On Providence (The Egyptian Tale) 147–172 (On Providence (The Egyptian Tale))

Synesius of Cyrene

On Providence (The Egyptian Tale) 147–172

Synesius of Cyrene · On Providence (The Egyptian Tale) · ca. 400-402 · Constantinople · 26 passages

Greek text: Krabinger 1.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 147

147Krabinger 1:147

δύναμιν ἀθρόαν 3“) ἐν ὅπλοις οὖσαν καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ σιδηροφορεῖν νόμον ἔχουσαν, ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς ἀντιεάσεω; ἡττῇσθαι. Ταῦτα ἐλογίδετο μὲν, ὅπως ἂν γένοιτο" λογισμοῦ δὲ ἐφαίνετο κρείττονα. ᾿Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐ συχνοῦ χρόνου διεξελθόντὸο; 'πονὴρν: τί 'κόμηα θρησκεύματος καὶ παραχάραγμα ἁγιΞείας, ὥςπερ νομίσματος, ὅπερ νόμος ἀρχαῖος ἐξοικίξει τῶν πόλεων, θύραξδε καὶ πόῤῥω τειχῶν ἀποκλείων τὸ ἀσέβημα" ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ὁ Τυφὼ, οὐκ “αὐτοπρόρώπο; δέεε τοῦ διγυκτίόυ πλήθοῦυν, ἀλλὰ διὰ ἐῶν βαρβάρων εἰφρῆσαί τε" ἐπέθετο, καὶ ἴερὸν ἐν. ἄςει " δοῦναι, "καταλύσας νόμου πατρῴους, αὐτίκα ὁ ξένος ἐκὶ νοῦν ἐβάλετο, ὅτε τοῦτο ἄρα ἐκεῖνο τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρόαγόρευμα" τάχ᾽ ᾿'ἂν οὖν καὶ τὰ. ἐφεξῆς ἴδοιμι. το ζαὶ προφεδέχετο γ᾽ μαθὼν ἐότε, τὰ μὲν αὐτίκα ἐσόμενα περὶ "Οσιριν, τὰϊ δὲ ἐξ τοὺς οὔπω παρόντας ἰνιαυτοῖ!, ὅταν. "Ὥρῳ “τῷ παιδὶ γνώμῃ γένηται συμμαχίαν. ἐλέσθαι πρὸ τοῦ λίοντος; ᾿ λύκου. Ὃ δὲ. λύκος ὅςτις ἐξιν, ἱερὰς λόγο! ἐξὶν, ὃν οὐχ ὅσιοὐ "1 ἐξαγορεύειν οὐδὲ ἐν μύθου σχήματι.

dynamin athroan 3“) en hoplois ousan kai en eirēnę̄ sidērophorein nomon echousan, ex oudemias antieaseō? hēttę̄sthai. Tauta elogideto men, hopōs an genoito" logismou de ephaineto kreittona. ᾿Epei de ou sychnou chronou diexelthontoo? 'ponērn: ti 'komēa thrēskeumatos kai paracharagma hagiXeias, hōsper nomismatos, hoper nomos archaios exoikixei tōn poleōn, thyraxde kai porrhō teichōn apokleiōn to asebēma" epeidē touto ho Typhō, ouk “autoprorōpo? deee tou digyktiou plēthouyn, alla dia eōn barbarōn eiphrēsai te" epetheto, kai ieron en. asei " dounai, "katalysas nomou patrǭous, autika ho xenos eki noun ebaleto, hote touto ara ekeino tou theou to proagoreuma" tach᾽ ᾿'an oun kai ta. ephexēs idoimi. to zai prophedecheto g᾽ mathōn eote, ta men autika esomena peri "Osirin, taï de ex tous oupō parontas iniautoi!, hotan. "Hōrǭ “tǭ paidi gnōmę̄ genētai symmachian. elesthai pro tou liontos? ᾿ lykou. Ho de. lykos hostis exin, hieras logo! exin, hon ouch hosiou "1 exagoreuein oude en mythou schēmati.

how a massed force under arms, whose custom it was to carry iron even in peace, should be beaten with no one opposing it. He reasoned how it might happen, but it seemed beyond reasoning. But when, not long after, a wicked kind of cult — a counterfeit of holiness, like counterfeit coin, which an ancient law banishes from the cities, shutting the impiety outside and far from the walls — when Typhos undertook to bring this in, not in person, for fear of the Egyptian people, but through the barbarians, and to give it a temple in the city, abolishing the ancestral laws, at once the stranger took it to heart that this, then, was the god's prediction: "Perhaps I shall see what follows too." And he looked forward, having learned it on that occasion, to some things that would happen at once concerning Osiris, and others in years not yet come, when it should be the mind of the boy Horus to choose an alliance with the wolf rather than the lion. Who the wolf is, is a sacred account, which it is not holy to disclose even in the form of a myth.

Notes and citation

Summary: When Typhos tries, through the barbarians, to give a foreign cult a temple in the city, the stranger recognizes the god's sign.

The "counterfeit cult" answers to the Goths' demand, in 400, for a church within Constantinople for their Arian worship; it is described in the myth's own terms. "The wolf" and "the lion" are deliberately left unexplained by Synesius.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἴω Νίοη. 'δΟ0.., ᾿ἤσχαλεν ἴῃ πᾶδροο, Βομά,; ἰϊὰ πδυὰ ἀυρίο Ῥίτο ΚΗ. ""Ν τς οἰΐατῃ Ῥίτοκμ., ααοπι Ἀυάΐπρο 5). ἀθρόων Τατγα. δὶ Ὀσιᾶν, 1. τθ, αυθηπαμθμη ἰῃᾳ Δηηοῖδιϊ. ηἷ- Ρεδεροβιιἰοπεπ, δαῖε ὅπλοις οπι. πιοπυΐ!, ἴω ἰγδηδδιΐοπα δὰ νά. Μοχ ἀντιθέσεως Ρῖὸ ἀντι- βοσίρβοτῖι Ογο. Θείποορε γνώμῃ ςάσεως εχὶιίρεηὶ Ῥατ. Ο. οἱ Βίτοκῃ. ῬγῸ νΏ]6. γγώμν. δι οοτγοχεσμαὶ Ὠ εἶποςερ5 οί βεηάιιαι νἰδείυν γτ- "ες εἰϊησίως δὰ Ὠϊοάοτν. δίο. 1. τήσεσθθαι. ᾿ ᾿ 88..0ὲ Ζοῦρα ἂς οτἱξ. οἱ τὸ. ΟἈε- 52: ἐξεικάδει ἔδεοίμιε, ᾿δοῦν Ρ. ὅ08." ποῖ. δ3., 88πὶ → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 147 (Krabinger 1:147; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/147). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/147

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 148

148Krabinger 1:148

ΤῊΝ “ολτὸ ἡ οὐδόν δ εαὐτ, φρο ῖ Κατ τὶ ΛΌΓΟΣ. «ΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ, " “ον Ἄρκααι δὲ ὑποσῃμαίψειν ἐνθίνδε τὰ. τῶν, θεῶν,116 ἐπειδὴ πάντα πανταχοῦ πάντων κακῶν ἔμπλεα ἦν, και ἤδη τῇς τῶν. ἀνθρώπων; γνώμῃς ἐξεῤῥύηκε Ὗ δόξα προ γνοίας, τὴς ἀσεβοῦ!. ὑπονοίας ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμιένων μαρτυδρουμένης. ᾿Βφαίγετο μὲν οὐδὲν ὁ) οὐδαμοῦ πρᾶγμα ἂἀν-. θρώπινον ἀλέξημᾳ, τῶν βαρβάρων φςρατοπέδῳ τῇ πόλει χρωμένων. Τῶν δὲ ὅ τε «ρᾳτηγὸ; νύκτωρ ἐδειμιατοῦτο, Ἀορυβάντων, οἶμαι, προ:βαλλόντων. αὐτῷ, καὶ πανικοὶ δ) θόρυβοι μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν «τὸ τράτευμα κατελάμβανον. Τοῦτο πολλάκις γενόμενον ἔκφρονάς τε αὖὐ-

TĒN “olto hē oudon d eaut, phro i Kat ti LOGOS. «EUTEROS, " “on Arkaai de hyposę̄maipsein enthinde ta. tōn, theōn,116 epeidē panta pantachou pantōn kakōn emplea ēn, kai ēdē tę̄s tōn. anthrōpōn? gnōmę̄s exerrhyēke Hy doxa pro gnoias, tēs asebou!. hyponoias ek tōn horōmienōn martydroumenēs. ᾿Bphaigeto men ouden ho) oudamou pragma aan-. thrōpinon alexēmą, tōn barbarōn phsratopedǭ tę̄ polei chrōmenōn. Tōn de ho te «rątēgo? nyktōr edeimiatouto, Aorybantōn, oimai, pro:ballontōn. autǭ, kai panikoi d) thoryboi meth᾽ hēmeran «to trateuma katelambanon. Touto pollakis genomenon ekphronas te auy-

Book Two. From this point the gods began to give signs, since everything everywhere was full of every evil, and belief in providence had already drained out of people's minds, the impious suspicion being borne out by what they saw. Nowhere did any human defence appear, while the barbarians used the city as a camp. But their general was terrified by night — the Corybantes, I suppose, assailing him — and panics seized the army by day. This, happening often, made them

Notes and citation

Summary: Book Two: with faith in providence failing, the gods send night terrors and panics on the barbarian general and his army.

The opening lines of the page are garbled in the OCR; the heading "Book Two" is clear.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 148 (Krabinger 1:148; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/148). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/148

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 149

149Krabinger 1:149

τοὺς ἀποδείκνυσι,, -᾿κἀϊιιγνώμηῃς ἀκράτεϊξ ὁ παὶ περιενόφουνεκαθ᾽ὶ ἔνα, καὶ φατὰ λείην», 'ἄπάμτες ἐοικότες. τοῖς Ψ ᾿νυμιφολήπτοις; νῦν 'μὲν) ξιφουλκίαρ 7}" σπεέϊρώμεένοι, "καὶ οἷον. ἤδη) πολεμησείσῥτες" νῦν δὲ αὖ.. πάλιν. ἐλεεινο-. ὅ λογούμενοι «καὶ "δεόμενοε: σώδεσθαὶϊ". ἀναθορόντες τε ὅ) " ἀὖ, νῦν! μὲν ᾿ξῴκεσαν. φεύγρυσεγὺ νῦν. δὲ διώκουσιν, ὥπερ. εἰς τὸ ἄστυ κεὴῥομμείνθ σινὸς αἀντίσάσέω;. μ᾿λλὰν) αὐτόθι γε. οὔτε ὅπλον;. οὔτε τό’ ρυσθμεενός' ἦν, ἀλλ' ἦσαν ἑτοίμη λεία «παβὰτ υφῶΩωνορι ἔκδατοι. "Ἔτι μὲν 'δὴ τοῦτο. καὶ" λίαν σαφὲς, ὅτι καὶ. τοῖς εὖ -παρεσκευασμέο "ἷν νοις, "εἰκῇ μέλλοιεν) μι άτην παράφκευάσασθαι; θεοῦ ἢ δεῖ, παὶ τὸ ἐρατεῖμ᾽, σὐχν ἑτέρωθεν τοἰτὸ δὲ. εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸν 'ἄμεινον παρεσπευάσμένον πρατεῖν. ἀνοίᾳ κρινόν- ᾿ τῶν ἀφαιρεῖται: τις τὴν ἀξίας τὴν ταἰτίαν τὴν πρείττονα- Ἰ5 Ὅταν γὰρ. καὶ.) τὰ παρ᾽ ἡμὼν τἐντελγ,, περιττὸς ὁ θεὸς “ εἶναί δύκεν, καὶ, »εἰμφαβιεεῖὶ ἱεὐριαἰοηνυκαρεσπενά ἀμείνον, χθῶσι; μηδεμιᾶς αἰτίας προφανεῖ- “᾿ ᾿ "ἐς

tous apodeiknysi,, -᾿kaïiignōmēę̄s akrateïx ho pai perienophounekath᾽i ena, kai phata leiēn», 'apamtes eoikotes. tois Ps ᾿nymipholēptois? nyn 'men) xiphoulkiar 7}" speeïrōmeenoi, "kai hoion. ēdē) polemēseisrhtes" nyn de au.. palin. eleeino-. ho logoumenoi «kai "deomenoe: sōdesthaiï". anathorontes te ho) " au, nyn! men ᾿xǭkesan. pheugrysegy nyn. de diōkousin, hōper. eis to asty keērhommeinth sinos aantisaseō?. m᾿llan) autothi ge. oute hoplon?. oute to’ rysthmeenos' ēn, all' ēsan hetoimē leia «pabat yphōŌōnori ekdatoi. "Eti men 'dē touto. kai" lian saphes, hoti kai. tois eu -pareskeuasmeo "hin nois, "eikę̄ melloien) mi atēn paraphkeuasasthai? theou ē dei, pai to erateim᾽, sychn heterōthen toito de. eikos einai ton 'ameinon parespeuasmenon pratein. anoią krinon- ᾿ tōn aphaireitai: tis tēn axias tēn taitian tēn preittona- I5 Hotan gar. kai.) ta par᾽ hēmōn tentelg,, perittos ho theos “ einai dyken, kai, »eimphabieeii hieuriaioēnykarespena ameinon, chthōsi? mēdemias aitias prophanei- “᾿ ᾿ "es

out of their minds; unable to master their judgment, singly and in a body, they all resembled people possessed by the nymphs: now drawing their swords as though already at war, now again lamenting piteously and begging to be saved; leaping up, now they seemed to flee, now to pursue, as if some rising had broken into the city. Yet there was neither a weapon there nor anyone defending it; they were ready prey, given over to Typhos. This much is very clear: that even those who are well prepared, if they are not to have prepared in vain, need God, and that victory comes from nowhere else. That the better-prepared side is likely to win — those who judge thoughtlessly in this way rob the higher cause of its due. For when our own part is complete, God seems superfluous, and when the better-prepared prevail, with no apparent cause other than …

Notes and citation

Summary: The barbarians, terrified without cause, behaved like madmen; even the well prepared need God, though success hides his part.

The OCR of this page is badly damaged; the translation follows the general sense and is uncertain in details. The last clause runs into Krabinger's apparatus and is incomplete.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ὕει. Β. Μοχ λεία Μο.σητ' "τῷ γὰῤ Πανὶ εἰὠωθεισαν (εϊώ- -᾿ παδὲ}" θὰτ, ΠΟ, 'ίαΔ, ᾿λεῖα “Βα. θέεσαν δι., ἰάηιο θα ἀγεβλῖὶ εἰἰᾶ πὶ.οἱ Οοάᾷ. τοὶϊσ ς Ῥοϊεἰαπμε) ὀῤγιάξειν αἱ γυναῖκες 11.: μέλοιεν Μοη. Α. Τοῦ πα- ἡ μετὰ κραυγῆς, ὅτις ( τὴς Υ ει. ) ῥῥισκευάσθαι Ρατίεβ. ἈΒΌ. εἰ Μοἐξαίφνης ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν γενομένῃ (γι- εἰθέο, παρασκευᾶσθαι ( Ὑιηὰ." νομένῃ. Ῥλτ. 0.) τῇ. τοῦ, θεοῦ κα- -παῤασκενάδεσθαι Ῥατ, ( εἰ Ρίτοκῆν τοχῇ φόβον ἰγείρει τοῖς ἀκούονσιν. 12. ετθα οὐχ ἑτέρωθεν --- τ Ὀ εἶπ᾽ κατελάμβανον μιθ' ἡμέραν. κρατεῖν ΔῸ 4]. πι. π΄ τηδτᾷ. 'μτὸ τράτευμα εχμίθει Ἐὲ]νὰν ᾿ς, Βεῖ ΝΙση. Α. Ῥτο τὸ δὲ Ρεϊανίυν5 Ἑάά. Τύυτη, εἰ θοῖαν; 1, θεὰ δἱ-. βοδρίοόνδιας τῷ δὲ, τῶν δὲ ἢατότ πὶ τογθογαπι ογάἀϊποπη α Ρα4- ρὲ εἰν ἄοει. ἰο Ἐρίνδαν. Ππ ετγαττ. ἰανὶο ἱπ 2. Ἑά. τεσοριυτν ἐοηῆτ- ἴοποηθα, 1835. Ντ. 205. Ρ- 205. τοθοῖ Οοάά, Ραεῖς., ἸΝίΐοπδος. βοβὶ κρατεῖν ἰοροηάμπι νἱάείμτ Ῥίγοἢ. Υἱμά, ο εδη. κατελάμ- δυὶ τῶν ἀνοίᾳ κρινόντων δυϊ ἀνοίᾳ βανεν 95οτὶ δὲ: Βίτοϊ.; - τ κρίνων, Νιίορο, αἀνέᾳ Ρίτο (ἢ. ΜΠ Ύ,,. 153. νἱἡ καὶ νυ]ρ, οἱ Οοἀά. ρνἱυ- -7.. ξιφουζκίαν Ὑἵπά. Ν τὴν ᾧ Ἂν δ τ Ὗ → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 149 (Krabinger 1:149; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/149). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/149

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-149) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 150

150Krabinger 1:150

᾿Δμεσιτεύτου δὲν. ἄντο; τοὺ γιπομένου. υπαὶ μόνου τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχοντος τἀφαναῦρ, οὐδὲν» ἀλλ᾽ ι) «ὧν ἀλπσούντων Η ἐπιμελεῖσθαι". θεοὺ ἀνθρώπων" φαινόμενον ἔχομεν," οὐ οὐ λεγόμενον. ἔλεγχον ὁκοῖον δὺ}:.). τεῖ κἀκεῖνο, ἐγίνετο. ὅ Οἱ θρασεῖς,. οἱ νικῶντεϊ, "ο τεθωρακισμένοι, ὧν ἅπασα καὶ: παιδιὰ 35}. καὲι σπουδὴ, μελίτητεις ἦν πολέμου καὶ παρατάξεως, ἱππεῖς. "ἶν ἀγορᾳαιθυν τάξει. φοιτῶντες, ὑπὸ σάλπιγγι.᾽ "κατὰ λόχους πινούμενοε! καὶ γὰρ εἰ παπήλουν τις δέοιτο, "καὶ: εἴ τις ὑποδηματοῤῥάφου; καὶ εἐ φαιδρῦναι -τὸ, ξίφος,; τὴνιἐκάεου χρείαν. ἅπαντες ἐδοεἰρυφόρουν,. τοῦ μηδὲγιἐν ταῖρ λἀγύιαῖς δίασπᾶσθαι τὴν φάλαγγα’ οὗτοι ττοὐειγυμνοῦν τοὐρἀόπλου!; τοὺς καταπειπτωκότας ἑὰϊρὶ γνώμλιαις,: ιπούγι οὐδὲ εὐδαμένους νικᾷν φυγῇ φεύγοντες ὑπὸ ισύνθημα ποινὸν ἀνεχώρουν Β τοῦ ἄσεος, παῖδαρ;! γυναϊκαρκικαὲ τὰ τιμιώξατα κλέπτοντες, ὡς ᾽5 οὐκ ἐνὸν ι᾿φανερῶς ἱκαΐ τὰρ' Αἰγυπτίων. ἀνδραποῥίξεσθαι, Ταύθ᾽ ἡ πληθὺν ὁρῶντες συσκευαξομένους αὐτοὺς, οὕπῳ. τοῦ, γιμομιένου ξυνίεσαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτε μᾶλλον ἑαυτῶν ἀπίγνωσανι ᾿ ὠμτὲ οἱ μὲν οὀΐϊκσί σφᾶι αὐτοὺς κατἀκλεΐσαντεί εἶ εἶχον, ἐκὲῖ περιμένοντες, τὸ πῦρ᾽ οἵ δὲ πυρὸς σίδηρον. ἀνθαιρούμενοι, θανάτου κουφότερον ὄργανον: ᾿θγόραξον, οὐκ ἐπὲ τινα πρᾶξιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτούς, ὅταν ἡ," προτενοῦντεξ εἰ, τὴν σφαγήν" οἱ δὲ πλεῖν ἐπεβάλλοντο, καὶ περιενόουν νήσον;,, καὶ κώμας, καὶ Γ πόλεις ὑπεροῤίους.. ᾿Εδόκει. γὰρ ἅπαν τότε 'χωρίον ἔχυρώτερον εἶναι τῶν μεγάλων Θηβῶν, ἦν αἷς ἐπεποίητο τή.

