Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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Type 3502
(formerly typ/1620)

	Δυσκώφῳ δύσκωφος ἐκρίνετο, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον
	ἦν ὁ κρίτης τούτων δὴ δυσκωφότερος.
	Ὧν ὁ μὲν ἀντέλεγεν τὸ ἐνοίκιον αὐτὸν ὀφείλειν
	μηνῶν πένθ᾽, ὁ δ᾽ ἔφη νυκτὸς ἀληλεκέναι.
	Ἐμβλέψας δ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὁ κριτὴς λέγει· "Ἐς τί μάχεσθε;
	μήτηρ ἔσθ᾽ ὑμῶν· ἀμφότεροι τρέφετε."

Title(s)	Carmen ludibriosum
Text source	H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. IX-XI (vol. 3), München: 668-669
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Reader-related epigram
Person(s)	Poet Nicarchus (1st c.)
Metre(s)	Elegiacs
Critical Notes	4 νυκτὸς ] οὔπω Laur. Plut. 56,3 5 κριτὴς ] κρίτος Laur. Plut. 56,3 6 ὑμῶν ] ὑμῖν Laur. Plut. 56,3
Translation(s)	A stone-deaf man went to law with another stone-deaf man, and the judge was much deafer than the pair of them. One of them contended that the other owed him five months’ rent, and the other said that his opponent had ground corn at night. Says the judge, looking at them: “Why are you quarrelling? She is your mother; you must both maintain her.” Language English Source(s) W. Paton, 1918, The Greek Anthology. Books 10-12 (vol. 4), Cambridge: 189-191 Sourd contre sourd, ils étaient en procès; mais bien plus que nos deux sourds, le juge était sourd lui aussi! L'un d'eux prétendait que l'autre lui devait cinq mois de loyer; et celui-ci d'affirmer que celui-là tournait la meule, la nuit... Les regardant tous deux, le juge décréta: "Pourquoi vous battre? C'est votre mère; nourrissez-la tous deux!" Language French Source(s) R. Aubreton, 1972, Anthologie Grecque. Tome X: Anthologie palatine, Livre XI (vol. 10), Paris: 160 Jüngst prozessierte ein Tauber mit einem Tauben, doch fanden sie einen Richter, der viel tauber als beide noch war. Klagte der eine, ihm schulde sein Gegner fünf Monate Miete, sagte der andre, des Nachts laufe sein Mühlenbetrieb. Ernst sah der Richter sie an; dann sprach er: "Was zankt ihr? Sie ist nun mal eure Mutter, ihr sorgt beide daher auch für sie." Language German Source(s) H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. IX-XI (vol. 3), München: 669
Bibliography	Primary R. Aubreton, 1972, Anthologie Grecque. Tome X: Anthologie palatine, Livre XI (vol. 10), Paris: 160 A. Bandini, 1768, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Mediceae Laurentianae (vol. 2), Florence: 297 W. Paton, 1918, The Greek Anthology. Books 10-12 (vol. 4), Cambridge: 188-191
Number of verses	6
Occurrence(s)	[19415] Δυσκώφω δύσκωφος ἐκρίνετο. καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον [15th c.] FLORENCE - Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (BML) - Plut. 56, Cod. 3 [15th c.] (f. 154v) (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, XI.251
Permalink	http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3502

Last modified: 2026-01-19.

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