Sosthenes inscription
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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 A column I
[ἀναγέγραφεν] γὰρ [Δ]ημέας οὐ μόνον περὶ Πά[ρου, ἀλλὰ καὶ]
[περὶ ὧν πέπ]ρα̣κ̣ται ὑπὸ Ἀρχιλό̣χ̣ου καὶ τῆς Ἀρχιλόχ[ου περὶ πάν-]
[τας τοὺς θεοὺς] εὐσ̣<ε>βείας καὶ τῆς περὶ τὴν π̣α̣τ[ρίδα σπου-] [Σωσθένης Προσθένου τάδε ἀνέγραψεν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Δημέου] / ἀναγέγραφεν] δ[’ ὁ Δ]ημέας οὐ μόνον περὶ τ[ῆς Πάρου / ἀλλὰ **]σιλ̣υ.π̣.λλλ̣ πολίτης Ἀρχίλο[χο Tarditi;
[δῆς· ἀνέμνησ]ε̣ γὰρ τῶν πεπραγμένων ὑ[πὸ τοῦ ποι-]
5 [ητοῦ] πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν
[..]ς τοῦ ἀνηγαγωχότος ταῦτα εἰς αὐ[
[.......ἀν]αγέγραφεν δὲ ὁ Δημέας ἕκαστα [τῶν τε πεπραγμέ-]
[ν]ων καὶ γεγραμμένων ὑπὸ Ἀρχιλόχου κατ̣[’ ἄρχοντα]
ἕ̣καστον καὶ ἦρκται ἀπὸ ἄρχοντος πρῶτον Εὐρ[….. ἐφ’ οὗ]
10 λεγεῖ πεντηκόντορο<ν> δοκεῖ πεντηκόντορος Tarditi Μιλησίων πρέσβεις ἄγ[ουσα<ν> εἰς Πάρον]
καὶ ἀνακομιζομένη<ν> ἐγ Μιλήτου διαφθαρῆνα[ι ἐν <τῶι> πορθμῶι]
τῶι Ναξιακῶι καὶ σωθῆναι ἕνα τινὰ αὐτῶν, ὧι ὄ[νομα Κοίρα-]
νος, ὑπὸ δελφῖνος ἀναλημφθέντα, καὶ ἐκπεσόν[τα εἰς τὸν]
τ[ῶ]ν Συρίων [αἰ]γι[αλὸ]ν [λιμέν]α Tarditi εἴς τι σ[π]ήλαιον συνφυ[γεῖν καὶ]
15 ἐκεῖθεν αὖτ[ις ἐλθεῖν εἰς] τὴν ἰδίαν· τὸ δὲ σπ[ήλαιον]
ἔτι νῦν ὑ[πάρχει ὑπάρχον Tarditi καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεί]νου Κοιράνει[ον καλεῖ-
[τ]αι, κ[αὶ ναίει Ποσειδῶν ὁ ἵ]π̣πιος ἔντ[οσθε, καθ]-
άπ[ερ ὁ ποιητὴς ποιεῖται αὐτο]ῦ μνήμη[ν, λέγων οὕ]-
τ[ω] · π[εντήκοντ’ ἀνδρῶν λίπε Κοίρα]ν[ο]ν ἵππ[ιος Ποσει-
20 [δῶν]. Fr. 192 West ]ΝΑΠ[ πάλι]ν ἄρ[χων Tarditi
]ΞΟΛ[
[lines 22-37 missing]
[ ΕΤΑ ΡΟ
[Α ΑΝΦΕΡΓ ]
40 [Υ ]φον δὲ τὸ[ν χρυσὸν]
[π]άντα τοὺς Θρ[ᾶικας λέ]γουσιν Πάριοι ἑα[υτοῖς]
ἀποκατιστάνα[ι πάλιν˙ δι]ασαφεῖ δὲ τ[αῦτα]
[καὶ] αὐτὸς ὁ[ποιητὴς λέγων· ..]ατ[..]φυλ[ --- ]
[τ]ο[ ca. 12 letters ]σαι[..]ι[…]θο[..]υπαραυ̣[ --- ]
45 τροφα̣[ ca. 10 letters ]εκεμ̣[..]ο[…..]μ̣ενωτολα̣[ --- ]
ε̣ιπ̣ε α̣σ[…] ι̣ω̣ν̣ πάις Πεισιστράτου ἄνδρας […]ω-
λ̣ου̣ν̣τας αὐλὸν καὶ λύρην ἀνῆρ’ ἄγων εἰς Θάσον κυσ̣ὶ
Θρήιξιν δῶρ’ ἔχων ἀκήρατον χρυσόν· οἰκείω<ι>[-]
δὲ κέρδει ξύν’ ἐποίησαν κακά Fr. 93a West, ὅτι τοὺς Θρᾶικας
50 ἀποκτείναντες αὐτοὶ οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ὑπὸ Παρί-
ων ἀπώλοντο, οἱ <δὲ> †ληιστὰς Σάπας ὑπὸ τῶν Θραι-
[κ]ῶν†. μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν γίνεται ἄρχων Ἀμ-
φ[ί]τιμος, καὶ ἐν τούτοις διασαφεῖ πάλιν, ὡς
ἐ̣[ν]ίκησαν καρτερῶς τοὺς Ναξίους λέγων
55 [ο]ὕτω· τῶν δ’ Ἀθηναίη μάχη<ι> ἵλαος παρασταθεῖσα,
πάις ἐρικτύπου Διός, καρδίην ὤρ̣ι̣νεν αὐτῆς τῆς πολύ-
κλαύτου λεώ· [. .]υτων[..]αλλα κείνης ἡμέρης ἐπὶ χθ[όν]α
ἄλλον ἤιτησεν· τόσους γὰρ ἐξεχώρησεν γύας νηλε[ ]
[......]παντος· ἀλλὰ θεῶν Ὀλυμπίων νόων νη[- Fr. 94 West
Block A column I
