 – Alba Longa Retaken

Romulus and Romus come of age; their identity is revealed; Amulius is expelled.

When they [Romulus and Romus] grew up, they were both manly and high-spirited. Romulus seemed more distinguished for his intelligence and was more inclined to command than obey. When a dispute arose between the cowherds of Numitor and those of Amulius, the brothers beat them and took a great share of the cattle. The cowherds of Numitor then laid a trap for Romus when he was walking alone with a few others; they captured him and brought him to Numitor. He feared retribution for coming up against Amulius, being his brother and often maltreated by the members of his household. But Amulius gave Romus to Numitor to do with him as he wished. As Numitor was returning home and gazing upon Romus, who was distinguished for his size and strength, he marveled at his boldness and indomitable nature, and then asked him in a low voice who he was and who his parents were. Romus boldly replied, ‘We are twin brothers; our lineage is said to be unspeakable, and our rearing and nursing is even more incredible, since we were nursed by beasts and birds after being set in a tiny cradle next to the great river; indeed, it still exists, with some faint words engraved on the bronze ribs which hold it together.’

Numitor was then led on by both the speech and appearance of Romus to think about the exposure of his daughter’s children. When Faustulus learned of the seizure of Romus, he urged Romulus to help him, and at that time told him clearly about his own lineage which was previously kept secret in order to prevent them from becoming small-minded. He then got the cradle and brought it to Numitor in the full bloom of zeal and anxiety. When he was seen by the guards posted outside the gates of Amulius, and appeared to be anxious under their questioning, it did not escape notice that he was hiding the cradle underneath his mantle. Thinking that he was concealing something which he had stolen, they brought the cradle out into the open. There happened to be present one of the men who had exposed the boys. He recognized the cradle, and ran to tell Amulius. When Faustulus was interrogated by the king, he laid out that the boys were alive, and further were cowherds in Alba Longa. He brought the cradle to Ilia, the mother of the boys, who wanted to see it. Disturbed by all of this, Amulius sent a man to Numitor to find out whether he could learn anything of the boys, since they were still alive. The man who had been sent on this expedition was one of Numitor’s friends. He went away and found Numitor lost in the complicated puzzle about Romus; he then urged Numitor on and counseled that there should be no delay, and he himself helped with the deed. Just then, Romulus arrived with a large band of rustics. A few of the city dwellers had also joined him from hatred of Amulius. Since matters had fallen out those, Amulius – neither doing nor contriving anything – ran away to save his life.

Αὐξανόμενοι δὲ θυμοειδεῖς ἦσαν καὶ ἀνδρώδεις ἀμφότεροι· ὁ δὲ ῾Ρωμύλος ἐδόκει συνέσει διαφορώτερος καὶ ἡγεμονικὸς μᾶλλον τὴν φύσιν ἢ πειθαρχικός.γενομένης δέ ποτε πρὸς τοὺς Νομίτωρος βουκόλους τοῖς τοῦ ᾿Αμουλίου διαφορᾶς, συγκόπτουσιν αὐτοὺς οἱ ὁμαίμονες καὶ τῆς ἀγέλης συχνὴν ἀποτέμνονται μοῖραν. μόνῳ δὲ τῷ ῾Ρώμῳ σὺν ὀλίγοις ἄλλοις βαδίζοντι οἱ τοῦ Νομίτωρος βουκόλοι λοχήσαντες συνέλαβον αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπήγαγον πρὸς Νομίτωρα· καὶ ὃς πρὸς ᾿Αμούλιον ἐλθὼν ἐδεῖτο τυχεῖν δίκης, ἀδελφὸς ὢν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων αὐτοῦ ὑβρισμένος. ὁ δὲ παραδίδωσι τῷ Νομίτωρι τὸν ῾Ρῶμον ὡς βούλοιτο χρήσασθαι. ὃς οἴκοι ἐλθὼν καὶ τὸν νεανίσκον ὁρῶν ὑπερφέροντα μεγέθει καὶ ῥώμῃ, καὶ τὸ θαρραλέον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀδούλωτον τῆς ψυχῆς θαυμάζων, ἀνέκρινεν ὅστις εἴη καὶ ὅθεν γένοιτο, φωνῇ πραείᾳ. ὁ δὲ θαρρῶν ἔλεγεν ὡς “δίδυμοι μέν ἐσμεν ἀδελφοί, γοναὶ δὲ ἡμῶν ἀπόρρητοι λέγονται καὶ τροφαὶ καὶ τιθηνήσεις θαυμασιώτεραι, θηρίοις καὶ οἰωνοῖς τραφέντων παρὰ τὸν μέγαν ποταμὸν ἐν σκάφῃ τινὶ κειμένων, ἣ ἔτι σώζεται, χαλκοῖς ὑποζώμασι γραμμάτων ἀμυδρῶν ἐγκεχαραγμένων.”