᾿Dmesiteutou den. anto? tou gipomenou. ypai monou tēn aitian echontos taphanaur, ouden» all᾽ i) «hōn alpsountōn Ē epimeleisthai". theou anthrōpōn" phainomenon echomen," ou ou legomenon. elenchon hokoion dy}:.). tei kakeino, egineto. ho Hoi thraseis,. hoi nikōnteï, "o tethōrakismenoi, hōn hapasa kai: paidia 35}. kaei spoudē, melitēteis ēn polemou kai parataxeōs, hippeis. "in agorąaithyn taxei. phoitōntes, hypo salpingi.᾽ "kata lochous pinoumenoe! kai gar ei papēloun tis deoito, "kai: ei tis hypodēmatorrhaphou? kai ee phaidrynai -to, xiphos,? tēniekaeou chreian. hapantes edoeiryphoroun,. tou mēdegien tair laguiais diaspasthai tēn phalanga’ houtoi ttoueigymnoun touraoplou!? tous katapeiptōkotas heaïri gnōmliais,: ipougi oude eudamenous nikąn phygę̄ pheugontes hypo isynthēma poinon anechōroun B tou aseos, paidar?! gynaïkarkikae ta timiōxata kleptontes, hōs ᾽5 ouk enon i᾿phanerōs hikaï tar' Aigyptiōn. andraporhixesthai, Tauth᾽ hē plēthyn horōntes syskeuaxomenous autous, houpǭ. tou, gimomienou xyniesan, all᾽ ete mallon heautōn apignōsani ᾿ ōmte hoi men ooïïksi sphai autous katakleïsantei ei eichon, ekei perimenontes, to pyr᾽ hoi de pyros sidēron. anthairoumenoi, thanatou kouphoteron organon: ᾿thgoraxon, ouk epe tina praxin, all᾽ heautous, hotan hē," protenountex ei, tēn sphagēn" hoi de plein epeballonto, kai perienooun nēson?,, kai kōmas, kai G poleis hyperorious.. ᾿Edokei. gar hapan tote 'chōrion echyrōteron einai tōn megalōn Thēbōn, ēn hais epepoiēto tē.

But when what happens has no intermediary and has only the invisible cause, we have nothing but a visible, not merely spoken, proof that gods care for human beings. Of this kind was what happened then. The bold, the victorious, the armoured men, whose every game and every serious pursuit was practice for war and battle, who went to the marketplace in cavalry order and moved by companies at the trumpet — for if one of them needed a huckster or a cobbler, or wanted his sword polished, all went armed for each man's need, so that the phalanx might not be broken up in the streets — these men, who had disarmed people already fallen in spirit, though no one even dreamed of defeating them, fled in flight at a common signal and withdrew from the city, stealing away children, wives and their most precious things, as though it were impossible to plunder openly even the Egyptians' goods. The people, seeing them packing up, did not yet understand what was happening, but despaired of themselves still more; some shut themselves in their houses just as they were, waiting there for the fire; others, choosing iron instead of fire as a lighter instrument of death, bought it, not for any deed but to offer themselves to the slaughter when it came; others set about sailing away and thought of islands, villages and cities beyond the borders. For any place then seemed safer than great Thebes, in which

Notes and citation

Summary: The invincible barbarian army suddenly packed up and slipped out of the city; the terrified citizens expected a massacre.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): δὲ τι ΡίτΟΚΙ “10 Π 47. φάϊδρύναι Οοᾶά,, αἱ Ἐαά. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 150 (Krabinger 1:150; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/150). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/150

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 151

151Krabinger 1:151

τὰ Αἰγυπτίων βασίλεια. " “0 δὲ καὶ μόλις αὐτοὺς καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ. προιήγαγόν "οἱ θέοὶ τειῷ"" τειβ χερεῦσὰαν τοῖς: γινομένοις, τῷ τε" ἀναθαῤῥήσανταρ σρεμλίαθζα σώι ἀισθαῖ, τοῦτο. -καὶ͵ "λίὰν ᾿ἀπιρον᾽ εἰ. "ἀκοὴν ἔρχέεατ,. ΩΣ, : ( πέπ τῶν ἀρτὰ φοσθα ὦ,,; ΐ. 3. ΗΝ «4. νι ὁ ἥτν ἉΤΙυνὴ πένης, μάλε πρμαβώεα, ")ροιπαρᾷ. εἰνα "τῶν, πλαγίων. πυλῶν ἐργασίαν ἐἶχεν »; οὐκιευτυχῆῇ. μὲν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναγκαίαν, τὼ χεῖρε. ὀρέγειν, εἴ τις :ἐμβάλοιτο. ὀβολόν: Ὁ Αὐτὴ μὲν μάλα ὄρθριος ἐπὶιτὴν, ἀγυρτεκήν. καθέδραν ἀφῖκτο,". δειναὶ, γὰρ αἱ τοῦ βίου, χρεῖαι. φύσιν. τὕπνου χαραλογίσασθαι" καθεξομένῳ ὧλ δὲ, απὸ εἰκόρ ἐποίεις πού. διεγειρομένους ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα προὐπέμπεν ἀγαθαῖς φήμακφῥ(, καὶ τὴν. ἡμέραν εὐγγγελίξεεο,, καὶ γύχετο, καὶ. τὸν θεὸν. ὑπισχνεῖερ. ἴλεωβ..: ΠόῤῥωἹθεν. οὖν ὁρῶσα -τὸ -δρώμενον. ὑπὸ τῶν Σκυθῶν, ἐπειδὰ σαφῶρ υἡμέβα. τεῖ ὧν, καὶ: 1ὅ αὐδὲν, ἔληγον, ὥπερ οἱ φῶρες,""ἐκθέοντερ"παὶοερξθέοντερ,. πάντες. σκευαγωγοῦντες; ἐνθύμιον “ποιεῖται τοῦτον ἔσχατον ἡλιον: ὄψεσθαι Θύήβα;... “Ιράσθαὶ: γὰρ ταῦτας τοῦ μηδὲν ἐνέχυρον, αὐτῶν. ἔχειν τὸ: ἄξυ,. ὥξεε, ἐπειδὰν τάχιτὰ ἀποσκῃνώσωδιε, χειρῶν. ἀδίκωμ᾽ ἄρξειν (αὐτοὺςς ἀδεεῖς, ὁμτὰς τοῦ. μή: τι: παραπολαύφίωσιμι, ὁμείων: ὄν. τῶν -τοῖς ἀδιπουμένοιρ ξῶν ἀδικούντων εὸν (τε: "οὖν.}.) δ, ᾿᾽ ᾿

ta Aigyptiōn basileia. " “0 de kai molis autous kai kata brachy. proiēgagon "hoi theoi teiǭ"" teib chereusaan tois: ginomenois, tǭ te" anatharrhēsantar sremliathza sōi aisthai, touto. -kai͵ "lian ᾿apiron᾽ ei. "akoēn ercheeat,. ŌS, : ( pep tōn arta phostha ō,,? ï. 3. ĒN «4. ni ho hētn HaTIynē penēs, male prmabōea, ")roiparą. eina "tōn, plagiōn. pylōn ergasian eichen »? oukieutychēę̄. men, all᾽ anankaian, tō cheire. oregein, ei tis :embaloito. obolon: Ho Autē men mala orthrios epiitēn, agyrtekēn. kathedran aphikto,". deinai, gar hai tou biou, chreiai. physin. typnou charalogisasthai" kathexomenǭ hōl de, apo eikor epoieis pou. diegeiromenous epi ta erga proupempen agathais phēmakphrh(, kai tēn. hēmeran eunngelixeeo,, kai gycheto, kai. ton theon. hypischneier. ileōb..: PorrhōIthen. oun horōsa -to -drōmenon. hypo tōn Skythōn, epeida saphōr hyēmeba. tei hōn, kai: 1ho auden, elēgon, hōper hoi phōres,""ektheonter"paioerxtheonter,. pantes. skeuagōgountes? enthymion “poieitai touton eschaton hēlion: opsesthai Thyēba?... “Irasthai: gar tautas tou mēden enechyron, autōn. echein to: axy,. hōxee, epeidan tachita aposkę̄nōsōdie, cheirōn. adikōm᾽ arxein (autouss adeeis, homtas tou. mē: ti: parapolauphiōsimi, homeiōn: on. tōn -tois adipoumenoir xōn adikountōn eon (te: "oun.}.) d, ᾿᾽ ᾿

the palace of the Egyptians had been built. The gods led them on only slowly and little by little … A poor woman, very old, used to sit beside one of the side gates and had a trade, not a fortunate one but a necessary one: to stretch out her hands in case anyone dropped in an obol. She had come very early to her beggar's seat — for the needs of life are terrible at cheating nature of sleep — and as she sat she would, as one does, send off those who were rousing themselves for their work with words of good omen, announcing the good news of the day, praying, and promising that God would be gracious. Seeing from a distance what the Scythians were doing, since it was now clear day and they did not stop, running out and running back like thieves, all carrying baggage, she took it to heart that this was the last sun on which she would see Thebes. For she supposed they were doing this so as to leave nothing of theirs in the city as a pledge, so that as soon as they had moved out they might begin their unjust deeds without fear of losing anything, when …

Notes and citation

Summary: An old beggar woman at a city gate sees the Goths secretly carrying their goods out and fears the city's ruin.

Several lines of this page are badly garbled in the OCR (one line is unreadable and left out); the translation follows the general sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: stray characters at the foot of the page): ν Γί ἴ., »ῃ, μ ΠΕΣ ὁ Ι → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 151 (Krabinger 1:151; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/151). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/151

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-151) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 152

152Krabinger 1:152

κώθῳγα “τὸν, ἀργυρολόγον 'ἀνατρέψασα Ὗ,. καὶ, συχνὰ ἄττα ἀποδυραμένῃ.τε’ καὶ «θεοκλυτήύσασα, ἀλλ᾽ ὑμᾷς γε. ἔφη», γε πατρῴας ἐκπεπτῳκότας καὶ ἀλητεύοντας, ἐδέξατο, μὲν. ᾿Αϊγυπεο; ὡς ἱκέτας" ἐχρήσατο δὲ οὐχ, ὅσὸν ὅ μόνον ἱκέται; εἶχε καλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολιτείας ἠξίωσε, καὶ γερῶν μετέδωκε, καὶ, τὸ τελευταῖον δὴ τοῦτο, κυρίους τῶν πραγμάτων' ἐποίησεν..!“Ὡ{τε ἤδη τινὲς Αἰγυπείων. σκυθίξουσιν", "ὠφιλούσης. αὐτοὺς καὶ τῇς προιτἰποιήσεω;.". Αὐτὰν τὰ ὑμέτερα' τῶν ἐπιχωρίων " ἐπιτιμό. τερα.. ᾿Αλλὰ τί ταῦτα "τὶ μετασκηνοῦτε; τί δὲ σκευαγωγεῖτε καὶ: συσκευάδεσθε; Οὗτι που ταῦτα ἐπὶ τοὺ εὐεργέτας δικάδουσιν. ἀχαριείᾳ θεοί. αὶ γὰρ εἰσὶ, καὶ ὑἡξουσιν, «εἰς καὶ κατόπιν Θηβῶν. Ἢ.μὲν εεἰκοῦσα πρηνῇ κατέβαλεν ἑαυτήν. ᾿Εφίταται δὲ τις δ) Σαύθης Ιδ τὴν κοπίδα σπασάμενος, ὡς ἀπαράξων. τῇ, ἀνθρώπου. τὴν. κεφαλὴν, ὃν. λοιδορεῖσθαι τε ὑπετόπασε καὶ κα-Ο ᾿ταφανὲς. ποιῆσαι: τὸ νυκτερινὸν ἔργον. "Ώιετο' γὰρ ἕτι., λανθάνοντας. αὐτὸ δρᾷν,. ἐπεὶ μηδεὶς τῶν ἡσθημένων εὔτολμος ἦν ἰξελέγχειν" καὶ ἡ μὲν ἔργον ἂν «ἐγεγόνει σιδύρου.. "Ἐπιφαίνέται δὲ τις, εἴτε θεὸς, εἴτε. κατὰ θεόν" ἑωρᾶτο «δ᾽ οὖν ἄνθρωπο;,. ὃς ἀγανακτῶν τε δῆλος ἐγένετο, καὶ κινήσας ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν. τὸν Σκύθην, “ἐπιφερομέ- ᾿ νῷ τε "ὑπαντιάδει" καὶ τὴν πληγὴν φθάσας, συναίρει. τε καὶ καταβάλλει. Σκύθη; ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἄλλο,, καὶ ταχὺ Ὦ

kōthǭga “ton, argyrologon 'anatrepsasa Hy,. kai, sychna atta apodyramenę̄.te’ kai «theoklytēusasa, all᾽ hymąs ge. ephē», ge patrǭas ekpeptǭkotas kai alēteuontas, edexato, men. ᾿Aïgypeo? hōs hiketas" echrēsato de ouch, hoson ho monon hiketai? eiche kalōs, alla kai politeias ēxiōse, kai gerōn metedōke, kai, to teleutaion dē touto, kyrious tōn pragmatōn' epoiēsen..!“Hō{te ēdē tines Aigypeiōn. skythixousin", "ōphilousēs. autous kai tę̄s proitipoiēseō?.". Autan ta hymetera' tōn epichōriōn " epitimo. tera.. ᾿Alla ti tauta "ti metaskēnoute? ti de skeuagōgeite kai: syskeuadesthe? Houti pou tauta epi tou euergetas dikadousin. acharieią theoi. ai gar eisi, kai hyēxousin, «eis kai katopin Thēbōn. Ē.men eeikousa prēnę̄ katebalen heautēn. ᾿Ephitatai de tis d) Sauthēs Id tēn kopida spasamenos, hōs aparaxōn. tę̄, anthrōpou. tēn. kephalēn, hon. loidoreisthai te hypetopase kai ka-O ᾿taphanes. poiēsai: to nykterinon ergon. "Ōieto' gar heti., lanthanontas. auto drąn,. epei mēdeis tōn hēsthēmenōn eutolmos ēn ixelenchein" kai hē men ergon an «egegonei sidyrou.. "Epiphainetai de tis, eite theos, eite. kata theon" heōrato «d᾽ oun anthrōpo?,. hos aganaktōn te dēlos egeneto, kai kinēsas eph᾽ heauton. ton Skythēn, “epipherome- ᾿ nǭ te "hypantiadei" kai tēn plēgēn phthasas, synairei. te kai kataballei. Skythē? ep᾽ auton allo,, kai tachy Ō

she overturned her money-cup, and after much wailing and calling on the gods, "But you," she said, "who were driven from your fathers' land and were wandering, Egypt received as suppliants; and she treated you not only as was fitting for suppliants, but thought you worthy of citizenship, shared her honours with you, and last of all made you masters of affairs — so that some Egyptians already play the Scythian, since the pretence even pays. Your ways are held in more honour than the natives'. But why these things? Why are you moving out? Why are you packing and carrying off your goods? Surely the gods do not judge in favour of ingratitude toward benefactors. For they exist, and they will come, even behind Thebes." Having said this, she threw herself face down. A Scythian stood over her with his knife drawn to strike off the woman's head, suspecting that she was reviling them and exposing the night's work; for he thought they were still doing it unnoticed, since none of those who had seen it dared to expose it. And she would have been the iron's work. But someone appeared, whether a god or one sent by a god — at any rate a man was seen, who was plainly indignant; drawing the Scythian upon himself, he met him as he rushed on, forestalled the blow, seized him and threw him down. Another Scythian went at him, and quickly

Notes and citation

Summary: The old woman reproaches the Goths for their ingratitude; a Goth moves to kill her, but a stranger, perhaps divine, overpowers him.

