A GARLAND OF FRESHLY GROWN FLOWERS:
The Poetics of Editing in Philip’s Stephanos
Regina Höschele
1) AP 4.2.1-4
Ἄνθεά σοι δρέψας Ἑλικώνια καὶ κλυτοδένδρου
Πιερίης κείρας πρωτοφύτους κάλυκας
καὶ σελίδος νεαρῆς θερίσας στάχυν ἀντανέπλεξα
τοῖς Μελεαγρείοις ὡς ἴκελον στεφάνοις.
2) Structure of AP, Books 5-7 and 9-12 (Lenzinger 1965, Tafel 1)
3) Modes of concatenation
1) juxtaposition of model and copy
2) collocation of poems that are thematically, structurally or verbally linked without
being direct variations of one another
3) subtler modes of interweaving through, e.g., intertextual connections
4) pairs or series of poems on the same theme that span across the collection
5) occurrence of specific key themes within individual letter groups
4) Examples for juxtaposed variations
AP 7.236 (Antipater Thess.) οὐχί
AP 7.237 (Alpheus) οὔρεα
Epitaph of Themistocles
AP 9.14 (Antiphilus) αἰγιαλοῦ
AP 9.227 (Bianor) ἀκταίην
Fisherman catching an octopus
5) AP 9.257 (Apollonides) and AP 9.258 (Antiphanes)
Ἡ Καθαρή – Νύµφαι γὰρ ἐπώνυµον ἔξοχον ἄλλων
κρήνῃ πασάων δῶκαν ἐµοὶ λιβάδων – ,
ληιστὴς ὅτε µοι παρακλίντορας ἔκτανεν ἄνδρας
καὶ φονίην ἱεροῖς ὕδασι λοῦσε χέρα,
κεῖνον ἀναστρέψασα γλυκὺν ῥόον οὐκέθ' ὁδίταις
βλύζω. τίς γὰρ ἐρεῖ τὴν Καθαρὴν ἔτι µε;
(Apollonides)
I, the Pure Fountain (for that is the name the Nymphs bestowed on me above all other springs), when the
robber had slain the men who were reclining beside me, and washed his bloody hands in my sacred water,
turned back that sweet stream, and no longer gush for travellers; for who will call me “The Pure” any
longer? (transl. Paton)
Ἡ πάρος εὐύδροισι λιβαζοµένη προχοαῖσι
πτωχὴ νῦν νυµφῶν, µέχρι καὶ εἰς σταγόνα·
λυθρώδεις γὰρ ἐµοῖσιν ἐνίψατο νάµασι χεῖρας
ἀνδροφόνος κηλῖδ' ὕδασιν ἐγκεράσας.
ἐξ οὗ µοι κοῦραι φύγον ἥλιον· “Εἰς ἕνα Βάκχον,”
εἰποῦσαι, “Νύµφαι µισγόµεθ', οὐκ ἐς Ἄρη.”
(Antiphanes)
I who once gushed with abundance of sweet water, have now lost my nymphs even to the last drop. For the
murderer washed his bloody hands in my water, and tainted it with the stain. Ever since the maidens have
retired from the sunlight, exclaiming “We nymphs mix with Bacchus alone, not with Ares.” (transl. Paton)
6) AP 7.233 (Apollonides) and AP 7.334 (Philip)
Αἴλιος, Αὐσονίης στρατιῆς πρόµος, ὁ χρυσέοισι
στέµµασι σωρεύσας αὐχένας ὁπλοφόρους,
νοῦσον ὅτ' εἰς ὑπάτην ὠλίσθανε τέρµα τ' ἄφυκτον
εἶδεν, ἀριστείην ἐµφανίσας ἰδίην
πήξαθ' ὑπὸ σπλάγχνοισιν ἑὸν ξίφος εἶπέ τε θνῄσκων·
“Αὐτὸς ἑκὼν ἐδάµην, µὴ νόσος εὖχος ἔχῃ.”
(Apollonides)
Aelius, the Roman captain, whose armed neck was loaded with golden torques, when he fell into his last
illness and saw the end was inevitable, was minded of his own valour and driving his sword into his vitals,
said as he was dying “I am vanquished of my own will, lest Disease boast of the deed.” (transl. Paton)
Αἴλιος, ὁ θρασύχειρ Ἄργους πρόµος, ὁ ψελιώσας
αὐχένα χρυσοδέτοις ἐκ πολέµου στεφάνοις,
τηξιµελεῖ νούσῳ κεκολουµένος ἔδρακε θυµῷ
ἐς προτέρην ἔργων ἄρσενα µαρτυρίην,
ὦσε δ' ὑπὸ σπλάγχνοις πλατὺ φάσγανον ἓν µόνον εἰπών·
“Ἄνδρας Ἄρης κτείνει, δειλοτέρους δὲ νόσος.”
