Alcaeus PDF
Alcaeus PDF
Alcaeus PDF
f/)
52k I
COPYRIGHT, 1901,
Bv J. S. EASBY-SMITH
" * 1.974
J
TO THE MEMORY OF
A
probably authentic Lesbian coin has been
preserved, bearing upon the obverse AAKAIO2
MTTIA. and a profile head of Alcaeus, and upon
the reverse IUTTAKO2 and a profile head of
Pittacus. This coin is said to have belonged
to Fulvius Ursinus. passed through various
It
1
Iconographie Grecque / par / Le Chevalier E. Q. Vis-
conti/Membre de PInstitut de France./Paris./MDCCCvm./
Vol. /, Plate Hi, No. 3.
xiii
PREFACE
is better than not to have them at all, and by
the hope that it
may further the study of Alcaeus
and of the other Greek lyrists, a study which
is too much neglected, even in our colleges.
J. S. EASBY-SMITH.
WASHINGTON, 9th May, 1900.
CONTENTS
PREFACE ......
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
PAGE
vii
3
LONGER FRAGMENTS:
Drinking Songs . . .
.44
Love Songs 56
Polemic Songs . . . .62
Hymns . . . .
.78
Miscellaneous Songs . .
.84
SHORTER FRAGMENTS . . .
-99
NOTES . . . . . . ii?
BIBLIOGRAPHY 145
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
ALTHOUGH twenty-five centuries have passed
since he lived and sang, we have comparatively
much authentic information concerning Alcaeus.
Because he was not only a great poet but also
a traveller, a soldier, a bitter partisan of the
noble order, and a disturbing factor in the po-
litical affairs of Mitylene, we have many details
grew of
tired the misrule occasioned by the
as its rise
; for although exerted
it a strong influ-
is related not
only in the poem of Alcaeus, but
in the histories. In all his poems there is no
trace of time-serving or cowardice, and in all
the ancient writers no hint against his bravery
I left
it on the battle-field;
J. H. MERIVALE.
And of Anacreon :
2
'E-yw 3* air avTTjs <j>tiyov axrre K(>KKV%
dfftrida ptiras TroTa.fj.ov Ka\\ip6ov irap
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
FRANCIS.
1 Carm. II, 7, 9.
13
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
his own
habitation ; and this piece of military
fop-
pery ais
proof that it was the show and gauds of
war^ and not its hard blows^ to which he was
addicted" The ending of this poem proves,
however, that it was written by Alcaeus to in-
cite his followers to be about their warlike work.
Moreover, the unanimous testimony of all an-
cient writers that Alcaeus was a courageous
soldier is sufficient to overthrow these modern
deductions. Professor George S. Farnell, in
/ca/coTrdrpiBa
= base-born, because he was not
of noble birth ; and in other fragments he calls
him "Drag-foot," "Split-foot," "Thick-belly,"
" and other names.
Dirty Fellow," contemptuous
16
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
1
'EXOPTO Set r6ov re teal iod6Kov QaptTpav
1 "AXet 4Xet
/j.v\a
Kal yap HiTTa
18
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
(a
sweet and easy malady for who can study
!
ov y&p T\dcrofi
effffa yepaiTtpa. (BERGK, No. 75.)
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
decency"
But, after all, what would it matter were all
abuse, as is
clearly shown infr. xi. The Greeks
were a temperate race, and drunkenness was not
one of their vices. With their famous wines
and the Lesbian wines were particularly noted
for their excellence it was the custom to mix
Vim pernicies,
et ad severos
singing.
In ancient times, and while his songs were
28
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
,
ert 8
FRANCIS.
FRANCIS.
31
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
'
_W_ \J
3*
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
'
This is varied by admitting an c
irrational long
practice :
w : _w_ w ^ \j _w_A
w :
\j w ww \j A
:
w -- v/ w w
5- I?-'
4
Si non per tret immiserabilis*
ject.
" There is another novel and important feature
in Horace's Alcaics; namely, the employment in
II 1-2 of diaeresis after the fifth syllable or the
Caelo tonantem ||
credidimus Jovem.
(2) Od. i.
37. 5. Antehac nefas depromere
Caecubum.
(3) Od. i.
