Fr. 2

      ποιμένι μῆλα νέμοντι παρ' ἴχνιον ὀξέος ἵππου

        Ἡσιόδῳ Μουσέων ἑσμὸς ὅτ’ ἠντίασεν

         μ]ὲν οἱ Χάεος γενεσ[

          ]ἐπὶ πτέρνης ὑδα[

5    τεύχων ὡς ἑτέρῳ τις ἑῷ κακὸν ἥπατι τεύχει 

                ]ῶ ζώειν ἄξιον α[ 

          ].εν πάντες σε· τὸ γα[

          ].δε πρήσσειν εὐμα[ 

            ]...ιπὰ ʿ[..].[

 

    Fr. 2 Harder (= 2 Pf., = 3 + 4 Mass.)
      1-9 P.Oxy. 2208, [image], Trismegistos 59406
      1-2 Fronto Epist. ad M. Caes. 1, 4, 6
      5 Ael. VH 8, 9

    In a dream Callimachus is transported to Mt. Helicon where he meets and converses with the Muses. A scholium mentions that he is "newly bearded" (ἀρτιγένειος), therefore, a young man when this happens. The sequence is an imitation of Hesiod's poetic initiation in the Theogony 22 ff., and was in turn imitated by Ennius and other Roman poets.

    Fr. 2

    ποιμήν -ένος, ὁ: shepherd, herdsman

    μῆλον -ου, τό: sheep, flocks

    νέμω: graze or pasture flocks

    ἴχνιον -ου, τό: a track, footprint

    ὀξύς -εῖα -ύ: sharp, keen, quick

    ἑσμός -οῦ, ὁ: swarm, flock, group

    ἀντιάω: go for the purpose of meeting, (+ dat.) meet with, encounter

    τεύχω: to make ready, make, prepare, cause 5

    ἧπαρ -ατος, τό: liver; the seat of strong emotions like anger and fear; the “gut,” “heart”

    Fragment 2d Harder (= Σ. Flor. 15-20, 1, p. 11 Pf.) PSI 1219, [image] fr. 1, 15-20, Trismegistos 59399

    [. . . . . .

    [ὡς κ]ατ’ ὄναρ συμμείξας ταῖς Μούσ[αις ἐν Ἑ-

    λι]κῶνι εἰλήφοι παρ’ αὐτῶν τὴν τῶν αἰτίων [ἐξήγη-

    σιν ἀ]ρτιγένειος ὤν, ωνκ´ῦεμνησ.[

    . . . .ἀ]π’ αὐτῶν ἀρχὴ[ν] λαβὼν ε´οσ´α[. . . . . .

    ].λόγου

     

    that, coming together with the Muses on

    Mt. Helicon in a dream he received from them the explanation of

    the aitia, while still a young man. . .

     

    Fragment 2e Harder (= Σ. Lond. 42-62; 1, p. 7 Pfeiffer) P.Lond.Lit. 181 col. II [image], Trismegistos 59363

    2a, 1     δεκάς· . .οξ. ελυς

                 παλον. . .τηρ

                 παιδ( )πα..οκ.τ.( )

                 η Ἀριν(όη) δυω. . .

                 ἦν ἄνω(θεν?) ἢ ὅτι δ(ε)κάτη(ν)5

                 Μοῦσαν ἐκδ(ε)....( )

              

    Fragment 2f Harder (= fr. 2a; 2, p. 101-5 Pfeiffer) P.Oxy. 2262, [image], fr. 2 (a) col. I, Trismegistos 59387

    . . . . . δεκ]άς· ἤτοι ε[.].του( )

            . . .]αριθμ[.].ταῖς Μού-

            σαι]ς ἢ μετὰ τῶν Μου-

            σῶν] τὸν Ἀ[π]όλλωνα

            ση]μαίνει· Μουσηγέ-

    10     της] γὰρ ὁ θε[ό]ς· ἢ Ἀρσι-

            νόη]ν προσαριθμεῖ[ ]

            ὅτι] τετίμηται ταῖς

            τῶν] Μουσῶν τιμαῖ[ς

            καὶ] συνίδρυται αὐ-

    15     ταῖ]ς ἐν τῷ Μουσείῳ.

     

             . . . ten: either. . .

             . . . the Muses

             or he reckons Apollo

             among the Muses.

             For the god is called

             Leader of the Muses.10

             Or he adds Arsinoe to their number

             because she was given honors 

             appropriate to the Muses

              and her statue was included 

             with theirs in the Mouseion.15

    Fr. 2

    When a swarm of Muses met with the shepherd

    Hesiod, grazing his flocks by the footprint of the quick horse

     . . . the birth of Chaos . . .

     . . . at the water of the hoof . . .

    that anyone causing evil to another, causes evil to his own liver...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/it/callimachus-aetia/book-1/dream