Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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Type 3474
(formerly typ/1599)

	Μικρὸν χρόνον τὸ κέρδος εὑρὼν τοῦ φόνου
	κεῖσαι τάφῳ νῦν δεξιὰν ᾑμαγμένος.
	Ἔκτεινας ἄνδρα καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰς πόλεις
	κοιμώμενον λέοντα πυγμαῖος πίθηξ.
	Τί σοι τὸ λοιπόν; ἀντὶ ῥευστοῦ τοῦ θρόνου
	μένει τά πικρά· φεῦ πικρῶν βουλευμάτων.

Title(s)	Εἰς τὸν Τζιμισκήν
Text source	W. Hörandner 1970, Miscellanea epigrammatica, Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik (JÖB), 19, 109-119: 115
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Reader-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet John of Melitene < Cappadocia (951-1000) - PMBZ: 25315: "Personenkennziffer: 23161" (metropolites of Melitene < Cappadocia)
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	John I Tzimiskes (925 - 10/01/976) - PMBZ: 24932: "Personenkennziffer: 22778"
Tag(s)	Address to the reader Death Polemic
Critical Notes	1 φόνου ] βίου Bandini, Cougny, Laur. Plut. 31.37 2 κεῖσαι ] κεῖσθαι Miller 5 λοιπόν ] μέλλον Bandini, Cougny, Laur. Plut. 31.37; τοῦ θρόνου ] γὰρ βίου Bandini, Cougny, Laur. Plut. 31.37 6 πικρά ] φρικτὰ Bandini, Cougny φρυκτὰ Laur. Plut. 31.37; πικρῶν ] κακῶν Bandini, Cougny, Laur. Plut. 31.37
Translation(s)	In parvum tempus lucro invento vitae, occidisti virum et cum eo civitates. Quodnam tibi futurum? nempe pro fluxa vita jaces in sepulcro: nunc dextra cruentata, dormientem leonem pygmaeus pumilio oppressit. Manent horrenda. Proh mala consilia! Language Latin Source(s) E. Cougny, 1890, Epigrammatum Anthologia Palatina cum Planudeis et Appendice nova epigrammatum veterum ex libris et marmoribus ductorum (vol. 3), Paris: 333
Comment	According to Hörandner (1970: 113), this epigram can be ascribed to Ioannes Geometres. In ms. Marc. gr. app. XI 22 it has been transmitted in a collection of poems of Ioannes Mauropus and Ioannes Geometres. The two occurrences linked to this type come from ms. Laur. Plut. 31.37, where the poem functions as a book epigram. These occurrences have some small variations, which give the epigram a more general meaning.
Bibliography	Primary A. Bandini, 1768, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Mediceae Laurentianae (vol. 2), Florence: 116 E. Cougny, 1890, Epigrammatum Anthologia Palatina cum Planudeis et Appendice nova epigrammatum veterum ex libris et marmoribus ductorum (vol. 3), Paris: 333 M. Lauxtermann, 2003, Byzantine Poetry from Pisides to Geometres (vol. 1), Vienna: 310-312 E. Miller 1883, Poésies inédites de Théodore Prodrome, Annuaire de l'association pour l'encouragement des études grecques en France, 17, 18-64: 63-64 Secondary W. Hörandner 1970, Miscellanea epigrammatica, Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik (JÖB), 19, 109-119: 110-113
Number of verses	6
Occurrence(s)	[19386] μικρὸν χρόνον τὸ κέρδος εὑρὼν τοῦ βίου [14th c.] FLORENCE - Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (BML) - Plut. 31, Cod. 37 [1301-1350] (f. 169v -- (alt.) f. 167v) (6 verses) [28522] μικρὸν χρόνον τὸ κέρδος εὑρὼν τοῦ βίου [14th c.] FLORENCE - Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (BML) - Plut. 31, Cod. 37 [1301-1350] (f. 169v -- (alt.) f. 167v) (6 verses)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification	Anthologia Graeca Appendix, III.III.260 Vassis ICB 2005, 467: "Ioannes ep. Melitenae, In Ioannem Tzimiscem"
Permalink	http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3474

Last modified: 2026-01-19.

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