Fragments 58-59

The “Tithonus Poem”

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Π ¹ preserves the line beginnings; Π ² preserves the line endings

ὔμμες πεδὰ Μοίσαν ἰ]ο̣κ[ό]λ̣πων κάλα δῶρα, παῖδες,

σπουδάσδετε καὶ τὰ]ν̣ φιλάοιδον λιγύραν χελύνναν·

ἔμοι δ’ ἄπαλον πρίν] π̣οτ̣’ [ἔ]ο̣ντα χρόα γῆρας ἤδη

4.ἐπέλλαβε, λεῦκαι δ’ ἐγ]ένοντο τρίχες ἐκ μελαίναν·

βάρυς δέ μ’ ὀ [θ]ῦμο̣ς̣ πεπόηται, γόνα δ’ [ο]ὐ φέροισι,

τὰ δή ποτα λαίψηρ’ ἔον ὄρχησθ’ ἴσα νεβρίοισι.

τὰ <μὲν> στεναχίσδω θαμέως· ἀλλὰ τί κεν ποείην;

8.ἀγήραον ἄνθρωπον ἔοντ’ οὐ δύνατον γένεσθαι.

καὶ γάρ π̣[ο]τ̣α̣ Τίθωνον ἔφαντο βροδόπαχυν Αὔων

ἔρῳ φ̣. . α̣θ̣ε̣ισαν βάμεν’ εἰς ἔσχατα γᾶς φέροισα[ν,

ἔοντα̣ [κ]ά̣λ̣ο̣ν καὶ νέον, ἀλλ’ αὖτον ὔμως ἔμαρψε

12.χρόνῳ π̣ό̣λ̣ι̣ο̣ν̣ γῆρας, ἔχ̣[ο]ν̣τ̣’ ἀθανάταν ἄκοιτιν.⊗

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3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Π ¹ has the line beginnings of the Tithonus Poem, and Π ² has the line endings. However the verses that come before and after the Tithonus Poem differ between Π ¹ and Π ².

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Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Cologne Papyrus ¹

]. . .[

].υχ. .[

]νῦν θ̣αλ[ί]α̣ π̣α̣[ρέστω

4.]. ν̣έρθε δὲ γᾶς περ̣[ίσχ]ο̣ι

κλέος μέγα Μοίσει]ο̣ν ἔχο̣ι̣σαν γέρας ὠς̣ [ἔ]ο̣ικε̣ν̣,

πάντᾳ δέ με θαυμά]ζοιεν, ὠς νῦν ἐπὶ γᾶς ἔοισαν

κάλεισι χελίδω] λιγύ̣ρ̣αν, [α]ἴ̣ κεν ἔλοισα πᾶκτιν

8.ἢ βάρβιτον ἢ τάνδε χε]λύ̣ν̣ν̣αν̣ ̣θαλάμοισ’ ἀείδω.⊗

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Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ²

5.]ύ̣γοισα̣[

].[..]..[ ] ι̣ δάχθην

]χ̣υ θ[.]ο̣ι̣[.]αλλ[…….]ύταν

8.]. χθο.[.]ατί.[…..]εισα

]μένα ταν[….ώ]νυμόν σε̣

]νι θῆται στ[ύ]μα[τι] πρόκοψιν. ⊗

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lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in The Cologne Papyrus

The 13 lines that appear at this spot in Π¹ are not in Aeolic verse, and are almost certainly not Sappho. You can see them at Obbink 2009, 13.

8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0

Lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ³

]ιμέναν νομίσδει

]αις ὀπάσδοι

ἔγω δὲ φίλημμ’ ἀβροσύναν, ]τοῦτο καί μοι

τὸ λά[μπρον ἔρος τὠελίω καὶ τὸ κά]λον λέ[λ]ογχε.

