Saturday, July 08, 2017
Advice
Inscriptiones Graecae IX,1 883 (Corcyra, 2nd-3rd century A.D., my translation):
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This advice I, Euodos, give to all mortals:See Valentina Garulli, "Conversazioni in limine mortis: forme di dialogo esplicite e implicite nelle iscrizioni sepolcrali greche in versi," in Cristina Pepe and Gabriella Moretti, edd., Le parole dopo la morte: forme e funzioni della retorica funeraria nella tradizione greca e romana (Trent: Università degli Studi di Trento, 2014), pp. 59-96 (at 78-80).
Give a share of good things to your soul; why are you its enemy?
And comfort your life with luxuriousness,
knowing that, if you go down to the drink of Lethe,
down below you will see nothing of the things above, ever,
when your soul has flown away from your limbs.
τοῦτ' Εὔοδος βροτοῖσι πᾶσι παραινῶ·
τῇ ψυχῇ μετάδος καλ<ῶ>ν· <τί> ἔχθεις;
καὶ τὸν βίον τρυφῇ παρηγόρησον
εἰδώς, ἢν καταβῇς ἐς πῶμα Λήθης
οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπάνω κάτω ποτ' ὄψει
ψυχῆς ἐκ μελέων ἀποπταθείσης.
