Homeric Apocrypha
δρύπτετο, κ] [] πόσιν ἀφ[ραίνουσα προσηύδα· “ [ ] ἔπη ζεύγνυ κ[ ]ο μ[υ]αν [ ()]ερε χαλινοὺς ε [ρέ]νας ἁμάς.”
οἳ μ[έν νυ] δαίνυντο θεοὶ κατ [μα]κρὸν Ὄλυμπον· 20ἀ]λλ᾿ [γ᾿] ἐπὶ τρσιὴν [ἔκι]ν Κυ[ν]ιος Ἑρμῆς τ]ῶν [εὖ β]μ[έ]νων, κ[ ] [ ]ν ἐξεγέν ()] ἀγρ[ο]ῦ σταφ[λ ] [ ]ς ἀνὰ πάντ[α] ἀμπελε]ῶν ιπόντ[ες, ἐπε] εοῦ αἶ[σ]α συνῆγεν πάντας] πὶ στρατιάν. [το] ᾿ εἴσιδεν αἶψα ι[τας 25ἀγχίνοο] λέη, [ῶι] προσελέξατο θυμ· “ὤ μοι ἐγώ,] τί ποτ᾿ ἆρ[α] [ες σ]υνέλεχθεν ἀολλεῖς; δειμαίν], μή υ ο[έμ]ου μέγα νεῖκος ἀέξη Ἄρης β]αι[ομ]όροισι μυσὶν [καὶ ἐμ]ὶ περὶ νίκης. ἀλκῆς] δ[ὴ] καὶ ἔγωγε νέ[ης] ἐμ[λα]ι ἦτορ 30 ] []μενη φ [ ]η[ ][ ] εἰῆλθε, μέγ[αν] ᾿ ὑ [υθ]μέν᾿ ἐλαίης
(From lines 32–50 only a few letters survive.)
51ο] την ἐνέμοντο ύλου θ᾿ [ερ]ν πτολ[ίεθρον·
- 27μηυ pap.
Weasel and the Mice
and her hair ro[und ab]out, and, ins[ane with grief, . . . addressed] her husband:
“. . . harness words . . . bridle upon my wits.”
The gods meanwhile were feasting on long Olympus; but Cyllenian Hermes [wen]t onto the cheese rack, one of the [well l]aden ones, and . . . they came out . . . of the field . . . [grape clu]sters . . . over all the . . ., leaving the [vineya]rd, for divine destiny was bringing them [all] together for the march to battle. They were quickly seen as they went forth by the [clever] weasel, and it spoke to its heart:
“[O alas,] why have the mi[ce] all gathered together? [I am afraid that Ares] may perhaps be fomenting a great battle contention for victory between the b[rief-d]oomed mice and m[yself]. Well, I too find my heart filled with ne[w valor . . .”
. . . it went into the . . ., and [concealed itself] under a large olive trunk . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . those who dwelt in Sparta and Pylos’ h[ol]y city; for