For Demeas has recorded not only matters concerning Paros, but also about the deeds done by Archilochus and the piety of Archilochus towards all the gods and his zeal for his fatherland. Indeed he recalls the many and great good deeds done by the poet and made these things public to…and Demeas has recorded each of the things done or written by Archilochus according to each archon year, and he began from when Eur[…] was archon. From this time he describes how a fifty-oared ship carried ambassadors from the Milesians to Paros, and on its return to Miletus was destroyed in the strait of Naxos. One of these men, whose name was Coiranus, was taken up and saved by a dolphin, and was carried to land at the shores of the Syrians and fled to a cave. From there he returned to his own land again. But the cave even now still exists and from that man is called the ‘Coiraneion’, and therein dwells Poseidon Hippios, just as the poet made mention of him, saying the following: “out of fifty men Poseidon Hippios left Coiranus…”.
…but the Parians claim the Thracians restored all the gold to them again. The poet himself makes this clear when he also says the following: “…the son of Peisistratos brought men [skilled in?] the aulos and lyre to Thrace and had pure gold as gifts for the Thracian dogs. For their own profit they made trouble” because, after killing the Thracians, some of the men died at the hands of the Parians, others [after killing (?)] the pirate Sapae(?) died at the hands of the Thracians.
After these events Amphitimus became archon again, and in these matters Archilochus shows clearly how they decisively defeated the Naxians in the following verses: “blessed Athena stands alongside them in battle, the child of loud-rumbling Zeus, and she stirred the heart for battle of the people filled with much grief…during that day on land he asked someone else: so many fields he left behind with (pitiless(?)) of all: but by the will of the Olympian gods…”.
Block A column III
[...................................]σ[…]
[....................................]εος
[...................................]γεπως
[.....................................]ας
5 [.....................................]ιτας
[..................................]ν[...]
[...................................]ντοο
Block A column IV
δηλοῖ ὁ ποιη̣τὴ[ς λέγων οὕτω· ---] καρτ̣[ε]ρὸ[̣ν]
δὲ ἐπὶ στρατηγ[- ]
νῦν ἐεργμένω̣[ν ]
πῆι μ’ ἔσωσ’ Ἑρμ̣[ῆς ]
5 μ̣εν̣ος ἀλκίμωι σ̣[ ]
ται. Fr. 95 West ὅτι δὲ Γλαῦκ[ος τῆι κατὰ τὴν Θά]-
σον μάχηι κρατησ[ ]
δηλοῖ ὁ ποιητὴ[ς ἐν τούτοις ὁ ποιητὴ[ς λέγων οὕτω Tarditi· Γλαῦκε, τίς σε θεῶν νό-]
ον καὶ φρένας τρέ[ψας ]
10 γῆς ἐπιμνήσαιο τ[ δει-]
νὰ τολμήσας με[ ]
ἣν εἷλες αἰχμῆι καὶ λ̣[ Fr. 96 West χρυ-]
σὸν δ’ ἔσκεν καὶ χαλ[κὸν ]
α̣ντ̣ης εἰς τὴν Θάσο[ν
15 τησ̣ε καὶ παρ’ ἑτα[ιρ τῆλε (?) καὶ παρετα[Tarditi ]
της ἰ̣σ̣χυρᾶς ἥττ̣[ης] τολ[μ]η̣ της γαύρας ἥτι[ς Tarditi
πά̣[ρ]ος τοιαῦτα ἥ[κ]οντες̣ ]
