Ἀρχὴ Σκυρία
Skyrian empire, Scyrian empire
Translated by William Hutton · 26 Mar 2002 · Vetting: high · 7 revisions
Translation
[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to those who are paltry and possess nothing worthwhile. Inasmuch as Skyros,1 rocky and dreary and accordingly poor, produces nothing worth mentioning.2 Some [say], though, [that it comes] from Theseus; that when he attacked the realm of Lykomedes and tried to rape his wife he was thrown over a cliff.3 And Theophrastos, in the First Occasions, reports that Theseus was the first to be ostracized in Athens.4
Greek original
Ἀρχὴ Σκυρία· ἐπὶ τῶν εὐτελῶν καὶ μηδὲν λυσιτελὲς ἐχόντων. παρόσον πετρώδης καὶ λυπρὰ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πενιχρὰ ἡ Σκῦρος οὐδὲν φέρουσα λόγου ἄξιον. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ Θησέως, ὅτι ἐπιθέμενος τῇ Λυκομήδους ἀρχῇ, ὅτι πειρῶν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ κατακρημνισθείη. ὀστρακισθῆναι δὲ πρῶτον Ἀθήνησι Θησέα ἱστορεῖ Θεόφραστος ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις καιροῖς.
Betacode
*)arxh\ *skuri/a: e)pi\ tw=n eu)telw=n kai\ mhde\n lusitele\s e)xo/ntwn. paro/son petrw/dhs kai\ lupra\ kai\ dia\ tou=to penixra\ h( *sku=ros ou)de\n fe/rousa lo/gou a)/cion. oi( de\ a)po\ *qhse/ws, o(/ti e)piqe/menos th=| *lukomh/dous a)rxh=|, o(/ti peirw=n th\n gunai=ka au)tou= katakrhmnisqei/h. o)strakisqh=nai de\ prw=ton *)aqh/nhsi *qhse/a i(storei= *qeo/frastos e)n toi=s prw/tois kairoi=s.
Notes (3)
- [1] An island in the dead centre of the Aegean Sea; for other proverbs mentioning it see alphaiota 238, sigma 714.↩
- 2Similarly explained in Zenobius 1.32 and other paroemiographers. ↩
- 3For Theseus and Lykomedes see e.g. Pausanias 1.17.6 and Plutarch, Theseus 35 (neither, however, mentioning L.'s wife). In the 470s BCE Kimon brought back from Skyros to Athens bones which were believed to be those of Theseus; cf. theta 367. ↩
- 4Theophrastus 638 FHS&G (fr.131 Wimmer). For ostracism see omicron 716, omicron 717; as a formal procedure it dates back no earlier than the late sixth century BCE.
Linked from (2)
Neighbours in Adler order
α4098Ἀρχὴν ἰᾶσθαι πολὺ λώϊον ἠὲ τελευτήνfar better to heal a beginning than an endα4099Ἀρχὴν μὲν μὴ φῦναι ἐπιχθονίοισιν ἄριστονFirst, not to be born is best for earth-bound men, and not to look upon the rays of the sharp sun; but, once born, [best] to drive as quickly as possible through Hades' gatesα4100Ἀρχήσαντοςbeginningα4101Ἀρχὴ ΣκυρίαSkyrian empire, Scyrian empireα4102ἈρχιάδαςArchiadasα4103ἈρχίαςArchiasα4104ἈρχίαςArchias
Revisions (7)
- David Whiteheadcoding; cosmetics
- David Whiteheadmore keywords; tweaks and cosmetics
- David Mirhadyupdated Theophr. reference
- David Whiteheadaugmented notes
- David Whiteheadadded notes; cosmetics
- William Huttontranslated