Fragment 96

]Σαρδ . [ . .]

2.πόλ]λακι τυίδε̣ [ν]ῶν ἔχοισα

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ὠσπ . [ . . .] . ωόμεν, . [ . . .] . . χ[ . .]

σε θέᾳ σ’ ἰκέλαν ἀρι-

5.γνώτᾳ, σᾳ δὲ μάλιστ’ ἔχαιρε μόλπᾳ.

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νῦν δὲ Λῦδαισιν ἐμπρέπεται γυναί-

κεσσιν ὤς ποτ’ ἀελίω

8.δύντος ἀ βροδοδάκτυλος σελάννα

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πάντα περρέχοισ’ ἄστρα· φάος δ’ ἐπί-

σχει θάλασσαν ἐπ’ ἀλμύραν

11.ἴσως καὶ πολυανθέμοις ἀρούραις·

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ἀ δ’ ἐέρσα κάλα κέχυται τεθά-

λαισι δὲ βρόδα κἄπαλ’ ἄν-

14.θρυσκα καὶ μελίλωτος ἀνθεμώδης·

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πόλλα δὲ ζαφοίταισ’ ἀγάνας ἐπι-

μνάσθεισ’ Ἄτθιδος ἰμέρῳ

17.λέπταν ποι φρένα κ[ᾶ]ρ̣[ι σᾷ] βόρηται·

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κῆθι δ’ ἔλθην ἀμμ . [ . .] . .ισα τό̣δ’ οὐ

νῶντ’ ἀ[ . .]υστονυμ̣[ . . .] πόλυς

20.γαρύει̣ [ . . .]αλον̣[ . . . . . .] .ο̣ μέσσον·

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ε]ὔ̣μαρ[ες μ]ὲ̣ν οὐκ̣ ἄμ̣μι θέαισι μόρ-

φαν ἐπή[ρατ]ον ἐξίσω-

23.σθ̣αι συ[ . .]ρ̣ο̣ς ἔχηισθ’ ἀ[ . . .] .νίδηον

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]το̣[ . . . .]ρατι-

μαλ[ ] . ερος

26.καὶ δ[ . ]μ̣[ ]ος Ἀφροδίτα

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καμ̣[ ] νέκταρ ἔχευ’ ἀπὺ

χρυσίας [ ]ν̣αν

29.. . . .]απουρ̣[ ]χέρσι Πείθω

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[ ]θ[. . .]ησενη

[ ]ακις

32.[ ]. . . . . .αι

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[ ]ες τὸ Γεραίστιον

[ ]ν̣ φίλαι

35.[ ]υ̣στον οὐδενο[

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[ ]ερον ἰξο[μ

Page 94

Comments

Book V

Meter:

– ᴗ – × × – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ –

× × – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ –

× × – ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ – ᴗ – ×

Texts: Campbell, with Voigt supplying vv. 30-32

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

Voigt, Eva-Maria, ed. 1971. Sappho et Alcaeus. Amsterdam: Polak & Van Gennep.

Commentaries:

Annis, William S. 2005. “Sappho: Fragment 96.” Aoidoi.org.

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

Source: P. Berol. 9722 fol. 5

1	Σάρδεις (αἱ) Sardis, the capital city of Lydia
2	πoλλάκι often
	τυίδε (to) here
	νόος, ου (ὁ) mind, thought, purpose (acc. sg.)
	ἔχω to hold (pres. act. partic. nom. sg. fem.)
3	ὥσπερ just as, like
4	σε seems to be the ending of the verb (3rd sg. aor.) missing in the lacuna. It makes sense for it to mean something like "she considered" or "honored" (you like a goddess)
	θεά (ἡ) goddess
	σ’ = σε acc. of σύ, you
	ἴκελος, η, ον like, similar to + dat. (acc. sg. fem., agreeing with σ’)
	ἀρίγνωτος, α, ον easily known, famous, infamous
5	σός, ά, όν your
	μάλιστα (superl. of μάλα) especially, most of all
	χαίρω to rejoice at, take pleasure in + dat. (3rd sg. imperf. act. ind.)
	μολπή (ἡ) song, dance (dat. sg.)
6	νῦν now
	Λυδός, ή, όν Lydian (dat. pl. fem.)
	ἐμπρέπομαι to stand out among + dat. The subject is an implied "she."
	γυνή, γυναικός (ἡ) woman (dat. pl.)
7	ὡς as
	πότε when
	ἀέλιος (ὁ) the sun (gen. sg.)
8	δύω to set, sink (aor. act. partic. gen. sg. masc.). ἀελίω δύντος is a genitive absolute: with the sun having set, after the sun has set
	βροδοδάκτυλος, ον rosy-fingered, usually an epithet for the Dawn
	σελάννα (ἀ), Aeol. for σελήνη (ἡ) moon. Use ἐμπρέπεται again in this clause: as when the rosy-fingered moon stands out after the sun has set.
9	πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν all (acc. pl. neut.)
	περρέχω to surpass (pres. act partic. nom. sg. fem.)
	ἄστρον (τό) star (acc. pl.)
	φάος (τό) light
	ἐπίσχω to extend or spread over (taking φάος as the subject); to direct towards (taking σελάννα as the subject and φάος as the object). Page prefers the former, Annis the latter.¹
10	θάλασσα (ἡ) sea
	ἐπί + acc. to, upon. Followed by θάλασσαν and ἀρούραις.
	ἀλμυρός, ά, όν salty, briny
11	ἴσως equally
	πολυάνθεμος, ον having many flowers, rich in flowers (acc. pl. fem.)
	ἄρουρα (ἡ) field (acc. pl.)
12	ἐέρσα (ἀ = ἡ) dew
	κάλα is in the predicate position: the dew is fallen beautiful, or in beauty
	κέχυται is fallen, shed, poured (3rd sg. perf. mid. ind. from χέω). The perfect tense may be translated as a present when it marks an enduring result (Smyth 1946).
	τεθάλαισι bloom (3rd pl. perf. act. ind. from θάλλω)
13	βρόδον (τό) Aeol. for ῥόδον rose
	κἄπαλ’ crasis for καί + ἄπαλα; ἁπαλός, ή, όν soft, tender, delicate
	ἄνθρυσκον (τό) chervil, an herb related to parsley