[ … ταῖς] ἀσ[π]ίσιν [κα]ρτε[ρ]ία[ν] ]
[..]ν τῆς Θάσου καὶ […]απα̣[ ]
20 τὸ ἐκεῖ ἐφολκεῖ Tarditi. ὅτι δ’ ἀλη[θῆ λέγει ὁ Δημέας ]
ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς π[όλεως δηλοῖ ὁ ποιητὴς λέγων]
τάδε· χιλίους γὰρ ἄν[δ]ρας[.]κ̣[ Fr. 97 West ἔ-]
πειτα γυναῖκας εἶ[χον ἄλ-]
λαι τι[νε]ς τῆς πύλη̣ς̣ το]ὺς υἱο[ὺ]ς Tarditi [ ]
25 [....6....]εκ τῆς Θά̣σ[ου * ]εκτης ὡς Tarditi ]
[....6....]ν· ὅτι δ’ ἀλη[θῆ λέγει ]
[ ---------- ] σῆμ[α] δεῖ τιν[ ]
[ ---------- ] τι πη[ ]
[ ---------- ] μ[..]ε[ ]
30 [ ---------- ] ι̣ακ[ ]
[ ----------δ]έδοικας [το]ῖ’ ἀρι[στ]ε[ύσας ]
[ ------------- ]λ̣ο̣ι̣κ̣α̣[ .. ]ης[ ]
[ ------------- ]ν σ[.]θ̣εντα ]
[ ------------- ]νρ[ ]
35 [ ------------- ]γροι[ ]
[ ------------- ]ποισ[.]ω[ ]
[ ------------- ]εισεπαν[ ]
[ ------------- ]μαχ[ .. ] λ[ ]
[ ------------- ]πο[...]συ[.]ηλ[.]ε[ ]
40 [ ------------- ]ς ναύτης [ ]
[ ------------- ]η[...]ονδηα̣ι[ ]
[ ------------- ]τη[...]δειν[ ]
[ -------------- ] εταξυι̣ [ ]
[ -------------- ]σὺν δὲ νί[κηι ]
45 [ -------------- ]λ’ ἀμφ[ὶ ] δ’ [ ]
[...]ων δούρατ’ ἐκπ[ ]
[..σ]ε· τῶν δ’ ἐδάμν[ησ]ε̣ν̣ ν[όον-----------------παΐς]
Ἀθηναίη Διός ἀμφ[ὶ] δ’ ὑ[ ἤρ]
κεσαν πρὸ π̣[α]τρίη[ς] χ̣ρημ̣[ ]
50 [κ]εῖτο πύργος ἀμφα[ὴ]ς̣ θ̣αῦ̣μα[ ]
[...] ἐγ λίθων ἐδε[ίμαμ]ε̣[ν ἄν- ]
δ̣[ρ]ε[ς] αὐτοὶ Λεσβίω[ν ..]ει[ --- ]ν δ’ ἀ[μ̣]φ̣[ι]-
θ[έντες χερσὶν ο[....]δ̣ι̣α̣ι̣μ̣ε̣ν̣ο̣ι̣[---]ων ἐσο[...]-
σε̣ι Ζεὺς Ὀλυμπίω[ν σ]θέ[νος --- ν]η̣[υ]σὶν θοῆισιν πη-
55 μ[ο]νὴν ἐπήγομ̣[εν] εἰς ζό[φον τ]ότ’ ἀμφὶ πύργον
ἔστασαν πονε[ύμενοι ------------- μ]έγαν δ’ ἔθεν-
το θυμὸν ἀμφε[----------------------]με[ν σίδ]η-
ρο̣ν εἱμένη καλ[ Fr. 98 West ]
Block A column IV
The poet makes this clear by speaking thus “… strong…against [an army(?)]…now penned in…somehow Hermes saved me…with the strong…” because Glaucus…strong(?) in battle in Thasos…the poet makes it clear in these verses: “Glaucus, which of the gods overturned your mind and wits…may you remember the land…daring terrible things…which you have taken by spear also… gold he has and bronze…” to Thasos….and next to companions(?)…courage in the face of stout defeat… before coming to such things…perseverance in the shields…of Thasos…what’s there. The poet makes clear that Demeas spoke the truth about this city by saying the following: “a thousand men” …then had women…but some of the gate…of Thasos… that he speaks the truth…the sign is necessary…something “… you fear even though you have excelled…” sailor… and with victory…around… “spears. She overpowered the mind of some of these…Athena child of Zeus around…for the fatherland…there lies a tower visible from everywhere, a marvel…we constructed [it] from stones…men of Lesbos…placing around our hands…Zeus, the strength of the Olympians…for the swift ships we brought misery until dark while we stood toiling around the tower…and they placed great courage…clothed in iron”.
