Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

• Patron-related epigram
• Scribe-related epigram

Poet

Ioannes Eugenikos (15th c.) - RGK: II.217, III.270 - VGH: 171.A - PLP: III.6189 (diakonos, nomophylax)

• Ioannes Eugenikos (15th c.) - RGK: II.217, III.270 - VGH: 171.A - PLP: III.6189 (diakonos, nomophylax)
• John VIII Palaiologos (18/12/1392 - 31/10/1448) - PLP: IX.21481
• Maria Komnene Kantakouzene Palaiologina of Trapezous < Turkey (1404 - 17/12/1439) - PLP: IX.21397

• Completion of the book
• Dedication
• Entreaty for a third person
• Entreaty for first person
• Self-presentation

• Most powerful Emperor, offspring of the purple,
  greatest Emperor, glory of the family,
  how firm, how wakeful, how enamored of erudition,
  how keen, how excellent you are in its pursuit,
  how good and sympathetic you are by nature,
  worthy, calm, kind beyond nature,
  sweet, gentle, a well-crowned Emperor;
  imitator of God exceeding all others,
  ruler with a graceful name, glory of the family,
  accept with your customary kindness this work,
  which I have made as a service to you with my eager hand,
  so that you have this book as a delight,
  and abound in the eloquent refinement of the writer.
  But, O judge of all wise words
  and pure mind, administrator of souls
  and opponent of the enemies on earth,
  and assessor of our contributions,
  and chorus leader of the natural harmony,
  and foremost of our nature,
  and a light clearly subjecting those natures to searching examination,
  and fire consuming all the toils of the souls,
  O ineffable sweetness and cheerfulness,
  and inexpressible delight and lordship
  conquering and concealing every power of reason,
  the brilliance, the delight, the gladness,
  the goodness, the grace, the common dew,
  the union giving life to my words,
  the beautifying nature of the human race,
  O Emperor, the wonder of common applause,
  mouth calling forth all things to the glory of God,
  and glittering tongue and speech resounding with the words of God,
  and body receiving of extraordinary graces,
  and common spirit granting breath to all,
  O adornment of the earth, our people, the dignity,
  of the purple, the dynasty, the hearth,
  of the grace of the crown as well as of the throne,
  of the scale of life as well as of character,
  of the trumpet of the Word as well as of the power.
  The vigorous mind, the arbiter of our affairs,
  the tongue of the earth, the robe of creation,
  the storehouse of erudition, the crown-wearer,
  the mirror of power, power itself,
  O Emperor, tender of virtues,
  mind, husbandman of mystical fecundity,
  living simply, vineyard nourishing the poor,
  good meadow of God’s graces,
  most powerful morning-star concealing the others,
  heaven proclaiming the glory of God,
  and common adornment of eloquent nature.
  The mighty Lord of heaven and earth,
  may he strengthen for uncounted courses of the sun
  your power, most powerful one, together with the most powerful lady,
  the marvelous Augusta, born in the purple.
  Dress me, comfort me and preserve me
  with your salvific solicitude bestowing bliss.
  I, John, your ardent servant,
  Eugenikos thus address you daringly,
  promoted to nomophylax by your power.

  Language

  English

  Source(s)

  N. Aschenbrenner, K. Kubina 2022, Word as Bond in an Age of Division: John Eugenikos as Orator, Partisan, and Poet, Speculum, 97(4), 1101-1143: 1142-1143

