(1) περὶ Ζήθου καὶ Ἀμφίονος ἱστοροῦσιν ἄλλοι τε καὶ Ἡσίοδος ὅτι κιθάρᾳ τὸ τεῖχος τῆς Θήβης ἐτείχισαν. (2) δοκοῦσι δὲ ἔνιοι κιθαρίζειν <μὲν> αὐτούς, τοὺς δὲ λίθους αὐτομάτως ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος. (3) τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἔχει ὧδε. (4) κιθαρῳδοὶ οὗτοι ἄριστοι ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐπεδείκνυντο μισθῷ. (5) ἀργύριον δὲ οὐκ εἶχον οἱ τότε ἄνθρωποι. (6) ἐκέλευον οὖν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀμφίονα, εἴ τις βούλοιτο ἀκούειν αὐτῶν, ἐρχόμενος ἐργάζεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος· οὐ μέντοι οἱ λίθοι εἵποντο ἀκροώμενοι. (7) εὐλόγως οὖν ἔλεγον οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὅτι λύρᾳ τὸ τεῖχος ἐτειχίσθη.
notes
According to Greek myth, Zethus and Amphion were the twin sons of Zeus and Antiope, a Theban princess. Abandoned at birth, the twins grew up away from their birth family. When they later learned of their heritage, they returned to Thebes, conquered the city, and established themselves as its rulers. The two brothers were best known for their construction of the city walls of Thebes, during which Amphion used the music of his lyre to enchant the stones into spontaneously forming the city’s fortifications.
For the basic elements of this myth, see Homer, Odyssey 11.260–5; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.735-46; Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.5.5.
1
ἄλλοι τε καὶ Ἡσίοδος: “Hesiod and others.”
2
κιθαρίζειν <μὲν> αὐτούς: i.e., Zethus and Amphion. Angled brackets within the Greek text indicate that the word has been added by the editor.
3
ἔχει ὧδε: “is as follows” (LSJ ἔχω B.II.2).
6
ἐκέλευον οὖν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀμφίονα: “Amphion and company ordered that.”
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is from a description of who Zethus and Amphion are, to what Zethus and Amphion did.
οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀμφίονα: (LSJ περί C.I.2); i.e., Amphion and his brother Zethus. See the note above on Palaephatus 13.6, where τοῖς περὶ Ἀταλάντην means either “Atalanta and company,” or “Atalanta and Melanion.”
εἴ τις βούλοιτο: past general protasis, “if anyone wanted.”
ἐρχόμενος: this participle modifies τις (see note above).
ἐργάζεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος: “to work on the wall,” i.e., to help build the wall as payment for listening to Zethus and Amphion play music.
μέντοι: adversative, “but”
7
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is from what happened to what was said about what happened, i.e., from deeds to words.
vocabulary
1
Ζῆθος –ου, ὁ Zethus, son of Zeus and Antiope; Amphion’s twin brother
Ἀμφίων –ονος, ὁ Amphion, son of Zeus and Antiope; Zethus’ twin brother
ἱστορέω, contr. to report
Ἡσίοδος –ου, ὁ Hesiod, an early Greek poet whose poetry was a key source for Ancient Greek mythology
κιθάρα –ας, ἡ kithara, a lyre-like instrument
Θήβη –ης, ἡ Thebes
τειχίζω, τειχιῶ, ἐτείχισα, τετείχικα, τετείχισμαι, ἐτειχίσθην to build a wall
2
ἔνιος –α –ον some (often found in the plural with the same meaning)
κιθαρίζω, κιθαρίσω / κιθαριῶ, ἐκιθάρισα, κεκιθάρικα, —, — to play the kithara
αὐτομάτως, adv. spontaneously, on their own
ἀναβαίνω, ἀναβήσομαι, ἀνέβην, ἀναβέβηκα, ἀναβέβαμαι, ἀνεβάθην to mount, climb onto
4
κιθαρωδός –οῦ, ὁ kithara player
ἐπιδείκνυμι, ἐπιδείξω, ἐπέδειξα, ἐπιδέδειχα, ἐπιδέδειγμαι, ἐπεδείχθην to perform
μισθός –οῦ, ὁ payment
6
ἀκροάομαι, ἀκροάσομαι, ἠκροασάμην, —, ἠκρόαμαι, ἠκροάθην to listen
7
εὐλόγως, adv. reasonably
λύρα –ας, ἡ lyre