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0

Fragment 59: Continuation of the Oxford Papyrus ⁴

ἐπιν[ ].[…]νό.[

φίλει . [

καιν[

Reconstructed by West 2005.
Also called “The Success Poem.” Obbink 2009, 11.
Obbink 2009, 13. Lardinois (in Greene & Skinner 2009) 48 thinks these four lines belong to the end of the Tithonus poem. Campbell places these lines at F. 58 vv. 23-26.
Obbink 2009, 14. Source: P.Oxy.1787 fr. 2, 2-4 and fr. 1, 26. Hammerstaedt (in Greene and Skinner 2009) 24: It is inconclusive if the lines traditionally identified as Fragment 59 are a new poem or not.

Page 58

Comments

Here begins Book IV

Meter: acephalus hipponactean with a double choriambic expansion (^hipp^2c)

× – ᴗ ᴗ – – ᴗ ᴗ – – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ – – (in distichs)

Texts:

Obbink, Dirk. 2010. “Sappho Fragment 58-59: Text, Apparatus Criticus, and Translation.” In The New Sappho on Old Age: Textual and Philosophical Issues. Hellenic Studies 38. Washington, DC and Cambridge: Harvard University Press. See here.

West, M. L. 2005. “The New Sappho.” Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik 151: 1–9.

Fragment 58 is actually four fragments of papyri, and at least two poems. There are two papyrological sources for f. 58:¹

Π1 = The Cologne Papyrus, P.Köln inv. 21351 (2 fragments) + 21376 (a 3rd fragment) (3rd c. BC papyrus roll), acquired from an antiquities dealer by the University of Cologne in 2004

Π2 = The Oxford Papyrus, P.Oxy. 1787 fr. 1 (2nd c. AD papyrus roll), discovered in the Oxyrhynchus excavations 1898-1907, published by Lobel in 1925; contains the line endings for what we now know are three different poems

NB: ⊗ indicates the beginning or end of a new poem.

