Fragment 98

98a

. . ] . θος· ἀ γάρ με γέννα[τ

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σ]φ̣ᾶς ἐπ’ ἀλικίας μέγ[αν

κ]όσμον, αἴ τις ἔχη φόβα⟨ι⟩ς̣[

4.π̣ορφύρ̣ῳ κατελιξαμέ[να πλόκῳ,

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ἔ̣μμεναι μά̣λα τοῦτο δ̣[ή·

ἀ̣λλ’ ἀ ξανθοτέραις ἔχη[

7.τ̣αὶς κόμαις δάϊδος προ[

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σ]τεφάνοισιν ἐπαρτία[ις

ἀ̣νθέων ἐριθαλέων·

10.μ]ι̣τράναν δ’ ἀρτίως κλ[

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π̣οικίλαν ἀπὺ Σαρδίω[ν

. . . ] . αονίας πόλ{ε}ις¹

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98b

σοὶ δ’ ἔγω Κλέι ποικίλαν

οὐκ ἔχω πόθεν ἔσσεται

3.μιτράν⟨αν⟩· ἀλλὰ τῲ Μυτιληνάῳ

. . . . . . .

] . [

παι . α . ειον ἔχην πο . [

6.αἰκε̣ . η̣ ποικιλασκ . . . . [

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ταῦτα τὰς Κλεανακτίδα̣[ν

φύγας̣ † . . ι̣σαπολισεχει †

9.μνάματ’· .ἴ̣δε γὰρ αἶνα διέρρυε̣[ν

Per Voigt and Page; Campbell prefers πόλις.

Page 96

Comments

Book V

Meter:

The meters of Book V are in various three-line stanzas. This one seems to be (see Page [1955], 99 and 320):

× × – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ –

– ᴗ – × × – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ –

Text: Campbell, David A. 1982. Greek Lyric, Vol. I: Sappho and Alcaeus. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Commentary: Page, Denys Lionel. 1955. Sappho and Alcaeus: An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Lesbian Poetry. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Sources:

98A: P. Haun. 301

98B: P. Mediol. 32, ed. Volgiano, Philologus 93 (1939) 277 ss.

98a
1	γεννατής (ἀ = ἡ) mother; sc. said that. The verb is missing in the lacuna, but the indirect statement in v. 5 suggests something like ἔφα (imperf. of φημί): My mother [said that] ... this was indeed a great ornament.
2	σφός, σφή, σφόν his, her, their; probably her (gen. sg. fem.)
	ἐπί + gen. in (i.e. in the time of)
	ἀλικία (ἡ) youth, generation (gen. sg.)
	μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα great
3	κόσμος (ὁ) ornament, decoration, honor, credit
	αἴ, Aeol. for εἰ, if
	τις anyone, someone
	ἔχη = ἔχῃ (3rd sg. pres. act. subj. of ἔχω). The subjunctive, though missing the particle κε, indicates a general condition (Smyth 2297). Take with κατελιξαμένα in v. 4 as a periphrastic form (Smyth 599): if ever someone has wrapped (or, whenever someone wrapped) her locks with a purple headband....
	φόβη (ἡ) lock of hair, curl, or simply hair (acc. pl.)
4	πόρφυρος, α, ον purple. This variant of the adjective πορφύρεος is also seen in Sappho 44.9 and 105C.2.
	κατελιξαμένα aor. mid. partic. from καθελίσσω, to wrap
	πλόκος (ὁ) headband
5	ἔμμεναι = εἶναι to be, the infinitive in the indirect statement.
	μάλα indeed
	τοῦτο this (refers to the previous clause, i.e. wrapping one's hair with purple)
6	ἀ Aeol. for ἡ, who, whoever, the relative pronoun (nom. sg.)
	ξανθοτέρος, α, ον (compv. of ξανθός) yellower, lighter (acc. pl. fem.)
	ἔχη = ἔχῃ, as in v. 3. Here the subjunctive indicates a general conditional relative clause (Smyth 2567): whoever has hair yellower than fire
7	κόμη (ἡ) hair
	δαΐς, δαΐδος (ἡ) torch, i.e. fire (gen. of comparison)
8-9	στεφάνοισιν...ἐριθαλέων [it is better that her hair be] fitted with garlands of blooming flowers.
8	στέφανος (ὁ) garland, crown (dat. pl.)
	ἐπαρτίος = ἄρτιος, α, ον fitted (acc. pl. fem.)
9	ἄνθος, ους (τό) flower
	ἐριθαλής, ές blooming, luxuriant
10	μιτράνα = μίτρα (ἡ) headband
	ἀρτίως just, recently
11	ποικιλός, ή, όν multi-colored
	ἀπύ Aeol. for ἀπό + gen. from
	Σάρδεις (αἱ) Sardis, the capital city of Lydia (gen.)
12	].αονίας possibly Ἰαονίας, Ionian
	πόλις (ἡ) city

98b
1	σοὶ dat. of σύ
	Κλέϊς (ἡ) Kleis, Sappho's daughter (voc.)
2	πόθεν whence? from where?
	ἔσσεται, 3rd sg. fut. mid. ind. from εἰμί
1-3	The sense of σοι...μιτράναν seems clear enough, though the grammar is problematic. Take πόθεν ἔσσεται either as an aside (I don’t have a headband for you - where will it come from?) or as an indirect question (I don't have a where = I don't know where you will have a headband from, reading σοι as a dat. of possession).
3	Μυτιληνάος, ον Mytilenean; Mytilene is a city in Lesbos.
5	ἔχην Aeol. for ἔχειν
6	ποικιλασκ it is uncertain whether the word division is ποικίλας κ or ποικίλα σκ
7	ταῦτα these, modifies μνάματα in v. 9
	Κλεανακτίδαι (οἱ) the Kleanactidae (gen. pl.), descendents of Kleanax. This may refer to Myrsilus, tyrant of Lesbos.
8	φυγή (ἡ) exile (gen. sg.)
9	μνᾶμα, ατος (τό) memorial,
	αἰνός, ή, όν dreadful, horrible
	διέρρυεν 3rd pl aor. act. ind. from διαρρέω, to waste away

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