Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

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Type 6647
(formerly typ/4549)

Καὶ τοῦτο δεῖγμα, Ψελλέ, σῆς εὐφυΐας,
δι᾽ ἣν καταδὺς εἰς ἀβύσσους τῶν λόγων
τοῦ δαιμονίου τὴν φύσιν Σταγειρίτου,
γυμνοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ὀστράκων τοὺς μαργάρους
ἀνελκύσας ἔδειξας, οἷς βίος λόγος·
τὰ γὰρ θεωρήματα καλῶ μαργάρους,
τὴν δὲ σκοτεινὴν φράσιν ὄστρακον λέγω
ἀλλ᾽ εἴθε μοι γένοιτο τοιαῦτα γράφειν,
τῶν γὰρ φθονούντων τοῖς καλοῖς οὐδεὶς λόγος·
ἀλλὰ σαφεὶς τέθεικας, τραυλέ, σοὺς λόγους.
Title(s) Στίχοι κῦρ Τζέτζου πρὸς τὸν κῦρ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Ψελλὸν
Text source N. Agiotis 2013, Tzetzes on Psellos revisited, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 106, 1-8: 3-4
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Person(s)
Poet
John Tzetzes (12th c.) - PBW: Ioannes/459/
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)
Tag(s)
Translation(s)
  • This too, Psellos, is a sample of your goodness, by the power of which you have plunged into the depths of the words of the naturally divine Stagirite; from there you have drawn up the pearls stripped of their shells and shown them to us who
    have words as our means of living. For I call the theories pearls, and I term the obscure phrasing a shell. If only I could write such things! For those who envy the good are lacking in reason (logos) but you, lisper, have rendered the discourses (logoi) clear.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    E. Cullhed 2015, Diving for pearls and Tzetzes' death, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 108, 53-62: 53
  • This is also sample, Psellos, of your genius,
    through which, having already been sunk into abysses of the definitions
    of the naturally ingenious Stagirite,
    having already dragged the pearls out of that place,
    you showed (them) stripped of shells to the ones to whom definition (is) life;
    for I call pearls the theories,
    but I name shell the obscure expression.
    Well, may writing this sort of things happen to me,
    for of those who envy the virtuous, (there is) no word;
    but you lisper, have set your words clear.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    N. Agiotis 2013, Tzetzes on Psellos revisited, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 106, 1-8: 4
Comment The poem is also preserved in the 16th century manuscript Paris. gr. 3058 (f. 37v).
Bibliography

Primary

E. Cullhed 2015, Diving for pearls and Tzetzes' death, Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 108, 53-62: 53
Number of verses 10
Occurrence(s) [25003] Καὶ τοῦτο δεῖγμα, Ψελλέ, σῆς εὐφυΐας [15th c.]
NAPLES - Biblioteca Nazionale - gr. III E 12 [1491-1500] (f. 118v)
(10 verses)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)
Maria Tomadaki, Cristina Cocola, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout

The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 388: "Ioann. Tzetzes, Ad Psellum in commentarium ad Aristotelis librum de interpretatione"
Permalink http://dev.dbbe.ugent.be/types/6647
Last modified: 2026-01-19.
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