(Philip)
Aelius, the bold captain, whose neck was hung with the golden torques he had won in the wars, when
crippled by wasting disease, ran back in his mind to the history of his past deeds of valour, and drove his
sword into his vitals, saying but this: “Men perish by the sword, cowards by disease”. (transl. Paton)
7) AP 9.222 (Antiphilus) and AP 9.223 (Bianor)
Ἀνέρα θήρ, χερσαῖον ὁ πόντιος, ἄπνοον ἔµπνους,
ἀράµενος λοφιῆς ὑγρὸν ὕπερθε νέκυν
εἰς ψαµάθους ἐκόµισσα· τὸ δὲ πλέον, ἐξ ἁλὸς εἰς γῆν
νηξάµενος φόρτου µισθὸν ἔχω θάνατον·
δαίµονα δ' ἀλλήλων ἠµείψαµεν· ἡ µὲν ἐκείνου
χθὼν ἐµέ, τὸν δ' ἀπὸ γῆς ἔκτανε τοὐµὸν ὕδωρ.
(Antipater)
I took on my back the dripping corpse and bore it to the beach; the beast saved the man, the sea creature
that of the land, the living the dead. But what did it avail me? I swam from sea to land, and receive death
as payment for my porterage. We interchanged destinies. His land slew me, and my water slew him who
belonged to the land. (Transl. Paton)
Ἀγγελίην πὰρ Ζηνὸς ἐπεὶ φέρεν ἠεροδίνης
αἰετός, οἰωνῶν µοῦνος ἐνουράνιος,
οὐκ ἔφθη τὸν Κρῆτα, θοὴν δ' ἐπετείνατο νευρήν,
πτηνὸν δ' ὁ πτερόεις ἰὸς ἐληίσατο.
Ζηνὸς δ' οὔτι Δίκην ἔλαθεν µόνος· ἔµπεσε δ' ὄρνις
ἀνδρί, τὰ δ' εὐστοχίης ἀνταπέτισε βέλη.
αὐχένι δ' ἰὸν ἔπηξεν, ὃν ἥπατι κοίµισεν αὐτός·
ἓν δὲ βέλος δισσῶν αἷµ' ἔπιεν θανάτων.
(Bianor)
As the eagle who circles on high, who alone among the birds is an inmate of Heaven, was bearing a
message from Zeus, he eluded not the Cretan, but the archer drew his swift-shooting bow, and the winged
arrow made the bird its victim. But he did not, alone among men, escape the justice of Zeus. The bird fell
on the man, and he paid dear for the sureness of his arrow’s aim. The eagle pierced his neck with the
arrow which had found a resting-place in his own heart, and one missile drank the life-blood of two. (Pat.)
8) Animal series (AP 9.217-9.227)
9.217
Mucius Scaevola
(9.218
Aemilianus of Nicaea
9.219
Diodorus of Sardes
(9.220
Thallus of Miletus
9.221
Marcus Argentarius
9.222
Antiphilus of Byzantium
9.223
Bianor
9.224
Crinagoras
9.225
Honestus
9.226
Diodorus Zonas
9.227
Bianor
9.14
Antiphilus
-------------------------------9.265
Philip
ἀκταίην
αἰγιαλοῦ
goats
ship bearing corpses)
Nero’s return to Rome
plane tree)
Eros driving a chariot of lions
Epitaph of a dolphin
Shot eagle “shoots” man
Goat of Augustus
Asopis and Pegasis
bees
Fisherman catching octopus
Fisherman catching octopus
ἰοτύπης
Shot eagle “shoots” man
αἱ
ἀβάλε
αἰγιβότου
ἁ
αὐγάζω
ἀνέρα
ἀγγελίην
Αἶγα
Ἀσωπίς
αἰ
9) AP 7.627 (Diodoros), AP 7.385 (Philip) and AP 7.141 (Antiphilus)
Ἡµιτελῆ θάλαµόν τε καὶ ἐγγύθι νυµφικὰ λέκτρα,
κοῦρε, λιπὼν ὀλοὴν οἶµον ἔβης Ἀίδου·
Θύνιον Ἀστακίην δὲ µάλ' ἤκαχες, ἥ σε µάλιστα
οἰκτρὰ τὸν ἡβητὴν κώκυεν ἠίθεον
Ἱππάρχου κλαίουσα κακὸν µόρον, εἴκοσι ποίας
µοῦνον ἐπεὶ βιότου πλήσαο καὶ πίσυρας.