῾Ο μὲν οὖν Νομίτωρ τοῖς τε λόγοις τοῦ ῾Ρώμου καὶ τῇ ὄψει πρὸς ἔννοιαν τῆς ἐκθέσεως τῶν τῆς θυγατρὸς ἐνήγετο παίδων, ὁ δὲ Φαυστοῦλος τὴν τοῦ῾Ρώμου μαθὼν σύλληψιν τὸν μὲν ῾Ρωμύλον βοηθεῖν παρεκάλει, τότε σαφῶς διδάξας αὐτὸν περὶ τῆς γενέσεως, πρότερον γὰρ ὑπῃνίττετο, ὥστ’ αὐτοὺς μὴ μικροφρονεῖν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν σκάφην κομίζων ἐχώρει πρὸς τὸν Νομίτωρα σπουδῆς καὶ δέους μεστός. τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὰς πύλας τοῦ ᾿Αμουλίου φρουροῖς ὑφορώμενος, καὶ ταραττόμενος περὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις, οὐκ ἔλαθε τὴν σκάφην τῷ χλανιδίῳ περικαλύπτων. ὑπολαβόντες δὲ κλοπιμαῖόν τι φέρειν αὐτόν, εἰς μέσον τὴν σκάφην προήγαγον. ἔτυχε δέ τις παρὼν ἐκεῖ τῶν τὰ παιδάρια ἐκθεμένων· ὃς τὴν σκάφην γνωρίσας, δραμὼν φράζει τῷ ᾿Αμουλίῳ. καὶ ὁ Φαυστοῦλος ἀνακρινόμενος παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως σώζεσθαι μὲν τοὺς παῖδας κατέθετο, πόρρω δὲ τῆς ῎Αλβης νέμοντας εἶναι· τὴν δὲ σκάφην πρὸς τὴν ᾿Ιλίαν κομίζειν τὴν τῶν παίδων μητέρα, ποθοῦσαν ἰδεῖν. τεταραγμένος δὲ τούτοις ᾿Αμούλιος ἄνδρα πρὸς τὸν Νομίτωρα πέπομφε πυνθανόμενος εἴ τι μάθοι περὶ τῶν παίδων ὡς περιόντων. ἦν δὲ τῶν φίλων ὁ πεμφθεὶς τοῦ Νομίτωρος. ἀπελθὼν οὖν καὶ ἐν περιπλοκαῖς τοῦ῾Ρώμου εὑρηκὼς τὸν Νομίτωρα, παρεθάρρυνέ τε καὶ μὴ μέλλειν αὐτοῖς συνεβούλευε, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ συνέπραττεν. ἄρτι δὲ καὶ ὁ ῾Ρωμύλος ἐγγὺς ἦν, χεῖρα συχνὴν ἀγροικικὴν ἐπαγόμενος· καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν δὲ αὐτῷ οὐκ ὀλίγοι προσῄεσαν μίσει τοῦ ᾿Αμουλίου. ὃς οὕτω τῶν πραγμάτων συνενεχθέντων οὐδὲν οὔτε πράξας οὔτε βουλεύσας σωτήριον ἀνῃρέθη.

Interest, Shameless Gods, and Seven-Layered Tempers–Three Θ Proverbs

Theta is for Thursday. Three more proverbs from the Suda:

“The interest speeds faster than Heraclitus of Perineum”: This man was a marvel for his speed. For this reason a proverb is used for people who borrow money at interest.”

Θᾶττον ὁ τόκος Ἡρακλείτω Περινέω τρέχει: οὗτος ἐθαυμάσθη ἐπὶ τάχει. εἴρηται οὖν ἡ παροιμία ἐπὶ τῶν δανειζομένων διὰ τὸν τόκον.

 Runner

S.V Theos

“There is a proverb: “Shamelessness is a god.” This is spoken for those who aid someone because of shamelessness. Shamelessness was honored as a god in Athens. She also had a temple there, as Istros records in his 14th book.”

καὶ παροιμία: Θεὸς ἡ Ἀναίδεια. λέγεται κατὰ τῶν δι’ ἀναισχυντίαν τινὰ ὠφελούντων. ἐτιμᾶτο δὲ καὶ Ἀθήνησιν ἡ Ἀναίδεια, καὶ ἱερὸν ἦν αὐτῆς, ὡς Ἴστρος ἐν ιδ#.

