Φοινίκων ἐγκέφαλοι
hearts of date-palms
Translated by David Whitehead10 Mar 2006Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
Poros, king of the Indians, says: "my foodstuff are vegetables and the hearts of date-palms [phoinika] and the fruit of date-palms, and whatever crops the river irrigates".1
Also [sc. attested is the proverbial phrase]2 "Phoenicians' contracts". When the Phoenicians who founded Carthage landed in Libya, they begged the natives to receive them for a night and a day; but when they had achieved this they were not willing to leave, on the basis that they were making an agreement to stay 'nights and days'. Hence this is what is said of those making an agreement by stealth. Demon has a similar story to tell of the men of Metapontum.3
Also [sc. attested is the proverbial phrase]2 "Phoenicians' contracts". When the Phoenicians who founded Carthage landed in Libya, they begged the natives to receive them for a night and a day; but when they had achieved this they were not willing to leave, on the basis that they were making an agreement to stay 'nights and days'. Hence this is what is said of those making an agreement by stealth. Demon has a similar story to tell of the men of Metapontum.3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Φοινίκων ἐγκέφαλοι· Πῶρός φησιν, Ἰνδῶν βασιλεύς· τὰ δὲ ἐμὰ σιτία λάχανα καὶ φοινίκων ἐγκέφαλοι καὶ καρπὸς τῶν φοινίκων, καὶ ὁπόσα μοι ποταμὸς κηπεύει. καὶ Φοινίκων συνθῆκαι· οἱ τὴν Καρχηδόνα κτίσαντες Φοίνικες, ὅτε προσέπλευσαν τῇ Λιβύῃ, ἐδεήθησαν τῶν ἐγχωρίων δέξασθαι αὐτοὺς νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν· ἐπιτυχόντες δὲ τούτου οὐκ ἐβούλοντο ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, ὡς συντιθέμενοι νύκτας καὶ ἡμέρας μένειν. διὸ λέγεσθαι τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ἐνεδρευτικῶς συντιθεμένων. τὰ δ' ὅμοια Δήμων ἐπὶ Μεταποντίνων ἱστορεῖ.
Betacode
*foini/kwn e)gke/faloi: *pw=ro/s fhsin, *)indw=n basileu/s: ta\ de\ e)ma\ siti/a la/xana kai\ foini/kwn e)gke/faloi kai\ karpo\s tw=n foini/kwn, kai\ o(po/sa moi potamo\s khpeu/ei. kai\ *foini/kwn sunqh=kai: oi( th\n *karxhdo/na kti/santes *foi/nikes, o(/te prose/pleusan th=| *libu/h|, e)deh/qhsan tw=n e)gxwri/wn de/casqai au)tou\s nu/kta kai\ h(me/ran: e)pituxo/ntes de\ tou/tou ou)k e)bou/lonto a)palla/ssesqai, w(s suntiqe/menoi nu/ktas kai\ h(me/ras me/nein. dio\ le/gesqai tou=to e)pi\ tw=n e)nedreutikw=s suntiqeme/nwn. ta\ d' o(/moia *dh/mwn e)pi\ *metaponti/nwn i(storei=.
Notes (3)
- 1Apollonius, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 2.26; cf. pi 2180. ↩
- 2cf. Apostolius 17.87 and other paroemiographers. ↩
- 3A Greek colony in the instep of Italy (mu 725). 'Demon' = FGrH 327 F15. For another instance of the deviousness of the founders of Carthage see n. 1 under alpha 4648. ↩
Linked from2 entries
- π2180ΠῶροςPoros, Porus, PuruKing of Indians; [it was he] who became most handsome of Indians and attained a height unequalled by any man who lived later than those who went to Troy. He was quite young when he met Alexander and fought a war against…
- φ784Φοινικελίτηςpurple-twisting[Meaning] one who is deceitful.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 18 Dec 2013
- Revised — David Whitehead
- cosmetics — David Whitehead
- augmented n.3 — David Whitehead
- cosmeticule — Catharine Roth
- set status, cosmetics — Antonella Ippolito
- Translated — David Whitehead