Σφιγγὸς
Sphinx's
Translated by Catharine Roth2 Jun 2003Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
"Proposing many [Sphinx's] problems in response to many questions of these strange puzzles -- not [problems] of the Cadmeian Sphinx, but of some kind of Sphinx anyway, yet more wonderful and much wiser."1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σφιγγὸς πράγματα παρέχων πολλὰ ἐπὶ πολλαῖς ταῖς ζητήσεσι τῶν ἀτόπων τούτων αἰνιγμάτων, οὐ τῆς Καδμείας Σφιγγός, ἀλλὰ Σφιγγὸς μέν τινος ἀτεχνῶς, ἔτι δὲ θειοτέρας καὶ πολὺ σοφωτέρας.
Betacode
*sfiggo\s pra/gmata pare/xwn polla\ e)pi\ pollai=s tai=s zhth/sesi tw=n a)to/pwn tou/twn ai)nigma/twn, ou) th=s *kadmei/as *sfiggo/s, a)lla\ *sfiggo\s me/n tinos a)texnw=s, e)/ti de\ qeiote/ras kai\ polu\ sofwte/ras.
Notes (1)
- The headword is simply the first word of the quotation.
- 1Adler noted that this quotation was attributed by Valckenaer to Aelian. She herself, while regarding as more probable Bernhardy's attribution of it to Damascius, suggested that it came from an even later period. Nevertheless Bernhardy has been followed: Damascius, Life of Isidore fr. 37D Athanassiadi = 401 Zintzen.
For the Sphinx cf. pi 3083, sigma 636, sigma 1741, sigma 1747, omicroniota 34. ↩
Linked from4 entries
- π3083Ποικιλῳδόςriddle-singing[Referring to] the Sphinx. "The riddle-singing Sphinx led us to investigate what lay at our feet, neglecting obscure matters."
- σ636Σκληρᾶς ἀοιδοῦof a harsh singer[Meaning] of the Sphinx. That is, of the difficult [singer], because of the riddle. Or of the murderous [singer]. "You came and released the Cadmeians' town from a harsh singer's tribute, which we used to pay."
- σ1741Σφήξwasp[Genitive] sfhko/s: a kind of bee. But [the Sphinx is] *sfi/gc, [genitive] *sfiggo/s.
- τ828Τοῦ 'πιόντοςof the one who comes upon[Meaning] of the one who chanced. Sophocles [writes]: "and indeed the riddle was not that of the one who comes upon [it] to explain, but it needed prophecy, which you evidently did not have, known either from birds or…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 5 Jan 2014
- expanded notes; tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented x-refs — David Whitehead
- augmented note; modified keywords — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth