Fr. 54
Ζηνί τε καὶ Νεμέηι τι χαρίσιον ἕδνον ὀφείλω,
νύμφα, κα[σιγνή]των ἱερὸν αἷμα θεῶν,
ἡμ[ε]τερο.[. . . . . .].εων ἐπινίκιον ἵππω[ν.
ἁρμοῖ γὰρ Δαναοῦ γῆς ἀπὸ βουγενέος
5 εἰς Ἑλένη[ς νησῖδ]α καὶ εἰς Παλληνέα μά[ντιν,
ποιμένα [φωκάων], χρύσεον ἦλθεν ἔπος,
Εὐφητηϊάδ[αο παρ'] ἠρίον οὕ[νεκ'] Ὀφέλτου
ἔθρεξαν προ[τέρω]ν οὔτινες ἡνιόχων
ἄσθματι χλι[. . . .]. . πιμιδας, ἀλλὰ θεόντων
10 ὡς ἀνέμων οὐδεὶς εἶδεν ἁματροχίας
ημεν δη πο[
καὶ πάρος Ἀργει[
καιρωτους τε[
Κολχίδες ἢ Νείλω[ι
15 λεπταλέους ἔξυσαν.[
εἰδυῖαι φαλιὸν ταῦρον ἰηλεμίσαι
. . . .]υκων οτε[
. . . .].ν κομα[
. . . . . . .]. . .[.]. .[
Fr. 54a
].[
Ἰναχ[ίδα]ις κει[
δωδ[ε]κάκις περὶ δίφρον ἐπήγαγεν ὄθματα †δίφρου
καὶ τ[.]. Ἀμυμών[η
5 κρή[ν]η καλὰ νάουσα κ[
δρωμ[ῶ]σιν· Δαναοῦ δε[
ἵππα[στ]ῆρ’ ἅτε τοῦτο φε[
Αἴγυπτος γενεῆς αἷμ’ α[
δηθάκ[ι] μου τὸν Νεῖλο[ν
10 κεῖνος ὃς ἐν Προίτου ξ[
ὣς ἔνεπεν· τοὶ δ’ ἦχον [
ἐκ λαγόνων [. .]. θερ[
ἔσταθεν· ἤκου[
αυτα . δ[
15 οὐκ ἐρέω [
αὔριον .[
σ]υρίζει .[
ἀ]λλαποδ[
ὄ]θμα χρ.[
20 .]ισομεν· ε[
. . . . .]οσο[
. . . . .]ν· α[
. . . . .]ν ἰθ[
]νκ[
Fr. 54b
εἰς ἔριν ηνικ[
δῶκε Ταναγ[ραι-
παιδὶ κασιγν[ητ-
ὡς ἀέκων ε.[
5 λῃτιαὶ Ταφιο[
λήνεα γουνα[
πωτηθεὶς αν[
κυπωθεὶς τα[
ὄφρα δεταις[
10 τόφρα δετω[
τόξα διαπλη[
καὶ μὲν οτοι.[
σκῶλός μοι β.[
[
15 αὐλείην παρ' ἄχ[ερδον
ἐξέρυσ' ἑρμαίο[υ
λέξας κεν ταδ.[
ὣς φάτο τῷ δ' ο.[
τὴν προτέρην [
20 δοῖεν, ὁ δ' ἁρπακ[τ-
αἰνολέων ἀπόλοιτο .ε[
καὶ θεὸς η καινε[ ]ι. . . . .[.]. .μ.[
ὄφρα κεπιω.[ ]ω σε πάλιν πυρὶ δ[ε]ῖ[πνον
. . .]μενον δυερῇ μηδὲ σὺν ἀξυλίῃ
25 . . .]α νυν, δρεπάνου γὰρ ἀπευθέα τέρχν[ε]α[
. . .]α πολύσκαρθμος τοῦτον ἔχειν[. . .].[
. . .].ε καὶ λίπτουσα δακεῖν κυτίσοιο [χίμαιρα
βληχ]άζει πυλέων ἐντὸς ἐερ[γομένη
. . . .] δυσηβολίοιο τράγου [. . .]. . .[
30 . . . .].ιος ἀλγήσαι πᾶς κεν ἰδὼ[ν
. . . .] νομοῦ ποίμνῃσιν ἐελδ[
. . . .]. θασσόντων ὡς περὶ .[
. . . . .