Block C column I
[------------------------------------ ἐ]πὶ δυσμεν[έας ------ ]
[------------------------------------ ἀ]μείλιχον ἐν [ ---------]
[---------------------------------- ἀλ]ευάμενος. πο̣[λλῶν]
[δ’ ἀθυμησάντων πάλιν λέ]γει· ἐξ ἐλάφων ν[όον]
5 [---------------------- καὶ ἐπειδ]ὴ ναυμαχίαι μαχόμ[ε]-
[νος ....... γέγονεν ἀνὴ]ρ ἀγαθός, πολλοὺς
[κτείνας .................................. ] ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων
[......................................... ἐτελ]εύτησεν. οἱ δὲ Πάριοι
[τρέψαντες αὐτοὺς εἰς] φυγὴν δύο μὲν αὐτῶν
10 [νῆας αὐτάνδρους κατεπόντι]σαν, τὰς δὲ λοιπὰς ἔ-
[λαβον καὶ ἐπανελθόν]τες πάλιν εἰς τὴν Πά-
[ρον μεταγαγόντες μετὰ τ]αῦτα τὸν Ἀρχίλοχον
[εἰς τὸν δημόσιον ταφεῶνα] μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἔθα-
[ψαν αὐτὸν περὶ πλείστ]ου ποιησάμενοι τὰ ὑ-
15 [πὸ τούτου πραχθένθ’ ἃ ἤι]δεσαν, οὐκ ὀργισθέντες
[εἴ τι πρότερον εἴρηκε] φαῦλον κατὰ τῆς πόλε-
[ως ἐν τοῖς ποιήμασιν].
vacat
Block C column I
“…against enemies…relentless in…avoiding” since many of the men were in poor spirit, he spoke again: “from deer their will [turned?]…” and when he fought in a sea battle…he showed himself to be a noble man, killing many…by his opponents…he met his end. And turning the enemy to flight, the Parians sunk two ships, men and all. But after these events the remaining men took the body and returned again to Paros. They brought Archilochus and gave him a funeral at public expense and buried him extravagantly, and they concentrated most of all on the deeds done by him that he sang about. They were not angry if in the past Archilochus said something derogatory about the city in his poems.
Block C column II
ι̣ε̣ιης[ ]
δοκεῖ εἰρηκ[έναι [ ]
μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ [ ]
vacat
Block C Column II
He seemed to say…alone, but also…
Block B column VII
[----------------------------]λωνιο[----------------------------]
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
μητρὸς αὐτῆς [------------------------------------------------]
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
5 [------------------------------------------------------------------]
καὶ με[-----------------------------------------------------------]
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
[..] τῆς πατρίδος. καὶ Ἀρχιλόχου ἐνταῦθα π[άλιν]
10 [μέμνεται ὁ Δημέας ------------------------------------------]
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
Τίς σε τὸν ἐμ πέτρηι Μουσῶν θεράποντ’ ἐχάραξεν,
παῖ Τελεσικλῆος κοῦρε, καταγλαΐσας;
Λέξω δή σοι ἐγὼ μάλ’ ἐτήτυμα, εἰ σὺ μὴ οἶδας·
15ἐσθλὸς ἐὼν ἀρετῆς τε οὐχ ὑπολειπόμενος
Σωσθεὺς Προσθένου υἱὸς ἐμὴν πο[λύ]μ[νον ἀοι]δὴν
τιμῶν ἀεν[άων] αἶσαν ὑπεσπάσατο.
vacat
Σωφροσύνας οἴακα [-----------------------------] ἐμε<ῖ̣>ο οἴακα [νέμοντ- ]Tarditi
[------------------------------------------------------------------]
20[------------------------------------------------------------------]
[---------------------------------------------------------] Πάρος.
vacat
Block B column VII
…his own mother…and…his fatherland. Demeas remembers once again Archilochus here…
“Who inscribed you on this stone, servant of the Muses? Who glorifies you, young man, son of Telesicles?”
“I’ll tell you the truth, if you don’t know: he is a noble man and not lacking excellence, Sostheus the son of Prosthenes. He provided my song, sung far and wide, with its share of everlasting honours.
The rudder of prudence…Paros.
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