ἕρπων εἰς Ἐφύρην τάφον ἔδρακον ἀμφὶ κέλευθον
Λαΐδος ἀρχαίης, ὡς τὸ χάραγμα λέγει·
δάκρυ δ' ἐπισπείσας, χαίροις γύναι, ἐκ γὰρ ἀκουῆς·
οἰκτείρω σέ γ', ἔφην, ἣν πάρος οὐκ ἰδόμην·
ἆ πόσον ἠϊθέων νόον ἤκαχες· ἀλλ' ἴδε Λήθην
ναίεις, ἀγλαΐην ἐν χθονὶ κατθεμένη.[182]
An epitaph on the inutility of epitaphs is an excellent novelty, especially when the witty poet (Paulus Silentiarius) has the humor to make the ghost eager to speak while the wayfarer is inattentive (i. 332):
οὔνομά μοι. τί δὲ τοῦτο; πατρὶς δέ μοι. ἐς τί δὲ τοῦτο;
κλεινοῦ δ' εἰμὶ γένους. εἰ γὰρ ἀφαυροτάτου;
ζήσας δ' ἐνδόξως ἔλιπον βίον. εἰ γὰρ ἀδόξως;
κεῖμαι δ' ἐνθάδε νῦν. τίς τίνι ταῦτα λέγεις;[183]
The value of the epitaphs on poets and great men of Greece is this—that, besides being in many cases of almost perfect beauty, they contain the quintessence of ancient criticism. Every epithet is carefully so chosen as to express what the Greeks thought peculiar and appropriate to the spirit and the works of their heroes.
Orpheus is the subject of the following exquisite elegy by Antipater of Sidon (i. 274):
οὐκέτι θελγομένας, Ὀρφεῦ, δρύας, οὐκέτι πέτρας
ἄξεις, οὐ θηρῶν αὐτονόμους ἀγέλας·
οὐκέτι κοιμάσεις ἀνέμων βρόμον, οὐχὶ χάλαζαν,
οὐ νιφετῶν συρμούς, οὐ παταγεῦσαν ἅλα.
ὤλεο γάρ· σὲ δὲ πολλὰ κατωδύραντο θύγατρες
Μναμοσύνας, μάτηρ δ' ἔξοχα Καλλιόπα·
τί φθιμένοις στοναχεῦμεν ἐφ' υἱάσιν, ἁνίκ' ἀλαλκεῖν
τῶν παίδων Ἀΐδην οὐδὲ θεοῖς δύναμις;[184]
Sophocles receives a gift of flowers and ivy, and quiet sleep from Simmias the Theban (i. 277):
ἠρέμ' ὑπὲρ τύμβοιο Σοφοκλέος, ἠρέμα, κισσέ,
ἑρπύζοις, χλοεροὺς ἐκπροχέων πλοκάμους,
καὶ πέταλον πάντη θάλλοι ῥόδον, ἥ τε φιλορῥώξ
ἄμπελος, ὑγρὰ πέριξ κλήματα χευαμένη,
εἵνεκεν εὐεπίης πινυτόφρονος, ἣν ὁ μελιχρὸς
ἤσκησεν Μουσέων ἄμμιγα κἀκ Χαρίτων.[185]
Among the nine epitaphs on Euripides none is more delicate than the following by Ion (i. 282):
χαῖρε μελαμπετάλοις, Εὐριπίδη, ἐν γυάλοισι·
Πιερίας τὸν ἀεὶ νυκτὸς ἔχων θάλαμον·
ἴσθι δ' ὑπὸ χθονὸς ὢν, ὅτι σοι κλέος ἄφθιτον ἔσται
ἶσον Ὁμηρείαις ἀενάοις χάρισιν.[186]