by Theocritus
ὦ ᾿Ετεόκλειοι θύγατρες θεαί, ὦ Μινύειον
᾿Ορχομενὸν φιλέοισαι ἀπεχθόμενόν ποτε Θήβαις, 105
ἄκλητος μὲν ἔγωγε μένοιμί κεν, ἐς δὲ καλεύντων
θαρσήσας Μοίσαισι σὺν ἁμετέραισιν ἱκοίμαν.
καλλείψω δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὔμμε: τί γὰρ Χαρίτων ἀγαπητὸν
ἀνθρώποις ἀπάνευθεν; ἀεὶ Χαρίτεσσιν ἅμ᾽ εἴην.
[104] O holy Graces first adored of Eteocles, O lovers of that Minyan Orchomenus which Thebes had cause to hate of old, as, if I be called not, I will abide at home, so, if I be called, I will take heart and go with our Muses to the house of any that call. And you shall come too; for mortal man possesseth nothing desirable if he have not the Graces, and ’tis my prayer the Graces be with me evermore.
IDYLL XVII. ἐγκώμιον εἰς Πτολεμαῖον
IDYLL XVII. THE PANEGYRIC OF PTOLEMY
A panegyric of Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, who reigned from 285 to 247. The references to historical personages and events, coupled with a comparison with XVI, point to 273 as the date of the poem. The Ptolemies, like Alexander, traced their descent from Heracles. Ptolemy I, son of Lagus, was deified about 283, and his queen Berenice between 279 and 275.
᾿Εκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα καὶ ἐς Δία λήγετε Μοῖσαι,
ἀθανάτων τὸν ἄριστον ἐπὴν αὐδῶμεν ἀοιδαῖς:
ἀνδρῶν δ᾽ αὖ Πτολεμαῖος ἐνὶ πρώτοισι λεγέσθω
καὶ πύματος καὶ μέσσος: ὁ γὰρ προφερέστατος ἄλλων.
[1] With Zeus let us begin, Muses, and with Zeus I pray you end when the greatest of Immortals is exalted in our song: but for me first, midst and last by the name of Ptolemy; for he is of men the chiefest.
ἥρωες, τοὶ πρόσθεν ἀφ᾽ ἡμιθέων ἐγένοντο, 5
ῥέξαντες καλὰ ἔργα σοφῶν ἐκύρησαν ἀοιδῶν:
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Πτολεμαῖον ἐπιστάμενος καλὰ εἰπεῖν
ὑμνήσαιμ᾽: ὕμνοι δὲ καὶ ἀθανάτων γέρας αὐτῶν.
[5] The heroes that came of demigods of yore found skilly singers of the glorious deeds which they did; and in like manner a cunning teller of praises shall raise the hymn to Ptolemy, seeing hymns make the meed even of the Gods above.
῎Ιδαν ἐς πολύδενδρον ἀνὴρ ὑλατόμος ἐλθὼν
παπταίνει, παρεόντος ἄδην, πόθεν ἄρξεται ἔργου. 10
τί πρῶτον καταλέξω; ἐπεὶ πάρα μυρία εἰπεῖν,
οἷσι θεοὶ τὸν ἄριστον ἐτίμησαν βασιλήων.
[9] Now when the feller goes up to thick woody Ida he looks about him where to begin in all that plenty; and so I, where no shall I take up my tale when I might tell of ten thousand ways wherein the Gods have done honour to the greatest of kings?
᾿Εκ πατέρων οἷος μὲν ἔην τελέσαι μέγα ἔργον
Λαγείδας Πτολεμαῖος, ὅτε φρεσὶν ἐγκατάθοιτο
βουλάν, ἃν οὐκ ἄλλος ἀνὴρ οἷός τε νοῆσαι. 15
τῆνον καὶ μακάρεσσι πατὴρ ὁμότιμον ἔθηκεν
ἀθανάτοις, καί οἱ χρύσεος δόμος ἐν Διὸς οἴκῳ
δέδμηται: παρὰ δ᾽ αὐτὸν ᾿Αλέξανδρος φίλα εἰδὼς
ἑδριάει, Πέρσαισι βαρὺς θεὸς αἰολομίτρας.
