Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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Type 6201
(formerly typ/4182)

	Ζωοτύπος τόλμησεν, ἃ μὴ θέμις, εἰκόνι γράψαι,
	εὐεπίη δ’ ἐτέλεσσε φύσιν ψευδήμονα κόσμου
	ἐγγὺς ἀληθείης γε· γραφὴ δ’ ἐψεύσατο πάντα.

Title(s)	Εἰς τὸ ποιημάτιον Ἰωάννου Γραμματικοῦ
Text source	H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. XII-XVI (vol. 4), München: 258-259
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Author-related epigram Text-related epigram
Metre(s)	Dactylic hexameter
Subject(s)	John of Gaza (6th c.)
Tag(s)	Praise of the author Reference to content of the book
Translation(s)	The painter ventured to picture what may not be pictured, and eloquence completed the counterfeited nature of the world, yea and near the truth; but the painting invented all. Language English Source(s) W. Paton, 1918, The Greek Anthology. Books 13-16 (vol. 5), Cambridge: 111 L’artiste a eu l’audace de peindre ce que l’on ne doit pas dans une image. L’éloquence a parfait ce monde à la nature mensongère En s’approchant de la vérité ; mais la peinture ne fut que mensonge. Language French Source(s) D. Lauritzen 2019, L’Épigramme sur l’ekphrasis de Jean de Gaza (Anthologie Palatine XV, 1), in S. Cosentino, M. Pomero, G. Vespignani (eds.), Dialoghi con Bisanzio. Spazi di discussione, percorsi di ricerca. Atti dell’VIII Congresso dell’Associazione Italiana di Studi Bizantini (Ravenna 22-25 settembre 2015) (vol. 1), Spoleto, 535-548: 536 L'audace de l'artiste avait choisi des thèmes interdits au pinceau. L'art du verbe a refait un univers fictif, qui du réel approche. La peinture a créé partout l'illusion. Language French Source(s) F. Buffière, 1970, Anthologie Grecque. Tome XII: Anthologie palatine, Livres XIII-XV (vol. 12), Paris: 124 Kühn dieser Künstler! Er malte, was niemals erlaubt ist, im Bilde. Und die schimmernden Worte erstellten ein Scheinding vom Weltall, das an Wirklichkeit grenzt: doch alles - ein Blendwerk des Pinsels. Language German Source(s) H. Beckby, 1965, Anthologia Graeca. VII-VIII (vol. 2), München: 257
Comment	Lauritzen (2019: 541-548) argues that Paulos Silentarios could be the author of this epigram.
Bibliography	Primary F. Buffière, 1970, Anthologie Grecque. Tome XII: Anthologie palatine, Livres XIII-XV (vol. 12), Paris: 124 D. Lauritzen 2019, L’Épigramme sur l’ekphrasis de Jean de Gaza (Anthologie Palatine XV, 1), in S. Cosentino, M. Pomero, G. Vespignani (eds.), Dialoghi con Bisanzio. Spazi di discussione, percorsi di ricerca. Atti dell’VIII Congresso dell’Associazione Italiana di Studi Bizantini (Ravenna 22-25 settembre 2015) (vol. 1), Spoleto, 535-548: 536 W. Paton, 1918, The Greek Anthology. Books 13-16 (vol. 5), Cambridge: 110-111
Number of verses	3
Occurrence(s)	[25497] ζωοτύπος τόλμησεν \| ἁ μὴ θέμις εἰκόνι γράψ(αι) [10th c.] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - suppl. gr. 384 [10th c.] (f. 15r -- (alt.) p. 643) (3 verses) [23977] ζωοτύπος τόλμησεν ἃ μὴ θέμις εἰκόνι γράψαι [10th c.] PARIS - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) - suppl. gr. 384 [10th c.] (f. 25v -- (alt.) p. 664) (3 verses)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Julián Bértola, 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, XV.1 Vassis ICB 2005, 289: "In poema Ioannis grammatici Gazaei"
Permalink	http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/6201

Last modified: 2026-01-19.

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