Theudotus of Lipara

Fr. 93

      Νέκταρος α[. . . . . .]ν γλύκιον γένος ηραπεδο[

           κ[.].δονηδυ[. . . . . . .  ]ς ἀμβροσίης

      ὑμέας γαῖ' ἀνέδ[ωκε, τ]ὰ καὶ τερπνίστατα πά[ντων

           νεῖσθε διὰ γλῶσ[σαν γλεύ]κεος ὅσσα πέρα.

5    δείλαιοι, τυ[τθόν] μιν ἐπὶ πλέον ἢ ὅσον ἄκ[ρον

           χεῖλος ἀναγλ[. . . . . . .]π[.]ρ ἀναινομένου

      ἀνδρὸς ανουν[. . . . . . . . . .]ς ἐπέτασσεν[.].[

           ω.[.] μίαν νης.[

      οἰκήσας Λιπά[ρ

10       της ω. Τυ[ρσην

      ἤλυθ' ἄγων π[

           πολλά, τὸ δ' ἐκ.[

      φη[.]αρ ἀποτρ[

           ἱερὸς εἰ Φοίβου[

15  δημόθεν ως.[

           τουτο. ενει[

      .]στ' ἐπὶ τὴν ν[

           .]ησαιον προτ[

 

    Fr. 93 Harder (= 93 Pf., = 196 Mass.)
      1-18 init. P.Oxy. 2170, fr. 1, 4-21 [image
    Trismegistos 59370
      1-7 fin. PSI 1218c, 4-10 [image], Trismegistos 59370

      1 P.Mil.Vogl. I 18-III 12 sq. [image] Trismegistos 59371

    When Lipara was being besieged by the Etruscans (Τυρσηνοί), the Etruscans pledged to Apollo that, if he gave them the victory, they would sacrifice the most courageous warrior of the Liparians to him after the battle. This was a man with the prescient name of Theudotus (or "Given to the god").

     

    Bibliography

    Massimilla, Giulio. 2011. 'Theudotus of Lipara (Callimachus, fr. 93 Pf.).' In Culture in Pieces. Essays on Ancient Texts in Honour of Peter Parsons, edited by Dirk Obbink and Richard Rutherford, 208-19. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Fr. 93

    νέκταρ -αρος, τό: nectar

    ἀμβροσίη -ης, ἡ: ambrosia

    ἀναδίδωμι: give forth, send up; (esp. of the earth) yield

    τέρπνιστος -η -ον: most delightful, very pleasant (superlative of τερπνός -ή -όν)

    νέομαι: go, come

    γλεῦκος -εος, τό: sweet new wine; grape-juice

    πέρα: beyond, further

    δείλαιος -α -ον: wretched, sorry, paltry 5

    τυτθόν: (adv.) a little, a bit (esp. of space)

    ἄκρον -ου, τό: the highest or farthest point, tip

    Fr. 93b Harder, Σ C (F*D*) Ov. Ib. 465

    Thyrreni, obsidentes Liparium castrum, promiserunt Apollini quod, si faceret eos uictores, fortissimum Liparensium ei sacrificarent. habita autem uictoria promissum reddiderunt, immolantes ei quendam nomine Theodotum. Unde Gallus: 'Theodotus captus Phoebo datus hostia, quamuis | nequaquam sit homo uictima grata deo'.

     

    When the Tyrrhenians were besieging the fortress of Lipara they promised Apollo that, if he made them victorious, they would sacrifice the strongest of the Liparians to him. And when they had the victory, they made good the promise, sacrificing to him one named Theodotus. Thus Gallus: "Theodotus, having been captured, was given to Phoebus as a sacrifice, although to the god a man is in no way a pleasing victim."

    Fr. 93

    A sort of nectar...

    . . . ambrosia 

    the earth has produced you, you pass the tongue as really 

    the most delightful of all things, beyond even sweet new wine.

    Wretches, a little more than as far as the edge of the lip . . .5

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    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-4/theudotus-lipara