37. 14. Mentemque lymph at am
Mareotico.
not lit
up by any radiance of the imagination ; they
have none of the glamour of Alcmarfs famous
'
ILvSov<nv opewv fcopvfai re ical Qdpayyes
K.T.\. or the rapture of the dithyramb in which
Pindar celebrates the approach of spring. Even
the line that has in it the truest ring of high poetry
36
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
Not cities
fair, with spires and turrets crowned,
38
LIFE OF ALCAEUS
39
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
lyrists,
so must Catullus be considered the great-
est of the Roman. But in his life Catullus was
more truly the Roman successor of Alcaeus than
was Horace. In his travels and probable mili-
of life,
and tinged them with his genius. Remem-
bering how in our own age another passionate spirit,
also nobly born, a wild, impulsive poet, keen satirist,
lover of wine and beauty, devoted to
freedom, and
dying for its cause under Grecian skies, wandered
and sang amid the sunny Cyclades, a Pythagorean
2TMHOTIKA
tcpdrrjpa.
II
44
LONGER FRAGMENTS
DRINKING-SONGS
SPRING
45
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
III
TeXXerat,
a S* a>pa ^aXeTra, Trdvra 8e Styaur' VTTO
S'
dvrj.
IV
TO 7a/> ao-rpov
46
LONGER FRAGMENTS
SUMMER
Come all and wet your throats with wine,
The dog-star reigns on high,
The Summer parches tree and vine,
And everything is dry.
Full cheerily the locust sings
Within the leafy shade,
Rasping away beneath his wings
A shrill-toned serenade.
Come all, and drink, the star is up !
47
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
V
av6os oTrcupa?.
VI
Olvos yap avOpwroK
VII
Adraye: iroTeovrat,
airo Trjidv.
LONGER FRAGMENTS
AUTUMN
A PARAPHRASE
VIII
"Tet ftev 6 Zev?, etc B*
opdvw /-teya?
Qpaliciw (Bopea
IX
Ov %pr) Katcoici Ovfjiov
WINTER
Zeus hails. The streams are frozen. In the sky
A mighty winter storm is
raging high.
And now the forest thick, the ocean hoar,
Grow clamorous with the Thracian tempest's
roar.
X
Hivcopev rC ra \v")(y oppevopev ;
afiepa.
KaS 8' aeppe KV\i%vai<: peydXais, atra,
AN EVENING SONG
Let us drink, and pledge the night !
53
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XI
'
apurros
at Be K 6vfj<rt> faSvs Trepl <f>pevas
,
av SI? a#X,to?
54
LONGER FRAGMENTS
DRINK WISELY
The happiest hours are in the cup,
But O beware the waking up
If you but drink too deep.
For miserable is the wight
Ay doubly wretched is his plight -
!
55
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
EPflTIKA
XII
ayva
0e\co TI feiTTijv, a\\d /-te
KQ)\vei
FROM SAPPHO
At 5'
T/XC? e<r\wv tfjiepov rj
atSa)? K <r ov
e'Xeye?
LONGER FRAGMENTS
LOVE-SONGS
SAPPHO :
57
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XIII
v
E/-te Sei\av, ep
XIV
fie /ccofjid^ovra, Sefat, XtWo/tai ore,
XtWo/iai.
XV
"E# /t* eXaora?
LONGER FRAGMENTS
TO SAPPHO
A PARAPHRASE
Ah hapless me ! O miserable me !
59
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XVI
OVKCT eyco &VKOV
ev MotVat? dXeya).
XVII
"Aeurov afJifjLi Tav lo/coXirov.
60
LONGER FRAGMENTS
My Sappho, sweetly-smiling.
61
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
2TA2IHTIKA
XVIII
HPOS ANTIMENIAAN
*HX#e? e/c TrepciTwv yas e\e$avrtvav
\djSav TW fi'c^eo? xpva-oSerav e^ow,
yav aO\ov Ba/3uXe^ioi?
re'Xeo-a?, pvaao r e/c
CITTV ire
LONGER FRAGMENTS
POLEMIC SONGS
TO ANTIMENIDAS
From ends of earth thou comest home,
Bearing a glittering blade,
Whose hilt of precious ivory
With gold is overlaid.
XIX
Mappaipet, Be peyas So>o? ^aX/co)
iraca &
v
A/>27 KeKoafjLrjrai <rreya
\dfj,7rpaunv Kvviai<ri,
tcarrav XeO/cot /carv-
a/o/co? l<rxv
eo-ra/Jiev roBe.
64
LONGER FRAGMENTS
THE ARMOURY
The spacious hall in brazen splendour gleams,
And all the house in Ares' honour beams.
The helmets glitter high upon the wall
;
XX
r>v
TO pev yap evOev /cvpa /cvXtvBerai,
'
TO B* ev6ev a/a/ie? av TO pe<T<rov
veil crvv fi\atva,
<f>opri[JLe6a
/ia\a*
\al(j>o<;
Se irav %dSr)\ov JJ&TJ
5* ay/cvpai.