ἀντία δ᾽ ῾Ηρακλῆος ἕδρα κενταυροφόνοιο 20
ἵδρυται στερεοῖο τετυγμένα ἐξ ἀδάμαντος:
ἔνθα σὐν ἄλλοισιν θαλίας ἔχει οὐρανίδαισι,
χαίρων υἱωνῶν περιώσιον υἱωνοῖσιν,
ὅττί σφεων Κρονίδης μελέων ἐξείλετο γῆρας,
ἀθάνατοι δὲ καλεῦνται ἑοὶ νέποδες γεγαῶτες. 25
ἄμφω γὰρ πρόγονός σφιν ὁ καρτερὸς ῾Ηρακλείδας,
ἀμφότεροι δ᾽ ἀριθμεῦνται ἐς ἔσχατον ῾Ηρακλῆα.
τῷ καὶ ἐπεὶ δαίτηθεν ἴοι κεκορημένος ἤδη
νέκταρος εὐόδμοιο φίλας ἐς δῶμ᾽ ἀλόχοιο,
τῷ μὲν τόξον ἔδωκεν ὑπωλένιόν τε φαρέτραν, 30
τῷ δὲ σιδάρειον σκύταλον κεχαραγμένον ὄζοις.
οἱ δ᾽ εἰς ἀμβρόσιον θάλαμον λευκοσφύρου ῞Ηβης
ὅπλα καὶ αὐτὸν ἄγουσι γενειήταν Διὸς υἱόν.
[13] ’Twas in the blood. First what an achieve of mighty exploits was Ptolemy Lagid when his mind conceived a device such as no other mind could come by! Whom now the Father hath made of equal honour with the Blessed; a golden mansion is builded him in the house of Zeus, and seated friendly beside him is the Lord of the Glancing Baldric, that God of woe to the Persians, Alexander, while over against him is set the stark adamantine seat of Centaur-slayer Heracles, who taketh his meat with the other Sons of Heaven, rejoicing exceedingly that by grace of Zeus the children of his children’s children have old age now lift from their limbs and they that were born his posterity are named and known of the Immortals. For unto either king the valiant founder of his race was a son of Heracles; both in the long last reckon Heracles of their line. And therefore now when the same Heracles hath had enough of the fragrant nectar and goes from table to the chamber of the wife he loves, he gives the one his bow and hanging quiver and the other his knaggy iron-hard club, to carry beside him as he goes, this bush-bearded son of Zeus, to the ambrosial chamber of the white-ankle Hebè.
οἵα δ᾽ ἐν πινυταῖσι περικλειτὰ Βερενίκα
ἔπρεπε θηλυτέραις, ὄφελος μέγα γειναμένοισι. 35
τᾷ μὲν Κύπρον ἔχοισα Διώνας πότνια κούρα
κόλπον ἐς εὐώδη ῥαδινὰς ἐσεμάξατο χεῖρας.
τῷ οὔπω τινὰ φαντὶ ἁδεῖν τόσον ἀνδρὶ γυναικῶν,
ὅσσόν περ Πτολεμαῖος ἑὴν ἐφίλησεν ἄκοιτιν.
ἦ μὰν ἀντεφιλεῖτο πολὺ πλέον: ὧδέ κε παισὶ 40
θαρσήσας σφετέροισιν ἐπιτρέποι οἶκον ἅπαντα,
ὁππότε κεν φιλέων βαίνῃ λέχος ἐς φιλεούσης.
ἀστόργου δὲ γυναικὸς ἐπ᾽ ἀλλοτρίῳ νόος αἰεί,
ῥηίδιοι δὲ γοναί, τέκνα δ᾽ οὐ ποτεοικότα πατρί.