¹ Obbink (2009), 10

The Tithonus Poem

1	ὔμμες , Aeol. for ὑμεῖς you (voc. pl.)
	πεδά + acc., Aeol. for μετά, after (as in pursuit). Take with σπουδάσδετε.
	Μοίσα (ἡ) Muse (gen. pl.)
	ἰόκολπος, ον wearing a purple robe
	καλός, ή, όν beautiful
	δῶρον (τό) gift
	παῖς, παιδός (ὁ, ἡ) child (voc.)
2	σπουδάσδω, Aeol. for σπουδάζω to hurry + after (πεδά) = to pursue (2nd pl. pres. imper.)
	φιλάοιδος, ον song-loving
	λιγυρός, ά, όν clear, sweet
	χελύννα (ἡ) Aeol. for χελώνη, lyre (specifically, the "chelys" lyre, derived from χέλυς, tortoise See here.)
3	ἔμοι "my" (dat. of advantage, Smyth 1481)
	ἁπαλός, ή, όν soft, tender, delicate
	πρίν formerly, once, before
	ποτέ once, at some time
	ἔοντα pres. act. partic. acc. sg. masc. εἰμί
	χρώς (ὁ) skin (acc. sg.)
	γῆρας (τό) old age
	ἤδη already, now
4	ἐπιλαμβάνω to attack, seize, take hold of (3rd sg. aor. act. indic.)
	λευκός, ή, όν white, grey
	γίγνομαι to become (3rd pl. aor. mid. indic.)
	θρίξ, τριχός (ἡ) hair
	ἐκ + gen. from
	μέλας, μέλαινα, μέλαν black, dark (gen. pl. fem.)
5	βαρύς, εῖα, ύ heavy
	μ’ = μοι "my" (dat. of advantage, Smyth 1481)
	θυμός (ὁ) soul, spirit, heart
	πεπόηται (perf. pass. indic. of ποιέω) has been made, has become
	γόνυ (τό) knee (nom. pl.)
	φέροισι (3rd pl. pres. act. indic. from φέρω) to carry (sc. their load, weight)
6	τὰ which; take as the relative pronoun (neut. pl. nom.), referring back to γόνα,
	ποτα = ποτέ, once
	λαιψηρός, ά, όν light, nimble
	ἔον Aeol. for ἦν (3rd pl imperf. act. indic. of εἰμί)
	ὄρχησθαι (pres. mid. inf. from ὀρχέομαι) to dance. Take after λαίψηρ’: light to dance, light for dancing
	ἴσος, α, ον like, equal to + dat. (agrees with τά)
	νέβριον (τό) dimin. of νεβρός, little fawn (dat. pl.)
7	στεναχίσδω to sigh at, lament (take τά, these things, as the direct object)
	θαμέως = θαμά, often
	τί; what?
	κε(ν) Aeol. for ἄν
	ποείην 1st sg. pres. act. opt. from ποιέω; with κε, a deliberative optative: what can/should I do?
8	ἀγήραος, ον ageless
	ἄνθρωπος (ὁ) mortal, human, man (acc. subject of the infinitive γένεσθαι)
	ἔοντα pres. act. partic. acc. sg. masc. from εἰμί (as in l. 3): "It is not possible for one being mortal to become ageless."
	δυνατός, ή, όν possible (sc. ἐστί). Followed by a subject acc. and an inf., like an indirect statement.
	γένεσθαι aor. mid. inf. from γίγνομαι, to become
9	Τίθωνος (ὁ) Tithonus, consort of Eos (the Dawn). Take as the direct object of φέροισαν. He is the archetype of a "decrepit old man, because, as the tale went, Eos begged Zeus to grant immortality to Tithonus, but forgot to ask for eternal youth" (LSJ).
	ἔφαντο they say (3rd pl. aor. mid. indic. from φημί). Introduces an indirect statement.
	βροδόπαχυς, υ rosy-armed
	Αὔως (ἡ), Aeol. for Ἠώς, Eos, Dawn (acc. subject of βάμεν’)
10	ἔρῳ out of love, because of love (dat. of cause, Smyth 1517)
	βάμεναι went (aor. act. inf. from βαίνω)
	εἰς + acc. to
	ἔσχατα (τά) the end(s), the farthest parts
	γῆ (ἡ) earth (gen. sg.)
	φέροισαν bringing, carrying (pres. act. partic. acc. sg. fem. of φέρω)
11	νέος, α, ον young (modifies Tithonus)
	ὔμως, Aeol. for ὅμως, nevertheless, all the same
	μάρπτω to lay hold of, seize (3rd sg. aor. act. indic.
12	χρόνῳ in time
	πολιός, ά, όν grey, grizzled
	ἔχοντα having (pres. act. partic. acc. sg. masc. from ἔχω)
	ἀθάνατος, η, ον undying immortal
	ἄκοιτις, ιος (ἡ) wife

