Simonides 29

William Annis
Aoidoi.org

January 2006
This poem comes to us by way of Stobaeus collection (4.34) of moralizing
verse (Campbell 1967, West IEG 19, 20). The second line is a quote from the
Iliad, 6.146-149:
oh per fllwn gene, toh d ka ndrn.
flla t mn t nemoj camdij cei, lla d q lh
thleqwsa fei, aroj d piggnetai rh:
j ndrn gene mn fei d polgei.
Just as the generation of leaves is, so is it also of men.
Some leaves the wind scatters to the ground, but others the
ourishing forest nourishes when spring arrives.
So for the generations of men: some grow, others pass away.
The Chian man mentioned on the rst line is the Chian Bard, Homer.
n d t klliston Coj eipen nr:
``oh per fllwn gene, toh d ka ndrn.

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1
one. superlative of , most/very beautiful, best. c Epic
aorist /, (he) said. i Chian, of or from Chios.
2
such, such a; of what sort/kind; correlative with i later in the line, just as...
so... leaf. { birth, offspring; lineage, race. here also.
1
2
paroi mn qnhtn oasi dexmenoi
strnois gkatqento: presti gr lpj kstJ
ndrn, te nwn stqesin mfetai. 5
qnhtn d fra tij nqoj cV poluraton bhj,
kofon cwn qumn pll tlesta noe:
ote gr lpd cei ghrasmen ote qanesqai
od, gij tan , frontd cei kamtou.
npioi, oj tatV ketai noj, od sasin, 10
j crnoj sq bhj ka bitoi lgoj
qnhtos: ll s tata maqn bitou pot trma
yuc tn gaqn tlqi carizmenoj.
3
in manuscript.
3
few. evidential particle with which the author emphasizes that the statement
comes from his own experience. mortal, as noun, mortal person. Both this word
and forms of will be repeated several times in the course of the poem. , -,
(Epic) ear, dat.pl. , , c accept, receive, aor. part.; to receive by means
of ears is listen to, hear.
4
chest. c-- middle put, lay in with dat. - (|) be present,
be near; with dat. be present in, with, at. c { expectation, hope. each.
7
relative prn., = c. young, new, youthful, here substantive, of the young.
breast; understanding often in pl. c- implant; middle grow in, on; cling to.
6
here while, as long as with subjunctive. anyone, with partitive , any (of)
person(s) ower. very lovely, very loved. { (prime of) youth.
7
light, nimble. without end or effect. perceive, observe,
notice; consider; understand. considers many things eternal
8
c c = c, to expect, hope, with fut.inf. grow old; Epic future
innitive. , , c die.
9
healthy, sound. ( ) when(ever), often nearly c if ; with subjunctive.
3.sg. pres. subj. |. { care, attention, thought. o toil; exhaustion,
illness; the product of work.
10
young, childish; foolish, thoughtless, often used as noun. = o thus,
so. i lie, remain; be. o mind, sense, judgement. , i
thoughtless ones, for whom judgement is like this, ... l 3.pl. pres. / know.
11
that. o time; duration, period. c = c. o life; duration of ones
life; means of living; = gen.sg. c little, small.
12
i dat. of interest. , , c learn; know. = to-
wards, near. end, boundary.
13
{ spirit, soul; dat. of location, probably with , but perhaps .
good, noble, brave; good/noble things. (-, , c endure, suffer,
be patient; dare; athematic aorist 2.sg. imperative. usu. middle be pleasant,
agreeable; oblige; with genitive give freely, cheerfully.