The old woman's speech recalls that the Goths were received into the empire as refugees and given land, rank and command.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): γρ. ἀπορρίψασα.᾽ ᾿ ἀπόρί- 7. εἰ Νῖοτι. Ὁ. Ῥτοχίπιε κατέ- → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 152 (Krabinger 1:152; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/152). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/152

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-152) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 153

153Krabinger 1:153

τὸ. αὐτὸ -ἐπεπόνθει. Βοῃ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν Ὁ καὶ συνθέουσιν' ἄνθρῳποι" τοῦτο μὲν βάρβαροι » τοὺς σκευᾳγωγούν, ἡμιόνους ἀφέντε,, ὅσους ὁ καιρὸϊ πρὸς, ἱξόδῳ. κατείλῃφεν, ὅτοι μέλλοντες, ἢ προεξελθόντες" ἀνέλμον, γάρ, δ ὡς δι᾽ ἐλαχίεξου τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀρήξοντες.; τοῦτο δὲ ὅμα- δος; δήμου, πολὺς. ὦν;,.τό, μὲν τις ἀποθνύσκει πλυγεὶζν ὁ δὲ ἀποκτείνει “Σκύθον, καὶ τὸν ἀποκτείναντα ΕΝ αὖ Σικῦθη! ἄλλος, καὶ ἀεὶ τις ἔπιπτε,. καὶ εὐ ιξις ἔκτειγεν, ἀφ᾽ «ἑκατέρας. μερίδος.. Τῷ. γὰρ δήμῳ καὶ τὸ παρατυς, χὰν ἅπαμ, ἰὅπλον͵ ἦν ἀναγκαῖον. ᾽ν δὲ αὐτῷ, καὶ. τοὺς κειμένους σκυλεύρντι χρῆσθαι τοῖς, ξίφεσι, «αὶ ῥὼν γι των παραιρουμίνῳ". πλήθει, γὰρ περιὴν γτῶν͵ ἀλλρφύλων, τῶν λιὲν' ἐσρατοπεδευκότων ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω͵ ") τρῦ ἄξεος,. ὡς. ἂν ἤκιτα, φοβοῖντο. τὸν λόχον, ὃν οὐκ ἄνεα αὐτοῖς “ὁ θεὸς ἀνεσείσατο, τοῦ μεθεῖναι τὴν πόλιν, ἣν μέσην εἶχον ἐν ταῖμ. χεροῖν" οἱ δὲ, μερὶς ἐλάττων. ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν τοῦ πλήθους;, ἀμφὶ τὰ ἔπιπλα. εἶχον, τοῦ μηδὲν ἐγκαταλειφθῆναι. Πολλαπλάσιοι οὖν, ὧι " εἶχον, ἐλάττοσιν αὐτῶν συνεφέροντο τοῖς παρατυχοῦσιν ἀγχοῦ τῶν πυλῶν, καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ προιγινομένοις ᾽) ὡς ἐπὶ. ἔξοδον. "᾿Ηιρετὸ τε ἡ βοὴ μείξων, καὶ τὰ τῶν Β θεῶν ἐνταῦθα δὴ καὶ σαφῶς διάδηλα γίνεται. ᾿Ἐπειδὴ.

to. auto -epeponthei. Boę̄ to enteuthen Ho kai syntheousin' anthrǭpoi" touto men barbaroi » tous skeuągōgoun, hēmionous aphente,, hosous ho kairoï pros, hixodǭ. kateilę̄phen, hotoi mellontes, ē proexelthontes" anelmon, gar, d hōs di᾽ elachiexou tois oikeiois arēxontes.? touto de homa- dos? dēmou, polys. ōn?,.to, men tis apothnyskei plygeizn ho de apokteinei “Skython, kai ton apokteinanta EN au Sikythē! allos, kai aei tis epipte,. kai eu ixis ekteigen, aph᾽ «hekateras. meridos.. Tǭ. gar dēmǭ kai to paratys, chan hapam, hioplon͵ ēn anankaion. ᾽n de autǭ, kai. tous keimenous skyleurnti chrēsthai tois, xiphesi, «ai rhōn gi tōn parairouminǭ". plēthei, gar periēn gtōn͵ allrphylōn, tōn lien' esratopedeukotōn hōs porrhōtatō͵ ") try axeos,. hōs. an ēkita, phobointo. ton lochon, hon ouk anea autois “ho theos aneseisato, tou metheinai tēn polin, hēn mesēn eichon en taim. cheroin" hoi de, meris elattōn. ana tēn polin tou plēthous?, amphi ta epipla. eichon, tou mēden enkataleiphthēnai. Pollaplasioi oun, hōi " eichon, elattosin autōn synepheronto tois paratychousin anchou tōn pylōn, kai tois aei proiginomenois ᾽) hōs epi. exodon. "᾿Ēireto te hē boē meixōn, kai ta tōn B theōn entautha dē kai saphōs diadēla ginetai. ᾿Epeidē.

suffered the same. From then on there was shouting, and people came running together: on one side barbarians, the baggage-carriers, letting go of the mules — as many as the moment of departure had caught, whether about to leave or already gone ahead; for they came back to help their own as quickly as they could; on the other a crowd of the people, a large one. One man is struck and dies, another kills a Scythian, and another Scythian kills the killer; on each side someone was always falling and someone killing. For the people any chance thing was a weapon of necessity; and they could strip the fallen and use their swords, which they took from them. For they were far more numerous than the foreigners: the main body had camped as far from the city as possible, so as to have the least fear of an ambush — a fear the god had not stirred up in them for nothing, to make them let go of the city they held in their hands — while the rest, the smaller part of the host, were up and down the city looking after their belongings so that nothing should be left behind. So the people, many times their number, fell on fewer of them: those who happened to be near the gates, and those who kept arriving to leave. The shout grew louder, and here the gods' part became clearly manifest. For

Notes and citation

Summary: A brawl breaks out at the gates; the citizens, far more numerous, fight the Goths who were still carrying their goods out.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): - {2. τοιντιῦθεν Νῖοπ, Δ. πα ἱὴὰ, 7. ἐν, αυδὰ ἴή Ιἴρτοὸ Ὑιηὰ. Ιπ Φε44. μὲν οροτροτίριυσ, ε51 ἶι!. δηδίυεη εἰἴ εχ αὐς οὐ αἱ Ορά ἃ. Μοη. Ὁ. Νίοχ τὰς σκευαγωγοὺς, οη. ΒΟ. Μοχ οἵδε εχθιδὶ ἴα, μιόνους εχδίθεηιϊ Οοά, Ῥατίθς. Ἑὰά, Τυγη. εἰ Ρεῖαν,, 1., εἱ ἴα ον ος, ἱηά. ὁ6644. ἐγκαταληφθῆναι ἴῃ Ρίτοκ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 153 (Krabinger 1:153; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/153). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/153

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-153) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 154

154Krabinger 1:154

γάρ' ἐυδλν τοῦ θορύβου τῆν' 'τὲὶ πόλιν," ὁπόση "τὸ μέ: ἡ 5δρ᾽, ἐπέσχὲ, ἱκαϊ᾿ εἰς τὸ ἐράτευμα' τῶν ἃ ἀλλόφύλων ΕΝ ἑκάτεροι. χούρ' ἑτέρους πάλαι' ᾿δεδιόξεν, "ὡς ἐκϊθηδο μένουν," ποῦ δήμου μὲν ἀνὴρ 'ἕκατος," "ταύτην ἐκείνῃ" ᾿οἰδλιενοι. ἀϊ τὴν κυρίαν" ῥπέραν᾽ Αἰγύκτῷῳ, ᾿καθ᾽ " ἡν ᾿ἀκἐβυθριᾶδατ τοῖν βαρβάροιξ, συνΐκειτο; "γνώμην ἔποιοὔντο᾽ δρῶντες τὶ καὶ πάθεῖν, "καὶ σχεῖν' ἐνέάφιον ἀρεῖ τῆν" ὡΣ ἐδύγέ᾽ αὐ παθεῖν" οὐδὲ θεός ἄν" ἔδοξεν. ἐγ Ὁ γυητὴν ἀξιόπιξόξος ὑἹιωθοῦντο᾽ οὖν ἅπαντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἀεὶ - 10, φαβαξτόλενον," ἀὐτόξ' τὶν ἕκαξος ἐἶναὶ βουλόμενος, οἰόμε- Ι νδ!" "κέῤδανεϊΐν," εἶ διακινδυνεύσειεν ὑπολειπομένων ἔνε μἰἀρεύρων:" "Οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ τήν" τε ἔξοδον. ἐκεκλόφε: σαν, 'καῖ 'κεφώρᾶσθαι γομίσἄντεν, ᾿τῶν αὲν' ἐγκατα: λὲλέϊμ μένων" γαΐλουν" καίτοι πεμπλημδριᾶ που μάλιξα τοῦ τῤὰατεύματος ἦν" αὐτοῖ δὲ περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν ᾿δεῖσαν. τὲς, μὴ ἐπεξέλθοιέν οἱ ᾿πολέμισι", ᾿φυγὶὴν ἐποιοῦντο, καὶ ᾿'ποῤῥωξέρω τρατολεδεύόύσι;" 'χάριν εἰδότες, 'ὅτι τῷ ἢ πλείονι.35γ. περιἐσώθήδανι τιῷ "παντὶ. κινδυνεῦσαι μελλῆσαντε: “Τῶν 'δὲ' ἐγκαταλεϊφθένέων ὁἱΐ μὲν ἕν. ταῖς. οἰκίαις, καὶ οὗτόι διὰ τὸ “πάλαι θεοπληγεῖς τὲ εἶναι καὶ εὕποπτοι διίσεσθαι κύθας ὑπὸ αἰγυπτίων κακὸν ᾿ἀνήκέσον, ἐπιδρομήν τε" ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐξελθόντα, ὧς ἐπὶ φυγάς δας, ᾧοντο γεγονέναι, καὶ αὐτίκα. διαρπασθήσεαθαι τὸ “ῥατόπεδονν σφίσι' ἰδὲ ὀφελθρι ἄν » γενίσθαι κατὰ. χώραν

gar' eudln tou thorybou tēn' 'tei polin," hoposē "to me: hē 5dr᾽, epesche, hikaï᾿ eis to erateuma' tōn ha allophylōn EN hekateroi. chour' heterous palai' ᾿dedioxen, "hōs ekïthēdo menoun," pou dēmou men anēr 'hekatos," "tautēn ekeinę̄" ᾿oidlienoi. aï tēn kyrian" rhperan᾽ Aigyktǭǭ, ᾿kath᾽ " hēn ᾿akebythriadat toin barbaroix, synïkeito? "gnōmēn epoiounto᾽ drōntes ti kai pathein, "kai schein' eneaphion arei tēn" hōS edyge᾽ au pathein" oude theos an" edoxen. eg Ho gyētēn axiopixoxos huIiōthounto᾽ oun hapantes epi to aei - 10, phabaxtolenon," autox' tin hekaxos einai boulomenos, oiome- I nd!" "kerdaneïïn," ei diakindyneuseien hypoleipomenōn ene miareurōn:" "Hoi barbaroi de tēn" te exodon. ekeklophe: san, 'kai 'kephōrasthai gomisanten, ᾿tōn aen' enkata: leleïm menōn" gaïloun" kaitoi pemplēmdria pou malixa tou traateumatos ēn" autoi de peri sphōn autōn ᾿deisan. tes, mē epexelthoien hoi ᾿polemisi", ᾿phygiēn epoiounto, kai ᾿'porrhōxerō tratoledeuousi?" 'charin eidotes, 'hoti tǭ ē pleioni.35g. periesōthēdani tiǭ "panti. kindyneusai mellēsante: “Tōn 'de' enkataleïphtheneōn hoiï men hen. tais. oikiais, kai houtoi dia to “palai theoplēgeis te einai kai heupoptoi diisesthai kythas hypo aigyptiōn kakon ᾿anēkeson, epidromēn te" epi tous exelthonta, hōs epi phygas das, hǭonto gegonenai, kai autika. diarpasthēseathai to “rhatopedonn sphisi' ide ophelthri an » genisthai kata. chōran

when the uproar inside the city, however great it was, reached the army of the foreigners as well, each side had long feared the other as plotting. Every man of the people thought this was the appointed day on which Egypt was to be handed over to the barbarians, as had been agreed, and resolved to act and to suffer and to have valour as his burial shroud, rather than suffer what not even a god could have thought fit. So all were driven toward whatever was being done, each wanting to be in it himself, thinking it gain to risk his life while the barbarians were left … The barbarians had stolen out; and thinking they had been found out, they gave up those left behind for lost — though that was perhaps a large part of the army — and fearing for themselves, lest the enemy should come out against them, they fled and encamped farther off, grateful to have saved the larger part when they had been about to risk the whole. Of those left behind, some were in houses; these, because they had long been god-struck and full of suspicion, thought that the Scythians outside were suffering some irremediable evil at the hands of the Egyptians, that a sally had been made against those who had left as against fugitives, and that their camp would at once be plundered; and they thought it would help them to stay where they were

Notes and citation

Summary: Each side suspects a plot; the Goths outside flee farther off, while those trapped inside imagine their army destroyed.

The OCR of this page is badly damaged; the translation follows the general sense and is uncertain in details.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΒΟ, εἰ Ρίτονη. αὶ απο σανίᾳ Ρ. ἴι Ῥατ. λοῦ.. τἰδύκαν Ι δάρτα ἰἴα. ἰπθοτζωτη ἢ εοἰ ἰᾳ Υἱπὰ. Ρίγοι ἢ, μά, Υἱηᾷ. (ΟΕ. Βοίςφοί. παᾶῖμ4 ἴπ Νοιίέον ἀφο 1νολγεβ ἴπ- → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 154 (Krabinger 1:154; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/154). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/154

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 155

155Krabinger 1:155

αὐτοῦ μένουσιν) κεἰ τὰ τε ὅπλα καταθεῖντο, καὶ ἱκέται παθίδοινξτο". δόξαι γὰρ ἂν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ μόνους ὑπολελεῖφθαι; τῷ μηδὲντ κακὸν εἰργάσθαι τὰ Αἰγυπτίων" ἐκείνου! δὲ΄ οὗ ιἐδεδράκεσαν,, τὸ καθεὶν ἔνδικα φοβηθέν-. ταῦ, ἐκσήναι" τοῦ! “ἄςξεο, Μόνοι δὲ ἄρα’ οἱ παρατυχόντες ταῖς πύλαις, καὶ περὶ οὖς ἦν τὸ δεινὸν, ἠπίεταν. το τὠληθὲρ, ὅτε, μηδὲν ἦν. καρτερὸν. Αἰγυκτίοιγ συντεταγμένον, οὐχ΄ ὁπλίτη,,; οὐχ ὅπλον, οὐκ ἀκοντιξῆς, οὐκ. ἀκόντιον." ᾿Ποιοῦνται δὲ γνώμην ᾿ ἐκ τῶν παρόνἑῶν,, τὸ δύναιντο,,. πρατήσαντες τῶν πυλῶν, εἰκαλίσαε". ᾿'τοὐριῇμάτην. πεφοϊβὴμένου;" ἀναρπασθῆναι γὰρ' ὅλην, ὥιπερ' νεοττιὰν, τὴν πόλιν. Ἑαὶ συνίταται μάχῃ περὶ ἀὐύτῇ, 'καρτερὰ, ἐν ἡ -ἀρατοῦσιν Αἰγύπτιοι" καὶ “ἐπινίπιον. ταιανίδουσι. "ΧἹέο) ἄλλο τοῦτο τοῖρ' τε΄ εἰσω καὶ 1ὅ τοῖς ἔξω βαρβάροις;. Ζ:απεπράχθαι γάρ ὥοντο᾽ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τὸ ἔργον οὗτοί τε εἰς ἐκείνους, καὶ εἰς τούτους ἐκεῖνοι, ὥςτε ἀλλήλους ἐπῴμῳδον", οὐδὲ φθάνουσιν οἱ πεπρατηκότες ᾿θύρας. τε ἁπάσα: ἐπιθέντες. ἀπά. σαις πύλαις" οὐ μικρὸν ἔργον ἐν Θήβαι" ἑκατομιπύλου; αὐτὰς “Ἕλληνε: ἄδουσι" καί τις τῶν “μεταάχόντων τοῦ περὶ τὰς πύλας ἀγῶνος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο διαδραμὼν ἐκ μέσων τῶν ὕλλων, ἐξαγγέλλει. τε καὶ, ὑπισχνεῖται τοῖς

autou menousin) kei ta te hopla katatheinto, kai hiketai pathidoinxto". doxai gar an. dia touto kai monous hypoleleiphthai? tǭ mēdent kakon eirgasthai ta Aigyptiōn" ekeinou! de΄ hou iededrakesan,, to kathein endika phobēthen-. tau, eksēnai" tou! “asxeo, Monoi de ara’ hoi paratychontes tais pylais, kai peri ous ēn to deinon, ēpietan. to tōlēther, hote, mēden ēn. karteron. Aigyktioig syntetagmenon, ouch΄ hoplitē,,? ouch hoplon, ouk akontixēs, ouk. akontion." ᾿Poiountai de gnōmēn ᾿ ek tōn paroneōn,, to dynainto,,. pratēsantes tōn pylōn, eikalisae". ᾿'tourię̄matēn. pephoïbēmenou?" anarpasthēnai gar' holēn, hōiper' neottian, tēn polin. Heai synitatai machę̄ peri auytę̄, 'kartera, en hē -aratousin Aigyptioi" kai “epinipion. taianidousi. "ChIeo) allo touto toir' te΄ eisō kai 1ho tois exō barbarois?. Z:apeprachthai gar hōonto᾽ tois Aigyptiois to ergon houtoi te eis ekeinous, kai eis toutous ekeinoi, hōste allēlous epǭmǭdon", oude phthanousin hoi pepratēkotes ᾿thyras. te hapasa: epithentes. apa. sais pylais" ou mikron ergon en Thēbai" hekatomipylou? autas “Hellēne: adousi" kai tis tōn “metaachontōn tou peri tas pylas agōnos ep᾽ auto touto diadramōn ek mesōn tōn hyllōn, exangellei. te kai, hypischneitai tois

and lay down their arms and sit as suppliants; for it would seem that they alone had stayed behind because they had done no harm to the Egyptians, while the others, fearing to suffer justly for what they had done, had left the city. Only those at the gates, around whom the danger was, knew the truth: that nothing strong was drawn up on the Egyptian side, no hoplite, no weapon, no javelin-man, no javelin. They resolve, as things stood, to master the gates if they could and call back those who had fled in groundless fear; for the whole city could be snatched up like a nest. A fierce battle is joined over it, in which the Egyptians win and sing a paean of victory. This was another blow to the barbarians inside and outside alike: each thought the Egyptians had finished off the other — these thought it of those, and those of these — so that they mourned each other. The victors lost no time in fitting doors to all the gates — no small task in Thebes; the Greeks sing of it as "hundred-gated" — and one of those who had taken part in the fight at the gates ran out from among the arms for this very purpose, reported it, and promised the

Notes and citation

Summary: Only the Goths at the gates knew the city was undefended; the citizens won the fight for the gates and shut them.

