The Moonspeaker:
Where Some Ideas Are Stranger Than Others...
SAPPHO FRAGMENTS: εἰς Κυπρογένηαν
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Κυπρο. [ ]ας·
ἡ Κυπρογένηαν, Κυπρογένηας - Kyprus-born, Aphrodite; 1, f.
ἡ Κυπρογένηαν, Κυπρογένηας - Kyprus-born, Aphrodite; 1, f.
ἡ Κυπρογένηαν, Κυπρογένηας - Kyprus-born, Aphrodite; 1, f.
of Kyprogeneia;
κάρυξ ἦλθε θε[αγγ]ελε[υς]. θεις
ἔρχομαι - to come, go; i.v. τίθημι - to put, place; t.v.
ὁ κάρυξ, κάρυκος - messenger; 3, m. ὁ θεαγγελεύς, θεαγγελέως - one who proclaims a festival; 3, m.
ἔρχομαι - to come, go; i.v. τίθημι - to put, place; t.v.
ὁ κάρυξ, κάρυκος - messenger; 3, m. ὁ θεαγγελεύς, θεαγγελέως - one who proclaims a festival; 3, m.
ἔρχομαι - to come, go; i.v. τίθημι - to put, place; t.v.
ὁ κάρυξ, κάρυκος - messenger; 3, m. ὁ θεαγγελεύς, θεαγγελέως - one who proclaims a festival; 3, m.
(a) herald came, one who proclaims a festival. Having prepared (himself)
Ἴδαος τα δεκα . . φ[αν]εις τάχυς ἄγγελος
φαίνω - to show, appear; t.v.
ὀ ἄγγελος, ἄγγελου - messenger; 2, m.
φαίνω - to show, appear; t.v.
ὀ ἄγγελος, ἄγγελου - messenger; 2, m.
Ἴδαα, Ἴδαον, Ἴδαος - of Ida, the mountain range beginning in Phrygia and ending near Troy; Attic Ἰδαῖα, Ἰδαῖον, Ἰδαῖος; M., adj. αἰ, τά, οἰ δέκα - indeclinable number, 10, M.; adj./n. ταχεῖα, ταχύ, ταχύς - swift, quick; 3, adj.
φαίνω - to show, appear; t.v.
ὀ ἄγγελος, ἄγγελου - messenger; 2, m.
Ἴδαα, Ἴδαον, Ἴδαος - of Ida, the mountain range beginning in Phrygia and ending near Troy; Attic Ἰδαῖα, Ἰδαῖον, Ἰδαῖος; M., adj. αἰ, τά, οἰ δέκα - indeclinable number, 10, M.; adj./n. ταχεῖα, ταχύ, ταχύς - swift, quick; 3, adj.
having appeared from the ten (peaks) of Ida, (the) swift messenger
[Lost line.]
5.
τάς τ' ἄλλας Ἀσίας .[.]δε.αν κλέος ἄφθιτον·
τὸ κλέος, κλέου - fame, rumour; 2, n. ἠ Ἀσία, Ἀσίας - Asia, commonly used to refer to all lands east of Greece; 1, n.
τὸ κλέος, κλέου - fame, rumour; 2, n. ἠ Ἀσία, Ἀσίας - Asia, commonly used to refer to all lands east of Greece; 1, n.
both the other part of Asia... and... imperishable glory;
Ἔκτωρ καὶ συνέταιρ[ο]ι ἄγοισ' ἐλικώπιδα
ἄγω - to go, lead; i.v.
ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hektor; 2, m. ὀ συνέταιρος, συνέταιρου - companion, friend; 2, m. ἠ ἐλικῶπις, ἐλικῶπιδος - woman with rolling or quick glancing eyes; 3, f.
ἄγω - to go, lead; i.v.
ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hektor; 2, m. ὀ συνέταιρος, συνέταιρου - companion, friend; 2, m. ἠ ἐλικῶπις, ἐλικῶπιδος - woman with rolling or quick glancing eyes; 3, f.
ἄγω - to go, lead; i.v.
ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hektor; 2, m. ὀ συνέταιρος, συνέταιρου - companion, friend; 2, m. ἠ ἐλικῶπις, ἐλικῶπιδος - woman with rolling or quick glancing eyes; 3, f.
καί - and, even; conj.
