Euthycles the Locrian

Fr. 84

      Ἦλθες ὅτ' ἐκ Πίσης, Εὐθύκλεες, ἄνδρας ἐλέγξας

                                                                                ]   [

 

Fr. 85

                    ].[.].[

      δ]ήμιον ε[          κατὰ] χρέος.[

           ἵκ]εο Μυσ[    ].[        ]οικ.[

      ἔν]θεν ἀνερχόμε[νος] πάλιν[

5         δῶ]ρον ἀπηναίους ἦλθες ὀρῆ[ας ἄγων·

      ὡς] δέ σ' ἐπὶ ῥήτρῃσι λαβεῖν κα[τὰ πατρίδος εἶπε  

           δῆ]μος, [ἐπ'] ἀφνειοῖς αἰὲν ἀπαγχόμενος,

      πά]ντες ὑπὸ ψηφῖδα κακὴν βάλον· ἣν δ' ἀπὸ [χαλκοῦ

           εἰκόν]α σὴν αὐτὴ Λοκρὶς ἔθηκε [πόλ]ις,

10      . . . .]άσται Τεμεσαῖον ἐπειπ[                     ]ν

           ἔρ]γα μελισσσάων ἀμφισὸλοιτυπ[

      πολλά τε καὶ μακάρεσσιν ἀπεχ[θέα ........]γρ.ι·

           τ]ῷ σφισιν ἐν χαλεπὴν θῆκ[ε .......]ρίην,

      ὅν]τινα κικλήσκουσιν Ἐπόψ[ιον,] ὅστις ἀλιτρούς  

15       αὐγάζειν ἰθαραῖς οὐ δύναται λογάσιν

                                                                               ]νειστη

                                                                                   ] [ 

 

    Fr. 84 Harder (= 84 Pf., = 186 Mass.)
      P.Oxy. 2212, fr. 1(b) 4 [image], Trismegistos 59390
      P.Mil.Vogl. I 18 col. I 37-8 [image] Trismegistos 59371

    Fr. 85 Harder (= 85 Pf., = 187 Mass.)
      1-17 P.Oxy. 2213, fr. 8 (a+b+c+d cum addendis), 1-17
         [image], Trismegistos 59392

      14-15 EM 572, 36 sqq. s.v. λογάδες

    A famous Olympian victor Euthycles was sent as an ambassador to a neighboring city. However, when he returned with an expensive gift the populace thoughτ he had accepted a bribe to betray them, and dishonored his statue. Apollo punished the Locrians as a result. This story has clear affinities with fr. 64 on the tomb of Simonides. According to the Diegesis, this was the final aition in book 3.

     

    Bibliography

    Barigazzi, Adelmo. 1976. ‘L'aition callimacheo di Euticle di Locri.’ Prometheus 2:145-50.

    Fr. 84

    Πίσα, -ας: a city of Elis on the Alpheos near Olympia, and so, Olympia itself.

    Εὐθυκλῆς -εους, ὁ: Euthycles, who was a victor at the Olympic games

    ἐλέγχω: to disgrace, to put to shame, get the better of

    Fr. 85

    ἀνέρχομαι: go up, go or come back, return, go or come home again

    δῶρον, δώρου, τό: gift, bribe 5

    ἀπηναῖος -α, -ον: of a wagon (> ἀπήνη -ης, ἡ: a four-wheeled wagon).

    ὀρεύς -έως, ὁ: mule

    ῥήτρη -ης, ἡ: stipulation, bargain, verbal agreement

    ἀφνειός -όν: rich, wealthy

    ἀπάγχω: strangle, throttle, choke; (pass.) to be choked with anger

     

    ὑποβάλλω: to cast (a vote) secretly

    ψηφίς -ῖδος, ἡ: a small pebble, as used for voting; a vote

    εἰκών -όνος, ἡ: an image, a likeness, statue

    Λοκρίς -ίδος, ἡ: Locris/ Locri/ Lokroi Epizephyrioi, a Greek city-state in southern Italy

           .           .           .           .            .

