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Alcaeus: Fragments 335 and 338

William S. Annis
Aoidoi.org
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January 2006
Both of these small fragments come to us from quotes in Athanaeus. Both are
in the Alcaic stanza:

The stanza is usually printed this way, with four lines, but its best to consider 34
one long line.
Like Sappho, Alcaeus writes in the Lesbian Aeolic dialect. Ill identify the
forms in the notes.
335
o cr kkoisi qmon pitrphn,
prokyomen gr odn smenoi,
Bkci, farmkwn d riston
onon neikamnoij meqsqhn. 4
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o one must not. bad, here substantive trouble(s), woe(s); Aeol. dat.pl.
o spirit, soul, heart, courage. c- allow; entrust something (acc.) to (dat.); Aeol.
pres. inf., subject unexpressed.
2
-, - progress, advance forward. o here adverbial, not at all.
be disgusted, vexed, pres.part., ( ).
3
Bycchis, named in a few other poems. drug; medicine, remedy, cure;
poison, potion. best. it is the best of remedies to...
4
/ o wine. , l, carry, bring, bear; middle win, carry of (to ones home),
fetch; Aeol. aor.mid.part. acc.pl.m., agreeing with the implied subject Aeol. (= {)
of the following verb. , , c , aor.pass. c make drunk, pass. drink
freely, drink until drunk; Aeol. aor.pass.inf.
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338
ei mn Zej, k d rnw mgaj
cemwn, pepgaisin d dtwn ai
< nqen >
< > 4
kbballe tn cemwn, p mn tqeij
pr, n d krnaij onon feidwj
mlicron, atr mf krsv
mlqakon mfi[blwn] gnfallon 8
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o () to rain. c Aeol. = o. Zeus, in his role as god of weather. o o heaven,
sky; Aeol. gen.sg. , , large; great.
2
o winter storm, winter. , , c, fasten, build; of liquid
to freeze; = 3pl.perf.act. o o water. { stream, river.
Those commentators who worry about the occurrence of frozen streams and rain at the same time
have evidently never experienced winters in the midwestern or northeastern United States.
5
- throw down; reject, defy; 2sg.pres. imper., with assimilation -- >--.
After this imperative, the remaining clauses contain participles elaborating how to defy the storm.
= , acc.sg. c up here adverbial, or perhaps with an implied hearth.
put; pres.act.part. nom.sg.m.
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re. c often adverbial in c combination, and within, but and moreover,
further is also possible. = mix, esp. of mixing water and wine; pres.part.act.
nom.sg.m. / o wine. (from ) unsparingly, lavishly.
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honey-sweet, sweetened. o moreover, further, but. { temple,
side of the head; head.
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= soft, mild; weak. - throw around, of clothing put on.
The verb here missing, with both - and - suggested xes. =
pillow, cushion.