hesiod, the homeric hymns, and homerica-第51部分

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After　this　he　composed　the　〃Odyssey〃　in　twelve　thousand　verses；　having　previously　written　the　〃Iliad〃　in　fifteen　thousand　five　hundred　verses　（5）。　　From　Delphi；　as　we　are　told；　he　went　to　Athens　and　was　entertained　by　Medon；　king　of　the　Athenians。　　And　being　one　day　in　the　council　hall　when　it　was　cold　and　a　fire　was　burning　there；　he　drew　off　the　following　lines：

‘Children　are　a　man's　crown；　and　towers　of　a　city；　horses　are　the　ornament　of　a　plain；　and　ships　of　the　sea；　and　good　it　is　to　see　a　people　seated　in　assembly。　　But　with　a　blazing　fire　a　house　looks　worthier　upon　a　wintry　day　when　the　Son　of　Cronos　sends　down　snow。'

From　Athens　he　went　on　to　Corinth；　where　he　sang　snatches　of　his　poems　and　was　received　with　distinction。　　Next　he　went　to　Argos　and　there　recited　these　verses　from　the　〃Iliad〃：

‘The　sons　of　the　Achaeans　who　held　Argos　and　walled　Tiryns；　and　Hermione　and　Asine　which　lie　along　a　deep　bay；　and　Troezen；　and　Eiones；　and　vine…clad　Epidaurus；　and　the　island　of　Aegina；　and　Mases；　　these　followed　strong…voiced　Diomedes；　son　of　Tydeus；　who　had　the　spirit　of　his　father　the　son　of　Oeneus；　and　Sthenelus；　dear　son　of　famous　Capaneus。　　And　with　these　two　there　went　a　third　leader；　Eurypylus；　a　godlike　man；　son　of　the　lord　Mecisteus；　sprung　of　Talaus；　but　strong…voiced　Diomedes　was　their　chief　leader。　　These　men　had　eighty　dark　ships　wherein　were　ranged　men　skilled　in　war；　Argives　with　linen　jerkins；　very　goads　of　war。'　（6）

This　praise　of　their　race　by　the　most　famous　of　all　poets　so　exceedingly　delighted　the　leading　Argives；　that　they　rewarded　him　with　costly　gifts　and　set　up　a　brazen　statue　to　him；　decreeing　that　sacrifice　should　be　offered　to　Homer　daily；　monthly；　and　yearly；　and　that　another　sacrifice　should　be　sent　to　Chios　every　five　years。　　This　is　the　inscription　they　cut　upon　his　statue：

‘This　is　divine　Homer　who　by　his　sweet…voiced　art　honoured　all　proud　Hellas；　but　especially　the　Argives　who　threw　down　the　god…　built　walls　of　Troy　to　avenge　rich…haired　Helen。　　For　this　cause　the　people　of　a　great　city　set　his　statue　here　and　serve　him　with　the　honours　of　the　deathless　gods。'

After　he　had　stayed　for　some　time　in　Argos；　he　crossed　over　to　Delos；　to　the　great　assembly；　and　there；　standing　on　the　altar　of　horns；　he　recited　the　〃Hymn　to　Apollo〃　（7）　which　begins：　‘I　will　remember　and　not　forget　Apollo　the　far…shooter。'　　When　the　hymn　was　ended；　the　Ionians　made　him　a　citizen　of　each　one　of　their　states；　and　the　Delians　wrote　the　poem　on　a　whitened　tablet　and　dedicated　it　in　the　temple　of　Artemis。　　The　poet　sailed　to　Ios；　after　the　assembly　was　broken　up；　to　join　Creophylus；　and　stayed　there　some　time；　being　now　an　old　man。　　And；　it　is　said；　as　he　was　sitting　by　the　sea　he　asked　some　boys　who　were　returning　from　fishing：

‘Sirs；　hunters　of　deep…sea　prey；　have　we　caught　anything？'

To　this　replied：

‘All　that　we　caught；　we　left　behind；　and　carry　away　all　that　we　did　not　catch。'

Homer　did　not　understand　this　reply　and　asked　what　they　meant。　　They　then　explained　that　they　had　caught　nothing　in　fishing；　but　had　been　catching　their　lice；　and　those　of　the　lice　which　they　caught；　they　left　behind；　but　carried　away　in　their　clothes　those　which　they　did　not　catch。　　Hereupon　Homer　remembered　the　oracle　and；　perceiving　that　the　end　of　his　life　had　come　composed　his　own　epitaph。　　And　while　he　was　retiring　from　that　place；　he　slipped　in　a　clayey　place　and　fell　upon　his　side；　and　died；　it　is　said；　the　third　day　after。　　He　was　buried　in　Ios；　and　this　is　his　epitaph：

‘Here　the　earth　covers　the　sacred　head　of　divine　Homer；　the　glorifier　of　hero…men。'


ENDNOTES：

（1）　　sc。　the　riddle　of　the　fisher…boys　which　comes　at　the　end　of　　　　　　this　work。　（2）　　The　verses　of　Hesiod　are　called　doubtful　in　meaning　because　　　　　　they　are；　if　taken　alone；　either　incomplete　or　absurd。　（3）　　〃Works　and　Days〃；　ll。　383…392。　（4）　　〃Iliad〃　xiii；　ll。　126…133；　339…344。　（5）　　The　accepted　text　of　the　〃Iliad〃　contains　15；693　verses；　　　　　　that　of　the　〃Odyssey〃；　12；110。　（6）　　〃Iliad〃　ii；　ll。　559…568　（with　two　additional　verses）。　（7）　　〃Homeric　Hymns〃；　iii。






End