(Diodoros)
Leaving thy bridal-chamber half prepared, thy wedding close at hand, thou hast gone, young man, down
the baneful road to Hades; and sorely hast thou afflicted Thynion of Astacus, who most piteously of all
lamented for thee, dead in thy prime, weeping for the evil fate of her Hipparchus, seeing thou didst
complete but twenty-four years. (transl. Paton)
Ἥρως Πρωτεσίλαε, σὺ γὰρ πρώτην ἐµύησας
Ἴλιον Ἑλλαδικοῦ θυµὸν ἰδεῖν δόρατος,
καὶ περὶ σοῖς τύµβοις ὅσα δένδρεα µακρὰ τέθηλε,
πάντα τὸν εἰς Τροίην ἐγκεκύηκε χόλον·
Ἴλιον ἢν ἐσίδῃ γὰρ ἀπ' ἀκρεµόνων κορυφαίων,
καρφοῦται πετάλων κόσµον ἀναινόµενα.
θυµὸν ἐπὶ Τροίῃ πόσον ἔζεσας, ἡνίκα τὴν σὴν
σῴζει καὶ στελέχη µῆνιν ἐπ' ἀντιπάλους.
(Philip)
Hero Protesilaos, for that thou didst first initiate Ilion into looking on the wrath of Grecian spears, the tall
trees also that grow round thy tomb are all big with hatred for Troy. If from their topmost branches they
see Ilion, they wither and cast off the beauty of their foliage. How great was thy boiling wrath against Troy,
if tree-trunks preserve the spite thou didst bear thy foes. (transl. Paton)
Θεσσαλὲ Πρωτεσίλαε, σὲ µὲν πολὺς ᾄσεται αἰὼν
Τροίᾳ ὀφειλοµένου πτώµατος ἀρξάµενον·
σᾶµα δέ τοι πτελέῃσι συνηρεφὲς ἀµφικοµεῦσι
Νύµφαι ἀπεχθοµένης Ἰλίου ἀντιπέρας.
δένδρεα δυσµήνιτα καί, ἤν ποτε τεῖχος ἴδωσι
Τρώιον, αὐαλέαν φυλλοχοεῦντι κόµην.
ὅσσος ἐν ἡρώεσσι τότ' ἦν χόλος, οὗ µέρος ἀκµὴν
ἐχθρὸν ἐν ἀψύχοις σῴζεται ἀκρεµόσιν.
(Antiphilus)
O Thessalian Protesilaos, long ages shall sing of thee, how thou didst strike the first blow in Troy’s
predestined fall. The Nymphs tend and encircle with overshadowing elms thy tomb opposite hated Ilion.
Wrathful are the trees, and if they chance to see the walls of Troy, they shed their withered leaves. How
bitter was the hatred of the heroes if a part of their enmity lives yet in soulless branches. (transl. Paton)
10) Hom. Il. 2.700f.: τοῦ δὲ καὶ ἀµφιδρυφὴς ἄλοχος Φυλάκῃ ἐλέλειπτο /καὶ δόµος ἡµιτελής
11) Lucian, DMort. 27: Ὅτι διὰ ταύτην, ὦ Αἰακέ, ἀπέθανον ἡµιτελῆ µὲν τὸν δόµον
καταλιπών, χήραν τε νεόγαµον γυναῖκα
12) Phil. Her. 12: καὶ τὰ ἔπη τὰ ἐς αὐτὸν εἰρηµένα Ὁµήρῳ ἐπαινεῖ καίτοι µὴ πάντα ἐπαινῶν
τὰ Ὁµήρου, ὡς ἀµφίδρυφον µὲν αὐτῷ τὴν γυναῖκα εἶπεν, ἡµιτελῆ δὲ τὴν οἰκίαν
Select bibliography
Cameron, Alan, 1968, “The Garlands of Meleager and Philip”, GRBS 9: 323-49.
---- 1993, The Greek Anthology from Meleager to Planudes, Oxford.
Gow, A.S.F. and D.L. Page, 1968, The Greek Anthology: The Garland of Philip and Some Contemporary
Epigrams, 2 vols., Cambridge.
Griffiths, A.H. 1970, Review of Gow-Page 1968, JHS 90: 216-219.
Gutzwiller, K. 1997, “The Poetics of Editing in Meleager’s Garland”, TAPA 127: 169-200.
---- 1998, Poetic Garlands: Hellenistic Epigrams in Context, Berkeley.
Hirsch, E. 1966, “Zum Kranz des Philippos”, Wissenschaftl. Zeitschrift der Universität Halle 15: 401-417.
Lenzinger, F. 1965, Zur griechischen Anthologie, diss. Bern.
Passow, F. 1827, Quaestio de vestigiis Coronarum Meleagri et Philippi in Anthologia Constantini
Cephalae, Breslau.
Radinger, C. 1896, Meleagros von Gadara: Eine litterargeschichtliche Skizze, Innsbruck.
Reitzenstein, R. 1893, Epigramm und Skolion: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der alexandrinischen Dichtung,
Giessen.
---- 1907, “Epigramm”, RE 6.1: 71-111.
Weigand, G. 1845, “De fontibus et ordine Anthologiae Cephalanae”, RhM 3: 161-78. 541-72.
Wifstrand, A. 1926, Studien zur griechischen Anthologie, Lund.