Fr. 54c
[ ]υια[
[ δίκρον φιτρὸν ἀειραμένη
[ ].λελα[. . . .]. . .ι στέγος οὐδ' ὅσον ε.[
[ ]παιδὶ νέμουσα μέρος.
5 ἀστὴρ δ' εὖτ'] ἄρ' ἔμελλε βοῶν ἄπο μέσσαβα [λύσειν
[ αὔλιος], ὃς δυθμὴν εἶσιν ὕπ' ἠελίου
[ ]ὡς κεῖνος Ὀφιονίδῃσι φαείν[ει
[ ]θεῶν τοῖσι παλαιοτέροις,
[ ]τηρι θύρην· ὁ δ' ὅτ' ἔκλυεν ἠχ[ήν,
10 [ ὡς ὁπότ' ὀκν]ηρῆς ἴαχ' ἐπ' οὖς ἐλάφου
σκ]ύμνος, [μέ]λλ[ε] μὲν ὅσσον ἀκουέμεν, ἦκα δ' ἔλ[εξεν·
"ὀχληροί, τί τό[δ'] αὖ γείτονες ἡμέ[τ]ερον
ἥκατ' ἀποκναίσοντες, ἐπεὶ μάλα [γ'] οὔτι φέρο[ισθε;
ξ]είνοις κωκυμοὺς ἔπλασεν ὔμμε θεός.’
15 ὣ]ς ἐνέπων τὸ μὲν ἔργον, ὅ οἱ μετὰ [. . .].ινε[
ῥῖ]ψεν, [ἐ]πεὶ σμίνθοις κ[ρ]υπτὸν ἔτευχε δόλον·
ἐν δ' ἐτίθει παγίδεσσιν ὀλέθρια δείλατα δοιαῖς
αἴ]ρινο[ν ἐ]λλεβ[όρῳ] μίγδα μάλευρον ἑλών
. .]ντ.[.]ωιτα.α[. . . . . . . .]. . θάνατον δὲ κάλ[υψε
20 . .].κ.[.].[. . .]γειη.[. . . .].αγ̣ωσιν ἔπι
. .]ημ.ν[. ὡ]ς κίρκο[ι. . . .]. . .ἄρτι πεσόν[τες
πολλάκις ἐκ λύχνου πῖον ἔλειξαν ἔαρ
ἀλκαίαις ἀφύσαντες, ὅτ' οὐκ ἐπὶ πῶμα[τ' ἔκειτο
ἅλ]μαις καὶ φιάλῃς, ἢ̣ ὁπότ' ἐξ ἑτέρης
25 εἴλησαν χηλοῖο, τά τ' ἀνέρος ἔργα πενιχροῦ
. . .]ο.οκ. . .σκληροῦ σκίμπ[τετο λ]ᾶος ὕπο
κλ]ισμὸν α. . .τεπ[. . . . . . . ω]ρχήσα[ντο
βρέγματι, καὶ κανθῶν ἤλασαν ὦρον ἄπο,
ἀλλὰ τόδ' οἱ σίνται βρα[χέ]ῃ ἔνι νυκτὶ τέλεσσαν,
30 κύντατον, ᾧ πλεῖστ[ον] μήνατο κεῖνος ἔπι,
ἄμφ[ιά] οἱ σισύρην [τ]ε κακοὶ κίβισίν τε διέβρον·
τοῖς]ι [δὲ] διχθαδίους εὐτύκασεν φονέας,
ἶπόν τ' ἀνδίκτην τε μάλ' εἰδότα μακρὸν ἁλέσθαι.