    μάκαρ -αρος: (masc. adj.) blessed, happy; used substαntivally of the gods 12

    ἀπεχθής -ές: hateful

    ]ρίην: τελεσφορίη, -ης, ἡ has been restored by some editors, but the meaning of this word elsewhere in Callimachus is festival or rite. The meaning here is unclear, and Harder suggests "punishment." D'Alessio has suggested rεstoring ἀλαστο]ρίην = "divine vengeance."

    κικλήσκω: = καλέω, poet. redupl., used only in pres. and impf.

    ἀλιτρός -όν: wicked, sinful

    αὐγάζω: view in the clearest light, see distinctly 15

    ἰθαρός -ά -όν: cheerful, glad

    λογάδες λογάδων, αἱ: whites of the eyes, eyes

    Fr. 85a Harder (= Diegesis I 37-II 8; 1.91 sq. Pf.) P.Mil.Vogl. I 18 col. I 37-44 and II 1-8 [image], Trismegistos 59371

         Ἦλθες ὅτ' ἐκ Πίσης, Εὐθύκλεες, ἄν-

              δρας ἐλέγξας     φη[σὶν] Εὐθυκλῆν

              τὸν Ὀλυμπιονίκην, πεμφθέν-

              τα πρεσβευτὴν καὶ ἀνακάμψαν-

    5        τα οἴκαδε σὺν ἡμιόνοις ἃ εἰλήφει

              δῶρα παρά τινος ξένου, συκο-

              φαντηθῆναι ὡς κατὰ τῆς πόλε-

              [ως εἰλ]ηφότα· ἐφ' ᾧ κατεψήφ[ισα

              αἰκίσασθαι [τ]ούτου τὸν ἀνδριάντα. ἐπεὶ δὲ

    10      λοιμ[]ς ἐπικατ[έ]π[εσ]εν, ἔγνωσαν οἱ πολῖ-

              ται αὐ[το]ῦ παρὰ τοῦ []πόλλωνος ὡς διὰ τὴν

              ἀτιμίαν αὐτο[ῦ π]ροσβέβλητ[αι α]ὐτοῖς.

              τὸ μεν ἄγαλμα τ[οῦ Εὐ]θυκλ[έο]υς κατ' ἴσον

              τῷ τοῦ Διὸς ἐτ[ίμη]σαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ βω-

    15      μὸν ποιήσαντε[ς. .].τ[.]. .[. .]υ.[.ἱ]σταμέ-

              νου μηνός.

     

    "When you came from Pisa, Euthycles, having

    gotten the better of men."  He says that Euthycles

    the Olympian victor, having been sent out

    as an ambassador and returned 

    home with mules which he received5

    as gifts from a certain guest-friend of his, was falsely

    accused that he had taken them

    against the interests of his city; for which reason they voted

    to mistreat and mar his statue. But when

    a plague came upon them his fellow-citizens10

    learned from Apollo that it was cast upon them

    on account of their dishonor of him.

    Then they honored the statue of Euthycles in the same 

    manner as that of Zeus, and further,  they built 

    an altar . . . at the beginning of the15

    month.

     

    Fr. 84

    when you came from Pisa,  Euthycles, having gotten the better of men

     

    Fr. 85.

    . . . returning from there again

    you came leading wagon-mules as a gift;5

    and when the demos—always choking (with envy) of the rich—

    said that you recieved them through deals against your

    country, they all secretly cast an evil vote. And your bronze statue

    which the town of Locris itself set up . . .

           .           .           .           .            .

    many things hateful to the blessed ones12

    for that reason a harsh (?) was sent to them

    by that one they call Epopsios, who is unable to

    view sinners with a cheerful eye . . .15

    Article Nav

    Suggested Citation

    Susan Stephens, Callimachus: Aetia. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-947822-07-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/callimachus-aetia/book-3/euthycles-locrian