Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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)
Poet
Ephraim of Ainos < Thrace (13th c. - 14th c.) - PLP: III.6408
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!
    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: 987
  • 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 cylinder 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!
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    J. Bértola 2021, Using Poetry to Read the Past. Unedited Byzantine Verse Scholia on Historians in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts, Gent: 150-151
Comment The poem comments on Niketas Choniates' History 38.13–23.
The epigram also occurs in Par. suppl. gr. 249 (f. 229v), where it does not function as a book epigram.
Bibliography

Primary
Number of verses 19
Occurrence(s)
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 Vassis ICB 2005, 76: "Scholium in Nicetae Choniatae historiam"
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/33754
Last modified: 2024-02-08.
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