].[.]. .ἀνέλυσε θύρην
35 ]ἐπεὶ θαμὰ μίσγετο κεί[ν
]ιν ἐνναέτης
]. .ο[. . .]ν οὔτε Κλεων[άς
].[
Fr. 54e
. . . . . . . . . . . . .].δε κανὼν τέρα[ς
εἴτε μιν Ἀργείων χρή με καλεῖν ἀάτην
. . . . . . . . . . .].ωναιτεπαρηχειε.[
. . . . . . . . . .]. Δαναοῦ φρείατι πὰρ μεγα[λ-
5 . . . . . . . . . Ἰ]φίκλειος ἀδελφειοῖο νεμ.[
. . . . . . . . . .]σμήξας ἀντι γετης γε[
. . . . . . . . . .] πελάσαιμι μόνον περιβα[
. . . . . . . . .]. ἔσεαι καὶ τάχ̣α βουκτέανο[ς
. . . . . . . . .].ς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπικλεινες.[
10 . . . . . . . . . .]. . . πε[ί]σω Ζεὺς ὅτι παιδογό[νος
. . . . . . . . . .]. . . . . . πέσω δ' ὑπ' ὀδόντ[ι
]. . . . . . . . .ρμαλλονυπο[
. . . . .
Fr. 54h
αὐτὸς ἐπιφράσσαιτο, τάμοι δ' ἄπο μῆκος ἀοιδῇ·
ὅσσα δ' ἀνειρομένῳ φῆ[σ]ε, τάδ' ἐξερέω·
"ἄττα γέρον, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πα[ρὼν ἐν δ]αιτὶ μαθήσει,
νῦν δὲ τά μοι πεύσῃ Παλλὰ[ς. . . . . .]. .[
5 .]α[ ]α
Fr. 54i
. . . . .
5 καί μιν Ἀλητεῖδαι πουλὺ γεγειότερον
τοῦδε παρ' Αἰγαίωνι θεῷ τελέοντες ἀγῶνα
θήσουσιν νίκης σύμβολον Ἰσθμιάδος
ζήλῳ τῶν Νεμέηθε· πίτυν δ' ἀποτιμήσουσιν,
ἣ πρὶν ἀγωνιστὰς ἔστεφε τοὺς Ἐφύρῃ.
10 ].νωητετεοί, γέρ[ον
].οὐδ' ἱερὴ π.[
]σεμοι προμ[
]ον Παλλὰς ἔ[
]αρενωι τοδ[
15 ς]ὴν κατ' ἐπω[νυμίην.’
]υς τε Μολόρ[κ
].θυμὸν ἀρε[σσάμενος,
ν]ύκτα μὲν αὐτόθι μίμνεν, ἀπέστιχε δ' Ἄργος ἑῶιος·
οὐδὲ ξεινοδόκῳ λήσαθ' ὑποσχεσίης,
20 πέμψε δέ οἱ τὸ[ν] ὀρῆα, τίεν δέ ἑ ὡς ἕνα πηῶν.
νῦ]ν δ' ἔθ' [ἁ]γι[στείη]ν οὐδαμὰ παυσομένην
. . . . .
Fr. 55
τὸν μὲν ἀρισκυδὴς εὖνις ἀνῆκε Διός
Ἄργος ἔθειν, ἴδιόν περ ἐὸν λάχος, ἀλλὰ γενέθλῃ
Ζηνὸς ὅπως σκοτίῃ τρηχὺς ἄεθλος ἔοι.
Fr. 58
ἄξονται δ' οὐχ ἵππον ἀέθλιον, οὐ μὲν ἐχῖνον
βουδόκον
Fr. 60a
τὸ δὲ σκύλος ἀνδρὶ καλύπτρη
γιγνόμενον, νιφετοῦ καὶ βελέων ἔρυμα
Fr. 60b
θηρὸς ἀερτάζων δέρμα κατωμάδιον
notes
See also Catullus 66.
Fr. 54 Harder (= 383 Pf. + SH 254, =143 Mass.)
1-19 init. P.Oxy. 2173 [image], Trismegistos 59396
2-9 fin. P.Lille 82
9-10 Porphyr. 1.15.9 sqq
16 EtGen. AB s.v. ἰάλεμος
Fr. 54a Harder (= 144 Mass.)
1-23a PSI 15.1500 [image], Trismegistos 59396
3 Σ DEGQ Pi.P. 5.44b
Fr. 54b Harder (= 176.21-34 Pf.; SH 257, = 148 Mass.)
1-23 P.Lille 76d col. II [image]
21-34 P.Oxy. 2170 fr. 3 [image] Trismegistos 59370
24-43 P.Lille 79 [image]
Fr. 54c Harder (= 177 Pf.; SH 259, = 149 Mass.)