"Hundred-gated": the Homeric epithet of Egyptian Thebes (Iliad 9.383).

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 9.383 (Homer, Iliad; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 155 (Krabinger 1:155; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/155). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/155

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-155) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 156

156Krabinger 1:156

Σκύθαι; τὴν. πόλιν" οἱ δὲ μάτην. παρῦφαν,, ἑνὶ καιρῷ τὸν τύχην ἐπαινέσαντες καὶ μεμψάμενος... Τέως ιμὲν Ο, γὰρ ὧς ἔξω γεγονάτες. δικτύων. τό.γε ὡνρκῴεῖ ὑπεὶ ρθδοντο" ἔπειτα μὲν τοι: καὶ υδιαῤῥαγᾷναι." 4} τοῦ 'τεί: ἤχους ἠξίωσαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πάλιν ἐπιβατεῦσαι. τοῦ, ιἄτεορε ζ Οὕτως ἄμαχον χρῆμα «σοφία.«θεοῦ,.»καὶ οὔτε ὅπλον ἰσχυρὸν, οὔτε νοῦς εὐμήχανος, ὅτῳ" μὴ, πορέίῃ 'θεόρι “Ὧγτε. ἢδη) τινὲς ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτούς. ἐσρατήγησανς : καί, μοι δοκεὶ παγκάλως.εἰρῇῦσθαι θεοῦ, παίγνιον οἱ ἄνθῥω πὸν, εἶναι, παίξοντο; ἀεὶ τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ πεττεύουτοι Ὁ)" 0} “μηρόν. τε ρἶμαι. τοῦτοι: πρῶτον. Ελλήνων. “κατανοή.} ὅαντα, «ποιῆσαι μὲν ἀγῶνα καὶ,ἦθλα.-: προθεῖϊναὶ,. παντοίας ἀγωνίας. ἐπὶ Πὰτρόκλῳ κειμένῳ" ἐν ἄπαντι") δὲ μειονεκτοῦσιν οἱ κρατήσειν. ἐπιδοξότεροι... Τεύκρρες Ιθ ἀσήμου τοξότου τὰ δευτερεῖα κομίξεται, καὶ!.,

Skythai? tēn. polin" hoi de matēn. paryphan,, heni kairǭ ton tychēn epainesantes kai mempsamenos... Teōs imen O, gar hōs exō gegonates. diktyōn. to.ge hōnrkǭei hypei rthdonto" epeita men toi: kai ydiarrhagąnai." 4} tou 'tei: ēchous ēxiōsan hyper tou palin epibateusai. tou, iateore z Houtōs amachon chrēma «sophia.«theou,.»kai oute hoplon ischyron, oute nous eumēchanos, hotǭ" mē, poreię̄ 'theori “Hōgte. ēdē) tines eph᾽ heautous. esratēgēsans : kai, moi dokei pankalōs.eirę̄usthai theou, paignion hoi anthrhō pon, einai, paixonto? aei tois pragmasi kai petteuoutoi Ho)" 0} “mēron. te rimai. toutoi: prōton. Ellēnōn. “katanoē.} hoanta, «poiēsai men agōna kai,ēthla.-: protheiïnai,. pantoias agōnias. epi Patroklǭ keimenǭ" en apanti") de meionektousin hoi kratēsein. epidoxoteroi... Teukrres Ith asēmou toxotou ta deutereia komixetai, kai!.,

Scythians the city. But they let the chance slip in vain, praising and blaming fortune in one moment. For as long as they thought they had escaped the nets, they rejoiced at their safety; afterwards, however, they wanted to break through the wall in order to get into the city again. So invincible a thing is the wisdom of God; neither is a weapon strong nor a mind resourceful for anyone whom God does not help, so that some have even been their own enemies' generals. And it seems to me finely said that a human being is God's plaything, who is always playing with affairs and moving them like pieces on a board. I think Homer was the first of the Greeks to see this, when he staged a contest and set prizes for every kind of competition in honour of Patroclus lying dead; and in every one those who were more expected to win come off worse. Teucer takes second prize to an obscure archer, and

Notes and citation

Summary: The Goths missed their chance to retake the city: God's wisdom is invincible and man is his plaything, as Homer showed in Patroclus's games.

"God's plaything": Plato, Laws 7.803c. The games for Patroclus are in Iliad 23; Teucer loses the archery to Meriones (23.859–883).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ὦ].0}1. ΠὨοάὸν. θῖο. 1.. οἱ Οτειι- Ῥαγ. Ὁ, Υἱά. 1. ΧΧΠ]. ν. 850. πον. Μεϊώιοηνδιῖ. ιν 1: ρ. 94. ἐᾳ. 5.44. Οοάά. ψαι; εἰ γ᾽ πὰ. τα ἐπ. → .

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Leg. 803c (Plato (works); allusion); Homer, Il. 23.859-883 (Homer, Iliad; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 156 (Krabinger 1:156; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/156). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/156

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-156) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 157

157Krabinger 1:157

“Μοῖσθος ἀνήρ '"ὥριφος ἐλαύνει. μώνυχας ἵππους, "᾿ καὶ εἰς ποδῶν. ἀρετὴν νίος ἡττᾶται πρισβύτου, καὶ. εἰρ τὴν βαρεῖαν ἀγωνίαν. Αἴας ἐλέγχεται, Ἑαί τοι τοῦτον αὐτὸς ἀνὰκηρύττει τῶν εἰς ᾿Ιλιον ἀθροισθέντων ἃ ὕὅ μακρῷ πάντων, πλὴν ᾿Αχιλλέως, «τὸν. ἄριτον. ᾿4}.λὰ καὶ τέχνῃ 4“), φησὶς καὶ μελέτη, καὶ ἡλικία, καὶ τὸ φύσει διενεγκεῖν, μικρὰ πάντα πρὸς τὸ δαιμόνιον. Ι τ ὃιὲ Δἰγύπτιοι δὲ ἐπειδὴ) λαμπρῶς ἤδη τῶν πυλῶν ἐκράτουν, καὶ τὸ : τεῖχο! ἐπεποίηντο μέσον σφῶν καὶ τῶν πολεμίων, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐγκαταλελειμμένου; τρεπόμενοι χωρὶς ἑκάτου; ἢ, ἅμα πολλοὺς ἔβαλλον, ἠκόντιδον, ἔπαιον, ἐκέντουν τοὺς ἐρυμινόν τι καταλαβόντα; ἔτυφον, ὥ!περ σφῇῆκα;, αὐτοῖς ἱεροὶ," αὐτοῖς ἱερεῦσι, δεινολογουμένου καὶ κεκραγότος Ἰυφῶνος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ τὴν Ε Ἰδτοῦ θείου δόξαν ἐσκύθιξεν, ἠξίου τε ἐπικηρυκεύεσθαὶ τοῖς βαρβάροις, καὶ αὖθις ἔπραττεν, ὧς ἂν εὑφρήσοι τὸ τράτευμια τὸ πολέμιον, ὦ, οὐδενὸς γεγονότος ἀνηπές: σου δεινοῦ. Οἱ δὲ, ὁ δῆμος, αὐτοκέλευτοι πάντες, ἀερα- "“ τήγητοι, πλὴν τάγε παρὰ θεῶν αὐτός τις ἕκατορ'»ρά-

“Moisthos anēr '"hōriphos elaunei. mōnychas hippous, "᾿ kai eis podōn. aretēn nios hēttatai prisbytou, kai. eir tēn bareian agōnian. Aias elenchetai, Heai toi touton autos anakēryttei tōn eis ᾿Ilion athroisthentōn ha hyo makrǭ pantōn, plēn ᾿Achilleōs, «ton. ariton. ᾿4}.la kai technę̄ 4“), phēsis kai meletē, kai hēlikia, kai to physei dienenkein, mikra panta pros to daimonion. I t hoie Digyptioi de epeidē) lamprōs ēdē tōn pylōn ekratoun, kai to : teicho! epepoiēnto meson sphōn kai tōn polemiōn, epi tous enkataleleimmenou? trepomenoi chōris hekatou? ē, hama pollous eballon, ēkontidon, epaion, ekentoun tous eryminon ti katalabonta? etyphon, hō!per sphę̄ēka?, autois hieroi," autois hiereusi, deinologoumenou kai kekragotos Iyphōnos, epeidē kai ta amphi tēn E Idtou theiou doxan eskythixen, ēxiou te epikērykeuesthai tois barbarois, kai authis epratten, hōs an heuphrēsoi to trateumia to polemion, ō, oudenos gegonotos anēpes: sou deinou. Hoi de, ho dēmos, autokeleutoi pantes, aera- "“ tēgētoi, plēn tage para theōn autos tis hekator'»ra-

"last comes the best man, driving his single-hoofed horses," and in speed of foot a young man is beaten by an old one, and in the heavy contest Ajax is put to shame — though the poet himself proclaims him by far the best of all those gathered at Ilium, except Achilles. "But skill," he says, "and practice, and age, and natural excellence are all small things beside the divine." The Egyptians, when they had clearly mastered the gates and put the wall between themselves and the enemy, turned on those who had been left behind, apart from one another, many at once: they pelted them, threw javelins, struck and stabbed them; those who had seized some strong place they smoked out like wasps, temples, priests and all — while Typhos complained loudly and shouted, since in matters of belief about the divine too he had turned Scythian, and wanted to send heralds to the barbarians, and was working again to bring the enemy army in, as though nothing irremediable had happened. But the people, all self-commanded and without a general — except that each man, from the gods, was himself

Notes and citation

Summary: As in Homer's games, the strong lose; the citizens, leaderless, destroy the Goths left in the city, even burning them in a temple, while Typhos protests.

"Last comes the best man": Iliad 23.536 (Eumelus). The burning of the Goths who took refuge in a church (July 400) is told here in the myth's terms.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text (the word στρα-τηγός continues on the next page)): ΠΝ « το ὑπὶρ ᾽Οδυσσέως ἐργασαμένης" καὶ τῇς μονομαχίας ἴα ἰϊφάεηι ἢν πέμπτον μονομαχίας, ἐν αὶ κρείτ- Βτί5. ΥἹά, 1.1. οἱ 825, 44. των “ιομήδης Αἴαντος τοῦ μιγά- Δ6. Αὐά. εἰ. ὁ “Ὄμῃρο: ἰάφπι. λου ἐφάνῃ" ἵκτον δίσκου, ἐφ᾽ οὗ Οοὐά. Πολυποίτης (πολοκ. ἱπά.) τοὺς ὧτ. Ατιϊουϊασι οπν. Ρίτο ΚὮ. συναγωνιτος ὑπερῆρεν" Ἴβδομον, Δλ8. τέχνῃ! --- μελίτῃ -- ἡλικίᾳ ὧν ἔφημεν (ἴτιὰ Ῥδτ. "οἱ Υαι., ᾿ἴφη ἙἘὰδὰ, Τώτγα. εἰ Ῥεῖδν. 1. Δὰν: μὲν τε6}}.} τοξικῆε" ὄγδοον εἶκον- ' φησὶ εἰ 6]. Ὅμηρος ἴῃ Μου. Δ΄ τία, ἐν ᾧ ᾿“4γαμίμνων πρῶτος Ῥατ. Ο. αι. Υἱπά. ἐκρίθη (βεχυδηῖα ἱπ Υἱηά. ἀε- Οκρ. 1Π4ΡὄῸ 41. Αηϊο χωρὶς ἴα, 1). Ταῦτα "δὲ Ὄμηροι! ἐν τῷ Βενιδ' οοτὶ ρίυ πο ετὰϊ πολλούς, φυοὰ τῆς ᾿Ιλιάδοι φησὶ ψι.. ὁ’ τον Ῥτιν τὲ νἱάειυε,, ἀεϊεῖαπι᾽ ε58. μ Βεΐηςερο Ἰεείταν ἑκαγος ἰῃ Ρασ. Β, ἦφι, Αὐὰ, Ἐ1. ὁ Ἐύμηλος (οθμ. ἦγ δεινολογομένου Μία. ΜΙοΧ Μοπ. Α. Ρᾶσ. Ο, αὶ. Υἱηά, γἱ᾽ὰ, τυφῶνος Ῥατ. Β. " ΧΧΠΙ. 556. -- νέον] Υἱά. 1]. 3. ἐπεὶ δῆ Νίοι. Ὦ. ““' ἂν 4. εἰἠφορῇσοι Ῥδτ, Δ. → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 23.536 (Homer, Iliad; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 157 (Krabinger 1:157; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/157). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/157

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 158

158Krabinger 1:158

τηγός τε καὶ τρατιώτης, 'λοχαγὸφ καὶ λοχίτης. Τί δὲ οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο βουλομένου. θεοῦ καὶ ἐνδόντος ὁρμὴν ἀνθρώποι; εἰς τὸ πάσῃ μηχανῇ σώξεσθαι; Οὔτε οὖν τὰς πύλας ἐπέτρεπον ἔτι Τυφῶνι, καὶ. τὰ ἄλλα καὶ τυδραννὶ ἄψυχος ἦν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ συτῇσαν αὐτὴν ἐξεπεπτώκει τῇς, πόλεω.. ᾿Εκκληφία δὴ πρώτῃ Ἴ) περὶ τὸν ἱερέα Ο τὸν. μέγαν, καὶ πὺρ ἱερὸν ἥπτετο, «καὶ εὐχαὶ χαριςήριοι μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν διαπεπραγμένων, ἱκετήριοι δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν πεπραξομένων. Εἶτα "Οσιριν ἥτουν, ὦ; οὐδὲν ἄλλο πρὸ τοῦ τῶν πραγμάτων σωτύριον. ὯΟ δὲ ἱερεὺς αὐτὸν τε ὑπίσχετο, τῶν θεῶν διδόντων, καὶ εἰ δὴ τινες" αὐτῷ συνεπεπτώκεσαν, αἰτίαν, ἔχοντες ὁμογνώμονες; εἶναι. Τυφῶνα δὲ ἔδοξε καιρόν τινα βουκολῇσαι. 5. Ὃ δὲ ἐπεὶ μὴ ταχὺ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐπεπόνθει' τὸ δὲ εἰκὸς ἦν σφά- Ὦ γιόν τε καὶ πρόθυμα τοῦ πολέμου. γενέσθαι͵ τὸν αἰτιώτατον.) Αἰγυπτίοις τοῦ χρόνον τινὰ' Σκύθαι; δουλεῦ" σαι" ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἀνεβάλλετο αὐτὸν καὶ “Πἰκῃ σοφή τε οὖσα καὶ εἰδυῖα καιροὺς ταμιεύεσθάι, ὁ δὲ καὶ τὸ πὰν ὠήθη καταπροίξεσθαι τῶν θεῶν.. Ὧν δ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῦ. σχήματος ἔτι τῇ, τυραννίδος, ἐπιμελέσερον ἠργυρολόγει “καὶ αἷσχιον, ὥςτε ἤδη τὸ δεύτερον καὶ παρὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν ἡρανίξετο, νῦν μὲν ἀνατεινόμενο;, ὅτι δράσει κακὸν ᾿λν ἐξαίσιον, ἕως ἠδύνατο. νῦν δ᾽ αὖ πάλιν ταπεινός τε

tēgos te kai tratiōtēs, 'lochagoph kai lochitēs. Ti de ouk an genoito boulomenou. theou kai endontos hormēn anthrōpoi? eis to pasę̄ mēchanę̄ sōxesthai? Oute oun tas pylas epetrepon eti Typhōni, kai. ta alla kai tydranni apsychos ēn, epeidē to sytę̄san autēn exepeptōkei tę̄s, poleō.. ᾿Ekklēphia dē prōtę̄ I) peri ton hierea O ton. megan, kai pyr hieron hēpteto, «kai euchai charisērioi men hyper tōn diapepragmenōn, hiketērioi de hyper tōn pepraxomenōn. Eita "Osirin hētoun, ō? ouden allo pro tou tōn pragmatōn sōtyrion. HōO de hiereus auton te hypischeto, tōn theōn didontōn, kai ei dē tines" autǭ synepeptōkesan, aitian, echontes homognōmones? einai. Typhōna de edoxe kairon tina boukolę̄sai. 5. Ho de epei mē tachy to eikos epeponthei' to de eikos ēn spha- Ō gion te kai prothyma tou polemou. genesthai͵ ton aitiōtaton.) Aigyptiois tou chronon tina' Skythai? douleu" sai" epei d᾽ aneballeto auton kai “Pikę̄ sophē te ousa kai eiduia kairous tamieuesthai, ho de kai to pan ōēthē kataproixesthai tōn theōn.. Hōn d᾽ epi tou. schēmatos eti tę̄, tyrannidos, epimeleseron ērgyrologei “kai haischion, hōste ēdē to deuteron kai para tōn hypēretōn hēranixeto, nyn men anateinomeno?, hoti drasei kakon ᾿ln exaision, heōs ēdynato. nyn d᾽ au palin tapeinos te

general and soldier, captain and ranker. What would not happen when God wills and gives people the impulse to save themselves by every means? So they no longer entrusted the gates to Typhos, and in other respects the tyranny was lifeless, since what had set it up had been thrown out of the city. There was first an assembly around the great priest; sacred fire was lit, and prayers were offered, of thanksgiving for what had been accomplished and of supplication for what was still to be done. Then they asked for Osiris, since there was no other salvation for their affairs before that. The priest promised him, the gods granting it, and any others who had fallen with him on the charge of being of his mind. It was decided to humour Typhos for a time. Since he had not quickly suffered what was fitting — and what was fitting was that he should become the slaughtered victim and first offering of the war, he who was most to blame for the Egyptians' serving the Scythians for a time — since Justice, being wise and knowing how to husband her times, deferred him, he thought he would get off from the gods entirely. Keeping up the outward form of the tyranny, he collected money more diligently and more shamefully, so that now for the second time he was taking contributions even from his servants, now threatening that he would do some monstrous evil while he could, now again humble

