Mnesiepes inscription
The text provided here follows D. Clay, Archilochos Heros: The Cult of Poets in the Greek Polis (Cambridge, MA 2004). Readers should consult his edition for a full commentary and apparatus.
Block Ε1 column Ι
………………………..κ]αὶ ὅτε
………………………..τῶν Π]αρίων
……………………..ι.…κρας
………………………..........
5 ……………………….....ον
……………………….....ι
. ……………………….....]ος
Block Ε1 column Ι
...when...of the Parians...
Block Ε1 column ΙΙ
Μνησιέπει ὁ θεὸς ἔ̣χ̣ρησε λῶιον καὶ ἄμεινον εἶμεν
ἐν τῶι τεμένει, ὃ κατασκευάζει, ἱδρυσαμένωι
βω̣μὸν καὶ θ̣ύοντι ἐπὶ τούτου Μούσαις καὶ Ἀπόλλ[ω]ν[ι]
Μουσαγέται καὶ Μνημοσύνει· θύειν δὲ καὶ καλλι-
5 ερεῖν Διὶ Ὑπ̣ε̣ρ̣δεξ̣ίωι, Ἀθάναι Ὑπερδεξίαι,
Ποσειδῶνι Ἀσφαλείωι, Ἡρακλεῖ, Ἀρτέμιδι Εὐκλείαι.
Πυθῶδε τῶι Ἀπόλλωνι σωτήρια πέμπειν[⋮]
Μνησιέπει ὁ θεὸς ἔχρησε λῶιον καὶ ἄμεινον εἶμεν
ἐν τῶι τεμένει, ὃ κατασκευάζει, ἱδρυσαμένωι
10 βωμὸν καὶ θύοντι ἐπὶ τούτου Διονύσωι καὶ Νύμφαις
καὶ Ὥραις· θύειν δὲ καὶ καλλιερεῖν Ἀπόλλωνι
Προστατηρίωι, Ποσειδῶνι Ἀσφαλείωι, Ἡρακλεῖ,
Πυθῶδε τῶι Ἀπόλλωνι σωτήρια πέμπειν[⋮]
Μνησιέπει ὁ θεὸς ἔχρησε λῶιον καὶ ἄμεινον εἶμεν
15 τι]μ̣ῶντι Ἀρχίλοχον τὸμ ποιητάν, καθ’ ἃ ἐπινοεῖ[⋮]
Χρήσαντος δὴ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ταῦτα, τόν τε τόπον
καλοῦμεν Ἀρχιλόχειον καὶ τοὺς βωμοὺς ἱδρύμεθα
καὶ θύομεν καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ Ἀρχιλόχωι καὶ
τιμῶμεν αὐτόν, καθ’ ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐθέσπισεν ἡμῖν.
20Π]ερὶ δὲ ὧν ἠβουλήθημεν ἀναγράψαι, τάδε παρα-
δ]έδοταί τε ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχαίων καὶ αὐτοὶ πεπρα-
[γ]ματεύμεθα[⋮] Λέγουσι γὰρ Ἀρχίλοχον ἔτι νεώτερον
ὄντα πεμφθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς Τελεσικλέους
εἰς ἀγρόν, εἰς τὸν δῆμον, ὃς καλεῖται Λειμῶνες,
25[ὥ]στε βοῦν καταγαγεῖν εἰς πρᾶσιν, ἀναστάντα
π̣ρώιτερον τῆς νυκτό̣ς, σελήνης λαμπούσης,
[ἄ]γ̣ειν τὴμ βοῦν εἰς πόλιν· ὡς δ’ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸν
[τ]όπον, ὃς καλεῖται Λισσίδες, δόξαι γυναῖκας
[ἰ]δ̣εῖν ἀθρόας· νομίσαντα δ’ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἀπιέναι
30αὐ̣τὰς εἰς πόλιν προσελθόντα σκώπτειν, τὰς δὲ
δ̣έ̣ξασθαι αὐτὸν μετὰ π̣αιδιᾶς̣ καὶ γέλωτος καὶ
[ἐ]π̣ερωτῆσαι, εἰ πωλήσων ἄγει τὴμ βοῦν· φήσαντος δέ,
[εἰ]πεῖν ὅτι αὐταὶ δώσουσιν αὐτῶι τιμὴν ἀξίαν·
[ῥη]θέντων δὲ̣ τούτων αὐτὰς μὲν οὐδὲ τὴμ βοῦν οὐκέτι
35[φ]α̣νερὰς εἶναι, πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν δὲ λύραν ὁρᾶν αὐτόν·
[κα]ταπλαγέντα δὲ καὶ μετά τινα χρόνον ἔννουν
[γ]ε̣νόμενον ὑπολαβεῖν τὰς Μούσας εἶναι τὰς φανείσας
[κα]ὶ̣ τὴν λύραν αὐτῶι δωρησαμένας· καὶ ἀνελό-
[με]ν̣ον αὐτὴν πορεύεσθαι εἰς πόλιν καὶ τῶι πατρὶ
40[τὰ] γ̣ενόμενα δηλῶσαι[⋮] Τὸν δὲ Τελεσικλῆν ἀκού-
[σα]ν̣τα καὶ τὴν λύραν ἰδόντα θαυμάσαι. καὶ πρῶτομ
[μὲ]ν ζήτησιν ποιήσασθαι τ̣ῆ̣ς β̣οὸς κατὰ πᾶσαν
[τὴ]ν̣ νῆσον καὶ οὐ δύνασθαι εὑρεῖν[⋮] Ἔπειθ’ ὑπὸ τῶν
[πο]λ̣ιτῶν θεοπρόπον εἰς Δελφοὺς εἰρημένον μετὰ
45[Λυ]κάμβου χρησόμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως, προθυμό-
[τ]ε̣ρον ἀποδημῆσαι βουλόμενον καὶ περὶ τῶν
[α]ὐ̣τοῖς συμβεβηκότων πυθέσθαι[⋮] Ἀφικομένων δὲ
[καὶ] εἰσιόντων αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ μαντεῖον τὸν θεὸν
[εἰ]πεῖν Τελεσικλεῖ τὸν χρησμὸν τόνδε⋮
50 [Ἀθ]ά̣νατός σοι παῖς καὶ ἀοίδιμος, ὦ Τελεσίκλεις,
[ἔ]σται ἐν ἀνθρώποισ̣ιν, ὃς ἂμ πρῶτός σε προσείπει
