Type 3954
(formerly typ/2042)

Δέχνυσο τοῖον δῶρον ἀφ’ ἡμετέροιο πόνοιο,
ὀλβιόδωρε ἄνασσα, κυδίστη, ἀριστοτόκεια,
νυὲ χαριτοπρόσωπε μεγασθενέων βασιλήων,
ἣν πλέον ἀστράπτουσαν ἐϋβλεφάροιο σελήνης
εἰς γάμον ὄλβιον ἤρατο νυμφιδίοις ἐπὶ λέκτροις
πορφυρόπαις γόνος Αὐσονάνακτος καρτερόχειρος,
Ἀνδρόνικος μεγάθυμος, ἐϋμμελίης πολεμιστής,
ᾧ γέρα πρῶτα σεβαστοκρατορίης νεῖμ’ ὁ φυτεύσας.
εἰς τοίνυν λυκάβαντας ἀπειρεσίους ἐλάσειας.
Title(s) Στίχοι ἡρῷοι πρὸς τὴν σεβαστοκρατόρισσαν κυρὰν Εἰρήνην
Text source O. Lampsidis, 1996, Constantini Manassis Breviarium chronicum. Praefationem et textum continens (vol. 1), Athens: 4
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s) Patron-related epigram
Person(s)
Poet
Constantine Manasses (1130-1187) - PBW: Konstantinos/302/
Metre(s) Dactylic hexameter
Subject(s)
Tag(s) Dedication
Translation(s)
  • Accept this gift of my labor
    bliss-bestowing empress, most honored, mother of the best children,
    daughter-in-law of powerful emperors, a gracious face,
    shining further than the moon with its beautiful eyelids,
    you were carried to a blessed marriage upon the bridal bed
    by the son of purple, the offspring of the strong-handed emperor of the
    Romans, the great-hearted Andronikos, the warrior armed with a great ashen
    spear, to whom the planter gave the first honour of sebastokrator.
    May you (continue to) live for countless years.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    M. Tomadaki 2022, Constantine Manasses: A Dedicatory Epigram to the Sebastokratorissa Eirene, in F. Spingou (ed.), The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (vol. 2), Cambridge / New York, 1416-1423: 1420
  • Nimm an diese Gabe unserer Mühe,
    Glück spendede Herrscherin, Ruhmvollste, Mutter trefflichster Kinder,
    mit anmutigem Anlitz gesegnete Schwägerin überaus mächtiger Kaiser,
    die, strahlender als der schönäugige Mond,
    zur glücklichen Ehe gewann am ehelichen Lager
    der in Porphyra geborene Sohn des byzantinischen Herrschers mit starker Hand,
    der hochgemute Andronikos, Krieger mit der Lanze mit dem Schaft aus Eschenholz,
    dem der Vater die ersten Ehrengaben der Würde eines Sebastokrators zuteilte.
    Für unendliche Jahre mögest du nun unterwegs sein!
    Language
    German
    Source(s)
    A. Paul, A. Rhoby, 2019, Konstantinos Manasses. Verschronik, Stuttgart: 63
Comment The epigram "was probably composed around 1145, after the completion of the Synopsis and before Eirene’s death in 1153" (Tomadaki 2022: 1417).
The epigram also occurs in the 17th-century manuscript Vat. Barb. gr. 41.
Bibliography
Number of verses 9
Occurrence(s)
Acknowledgements

The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.

Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 142: "Constant. Manasses, Ad Irenam sebastocratorissam"
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3954
Last modified: 2024-02-02.