Notes and citation

Summary: The people take the gates from Typhos, give thanks, and ask the high priest for Osiris's return; Typhos, left in place for a time, grows more rapacious.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): τιώτης τε καὶ τρατηγὸς Ῥατ. Ὦ. 0. βουκλοῆσαι Ῥεῖαν. 1. λογχίτῃς ἙἀΔά, Τυτη. εἰ Ῥείαν. 1. 10. ἐπειδὴ Ῥατ, Β. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 158 (Krabinger 1:158; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/158). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/158

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 159

159Krabinger 1:159

καὶ ἐλεεινολογούμενο!, ἵνα, φησὶ, μὴ τῇ: τυραννίδος; ἐκπίσοιμι., Τααοῦτον ἄρα ἀπόπληκτος ἦν, καὶ τὸν -νοῦν ὄντως ἐτετύφωτο,. ὡς. ἐλπίσαι θωπείᾳ καὶ χρήμασι τὸν ἱερέα περιελεύσεσθαι.. Τῷ δὲ οὐκ ἦν θέμι; πρὸ τῶν ὕ πατρίων ἀργύριον τίθεσθαι. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ ἀναδεύξαντας.. ἀνὰ κράτος ᾽ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλου, καὶ ποῤῥωτάτω χγε:νομένους Θηβῶν ἀποερόλοις, καὶ ἱκέταιρ, καὶ δώροις αὖθις ἐπανήγαγεν" ἅπαν τε ἔργον αὐτοῦ καὶ ς“ρατήγημα κήρυγμα λαμπρὸν ἦν τοῦ πάλιν αὐτὸν προπιεῖσθαι δ) Ἰυτά Αἰγύπτια τοῖς βαρβάροι.. «Ἰ᾽λός τε ἦν μάλιστα μὲν. ᾽ν 4, ᾽. “4 ᾿ Φ δι. ’ ᾿ ἀδεὴ; αὐτὸς ὧν τὸ γε ᾽) ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις «Σκύθαι;" εἰ δὲ μὴ, καὶ ἄσμενος ὑπὶρ τοῦ μὰ ξῶν ἴΟσιριν ἐπι-͵ δεῖν τυχόντα καθόδου, καὶ γενόμενον ἐν τοῖς πράγμιασιν. ᾿Επεὶ δ᾽ οὖν οἵ τε βάρβαροι σαφῶς; οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ μεττασχηματίσαι τὰ Αἰγυπτίων, ὥςπερ πρότερον ἐδεδράκεσαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἱπὶ τῷ πρόῤῥιδα ἀνελεῖν, καὶ Σικυθικῶς πολιτεύσασθαι τῇ χώρᾳ προρίβαλλον, καὶ καθάπαξ εἰπεῖν, τὸ πραττόμενον πολέμου καὶ τάσεως δυοῖν κακῶν ἀμφοῖν εἶχε τὰ χαλεπώτατα'.-ἄάσεω; μὲν τὰς. οἵκοθὲν ἐνδόσεις καὶ προδοσίας, ὧν ὕκιτα πόλεμοι πειρᾶται" πολέμου δὲ τὸ κοινὸν ἁπάντων εἶναι τὸν κίνδυνον ἐπεὶ αἴγε ςάσεις, τὸ κοινὸν ἀξιοῦσαι σώξειν, τὴν. ἡγεμιονίαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων ἑτέροις. μνηφξεύουσι, τότε δὲ ἀπ᾽ ἀμφοῖν περιὴν ἄμφω τὰ χείρω, Αἰγυπτίων δὲ οὐδεὶς ὑπελείπετο, ᾧ μὴ νεμεσητὰ ὁ τύραννος καὶ φρο-

kai eleeinologoumeno!, hina, phēsi, mē tę̄: tyrannidos? ekpisoimi., Taaouton ara apoplēktos ēn, kai ton -noun ontōs etetyphōto,. hōs. elpisai thōpeią kai chrēmasi ton hierea perieleusesthai.. Tǭ de ouk ēn themi? pro tōn hy patriōn argyrion tithesthai. ᾿Alla kai anadeuxantas.. ana kratos ᾽ tous allophylou, kai porrhōtatō chge:nomenous Thēbōn apoerolois, kai hiketair, kai dōrois authis epanēgagen" hapan te ergon autou kai s“ratēgēma kērygma lampron ēn tou palin auton propieisthai d) Iyta Aigyptia tois barbaroi.. «I᾽los te ēn malista men. ᾽n 4, ᾽. “4 ᾿ Ph di. ’ ᾿ adeē? autos hōn to ge ᾽) epi tois philtatois «Skythai?" ei de mē, kai asmenos hypir tou ma xōn iOsirin epi-͵ dein tychonta kathodou, kai genomenon en tois pragmiasin. ᾿Epei d᾽ oun hoi te barbaroi saphōs? ouk epi tǭ mettaschēmatisai ta Aigyptiōn, hōsper proteron ededrakesan, all᾽ hipi tǭ prorrhida anelein, kai Sikythikōs politeusasthai tę̄ chōrą proriballon, kai kathapax eipein, to prattomenon polemou kai taseōs dyoin kakōn amphoin eiche ta chalepōtata'.-aaseō? men tas. hoikothen endoseis kai prodosias, hōn hykita polemoi peiratai" polemou de to koinon hapantōn einai ton kindynon epei aige saseis, to koinon axiousai sōxein, tēn. hēgemionian apo tōn echontōn heterois. mnēphxeuousi, tote de ap᾽ amphoin periēn amphō ta cheirō, Aigyptiōn de oudeis hypeleipeto, hǭ mē nemesēta ho tyrannos kai phro-

and lamenting, "so that I may not fall from the tyranny," as he said. So crazed was he, and so truly befogged in mind, that he hoped to win over the priest with flattery and money; but for the priest it was not lawful to set silver before the ancestral things. The foreigners, who had been driven off by force and were very far from Thebes, he brought back again by envoys, suppliants and gifts; and every deed and stratagem of his was a brilliant proclamation that he would once more sell out the affairs of Egypt to the barbarians. He plainly wanted above all to be safe himself, as far as depended on his dearest Scythians; failing that, he would gladly not live, rather than see Osiris granted his return and back in power. Now the barbarians were plainly advancing not to reshape the affairs of the Egyptians, as they had done before, but to destroy them root and branch and govern the country in Scythian fashion; and, in a word, the business had the hardest features of both evils, war and faction: of faction, the yieldings and betrayals from within, which wars hardly know; of war, that the danger is common to all — for factions, claiming to save the common good, woo the leadership away from its holders for others, but now the worse features of both were present. So no Egyptian was left to whom the tyrant did not seem odious in his thinking

Notes and citation

Summary: Typhos tries to bribe the priest and recalls the Goths, who now aim to destroy Egypt; all Egyptians come to hate him.

"Befogged" (ἐτετύφωτο) puns on the name Typhos.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 159 (Krabinger 1:159; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/159). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/159

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 160

160Krabinger 1:160

νεῖν ἰδύκει καὶ κράττειν, καὶ διτι; παμπόνηβῤο; ἦν, ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους σωφρονιδόμενοι " Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν, ὃ περιμέ- Ὦ νεὶν ἐδέδοκτο τοῖς θεοῖς, τοῦ μηδὲν ἐμπύρευμὰ τῆς ἔναντίας αἱρέσεως ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ λανθάνειν ὑποτρεφόμενον, πἔχον τινὰς, εἰ μὴ δικαίας, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν εὐπροιώπου; τοῦ κακοῦ παραιτήσει. ᾿Οψὲ δὴ τότε σύνοδος θεῶν καὶ γερόντων ἐπὶ Τυφῶνι γίνεταὶ, καὶ ἀνακαλύπτεται τὰ πάλαι πᾶσι καθ᾽ ἵνα θρυλούμενα, γυναῖκες ἀμφίγλωσσοι ταῖς μὴ συνιείσαις ἀλλήλων τὰς γνώμας ἐξερμηνευουσαὶ τῇ τε Αἰγυπτίᾳ τὰ τῇὴν' βαρβάρου, καὶ ἔμπαλιν θατίρᾳ τὰ τῇς θατέρα;, καὶ ἀνδρόγυνοι καὶ ἀπογραφεῖς, ἅπαντες οὗτοι τῶν ἐπ᾽ Ὄσιριν Τυφῶνι τε καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ παρασκευασθέντων, καὶ αὐτῶν ἔναγχος ἐγχειρουμένων ἐπὶ δεινότατα τεκμήρια, καταλήψει; 1ὅ τε ἐἱπικαίρων χωρίων ἐνδόντος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μονονοὺ προ;- “" αγομένου τὴν πολιορκίαν, ἵνα περιςῇ τὰ δεινὰ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἱεράν" σπουδῇ 'τε πᾶσα ἐφ᾽ ᾧ διαβῆναι τοὺς Σ κύθα; καὶ τοῦ ῥεύματος ἐπὶ θάτερα, ἵνα μὴ ἐξ. ἡκι" σεία; τὰ Αἰγύπτια πράττοι κακῶς, πάντα δὲ παντα-" χόθεν αἴροιτο, καὶ μὴ σχολάδοιεν ἐπιξητεῖν Ὄσιριν. "“ Τούτων ἀναδειχθέίντων, ἄνθρωποι μὲν εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ κα- Β ταδικάδουσιν αὐτοῦ φρουράν τε, καὶ περὶ τοῦ τί χρὴ παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτῖσαι, δεύτερον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ καθεδεῖν δί-"

nein idykei kai krattein, kai diti? pamponēbro? ēn, hypo tou deous sōphronidomenoi " Touto de ēn, ho perime- Ō nein ededokto tois theois, tou mēden empyreuma tēs enantias haireseōs en tę̄ politeią lanthanein hypotrephomenon, pechon tinas, ei mē dikaias, all᾽ oun euproiōpou? tou kakou paraitēsei. ᾿Opse dē tote synodos theōn kai gerontōn epi Typhōni ginetai, kai anakalyptetai ta palai pasi kath᾽ hina thryloumena, gynaikes amphiglōssoi tais mē synieisais allēlōn tas gnōmas exermēneuousai tę̄ te Aigyptią ta tę̄ēn' barbarou, kai empalin thatirą ta tę̄s thatera?, kai androgynoi kai apographeis, hapantes houtoi tōn ep᾽ Osirin Typhōni te kai tę̄ gynaiki paraskeuasthentōn, kai autōn enanchos encheiroumenōn epi deinotata tekmēria, katalēpsei? 1ho te heipikairōn chōriōn endontos autou, kai mononou pro?- “" agomenou tēn poliorkian, hina perisę̄ ta deina tēn polin tēn hieran" spoudę̄ 'te pasa eph᾽ hǭ diabēnai tous S kytha? kai tou rheumatos epi thatera, hina mē ex. hēki" seia? ta Aigyptia prattoi kakōs, panta de panta-" chothen airoito, kai mē scholadoien epixētein Osirin. "“ Toutōn anadeichtheintōn, anthrōpoi men eis to auto ka- B tadikadousin autou phrouran te, kai peri tou ti chrē pathein ē apotisai, deuteron ep᾿ autǭ kathedein di-"

and in his acts; even the thoroughly wicked were sobered by fear. This was what the gods had resolved to wait for, so that no spark of the opposite party might lie hidden in the state, smouldering, with some excuses for the evil, if not just, at least plausible. Then at last a meeting of gods and elders is held about Typhos, and things long whispered by everyone privately are uncovered: women speaking both tongues, who interpreted for women who did not understand each other — the barbarian's mind to the Egyptian woman, and each to the other — and eunuchs and clerks; all the things prepared against Osiris by Typhos and his wife; and the most terrible proofs of what they had recently attempted: the seizure of strategic places, which he had handed over, and his all but bringing on a siege, so that the terrors might encircle the sacred city; and all his efforts to have the Scythians cross the river to the other side as well, so that the affairs of Egypt might fare badly not from one side only but be seized everywhere from every side, and the people have no leisure to seek Osiris. When these things had been brought to light, the men condemn him to custody, and to stand a second trial over him on what he must suffer or pay;

Notes and citation

Summary: At a council of gods and elders, Typhos's and his wife's treason with the Goths is exposed, and he is placed under guard for trial.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 160 (Krabinger 1:160; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/160). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/160

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-160) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 161

161Krabinger 1:161

κατήριον" θεόὶ' δὲ ἐοὺς μὲν" παρόντας συνέδρου; ἐπύνεσαν, ὧς ἀποχρῶντα κατεγνωκότας" αὐτοὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὰν ἀπολίπῃ τὸν βίον Τυφὼ;, ἐψηφίσαντο Ποιναῖς τε αὐτὸν παραδοῦναι καὶ ἐνεῖναι τῷ Ἑωκυτῴ, καὶ τελευθτῶντα, παλαμναῖον εἶναι καὶ Ταρτάριον δαΐμονα, χρῆμα μετὰ τῶν ἀμφὶ Τιτᾶνας καὶ Γίγανταξ" τὸ δὲ Ἡλύσιον μηδὲ ὄναρ ποτὲ ἰδεῖν, σχολῇ δὲ ἀνακῦψαί ποτὲ καὶ ἐποπτεῦσαι φῶς ἱερὸν, θέαμα ψυχῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ θεῶν εὐδαιμόνων. ᾿ Τὰ μὲν ἀμφὶ Τυφῶνι ὃ) ταῦτα" ῥητὰ γὰρ πάντα. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο. περὶ χθονίαν φύσιν ἱερὸν καὶ ἀπόῤῥητον; ᾿Ιερολογεῖται δὲ καὶ τεθείαται τὰ '᾽Οσίριδος, ὦιτε κίνδυνος παραβάλλεσθαι πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν ὃ). ᾿Αλλὰ γένεσις μὲν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τροφαὶ, καὶ προπαίδειαί 15τε καὶ παιδεῖαι, καὶ ἡγεμονίαι μείδου;, καὶ ὅπως; ἀρχαιρεσιασάντων θεῶν τε καὶ θείων ἀνδρῶν ἐπὶ τὴν μεγάλην ἀρχὴν κατίτῃ, καὶ ὦ; ἐπήρξεν αὐτῇ, Ὦ καὶ ὦ; ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἡ συνωμοσία συνέσῃ, καὶ εἰς ὅσον ἐκράτησε, καὶ “ὡς οὐκ εἰς ἅπαν ἐξίκετο" ταῦτα μὲν “0οὐκ ἀνάξια κοινολογίας ὃ, καὶ εἴρηται. Προςκείσθω

katērion" theoi' de eous men" parontas synedrou? epynesan, hōs apochrōnta kategnōkotas" autoi de, epeidan apolipę̄ ton bion Typhō?, epsēphisanto Poinais te auton paradounai kai eneinai tǭ Heōkytǭ, kai teleuthtōnta, palamnaion einai kai Tartarion daïmona, chrēma meta tōn amphi Titanas kai Gigantax" to de Hēlysion mēde onar pote idein, scholę̄ de anakypsai pote kai epopteusai phōs hieron, theama psychōn agathōn kai theōn eudaimonōn. ᾿ Ta men amphi Typhōni ho) tauta" rhēta gar panta. Ti gar an genoito. peri chthonian physin hieron kai aporrhēton? ᾿Ierologeitai de kai tetheiatai ta '᾽Osiridos, ōite kindynos paraballesthai pros tēn diēgēsin ho). ᾿Alla genesis men autou, kai trophai, kai propaideiai 15te kai paideiai, kai hēgemoniai meidou?, kai hopōs? archairesiasantōn theōn te kai theiōn andrōn epi tēn megalēn archēn katitę̄, kai ō? epērxen autę̄, Ō kai ō? ep᾿ auton hē synōmosia synesę̄, kai eis hoson ekratēse, kai “hōs ouk eis hapan exiketo" tauta men “0ouk anaxia koinologias ho, kai eirētai. Proskeisthō

and the gods praised the councillors present for judging sufficiently, but they themselves voted that, when Typhos should leave this life, they would hand him over to the Avengers and cast him into Cocytus, and at last he would be a murderous daemon of Tartarus, one of the company of the Titans and Giants; that he should never see Elysium even in a dream, and hardly ever look up and behold the sacred light, the sight of good souls and happy gods. So much for Typhos; for all of it may be spoken. What sacred and ineffable thing could there be about an earthly nature? But the story of Osiris is sacred and divine, so that there is danger in setting it out in narrative. Yet his birth and nurture, his preparatory and full education, his greater commands, how he was installed in the great office when gods and divine men held the election, how he ruled it, how the conspiracy was formed against him, how far it prevailed and how it did not achieve everything — these are not unworthy of being told to all, and have been told. Let this be added

Notes and citation

Summary: The gods doom Typhos to Tartarus after death; the narrator says Osiris's sacred story may be told only in part.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): “ Οαλῶςς ρεδείον Ἀεμὰ, 'π αυο, ἀμφὶ Τυφῶνι ρτλεεπηίίθις ἰδ τῖ8 οἱ ἴῃ εὐϊιϊς, Ἰερίίωτ ἐπ᾽ αὐτέ, Ῥοτῖςς, Μοηδοο. Ρίγοη. Ἀομὰ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 161 (Krabinger 1:161; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/161). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/161