[ν]η̣ὸς ἀποθρώισκοντα φίλην εἰς πατρίδα γαῖαν. Cf. AP 14.113: Ἀθάνατός σοι παῖς καὶ ἀοίδιμος, ὦ Τελεσίκλεις,/ ἔσσετ’ ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν, ὃς ἂν πρῶτός σε προσείπηι/ νηὸς σῆς ἀποβάντα φίληι ἐν πατρίδι γαίηι.
Παραγενομένων δ’ αὐτῶν εἰς Πάρον τοῖς Ἀρτε-
μ̣ισίοις πρῶτον τῶμ παίδων Ἀρχίλοχον ἀπαν-
55τ̣ήσαντα προσειπεῖν τὸν πατέρα· καὶ ὡς ἦλθον
οἴκαδε, ἐρωτήσαντος τοῦ Τελεσικλέους, εἴ τι τῶν
ἀ̣νανκαίων ὑπάρχει, ὡς ἂν ὀψὲ τῆς ἡμέρας
Block E1 column II
To Mnesiepes the god declared in an oracle it be fitting and best to establish an altar in the sanctuary, which he was building, and to sacrifice on it to the Muses, Apollo Mousagetes, and Memory; and also to sacrifice to and obtain good omens from Zeus Hyperdexios, Athena Hyperdexia, Poseidon Asphaleios, Hercules, and Artemis Eukleia, and finally to send sacrifices to Delphi for Apollo as a thanks for deliverance.
To Mnesiepes the god declared in an oracle it be fitting and best to establish an altar in the sanctuary, which he was building, and to sacrifice on it to Dionysus, the Nymphs, and the Seasons, to also sacrifice to and obtain good omens from Apollo Prostaterios, Poseidon Asphaleios, and Hercules, and finally to send sacrifices to Delphi for Apollo as a thanks for deliverance.
To Mnesiepes the god declared in an oracle it be fitting and best to honour Archilochus the poet in accordance with the god’s plans. And because Apollo declared these things in an oracle, we call the location the ‘Archilocheion’ and establish the altars, sacrifice to the gods and Archilochus, and honor him, in accordance with what the god prophesised to us. And about the events we wanted to inscribe, the following has been handed down to us by men of old, and we have elaborated on them ourselves: for they say when Archilochus was still very young, he was sent by his father Telesicles to the field, and to the neighborhood called ‘The Meadows’, to bring a cow for sale. He woke up before dawn, while the moon was bright, and took the cow to the city. But when he came to the place called 'The Cliffs', he seemed to see a crowd of women. He believed they were coming from work as they went to the city, and he playfully mocked them. They received him with amusement and laughter and asked him if he brought the cow to sell it. And when he said yes, they said they would give him a worthy reward for it. With these words the women as well as the cow disappeared, and at his feet he saw a lyre. He stood dumbstruck, but after some time he came to his senses and grasped that the women who had appeared were the Muses, and they had given him a lyre as a gift. He took the lyre, went back to the city, and revealed all that had happened to his father. Telesicles was amazed when he heard the tale and saw the lyre. First, he conducted a search for the cow over the entire island but could not find it. Next, when he was chosen along with Lycambes as a delegate to consult the oracle at Delphi on behalf of the city, he left town very eagerly wanting to learn what had happened to them. When they arrived and went to the seat of the oracle, the god gave Telesicles the following response:
“Immortal and storied, o Telesicles, will your son be amongst men, the one who first greets you when you leap off your ship to your dear fatherland.”
