Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 34726

	Εὖ Οἰνοπίων ἔσχεν ἀρχὴν τῆς Χίου·
	καὶ τίς γὰρ ἄλλη προσφυεστέρα πλέον;
	Ὁ δ' οὖν κύων τὴν λέξιν αἰχμαλωτίσει,
	ὡς ἀστεισμοῖς χρησίμην τοῖς ἐλλόγοις,
	οἷς ἡμῖν ἡ τράπεζα φλεγμαίνειν φθάνει,
	οἷς ἐντρυφῆσαι καὶ πάλιν γένοιτό μοι.
	Μικρὸν παρηγόρημα τῶν μακρῶν πόνων,
	ὧν ἡ ξιφήρης χεὶρ Ἰταλῶν αἰτία
	τοὺς ἀστικοὺς μιγνῦσα τοῖς ὀρεστέροις.

Text source	C. Mazzucchi 1995, Leggere i classici durante la catastrofe (Costantinopoli, maggio-agosto 1203): le note marginali al Diodoro Siculo Vaticano gr. 130. Parte seconda: i dodecasillabi della terza mano e la personalità del loro autore, Aevum, 69(1), 200-258: 213
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Not a critical text
Genre(s)	Scribe-related epigram Text-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Niketas Choniates (1155 - 1217) - VGH: 337.E - PBW: Niketas/25001/
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	Chios Konstantinoupolis Niketas Choniates (1155 - 1217) - VGH: 337.E - PBW: Niketas/25001/
Tag(s)	Complaint Polemic Prayer Reference to content of the book Scholium Self-presentation
Translation(s)	It was good for Oinopion to have the rule over Chios. What other command would have been more appropriate? But the Dog is going to imprison the word, as a thing useful for learned and witty banter, which sufficed to brighten and warm our table. And may I often again indulge in its pleasures! A small consolation it is in my great distress, for which the armed hands of the Italians is responsible, which mixed urbanites up with mountain roughnecks. Language English Source(s) A. Kaldellis, 2015, Byzantine Readings of Ancient Historians, Abingdon and New York: 94 Ben s'addiceva ad enopione di regnare a Chio. Qual altro posto infatti gli era più appropriato? Ma il cane farà prigion lo stile, quanto ai dotti motteggi profittevole, di cui fa a tempo a scintillare la mia tavola, e coi quali potessi ancora far baldoria! Piccol sollievo dalle gran fatiche di cui l'armata mano degli Itali è cagione gli urbani frammischiando ai montanari. Language Italian Source(s) C. Mazzucchi 1995, Leggere i classici durante la catastrofe (Costantinopoli, maggio-agosto 1203): le note marginali al Diodoro Siculo Vaticano gr. 130. Parte seconda: i dodecasillabi della terza mano e la personalità del loro autore, Aevum, 69(1), 200-258: 213
Comment	Mazzucchi (1995: 254-255) identifies the author as Niketas Choniates. Bértola (2021: 42) is more cautious: "Nothing invites the rejection of the postulated authorship of Niketas Choniates, but there is not enough evidence either to accept it without prudent hesitation." Text of Mazzucchi (1995: 213) modified by DBBE.
Bibliography	Primary C. Mazzucchi 1995, Leggere i classici durante la catastrofe (Costantinopoli, maggio-agosto 1203): le note marginali al Diodoro Siculo Vaticano gr. 130. Parte seconda: i dodecasillabi della terza mano e la personalità del loro autore, Aevum, 69(1), 200-258: 249-253 Secondary J. Bértola 2021, Using Poetry to Read the Past. Unedited Byzantine Verse Scholia on Historians in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts, Gent: 39-42 J. Bértola 2024, An Unedited Cycle of Byzantine Verse Scholia on Herodotus in the Light of Twelfth-Century Verse Scholia on Ancient Historians, in B. van den Berg, N. Zagklas (eds.), Poetry in Byzantine Literature and Society (1081-1204). New Texts, New Approaches, Cambridge, 339-365: 348 (n. 40) A. Kaldellis, 2015, Byzantine Readings of Ancient Historians, Abingdon and New York: 94-95
Number of verses	9
Occurrence(s)	[34729] εὖ οἰνοπίων ἔσχεν \| ἀρχὴν τῆς χίου [1203] VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 130 [942-975] (f. 306v) (9 verses)
Acknowledgements	Creator(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, 266: "Scholium in Diodorum Siculum (5.79.1)"
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Last modified: 2025-02-04.

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