Gephurōsantes

Trojan-Horse-2

Οἱ δ’ ἕτεροι γλαφυρῆς ἀπὸ γαστέρος ἔρρεον ἵππου,
τευχησταὶ βασιλῆες, ἀπὸ δρυὸς οἷα μέλισσαι,
αἵτ’ ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔκαμον πολυχανδέος ἔνδοθι σίμβλου
κηρὸν ὑφαίνουσαι μελιηδέα ποικιλοτέχναι,
ἐς νομὸν εὐγυάλοιο κατ’ ἄγγεος ἀμφιχυθεῖσαι
νύγμασι πημαίνουσι παραστείχοντας ὁδίτας·
ὣς Δαναοὶ κρυφίοιο λόχου κληῖδας ἀνέντες
θρῷσκον ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι καὶ εἰσέτι κοῖτον ἔχοντας
χαλκείου θανάτοιο κακοῖς ἐκάλυψαν ὀνείροις.
νήχετο δ’ αἵματι γαῖα, βοὴ δ’ ἄλληκτος ὀρώρει
Τρώων φευγόντων, ἐστείνετο δ’ Ἴλιος ἱρὴ
πιπτόντων νεκύων, οἱ δ’ ἀνδροφόνῳ κολοσυρτῷ
ἔζεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα μεμηνότες οἷα λέοντες
σώμασιν ἀρτιφάτοισι γεφυρώσαντες ἀγυιάς.
(Tryphiodorus, Halōsis Iliou 533-546)

And those others poured from the carven belly of the horse, armed princes, even as bees from an oak: which when they have laboured within the capacious hive, weaving the sweet honeycomb with cunning art, pour from their vaulted nest to the pasture and vex the passing wayfarers with their stings: even so the Danaans undid the bolts of their secret ambush and leapt upon the Trojans and, while they still slept, shrouded them in evil dreams of brazen death. The earth swam with blood, and a cry unceasing arose from the fleeing Trojans, and sacred Ilios was straitened with falling corpses, while those others with murderous tumult raged this way and that, like mad lions, bridging the streets with new-slain bodies. (tr. Alexander William Mair)

Mendax

Desiderantem quod satis est neque
tumultuosum sollicitat mare
nec saevus Arcturi cadentis
impetus aut orientis Haedi,

non verberatae grandine vineae
fundusque mendax, arbore nunc aquas
culpante, nunc torrentia agros
sidera, nunc hiemes iniquas.

(Horace, Carm. 3.1.25-32)

The one who desires what is enough is not worried by a stormy sea or by the fierce onslaught of Arcturus as he sets, or the Kid as he rises; not by hail lashing his vineyards or by a farm that has broken its promise. (The orchard blames now the torrential rain, now the dog star for scorching the fields, now the winter’s harshness.) (tr. Niall Rudd)

Utilitatis

Quid potius faciam? non sum, qui segnia ducam
otia: mors nobis tempus habetur iners.
nec iuvat in lucem nimio marcescere vino
nec tenet incertas alea blanda manus.
cum dedimus somno quas corpus postulat horas,
quo ponam vigilans tempora longa modo?
moris an oblitus patrii contendere discam
Sarmaticos arcus, et trahar arte loci?
hoc quoque me studium prohibent adsumere vires
mensque magis gracili corpore nostra valet.
cum bene quaesieris quid agam, magis utile nil est
artibus his, quae nil utilitatis habent.
(Ovid, Ep. ex Ponto 1.5.43-54)

What else should I do? I’m not one to lead a life
of idleness: wasted time’s like death to me.
I don’t enjoy lying drugged with excess drink, till dawn,
and the lure of the dice doesn’t grip my luckless hands.
When I’ve granted the time my body needs for sleep
how should I spend the long hours of wakefulness?
Shall I forget the ways of my country and, drawn
to the skills here, learn to bend the Sarmatian bow?
My powers prevent me taking up that pastime, too,
since my mind is stronger than my slight body.
When you’ve thought deeply about what I should do,
you’ll find nothing more useful than this useless art.
(tr. A.S. Kline)

