Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 3445
(formerly typ/1578)

Λέαιναν ἢ δράκαιναν, ἀλλ’ οὐ μητέρα
καὶ τὸν σύνευνον ἄνδρα τὸν πατροκτόνον
ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς τιμωρός, ἐκτελῶν ὄπα
τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ κράτιστον ἄσκευος μόνος,
κτανὼν ἔθαλλεν, ὡς ὀνείροις τοῖς πάλαι
εἶδ’ ἡ θανοῦσα, πρὶν θάνῃ, τελεσφόροις.
ἡ δ’ αὐταδέλφη χαρμονῆς πεπλησμένη
ἀφῆκε λυπρὸν πένθος, ἀστε<ρ>γὲς δάκρυ.
Title(s) Στίχοι τὴν ἔννοιαν τοῦ τῆς Ἠλέκτρας δράματος ἐμπεριέχοντες
Text source M. Tomadaki, E. van Opstall 2019, The Tragedians from a Byzantine Perspective: Book Epigrams on Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, Medioevo Greco. Rivista di storia e filologia bizantina. (MEG), 19, 193-220: 208-210
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s) Text-related epigram
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)
Tag(s) Reference to content of the book
Translation(s)
  • Verses containing the meaning of the play Electra
    After the avenger of his father killed the lioness or the dragoness (but not mother) and her bed-fellow, the man who had killed his father, accomplishing god’s mightiest word, alone and unarmed, he flourished, as in the dreams once seen by the dead woman before her death – dreams that <were> fulfilled. His sister, full of joy, abandoned the bitter grief and shed an uncompassionate tear.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    M. Tomadaki, E. van Opstall 2019, The Tragedians from a Byzantine Perspective: Book Epigrams on Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, Medioevo Greco. Rivista di storia e filologia bizantina. (MEG), 19, 193-220: 209
  • Στίχοι που εμπεριέχουν την υπόθεση του δράματος της Ηλέκτρας
    Τη λιονταρίνα ή τη δράκαινα, πάντως όχι τη μητέρα και τον σύζυγό της, τον πατροκτόνο άντρα, ο τιμωρός του πατέρα σκοτώνοντας (εκτελώντας την κραταιά φωνή του θεού), <όντας> μόνος και άοπλος, άνθισε‧ όπως στα εκπληρούμενα ονείρατα που είδε η νεκρή, προτού πεθάνει. Η αδελφούλα <του> γεμάτη από χαρά, άφησε το θλιβερό πένθος και ένα άσπλαχνο δάκρυ.
    Language
    Greek
    Translator(s)
    Maria Tomadaki
  • Leaenam vel dracaenam, sed non matrem,
    et ejus concubinum virum patris-interfectorem,
    ille patris vindex efficiens verbum
    Dei potentissimi, imparatam, solam
    ut occidit, effloruit, sicut somniis pristinis
    vidit mortua, prius quam moreretur, quae-ad-finem-ducta-sunt.
    Ipsa autem soror gaudio expleta
    dimisit tristem luctum, intectas lacrimas.
    Language
    Latin
    Source(s)
    E. Cougny, 1890, Epigrammatum Anthologia Palatina cum Planudeis et Appendice nova epigrammatum veterum ex libris et marmoribus ductorum (vol. 3), Paris: 324
Comment = Anth. Gr. Append. III.198
Bibliography

Primary
Number of verses 8
Occurrence(s)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)
Anne-Sophie Rouckhout, Maria Tomadaki

The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 429: "In Sophoclis Electram"
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3445
Last modified: 2022-05-09.
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