Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 4372
(formerly typ/2469)

	Τῆς μουσικῆς ἔλεξε Βακχεῖος Γέρων
	τόνους, τρόπους, μέλη τε καὶ συμφωνίας.
	Τούτῳ συνῳδὰ Διονύσιος γράφων
	τὸν παμμέγιστον δεσπότην Κωνσταντῖνον
	σοφὸν ἐραστὴν δείκνυσι τεχνημάτων.
	Τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων γὰρ σοφῶν παιδευμάτων
	ἐφευρετήν τε καὶ δότην πεφηνότα
	ταύτης προσῆκεν οὐδαμῶς εἶναι ξένον.

Text source	A. Cameron 1984, Bacchius, Dionysius, and Constantine, Phoenix, 38(3), 256-260: 256
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Not a critical text
Genre(s)	Author-related epigram Patron-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Dionysios
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	Bakcheios Geron (3rd-4th c.) Dionysios Konstantinos VII Porphyrogennetos (May 905 - 09/11/959) - PBW: Konstantinos/7/ - PMBZ: 25888: "Personenkennziffer: 23734" Music
Tag(s)	Dedication Reference to content of the book Self-presentation
Translation(s)	Old Bacchius told of the tones, tropes, melodies, and symphonies of music. Dionysius wrote an accompaniment to him and revealed the almighty emperor Constantine a discerning lover of the craft. For it was in no fitting for a man shown to be the discoverer and giver of every department of culture and wisdom to be a stranger to this art [sc. music]. Language English Source(s) A. Cameron 1984, Bacchius, Dionysius, and Constantine, Phoenix, 38(3), 256-260: 256-257 Musicae dixit Bacchius senex tonos, modos, partesque et symphonias. Illi consona Dionysius scribens omnino-maximum dominum Constantinum sapientem amatorem praebet arte-factorum operum. Qui omnium enim sapientium operum arte-factorum inventorque et dator apparuit, hujus minime eum decuit esse ignarum. 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: 331
Bibliography	Primary E. Cougny, 1890, Epigrammatum Anthologia Palatina cum Planudeis et Appendice nova epigrammatum veterum ex libris et marmoribus ductorum (vol. 3), Paris: 331 K. von Jan, 1895, Musici scriptores graeci, Lipsiae: 285
Number of verses	8
Occurrence(s)	[21138] Τῆς μουσικῆς ἔλεξε βακχεῖος γέρων [1451-1500] MUNICH - Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - gr. 215 [1451-1500] (f. 457r) (8 verses) [20717] Τῆς μουσικῆς ἔλεξε βαχεῖος γέρων [July 1433] SALAMANCA - Biblioteca Universitaria 2748 [July 1433] (f. 134r-134v) (8 verses) [22447] Τῆς μουσικῆς ἔλεξε Βακχεῖος Γέρων [1176-1200] VENICE - Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana - gr. app. VI 10 [1151-1200] (f. 205r) (8 verses)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Renaat Meesters, Lotte van Olmen, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification	Anthologia Graeca Appendix, III.III.244 Vassis ICB 2005, 742: "Dionysius, In Constantinum (VII) imp."
Permalink	http://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/4372

Last modified: 2025-10-24.

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