Ἐπίχαρμος
Epicharmos, Epicharmus
Translated by Tony Natoli30 Mar 2000Vetting: high9 revisions
Translation
Son of Tityros or Cheimaros and Sikis. He came from Syracuse or from the Sican city Krastos. He was the inventor of comedy in Syracuse, together with Phormos.1 He produced 52 plays, or 35 according to Lykon.2 Some recorded him as a Koan, one of those who migrated to Sicily with Kadmos; others [call him a] Samian, others [that he came] from Megara in Sicily.3 He was producing plays in Syracuse six years before the Persian Wars; in Athens [sc. at this time] Euetes and Euxenides and Mylos4 were exhibiting [their plays].
This man [was] also the inventor of the long vowels eta and omega.5
Also [sc. attested in the phrase] "Epicharmian argument", [meaning that] of Epicharmos.5
This man [was] also the inventor of the long vowels eta and omega.5
Also [sc. attested in the phrase] "Epicharmian argument", [meaning that] of Epicharmos.5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἐπίχαρμος, Τιτύρου ἢ Χειμάρου καὶ Σικίδος, Συρακούσιος ἢ ἐκ πόλεως Κραστοῦ τῶν Σικανῶν· ὃς εὗρε τὴν κωμῳδίαν ἐν Συρακούσαις ἅμα Φόρμῳ. ἐδίδαξε δὲ δράματα νβʹ, ὡς δὲ Λύκων φησὶ λεʹ. τινὲς δὲ αὐτὸν Κῷον ἀνέγραψαν, τῶν μετὰ Κάδμου εἰς Σικελίαν μετοικησάντων, ἄλλοι Σάμιον, ἄλλοι Μεγάρων τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ. ἦν δὲ πρὸ τῶν Περσικῶν ἔτη ἕξ, διδάσκων ἐν Συρακούσαις· ἐν δὲ Ἀθήναις Εὐέτης καὶ Εὐξενίδης καὶ Μύλος ἐπεδείκνυντο. οὗτος εὑρετὴς καὶ τῶν μακρῶν στοιχείων η καὶ ω. καὶ Ἐπιχάρμειος λόγος, τοῦ Ἐπιχάρμου.
Betacode
*)epi/xarmos, *titu/rou h)\ *xeima/rou kai\ *siki/dos, *surakou/sios h)\ e)k po/lews *krastou= tw=n *sikanw=n: o(\s eu(=re th\n kwmw|di/an e)n *surakou/sais a(/ma *fo/rmw|. e)di/dace de\ dra/mata nb#, w(s de\ *lu/kwn fhsi\ le#. tine\s de\ au)to\n *kw=|on a)ne/grayan, tw=n meta\ *ka/dmou ei)s *sikeli/an metoikhsa/ntwn, a)/lloi *sa/mion, a)/lloi *mega/rwn tw=n e)n *sikeli/a|. h)=n de\ pro\ tw=n *persikw=n e)/th e(/c, dida/skwn e)n *surakou/sais: e)n de\ *)aqh/nais *eu)e/ths kai\ *eu)ceni/dhs kai\ *mu/los e)pedei/knunto. ou(=tos eu(reth\s kai\ tw=n makrw=n stoixei/wn h kai\ w. kai\ *)epixa/rmeios lo/gos, tou= *)epixa/rmou.
Notes (6)
- C5 BCE. See generally OCD(3) s.v. (by K.J. Dover) bibliographically updated in OCD(4). This Suda entry = Epicharmus testimonium #1 Kassel-Austin.↩
- 1See phi 609. ↩
- 2Or Lykophron (Kaibel). But see Lyco 14 White. ↩
- 3According to Diogenes Laertius 8.78, Epicharmos himself recorded that he arrived in Sicilian Megara from Kos when only three months old, and went from there to Syracuse. ↩
- 4Little-known names, though for Myllos (sic) see Kassel-Austin, PCG 7.28. ↩
- 5Not a plausible thing to claim about a writer whose dialect was Sicilian Doric! Other versions have him inventing two of the consonants (theta and chi, pi and psi). ↩
- 6Probably the so-called auxanomenos logos. To quote Pickard-Cambridge (below) 250-251, 'Epicharmus, we are told, used, and in fact invented, the auxanomenos logos.- the "fallacy of the sorites" of later logicians, so called from the use of a heap of corn (soros) as the favourite illustration of it. (How many grains of corn must be taken away before a heap of corn will cease to be a heap? What if that number less one be taken away? And so on -- cf. omicron 973.) Epicharmus applied it to personality. How much change will make a man a different person? And he appears to have argued that a debtor who borrowed money yesterday does not owe it today, since he is already a different man from the borrower; and that the man whom you invited yesterday to dinner may be turned away when he arrives today, "for he is another".'
References
L. Berk, Epicharmus. Groningen: J.B. Wolters, 1964
A.W. Pickard-Cambridge, Dithyramb, Tragedy and Comedy, 2nd ed. Rev. T.B.L. Webster. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1962, pp. 230-290
A.W. Pickard-Cambridge, Dithyramb, Tragedy and Comedy, 2nd ed. Rev. T.B.L. Webster. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1962, pp. 230-290
Linked from7 entries
- α1451Ἄλφιbarley-meal[a)/lfi is short for] a)/lfiton. This [sc. cutting-off the end of a word] is called bitten-off, which they say Epicharmus first discovered.
- α3618Ἀπότρωκτονapocope[Like in the case of] a)/lfiton ["barley-groats"]. This, they say, apocope, Epicharmus was the first to discover.
- γ177Γέρραflaps, screensAmong Sicilians the female and male genitalia [sc. are so called].
- δ338ΔεινόλοχοςDeinolochos, DeinolochusSyracusan, or Akragantian, a comic poet. He was [born] in the seventy-third Olympiad, the son of Epicharmus, though some [say] his student. He produced 14 dramas in Doric dialect.
- δ1179ΔιονύσιοςDionysius, DionysiosSon of the tyrant of Sicily and a tyrant and philosopher himself. [He wrote] Letters and On the poems of Epicharmus.
- ε555Ἐκ παντὸς ξύλουout of every timber[sc. This version of the proverb] leaves out "something light might come". It is also said of things easily despised when seen, but necessary. But others [say that it relates] to things which have the reputation of…
- ε1425Ἐν πέντε κριτῶν γόνασιin (the) laps of five judges[sc. This proverbial phrase arose] inasmuch as, long ago, 5 judges used to judge the comedies, as Epicharmus says. In Homer it takes the form 'it lies in the laps of the gods'. [The phrase arose] because the judges used…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history9 revisions · last 6 Mar 2021
- cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- expanded n.4 — David Whitehead
- expanded primary note — David Whitehead
- another keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- updated ref — David Mirhady
- another note — David Whitehead
- another note, another keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added note; restorative and other cosmetics — David Whitehead
- completed translation; augmented bibliography; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Tony Natoli