14	μελίλωτος (ὁ) melilot, a.k.a. sweet clover

	ἀνθεμώδης, ες flowery, blooming
15	πόλλα (adverbial) often, a lot, far away
	ζαφοίταισα wandering, going to and fro, pacing (pres. act. part. nom. sg. fem. from ζαφοιτάω, Aeol. for διαφοιτάω)
	ἀγανός, ή, όν gentle (gen. sg. fem., modifying Ἄτθιδος)
	ἐπιμνάσθεισα remembering, thinking about + gen. (aor. pass. partic. nom. sg. fem. from ἐπιμιμνήσκομαι). The aor. pass. of μιμνήσκω can be translated as a pres. act. (LSJ B.II).
16	Ἀτθίς (ἡ) Atthis (gen.), a woman's name, famously beloved to Sappho
	ἴμερος (ὁ) longing, desire. Perhaps a dat. of manner with ἐπιμνάσθεισα.
17	λεπτός, ή, όν delicate, tender
	ποι = πού perhaps, I suppose
	φρήν, φρενός (ἡ) heart. Perhaps an acc. of respect.
	κᾶρ, κᾶρος (ἡ) doom, death. Perhaps a dat. of cause.
	βορέομαι to eat, consume, devour. The text is corrupt here and there are no agreements on the correct reading.² Perhaps this: She, often pacing, thinking about gentle Atthis with desire, is consumed, with respect to her tender heart, I suppose, because of your death.
18	κῆθι there
	ἔλθην, aor. act. inf. from ἔρχομαι, to go
	ἄμμες Aeol. for ἡμεῖς, we
	τόδε this
19	νῶντα pres. act. partic. from νοήμι, to perceive
20	γαρύω to sing
	μέσσος, η, ον the middle
21	εὐμαρής, ες easy; sc. ἐστί: it is not easy for us to be equal to goddesses
	ἄμμι Aeol. for ἡμῖν, for us
	θεά (ἡ) goddess (dat. pl. object of ἐξίσωσθαι)
	μορφαή (ἡ) form, appearance (acc. of respect)
22	ἐπήρατος, ον lovely
	ἐξισόομαι to be equal to + dat. (pres. mid. inf.)
23	ἔχηισθα, 2nd sg. pres. act. subj. from ἔχω to have
25	ἔρος (ὁ) love, desire
26	Ἀφροδίτα (ἡ) Aphrodite
27	νέκταρ, αρος (τό) nectar
	ἔχευε poured (3rd sg. imperf./aor. act. ind. from χέω)
	ἀπύ Aeol. for ἀπό + gen. from
28	χρύσιος, α, ον golden (gen. sg. fem.)
29	χέρσι with (her) hands (dat. pl.)
	Πειθώ, οῦς (ἡ) Persuason, as a goddess
33	Γεραίστιον (τὸ) the Geraistion, a temple to Poseidon in the town of Geraistos in Euboia
34	φίλος, η, ον dear

¹D. L. Page, Sappho and Alcaeus: An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Lesbian Poetry (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1955), 90; William Annis, “Sappho: Fragment 96” (Aoidoi.org, 2005), 2.

² For a detailed discussion of the problems, see Page, Sappho and Alcaeus (1955), 92.

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