Death & Dying
Book VII, 429
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. II, 1917)
I ask myself why this road-side stone has only two phis chiselled on it. Was the name of the woman who is buried here Chilias? The number which is the sum of the two letters points to this. Or am I astray in this guess and was the name of her who dwells in this mournful tomb Phidis? Now am I the Oedipus who has solved the sphinx’s riddle. He deserves praise, the man who made this puzzle out of two letters, a light to the intelligent and darkness to the unintelligent.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Codex Note
Paton's heading reads 'Alcaeus of Mitylene', but his Index of Authors lists this epigram under Alcaeus of Messene.
Cite this poem
MLA
Messene, Alcaeus of. “Book VII, 429.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/alcaeus-messene/3/.
Chicago
Messene, Alcaeus of. “Book VII, 429.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/alcaeus-messene/3/.
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