Hippopeirēn

HOR-01-SS0195-01P

Πῶλε Θρῃκίη, τί δή με
λοξὸν ὄμμασι βλέπουσα
νηλέως φεύγεις, δοκεῖς δέ
μ’ οὐδὲν εἰδέναι σοφόν;
ἴσθι τοι, καλῶς μὲν ἄν τοι
τὸν χαλινὸν ἐμβάλοιμι
ἡνίας δ’ ἔχων στρέφοιμί
σ’ ἀμφὶ τέρματα δρόμου·
νῦν δὲ λειμῶνάς τε βόσκεαι
κοῦφά τε σκιρτῶσα παίζεις,
δεξιὸν γὰρ ἱπποπείρην
οὐκ ἔχεις ἐπεμβάτην.
(Anacreon, fr. 417)

Thracian filly, why glance at me askance and
flee so stubbornly? Do you think I don’t know a trick or two?
I tell you, I’d slip the bridle on you nicely
and, reins in hand, I’d take you round the course.
But as it is you graze the meadows, lightly skipping in your play.
You have no skillful rider experienced in horses’ ways.
(tr. John Porter)

Popoi

The_Tomb_of_the_Diver_-_Paestum_-_Italy

Ἀμφοτέρας δ’ ὀφρῦς σύνελεν λίθος, οὐδέ οἱ ἔσχεν
ὀστέον, ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ χαμαὶ πέσον ἐν κονίῃσιν
αὐτοῦ πρόσθε ποδῶν· ὁ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀρνευτῆρι ἐοικὼς
κάππεσ’ ἀπ’ εὐεργέος δίφρου, λίπε δ’ ὀστέα θυμός.
τὸν δ’ ἐπικερτομέων προσέφης, Πατρόκλεες ἱππεῦ·
“ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλ’ ἐλαφρὸς ἀνήρ, ὡς ῥεῖα κυβιστᾷ.
εἰ δή που καὶ πόντῳ ἐν ἰχθυόεντι γένοιτο,
πολλοὺς ἂν κορέσειεν ἀνὴρ ὅδε τήθεα διφῶν,
νηὸς ἀποθρῴσκων, εἰ καὶ δυσπέμφελος εἴη,
ὡς νῦν ἐν πεδίῳ ἐξ ἵππων ῥεῖα κυβιστᾷ.
ἦ ῥα καὶ ἐν Τρώεσσι κυβιστητῆρες ἔασιν.”
(Homer, Il. 16.740-750)

It* shattered both his eyebrows, crushing the bone; and his eyes fell out and rolled in the dust at his feet. He fell back out of the well-built chariot like a diver, and life left his bones. Mocking him, charioteer Patroclus, you said: ‘Well, well! How light on his toes, judging by that acrobatic somersault! Now, if the delightful dive he has taken from the chariot on to the plain is anything to go by, he’d satisfy the hunger of lots of people by doing the same at sea. Even in the roughest weather he could leap off a boat and grope about for molluscs. I never knew the Trojans had such acrobats!’

* the stone thrown by Patroclus at Cebriones, Hector’s charioteer.

(tr. Robert Fagles)

Grassare

Tips for aspiring fortune-hunters:

Obsequio grassare; mone, si increbruit aura,
cautus uti velet carum caput; extrahe turba
oppositis umeris; aurem substringe loquaci.
importunus amat laudari: donec ‘ohe iam!’
ad caelum manibus sublatis dixerit, urge,
crescentem tumidis infla sermonibus utrem.
(Horace, Serm. 2.5.93-98)

With flattery make your advances; warn him, if the breeze stiffens, carefully to cover up his precious pate; shoulder a way and draw him out of a crowd; make a trumpet of your ear when he is chattering. Does he bore you with his love of praise? Then ply him with it till with hands uplifted to heaven he cry “enough!” and blow up the swelling bladder with turgid phrases. (tr. Henry Rushton Fairclough)