1-37 PSI 1218 fr.a [image], Trismegistos 59370
2 EtGen. AB s.v. δίκρον καὶ δίκροον
4-6 P.Oxy. 2258 B fr. 2 recto [image] Trismegistos 59424
6 Σ A Il. 11.62
11-20 init. PSI 1218 fr. b [image] Trismegistos 59370
17 EtGen. AB s.v. δέλεαρ
18 EtGen. AB s.v. μάλευρον
22 Σ G1 X Y Nic. Al. 87
23 Σ AR 4, 1613-1616b
28 EtGen. AB α 1544 s.v. ἄωρος
33 Poll. 10.155-156 μυάργα
Fr. 54e Harder (= 333? and 557 Pf. and SH 260A, = 151 Mass.)
1-21 P.Lille 78a [image]
2 Hdn. Π.μον.λεξ. 2.948.8 sqq
Fr. 54h Harder (= 57 Pf.; SH 264, = 154 Mass.) P. Berol. 11629 A
recto [image], Trismegistos 98082
Fr. 54i Harder (= 59 Pf.; SH 265, = 156 Mass.)
1-11 P.Oxy. 2212 fr. 18.1-11 [image], Trismegistos 59390
5-9 Plu. Quaest. conv. 5.3.3 676f-677b
8-25 P.Oxy. 2169, 4-21 [image], Trismegistos 59391
18-22 P.Berol. 11629 A verso [image], Trismegistos 98082
Fr. 55 Harder (= 55 Pf.; SH 267, = 146 Mass.) Σ BD Pi.N. 10.1c
Fr. 58 Harder (= 58 Pf.; SH 268, = 155 Mass.) EtGen. AB s.v.
ἐχῖνος
Fr. 60a Harder (= 677 Pf.; SH 268B, = 274 Mass.) Σ L S.Aj. 26
Fr. 60b Harder (= 597 Pf.; SH 268C, = 264 Mass.) Σ AR 1,
1243-48a
The opening poem of book 3 was at least 175 lines long; it celebrates Berenice II’s victory in chariot racing at the Nemean games. Although in elegiacs, it is in the style of Pindaric epinician, and the opening is an imitation of Nemean 1. The order of the fragments and their location at the beginning of book 3 was established by Peter Parsons (1977).
Fr. 54. 2-4: The opening makes a clear connection between Egypt and Argos with a reference to Danaus, described as "cow-born," i.e., the child of Io. Berenice is called "holy blood of the sibling gods," i.e., Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II; she was actually the daughter of Magas of Cyrene (see Acosta-Hughes and Stephens 2012: 185-87 on the role of the Danaids in the Aetia).
Fr. 54.5: Helen's island is the island of the Pharos in Alexandria. According to Stesichorus (and Euripides' Helen) she spent the Trojan war sequestered there, while the Greeks fought over her eidolon. Hellenistic poets emphasize this story about Helen because it brings the environs of Alexandria into the orbit of Greek myth. The "Pallenean prophet" is Proteus, who is connected with the Pharos in Odyssey 4.351-572 and also in Posidippus, ep. 115 A-B. He is Pallenean because he is said to have resided in Pallene until his sons were killed by Heracles. He then came to Egypt (see Acosta-Hughes and Stephens 2012:126-27).
Fr. 54.16: The line refers to mourning for the Apis bull, who was an avatar of the god Osiris. In Egypt, when the Apis bull died the entire country went into mourning, a practice that continued under the Ptolemies. The bull itself was usually identified by a specific marking. The Apis bull died in 248, or shortly before the date of the epinician. Along with the mention of Colchis, which Herodotus claims was settled by the pharaoh Sesostris, it reinforces the relationship of Argos and Egypt.
For the relationship of this poem to the opening of book 3 of Vergil's Georgics, see Thomas 1983.
Fr. 54a: This fragment is an important recent discovery. Although the papryus does not contain any complete lines, it mentions the Inachids (Inachus was the founder of the Argive line, hence Argives), Amymone (the daughter of Danaus, after whom a spring in Argos was named; see fr. 65), Egyptian blood, the Nile, and Proitus. Since 54a seems to belong directly below the opening fragment, a reasonable inference is that Callimachus has developed the Argive-Egyptian connections in some detail. The structure would seem to be a dialogue (see lines 11, 15).
