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Callimachus · Aetia §5.1-5.7

Fragments on Ancient Myths and Rituals from Commentaries

Passage 7 of 7 · Greek

Summary

A collection of fragmentary references by commentators and lexicographers regarding the origins of ancient myths and rituals associated with Callimachus' *Aetia*.

§5.1Harpocration s. v. Ἄκτια ἀγὼν παλαιὸς ἦν ὡς δῆλον ποιεῖ Καλλίμαχος ἐν τῷ περὶ ἀγώνων.
Harpocration under *Aktia* states that it was an ancient contest, as Callimachus makes clear in his *On Contests*.
Cf.
Cf.
The Περὶ ἀγώνων being otherwise unknown, this probably belongs to the Aitia.
The *On Contests* being otherwise unknown, this probably belongs to the *Aitia*.
§5.2, τὸν δὲ ἱππικὸν ἀγῶνα ὁ Ἐνυάλιος ἅρμασι διπώλοις ἐφεῦρε, καθὼς συνεγράψατο Καλλίμαχος. . . ἐν τοῖς Αἰτίοις αὐτοῦ.
... "and the equestrian contest was invented by Enyalius with two-horse chariots, as Callimachus wrote... in his *Aetia*."...
§5.3, Ἄρτεμιν Ἀρκάδες Ἀπαγχομένην καλουμένην προστρέπονται, ὥς φησι Καλλίμαχος ἐν Αἰτίοις. §5.4καταπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς τὸ ὑποκείμενον πέλαγος Ἰκάριον μετωνομάσθη. . . ἱστορεῖ. . . Καλλίμαχος ἐν Αἰτίοις. §5.5Probus on Molorchi mentio est apud Callimachum in Αἰτίων libris.
"the Arcadians supplicate Artemis called 'the Hanged', as Callimachus says in the *Aetia*." "and when the boy fell, the underlying sea was renamed Icarian... as Callimachus relates... in the *Aetia*." Probus on *Molorchi*: there is mention in Callimachus in the books of the *Aetia*.
§5.6Servius on Cur dextrae iungere dextram Non datur] maiorum haec fuerat salutatio, cuius rei τὸ σἲτιον, i. e. causam, Varro Callimachum sequutus exposuit, asserens omnem eorum honorem dextrarum constitisse virtute.
Servius on *Why is it not allowed to join right hand to right hand*: this had been the salutation of the ancestors, of which thing Varro, following Callimachus, explained the *aition*, i.e. the cause, asserting that all their honor consisted in the virtue of the right hands.
Ob quam rem hac se venerabantur corporis parte.
For which reason they used to revere each other with this part of the body.
§5.7sacerdos Apollinis Delii Anius fuit, ad quem quum venisset per noctem Thasus a canibus laniatus est, unde nullus canis Delon accedit auctore Callimacho.
Anius was the priest of Delian Apollo, and when Thasus came to him during the night, he was torn to pieces by dogs, whence no dog approaches Delos, on the authority of Callimachus.

Notes

  1. §5.4καταπεσόντος — Genitive Absolute. The noun `τοῦ παιδὸς` (the boy) and the aorist participle `καταπεσόντος` (having fallen) are both in the genitive case, expressing an independent circumstance (here temporal, "when the boy fell") distinct from the subject of the main clause (`τὸ ὑποκείμενον πέλαγος`).
  2. §5.6sequutus — Perfect participle of the deponent verb `sequor` (to follow), a non-standard spelling of `secutus`. It takes the accusative `Callimachum` (Callimachus) as its object and modifies the subject of the main clause, `Varro`.
  3. §5.7auctore Callimacho — An ablative absolute construction consisting of two nouns without a participle. Composed of the ablative of the noun `auctor` (authority, author) and the proper name `Callimachus`, meaning "with Callimachus as authority" or "on the authority of Callimachus."

Cite this passage

Callimachus, Aetia §5.1-5.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0533.tlg006.humanitext-grc1:5.1-5.7

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