When they arrived back at Paros during the festival of Artemis, Archilochus was the first of his children to come up and greet his father. And when they arrived home, Telesicles asked if the items required for the festival were available, as it was late in the day…
Block E1 column III
[lines 1-5 missing]
ΕΙ
ΟΙ
ΑΡ
Ρ
10ΤΟ
ΤΗ
ἀοιδ
σας
λ̣ύραν
15Ἀρχιλο[χ
ζ Ἐν ἀρχε[ῖ μὲν...
τεῖ δ’ ἑορ[τεῖ...
παρ’ ἡμῖν[
φασὶν Ἀρ[χίλοχον ca. 18 letters αὐτο-]
20σχεδιάσ̣[αντα...
τινὰς τῶν π[ολιτῶν
διδάξαντα[
παραδεδομ[ένα...
κεκοσμημέ[ν- ca. 20 letters κή-]
25ρυκος εἰς Π[άρον
ΕΛΗΣΕΝΩΙ
καὶ συνακολο[υθ-
των καὶ ἄλλων [ ca. 17 letters κατασκευ-]
ασθέντων τὰ μ[ ca. 23 letters πα-]
30ρὰ τοὺς ἑταίρου[ς
Ὁ Διόνυσος σ̣[
οὐλὰς ΤΥΑΖ
ὄμφακες α[
σῦκα μελ[ιχρὰ
35 οἰφολίωι ερ[ Fr. 251 West
Λεχθέντων [δὲ τούτων ...
ὡς κακῶς ἀκ[ούσαντες
ἰαμβικώτερο̣[ν
οὐ κατανοήσ[αντες
40καρπῶν ἦν τα̣[
ῥηθέντα εἰς τὴ[ν
ἐν τεῖ κρίσει[⋮] Μ[-------------μετ’ οὐ πολὺν] ἐν τεῖ κρίσει[⋮] Μ[ετὰ δὲ Tarditi
χρόνον γίνεσθ[αι------------τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀσθενεῖς]
εἰς τὰ αἰδοῖα. [--------------------ἀποπέμψαι]
45τὴν πόλιν τινὰς [θεοπρόπους χρησομένους περὶ τού-]
των, τὸν δὲ θεὸν [εἰπεῖν τὸν χρησμὸν τόνδε·]
Τίπτε δίκαις ἀν[όμοις
ἤλθετε πρὸς Π[υθῶ
οὐκ ἔστιν πρὶν[ ἄκεσμα
50 εἰς ὅ κεν Ἀρχίλ[οχον Μουσῶν θεράποντα τίητε.]
Ἀναγγελθ[έντων δὲ τούτων
μιμνησκό[μενοι-------------------------τῶν ἐ-]
κείνου ῥη̣[μάτων...
διημα[ρτημέν-
55Διον[υσ-
ΠΙΑ̣
ΑΠ
Block Ε1 column ΙII
…singer(?)…lyre…Archilochus…at the beginning…during the festival…amongst us…they say Archilochus…improvising…some of the citizens…teaching…what has been handed down…he adorned…herald to Paros…[indecipherable]…and attended…and others…prepared the…his friends…O Dionysus…groats of barley…grapes not yet ripe…dark figs…the fucker…when these words were spoken…the audience took it badly…very iambic...not understanding…was of the fruits…what was spoken to the…in the judgment…after not much time...the men lost the strength in their genitals…the city sent some delegates to obtain an oracle about these events, and the god spoke the following oracle:
“Why with judgments against the law…you have come to the Pytho. It is not possible before a remedy…until you honour Archilochus the servant of the Muses.”