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 162

162Krabinger 1:162

δὲ ὅτι μηδὲ ἀνόνητος ἡ φυγὴ τῷ, πάμτα εὐδαίμονι" ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἐκείνῳ γὰρ τῷ καιρῷ τὰς τελεωτάτας τῶν ἄνω θεῶν τελετὰς ἐτελέσθη τε καὶ ἐπώπτευσε, καὶ θιωρίᾳ προιανέσχε τὸν νοῦν, σχασάμενο; ᾽) πολιτείαν. Δεγέὄσθω δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ κάθοδος ἱερὰ, καὶ δῆμοι ξεφαγηφόροι συγκαταγαγόντες αὐτὸν τοῖς θεοῖς, ἤπειρον ὅλην ἃ ἐπὶ τῷ προπομπεῦσαι κατιόντας ἀμείψασθαι, καὶ ᾿ παννυχίδες, καὶ δᾳδουχίαι, καὶ διανομαὶ γερῶν, καὶ. ἐπώνυμον ἔτος, καὶ τοῦ δυσμενοῦ; ἀδελφοῦ δευτέρα φειδὼ, ὃν ὀργῇ: ἠρεθισμέναυ τοῦ δήμου παρῃτεῖτο, καὶ θεῶν ἐδεῖτο σώδειν 'αὐτὸν, ἐπιεικέξερα δρῶν μᾶλλον, ἢ δικαιότερα. Μέχρι τούτων ἀποτετολμῴσθω τὰ ᾿᾽Οσίριδος" τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν εὔτομα κείσθω, φησί τις, εὐλαβῶς ") ἑερο- 1ῦ λογίας ἁψάμενος. Τὰ πρόσω θρασεία; ἂν γένοιτο γνώκῃ} καὶ γλώττη,, ἃ εὐφημα ἀτρεμείτω, συγγραφαὶς ἀνέπαφα, μὴ Β -- -- το καί τισιν οὐ θέμις ὄμμα βάλῃσιν " ὃ τὲ γὰρ ἐκφήνας, ὃ τε ἰδὼν νεμεσᾶται παρὰ τοῦ θείου. Καὶ λόγοι Βοιώτιοι τοὺς ἐναλλομένους καὶ ἐποπτεύσαντας ὄργια “]Ιιονύσου σπαράττουσιν. ᾿Αγνωσία σεμνότῃς ὅ ἐπὶ τελετῶν, καὶ νὺξ διὰ τοῦτο πιξεύεται τὰ μυξήρια, καὶ ἄβατα σπήλαια διὰ τοῦτο ὀρύττεται, και-

de hoti mēde anonētos hē phygē tǭ, pamta eudaimoni" all᾽ en ekeinǭ gar tǭ kairǭ tas teleōtatas tōn anō theōn teletas etelesthē te kai epōpteuse, kai thiōrią proianesche ton noun, schasameno? ᾽) politeian. Degeosthō de autou kai kathodos hiera, kai dēmoi xephagēphoroi synkatagagontes auton tois theois, ēpeiron holēn ha epi tǭ propompeusai kationtas ameipsasthai, kai ᾿ pannychides, kai dądouchiai, kai dianomai gerōn, kai. epōnymon etos, kai tou dysmenou? adelphou deutera pheidō, hon orgę̄: ērethismenau tou dēmou parę̄teito, kai theōn edeito sōdein 'auton, epieikexera drōn mallon, ē dikaiotera. Mechri toutōn apotetolmǭsthō ta ᾿᾽Osiridos" ta de enteuthen eutoma keisthō, phēsi tis, eulabōs ") heero- 1y logias hapsamenos. Ta prosō thraseia? an genoito gnōkę̄} kai glōttē,, ha euphēma atremeitō, syngraphais anepapha, mē B -- -- to kai tisin ou themis omma balę̄sin " ho te gar ekphēnas, ho te idōn nemesatai para tou theiou. Kai logoi Boiōtioi tous enallomenous kai epopteusantas orgia “]Iionysou sparattousin. ᾿Agnōsia semnotę̄s ho epi teletōn, kai nyx dia touto pixeuetai ta myxēria, kai abata spēlaia dia touto oryttetai, kai-

too: that the exile was not without profit to the all-blessed man; for at that time he was initiated into, and beheld, the most perfect rites of the gods above, and held up his mind to contemplation, having laid public life aside. Let there be told also his sacred return, and the garlanded peoples who brought him back together with the gods, crossing a whole continent to escort them in procession as they came down; the all-night festivals, the torch processions, the distribution of honours, the year named after him; and his second sparing of his hostile brother, whom he begged off from the people's inflamed anger, asking the gods to save him, acting more leniently than justly. Up to this point let the account of Osiris venture; what follows, says one who touches sacred lore with reverence, let it lie well guarded. What lies beyond would belong to a bold mind and tongue; let it stay in reverent silence, untouched by writings, "lest those for whom it is not lawful cast an eye on it." For both the one who discloses and the one who sees incur the anger of the divine. Boeotian stories tell of those who leapt in and looked on the rites of Dionysus being torn apart. Not knowing is the solemnity of rites; for this reason night is entrusted with the mysteries, and for this reason untrodden caves are dug — times

Notes and citation

Summary: Osiris's exile brought him initiation; his triumphant return and his sparing of Typhos may be told, but the rest must remain hidden.

Aurelian returned to Constantinople and became consul ("the year named after him"). The quoted half-line is from an unidentified poem. The Boeotian story is that of Pentheus.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 162 (Krabinger 1:162; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/162). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/162

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 163

163Krabinger 1:163

ροὲ. καὶ τόποι, πρύπτειν. εἰδότες ἀῤῥητουργίαν ἔνθεον. Μονον ἴσως ἐκεῖνο θέμις ιεἰπεῖν,. καὶ 'λίγομεν, ἡ δυνάμιθα παῤῥακαλύπτοντι,.. τὰ. ἀβέβηλα, ὅτι γηῤῥῶν τὲ Ὄσιρις κυδίων ὁ νέο,»"παὶ ιγέρα:. ἔσχε παρὰ θεῶν' ἐπιθφσατῆῇῆσαι τῇ πολιτείᾳ μετὰ συνθήματος. μείξονος, ᾿ ὡξὰ κρείττων ἀποδειχθῆναι τοῦ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων τι πάσχειν “᾽ καὶ. τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν,. ἣν. παραδοὺξ' Αἰψυπτίοι; ἐξίτηλον εὗρεν ὑπὸ τῶν Τυφωνίων καιρῶν, οὔπ᾽ ἀνεὰ κτήσατο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσύμβλητον 'τῇ ᾿προιθήκῃ Ἰυπρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐποίησεν, ὧι, δοκεῖν ἐκείνην προοί- "" μιον 'γεγονέναι τῇ! ἐσομένης, «καὶ μόνην ᾿ὑπόσχεσιν) ποτὲ θρυλούμενον ποιηταῖς Ἑλλήνων, ὧν ἡ παρθέ. νος ἡ νῦν ἀτρῴα, “]κην, οἶμαι, καλοῦπεν. αὐτὴν,.“ Ὁ --- -α -ς -- ἐπιχθονίῃ πάρος ἦεν Ἶ, : τς ΤᾺ ι Ἤρχετο δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων κατεναντίη" οὐδέποτ᾽ ἀν- !.. δρῶν, Οὐδέποτ᾽ ἀρχαίων ἦνηνι.. φῦλα γυναικῶν, ᾿Αλλ’ ἀναμὶξ ἐκάθητο, καὶ ἀθανάτη περ ἐοῦσα" ὁμωρόφιος ἀνθρώποι; ἐγίνετο. Οὐ γάρ λευγαλέου τότε νείκεος ἠπίξαντο, Οὐδὲ διακρίσιος περιμεμφέος ᾽), οὐδὲ κυδοιμοῦ"

roe. kai topoi, pryptein. eidotes arrhētourgian entheon. Monon isōs ekeino themis ieipein,. kai 'ligomen, hē dynamitha parrhakalyptonti,.. ta. abebēla, hoti gērrhōn te Osiris kydiōn ho neo,»"pai igera:. esche para theōn' epithphsatēę̄ēsai tę̄ politeią meta synthēmatos. meixonos, ᾿ hōxa kreittōn apodeichthēnai tou para anthrōpōn ti paschein “᾽ kai. tēn eudaimonian,. hēn. paradoux' Aipsyptioi? exitēlon heuren hypo tōn Typhōniōn kairōn, oup᾽ anea ktēsato monon, alla kai asymblēton 'tę̄ ᾿proithēkę̄ Iypros tēn proteran epoiēsen, hōi, dokein ekeinēn prooi- "" mion 'gegonenai tę̄! esomenēs, «kai monēn ᾿hyposchesin) pote thryloumenon poiētais Hellēnōn, hōn hē parthe. nos hē nyn atrǭa, “]kēn, oimai, kaloupen. autēn,.“ Ho --- -a -s -- epichthonię̄ paros ēen I, : ts TA i Ērcheto d᾽ anthrōpōn katenantiē" oudepot᾽ an- !.. drōn, Oudepot᾽ archaiōn ēnēni.. phyla gynaikōn, ᾿All’ anamix ekathēto, kai athanatē per eousa" homōrophios anthrōpoi? egineto. Ou gar leugaleou tote neikeos ēpixanto, Oude diakrisios perimempheos ᾽), oude kydoimou"

and places that know how to hide divine work that may not be spoken. Only this, perhaps, is it lawful to say, and we say it, uncovering as far as we can what is not profane: that Osiris was more glorious in old age than in youth, and received from the gods as his reward to preside over the state with a greater token, so as to be shown above suffering anything at human hands; and the happiness which he had handed on to the Egyptians and found faded by the Typhonian times he not only recovered, but by what he added made it beyond comparison with the former, so that the former seemed to have been a prelude to what was to come and only a promise — the age once celebrated by the poets of the Greeks, of whom the maiden now among the stars (Justice, I think, they call her) "was formerly on earth, and met men face to face; never did she shun the tribes of men or of women of old, but sat among them, immortal though she was," and lived under one roof with men. "For they did not yet know grievous strife, nor blameful division, nor the din of battle;

Notes and citation

Summary: Osiris's later reign surpassed his first, restoring the golden age when Justice lived among men, as the Greek poets sing.

The verses are from Aratus, Phaenomena 100–108 (Justice in the golden age).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΕΝ Ἐοτι. καὶ καιροί. οἱ δοςεπία ἴῃ ροπαΐϊ, Ροβίίο, διὰ → .

Extrabiblical texts: Aratus, Phaen. 100-108 (Aratus, Phaenomena; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 163 (Krabinger 1:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/163). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/163

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-163) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 164

164Krabinger 1:164

οἰὠδτωρ. δ᾽ ἔδωον ". χαλεπὴ: δ᾽ ἀπέκειτο. θάλασσα, τῷ εεὐαὶ βίον οὔπω νῆες ἀπόπροθεν: ἡγίνεσκον.. 0... “... ᾿ἡλλὰ βόες καὶ ἄροτρα, καὶ αὐτὴ πότνια λαῶν. τ υῤία: πάντα παρεῖχε ι“]1ἰκν»», δώτειρα δικαίωνδιὼ Τρφρ᾽ ἦν, ὄφρ᾽ ἔτι., γάζα. γένος χρύσειον ἔφερβεν. ὑπ δ ριλἶ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐχρῶντο θαλάσσῃ, χρυσοὶ δὲ σαν. ἄνθρωποι, καὶ θεῶν. ἐπιμιξίας ἐτύγχανον. Πλοίων Β δὲ. εἰελθόντων..ἐνεργοῦς "εἰς χρῆσιν βίου, τοσοῦτον ἀπεφοίτησεν καὶ «Ζίκη τῆς γῇ:, ὡς μόλις ὁρᾶσθαι νυκτὸς αἰθρία.. Ἑαὶ μέντοι καὶ νῦν -ὁρωμένῃ ςτάχυν ἡμὶν προτείνει, καὶ οὐ πηδάλιον. Τάχα νῦν καταβαίῃ, καὶ πάλιν ἡμῖν αὐτοπρόφωποι. διαλέξεται, σπουδασθείσης. μὲν. γεωργίας, ναυτιλίας δὲ ἀποσπουδασθείσῃ:. Τάδε οὖν πάλαι περὶ αὐτῆς ἀδόμενα ποιηταὶς οὐχ ἕτερος ἔσχε χρόνοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ τῷς ἐπικυδεςέρας βασιλείας

oiōdtōr. d᾽ edōon ". chalepē: d᾽ apekeito. thalassa, tǭ eeuai bion oupō nēes apoprothen: hēgineskon.. 0... “... ᾿hēlla boes kai arotra, kai autē potnia laōn. t yria: panta pareiche i“]1ikn»», dōteira dikaiōndiō Trphr᾽ ēn, ophr᾽ eti., gaza. genos chryseion epherben. hyp d rili, phēsin, ouk echrōnto thalassę̄, chrysoi de san. anthrōpoi, kai theōn. epimixias etynchanon. Ploiōn B de. eielthontōn..energous "eis chrēsin biou, tosouton apephoitēsen kai «Zikē tēs gę̄:, hōs molis horasthai nyktos aithria.. Heai mentoi kai nyn -horōmenę̄ stachyn hēmin proteinei, kai ou pēdalion. Tacha nyn katabaię̄, kai palin hēmin autoprophōpoi. dialexetai, spoudastheisēs. men. geōrgias, nautilias de apospoudastheisę̄:. Tade oun palai peri autēs adomena poiētais ouch heteros esche chronoi, all᾽ ho tǭs epikydeseras basileias

but they lived simply; the harsh sea lay apart, and ships did not yet bring livelihood from afar; but oxen and ploughs, and Justice herself, mistress of peoples, giver of just things, supplied everything" — as long as the earth still fed the golden race. They did not use the sea, he says; people were golden and enjoyed the company of gods. But when ships came into active use for life, Justice withdrew so far from the earth that she is barely seen at night in a clear sky. And yet even now, when she is seen, she holds out to us an ear of grain, not a rudder. Perhaps now she may come down and speak with us face to face again, when farming is earnestly pursued and seafaring is earnestly avoided. These things, then, sung of her long ago by the poets, belonged to no other time than that of the more glorious kingship

Notes and citation

Summary: The Aratus quotation ends; Justice left earth when seafaring began, and her return belongs to Osiris's second reign.

The verses continue Aratus, Phaenomena 100–114; the ear of grain is the star Spica in Virgo (Phaenomena 97).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Εἰοθβοιηδ, ηυοὰ ἰηπ ἰεχίαπιὶ ἷτ- γάχυν ἡμῖν προτείνει) Υἱά. ται. τορθῖϊ. Ξ ν.. 06. 54. → .

Extrabiblical texts: Aratus, Phaen. 97-114 (Aratus, Phaenomena; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 164 (Krabinger 1:164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/164). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/164

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-164) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 165

165Krabinger 1:165

᾿θσαίριδος.. “Εἰ δὲ οὐκ εὐθὺ 'κατάγοντες. αὐτὸν τὲκ τῆι μεταςτάσεως, ἅμα πάντα. ἐν χερσὶν. ἔθεσαν οἱ. θεὸὶ, μηδὲν. παρὰ τοῦτο. ποιώμεθα», Οὐ χωρεῖ. πολιτείας φύσις ἀθρόαν. μεταβολὴν; ὥι:περ ἐπὶ τὸ. χεῖρον, ᾿οὕτως τἐσὶ τὸ ὅ ἄριτον.- 'Ἑακία' μὲν γὰρ αὐτοδίδακτον " σὺν πόνῳ κτᾶται... "Ἔδει. δὴ. μεσιτεῦσαι, τοὺς προκαθαίροντας, τὸ θεῖον σχολῇ καὶ. τάξει - βαδίξειν:" τὸν. δὲ ἔδει, πρὶν ἄσχολον εἶναι, ᾿πολλά᾽ ᾿μὲεϊ.τἰδεῖν; πολλὰ δὲ ἀκοῦσαι. Συχνά τοι βασιλέως τυἀποῦ, κλὺπτεται.., τον “αι Δ ὁ αλννὴν «Τὶ Ἢ.}λ ω), » ΛΑλλ᾽ εὐλαβητέον γὰρ ἤδη, μὴ τὶ καὶ τῶν; ἀῤῥήτων ᾿) ἐξορχηδώμεθα. Τὰ μὲν, ἱλήκοι τε ἡμῖν". τὰ δὲ,. κἀλειμοθοῦδι περὶ ἀδελφοῦ.γενάμενα' καὶ: γὶ» ἄντα οἰδείον"

᾿thsairidos.. “Ei de ouk euthy 'katagontes. auton tek tēi metastaseōs, hama panta. en chersin. ethesan hoi. theoi, mēden. para touto. poiōmetha», Ou chōrei. politeias physis athroan. metabolēn? hōi:per epi to. cheiron, ᾿houtōs tesi to ho ariton.- 'Heakia' men gar autodidakton " syn ponǭ ktatai... "Edei. dē. mesiteusai, tous prokathairontas, to theion scholę̄ kai. taxei - badixein:" ton. de edei, prin ascholon einai, ᾿polla᾽ ᾿meeï.tidein? polla de akousai. Sychna toi basileōs tyapou, klyptetai.., ton “ai D ho alnnēn «Ti Ē.}l ō), » LAll᾽ eulabēteon gar ēdē, mē ti kai tōn? arrhētōn ᾿) exorchēdōmetha. Ta men, hilēkoi te hēmin". ta de,. kaleimothoudi peri adelphou.genamena' kai: gi» anta oideion"

of Osiris. If the gods did not, in bringing him back from his removal, put everything into his hands all at once, let us make nothing of that. The nature of a state does not admit sudden change, toward the best any more than toward the worse. For vice is self-taught; virtue is acquired with toil. There had to be an interval for those who purify beforehand, for the divine to proceed at leisure and in order; and he had, before he was busy, to see many things and hear many things. Much, surely, is hidden from a king himself … But we must now take care not to dance out any of the things not to be spoken. May the gods be gracious to us. As for the things told of old in myths about brothers, and what is now

Notes and citation

Summary: The gods restored Osiris's power gradually, since good order comes only with time; the narrator refrains from revealing secrets.

