Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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Type 2326
(formerly typ/387)

	Οἶδ’, ὅτι θνατὸς ἐγὼ καὶ ἐφάμερος· ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἄστρων
	μαστεύω πυκινὰς ἀμφιδρόμους ἕλικας,
	οὐκέτ’ ἐπιψαύω γαίης ποσίν, ἀλλὰ παρ’ αὐτῷ
	Ζανὶ θεοτρεφέος πίμπλαμαι ἀμβροσίης.

Title(s)	Ἐπίγραμμα ὁ εἶπε Πτολεμαῖος εἰς ἑαυτὸν Epigramma Claudii Ptolemaei in se ipsum
Text source	H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. IX-XI (vol. 3), München: 352-353
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Author-related epigram Text-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Claudius Ptolemy (2nd c.)
Metre(s)	Elegiacs
Subject(s)	Claudius Ptolemy (2nd c.) Zeus
Tag(s)	Death Reference to content of the book Spiritual value of the book
Translation(s)	I know that I am mortal, a creature of a day; but when I search into the multitudinous revolving spirals of the stars my feet no longer rest on the earth, but, standing by Zeus himself, I take my fill of ambrosia, the food of the gods. Language English Source(s) W. Paton, 1917, The Greek Anthology. Book 9 (vol. 3), Cambridge: 321 Je sais que je suis mortel et éphémère; mais quand j'observe l'évolution circulaire d'astres si nombreux, je ne touche plus la terre de mes pieds: c'est auprès de Zeus lui-même que je me gorge d'ambroisie, de ce mets des dieux. Language French Source(s) J. Irigoin, P. Laurens, G. Soury, P. Waltz, 1974, Anthologie Grecque. Tome VIII: Anthologie palatine, Livre IX, Épigrammes 359-827 (vol. 8), Paris: 98 Sterblich bin ich, mein Leben ist Kurz; doch seh ich im Geiste, wie in unnennbarer Zahl kreisend die Sterne sich drehn, o, dann fühl ich nicht mehr mit meinem Füssen die Erde, hoch am Tische des Zeus speis' ich ambrosische Kost. Language German Source(s) H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. IX-XI (vol. 3), München: 353 Mortalem natum me nosco, nosco caducum. At cum coelestes mente revolvo situs. Non pedibus terram calco, sed cum Iove magno. Divina potans impleor ambrosia. Language Latin Source(s) I. Hardt, 1806, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum graecorum Bibliothecae Regiae Bavaricae. Cod. CCXXXIV-CCCXLVII continens (vol. 3), Munich: 412 Mortalem vitam perituraque membra dedere Fata mihi, et summum praestituere diem. Sed Jovis abrosia vescor, terramque relinquo Ingenio cursus dum noto sidereos. Language Latin Source(s) A. Zanetti, A. Bongiovanni, 1740, Biblioteca Marciana. Venezia - Cataloghi di codici greci. Catalogo del Fondo Antico., Venice: 185
Bibliography	Primary I. Hardt, 1806, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum graecorum Bibliothecae Regiae Bavaricae. Cod. CVI-CCXXXIII continens (vol. 2), Munich: 411-412 J. Irigoin, P. Laurens, G. Soury, P. Waltz, 1974, Anthologie Grecque. Tome VIII: Anthologie palatine, Livre IX, Épigrammes 359-827 (vol. 8), Paris: 98 W. Paton, 1917, The Greek Anthology. Book 9 (vol. 3), Cambridge: 320-321
Number of verses	4
Occurrence(s)	[19345] Οἶδ’ ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυν καὶ ἐφήμερος· ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἄστρων [15th c.] FLORENCE - Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (BML) - Plut. 10, Cod. 21 [15th c.] (f. 173r) (4 verses) [33153] Οἶδ’ ὅτι θνητός ἔφυν καὶ ἐφήμερος, ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἄστρων [15th c.] MODENA - Biblioteca Estense Universitaria α. O. 7. 12 (Lat. 56) [15th c.] (f. 119v) (4 verses) [21251] οἶδ’ ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυν καὶ \| ἐφάμερος, ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἄστρων· [13th c.] MUNICH - Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - gr. 212 [1326-1350] (f. 1r) (4 verses) [27083] οἶδ' ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυν καὶ ἐφ' ἅμερος ἀλλ’ ὅτ' ἄν ἄστρων [10th c.] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - gr. 1853 [10th-15th c.] (f. 67v) (4 verses) [29368] οἶδ’ ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυν καὶ ἐφάμερος· ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἄστρων [1200] VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 117 [14th c.] (f. 1v) (4 verses) [17781] Οἶδ’ ὅτι θνητὸς ἐγὼ κ(αὶ) ἐφήμερος· ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ἄστρων [14th c.] VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 198 [14th c.] (f. 138v) (4 verses) [22230] οἶδ' ὅτι, θνητὸς ἔφυν καὶ ἐφήμερος, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἄστρων [1401-1498] VENICE - Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana - gr. Z. 388 (coll. 833) [15th c.] (f. IVv) (4 verses) display 4 more occurrences (7 in total) hide 4 occurrences (7 in total)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Anne-Sophie Rouckhout, Lotte van Olmen, Ilse De Vos The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification	Anthologia Graeca, IX.577
Permalink	http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/2326

Last modified: 2026-01-19.

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