Type 7043
(formerly typ/4949)

Καῖσαρ ἐμέ, ξυνὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ σφετερίζομαι αὐτός,
καῖσαρ ἄριστε μέγιστε τριφέρτατε, πάντεσι καῖσ[αρ],
καῖσαρ ἐπιχθονίοισι μέγα κλέος, ὄλβιε καῖσαρ,
καῖσαρ ἀγανόφρον, σοφὲ καῖσαρ, καῖσαρ ἀ[γαυέ],
σὸς θεράπων Θεόδωρος, ἐκείνου παῖς Προδρόμοιο,
χρώματα <ποικίλα> ταῦτα ἑαῖς ὑπὸ χείρεσι μάρψας,
εἰκόνα τὴν Δοσικλῆος ἐγράψατο καί τε Ῥοδάνθης,
καὶ σὲ θεασσάμενον κρινεῖν ποτιλίσσεται αὐτόν.
Μὴ γοῦν Πραξιτέλους μεγατεχνέος ἠδέ τ' Ἀπελλοῦ
καλλιγράφοις πινάκεσσι καὶ ἱμερόεσσιν ἰδέσ[θαι]
τἀμὰ ξυμπαράβαλλε νεώτατα πρωτογενέθλοις,
ἢ γὰρ ἐν κενεοῖσι πόνου ἂν ἔτλημεν ἀνάγκην·
ζωγράφοις δὲ νέοισιν ἐμὴν ἐπισύγκρινε τέχνην
καὶ τάχ' ἂν οὐ πολλῷ χερίων ἐπὶ τοῖσδε φαάνθ[η].
Text source P. Agapitos 2000, Poets and painters: Theodoros Prodromos' dedicatory verses of his novel to an anonymous Caesar, Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik (JÖB), 50, 173-185: 175
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Person(s)
Poet
Theodore Prodromos (12th c.) - PBW: Theodoros/25001/
Metre(s) Dactylic hexameter
Subject(s)
Tag(s)
Translation(s) My Caesar, for I appropriate the common good for myself,
Caesar best and greatest and thrice brave, Caesar over all,
Caesar the great glory of those on earth, blest Caesar,
gentle Caesar, wise Caesar, <illustrious> Caesar,
your servant Theodore, child of that Prodromos,
having grasped these <…> colours in his own hands,
has depicted the image of Dosikles and Rhodanthe,
and begs you to look on it and pass judgment on him.
Do not put my recent efforts to be viewed
with the beautifully drawn panels and charming early works
of the great craftsman Praxiteles, or Apelles,
or else I would have endured the burden of my toil in vain;
but compare my skill with recent painters
and it might seem to be not much worse than those.
Language
English
Source(s)
E. Jeffreys, 2012, Four Byzantine Novels, Liverpool: 19
Comment According to Agapitos (2000: 178-179), this epigram was written next to an illumination in the now lost dedication manuscript (offered to the patron) of Theodoros Prodromos’ ‘Rhodanthe and Dosiklos’, together with two other epigrams (cf. related types).
Bibliography
Number of verses 14
Occurrence(s) [26365] Καῖσαρ ἐμὲ ξυνὰ γ(ὰρ) ἀγαθὰ σφετερίζομαι αὐτ(ός) [1251-1325]
HEIDELBERG - Universitätsbibliothek - Palat. gr. 43 [1251-1325] (f. 38v)
(14 verses)
Related type(s)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)

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Identification
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/7043
Last modified: 2022-12-15.