Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 3809
(formerly typ/1910)

Ὦ τῶν μεγίστων ἐργεπεῖκτα σκαμμάτων,
τὸν πρὶν ἐκεῖνον ζωγραφῶν Εὐρυσθέα,
κἂν οὐκ ἀμισθὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας προτρέπῃς
- δώροις δὲ συχνοῖς νῦν ἐλαύνεις πρὸς πόνους -
δέξαι τὸν ἆθλον ἐντελῆ πεφηνότα·
ὁ σὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν Ἡρακλῆς, ὡς προὐτράπη,
δείκνυσι τανῦν ἐμφανῶς ἠνυσμένον.
Τρέσῃς δὲ μηδέν, μὴ προπέμψῃς Κοπρέα,
τούτου θεατήν - προστατοῦντα τῶν πόνων -
οὐ κάπρος ἐστὶν ἐνθαδί, ζῶν ἠγμένος,
ῥέγχων παρ' ὤμοις οὐ λέων πεπνιγμένος.
Ὕδρας κεφαλὰς νῦν οὐχ ὁρᾶς τετμημένας.
Οὐ νεβρὸς οὐδεὶς ἠνεμωμένος δρόμοις,
οὐδ’ Ἀρκάδων ὄρνιθες ἐκφυὲς τέρας,
ὁμοῦ τε τόξον καὶ πτερὸν δὲ καὶ βέλος.
Οὐ ζῶμα, κόπρος, οὐδὲ ταῦρος πῦρ πνέων,
οὐ Θρᾷξ τίς ἵππος αἷμα χόρτον ἐσθίων,
οὐ, φοίνιαι βοῦς, μῆλα, τρίκρανος κύων.
Τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἐνθαδὶ καινὸν τέρας·
πένταθλος ἐστὶ ῥητόρων ἠνυσμένος,
ὃν τερματώσας Ἡρακλῆς σὸς δεικνύει·
τῶν σῶν κελεύσει προσταγῶν πεπεισμένος.
Δέχου δὲ τοῦτον, καὶ παρὼν αὐτὸς, βλέπε·
ῥήτωρ ἐλέγχων ῥητορεύοντας πόνους.
Title(s) Ioannes Tzetzes, In exegesin ipsius progymnasmatum Aphthonii et Hermogenis
Text source A. Pizzone 2024, ‘Receiving Rich Gifts’. Negotiating Power in the Metrical Paratexts of the Vossianus Gr. Q1, in B. van den Berg, N. Zagklas (eds.), Poetry in Byzantine Literature and Society (1081-1204). New Texts, New Approaches, Cambridge, 225-255: 226-227
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Person(s)
Poet
John Tzetzes (12th c.) - PBW: Ioannes/459/
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)
Tag(s)
Translation(s)
  • O taskmaster of the greatest labours,
    by imitating that famous ancient Eurystheus,
    even if you do not promote agones without compensation,
    – with innumerable gifts you now exhort to labours –
    please accept the feat that now appears to be completed.
    Your Heracles, as he was urged to do,
    shows it (to you) now as clearly accomplished.
    Fear not and do not send forward Kopreus
    to watch it, as a steward of the labours.
    Here you won’t find any boar dragged alive,
    nor a strangled lion hissing on my shoulders,
    you won’t see the severed heads of the Hydra.
    No, there won’t be any doe carried by the wind in its run,
    no Arcadian birds, extraordinary monsters,
    and with them bow, arrow and spear.
    No girdle, dung, not even a bull breathing fire,
    no Thracian horse feeding on blood as if fodder,
    nο bloody cows, apples or three-headed dog.
    There are no such novel monsters here:
    a triumphant pentathlos of rhetors has been completed,
    displayed and accomplished by your Heracles,
    obeying the urge of your orders.
    Take this, and being present yourself, look:
    a rhetor putting to shame the labours of rhetors.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    A. Pizzone 2024, ‘Receiving Rich Gifts’. Negotiating Power in the Metrical Paratexts of the Vossianus Gr. Q1, in B. van den Berg, N. Zagklas (eds.), Poetry in Byzantine Literature and Society (1081-1204). New Texts, New Approaches, Cambridge, 225-255: 227
  • Oh you, taskmaster of the greatest contests,
    making an impression of that famous ancient Eurystheus,
    you give way to the agons, albeit not without compensation.
    No! With innumerable gifts you now exhort to labors.
    Accept the deed that now appears to be done.
    Your Heracles, as he was urged to do,
    shows it (to you): it is now clearly accomplished.
    Do not flee away and do not send forward Kopreus
    to watch it, as a steward of the labors.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    C. D'Agostini, A. Pizzone 2021, Clawing Rhetoric Back: Humor and Polemic in Tzetzes’ Hexameters on the Historiai, Parekbolai, 11, 123-158: 148
    Comment
    Partial translation: vv. 1-9
Bibliography

Primary
Number of verses 24
Occurrence(s) [19743] ὦ τῶν μεγίστων ἐργεπεῖκτα· σκαμμάτων [1151-1200]
LEIDEN - Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit - Voss. gr. Q° 1 [1151-1200] (f. 211v-212r)
(24 verses)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)
Julián Bértola, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout

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Identification
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3809
Last modified: 2024-11-04.
Creative Commons License
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