Arktouros

Arcturus-300x300

Εὖτ’ ἂν δ’ ἑξήκοντα μετὰ τροπὰς ἠελίοιο
χειμέρι’ ἐκτελέσῃ Ζεὺς ἤματα, δή ῥα τότ’ ἀστὴρ
Ἀρκτοῦρος προλιπὼν ἱερὸν ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖο
πρῶτον παμφαίνων ἐπιτέλλεται ἀκροκνέφαιος.
τὸν δὲ μέτ’ ὀρθογόη Πανδιονὶς ὦρτο χελιδὼν
ἐς φάος ἀνθρώποις, ἔαρος νέον ἱσταμένοιο.
τὴν φθάμενος οἴνας περιταμνέμεν· ὣς γὰρ ἄμεινον.
(Hesiod, Erga kai Hēmerai 564-570)

When Zeus has finished sixty wintry days after the solstice, then the star Arcturus leaves the holy stream of Ocean and first rises brilliant at dusk. After him the shrilly wailing daughter of Pandion, the swallow, appears to men when spring is just beginning. Before she comes, prune the vines, for it is best so. (tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White)

Diabēsetai

boatbridge
One of Xerxes’ boat bridges over the Hellespont (480 BC)

Ἐς ταύτην ὦν τὴν ἀκτὴν ἐξ Ἀβύδου ὁρμώμενοι ἐγεφύρουν τοῖσι προσέκειτο, τὴν μὲν λευκολίνου Φοίνικες, τὴν δ᾽ ἑτέρην τὴν βυβλίνην Αἰγύπτιοι. ἔστι δὲ ἑπτὰ στάδιοι ἐξ Ἀβύδου ἐς τὴν ἀπαντίον. καὶ δὴ ἐζευγμένου τοῦ πόρου ἐπιγενόμενος χειμὼν μέγας συνέκοψέ τε ἐκεῖνα πάντα καὶ διέλυσε. ὡς δ᾽ ἐπύθετο Ξέρξης, δεινὰ ποιεύμενος τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἐκέλευσε τριηκοσίας ἐπικέσθαι μάστιγι πληγὰς καὶ κατεῖναι ἐς τὸ πέλαγος πεδέων ζεῦγος. ἤδη δὲ ἤκουσα ὡς καὶ στιγέας ἅμα τούτοισι ἀπέπεμψε στίξοντας τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον. ἐνετέλλετο δὲ ὦν ῥαπίζοντας λέγειν βάρβαρά τε καὶ ἀτάσθαλα· ‘ὦ πικρὸν ὕδωρ, δεσπότης τοι δίκην ἐπιτιθεῖ τήνδε, ὅτι μιν ἠδίκησας οὐδὲν πρὸς ἐκείνου ἄδικον παθόν. καὶ βασιλεὺς μὲν Ξέρξης διαβήσεταί σε, ἤν τε σύ γε βούλῃ ἤν τε μή· σοὶ δὲ κατὰ δίκην ἄρα οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων θύει ὡς ἐόντι καὶ θολερῷ καὶ ἁλμυρῷ ποταμῷ.’ τήν τε δὴ θάλασσαν ἐνετέλλετο τούτοισι ζημιοῦν καὶ τῶν ἐπεστεώτων τῇ ζεύξι τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου ἀποταμεῖν τὰς κεφαλάς.
(Herodotus, Hist. 7.34-35)

To this foreland they on whom this work was laid were making their bridges, starting from Abydos, the Phenicians constructing the one with ropes of white flax, and the Egyptians the other, which was made with papyrus rope. Now from Abydos to the opposite shore is a distance of seven furlongs. But when the strait had been bridged over, a great storm came on and dashed together all the work that had been made and broke it up. Then when Xerxes heard it he was exceedingly enraged, and bade them scourge the Hellespont with three hundred strokes of the lash and let down into the sea a pair of fetters. Nay, I have heard further that he sent branders also with them to brand the Hellespont. However this may be, he enjoined them, as they were beating, to say Barbarian and presumptuous words as follows: “Thou bitter water, thy master lays upon thee this penalty, because thou didst wrong him not having suffered any wrong from him: and Xerxes the king will pass over thee whether thou be willing or no; but with right, as it seems, no man doeth sacrifice to thee, seeing that thou art a treacherous and briny stream.” The sea he enjoined them to chastise thus, and also he bade them cut off the heads of those who were appointed to have charge over the bridging of the Hellespont. (tr. George Campbell Macaulay)