XXI
TO Syvre rcvfia ra>v Trporepcov ova)
66
LONGER FRAGMENTS
67
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXII
73-0X7709 Trvpyos apevloi.
7TO\et9.)
68
LONGER FRAGMENTS
69
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXIII
IIP02 MEAANIimON
*I/ooi/ b
70
LONGER FRAGMENTS
XXIV
Toi>
AGAINST PITTACUS
This upstart Pittacus, this base-born fool,
They greet with joy, and acclamations great,
And set the willing tyrant up to rule
The strife-torn city, most unfortunate.
73
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXV
lvr)p ouro? 6 fjuudfAevos TO fJLeya /cpero?
rav
74
LONGER FRAGMENTS
AGAINST MYRSILUS
This man, this raving idiot here,
With rank supreme and power great,
Will quickly overthrow the state,
75
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXVI
OI %0oW 717309 @(av
76
LONGER FRAGMENTS
Myrsilus is dead !
77
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
TMNOI
XXVII
EIS A0HNAN
H
7r6\i<r(JL
LONGER FRAGMENTS
HYMNS
TO ATHENA
(IN ALCAIC METRE)
O Queen Athena, mighty in war's alarms,
O keeping guard by river Coralio,
And on the steeps of Coronea,
Over the house of thy sacred worship !
79
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXVIII
EIS EPMHN
KuXXai/a? o
80
LONGER FRAGMENTS
TO HERMES
(IN SAPPHIC METRE)
81
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXIX
EI2 EPQN
Aeivorarov
(TOV) yevvar
Ze<j>vp(x>
82
LONGER FRAGMENTS
EROS
He sprang, of gods the mightiest god,
From Zephyr, golden-tressed,
And gentle Iris, neatly-shod,
When Love these lovers blessed.
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
EH AAHAHN EIAON
XXX
'
*n? yap $r)7TOT ApLo-roBafJLov <f)ai(r
OVK a
MISCELLANEOUS SONGS
" man."
Money makes the
For valour leaves the wretch that's poor,
And honour shuns the pauper's door.
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXXI
'ApydXeov irevia tcd/cov aa-%TOV, a
86
LONGER FRAGMENTS
POVERTY
A grievous weight, too heavy to endure,
Bitter, and of woe,
full
Is with her
Poverty, who, sister, Want,
Cripples the people so.
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXXII
Ta? eTuOv/jLias yap
ovre <yvvr)
ovre
88
LONGER FRAGMENTS
89
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXXIII
QpmOes riVe? ocS ; w/cedvo) yas r
90
LONGER FRAGMENTS
XXXIV
. .
*******
TTer/oa? KCU TroXta? OaX.da'a'as TGKVOV
a Oa\a<r-
.
LONGER FRAGMENTS
93
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
XXXV
At/e* etTT?;?, TO, 0e'X9, (auro?) aicovGais /ce,
r K ov
94
LONGER FRAGMENTS
95
SHORTER FRAGMENTS
SHORTER FRAGMENTS
SHORTER FRAGMENTS
DRINKING-SONGS
XXXVI
T/3t/3o>\eTe/> oi) yap 'AptcdSecro-i, Xco
XXXVII
Kar ra? 7ro\\a vradoicras /ce<f)d\as ica/c
(JLVpOV
XXXVIII
a\\o (frvTevcrys irporepov
afJL7T\Ct).
XXXIX
TWO, TOP %apievTa M.eva>va Kd\ea-<rcu t
at the banquet.
XL
"AXXora fiev /LteXtaSeo?, aXXora
rpifidXcov apvrr)^evoL.
XLI
7^/05 Atav, TOZ^
KpovtSa /3ao-i\i)o<; apta-rov
(It
is said
that) Ajax of kingly birth, sprung
from Kronos, the greatest hero after Achilles
of the Danaians).
(went to Troy in the army
100
SHORTER FRAGMENTS
XLII
. . .
'A^t'AAev, o 7a9 TLievdiicas peSeis.
XLIII
*E* Se
XLIV
\alpe Kal TTO)
Aevpo (7Vf
LOVE-SONGS
XLV
<5
<f)t\e iral, /cal a\dOea.
XLVI
XLVII
KO'XTTG) <r* eB^gavr ayvai Xa/^re?, Kptvoi.
POLEMICS
XLVIII
avepow a^Cfiavroi vrvdcu.
XLIX
. . . Faia9 teal vi(j>devTo<; wpdva)
L
MeXa7^/30? al'Sta? afto? et?
Melanchrus (in
his actions) towards the City
was worthy of respect.
LI
Adfov re aeicov Kdpiicov.
LII
OvSc 7TO) HocretSav
'
LIII
oy warr opviOes cS/cvv
aierov efaTTtVa? fydvevra.