 

“A seven-layered temper”: This means a big temper. It comes as a metaphor from Ajax’s shield.  Kreon in Oedipus claims “the temper has no other age but death / and no pain touches the dead.” This means that it is not possible for someone to control a temper when still a human.

Temper’s rawness does not age except when a person exits life. It is impossible for someone not to give into a temper while still alive. This is also reported proverbially: “the temper ages last.” This derives from the fact that the elderly only develop a more robust temper as they age. Alkaios also repeats a version of this.

Θυμὸς ἑπταβόειος: ὁ μέγας. ἀπὸ μεταφορᾶς τῆς ἀσπίδος τοῦ Αἴαντος. Κρέων Οἰδίποδι: θυμοῦ γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἄλλο γῆρας πλὴν θανεῖν. θανόντων δ’ οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἅπτεται. οἷον οὐκ ἔστι θυμοῦ κρατῆσαι ἄνθρωπον ὄντα. οὐ καταγηράσκει τὸ ὠμὸν τοῦ θυμοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἐξέλθοι τοῦ βίου ὁ ἄνθρωπος: ἀδύνατον γάρ ἐστιν ὄντα ἄνθρωπον μὴ θυμῷ χρήσασθαι. τοῦτο καὶ παροιμιακῶς λέγεται, ὅτι ὁ θυμὸς ἔσχατον γηράσκει. λέγεται δὲ διὰ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους: ὅσον γηράσκουσι, τὸν θυμὸν ἐρρωμενέστερον ἔχουσι. καὶ Ἀλκαῖος ὡς λεγομένου κατὰ τὸ κοινὸν αὐτοῦ μιμνήσκεται.

Just Another Murine Monday: Mouse Proverbs from the Suda

Four proverbs involving mice from the Suda:

 

“A beetle on mice”: A proverb used for people [or things] who are worthless.”

Μυσὶ κανθαρίς: ἐπὶ τῶν μηδενὸς ἀξίων.

 

“A White Mouse”: Pet mice are compelled to mate excessively—especially the white ones (which are female) This proverb is used for those who are powerless in sexual matters”

Μῦς λευκός: οἱ κατοικίδιοι μύες ἄγαν πρὸς τὴν ὀχείαν κεκίνηνται, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ λευκοί. οὗτοι δέ εἰσι θήλεις. ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκρατῶν περὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια ἡ παροιμία εἴρηται.

 

“A mouse tasting pine-pitch”: A proverb used of those who just attempted something with great effort. There is also “as much as a mouse in pitch” which is taken from Muos of Tarentium who competed poorly at the Olympic games.

Μῦς πίσσης γεύεται: ἐπὶ τῶν νεωστὶ ἀπαλλασσόντων μετὰ κόπου. καὶ Ὅσα μῦς ἐν πίσσῃ, ἀπὸ Μυὸς τοῦ Ταραντίνου, κακῶς Ὀλυμπίασιν ἀπαλλάξαντος.

Mouse

“A Mouse just tasting pine-pitch”: A saying used for those who act boldly at the start and without shame but eventually prove to be cowards. There is also a dream-interpretation: when a mouse appears again, he is tricky in his ways.”

Μῦς ἄρτι πίττης γευόμενος: ἐπὶ τῶν πρῴην μὲν τολμηρῶν καὶ ἀναιδῶν, ἀθρόον δὲ δειλῶν ἀναφανέντων. λύσις ὀνείρου: Μῦς δ’ αὖ φανεὶς ἔνδολος ἐν τρόποις πέλει.

 

(Dis)repute from Hera? Etymologies for Herakles

In a recent post I came across a different etymology for Herakles. Below are the multiple possibilities explored in the Etymologicum Magnum

 

“Herakles. The hero. His name does not come from “Hera’s fame [Hêras kléos] as many claim, but more likely means’ ignominy thanks to Hera’ [Hêras akleâ]. For there are so many ways he was disreputable because of Hera.  When he was small, for example, Hera sent two snakes bound to kill him. He slaughtered those snakes. Or, perhaps, the name comes from lust and fame [eran kléos], since he was well known for that on the earth too. Or perhaps he was called that from the race of Neilos in the war of the giants, after he killed a nameless fire-breathing giant for Hera, he was named Herakles.

But others claim the name Herakles developed from service [êra], which often functions as a synonym for ‘help’, and fame [kléos]. For this he was called Alkeidês; but he was named Herakles for helping many people—which is what an oracle asserts when it says

Phoibos named you with the name Herakles—
For you will have eternal fame [kléos] for helping men [lit. bringing them êra].

