Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 3060
(formerly typ/1169)

	Ἁπλῷ μὲν λόγῳ καὶ κοινῷ καὶ κατημαξευμένῳ
	ὄργανον τὸ ψαλτήριον δεκάχορδον σημαίνει,
	ᾧτινι χρώμενοι τὸ πρὶν οἱ μελῳδοὶ πρὸς μέλος
	ἐν τούτῳ τὰ ψαλλόμενα καλλίστως ἐμελῴδουν.
	Εἰ δ’ ἴσως ἀναγωγικῶς ἐφερμηνεῦσαι θέλῃς,
	ψαλτήριον δεκάχορδον τὸν ἄνθρωπον σημαίνει.
	Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἶχε πρότερον δέκα χορδὰς ἐκεῖνο,
	οὕτω καὶ πᾶς τις ἄνθρωπος ἔχει δυνάμεις δέκα
	σωματικὰς καὶ ψυχικάς, καὶ δῆλον ἀπὸ τούτου·
	ψυχὴ γὰρ πᾶσα πέφυκε δυνάμεις ἔχειν πέντε,
	νοῦν, αἴσθησιν, διάνοιαν, δόξαν καὶ φαντασίαν·
	ὡσαύτως καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἴσμεν αἰσθήσεις πέντε,
	ὅρασιν, ὄσφρησιν, ἁφήν, ἀκοήν τε καὶ γεῦσιν.
	Ταῦτ’ οὖν ὑπαινιττόμενος ἔλεγεν ὁ προφήτης·
	ἐν δεκαχόρδῳ τῷ θεῷ ψάλατε ψαλτηρίῳ.

Text source	L. Westerink, 1992, Michaelis Pselli poemata, Stuttgart: 332-333
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Text-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Michael Psellos (1018-1081) - PBW: Michael/61/
Metre(s)	Decapentasyllable
Subject(s)	Psalter
Tag(s)	Reference to content of the book
Comment	= Ps. Psellos, Poem 54, vv. 132-146.
Bibliography	Secondary Archimandrite Vladimir, 1894, Sistematičeskoe opisanie rukopisej Moskovskoj Sinodal’noj (Patriarsej) Biblioteki. Rukopisi grečeskija (vol. 1), Moscow: 49 Archimandrite Vladimir, X. Grichine, J. Johannet, 1995, Description systématique des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Synodale Patriarchale de Moscou. Grec 1 à grec 105 (vol. 1), Unknown: 55
Number of verses	15
Occurrence(s)	[18812] Ἁπλῷ μὲν λόγω κ(αὶ) κοινῶ καὶ κατη\|μαξευμένω [11th c.] MOSCOW - Gosudarstvennyj Istoričeskij Musej (GIM) - Sinod. gr. 194 (Vlad. 48) [11th c.] (f. 7v) (15 verses) [26480] ἁπλῶ μὲν λόγω κ(αὶ) κοινῶ καὶ κατημερευμένω [16th-17th c.] VENICE - Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana - gr. Z. 535 (coll. 865) [1101-1150] (f. 346r) (15 verses)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Rachele Ricceri, Delphine Nachtergaele The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification	Vassis ICB 2005, 68: "Commentarius in Psalmos"
Permalink	http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3060

Last modified: 2026-01-19.