A line of this page is unreadable in the OCR and is left untranslated; the last sentence is also damaged.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἐς δι. γοο. πλεῖς μεσσεῦσοι “ΜΙ ὁα. ΒΌΡΙ δεν. Βα. οτν. Νίδη, Ο.ἰτοχίνο ᾿σίχε 1ῳ- τος, ΑΒ. “Ρωτ. Ὁ. μνημονεῦσᾶι τετοϊάϊι ἴῃ Βατοος. Β. ἴσχεν εοτἷ- τοῦς προκατάρχοντας οοηΐ. »),α- Βίταν ἔπ ΝΜΙοδὶ ΒΟῸ. ὯΝ Κειεϊὰ. θι11νν. εεἶτι, Ρ. ΙΓ, Ρ.δ1. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 165 (Krabinger 1:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/165). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/165

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 166

166Krabinger 1:166

δ ψόμενα θαυματζόν τι φαίνεται καὶ ἄξιον φροντισθθῆναι, εἰ ποτε. ἄρα,. ὅταν πού τις ὃ) γένηται διαφέρουσα φύσις, οὐ κατὰ μικρὸν, ἀλλὰ "παρὰ. πλεῖτον, ἢ βελτίων,: ἢ χείρών, οἷον,. ἀμιγής τις ἀρετὴ πρὸ! κᾳκίαν,..ἢ καδκία" πρὸς ἀρετὴν, ἐγγύς. που. παραφύεται καὶ τὸ" ἀντι-. κεέμενον. ἄνῥατον, - ὡς ἐκ’. μιαγ΄ ἑξίας προϊέναι" τὰ τοσοῦτον ἀπῳκισμένα, καὶ μίαν εἶναι ταῖν δυεῖν. δ)" βλάταῖν ᾿'τὴν ιῥίξαάν.... Πυθώμεθα.ἴ). οὖν φιλοσοφίαι» τί “7 ἄβα αἰτιάσεται' τοῦ παραδόξου“ πράγματος" ἡ δὲ ἴσω,ἶ ἰῷ ἀποκρινεῖται δανεισαμένῃ τι καὶ παρὰ ποιήσεως)" "ὅτις ' ὦ ἄνθρωποι, “]οιοὶ γάρ τε πίθοι κατακείαται ἐν ΖΙιὸς οὔδει, “ον ώρων, ἰοἰα δίδωσι, κακῶν, ἕφερος "δὲ,, ἑάων. το. μὲσ ὁὖν πολὺ κατ᾽ ἴσον ἢ παρά μικρὸν ἧσσον:. ἀφ᾽ ἑπατέρων ἐγχεὶ καὶ 'κίρνησιν ᾿ υῶςτε “ἔχειν τῷ φύσει. συμμιίξρως, “Ὅταν δέ ποτε ἀπλύεω, ἐγχέῃ θιαίραι μερίδοι,» "καὶ γένηταί

d psomena thaumatzon ti phainetai kai axion phrontisththēnai, ei pote. ara,. hotan pou tis ho) genētai diapherousa physis, ou kata mikron, alla "para. pleiton, ē beltiōn,: ē cheirōn, hoion,. amigēs tis aretē pro! kąkian,..ē kadkia" pros aretēn, engys. pou. paraphyetai kai to" anti-. keemenon. anrhaton, - hōs ek’. miag΄ hexias proïenai" ta tosouton apǭkismena, kai mian einai tain dyein. d)" blatain ᾿'tēn irhixaan.... Pythōmetha.i). oun philosophiai» ti “7 aba aitiasetai' tou paradoxou“ pragmatos" hē de isō,i iǭ apokrineitai daneisamenę̄ ti kai para poiēseōs)" "hotis ' ō anthrōpoi, “]oioi gar te pithoi katakeiatai en ZIios oudei, “on ōrōn, ioia didōsi, kakōn, hepheros "de,, heaōn. to. mes houn poly kat᾽ ison ē para mikron hēsson:. aph᾽ hepaterōn enchei kai 'kirnēsin ᾿ yōste “echein tǭ physei. symmiixrōs, “Hotan de pote aplyeō, encheę̄ thiairai meridoi,» "kai genētai

seen, something marvellous appears, worth pondering: whether, when somewhere a nature arises that differs not a little but very greatly, either better or worse — an unmixed virtue, say, compared with vice, or vice compared with virtue — its opposite also grows up close by, beside it, so that things so far apart come from one hearth and the two shoots have one root. Let us inquire of philosophy, then, what she will give as the cause of this paradox. She will perhaps answer, borrowing something from poetry too: "O men, two jars stand on the floor of Zeus, of the gifts he gives, one of evils, the other of blessings." For the most part he pours from each in equal measure, or a little less from one, and mixes them, so that people have them in proportion to their nature. But when at some time he pours unmixed from one portion, and there comes to be

Notes and citation

Summary: Why do extreme virtue and extreme vice spring from one family? Philosophy answers with Homer's two jars of Zeus.

The quotation is Homer, Iliad 24.527–528.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): μ᾿ ψς ῳ,τῷ φβάσανει.." ν΄ » “ἕἰήϊ,. ἸΝόδιε “ἭΝ ἥκαιεν. 4: οἷου Ναμαῖς Ταπι ἀμ τιν πος 'ὁυῤνῖι; ἴαπι ἂος ῥγαθιεπίες, ἴνθυτ. Α. εἱ Βαγρ.. ᾿ φιίαπι ῥυΐοτθν ἱϊΐο5 τονε ἀγαπῶ. 5: αἰτίας ατο. δια αἃ σαοϊΐφων αἄπιϊταπάμγ" υἱν "6. ἴϊὰ δοδά, Ῥατίε. ΑΒ. Τὰ “πὶ εἰ ςορϊἰαἰΐοπε ἀΐδπινα. ἰεσίτοο Μοΐδος: Βόρ.. 41}. δι. ΒΌΚ. δετίβοπάυτ υἱάοίυς: Τὰ μὲν ἐλή- δύοῖν᾽ ΠΝ ΠῚ ᾿Ὀοδά. τ6}}. Γἰἰϊτ6κοι τὰ ἱερά" ἡμῖν δὲ τὰ τε πάλαι τθτη..ο ἃ οφοττ, ζη- Βαθεὶ Νουα. Δ. κ᾿ τ. λ., ἴα ὧἱ τὰ μὲν εἰ δὲ εἰ- τ. πυθόμεθα Ῥαι. ΔΒ. εἰ Βδσρ. Βὶ τεβρροπάεδηι, σοηξ, ΠΠαἰλίας :. 8. ἴτα ΝΜ ούδοο. Βας, Ὁ, Νίδεο. Οτδηοτη. ατ, δ. 288. ποὶ. 2. Ἰνδιείῖι. Υἱπά.. ἀποκρένεται ἙΔὰ. ὲ ον, Τοδά. «εἰ...15.ὁὃἱ “πΞ → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 24.527-528 (Homer, Iliad; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 166 (Krabinger 1:166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/166). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/166

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 167

167Krabinger 1:167

τῶν παίδων ἀκριβῶς εὐδαίμων δ κακοδαίμων, ἐπὶ τὸ λοιπὸν θάτερον ἀκριβῶγ ἐεὶ "τὸ "λειπόμενον, Ο γὰρ θεὸς ὁ. διαγόμεύ; ἀντανισώσει τὸ ἐνδεὲς, ἐπεῖδὴ δεῖ ἑὴν Β δαπάνην "ἴσην “εἶναι τοῖν κίθοιν, ἢ...) καὶ τὴν ἀρχήν 5ἔειν ἐν τοῖς γίνεσι σπέρματα ἀπ᾽ ἀμφοῖν ἶἴρα, καὶ ἕν ἄμφω γινόμενα τῷ λόγῳ τῇς κοινῇ, φύσεω,. “Οτὰν δὲ ὁπωιοῦν καταχωρισθὲν προδαπανήσῃ τις θάτερον, ἀνεπίμικτον ἔχει τὸ λεῖπον. Ταῦτα εἰκοῦσα, πείσειεν ἂν ἡμᾶς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῇς συκῇς ὁρῶμεν γλυ- Ἰθπύτατον μὲν τὸν καρπόν" φύλλα δὲ, καὶ φλοιὸν, καὶ ῥίδαν, καὶ πρέμνον, ἅπαντα ὁπωδέξατα. ᾿“1Ὀξειε γὰρ ἂν, ὅσον ἔχει χεῖρον ἡ φύσις τοῦ δένδρου, τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς οὐκ ἐδωδίμοις }) ὅλον ἐξαναλώσασα, ἀκραιφνὲς καταλιπεῖν ἐν τοῖς ἀκροδρύοι; τὸ ἄριτον. Ταῦτ᾽ ἄρα "καῇ γεωργῶν παῖδε!" ᾿ἀνασχώμεθα γὰρ καὶ φαύλων εἰκόνων, εἰ μέλλοιμεν πλέον ποιόσειν εἰς παραδοχὴν ἀληθείαρ" ἐκεῖνοι δ. τοίνυν ὑπὸ τῇς φύσεως

tōn paidōn akribōs eudaimōn d kakodaimōn, epi to loipon thateron akribōg eei "to "leipomenon, O gar theos ho. diagomeu? antanisōsei to endees, epeidē dei heēn B dapanēn "isēn “einai toin kithoin, ē...) kai tēn archēn 5eein en tois ginesi spermata ap᾽ amphoin iira, kai hen amphō ginomena tǭ logǭ tę̄s koinę̄, physeō,. “Otan de hopōioun katachōristhen prodapanēsę̄ tis thateron, anepimikton echei to leipon. Tauta eikousa, peiseien an hēmas, epeidē kai tę̄s sykę̄s horōmen gly- Ithpytaton men ton karpon" phylla de, kai phloion, kai rhidan, kai premnon, hapanta hopōdexata. ᾿“1Oxeie gar an, hoson echei cheiron hē physis tou dendrou, touto en tois ouk edōdimois }) holon exanalōsasa, akraiphnes katalipein en tois akrodryoi? to ariton. Taut᾽ ara "kaę̄ geōrgōn paide!" ᾿anaschōmetha gar kai phaulōn eikonōn, ei melloimen pleon poiosein eis paradochēn alētheiar" ekeinoi d. toinyn hypo tę̄s physeōs

one of the children who is wholly blessed or wholly wretched, then for the rest what remains is wholly the other. For God the steward will make up the deficit, since the outlay from the two jars must be equal; or rather, from the beginning there are in families equal seeds from both, and both become one by reason of their common nature. But when one of them, separated out in whatever way, has spent one part in advance, it leaves the rest unmixed. Saying this, she might persuade us, since we see also that the fruit of the fig is the sweetest of all, while its leaves, bark, root and trunk are all full of acrid sap. For the nature of the tree seems to spend whatever worse it has entirely on the inedible parts, and to leave the best pure in the fruit. For this reason, too, farmers' sons — let us put up with homely images as well, if they will help us more toward accepting the truth — taught by nature

Notes and citation

Summary: When one child receives an unmixed portion, the other gets the opposite, as the fig tree puts its bitterness in leaves and bark and its sweetness in the fruit.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἴσως ἴσον, ἴῃ πι. γρ. ἧσσον Ῥαε. 6, πεν υἱροῖε ἔπ ἰσχῖα ᾿οπιίδδυατε., σ ΜΝ αν ἃ 8. πὶ. ἧπ τδγρ. Ὠδθεῖ. ἧσσον οι. Δ. Ὀείη ἐφ᾽ ἑκατέ- 10. καὶ τὸν φλοιὸν Βομά. Νοχ ρων, οὐττ. τῇ. ἐφ᾽ ἑκατ. Ἠεμὰ. ἐπωδίσατα τοοορίπιυθ. εχ 1ἰδτὶθ, → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 167 (Krabinger 1:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/167). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/167

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 168

168Krabinger 1:168

αὐτοδιδαχθέντε;, δύιοσμά τε εὐώδεσι, καὶ γλυκέα δριμέσι. παραφυτεύουσιν, ἵνα, τὸ ὅσον “ ἡ γῇ μοχθη-. θὸν ἔχει συμπεπλεγμένον, - τοῦτο «τῇ. συγγενείᾳ. πρὸς ἑαυτὰ σπῶντα, μόνον ἐάσῃ καὶ ἀπειλικρινημένον ἐν ὅ ταῖς ᾿βελτίοσι ῥίξαι τὸν χυμιόν τε καὶ τὸν ἀτμὸν τὸν Ὁ ἀμείνονα. αὶ ἔξι τοῦτο. πρασιᾶ; καθαρτύήριον. Ἐκ δὴ τοῦ “λόγου συμβαίνει. τρόπῳ γεωμετρικοῦ πορίσματο; ἑτέρῳ συνανακύψαντοι, παμπονήρου; παίδων πρεσβυτέρους ἐν τοῖς γένεσι τίκτεσθαι. Ἑαὶ τοῦτο σπερμάτων ἐν συγγενείᾳ γίνεται καθαῤτύριον, ὅταν γένεσὶιν ἁμολύντου καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς ) ἀρετῆς εὐτρεπίξῃ ΕΥΣΝ κᾷθ' οὕτως περιίεαται τὸ οἰκειότατον. δόξῃ, πάντων ἀλλοτριώτατον εἶναι" ὅπερ ἐν μὲν τοῖς κατὰ φύσιν ἔχουσιν οὐ μάλα ἐθέλει συμβαίνειν. τοῖς ἡμιμοχθήροις τε καὶ ἐξ ἡμισείας χρητοῖρ᾽ ἦν δὲ τοῖς τὴν φύσιν ὑπερφρο. νήσασι καὶ νεμηθεῖσι διακεκριμέναι τὰς μερίδας αὐτῇς, ἃς ἐκείνη συμπεπλεγμένα; ἔχει καὶ δίδωσιν, ἐν δὲ τούτοις θαυματὸν ἦν ὅδ), εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἐγίνετο. Τοῦτο μὲν ἅλις; ἔχει παρὰ τοῦ λόγου. Σκέμμα δὲ ἕτερον εἰκυκλούμενον ἐπιξητεῖν ἔοικεν ἕτερον λόγον. Τὸ δὲ ἢ

autodidachthente?, duiosma te euōdesi, kai glykea drimesi. paraphyteuousin, hina, to hoson “ hē gę̄ mochthē-. thon echei sympeplegmenon, - touto «tę̄. syngeneią. pros heauta spōnta, monon easę̄ kai apeilikrinēmenon en ho tais ᾿beltiosi rhixai ton chymion te kai ton atmon ton Ho ameinona. ai exi touto. prasia? kathartyērion. Ek dē tou “logou symbainei. tropǭ geōmetrikou porismato? heterǭ synanakypsantoi, pamponērou? paidōn presbyterous en tois genesi tiktesthai. Heai touto spermatōn en syngeneią ginetai kathartyrion, hotan genesiin hamolyntou kai eilikrinous ) aretēs eutrepixę̄ EUSN kąth' houtōs periieatai to oikeiotaton. doxę̄, pantōn allotriōtaton einai" hoper en men tois kata physin echousin ou mala ethelei symbainein. tois hēmimochthērois te kai ex hēmiseias chrētoir᾽ ēn de tois tēn physin hyperphro. nēsasi kai nemētheisi diakekrimenai tas meridas autę̄s, has ekeinē sympeplegmena? echei kai didōsin, en de toutois thaumaton ēn hod), ei mē touto egineto. Touto men halis? echei para tou logou. Skemma de heteron eikykloumenon epixētein eoiken heteron logon. To de ē

without being taught, plant foul-smelling plants beside fragrant ones and sharp beside sweet, so that these, drawing to themselves by kinship whatever bad the earth has interwoven in it, may leave the better juice and scent alone and purified in the better roots. And this is a purification of the garden-bed. From the argument it follows, then, like a geometrical corollary that comes to light along with another theorem, that utterly wicked elder children are born in families. And this becomes a purification of the seeds in a kindred, when it prepares the birth of an unpolluted and pure virtue. So it turns out that what is most closely related seems most alien of all. This does not much tend to happen among those who are in a natural state, half-bad and half-good; but it did happen with those who went beyond nature and were allotted separately the portions that nature holds interwoven and gives; and in these it would have been a wonder if it had not happened. So much is enough from this argument. Another question that comes round seems to require another argument. That

Notes and citation

Summary: As gardeners plant foul plants to draw off the soil's bad juices, a wicked brother may purify a family for the birth of pure virtue.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἴα Βδτοος, Β. αὐτὸ διδαχθέντες τε καὶ ἐξ ἡἦμ. ἀεοϊἀεγαηίαν ἰα ἘΔὰ. δοτίδυαι Νίοη. ἃ. Νίδιειι. μεμ4. Ῥεῖαν. 1. 2. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 168 (Krabinger 1:168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/168). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/168