LIV
"A/oeu &u$oy3o9 Bcu'/CTrjp.
LV
"A/36V05 (TTpaTKOTepOlS.
LVI
To yap
"Apevl /carOdvrjv ied\ov.
For it is noble to die in battle.
LVI I
Mfaz> 5* eV aXXaXot? "Apeva.
HYMNS
LVI 1 1
LIX
. . . "00-re 6eo)v fjLrjSev 'OXu/u,7riW Xv&ai arep
LX
To yap 0ea>v Idrar vppe \a%dvrtov ye'pai
\rov
LXI
To S*
epyov ayija'aiTO rea fcdpa.
MISCELLANEOUS
LXI I
Kat 7rA,etoTOt9 edvaaae Xaot?.
LXIII
v
Hpcora jj,ev Az>Taz>S/oo? AeXeyaw
LXIV
Toy %d\ivov ap/cos eery.
LXV
B* eru^xao-', etc & eXero ^>peVa5.
LXVI
K<au Tt? CTT*
a"%aTiai<riv ot/cet?.
LXVI I
LXVIII
'il9 \dyos ex Trarepcov opcopev.
LXIX
'E/-tauTO> 7ra\a/4a<70/Aat.
LXX
"Or a<r<j> aTToXXuyu-eVot? c-aa>9.
LXXI
OIKCO re irep <ro> /cal irep" cm/ua?.
LXXI I
Et? rwv SvotccuSe/ccov.
LXXIII
Kat K ovSev etc SeVo? yevotro.
LXXIV
At Be K apfu Zev? re\<rrj vorjfia.
LXXV
. . . NoW B* eavrci)
TrdjjLirav aeppei.
He is
thoroughly aroused in his mind.
LXXVI
KaTTtTrXeuo-T; vdecriv.
LXXVI I
"A/Jifjiiv aOdvaroi Oeoi,
VIKCLV.
LXXVIII
fM /cdfccas oim yap ol <f>i\oi.
LXXIX
N0z> S' (aur') ovro? eTTt/cperei
LXXX
//i<a*?, rat? A to? cf aiyio^co <j>at(ri rcrvy-
pevais.
LXXXI
At yap Ka\\o6ev e\6rf rdSe, <f)ai /crjvoOev
LXXXII
. . . 2i) Be cravTO) ro/u'a? ecrrj.
LXXXII I
(Wai? rot? TreXa? a/4/ueet)i> Trape^rjv.
LXXXIV
Ov&e n ftvvdfjievos a\\vi TO vdrj/jia.
LXXXV
'E/^a^uW ov yap ava% (Setvore/JO? creOev).
LXXXVI
eacav
LXXXVII
(Tai/raXo))
irep /ce<aXa? /-leya?, <y At
Tantalus, O Aisimides.
LXXXVII I
/> en, ivvofjievr), ro>
Is it still
pleasing, Dinnomenes ? are those
things meet and glorious in Pittacus as they
were in Myrsilus ?
LXXXIX
re /cal
xc
ev a-r^Oea-i cfrvei <j>d{3epo<;.
XCI
'E-TTt yap Tra/305 ovtapov iKvrjrai.
XCII
Hd\iv a 5 Trapopivei.
XCIII
'A.fJijJie<nv TreSdopov.
XCIV
'A\\a <rauTft) fiere^oov a/3a9 TT/OO? Trdcriv.
xcv
"70) fjiev ov Beco ravra paprvpevvras.
XCVI
Kat ^iKV0iKai<> vTroBrja'djjievos.
XCVI I
'ATT Trarepcov /ta$o5.
XCVIII
Of our fathers.
Of our sorrows.
XCIX
"E/8/D09 tfa
113
THE SONGS OF ALCAEU&
c
: ro
CI
At Br) fjLav ^epaSo? fir) /3eySaa)9
\(9ov
w ww \J
117
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
Cf. Horace, Carm. II, 7 :
J.
H. MERIVALE.
Wet thy lungs with wine, for the dog-star rides on high ;
Oppressive is the season all things are
parched and dry j
'Mid the leaves the shrill cicada its song so thin and quick,
Pours out beneath its wings, and bloom the thistles red and thick.
J.
M. WALHOUSE.
This song is made up of fragments quoted by various
authors and joined by Matthiae, Hartung, Bergk, and
others. Line I, part of 2, and 3, 6, 7, and 8 are
preserved in Proclus on Hesiod, Works, 584 ; i and 2
are quoted by Athenaeus, X, 430 ; part of 3, and 4-5,
are quoted by Demetrius, de Eloc. 142. The verses
118
NOTES
all belong, without doubt, to one song. The metre
is choriambic, the asclepiadeum secundum as used by
Horace, Carm. I, 1 1 , etc.