Or the name comes from Hera, which is the goddess’ name and fame [kléos] resulted in Hero-kles like the names Hero-dotus, Hero-philos….[there follows a discussion of vowel reflexes and accent types]

῾Ηρακλῆς: ῾Ο ἥρως· οὐ παρὰ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ῞Ηρας  τὸ κλέος ἐσχηκέναι, ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον παρὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ῞Ηρας ἀκλεᾶ εἶναι· ὅσον γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ῞Ηραν, ἄδοξος ἦν· μικροῦ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὄντος, ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἔπεμψεν ῞Ηρα δράκοντας ὀφείλοντας ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν· οὕσπερ αὐτὸς ἐφόνευσεν. ῍Η παρὰ τὴν ἔραν καὶ τὸ κλέος, ὁ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἔνδοξος. ῍Η ὅτι Νεῖλος ἐκ γενετῆς καλούμενος, ἐν τῷ κατὰ γιγάντων πολέμῳ, ἀνώνυμον ἕνα τῶν γιγάντων πυρίπνοον ἐπερχόμενον ῞Ηρᾳ φονεύσας, ῾Ηρακλῆς ὠνομάσθη.

῎Αλλοι δὲ, παρὰ τὴν ἦρα, τὴν σημαίνουσαν τὴν μετ’ ἐπικουρίας χάριν, καὶ τὸ κλέος, γέγονεν ῾Ηρακλῆς· πρὸ τούτου γὰρ ᾿Αλκείδης ἐκαλεῖτο· ἀλλ’ ἐκ τοῦ πᾶσι βοηθεῖν ἐκλήθη ῾Ηρακλῆς, ὡς καὶ ὁ χρησμὸς δηλοῖ, λέγων,

 

῾Ηρακλέην δέ σε Φοῖβος ἐπώνυμον ἐξονομάζει·
ἦρα γὰρ ἀνθρώποισι φέρων κλέος ἄφθιτον ἕξεις.

῍Η ἀπὸ τοῦ ῞Ηρα, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν δαίμονα, καὶ τοῦ κλέος, γίνεται ῾Ηροκλῆς, ὡς ῾Ηρόδοτος, ῾Ηρόφιλος· …

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Herakles had a chiseled chin and chest even as an infant.

Nails, Gluttons, and Teaching Fish: Three More Proverbs

“Proverb: from para [along, against] the oimos [road, way] which shows [or defines, signals] the path or road—hence, paroimia. The Proverb is a useful utterance in part because it conveys its meaning within some measure of occlusion as well as much understanding in its depths.”

Παροιμία: Παρὰ τὸ οἶμος, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν ὁδὸν, οἰμία καὶ παροιμία. ῎Εστι δὲ παροιμία λόγος ὠφέλιμος μετ’ ἐπικρύψεως μετρίας αὐτόθεν ἔχων τὸ χρήσιμον, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει διάνοιαν.

 

“He hammers a nail with a nail: This is a proverb for when you hurry to clean up one mistake by making another. This is impossible.”

῞Ηλῳ τὸν ἧλον ἐκκρούει: παροιμία. ἀντὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτήματι τὸ ἁμάρτημα σπεύδεις ἐξελάσαι· τὸ δὲ οὐχ οἷόν τε.

 

“Herakles is being entertained: A proverb for those who proceed slowly. This is because people who welcome Herakles are occupied for a longtime since the hero is a glutton. The etymology of his name comes from a certain oracle: “Phoibus names you Herakles for you will earn immortal fame [kleos] in performing labors [êra] for men.”

῾Ηρακλῆς ξενίζεται: παροιμία ἐπὶ τῶν βραδυνόντων. οἱ γὰρ ὑποδεχόμενοι τὸν ῾Ηρακλέα βραδύνουσι· πολυφάγος γὰρ ὁ ἥρως. ἡ ἐτυμολογία τῆς κλήσεως ἀπό τινος χρησμοῦ· ῾Ηρακλῆν δέ σε Φοῖβος ἐπώνυμον ἐξονομάζει· ἦρα γὰρ ἀνθρώποισι φέρων, κλέος ἄφθιτον ἕξεις.

[This etymology is problematic—expect a post about this in a few days]

Comic Vase
Herakles was a heroic…eater

“He fishes: this means someone hunts for fish. There is also a proverb: “you are teaching a fish to swim”. This is applied to those who teach what people already know.”

᾿Ιχθυάᾳ: ἰχθῦς ἀγρεύει. καὶ παροιμία· ᾿Ιχθῦν νήχεσθαι διδάσκεις. ἐπὶ τῶν διδασκόντων ἃ ἐπίστανται.