Volume 1

Studies of the Greek poets / by John Addington Symonds.

  • John Addington Symonds
Date:
1877-1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Studies of the Greek poets / by John Addington Symonds. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    394/468
    SttKpu S’ eirtcnreiaas, %«‘pots yvvai, £k yap aKovrjS ohcreipu) cri y, e<pr]v, $)v napos ovk i86fxriv ’ a 7roaou 7]Wewv v6ov fjKaxes’ aXX’ fSe Ar/drjv valsis, ayXa'iriv iv x^0VL KarOe/xei/rj. An epitaph on the inutility of epitaphs is an excellent novelty, especially when the witty poet (Paulus Silentiarius) has the humour to make the ghost eager to speak while the wayfarer is inattentive (i. 332) :* ovvo/xa poi. t\ 8e tovto ; iraTpls 8e fxoi. is rt 5e tovto ; KXeivov 5’ el/jit yivovs. et yap acpavpoTarov ; (fraas &I * * * 5 iv86j~ocs eXnrov fiiov. et yap a86£(as ; Ke7/iaL 85 eV0a8e vvv. t)s tlvl ravra \eyeis ; The value of the epitaphs on poets and great men of Greece is this—that, besides being in many cases of almost perfect beauty, they contain the quintessence of ancient criticism. Every epithet is carefully so chosen as to express what the Greeks thought peculiar and appropriate to the spirit and the works of their heroes. Orpheus is the subject of the following exquisite elegy by Antipater of Sidon (i. 274) : j ovk4ti OeXyofievas, 50pcpev, dpvas, ovkItl ttirpas ■ &£eis, ov Oripwv avTov6[xovs aye\as‘ ovk4tl Koip-aaeis avi/xcov (ipSpov, ovx). x&XaQav, ov vL<pe^uv o’vppavs, ov Trarayevcrav aXa. I wept and said : ‘ Hail, queen, the fame of thee, Though ne’er I saw thee, draws these tears from me ; How many hearts for thee were broken, how By Lethe lustreless thou liest now ! ” * ‘‘ My name, my country—what are they to thee ? What, whether base or proud my pedigree? Perhaps I far surpassed all other men ; Perhaps I fell below them all ; what then ? Suffice it, stranger ! that thou seest a tomb ; Thou know’st its use ; it hides—no matter whom.” W. Cowper. f “ Orpheus ! No more the rocks, the woods no more, Thy strains shall lure ; no more the savage herds, Nor hail, nor driving clouds, nor tempest’s roar. Nor chafing billows list thy lulling words ;