Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 33727

	Ἄμαχον ὅπλον τὴν φύσιν τοῖς ἐν φύσει
	εἰδὼς, βασιλεῦ, ἄφθιτον κράτος φέρεις·
	τὴν γὰρ ξύναιμον κάραν καὶ παμφιλτάτην,
	ἐπανιοῦσαν ἐκ δρασμοῦ τε καὶ πλάνης,
	ἰδὼν χαριστήρια τῷ θεῷ θύεις·
	τερφθεὶς ἀπείρως ἢ νίκαις ταῖς μυρίαις·
	ἡ φύσις ὄντως οἶδε φιλυποστρόφως
	φέρειν ἐπ’ αὐτὴν γνησίως καὶ συλλέγειν
	ἀπορραγέντα τὰ μέλη συμφυΐας.

Title(s)	Scholium in Nicetae Choniatae historiam (32.31-33.60)
Text source	J. Bértola 2021, Ephraim of Ainos at work: a cycle of epigrams in the margins of Niketas Choniates, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 114(3), 929-1000: 982
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Text-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Ephraim of Ainos < Thrace (13th c. - 14th c.) - PLP: III.6408
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	Ioannes II Komnenos (1087 - 1143) - PBW: Ioannes/2/ Isaakios Komnenos (1093 - 12th c.) - PBW: Isaakios/102/
Tag(s)	Reference to content of the book Scholium
Translation(s)	Knowing that nature is an invincible weapon for the things in nature, emperor, you carry an immortal power. For, when you see the most beloved man of your own kin returning from his flight and wandering, you offer thanksgivings to God, immensely pleased more than with your innumerous victories. Nature indeed knows in a reconciling way to bring together and collect the broken pieces of kinship. Language English Source(s) J. Bértola 2021, Ephraim of Ainos at work: a cycle of epigrams in the margins of Niketas Choniates, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 114(3), 929-1000: 982 J. Bértola 2021, Using Poetry to Read the Past. Unedited Byzantine Verse Scholia on Historians in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts, Gent: 144
Comment	The poem comments on Niketas Choniates' History 32.31-33.60. The epigram also occurs in Par. suppl. gr. 249 (ff. 227v-228r), where it does not function as a book epigram.
Bibliography	Primary J. Bértola 2021, Using Poetry to Read the Past. Unedited Byzantine Verse Scholia on Historians in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts, Gent: 143-144, 198-199 H. Wolf, 1557, Nicetae Acominati Choniatae, magni logothetae secretorum, inspectoris & iudicis veli, praefecti sacri cubiculi LXXXVI annorum historia, videlicet ab anno restitutae salutis circiter MCXVII, in quo Zonaras desinit, usque ad annum MCCIII, Libris XIX descripta … ex trium codicum laboriosa inter sese collatione, Basel: 17
Number of verses	9
Occurrence(s)	[35252] ἄμαχον ὅπλον τὴν φύσιν \| τοῖς ἐν φύσει [06/03/1555] DILLINGEN AN DER DONAU - Fürstlich und Gräflich Fuggersches Familien- und Stiftungsarchiv 159A [06/03/1555] (p. 23) (6 verses) [35253] ἡ φύσις ὄντως οἶδε \| φιλυποστρόφως [06/03/1555] DILLINGEN AN DER DONAU - Fürstlich und Gräflich Fuggersches Familien- und Stiftungsarchiv 159A [06/03/1555] (p. 23) (3 verses) [35250] ἄμαχον ὅπλον τ(ὴν) \| φύσιν τοῖς ἐν φύσει [16th c.] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - gr. 1722 [16th c.] (f. 15v) (6 verses) [35251] ἡ φύσις ὄντως οἶδε φιλυποστρόφως [16th c.] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - gr. 1722 [16th c.] (f. 15v) (3 verses) [35246] ἄμαχον ὅπλον τὴν φύσ(ιν) \| τοῖς ἐν φύσει [13th-14th c.] VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 168 [13th-14th c.] (f. 16r) (9 verses) [35247] ἄμαχον ὅπλον\| τὴν φύσιν τῖς \| ἐν φύσει [1301-1350] VIENNA - Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB) - hist. gr. 53 [1301-1350] (f. 16r-16v) (9 verses) [35248] ἄμαχον ὅπλ(ον) τὴν φύσιν \| τοῖς ἐν φύσει [15th c.] VIENNA - Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB) - hist. gr. 105 [14th-15th c.] (f. 15v) (9 verses) display 4 more occurrences (7 in total) hide 4 occurrences (7 in total)
Acknowledgements	Creator(s) Julián Bértola Contributor(s) Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification
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Last modified: 2024-01-09.

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