Σμάραγδος
emerald
Translated by D. Graham J. Shipley2 Jun 2009Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
It is spoken in the feminine. It is a kind of valuable stone.
"The surest proof of the piety of Polykrates the Samian [was] the discovery of the emerald that had been thrown into the sea, and the capture of the fish that had swallowed this."1
Also [sc. attested is the word] smaragdeion, a mineral of earth.2
"The surest proof of the piety of Polykrates the Samian [was] the discovery of the emerald that had been thrown into the sea, and the capture of the fish that had swallowed this."1
Also [sc. attested is the word] smaragdeion, a mineral of earth.2
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σμάραγδος· θηλυκῶς λέγεται. ἔστι δὲ εἶδος λίθου πολυτίμου. ἔλεγχος δὲ βεβαιότατος τῆς θεοσεβείας Πολυκράτους τοῦ Σαμίου ἡ τῆς σμαράγδου τῆς ἐμβληθείσης εἰς τὸ πέλαγος εὕρεσις, καὶ θηραθεὶς ὁ ἰχθὺς ὁ ταύτην καταπιών. καὶ Σμαράγδειον, μέταλλον γῆς.
Betacode
*sma/ragdos: qhlukw=s le/getai. e)/sti de\ ei)=dos li/qou poluti/mou. e)/legxos de\ bebaio/tatos th=s qeosebei/as *polukra/tous tou= *sami/ou h( th=s smara/gdou th=s e)mblhqei/shs ei)s to\ pe/lagos eu(/resis, kai\ qhraqei\s o( i)xqu\s o( tau/thn katapiw/n. kai\ *smara/gdeion, me/tallon gh=s.
Notes (2)
- 1For the story see Herodotos 3.41–2 (web address 1). The present allusion to it is unattributable. (Adler suggests Aelian.) The writer's assertion that the recovery of the emerald was a proof of divine favour seems to misunderstand the point of Hdt.'s story, since it was in fact a warning of inevitable destruction -- unless we are meant to understand the warning as a boon. [Adler notes Bernhardy's rejection of the proposal of Urbanus Chevraeus to emend
qeosebei/as "piety" toeu)tuxi/as "good luck".] ↩ - 2Adler reports smaragdeion metallon ("emerald mine") in the Ambrosian Lexicon (595), which seems preferable both in itself and given the fact that the plural phrase "emerald mines" occurs five times in Heliodorus. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 26 May 2016
- coding — David Whitehead
- expanded n.1 — David Whitehead
- expanded notes — David Whitehead
- added link — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — D. Graham J. Shipley