Θρᾷκες ὅρκια οὐκ ἐπίστανται

Thracians do not understand oaths

Translated by David Whitehead22 Apr 2003Vetting: high4 revisions

1 note · 42 words

Menander mentions this in his first [book].¹ For he says that in this land the most senior(?) died after a javelin had pierced him though the chest. This gave rise to a riddle amongst Ionians and Aeolians: Thracians do not understand oaths.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Θρᾷκες ὅρκια οὐκ ἐπίστανται· ταύτης μέμνηται Μένανδρος ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ. λέγει γάρ, ὅτι ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ γῇ ὁ πρεσβύτατος ἀκοντισθεὶς διὰ τοῦ στήθους ἀπώλετο· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν Ἴωσι καὶ Αἰολεῦσιν αἴνιγμα ἐγένετο· Θρᾷκες ὅρκια οὐκ ἐπίστανται.

Betacode

*qra=|kes o(/rkia ou)k e)pi/stantai: tau/ths me/mnhtai *me/nandros e)n th=| prw/th|. le/gei ga/r, o(/ti e)n tau/th| th=| gh=| o( presbu/tatos a)kontisqei\s dia\ tou= sth/qous a)pw/leto: kai\ e)nteu=qen *)/iwsi kai\ *ai)oleu=sin ai)/nigma e)ge/neto: *qra=|kes o(/rkia ou)k e)pi/stantai.

Notes (1)

Zenobius 4.32. For Thracian duplicity see also theta 450.
1Menander of Ephesus, FGrH 783 F8. (Ignore attributions to Menander the comic poet, Menander Protector, and any other homonyms.) ↩

Linked from1 entry

θ450Θρᾳκία παρεύρεσιςThracian pretenceThey say that after the Thracians had been defeated by Boiotians near Koroneia and sworn a truce to last five days, they made a night attack on the Boiotians, killing some of them and capturing others alive. The…

Neighbouring entries

θ447ΘωυμάζωI wonder, I wonder at θ448Θωΰσσοντεςhowling θ449Θρᾷκες ὅρκια οὐκ ἐπίστανταιThracians do not understand oaths θ450Θρᾳκία παρεύρεσιςThracian pretence θ451Θρανεύσεταιwill be tanned

Revision history4 revisions · last 6 Jan 2013

6 Jan 2013Revised — David Whitehead
3 Jan 2012Revised — David Whitehead
14 Aug 2003added keyword — David Whitehead
14 Aug 2003Revised — Catharine Roth
22 Apr 2003Translated — David Whitehead

Translation

Greek original · Adler’s text

Notes (1)

Linked from1 entry

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