Μυίας δάκρυον
Muia's tear
Translated by David Whitehead2 May 2008Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
[A proverbial phrase which originated] because of the Thebans' criminality towards the oracle at Dodona1 -- from which there also arose the [proverb] "may you consult the oracle among Boiotians". For they too2 behaved impiously toward the priestess, casting her into the cauldron at Dodona because she was passionately fixated on one of the theoroi.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μυίας δάκρυον· διὰ τὴν Θηβαίων παρανομίαν εἰς τὸ ἐν Δωδώνῃ μαντεῖον· ἀφ' οὗ εἴρηται καὶ τό, παρὰ Βοιωτοῖς μαντεύσαιο. ἠσέβησαν γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι εἰς τὴν ἱέρειαν ἐμβαλόντες αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν ἐν Δωδώνῃ λέβητα, ἐρωτικῶς διατεθεῖσαν εἰς ἕνα τῶν θεωρῶν.
Betacode
*mui/as da/kruon: dia\ th\n *qhbai/wn paranomi/an ei)s to\ e)n *dwdw/nh| mantei=on: a)f' ou(= ei)/rhtai kai\ to/, para\ *boiwtoi=s manteu/saio. h)se/bhsan ga\r kai\ ou(=toi ei)s th\n i(e/reian e)mbalo/ntes au)th\n ei)s to\n e)n *dwdw/nh| le/bhta, e)rwtikw=s diateqei=san ei)s e(/na tw=n qewrw=n.
Notes (2)
- The headword proverb, as it purports to be, is otherwise unattested with this or any other woman's name. For the name Muia cf. mu 1361, mu 1362, mu 1363; however, in the version in Zenobius 2.84 (etc.) of the second proverb given here (with a more plausible account of its aetiology than the Suda's), the name of the priestess is Murtilas.
- 1See generally delta 1445, delta 1446, delta 1447. ↩
- 2The distinction apparently being made here between 'Thebans' and 'Boiotians' is otiose. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 28 May 2013
- Revised — David Whitehead
- expanded note — David Whitehead
- typo, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead