Epigram 9.316

URN
Created on
By
Updated on

Descriptions

Codex Palatinus 23, p.409

Texts

ὦ τάνδε στείχοντες ἀταρπιτόν, αἴτε ποτ᾽ ἀγροὺς
δαμόθεν, αἴτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἀγρῶν νεῖσθε ποτ᾽ ἀκρόπολιν,
ἄμμες ὅρων φύλακες, δισσοὶ θεοί, ὧν ὁ μέν, Ἑρμᾶς,
οἷον ὁρῇς μ᾽, οὗτος δ᾽ ἅτερος, Ἡρακλέης:

ἄμφω μὲν θνατοῖς εὐάκοοι, ἀλλὰ ποθ᾽ αὑτούς —
αἰ ξύνᾷ παραθῇς ἀχράδας, ἐγκέκαφεν
ναὶ μὰν ὡσαύτως τοὺς βότρυας, αἴτε πέλονται
ὥριμοι, αἴτε χύδαν ὄμφακες, εὐτρέπικεν.
μισέω τὰν μετοχάν, οὐδ᾽ ἥδομαι: ἀλλ᾽ ὁ φέρων τι,

ἀμφίς, μὴ κοινᾷ, τοῖς δυσὶ παρτιθέτω,
καὶ λεγέτω: τὶν τοῦθ᾽, Ἡράκλεες: ἄλλοτε,
τοῦτο

Ἑρμᾷ:
καὶ λύοι τὰν ἔριν ἀμφοτέρων.

— Paton edition

Ο ye who pass along this road, whether ye are
going from town to the fields or returning to the
city from the country, we two gods here are the
guardians of the boundary. I, as you see me, am
Hermes, and this other fellow is Heracles.¹ We both
are gracious to mortals, but to each other — save the
mark ! If anyone offers a dish of wild pears to both
of us, he bolts them. Yes, and indeed, likewise
grapes ; whether they are ripe ones or any quantity
of sour ones, he stows them away. I detest this
method of going shares, and get no pleasure from
it. Let whoever brings us anything serve it separ-
ately to each of us and not to both, saying, " This is
for thee, Heracles," and again, "This is for Hermes."
So he might make up our quarrel.

— Paton edition

Cities

Keywords

Deities (eng)

Comment

#1

Paton Edition: 1 The "term" set up on the boundary of the city and country (cp. Plat. Hipparch. 228 d.) had on one side the face of Hermes and on the other that of Heracles.

Alignments

Internal references

External references

Media

Last modifications

Epigram 9.316: First revision

See all modifications →