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 169

169Krabinger 1:169

ἐν. διαφόροις τόποϊς καὶ χρόνοις ταὐτὰ πολλάκις συμβῆναι, καὶ γενέσθαι θεατὰς γηρῶντας ἀνθρώπου; ὅ), ὧν ἀκροαταὶ παῖδες ἐγίνοντο, βιβλίων λεγόντων ὃ). πάππων,Β τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ τὸ παραδοξότατον εἶναι" καὶ εἰ μὴ ὅ μέλλοι μένειν παράδοξον, ἄξιον αἰτιολογηθῆναι. ΛΔξς γωμεν ὅ) οὖν ἀρχὴν οἰκείαν εὑρόντες" μὴ γὰρ οὔτε σμικρὸν, οὔτε ῥᾷτον ἡ φιλοσόφημα. Τὸν κόσμον ἕν ὅλον ἡγώμεθα τοῖς μέρεσι συμπληρούμενον, Σύῤῥουν τε οὖν καὶ σύμπνουν αὐτὸν οἰησόμεθα' τὸ γὰρ ἕν οὗ: Ιθτως, ἄν σώξοι, καὶ οὐκ ἀσυμπαθὴ πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ". μέρη θησόμιθα ἢ). Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐν ὦσιν, εἰ μή τοι φύσει συνηρτημένα; Καὶ ποιήσει δὴ καὶ. πείσεται παρ᾽ ἀλλήλων τε καὶ εἰς, ἄλληλα" καὶ τὰ μὲν μόνον αὶ ποιήσει, τὰ δὲ μόνον πείσεται. Μετὰ τῆιδε τῇ, ὑποθέσεως ἐπὶ τὸ σκέμμα βαδίδοντει, κατὰ λόγον ἂν αἱ: τιασόμιθα τῶν περὶ τὰ τῆδε τὸ μακάριον σῶμα

en. diaphorois topoïs kai chronois tauta pollakis symbēnai, kai genesthai theatas gērōntas anthrōpou? ho), hōn akroatai paides eginonto, bibliōn legontōn ho). pappōn,B touto moi dokei to paradoxotaton einai" kai ei mē ho melloi menein paradoxon, axion aitiologēthēnai. LDxs gōmen ho) oun archēn oikeian heurontes" mē gar oute smikron, oute rhąton hē philosophēma. Ton kosmon hen holon hēgōmetha tois meresi symplēroumenon, Syrrhoun te oun kai sympnoun auton oiēsometha' to gar hen hou: Ithtōs, an sōxoi, kai ouk asympathē pros allēla ta". merē thēsomitha ē). Pōs gar an en ōsin, ei mē toi physei synērtēmena? Kai poiēsei dē kai. peisetai par᾽ allēlōn te kai eis, allēla" kai ta men monon ai poiēsei, ta de monon peisetai. Meta tēide tę̄, hypotheseōs epi to skemma badidontei, kata logon an hai: tiasomitha tōn peri ta tēde to makarion sōma

the same things often happen in different places and times, and that people in old age become spectators of things they heard about as children, when books told of their grandfathers — this seems to me the most paradoxical of all, and, if it is not to remain a paradox, worth explaining. Let us speak, then, having found a fitting starting-point; for this is neither a small nor an easy piece of philosophy. Let us think of the cosmos as one whole made up of its parts. We shall think of it as flowing together and breathing together, for so it would preserve its oneness; and we shall hold that its parts are not without sympathy for one another. For how could they be one unless they were joined by nature? They will act and be acted upon from and on one another; and some will only act, others only be acted upon. Coming to the question with this hypothesis, we would reasonably make the blessed body that moves in a circle the cause of things here

Notes and citation

Summary: Why do the same events recur across ages? Synesius begins from the cosmos as one sympathetic whole whose heavenly part acts on the earthly.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Ποΐπ πόποις τοοῖς Οοάἀά. Βατίθφε. τοὶ]. Ῥατγὶβθ9. [ἃσυττ. Νίοπδεςρ. γ8- 1δυττ. Νίοπδος. Βδγν. Νδιεῖι. τἶἰοο, ΒΟΌΕΕ, ΒδΔτΡ. Νίατο, Νῖ2- Ατθτ. Βδτοοο. ΒΟ. ἵωι. Β. Ρίτο ἢ. ιτἰϊ, Απιδι. Βάτοις, ΒΟ. ΥἹω ἀ. ---ν πὰ, τρόποις να]ᾳ.2εῖ Οοἀᾷ, τε].; ὧν "δε Ρτοχίπιο ταῦτα Ἰνίοπαες, Ῥατ.Ο. οἱησόμιθα" πῶρ γὰρ ἂν κ. τ, λ. Υἱηὰ,, Υδι, 4. Ρτὸ σώδοι Νίατο. σώξδγ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 169 (Krabinger 1:169; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/169). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/169

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-169) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 170

170Krabinger 1:170

τὸ κύκλῳ κινούμενον. ΜΙρὴ γὰρ ἄμφω, καὶ ἔτιν οὐ: τοῖς τι πρὸς ἄλληλα. Εἰ δῇ γένεσις ἐν τοῖς περὶ ἡμὰς, τ αἰτία γενέσεως ἕν τοῖς ὑπὲρ ὑμᾶς ἴ), κἀκεῖθεν ἐνταῦθα καθήκει τὰ τῶν. συμβαινόντων σπέρματα. Εἰ δή τίς τοῦτο προρβάλοι, χορηγούσης: ἀςρονομίας τὰς πισειί, ἀποκατατατικὰς εἶναι περιόδους ἀεξέρων τε καὶ Ὁ σφαιρῶν, τὰς μὲν ἁπλᾶς, τὰι δὲ συνθέτους, οὗτος τῇ αν ἂν αἰγυπτιάξοι, τῇ δὲ ἐλληνίδοι, καὶ σοφὸς ἂν εἴη τέλεος ἐξ ἀμφοῖν, νοῦν ἐπιστήμῃ συνάπτων. ᾽Ο 1θτοιοῦτο; οὖν οὐκ ἂν ἀπογνοίη τῶν αὐτῶν κινημάτων ἐπανιόντων συνεπανιέναι τὰ αἰτιατὰ τοῖρ αἰτίοις καὶ βίους ἐν γῇ τοὺς αὐτοὺ εἶναι τοῖς πάλαι, καὶ. γενέσεις,; καὶ τροφὰς, καὶ γνώμας, καὶ τύχαι. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν θαυ- Α μάδοιμεν,.εἰ παμπάλαιον ἱεορίαν ἔμβιόν τὸ 'θεώμελὅθα, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθά..γε, εἰς ἅπαν ἐραρμοδάνεων' τῶν τε

to kyklǭ kinoumenon. MIrē gar amphō, kai etin ou: tois ti pros allēla. Ei dę̄ genesis en tois peri hēmas, t aitia geneseōs hen tois hyper hymas i), kakeithen entautha kathēkei ta tōn. symbainontōn spermata. Ei dē tis touto prorbaloi, chorēgousēs: asronomias tas piseii, apokatatatikas einai periodous aexerōn te kai Ho sphairōn, tas men haplas, tai de synthetous, houtos tę̄ an an aigyptiaxoi, tę̄ de ellēnidoi, kai sophos an eiē teleos ex amphoin, noun epistēmę̄ synaptōn. ᾽O 1thtoiouto? oun ouk an apognoiē tōn autōn kinēmatōn epaniontōn synepanienai ta aitiata toir aitiois kai bious en gę̄ tous autou einai tois palai, kai. geneseis,? kai trophas, kai gnōmas, kai tychai. Ouk an oun thau- A madoimen,.ei pampalaion hieorian embion to 'theōmelotha, kai etheasametha..ge, eis hapan erarmodaneōn' tōn te

below. For both are parts, and stand in some relation to one another. If there is coming-to-be in the things around us, the cause of coming-to-be is in the things above us, and from there the seeds of events come down here. If someone should add — astronomy supplying the proofs — that there are periods of the stars and spheres that bring them back to their former positions, some simple and some compound, he would be in one respect an Egyptian and in another a Greek, and would be perfectly wise from both, joining mind to science. Such a man, then, would not deny that when the same motions return, the effects return together with their causes, and that lives on earth are the same as those of old — births, upbringings, minds and fortunes. So we should not wonder if we see a very ancient history come alive — and indeed we have seen it — fitting at every point, both in

Notes and citation

Summary: If the heavens return to the same configurations, the same lives and events return on earth; so an ancient story may come alive again.

The recurrence of events with the return of the heavenly periods is a Stoic and astrological doctrine; it is presented here as Synesius's own explanation.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἫΝ Β. Τυπι παρὰ τὰ τ. Β4- Ναιτίι. Βᾶτοςο. Β. Υἱ᾽ηὰ. ἱϊοιατοὺς. Ο. Μοχ τῷ κύκλῳ κι Ματο. ἅτ ἃ οοτῇ. τι. Πομά. ἷ → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 170 (Krabinger 1:170; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/170). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/170

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 171

171Krabinger 1:171

προεξηνθηκότων τὲ ἤδη, καὶ εἰς τοὺς συνεχεῖς μῇναί ἐξανθησάντων τοῖς ἐκφανθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου" ἐφαρμοσάντων͵ δὲ τῶν ἐγκεκρυμμένων εἰδῷν, εἰς. τὴν ὕλην. τοῖς ἀποῤῥήτοις τοῦ μύθου. “Ὁποῖα ἄττα δ᾽ ἢ ἐεὶν, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὔπω θέμι; ἐξαγορεύειν αὐτά" εἰκάσει ", δὲ ἄλλος ἄλλο, καὶ συγκύψουσιν ἐπί τὰ. κΑἰγύπεια, - συγγράμματα ἄνθρωποι λιχνείᾳ τοῦ μέλλοντος, ὧν ἂν ὁ μῦθο; περισαλπίσῃ τὰ ὦτα, ἕλκοντες, ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ Β τὰ παρόντα τὴν ἠνιγμένην ἐμφέρειαν. ἹῬὰ δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἀλλήλοις ὁμοφωνεῖ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν. ρων μὴ οὐδὲ εὐσεβοῦντες. οἷς ἐπιχειρήσουσι, κρρεναχωινμ διι δεῖ τέως κατορωρύχθαι" Ρ"υυδέρύψαντε γὰρ ἔχουσι θεοὶ βίον ἀνθρώπου» ὟΝ

proexēnthēkotōn te ēdē, kai eis tous synecheis mę̄nai exanthēsantōn tois ekphantheisin hypo tou logou" epharmosantōn͵ de tōn enkekrymmenōn eidǭn, eis. tēn hylēn. tois aporrhētois tou mythou. “Hopoia atta d᾽ ē eein, emoi men oupō themi? exagoreuein auta" eikasei ", de allos allo, kai synkypsousin epi ta. kAigypeia, - syngrammata anthrōpoi lichneią tou mellontos, hōn an ho mytho? perisalpisę̄ ta ōta, helkontes, ekeithen epi B ta paronta tēn ēnigmenēn emphereian. HiRha d᾽ out᾽ allēlois homophōnei pros alētheian. rōn mē oude eusebountes. hois epicheirēsousi, krrenachōinm dii dei teōs katorōrychthai" R"yyderypsante gar echousi theoi bion anthrōpou» HyN

what had already blossomed and in what blossomed in the months that followed, with what the story disclosed, while the forms hidden in matter fitted the secrets of the myth. What these are it is not yet lawful for me to declare. One will guess one thing, another another, and people will bend over the Egyptian writings in their greed for the future with which the myth has trumpeted in their ears, drawing from there the riddling likeness to present events. But these guesses neither agree with one another nor reach the truth, nor will those who attempt them act piously; these things must for now stay buried, "for the gods keep hidden the livelihood of men."

Notes and citation

Summary: The myth's further meanings must stay hidden; readers who guess at them from Egyptian writings will disagree and act impiously.

The quotation is Hesiod, Works and Days 42. One clause before it is garbled in the OCR and is translated by sense.

Extrabiblical texts: Hesiod, Op. 42 (Hesiod, Works and Days; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 171 (Krabinger 1:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/171). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/171

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 172

172Krabinger 1:172

Ὄ τοὶ Σάμιοι Πυθαγόρα; τόν᾽ σοφόν᾽ ἢ ἀλλ' οὐδὲ θέάμονά᾽ φησιν εἶναι τῶν τε ὄντων καὶ γινομένων". παραγγεῖλαι ᾿» γὰρ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ὥςπερ εἰν ἀγῶνα, ἱερὸν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ θεάσασθαι τὰ γινόμενα: Ἡμεῖς οὖν τὸ ὅ ἰνθένδε᾽ συλλογισώμεθα ὅ), ποῖος; ἂν ὁ τεταγμένος γε νοιτο θεατής᾽ ἢ σαφὶ; τι δεῖ καὶ προὖπτον εἰπεῖν, ὡς εἰ ἔκεῖνο,, δέτις ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ περιμένει τὰ δεικνύμενα καθ' ἕκατον ἐν τάξει προκύπτοντὰ τοῦ παραπετάσματος; Εἰ δέ' τις εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν εἰ[βιάδοιτο, καὶ, τὸ λεγόμενον, ἢ ι εἰς 'τοῦτο' κυνοφθαλμίδοιτο, διὰ τοῦ προσκηνίου τὴν παρασκευὴν ἀθρόαν ἅπασαν ὃ) ἀξιῶν ἑποπτεῦσαι; ἐπὶ τοῦτον ᾿Ελλανοδίκαι τοὺς μαςιγο φόρους ὁπλϊδουσι" καὶ Ὁ λαθὼν͵ δὲ, οὐδὲν σαφὲς εἰδείη, μόλις γε ἰδὼν καὶ συγκεχυμένα" καὶ ἀδιάπριπα. Ἔσι Ἢ μὴν. ἅττα. ποίπεροι

O toi Samioi Pythagora? ton᾽ sophon᾽ ē all' oude theamona᾽ phēsin einai tōn te ontōn kai ginomenōn". parangeilai ᾿» gar auton eis ton kosmon, hōsper ein agōna, hieron, eph᾽ hǭ theasasthai ta ginomena: Hēmeis oun to ho inthende᾽ syllogisōmetha ho), poios? an ho tetagmenos ge noito theatēs᾽ ē saphi? ti dei kai proupton eipein, hōs ei ekeino,, detis en tę̄ chōrą perimenei ta deiknymena kath' hekaton en taxei prokyptonta tou parapetasmatos? Ei de' tis eis tēn skēnēn ei[biadoito, kai, to legomenon, ē i eis 'touto' kynophthalmidoito, dia tou proskēniou tēn paraskeuēn athroan hapasan ho) axiōn hepopteusai? epi touton ᾿Ellanodikai tous masigo phorous hoplïdousi" kai Ho lathōn͵ de, ouden saphes eideiē, molis ge idōn kai synkechymena" kai adiapripa. Esi Ē mēn. hatta. poiperoi

Pythagoras of Samos the wise — but he says he was not wise, only a spectator of the things that are and come to be; for he had been summoned into the cosmos as into a sacred festival, to watch what happens. Let us reason from this what kind of spectator would keep good order. Or need one say something clear and obvious: that it is the one who waits in his place for each thing shown as it comes out in order from behind the curtain? But if someone forces his way into the stage-building, or, as the saying goes, plays the peeping dog at it, wanting to look over the whole apparatus at once through the proscenium, against him the judges arm the whip-bearers; and even if he escapes notice, he would know nothing clearly, having barely seen things confused and indistinct. There are indeed some things

Notes and citation

Summary: Like Pythagoras's spectator at the festival, one should wait for events in order and not peer behind the curtain at what is to come.

Pythagoras's comparison of life to a festival with competitors, traders and spectators is reported by Diogenes Laertius 8.8 and Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 5.9.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ᾽6.». Ὑ1Π. “1: τῶν ν δοφῶν Ῥατ. τοοο. Ὁ, Ῥίον, Υἱηὰ, ᾿συλλόγι ΑὮ. Βεμά. εἰ ρτῖπιο 1,δὰτ. Δ. σόμεθα Ἑάά. οἱ ἃ οοττ. τι. Πεμά, ἅ, βιάδοιτο Ῥατ. Α. Νῖοχ κυοὐδρ᾿ οφν τ ᾿ τῶν δοφῶν γαι. Β, Ῥίιο ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νοφθαλμίδοιτο ῥτὸ κὐινοφθι,᾿ ΤΙ θεάμονα, ἴῃ 4ᾳυοὸ οοηερίτθηϊ ἰδτὶ αυοὸ Οοἀά. εἰ Εἀά, τλϊτο ΤΕ οἴπηοε ἰδπὶ βογίριΐ, 4: 8πὶ δἀΐιΐ, ἰἰαπὶ, οοπὶ, μοίσγις δὰ Ἠεεγεῖν. Ἰορέπάαπι Ρτοροβυΐι Ρείαυΐις ἄλλ᾽ Ὑ, 1, Ρ. 582. εἀ. ΑἸΒεῖι., ᾿ρτοοὐδὶν καὶ 9. νεῖ οὐδὲν ἀλλ᾽ καὶ 3.» Ἀδηῖε δολπείάετο 1,6χ. οἰαόξο;Ξ τεδρίοἰσηφ ἔοτίδθβε Οογπαγίιπι ἴδ Οότπι. οτἶϊ, 8. νυ. " νοσιοπίοπα : φαρίεπίεπι πἰλὶὶ αἰϊμὰ, 5. ἅπασιν Νἰπὰ. ἀξιῶν δ5εεῖ ἃ φίαπι “Ῥεοιαίοτειπ ε516. Ῥτϊοτὶ {1| Νίατο. Ταπι ἀποπτεῦσαι ΝΙου: Ὁ. οοηϊοοίυτδα 88:6 νετγίθϊ τ }]}} π|δο ἂν, ἘΣ αἴθωπι δάϊεοεγαηὶ οδίουϊυ πὶ Οα- 6.. οὐδέν Ναι, Β. ΜΙαϊπι οὐἰακεγὰς αὐ Ματς. Απιοηίΐη. Ρ. 223. δὲν ἂν. Ὠεῖπ μόλις γε Ρτο μ. τε ὑ. Παυϊεῖως κά Οἷς. Τφοο, Ου δορί. δροιίο βοτγί ρεῖ. πιὸ συγκεχυμένα 5.». 548. ζιιόταπι μἷο εο ἰδηίαπι 9π|. καὶ ὕθυτ, Α. Ῥατγ. Β, εἰ Βασγβ. ἀἰοτι, αυοὰ ἄλλο 5ετίρεῖι, Μοχ. ΤΣ Μοη. Ὁ. ἔτι Ῥδτ Ο᾽ Βάτι τῶν γιγνομένων ΝΊοι. Α. γιγνο- εὐ. ἄνων ΠΝ Μοα. Ὁ. εἰ Νίηά. τοοο. ΒΟ. Ρίγο. Υἱπά, Ῥτγοχίπιο ἅττα Βδιοος. ΑΒΟ, Βεϊιὰ, Τυτη. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Prov. 172 (Krabinger 1:172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/172). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-de-providentia/172

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-de-providentia-172) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.