Greek Anthology
IAΕΠΙΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΑ ΣΥΜΠΟΤΙΚΑ ΚΑΙΣΚΩΠΤΙΚΑ
1.—ΝΙΚΑΡΧΟΥ
Ἑρμαίοις ἡμῖν Ἀφροδίσιος ἓξ χόας οἴνου αἴρων, προσκόψας πένθος ἔθηκε μέγα. οἶνος καὶ Κένταυρον ἀπώλεσεν· ὡς ὄφελεν δὲ χἠμᾶς· νῦν δ᾿ ἡμεῖς τοῦτον ἀπωλέσαμεν.
2.—ΚΑΛΛΙΚΤΗΡΟΣ
Αἰσχυλίδα Θεόδωρε, τί μοι μεμάχηνται ἄριστοι; οὐ διακωλύσεις; πάντες ἔχουσι λίθους.
3.—ΑΔΕΣΠΟΤΟΝ
Ἤθελον ἂν πλουτεῖν, ὡς πλούσιος ἦν ποτε Κροῖσος, καὶ βασιλεὺς εἶναι τῆς μεγάλης Ἀσίης· ἀλλ᾿ ὅταν ἐμβλέψω Νικάνορα τὸν σοροπηγόν, καὶ γνῶ πρὸς τί ποιεῖ ταῦτα τὰ γλωσσόκομα, 5ἀκτήν που πάσσας καὶ ταῖς κοτύλαις ὑποβρέξας, τὴν Ἀσίην πωλῶ πρὸς μύρα καὶ στεφάνους.
Book XI
Book XI
The Convivial and SatiricalEpigrams
1.—Nicarchus
At the feast of Hermes, Aphrodisius, as he was carrying six choes1 of wine, stumbled and threw us into deep mourning. “Wine was the death even of the Centaurs.”2 Would it had been ours; but now it is it we have lost.3
2.—Callicter
Theodorus, son of Aeschylus, why do the leaders fight with me? Won’t you stop them? They all have stones.4
3.—Anonymous
I would have liked to be as rich as Croesus once was, and to be king of great Asia. But when I look at Nicanor the coffin-maker and learn what these flute-cases5 he is making are meant for, I sprinkle my flour6 no matter where, and moistening it with my pint of wine I sell Asia for scent and garlands.