Acui

Ne foret hic* igitur mortali semine cretus,
ille** deus faciendus erat; quod ut aurea vidit
Aeneae genetrix, vidit quoque triste parari
pontifici letum et coniurata arma moveri,
palluit et cunctis, ut cuique erat obvia, divis
‘adspice,’ dicebat ‘quanta mihi mole parentur
insidiae, quantaque caput cum fraude petatur,
quod de Dardanio solum mihi restat Iulo.
solane semper ero iustis exercita curis,
quam modo Tydidae Calydonia vulneret hasta,
nunc male defensae confundant moenia Troiae,
quae videam natum longis erroribus actum
iactarique freto sedesque intrare silentum
bellaque cum Turno gerere, aut, si vera fatemur,
cum Iunone magis? quid nunc antiqua recordor
damna mei generis? timor hic meminisse priorum
non sinit; en acui sceleratos cernitis enses.
quos prohibete, precor, facinusque repellite neve
caede sacerdotis flammas exstinguite Vestae!’
(Ovid, Met. 15.760-778)

* sc. Augustus; ** sc. Caesar.

But, so that the one might not be born from mortal seed,
the other had to be made a god; and when Aeneas’ golden
mother saw that, and saw too that a sad death
was being planned for the pontifex and that conspiratorial arms were being readied,
she went pale and began to say to all the gods as she met
each one, ‘See with what great effort plots are being prepared
against me, and with what great deceit the only life
that I have left from Dardanian Iulus is being attacked.
Shall I always be the only one troubled by just cares,
I whom at one time the Calydonian spear of Tydeus’ son wounded,
whom at another time the walls of ill defended Troy distressed,
I who saw my son driven to long wanderings
and tossed on the sea and entering the abodes of the silent ones
and waging war with Turnus or, if we admit the truth,
with Juno rather? Why do I now recall my race’s
ancient losses? This fear does not allow me
to remember earlier things; look, you can see the wicked swords being sharpened!
Stop them, I pray, and prevent the crime, and do not
put Vesta’s fire out with the slaughter of her priest.’
(tr. Donald E. Hill)

Katapeplutai

Εἰ γάρ τις ὑμᾶς ἐρωτήσειε, πότερον ὑμῖν ἐνδοξοτέρα δοκεῖ ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν εἶναι ἐπὶ τῶν νυνὶ καιρῶν ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων, ἅπαντες ἂν ὁμολογήσαιτε, ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων. ἄνδρες δὲ πότερον τότε ἀμείνους ἦσαν ἢ νυνί; τότε μὲν διαφέροντες, νυνὶ δὲ πολλῷ καταδεέστεροι. δωρεαὶ δὲ καὶ στέφανοι καὶ κηρύγματα καὶ σιτήσεις ἐν πρυτανείῳ πότερα τότε ἦσαν πλείους ἢ νυνί; τότε μὲν ἦν σπάνια τὰ καλὰ παρ’ ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄνομα τίμιον· νυνὶ δ’ ἤδη καταπέπλυται τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ τὸ στεφανοῦν ἐξ ἔθους, αλλ’ οὐκ ἐκ προνοίας, ποιεῖσθε. οὐκ οὖν ἄτοπον οὑτωσὶ διαλογιζομένοις, τὰς μὲν δωρεὰς νυνὶ πλείους εἶναι, τὰ δὲ πράγματα τὰ τῆς πόλεως τότε μᾶλλον ἰσχύειν, καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας νῦν μὲν χείρους εἶναι, τότε δ’ ἀμείνους; (Aeschines, Or. 3.178-179)

If any one should ask you whether our city seems to you more glorious in our own time or in the time of our fathers, you would all agree, in the time of our fathers. And were there better men then than now? Then, eminent men; but now, far inferior. But rewards and crowns and proclamations, and maintenance in the Prytaneum – were these things more common then than now? Then, honors were rare among us, and the name of virtue was itself an honor. But now the custom is already completely faded out, and you do the crowning as a matter of habit, not deliberately. Are you not therefore surprised, when you look at it in this light, that the rewards are now more numerous, but the city was then more prosperous? And that the men are now inferior, but were better then? (tr. Charles Darwin Adams)