κάλλει ἀριστεύουσα θεάων πότν᾽ ᾿Αφροδίτα, 45
σοὶ τήνα μεμέλητο: σέθεν δ᾽ ἕνεκεν Βερενίκα
εὐειδὴς ᾿Αχέροντα πολύστονον οὐκ ἐπέρασεν,
ἀλλά μιν ἁρπάξασα, πάροιθ᾽ ἐπὶ νῆα κατελθεῖν
κυανέαν καὶ στυγνὸν ἀεὶ πορθμῆα καμόντων,
ἐς ναὸν κατέθηκας, ἑᾶς δ᾽ ἀπεδάσσαο τιμᾶς. 50
πᾶσιν δ᾽ ἤπιος ἥδε βροτοῖς μαλακοὺς μὲν ἔρωτας
προσπνείει, κούφας δὲ διδοῖ ποθέοντι μερίμνας. —
[34] Then secondly for his mother; how bright among dames discreet shone the fame of Berenicè, what a boon to her progeny was she! Of whom the lady possessor of Cyprus that is daughter of Dionè laid taper fingers upon the sweet soft bosom, and such, they say, did make her that never woman gave man so great delight as Ptolemy took in his love of that his wife. Aye, he got all as much as he gave and more; for while the wife that loves not sets her heart ever upon tings lien, and has offspring indeed at her desire albeit the children favour not the father, ’tis when the love of the marriage-bed is each to each that with good courage one may leave, like Ptolemy, all his house to be ordered of his children. O Lady Aphrodite, chiefest beauty of the Goddeses, as ’twas thou that hadst made her to be such, so ’twas of thee that he fair Berenicè passed not sad lamentable Acheron, but or e’er she reached the murky ship and that ever-sullen shipman the ferrier of the departed, was rapt away to be a Goddess in a temple, where now participating in thy great prerogatives, with a gentle breath she both inspires all mankind unto soft desires and lightens the cares of him that hath loved and lost.
᾿Αργεία κυάνοφρυ, σὺ λαοφόνον Διομήδεα
μισγομένα Τυδῆι τέκες, Καλυδώνιον ἄνδρα,
ἀλλὰ Θέτις βαθύκολπος ἀκοντιστὰν ᾿Αχιλῆα 55
Αἰακίδᾳ Πηλῆι, σὲ δ᾽ αἰχμητὰ Πτολεμαῖε
αἰχμητᾷ Πτολεμαίῳ ἀρίζηλος Βερενίκα.
[53] Even as the dark-browed Argive maid did bear unto Tydeus of Calydon Diomed the slayer of peoples, but and even as deep-bosom’d Thetis bare unto Peleus Aeacid javelineer Achilles, in like manner, O my liege, did renowned Berenicè bear to warrior Ptolemy another warrior Ptolemy.
καί σε Κόως ἀτίταλλε βρέφος νεογιλλὸν ἐόντα,
δεξαμένα παρὰ ματρός, ὅτε πρώταν ἴδες ἀῶ.
ἔνθα γὰρ Εἰλείθυιαν ἐβώσατο λυσίζωνον 60
᾿Αντιγόνας θυγάτηρ βεβαρημένα ὠδίνεσσιν:
ἡ δέ οἱ εὐμενέοισα παρίστατο, κὰδ δ᾽ ἄρα πάντων
νωδυνίαν κατέχευε μελῶν: ὁ δὲ πατρὶ ἐοικὼς
παῖς ἀγαπητὸς ἔγεντο. Κόως δ᾽ ὀλόλυξεν ἰδοῖσα,
φᾶ δὲ καθαπτομένα βρέφεος χείρεσσι φίλῃσιν: 65
‘῎Ολβιε κοῦρε γένοιο, τίοις δέ με τόσσον, ὅσον περ
Δᾶλον ἐτίμησεν κυανάμπυκα Φοῖβος ᾿Απόλλων:
ἐν δὲ μιᾷ τιμᾷ Τρίοπον καταθεῖο κολώναν,
ἶσον Δωριέεεσσι νέμων γέρας ἐγγὺς ἐοῦσιν.’
