Lyric FragmentsΛυρικὰ Ἀποσπάσματα
Archilochus of Paros Lyric Fragments PDF
The Lyric Fragments constitute the extant poetic corpus of Archilochus of Paros, a seminal figure in Greek literature of the seventh century BCE. Composed in Ionic Greek, his work spans several genres, encompassing personal lyric, aggressive iambic verse, and elegy. These fragments are not a unified composition but a modern assemblage of over three hundred excerpts, preserved through citations by later ancient authors and the recovery of papyrus scraps, primarily from Egypt. They offer only partial glimpses of his original output, yet they vividly capture his distinctive poetic voice.
Archilochus deliberately departed from the heroic conventions of epic poetry. His verses, likely intended for performance at symposia, present a cynical and pragmatic worldview, often from the perspective of a soldier. His themes include war, survival, love, and social conflict, treated with a striking candor exemplified in his famous admission of discarding his shield in battle to preserve his own life. This act is widely interpreted by modern scholars as a conscious rejection of aristocratic martial values in favor of personal resilience and adaptability. His sharp, intensely personal style established the iambic tradition of invective and satire, profoundly influencing subsequent Greek and Roman poets.
| S478a | πάμπαν ἀποσχόμενος· 〈 ⸏ 〉ἶσον δὲ τολ̣μ̣[ εἰ̣ δ’ ὦν ἐπείγεαι καί σε θυμὸς ἰθύει, ἔστιν ἐν ἡμετέρου 〈 ⸏ 〉ἣ νῦν μέγ’ ἱμείρε̣[ι καλὴ τέρεινα παρθένος· δοκέω δέ μι[ν εἶδος ἄμωμον ἔχειν· 〈 ⸏ 〉τὴν δὴ σὺ πένθ̣[ τοσαῦτ’ ἐφώνει· τὴν δ’ ἐγὼ ἀνταμει[βόμην· “Ἀμφιμεδοῦς θύγατερ 〈 ⸏ 〉ἐσθλῆς τε καὶ [περίφρονος γυναικός, ἣν̣ νῦν γῆ κατ’ εὐρώεσς’ ἔ[χει, τ]έρψιές εἰσι θεῆς 〈 ⸏ 〉πολλαὶ νέοισιν ἀνδ[ράσιν π̣αρὲξ τὸ θεῖον χρῆμα· τῶν τ̣ι̣ς ἀρκέσε[ι. τ]αῦτα δ’ ἐπ’ ἡσυχίης 〈 ⸏ 〉εὖτ’ ἂν μελανθη[ ἐ]γώ τε καὶ σὺ σὺν θεῶι βουλεύσομεν̣· π]είσομαι ὥς με κέλεαι· 〈 ⸏ 〉πολλόν μ’ ε[ θρ]ιγκοῦ δ’ ἔνερθε καὶ πυλέων ὑποφ̣[ μ]ή τι μέγαιρε, φίλη· 〈 ⸏ 〉σχήσω γὰρ ἐς π̣ο̣η[φόρους κ]ή̣πους. τὸ δὴ νῦν γνῶθι· Νεοβού̣λη[ ἄ]λλος ἀνὴρ ἐχέτω· 〈 ⸏ 〉αἰαῖ πέπειρα δ . [ ἄν]θος δ’ ἀπερρύηκε παρθενήιον κ]α̣ὶ χάρις ἣ πρὶν ἐπῆν· 〈 ⸏ 〉κόρον γὰρ οὐκ̣[ .. ]ης δὲ μέτρ’ ἔφηνε μαινόλ̣ι̣ς̣ γ̣υνή· ἐς] κόρακας ἄπεχε· 〈 ⸏ 〉μὴ τοῦτ’ ἐ̣φ̣ο̣ῖ̣τ̣’ α̣ν̣[ ὅ]π̣ως ἐγὼ γυναῖκα τ[ο]ι̣αύτην ἔχων γεί]τοσι χάρμ’ ἔσομαι· 〈 ⸏ 〉πολλὸν σὲ βούλο̣[μαι πάρος· σὺ] μ̣ὲν γὰρ οὔτ’ ἄπιστος οὔτε διπλ̣ό̣η, ἡ δ]ὲ̣ μάλ’ ὀξυτέρη, 〈 ⸏ 〉πολλοὺς δὲ ποιεῖτα[ι δέ]δ̣οιχ’ ὅπως μὴ τυφλὰ κἀλιτήμερα σπ]ο̣υδῆι ἐπειγόμενος 〈 ⸏ 〉τὼς ὥσπερ ἡ κ[ύων τέκω.” τοσ]αῦτ’ ἐφώνεον· παρθένον δ’ ἐν ἄνθε[σιν τηλ]εθάεσσι λαβὼν 〈 ⸏ 〉ἔκλινα, μαλθακῆι δ̣[έ μιν χλαί]νηι καλύψας, αὐχέν’ ἀγκάληις ἔχω[ν, δεί]μ̣ατι π .. [ . ] . μ̣έ̣ν̣ην 〈 ⸏ 〉τὼς ὥστε νέβρ̣[ μαζ]ῶν τε χ̣ερσὶν ἠπίως ἐφηψάμη̣ν ἧιπε]ρ̣ ἔφην̣ε νέον |
| S478a (50) | 〈 ⸏ 〉ἥβης ἐπήλυ̣σις χρόα̣· ἅπαν τ]ε̣ σῶμ̣α καλὸν ἀμφαφώμενος λευκ]ὸν ἀφῆκα μένος 〈 ⸏ ⸏ 〉ξανθῆς ἐπιψαύ[ων τριχός. |
| S478b | οὐκέ]θ’ ὁμῶς θάλλεις ἁπαλὸν χρόα, κάρφετα[ι γὰρ ἤδη ὄγμοι]ς, κακοῦ δὲ γήραος καθαιρεῖ ..... ], ἀ̣φ’ ἱμερτοῦ δὲ θο̣ρὼν γλυκὺ̣ς̣ ἵμερος π̣[ροσώπου πέπτω]κ̣εν· ἦ γὰρ πολλὰ δή ς’ ἐ̣πῆι̣ξ̣εν πνεύμ]α̣τα χειμερί̣ων ἀνέμων 〈 〉 π̣ο̣λλάκις δε[ |