Hector and (his) companions leading (a) quick glancing woman
Θήβας ἐξ ἰέρας Πλακίας τ' ἀ[π᾽ ἀι]ν<ν>άω
ἠ Θήβη - Thebes, alternate poetic form of αἰ Θῆβαι, ῶν; in this case, the Thebes in modern day Turkey northeast of Troy; 1, f. αἰ Πλακία, Πλακίων - Plakia, a city on the coast of the Propontis in modern day Turkey, northeast of Troy; 1, f. ὀ Ἀπαίσος, Ἀπαίσου - Apaisos, a town in Mysia near Plakia; 2, m.
ἠ Θήβη - Thebes, alternate poetic form of αἰ Θῆβαι, ῶν; in this case, the Thebes in modern day Turkey northeast of Troy; 1, f. αἰ Πλακία, Πλακίων - Plakia, a city on the coast of the Propontis in modern day Turkey, northeast of Troy; 1, f. ὀ Ἀπαίσος, Ἀπαίσου - Apaisos, a town in Mysia near Plakia; 2, m.
ἰερά, ἰερόν, ἰερός - holy, full of divine power; M, adj.
ἠ Θήβη - Thebes, alternate poetic form of αἰ Θῆβαι, ῶν; in this case, the Thebes in modern day Turkey northeast of Troy; 1, f. αἰ Πλακία, Πλακίων - Plakia, a city on the coast of the Propontis in modern day Turkey, northeast of Troy; 1, f. ὀ Ἀπαίσος, Ἀπαίσου - Apaisos, a town in Mysia near Plakia; 2, m.
ἰερά, ἰερόν, ἰερός - holy, full of divine power; M, adj.
τέ - and; conj. ἐξ - out, from; prep.
from Thebes of holy Plakia and Apaisos
ἄβραν Ἀνδρομάχαν ἐνὶ ναῦσιν ἐπ' ἄλμυρον
ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, n. ἠ ναῦς, νεῶς - ship; 3, n.
ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, n. ἠ ναῦς, νεῶς - ship; 3, n.
ἀβρά, ἀβρόν, ἀβρός - graceful, delicate; M, adj. ἀλμυρά, ἀλμυρόν, ἀλμυρός - salty; M, adj.
ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, n. ἠ ναῦς, νεῶς - ship; 3, n.
ἀβρά, ἀβρόν, ἀβρός - graceful, delicate; M, adj. ἀλμυρά, ἀλμυρόν, ἀλμυρός - salty; M, adj.
ἐνί - in; prep. ἐπί - in, on; prep.
graceful Andromache, in ships on (the) salty
πόντον· πόλλα δ' [ἐλί]γματα χρύσια κἄμματα
ὀ πόντος, πόντου - sea; 2, m. τὸ ἄμμα, ἄμματος - anything tied or made to tie up such as clothes or shoes; 2, n. τὸ ἔλιγμα, ἔλιγματος - bracelets, wrappings; 2, n.
ὀ πόντος, πόντου - sea; 2, m. τὸ ἄμμα, ἄμματος - anything tied or made to tie up such as clothes or shoes; 2, n. τὸ ἔλιγμα, ἔλιγματος - bracelets, wrappings; 2, n.
χρύσιη, χρύσιον, χρύσιος - golden; M, adj. πολλή, πολύ, πολύς, πολλαί, πολλά, πολλοί - many; M, adj.
ὀ πόντος, πόντου - sea; 2, m. τὸ ἄμμα, ἄμματος - anything tied or made to tie up such as clothes or shoes; 2, n. τὸ ἔλιγμα, ἔλιγματος - bracelets, wrappings; 2, n.
χρύσιη, χρύσιον, χρύσιος - golden; M, adj. πολλή, πολύ, πολύς, πολλαί, πολλά, πολλοί - many; M, adj.
δέ - and; conj.
sea; and many golden twisted bracelets and purple clothes
10.
πορφύρ[α] καταύτ[οθι]να,ποίκιλ' ἀθύρματα,
ἡ πορφύρα, πορφύρας - purple dyed cloth; 1, f. ὀ θίς, θίνος - heap, pile; 3, m. τὸ ἄθυρμα, ἄθυρματος - beautiful object, adornment; 3, n.
ἡ πορφύρα, πορφύρας - purple dyed cloth; 1, f. ὀ θίς, θίνος - heap, pile; 3, m. τὸ ἄθυρμα, ἄθυρματος - beautiful object, adornment; 3, n.
ποίκιλα, ποίκιλον, ποίκιλος - many-coloured, embroidered; M, adj.
