Type 33754
| Ἁρματηλάτα βασιλεῦ φαεσφόρε, | |
| ἤδη δρόμος σὸς πρὸς δύσιν ἀποβλέπει· | |
| τοῦ γὰρ τετρώρου τὴν καλὴν ξυνωρίδα, | |
| σῶν πρωτογεννῶν πορφυρανθῶν υἱέων, | |
| ᾅδου θερίστρα τοῦ κράτους παρηόρου | |
| ἔκοψεν ἀπήγαγε πρὸς σκότου πύλας· | |
| καὶ θανάτου κύλινδρος ἄφυκτος πάλιν, | |
| ὡς ἐντρόχιον τῷ τροχηλεύματί σου, | |
| πευκεδανὸν ἄτρακτον ἐκ σῆς φαρέτρας | |
| προῆκεν ἰόχριστον ὡς βιοφθόρον· | |
| καὶ κονδύλους σοὺς τὸ φθορᾶς ξέει ξίφος· | |
| ἀρχῆς δι’ ὧν ἡνία καλῶς ἰθύνεις· | |
| τὸν ἀρχικὸν μύωπα δι’ ὧν κατέχεις, | |
| τὸν κοκκοβαφῆ σὺ κάλαμον αὐτάναξ· | |
| καὶ βασιλικῶς τοῖς ὑπηκόοις νέμεις | |
| ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ δωρεὰς τὰς ἀφθόνους· | |
| ὄντως ἐπεστράτευσαν ἐν σοὶ τριστάται, | |
| θάνατος, ᾅδης καὶ φθορὰ, κακὸν τρίτον· | |
| καὶ σοῦ κατεκράτησαν, αἲ αἲ ζημίας. |
| 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: 986 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Critical text |
| Genre(s) | Text-related epigram |
| Person(s) | |
| Metre(s) | Dodecasyllable |
| Subject(s) | |
| Tag(s) | |
| Translation(s) |
Emperor, charioteer, bearer of light, your course now turns to the West. For an excellent couple of the quadriga of your first-begotten and purple-born sons, the sickle of hell, the trace-horse of power, cut and led to the doors of darkness. And the inevitable wheel of death again, as a brake for your chariot, shot the sharp arrow from your quiver anointed with poison destructive of life. And the arrowhead of destruction scrapes your knuckles, with which you direct well the bridles of government, with which you hold the goad of government and the red-dyed pen as the king you are, and you royally bestow on your subjects abundant gifts at all times. Against you truly marched the commanders death, hell and destruction, three times evil, and overcame you, oh, oh, such a loss! |
| Comment | The poem comments on Niketas Choniates' History 38.13–23. |
| Bibliography | |
| Number of verses | 19 |
| Acknowledgements |
The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete. |
| Identification | Vassis ICB 2005, 76: "Scholium in Nicetae Choniatae historiam" |
| Permalink | https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/33754 |
Last modified: 2021-11-19.