• Ἰσχυρότατε αὐτοκράτορα, γόνε τῆς πορφύρας,
  μέγιστε αὐτοκράτορα, δόξα τοῦ γένους μας,
  ποὺ εἶσαι δυνατός, ἄγρυπνος, ποὺ ἀγαπᾷς τὰ ποιήματα,
  ποὺ εἶσαι ἔξυπνος καὶ τὰ κυνηγᾷς αὐτά,
  ποὺ εἶσαι ἀγαθὸς καὶ συμπονετικὸς ἀπὸ τὴν φύση σου,
  χρηστός, γαλήνιος, ὑπερβολικὰ εὐμενής,
  γλυκός, προσηνής, δοξασμένος αὐτοκράτορας,
  ποὺ ξεπερνᾷς τοὺς ἄλλους στὴν μίμηση τοῦ θεοῦ·
  χαριτώνυμε βασιλιά, δόξα τοῦ γένους μας,
  δέξου μὲ εὐμένεια αὐτὸν τὸν κόπο μου
  ποὺ δημιούργησα μὲ πρόθυμο χέρι
  ὥστε νὰ εὐχαριστιέσαι μὲ αὐτὸ τὸ βιβλίο
  καὶ νὰ ἀπολαμβάνεις τὸν λόγο ἑνὸς συγγραφέα·
  ὦ δικαστῆ ὅλων τῶν σοφῶν λόγων,
  νοῦ καθαρέ, ἐπιστάτη τῶν ψυχῶν,
  ἐσὺ ποὺ ἀντιστέκεσαι στὶς ἐπίγειες συμφορές,
  ποὺ ὑπολογίζεις σωστὰ τὶς εἰσφορές μας,
  ποὺ ὀργανώνεις τὴν ἁρμονία τῆς φύσης,
  ποὺ εἶσαι ὁ πρωτοστάτης τῆς ἀνθρώπινης φύσης,
  ποὺ σὰν φῶς καθάριο ἐλέγχεις τὶς φύσεις μας,
  ποὺ σὰν φωτιὰ καταλύεις τὴν κούραση ἀπὸ τὶς ψυχές μας,
  ὦ ἄρρητη γλυκύτης καὶ εὐθυμία,
  ἄφραστη τερπνότητα καὶ δύναμη τῶν δυνάμεων
  ποὺ νικᾷς καὶ ἀποδυναμώνεις κάθε ἰσχὺ τοῦ λόγου,
  ἡ χαρά, ἡ τέρψη, ἡ θυμηδία,
  ἡ χρηστότης, ἡ χάρη, ἡ δροσιὰ ὅλων,
  ἐσὺ ποὺ ζωοποιεῖς τὰ λόγια μας,
  ἡ ὀντότης ποὺ κάνει καλὸ στὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
  Ὦ βασιλιά, τὸ θαῦμα τῆς κοινῆς δόξας,
  ποὺ παρακινεῖς τοὺς πάντες νὰ δοξάζουν τὸν θεό,
  λαμπρὴ γλῶσσα καὶ θεόφθογγε φράση,
  σῶμα ποὺ δέχεσαι τὰ νέα χαρίσματα,
  πνεῦμα ποὺ δίνεις σὲ ὅλους πνοή,
  ὦ κόσμημα τῆς γης, τῆς ἀξίας φυλῆς,
  καὶ τῆς πορφύρας τοῦ γένους μας,
  τῆς χαρᾶς τοῦ στέμματος καὶ τοῦ θρόνου,
  τῆς ζυγαριᾶς τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ τρόπου,
  τῆς σάλπιγγας τοῦ λόγου καὶ τῆς δύναμης,
  ὁ νοῦς ὁ γρήγορος, ὁ ἀνταμείβων τὶς πράξεις,
  ἡ γλῶσσα τῆς γῆς, τὸ στολίδι τῶν κτισμάτων,
  ὁ ἐστεμμένος θάλαμος τῶν λόγων,
  ὁ ἐσωτερικὸς καθρέπτης τῆς ἰσχύος τοῦ κράτους,
  ὦ φυτουργὲ τῶν καλῶν, αὐτοκράτορα,
  νοῦ ποὺ καλλιεργεῖς τὴν μυστικὴ εὐκαρπία,
  ποὺ ζεῖς σωστά, ἀμπέλι ποὺ θρέφεις τοὺς φτωχούς,
  ἀγαθὸ λιβάδι τῶν χαρισμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ,
  κράτιστε ἥλιε ποὺ καλύπτεις τοὺς ἄλλους,
  κοινὸ στολίδι τῆς λογικῆς ἱκανότητας.
  Ὁ κραταιὸς βασιλιᾶς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς
  ἂς δυναμώνει γιὰ ἀμέτρητες μέρες
  τὴν ἰσχύ σου, ἰσχυρότατε μαζὶ μὲ τὴν ἰσχυρότατη
  θαυμάσια αὐγούστα τὴν πορφυρογέννητη.
  Ἐσὺ στόλιζε, θάλπε καὶ φώτιζέ με
  μὲ τὴν πρόνοιά σου ποὺ σώζει καὶ χαροποιεῖ.
  Ὁ Ἰωάννης στὰ ἀπευθύνει αὐτὰ ὁ θερμός σου δοῦλος,
  ποὺ τολμῶ νὰ λέγομαι Εὐγενικός,
  ποὺ τιμήθηκα ἀπὸ τὸ κράτος σου μὲ τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ νομοφύλακος.

  Language

  Modern Greek

  Source(s)

  G. Tserevelakes 2020, Ἀνέκδοτοι στίχοι τοῦ Ἰωάννου Εὐγενικοῦ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἰωάννη Η' Παλαιολόγο, Βυζαντινός Δόμος, 28, 317-320: 319-320

• [34807] Αὐτοκράτορ κράτιστε· πορφύρας γόνε [15th c.]
  VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Reg. gr. Pio II 37 [15th c.] (f. 1r-2r)
  (58 verses)
• [34810] Αὐτοκράτορ κράτιστε· προρφύρας γόνε [1426-1462]
  VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 134 [1426-1462] (f. 124r-124v)
  (58 verses)

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