ἡ πορφύρα, πορφύρας - purple dyed cloth; 1, f. ὀ θίς, θίνος - heap, pile; 3, m. τὸ ἄθυρμα, ἄθυρματος - beautiful object, adornment; 3, n.
ποίκιλα, ποίκιλον, ποίκιλος - many-coloured, embroidered; M, adj.
καταυτόθι - on the spot, just there; prep.
just there, embroidered adornments,
ἀργύρα τ' ἀνάριθμα ποτήρια κἀλέφαις.
ὀ ἐλέφας, ἐλεφάντος - ivory, tusk; Attic elephant; 3, m. τὸ ποτήριον, ποτήριου - drinking cup; 2, n.
ὀ ἐλέφας, ἐλεφάντος - ivory, tusk; Attic elephant; 3, m. τὸ ποτήριον, ποτήριου - drinking cup; 2, n.
ὀ Παών, Παώνιος - Paion, healer, title of Apollo and Athena, Attic Παιών; 3, m/f. ὀ εὐλύρας, εὔλυρα - skilled lyre player; 3, m. ἤ, ὄ, ὄς - who, whom; pronoun
καλέω - to call, summon; t.v.
ὀ Παών, Παώνιος - Paion, healer, title of Apollo and Athena, Attic Παιών; 3, m/f. ὀ εὐλύρας, εὔλυρα - skilled lyre player; 3, m. ἤ, ὄ, ὄς - who, whom; pronoun
καλέω - to call, summon; t.v.
ὀ Παών, Παώνιος - Paion, healer, title of Apollo and Athena, Attic Παιών; 3, m/f. ὀ εὐλύρας, εὔλυρα - skilled lyre player; 3, m. ἤ, ὄ, ὄς - who, whom; pronoun
to Paon, calling to him, far-shooter, skilled lyre player,
ὔμνην δ' Ἔκτορα κἈνδρομάχαν θεοεικέλο[ις.
ἡ ὔμνα, ὔμνας - hymn, Attic ὁ ὕμνος; 1, f. ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hector; 3, n. ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, f.
ἡ ὔμνα, ὔμνας - hymn, Attic ὁ ὕμνος; 1, f. ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hector; 3, n. ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, f.
θεοείκελος, θεοείκελον - godlike, divine; 3, adj.
ἡ ὔμνα, ὔμνας - hymn, Attic ὁ ὕμνος; 1, f. ὀ Ἔκτωρ, Ἔκτορος - Hector; 3, n. ἠ Ἀνδρομάχα, Ἀνδρομάχας - Andromache; 1, f.
θεοείκελος, θεοείκελον - godlike, divine; 3, adj.
δέ - and; conj. καί - and, also; conj.
(a) hymn (for) both Hector and Andromache, (the) divine (ones),
Footnotes
An intriguing thought is that the few surviving wedding songs in Sappho's oeuvre may not have been songs for real people at all, but were originally part of this evidently originally much longer poem detailing the wedding of Andromache and Hektor.
Conjectured restoration by annotator.
Conjectured restoration by annotator.
Place names are recycled incessantly in Greek mythology and geography, and "Thebes" was especially popular. The most famous Thebes after Egypt's is of course Boeotian Thebes, Herakles' (in)famous birthplace.
The end of this line is a terrible mess as transcribed, but it is logical to expect that the word joined to Plakia will itself be in the genitive and therefore be another place name or even an adjective. In this case, continuing the conjecture theme for this early portion of the poem, with no promising adjectives forthcoming that provide a reasonable shape to match the suggested letters, the nearby Mysian town Apaisos declines properly and accounts for the letters. No doubt more experienced scholars have pondered whether a scribe began reading this segment as "ἀπὸ (what did that other guy write anyway?)" and then hurried on from there.
It is reasonable to expect an adjective here, and indeed that is the general scholarly consensus. Perhaps the accidental visual ambiguity created by the breathing and accent marks that to an unguarded glance makes this word look more like the noun ἠ ἄβρα "favourite slave," which chimes in an interesting way with the undertone of fear in describing Andromache as "quick glancing, rolling eyed" as she is escorted away from home by a group of strange men.
This restored text is from Anne Carson.
Suggested reconstruction.
Also suggested reconstruction.
Proposed restoration by annotator.
Proposed restoration.
This is a tricky verb, but its shape is recognizable on analogy with the parallel words οἴμοι "woe is me" and the verb οἰμώζω "to say oimoi, lament."
