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Bacchylides · Dithyrambs §15.1-15.63

Antenor's Reception and Menelaus' Speech on Justice

Passage 1 of 6 · Greek

Summary

Theano, wife of Antenor, receives Menelaus and Odysseus in Troy. After Antenor conveys the Achaeans' demands to Priam and his sons, Menelaus addresses the gathered Trojan assembly, speaking on the accessibility of Justice and the ruinous nature of Hubris.

§15.1Ἀντήνορος] ἀντιθέου §15.2!!!!!!]ρ̣α̣κ̣ο̣ι̣τ̣ις Ἀθάνας πρόσπολος, §15.3ׯ˘¯¯] Παλλάδος ὀρσιμάχου §15.4¯¯˘¯¯ χ]ρυσέας §15.5¯˘¯¯¯˘ ]ν Ὀδυσσεῖ §15.6Λαρτιᾴδᾳ Μενελ]άῳ τʼ Ἀτρεΐδᾳ βασιλεῖ §15.7¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ βαθύ]ζωνος Θεανὼ
... of godlike Antenor... wife, attendant of Athena,... of Pallas, rouser of battle,... of golden... to Odysseus... the son of Laertes, and to Menelaus, the Atreid king,... deep-girdled Theano...
§15.8¯ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘]ον §15.9× ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯] προσήνεπεν §15.10× ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ἐ]ϋκτιμέναν §15.11¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯
... addressed... well-built...
§15.12¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯]δ̣ων τυχόντες
... having met...
§15.13¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯] σὺν θεοῖς §15.14¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯]ους
... with the gods...
§15.22¯ ¯ ˘˘ ¯ ˘˘ ¯ §15.23¯ ¯ ˘˘ ¯ μεσονύ]κτιος κέαρ §15.36¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘˘ ¯ ˘˘ ¯ §15.37ἆγον, πατὴρ δʼ εὔβουλος ἥρως §15.38πάντα σάμαινεν Πριάμῳ βασιλεῖ §15.39παίδεσσί τε μῦθον Ἀχαιῶν.
... midnight heart... they led, and the wise hero father indicated everything to King Priam and his sons, the speech of the Achaeans.
§15.40ἔνθα κάρυκες διʼ εὐ- §15.41ρεῖαν πόλιν ὀρνύμενοι §15.42Τρώων ἀόλλιζον φάλαγγας §15.43δεξίστρατον εἰς ἀγοράν.
Then heralds, through the wide city speeding, were gathering the throngs of the Trojans into the assembly-place that receives the host.
§15.44παντᾷ δὲ διέδραμεν αὐδάεις λόγος· §15.45θεοῖς δʼ ἀνίσχοντες χέρας ἀθανάτοις §15.46εὔχοντο παύσασθαι δυᾶν.
And everywhere ran the loud-voiced rumor; and lifting up their hands to the immortal gods, they prayed for an end to their troubles.
§15.47Μοῦσα, τίς πρῶτος λόγων ἆρχεν δικαίων;
Muse, who first began the righteous words?
§15.48Πλεισθενίδας Μενέλαος γάρυϊ θελξιεπεῖ §15.49φθέγξατʼ, εὐπέπλοισι κοινώσας Χάρισσιν· §15.50ὦ Τρῶες ἀρηΐφιλοι, §15.51Ζεὺς ὑψιμέδων, ὃς ἅπαντα δέρκεται, §15.52οὐκ αἴτιος θνατοῖς μεγάλων ἀχέων, §15.53ἀλλʼ ἐν μέσῳ κεῖται κιχεῖν §15.54πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις Δίκαν ἰθεῖαν, ἁγνᾶς §15.55Εὐνομίας ἀκόλουθον καὶ πινυτᾶς Θέμιτος· §15.56ὀλβίων παῖδές νιν αἱρεῦνται σύνοικον.
Menelaus, son of Pleisthenes, with speech-charming voice spoke, sharing his words with the beautiful-robed Graces: "O Trojans, dear to Ares, ruling-on-high Zeus, who sees all things, is not the cause of great sorrows for mortals, but it lies in the midst for all men to reach straight Justice, follower of holy Good Order and wise Themiste; the children of the blessed choose her to dwell with them.
§15.57ἁ δʼ αἰόλοις κέρδεσσι καὶ ἀφροσύναις §15.58ἐξαισίοις θάλλουσʼ ἀθαμβὴς §15.59Ὕβρις, ἃ πλ[οῦτον] δύναμίν τε θοῶς §15.60ἀλλότριον ὤπασεν, αὖτις §15.61δʼ ἐς βαθὺν πέμπει φθόρον, §15.62κείνα καὶ ὑπερφιάλους §15.63Γᾶς παῖδας ὤλεσσεν Γίγαντας.
But she who with shifty gains and reckless and lawless follies flourishes, shameless Hybris, who wealth and power quickly bestows on one, belonging to another, and again sends into deep ruin; she it was who also the overweening children of Earth, the Giants, destroyed."

Notes

  1. §15.53κιχεῖν — The infinitive κιχεῖν (to reach, attain) functions as an epexegetic (explanatory) infinitive specifying the impersonal expression ἐν μέσῳ κεῖται (it lies in the midst, i.e., is accessible).
  2. §15.56σύνοικον — A predicate accusative modifying the enclitic pronoun νιν (referring back to Δίκαν "Justice" in line 54), meaning "as a housemate" or "to dwell with them."
  3. §15.60ἀλλότριον — An adjective modifying the preceding coordinates πλ[οῦτον] (wealth) and δύναμίν (power). It functions predicatively, meaning "belonging to another" or "destined to become alienated."

Cite this passage

Bacchylides, Dithyrambs §15.1-15.63. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:15.1-15.63

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