54a.2. The line is corrupt but seems to refer to the standard twelve laps of the chariot in competition.
The remaining fragments tell the embedded story of Heracles, the founder of the Nemean games, and his slaying of the Nemean lion. In telling the story, however, Callimachus appears to have focused on the details of Heracles' encounter with a peasant, Molorchus, with whom he took shelter. Much of the poem is his conversation with Molorchus. This bears a strong resemblance to the Hecale, in which Callimachus foregrounds Theseus' reception into the hut of the old woman Hecale and her life story, not Theseus' encounter with the bull of Marathon. Subsequently, E. Livrea connected the "Mousetrap" (fr. 177 Pf.) to this poem, arguing that Molorchus's slaying of the mice, who were eating him out of house and home, was a tale within the larger aition and functioned as a humorous parallel to Heracles’ slaying of the Nemean lion (see Fantuzzi-Hunter 2004: 83-88).
54b. Apparently a dialogue between Molorchus and Heracles (part of their first encounter?). Mention of the Taphian pirates (5) has led tothe suggest that Heracles is recounting the story of Amphytryon's exile to Boeotia after he accidentally killed his father-in-law, Electryon.
54c: Molorchus describes the depredations of the mice: they eat his stores, dance on his head at night, and even consume his clothing. Interwoven is the description of his preparation of a mousetrap, baited with poison.
54e: a fragment spoken by Heracles, who is about to go off in pursuit of the Nemean lion.
54h: Heracles responding to Molorchus after he has killed the Nemean lion. Apparently the narrator does not tell the full story of his contest, but uses a familiar technique from previous poetry (particularly Pindar), the breaking off and moving to another topic (the so-called Abbruchsformel).
54i: The fragment begins with a prophecy by Athena that in future the celery wreath will replace the pine as victor's crown for the Nemean games; and this celery crown will be adopted at the Isthmian games. The prophecy ends by line 15. The remainder recounts Heracles' fulfillment of a promise to give Molorchus a mule. This seems to be the aition for a ritual probably to honor Molorchus. (The Hecale ends with the establishment of cult in honor of Hecale, the old woman who hosted Theseus.)
Bibliography
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Bennett, Chris. 2005. "Arsinoe and Berenice at the Olympics," Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 154:169-71.
Bulloch, Anthony. 2006. “The Order and Structure of Callimachus' Aetia 3.” Classical Quarterly 56 (2): 496-508.
Hollis, Adrian S. 1986. “The Composition of Callimachus' Aetia in the Light of P.Oxy. 2258.” Classical Quarterly 36 (2): 467-71.
Livrea, Enrico. 1979. “Der Liller Kallimachos und die Mausefallen.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 34:37-42.
———. 1980. ‘Polittico Callimacheo. Contributi al testo della Victoria Berenices.’ Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 40:21-6.
———. 1982. ‘I cavalli di Berenice.’ In Studi in onore di Aristide Colonna, edited by Aristide Colonna, 199-202. Perugia: Istituto di filologia classica dell'Università.
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Massimilla, Giulio. 2004. 'Il leone nemeo nella Victoria Berenices di Callimaco.' In La cultura ellenistica: l'opera letteraria e l'esegesi antica. Atti del Convegno COFIN 2001, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", 22-24 settembre 2003 (Quaderni Seminari Romani di Romani Greca 8), edited by Roberto Pretagostini and Emanuele Dettori, 19-31. Roma: Quasar.
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Prioux, Évelyne. 2011. 'Callimachus' queens.' In Brill's Companion to Callimachus, edited by Benjamin Acosta-Hughes, Luigi Lehnus and Susan Stephens, 201-24. Leiden: Brill.
Rosenmeyer, Patricia A. 1991. ‘The Unexpected Guest. Patterns of Xenia in Callimachus’ “Victoria Berenices” and Petronius’ Satyricon.’ Classical Quartrerly 41 (2): 403-13.
———. 1993. ‘A cold reception in Callimachus’ Victoria Berenices (SH 257-265).’ Classical Quarterly 43:206-14.
Thomas, Richard F. 1983. "Callimachus, the Victoria Berenices and Roman Poetry." Classical Quarterly 33 (1): 92-113.