ἶσον καὶ ῾Ρήναιαν ἄναξ ἐφίλησεν ᾿Απόλλων. 70
῝Ως ἄρα νᾶσος ἔειπεν: ὁ δ᾽ ὑψόθεν ἔκλαγε φωνᾷ
ἐς τρὶς ἀπὸ νεφέων μέγας αἰετὸς αἴσιος ὄρνις.
Ζηνός που τόδε σᾶμα. Διὶ Κρονίωνι μέλοντι
αἰδοῖοι βασιλῆες: ὁ δ᾽ ἔξοχος, ὅν κε φιλήσῃ
γεινόμενον τὰ πρῶτα: πολὺς δέ οἱ ὄλβος ὀπαδεῖ, 75
πολλᾶς δὲ κρατέει γαίας, πολλᾶς δὲ θαλάσσας.
[58] And when thou first saw’st the dawn, she that took the from thy mother and dandled thee, poor babe, on her lap, was the good lady Cos; for there in Cos island had the daughter of Antigonè cried aloud to the Girdle-Looser in the oppression of pain, there had the Goddess stood by to comfort her and to shed immunity from grief upon all her limbs, and there was born in the likeness of his father the beloved son. And when she beheld him, good Cos broke into a cry of joy, and clasping the babe in her loving arms ‘Heaven bless thee, boy,’ said she, ‘and grant I may have all as much honour of thee as blue-snooded Delos had of Phoebus Apollo; and not I only, but Heaven send thou assign equal privilege to all the neighbour Dorian cities in the joint honour of the Triopian Hill; for Apollo gave Rheneia equal love with Delos.’ Thus far the Island; and lo! from the clouds above came thrice over the boding croak of a great eagle. And ‘faith, ’twas of Zeus that sign; for Zeus Cronion, as he watches over all reverend kings, so especially careth he for a king that he hath loved from his earliest hour. Such an one is attendant of great good-fortune, and wins himself the mastery of much land and of many seas.
μυρίαι ἄπειροί τε καὶ ἔθνεα μυρία φωτῶν
λήιον ἀλδήσκουσιν ὀφελλόμεναι Διὸς ὄμβρῳ:
ἀλλ᾽ οὔτις τόσα φύει, ὅσα χθαμαλὰ Αἴγυπτος,
Νεῖλος ἀναβλύζων διερὰν ὅτε βώλακα θρύπτει. 80
οὐδέ τις ἄστεα τόσσα βροτῶν ἔχει ἔργα δαέντων.
τρεῖς μέν οἱ πολίων ἑκατοντάδες ἐνδέδμηνται,
τρεῖς δ᾽ ἄρα χιλιάδες τρισσαῖς ἐπὶ μυριάδεσσι,
δοιαὶ δὲ τριάδες, μετὰ δέ σφισιν ἐννεάδες τρεῖς:
τῶν πάντων Πτολεμαῖος ἀλήνωρ ἐμβασιλεύει. 85
καὶ μὴν Φοινίκας ἀποτέμνεται ᾿Αρραβίας τε
καὶ Συρίας Λιβύας τε κελαινῶν τ᾽ Αἰθιοπήων.
Παμφύλοισί τε πᾶσι καὶ αἰχμηταῖς Κιλίκεσσι
σαμαίνει, Λυκίοις τε φιλοπτολέμοισί τε Καρσί,
καὶ νάσοις Κυκλάδεσσιν, ἐπεί οἱ νᾶες ἄρισται 90
πόντον ἐπιπλώοντι, θάλασσα δὲ πᾶσα καὶ αἶα
καὶ ποταμοὶ κελάδοντες ἀνάσσονται Πτολεμαίῳ.
πολλοὶ δ᾽ ἱππῆες, πολλοὶ δέ μιν ἀσπιδιῶται.
χαλκῷ μαρμαίροντι σεσαγμένοι ἀμφαγέρονται.