IN ALCAIC METRE
Drive out the winter, piling up plentiful
Firewood, and mingling cups of the honey-wine
Freely, while upon our foreheads
Sprays of the winter-green thus we fasten.
Naught is
gained by melancholy,
Better than the pain of thinking
Is to steep the sense in drinking.
J. H. MERIVALE.
We must not yield our hearts to woe, or wear
With wasting care ;
preceding note. )
Quoted by Athenaeus, X, 430. See note to viii.
J. H. MERIVALE.
Drink for lamps why are we staying ? let the finger serve for day,
!
Bring me, boy, the bowl capacious all the various cups
display.
To us mortals mighty Bacchus, son of Zeus and Semele,
Gave bright wine, the care-dispeller 5 one and two now mix for me
Mingle to the brim, fill upwards and as cups we drain apace,
Every fresh one its foregoer's mounting fumes away shall chase.
J. M. WALHOUSE.
The text Hoffmann's, varying slightly from Bergk's
is
Line I is
quoted by Hephaestion, 80 ; line 2 by Aris-
totle, Rhetoric, I, 9, where he also quotes the lines from
Sappho. The two lines have been joined by Bergk
and others. The metre is Sapphic with anacrusis :
\D w w ww w w
Sappho's reply is in Alcaics. Stephanus of Byzan-
tium, Anna Comnena, and some modern critics as-
ww \j\j ww \j\j
w \j \j i^
Lycus.
Quoted by the Scholiast on Pindar, O/. X, 15.
The metre is choriambic :
Lines 12
are quoted by Hephaestion, 58, lines 34
are restoredby Bergk, and lines 57 by O. Muller
(accepted by Bergk), out of Strabo, XIII, 617, who
says : Mitylene produced illustrious men, such as Pit-
tacus one of the Seven Sages, and Alcaeus the poet,
and bis brother Antimenidas, who, as Alcaeus says,
went to the aid of the Babylonians and achieved a
fragment.
In martial pride ;
On other battle-fields ;
XX (
1 8). I do not understand the condition of the
winds, for now from this side, now from that, the
waves approach, and we between them are hurled about
in the black ship, and struggle bard with the storm.
The water pours in through the stepping-hole. Already
great rents are in the sail and now it is torn in tat-
ters. The anchors loose their hold.
130
NOTES
The billows dashing o'er our dark
********
The raging sea and sky are seen.
J. H. MERIVALE.
Fluctus, etc.,
ir\lv6b}v
dXX' &v5pes TrJXtos Trtipyos dpevioL.
etc.
J. H. MZRIVALE.
Pulsanda tellus.
being Kovaptos.
of Apollo ;
Menander says that the birth of Hermes
was related ; and Athenaeus says that in it Hermes
was made cup-bearer to the gods. The metre is
Sapphic, which I have attempted to reproduce. Cf.
Nunc et Achaemenio
Perfimdi nardo juvat et fide
Cyllenae
Levare diris pectora sollicitudinibus.
\3
'
w w ww w
Cf. Theoc. XVII, 36:
TSs ntv Ktirpov ^x l<ra Aic^as Trdrvta Kujpa
K6\7rov eseuwSTj padivas ^tre/xd^aro xe?/>as.
2, 13.
LVII (31). Ib. I.e.
Zeus.
LXII (64). Et. Gud. 162, 31.
XV, 1 6. 1
p. 239.
LXIX (72). Apollon. de pron. 363 A.
LXX (73). Ib. 388 B.
140
NOTES
LXXI (74). Ib. 395 A. The interpretation is
Theocritus, I.e.
'45
THE SONGS OF ALCAEUS
GERSTENHAUER, ARTHURIUS : De Alcaei et Sapphonis Copia Vocabu-
lorum. 8vo. Halle, 1892.
NEANDER, MICHAEL :
Gnomologiae sive Aristologiae Pindarica
Graecolatina. 8vo. Basle, 1556. EDITIO PRINCEPS.
ORES, HOLT :
Quaedam Fragmenta Lyrica Sappho, Alcaei, et
aliorum ;
numeris suis restituta et recensita. 8vo. Cambridge,
1809.
ORGER, THOMAS, LL.D. The Odes of Anacreon, with the frag-
:
Paris, ist ed., 1560; ad ed., 15665 3d ed., 1586; 4th ed.,
1600.
Lyricorum . . .
Alcaei, etc. 8vo. Antwerp, 1568.
PA Alcaeus
3861 The songs of Alcaeus
A2
1901