Preceeding Lines - Cologne Papyrus

3	νῦν now
	θαλία (ἡ) abundance, good cheer
	παρέστω 3rd sg. pres. act. imper. from πάρειμι: Let there be good cheer...
4	(ἐ)νέρθε + gen. beneath, below
	γῆ (ἡ) earth (gen. sg.)
	περίσχοι may (something) embrace, surround sc. με (3rd sg. aor. act. opt. from περιέχω). The optative expresses a wish for the future, in contrast to the present emphasized by νῦν in v. 3. The subject may still be θαλία, or a new subject may be lost in the lacuna.
5	κλέος (τό) fame, glory (acc. object of ἔχοισαν)
	μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα great
	Μοίσειος, ον of the Muses, musical
	ἔχοισαν having (pres. act. partic. gen. fem. sg. from ἔχω); agrees with με (missing)
	γέρας (τό) gift of honor, reward (acc. in apposition with κλέος: fame as a reward)
	ὠς ἔοικεν as it seems (sc. to me)
6	πάντᾳ, in every way, altogether, entirely
	θαυμάζω to marvel or wonder at (3rd pl. pres. act. opt.). The subject is "they."
	ὠς as
	ἐπί + gen. on
	ἔοισαν, Aeol. for οὖσαν being (pres. act. partic. acc. sg. fem. from εἰμί); agrees with με
7	καλέω to call, sc. με (3rd pl. pres. act. ind., Aeol. for καλοῦσι)
	χελιδόν (τό) swallow; gen. of quality (Smyth 1320a) or comparison (Smyth 1431): sweet as a swallow
	λιγυρός, ά, όν clear, sweet
	αἴ κεν whenever (Aeol. for ἐάν, indicating a general condition; literally if ever)
	ἔλοισα taking (aor. act. partic. nom. sg. fem. from αἱρέω)
	πᾶκτις, ιδος (ἡ) pectis, a particular type of lyre with 20 strings and used by the Lydians (seen also in 22.11)
8	ἢ... ἢ either...or
	βάρβιτος (ἡ or ὁ) barbitos, a particular type of lyre with 7 strings, though Sappho famously played an 8-string barbitos. See more here.
	χελύννα (ἡ) Aeol. for χελώνη, chelys lyre (made from a χέλυς, tortoise See more here.)
	θάλαμος (ὁ) marriage-chambers, i.e. weddings. West reads this as a dat. pl. (-οισ’ = οισι): I sing at or for weddings. Yet a simple acc. pl. (-οις) makes equally good sense: I sing of weddings.
	ἀείδω to sing (of, about)

Preceeding Lines - Oxford Papyrus

1	ύγοισα possibly an aor. act. partic. nom. sg. fem. from φεύγω to flee
2	δάχθην possibly an aor. pass. from δάκνω, to bite
5	[ἐπ]ώνυμος, ον named after + gen.
6	θῆται puts (3rd sg. aor. mid. subj. from τίθημι) or sucks (3rd sg. pres. mid. ind. from θάομαι)
	στύμα, στύματος (τό) mouth
	πρόκοψις, εως (ἡ) = προκοπή success, progress

Following Lines - Oxford Papyrus

13	νομίσδω, Aeol. for νομίζω to think, believe, consider
14	ὀπάσδω Aeol. for ὀπάζω to give, grant (3rd sg. pres. act. opt.)
15	φίλημμι, Aeol. for φιλέω, I love
	ἁβροσύνη (ἡ) = ἁβρότης splendor, luxury
16	τὸ λάμπρον brightness, radiance (acc.)
	τὠελίω = τοῦ ἡέλιου of the sun
	τὸ κάλον beauty (acc.)
	λέλογχε (3rd sg. perf. act. ind. of λαγχάνω) has obtained (by lot)

Fragment 59

2	φιλέω, to love
4	καιν possibly from καινός, ή, όν new, fresh, novel

The Digital Sappho

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Fragments 58-59

The “Tithonus Poem”

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Cologne Papyrus ¹

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ²

lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in The Cologne Papyrus

Lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ³

Fragment 59: Continuation of the Oxford Papyrus ⁴

Notes

Vocabulary

Comments

Activity

The Tithonus Poem

Preceeding Lines - Cologne Papyrus

Preceeding Lines - Oxford Papyrus

Following Lines - Oxford Papyrus

Fragment 59

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The Digital Sappho

Contents

Search

Special Pages

Table of Contents

Fragments 58-59

The “Tithonus Poem”

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Cologne Papyrus 1

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Oxford Papyrus 2

lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in The Cologne Papyrus

Lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in the Oxford Papyrus 3

Fragment 59: Continuation of the Oxford Papyrus 4

Notes

Vocabulary

Comments

Activity

The Tithonus Poem

Preceeding Lines - Cologne Papyrus

Preceeding Lines - Oxford Papyrus

Following Lines - Oxford Papyrus

Fragment 59

Creative Commons

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Cologne Papyrus ¹

Lines Preceding “The Tithonus poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ²

Lines following “the Tithonus Poem” in the Oxford Papyrus ³

Fragment 59: Continuation of the Oxford Papyrus ⁴