[77] Ten thousand are the lands and ten thousand the nations that make the crops to spring under aid of the rain of Zeus, but there’s no country so fruitful as the low-country of Egypt when Nile comes gushing up to soak the soil and break it, nor no country, neither, possessed of so many cities of men learned in labour. The cities builded therein are three hundred and three thousands and three tens of thousands, and threes twain and nines three, and in them the lord and master of all is proud Ptolemy. Ay, and of Phoenician and Arabia he taketh to him a hantle, and eke of Syria and Libya and of the swart Aethiop’s country; and he giveth the word to all them of Pamphylia and all the warriors of Cilicia; and to the people of Lycia and warlike Caria and to the Cyclad Isles he giveth it; and this because he hath a noble navy sailing the main, so that all the sea, every land, and each of the sounding rivers doth acknowledge his dominion, and full many are the mighty warriors a-horseback and full many the burnished brass-clad targeteers afoot that rally for the battle around his standard.
ὄλβῳ μὲν πάντάς κε καταβρίθοι βασιλῆας: 95
τόσσον ἐπ᾽ ἆμαρ ἕκαστον ἐς ἀφνεὸν ἔρχεται οἶκον
πάντοθε. λαοὶ δ᾽ ἔργα περιστέλλουσιν ἕκηλοι.
οὐ γάρ τις δηίων πολυκήτεα Νεῖλον ὑπερβὰς
πεζὸς ἐν ἀλλοτρίαισι βοὰν ἐστάσατο κώμαις,
οὐδέ τις αἰγιαλόνδε θοᾶς ἐξάλατο ναὸς 100
θωρηχθεὶς ἐπὶ βουσὶν ἀνάρσιος Αἰγυπτίῃσι:
τοῖ
ος ἀνὴρ πλατέεσσιν ἐνίδρυται πεδίοισι
ξανθοκόμας Πτολεμαῖος, ἐπιστάμενος δόρυ πάλλειν,
ᾧ ἐπὶ πάγχυ μέλει πατρώια πάντα φυλάσσειν
οἷ᾽ ἀγαθῷ βασιλῆι, τὰ δὲ κτεατίζεται αὐτός. 105
οὐ μὰν ἀχρεῖός γε δόμῳ ἐνὶ πίονι χρυσὸς
μυρμάκων ἅτε πλοῦτος ἀεὶ κέχυται μογεόντων:
ἀλλὰ πολὺν μὲν ἔχοντι θεῶν ἐρικυδέες οἶκοι,
αἰὲν ἀπαρχομένοιο σὺν ἄλλοισιν γεράεσσι,
πολλὸν δ᾽ ἰφθίμοισι δεδώρηται βασιλεῦσι, 110
πολλὸν δὲ πτολίεσσι, πολὺν δ᾽ ἀγαθοῖσιν ἑταίροις.
οὐδὲ Διωνύσου τις ἀνὴρ ἱεροὺς κατ᾽ ἀγῶνας
ἵκετ᾽ ἐπιστάμενος λιγυρὰν ἀναμέλψαι ἀοιδάν,
ᾧ οὐ δωτίναν ἀντάξιον ὤπασε τέχνας.
[95] For wealth, his would outweigh the wealth of all the princes of the earth together, – so much comes into his rich habitation both day by day and from every quarter. And as for his peoples, they occupy their business without let or hindrance, seeing that no foeman hath crossed afoot that river of monsters to set up a cry in alien townships, nor none leapt from swift ship upon that beach all mailed to make havoc of the Egyptian kine, – of such noble sort is the flaxen-haired prince that is throne in these level plains, a prince who not only hath cunning to wield a spear, but, as a good king should, makes it his chiefest care both to keep all that he hath of his father and to add somewhat for himself. But not to no purpose doth his gold lie, like so much riches of the still-toiling emmet, in his opulent house; much of it – for never makes he offerings of firstfruits but gold is one – is spent upon the splendid dwellings of the Gods, and much of it again is given in presents to cities, to stalwart kings, or to the good friends that bear him company. Nay, no cunning singer of tuneful song that hath sought part in Dionysus’ holy contests but hath received of him a gift to he full worth of his skill.