Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 6213
(formerly typ/4192)

	Κλέψας τὸ πῦρ παρέσχε τοῖς θνητοῖς γέρα
	καὶ κάμπτεται μάστιξι ταῖς Διὸς τάλας·
	ψευδωνύμως ἔλαχε τὴν κλῆσιν μόνον·
	προμηθίας δεῖται γὰρ ἡ προβουλία.

Title(s)	Ἕτεροι παλαιοί
Text source	C. Herington, 1972, The older scholia on the Prometheus Bound, Leiden: 241
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Text-related epigram
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	Prometheus Zeus
Tag(s)	Reference to content of the book
Critical Notes	v. 3 ψευδώνυμον λέλογχε τὴν κλῆσιν μόνος Vind. phil gr. 197, Madrid BNE 4677, Par. gr. 2782A, Saint Petersburg BAN Q N° 2 v. 4 προμηθίας δεῖται γὰρ, ἢ προβουλίας Vind. phil gr. 197, Madrid BNE 4677, Par. gr. 2782A, Saint Petersburg BAN Q N° 2
Translation(s)	Hij stal het vuur en gaf het aan de mens cadeau – hij buigt nu voor de zweep van Zeus, de sukkelaar. Zijn naam draagt hij, zo is gebleken, onterecht: want proboulia had te weinig promêthia (de voorbedachtheid miste wat bedachtzaamheid). Language Dutch Source(s) K. Demoen 2019, Ioannes Tzetzes en anoniem, Poëtische reacties op Aischylos’ Prometheus, in J. Papy (ed.), In Vestigiis Magistri. Verjaardagsboek ter ere van professor Andries Welkenhuysen, Leuven, 28-29: 29 Having stolen the fire, he gave a gift to the mortals And is bowed down by Zeus’ scourge; He alone has been falsely named; For he lacks forethought and foresight. Language English Source(s) D. Rasljic 2022, Two Greek Paratext Poems from the Manuscript Q No. 2 of the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Philologia Classica, 17(1), 113-124: 122 He stole the fire and gave it to man as a gift, he bows to the whip of Zeus, the wretched. He has been only falsely named: v. 1 because he lacked some foreknowledge (promethia) or forethought (proboulia). v. 2 because the forethought (proboulia) lacked some foreknowledge (promethia). Language English Source(s) L. Spyridonova, A. Kurbanov 2021, The Book Epigrams on Prometheus, Ascribed to John Tzetzes, ΣΧΟΛΗ, 15(2), 524-537: 529
Comment	This epigram also occurs in the 16th-century manuscript Par. gr. 2782A (f. 126v).
Bibliography	Primary D. Rasljic 2022, Two Greek Paratext Poems from the Manuscript Q No. 2 of the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Philologia Classica, 17(1), 113-124: 121, 123 L. Spyridonova, A. Kurbanov 2021, The Book Epigrams on Prometheus, Ascribed to John Tzetzes, ΣΧΟΛΗ, 15(2), 524-537: 528 Secondary M. Tomadaki, E. van Opstall 2019, The Tragedians from a Byzantine Perspective: Book Epigrams on Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, Medioevo Greco. Rivista di storia e filologia bizantina. (MEG), 19, 193-220: 196
Number of verses	4
Occurrence(s)	[34881] Κλέψας τὸ πῦρ παρέσχε τοῖς θνητοῖς γέρα [14th c.] LEIDEN - Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit - Voss. gr. Q° 6 [14th c.] (f. 8r) (4 verses) [34878] κλέψας τὸ πῦρ παρέσχε τοῖς θνητοῖς γέρα [1475] MADRID - Biblioteca Nacional 4677 (olim N.47) [1326-1475] (f. 152v) (4 verses) [23994] κλέψας τὸ πῦρ παρέσχε τοῖς θνητοῖς γέρα [1326-1375] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - suppl. gr. 110 [1326-1375] (f. 23v) (2 verses) [21776] Ἀνθ᾽ ὧν τὸ πῦρ δέδωκας ἀνθρώπων γένει [15th c.] SAINT PETERSBURG - Rossijskaja Akademija Nauk, Biblioteka (BAN) - Inostrannyh rukopisei Q N° 2 [1474] (f. 94r) (22 verses) [34328] Κλέψας τὸ πῦρ παρέσχε τ(οῖς) θνητοῖς γέρα [1413] VIENNA - Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB) - phil. gr. 197 [1413] (f. 180r) (4 verses)
Related type(s)	[3434] Ἀνθ’ ὧν τὸ πῦρ δέδωκας ἀνθρώπων γένει (5 verses) (Same cycle) [3436] Αἰσχύλε, τί φῇς; τοὺς θεούς σου προσφέρεις (5 verses) (Same cycle) [3439] Οὐαί, Προμηθεῦ, κρᾶξον, οὐαί σοι μέγα (8 verses) (Same cycle)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Maria Tomadaki, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification
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Last modified: 2023-07-28.

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