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Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §2.1-2.4

Request for Statues in the Temple and Sacrifices

Passage 2 of 25 · Greek

Summary

Arrian discusses the temple at Trapezus, the statues of Hermes and Philesios, and describes the sacrifice he performed there, hinting at his prayers for the Emperor.

§2.1πεποίηται δὲ καὶ ὁ νεὼς λίθου τετραγώνου οὐ φαύλως· ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἄγαλμα οὔτε τοῦ νεὼ ἄξιόν ἐστιν οὔτε αὐτοῦ τοῦ χωρίου.
The temple also is built of squared stone, and not badly; but the statue of Hermes is worthy neither of the temple nor of the place itself.
εἰ δέ σοι δοκεῖ, πέμψον μοι πεντάπουν μάλιστα Ἑρμοῦ ἄγαλμα· τηλικοῦτον γάρ μοι δοκεῖ ἔσεσθαι ὥς γε πρὸς τὸν νεὼν σύμμετρον.
If it seems good to you, send me a statue of Hermes of about five feet; for of such a size it seems to me it will be in proportion to the temple.
καὶ ἄλλο τοῦ Φιλησίου τετράπουν· §2.2οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τρόπου δοκεῖ μοι σύνναος καὶ σύμβωμος ἔσεσθαι τῷ προπάτορι.
And another statue, of Philesios, of four feet; for it seems to me not unreasonable for him to share the temple and the altar with his ancestor.
καὶ ὃ μέν τις τῷ Ἑρμῇ, ὃ δὲ τῷ Φιλησίῳ, ὃ δὲ καὶ ἀμφοῖν θύσει παριών.
And one passing by will sacrifice to Hermes, another to Philesios, and another to both.
χαριοῦνται δὲ καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι τῷ τε Ἑρμῇ καὶ τῷ Φιλησίῳ· τῷ μέν Ἑρμῇ, ὅτι τὸν ἔγγονον αὐτοῦ τιμῶσιν, τῷ δὲ Φιλησίῳ, ὅτι τὸν αὐτοῦ προπάτορα.
And both these and those will please both Hermes and Philesios: Hermes, because they honor his descendant, and Philesios, because they honor his ancestor.
ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ ἐβουθύτησα ἐνταῦθα, οὐχ §2.3ὥσπερ ὁ Ξενοφῶν ἐκεῖνος ἐν Κάλπης λιμένι ὑφʼ ἁμάξης βοῦν λαβὼν διʼ ἀπορίαν ἱερείων, ἀλλὰ τῶν Τραπεζουντίων αὐτῶν παρασκευασάντων ἱερεῖον οὐκ ἀγεννές.
Indeed, I myself also sacrificed an ox here, not as that famous Xenophon did in the harbor of Calpe, taking an ox from under a wagon because of a lack of sacrificial animals, but because the Trapezuntians themselves provided a not ignoble sacrificial animal.
καὶ ἐσπλαγχνευσάμεθα αὐτόθι καὶ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἐπεσπείσαμεν.
And we tasted the entrails there and poured libations upon them.
ὅτῳ δὲ πρώτῳ τἀγαθὰ ηὐχόμεθα, οὐ λανθάνομέν §2.4σε τόν τε τρόπον τὸν ἡμέτερον οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντα καὶ σαυτῷ συνειδότα ὅτι ἄξιος εἶ ὑπὲρ ὅτου πάντες ἃν εὔξαιντο τἀγαθὰ κἂν ὅσοι ἡμῶν ἔλαττον ὑπὸ σοῦ εὖ πεπόνθασιν.
And to whom first we prayed for good things does not escape your notice, as you are not ignorant of our character and are conscious in yourself that you are worthy that all should pray for good things on your behalf, even those of us who have received fewer benefits from you.

Notes

  1. §2.1λίθου τετραγώνου — Genitive of material, meaning "of squared stone", modifying the verb πεποίηται.
  2. §2.2οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπου — A litotes using a prepositional phrase, meaning "not out of place" or "not unreasonable" (i.e., highly appropriate).
  3. §2.2οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι — Referring back to the different groups of worshippers mentioned in the previous sentence as ὃ μέν, ὃ δέ, ὃ δέ ("both these and those").
  4. §2.3τῶν Τραπεζουντίων αὐτῶν παρασκευασάντων — Genitive absolute expressing a contrasting circumstance or cause, directly contrasted with the preceding ὥσπερ clause describing Xenophon's lack of victims.
  5. §2.3οὐ λανθάνομέν σε — The indirect question clause ὅτῳ δὲ πρώτῳ... ηὐχόμεθα serves as the subject of λανθάνομεν, which takes the accusative object σε modified by the participles ἀγνοοῦντα and συνειδότα.

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §2.1-2.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:2.1-2.4

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