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Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §1.1-1.4

Arrival at Trapezus and Proposals for Altars and Statue

Passage 1 of 25 · Greek

Summary

Arrian reports his arrival at Trapezus and his view of the Euxine Sea to the Emperor Hadrian, suggesting the reconstruction of the crude altars and the replacement of an unworthy imperial statue.

§1.1Αὐτοκράτορι Καίσαρι Τραϊανῷ Ἀδριανῷ Σεβαστῷ Ἀρριανὸς χαίρειν.
To the Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus, Arrian sends greeting.
ἐς Τραπεζοῦντα ἥκομεν, πόλιν Ἑλληνίδα, ὡς λέγει ὁ Ξενοφῶν ἐκεῖνος, ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ ᾠκισμένην, Σινωπέων ἄποικον, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν τοῦ Εὐξείνου ἄσμενοι κατείδομεν ὅθενπερ καὶ Ξενοφῶν καὶ σύ.
We have come to Trapezus, a Greek city, as that famous Xenophon says, founded on the sea, a colony of the Sinopeans; and we gladly looked down upon the Euxine Sea from the very place whence both Xenophon and you did.
§1.2καὶ οἱ βωμοὶ ἀνεστᾶσιν ἤδη, λίθου μέντοι γε τοῦ τραχέος, καὶ τὰ γράμματα διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εὔδηλα κεχάρακται, τὸ δὲ Ἑλληνικὸν ἐπίγραμμα καὶ ἡμαρτημένως γέγραπται, οἷα δὴ ὑπὸ βαρβάρων γραφέν.
And the altars are already standing, but of coarse stone, and because of this the letters are not clearly carved, and the Greek inscription is even incorrectly written, as if written by barbarians.
ἔγνωκα οὖν τούς τε βωμοὺς λίθου λευκοῦ ἀναθεῖναι, καὶ τὰ ἐπιγράμματα ἐγχαράξαι εὐσήμοις τοῖς γράμμασιν.
I have therefore decided to erect the altars of white stone and to carve the inscriptions in clear letters.
§1.3ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνδριὰς ἕστηκεν ὁ σὸς τὸ μὲν σχῆμα ἐπιτηδείως — ἀποδείκνυσιν γὰρ τὴν θάλασσαν —, τὴν δὲ ἐργασίαν οὔτε ὅμοιός σοι οὔτε ἄλλως καλός·
For your statue indeed stands there, appropriate in its posture—for it points out the sea—but in its workmanship it is neither like you nor otherwise beautiful.
§1.4ὥστε πέμψον ἀνδριάντα ἄξιον ἐπονομάζεσθαι σὸν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τούτῳ σχήματι· τὸ γὰρ χωρίον ἐπιτηδειότατον ἐς μνήμην αἰώνιον.
Therefore, send a statue worthy of being called yours in this very same posture; for the place is most suitable for an everlasting memorial.

Notes

  1. 1.1ὅθενπερ καὶ Ξενοφῶν καὶ σύ — In this clause introduced by the relative adverb ὅθενπερ ("from the very place whence"), the verb (such as κατείδομεν) is omitted. The inclusion of "and you" (καὶ σύ) implies that Hadrian had previously visited this location or that Arrian assumes a shared perspective.
  2. 1.2ἔγνωκα ... ἀναθεῖναι — The verb ἔγνωκα (perfect of γιγνώσκω) functions as a present perfect expressing a settled decision ("I have decided/resolved"), taking the infinitives ἀναθεῖναι and ἐγχαράξαι as its complements.
  3. 1.3τὸ μὲν σχῆμα ... τὴν δὲ ἐργασίαν — Both accusatives function as accusatives of respect (Greek accusative), limiting the adjectives or verbs to mean "with respect to its posture" and "with respect to its workmanship."
  4. 1.4ἄξιον ἐπονομάζεσθαι σὸν — The adjective ἄξιον ("worthy") is followed by the complementary passive infinitive ἐπονομάζεσθαι ("to be called/named"). The possessive pronominal adjective σὸν ("yours") functions as the predicate of the infinitive, meaning "worthy of being called yours."

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §1.1-1.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.4

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