After these words were proclaimed…they remembered…the words of that one…failed miserably…Dionysus…
Block E2 column I
Νομίσειεν ἄν τις Ἀρχί[λοχον ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν γενόμενον]
καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων πολλῶν̣ μ̣α̣[θῶν, ἃ καθ’ ἕν ἕκαστον ἀνα-]
γράφειν μακρόν, ἐν̣ ὀ̣[λίγ]ο̣[ις ]
των δηλωσόμε[θα. Πολέμου γάρ ποτε πρὸς τοὺς Να-]
5ξίους ἰσχυροῦ ὄν[τος
μενα ὑπὸ τῶν πολ̣[ιτῶν-----------------------------ῥή]
μασι περὶ αὐτῶ[ν
σας ὡς ἔχει πρὸς̣ α[ προ[θύμως Tarditi
πατρίδος καὶ ὑ̣π̣[
10καὶ ἐνεφάνισεν̣
ειν καὶ παρεκάλε̣[σεν
βοηθεῖν ἀπροφ[ασίστως
καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐ[τῶ̣ν̣ αὐτ[ῶν ἐν τεῖ ..... ὠιδεῖ (?) Tarditi
ης νῦν π̣ά̣ντες
15 ἀμφικαπνίουσιν
νηυσίν, ὀξεῖαι Δ̣[
δηΐων, αὐαίνετ̣[αι
ἡλίωι, θράσος Τ̣[
οἳ μέγ’ ἱμείροντες
20 Ναξίων δῦναι φά̣[λαγγας
καὶ φυτῶν τομὴν̣
ἄνδρες ἴσχουσιν̣
Τοῦτό κεν λεὼι Μ[
ὡς ἀμηνιτεὶ παρη̣[
25 καὶ κασιγνήτων Ν̣[
τέων ἀπέθρισαν̣
ἤριπεν πληγῆισι Δ̣[
Ταῦτά μοι θυμὸς
νειόθεν.Ο... ΔΕ[
30 Ἀλλ’ ὁμῶς θανόν̣[τ
Γνῶθι νῦν, εἴ το[ι
ῥήμαθ’ ὃς μέλλε[ι
Οἱ μὲν ἐν Θάσωι Ι[
καὶ Τορωναί[ων̣
35 οἱ δ’ ἐν ὠκείηισι [βάντες νηυσὶ
ΚΑΙ...ἐκ Πάρ̣ο̣υ̣ Τ
καὶ κασιγνή[τ̣]...Ε̣Ι̣Ν̣[
θυμὸς ΑΛ...Α̣Γ̣...Λ̣Λ̣[
πῦρ ὃ δὴ νῦν ἀ̣μ̣φ̣ι̣[
40 ἐμ προαστίωι κε[
Γῆν ἀεικίζουσι̣ν
Ἐρξίη, καταδραμ̣[
Τῶι σ’ὁδὸν στέλλ̣[ειν
μηδὲ δεξίους ΕΠ[ Fr. 89 West
45Εὐξαμένωι οὖν̣ α̣[ὐτῶι------------------------------ὑπή-]
κουσαν οἱ θεοὶ καὶ [--------------------ἐπετέλεσαν τὰς]
εὐχάς, πάντες [δὲ------------------ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν γε-]
νόμενον αὐτὸν Ε̣
ἐν ταῖς μάχαις
50ἐκ τῆς χώρας Κ[
ὕστερόν τε χρόν̣[ον
καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν
ταῖς πεντηκοντ[όροις
τούτων ἐπιπλε[ουσῶν
55ἀνδραγαθοῦντα̣ Κ̣Α̣[
ἀποκτείναντα
τὰς δὲ καὶ δυομέν[ας Fr. 90 West
Block Ε2 column Ι
One would believe Archilochus was a noble man if he learned from the many other events. It is a large task to record each in detail, but in brief…we will show. When there was once heavy war against the Naxians…by the citizens…with words about them…as it stands against…of his fatherland and…he made clear… he called them…to aid without delay…and spoke about them…now all…they will burn all around…ships, sharp...of the enemies, is dry…during the day, boldness…who greatly desiring…attacked the battle lines of the Naxians?…the cutting down of trees…the men held…this would be for the people…so without anger…and of the brothers…of whom they cut off…he fell under the blows…these things to my heart…from below…but all the same dying…know now, if indeed…the utterances he who will…some men in Thasos…and of Torone…others who came on swift ships…from Paros…and brother…heart…the fire which now surrounds(?)…in the suburb…they mistreat the earth…Erxias, ravaging(?)…for whom he sent you on the road…favourable…then as he prayed…the gods heard and…they brought to pass his prayers, all…he was a good man…in battles…from the land…later in time…of the citizens…with fifty...these sailed…he was brave…he killed…the ships that were sinking…
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