Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology

Epigrams, Greek; Greek poetry -- Translations into English

Thou wert loved when rich, Sosicrates, but being poor thou art loved
no longer; what magic has hunger! And she who before called thee spice
and darling Adonis, Menophila, now inquires thy name. Who and whence
of men art thou? where is thy city? Surely thou art dull in learning
this saying, that none is friend to him who has nothing.


                                 XVII
                         FORTUNE'S PLAYTHING
                            AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Not of good-will has Fortune advanced thee; but that she may show her
omnipotence, even down to thee.


                                XVIII
                          TIME THE CONQUEROR
                                PLATO

Time carries all things; length of days knows how to change name and
shape and nature and fortune.


                                 XIX
                         MEMNON AND ACHILLES
                            ASCLEPIODOTUS

Know, O Thetis of the sea, that Memnon yet lives and cries aloud,
warmed by his mother's torch, in Egypt beneath Libyan brows, where the
running Nile severs fair-portalled Thebes; but Achilles, the insatiate
of battle, utters no voice either on the Trojan plain or in Thessaly.


                                  XX
                               CORINTH
                          ANTIPATER OF SIDON

Where is thine admired beauty, Dorian Corinth, where thy crown of
towers? where thy treasures of old, where the temples of the
immortals, where the halls and where the wives of the Sisyphids, and
the tens of thousands of thy people that were? for not even a trace, O
most distressful one, is left of thee, and war has swept up together
and clean devoured all; only we, the unravaged sea-nymphs, maidens of
Ocean, abide, halcyons wailing for thy woes.


                                 XXI
                                DELOS
                      ANTIPATER OF THESSALONICA

Would I were yet blown about by ever-shifting gales, rather than fixed
for wandering Leto's childbed; I had not so bemoaned my desolation. Ah
miserable me, how many Greek ships sail by me, desert Delos, once so
worshipful: late, but terrible, is Hera's vengeance laid on me thus
for Leto's sake.


                                 XXII
                                 TROY
                               AGATHIAS

If thou art a Spartan born, O stranger, deride me not, for not to me
only has Fortune accomplished this; and if of Asia, mourn not, for
every city has bowed to the Dardanian sceptre of the Aeneadae. And
though the jealous sword of enemies has emptied out Gods' precincts
and walls and inhabitants, I am queen again; but do thou, O my child,
fearless Rome, lay the yoke of thy law over Greece.


                                XXIII
                             MYCENAE (1)
                               ALPHEUS

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology

Epigrams, Greek; Greek poetry -- Translations into English

Thou wert loved when rich, Sosicrates, but being poor thou art loved
no longer; what magic has hunger! And she who before called thee spice
and darling Adonis, Menophila, now inquires thy name. Who and whence
of men art thou? where is thy city? Surely thou art dull in learning
this saying, that none is friend to him who has nothing.


                                 XVII
                         FORTUNE'S PLAYTHING
                            AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Not of good-will has Fortune advanced thee; but that she may show her
omnipotence, even down to thee.


                                XVIII
                          TIME THE CONQUEROR
                                PLATO

Time carries all things; length of days knows how to change name and
shape and nature and fortune.


                                 XIX
                         MEMNON AND ACHILLES
                            ASCLEPIODOTUS

Know, O Thetis of the sea, that Memnon yet lives and cries aloud,
warmed by his mother's torch, in Egypt beneath Libyan brows, where the
running Nile severs fair-portalled Thebes; but Achilles, the insatiate
of battle, utters no voice either on the Trojan plain or in Thessaly.


                                  XX
                               CORINTH
                          ANTIPATER OF SIDON

Where is thine admired beauty, Dorian Corinth, where thy crown of
towers? where thy treasures of old, where the temples of the
immortals, where the halls and where the wives of the Sisyphids, and
the tens of thousands of thy people that were? for not even a trace, O
most distressful one, is left of thee, and war has swept up together
and clean devoured all; only we, the unravaged sea-nymphs, maidens of
Ocean, abide, halcyons wailing for thy woes.


                                 XXI
                                DELOS
                      ANTIPATER OF THESSALONICA

Would I were yet blown about by ever-shifting gales, rather than fixed
for wandering Leto's childbed; I had not so bemoaned my desolation. Ah
miserable me, how many Greek ships sail by me, desert Delos, once so
worshipful: late, but terrible, is Hera's vengeance laid on me thus
for Leto's sake.


                                 XXII
                                 TROY
                               AGATHIAS

If thou art a Spartan born, O stranger, deride me not, for not to me
only has Fortune accomplished this; and if of Asia, mourn not, for
every city has bowed to the Dardanian sceptre of the Aeneadae. And
though the jealous sword of enemies has emptied out Gods' precincts
and walls and inhabitants, I am queen again; but do thou, O my child,
fearless Rome, lay the yoke of thy law over Greece.


                                XXIII
                             MYCENAE (1)
                               ALPHEUS

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology

Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology

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