Callimachus’ poem on Plato’s Phaedo, read in ancient Greek (epigram 23, the suicide of Cleombrotus)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
  • Cleombrotus, the subject of this epigram, was a disciple of Socrates. In the Phaedo, a Socratic dialogue, Plato argues that the soul lives happily after death; and Cleombrotus, affected by the beauty of its ideas, is said to have been inspired to leap from a high wall into the sea. This suicide is used by Callimachus, in part, to illustrate the overwhelming beauty of Plato’s work.
    It has been observed that the word “ἓν” (here translated “single”) is significant. One reason why, is because it may imply that Cleombrotus was not a careful student of Plato; since he was actuated by, and perhaps, even, had only read, "a single work" of his. In both the Phaedo itself and another work, Plato argues that suicide, in all but the most extreme circumstances, is morally wrong; so that Cleombrotus was premature to do as he did. This epigram may also be a warning, then, against the danger of drinking too shallowly from the Pierian spring.
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    My translation is free to use under CC-BY-4.0. Transcript:
    "Farewell, sun!" said Cleombrotus of Ambracia, and leapt from a high wall into Hades. Although he had not experienced any evil worthy of death; but had read a single work by Plato: "On the Soul."
    Εἴπας ἥλιε χαῖρε Κλεόμβροτος Ὡμβρακιώτης
    ἥλατ᾿ ἀφ᾿ ὑψηλοῦ τείχεος εἰς Ἀΐδην,
    ἄξιον οὐδὲν ἰδὼν θανάτου κακόν, ἀλλὰ Πλάτωνος
    ἓν τὸ περὶ ψυχῆς γράμμ᾿ ἀναλεξάμενος.

ความคิดเห็น • 9

  • @cupofteawithpoetry
    @cupofteawithpoetry 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    A very powerful reading Thomas!

  • @ThomasWhichello
    @ThomasWhichello  2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "Farewell, sun!" said Cleombrotus of Ambracia, and leapt from a high wall into Hades. Although he had not experienced any evil worthy of death; but had read a single work by Plato: "On the Soul."
    Εἴπας ἥλιε χαῖρε Κλεόμβροτος Ὡμβρακιώτης
    ἥλατ᾿ ἀφ᾿ ὑψηλοῦ τείχεος εἰς Ἀΐδην,
    ἄξιον οὐδὲν ἰδὼν θανάτου κακόν, ἀλλὰ Πλάτωνος
    ἓν τὸ περὶ ψυχῆς γράμμ᾿ ἀναλεξάμενος.

  • @johann9715
    @johann9715 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    What e reader is that in the thumbnail

    • @ThomasWhichello
      @ThomasWhichello  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      A discontinued product from Sony called the DPT-RP1. I think that the Fujitsu Quaderno may be similar.

    • @johann9715
      @johann9715 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@ThomasWhichello thanks for replying sir

  • @maileswales9174
    @maileswales9174 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wow, thank you for that. I learned so much from the tales, songs, poems and music. Thank you! Hope you will come again

  • @Celtickok1
    @Celtickok1 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I know this is an ambitious request but, would you ever tackle Tales of Dionysus by Nonnus of Panopolis. You are gifted. What a joy.

    • @ThomasWhichello
      @ThomasWhichello  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you for your kind words. I thank you for the recommendation also--the Dionysiaca would be very enjoyable to read from some day. I love, for example, the descriptions of the monster Typhon, spitting his showers of poison, and crying out with the heads of every kind of animal. It would also be interesting to try a 5th-century A. D. pronunciation of Greek; preserving the vestiges of quantity and pitch-accent, but closer in sound to modern times, with /afˈtos/ for αὐτός and so on.

  • @egleborchardt4201
    @egleborchardt4201 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great! Thanks!