Motherless Are We: Bacchus and Minerva, Greek Anthology 16.183

Motherless Are We: The Birth of Athena and Dionysus

Name:  Unknown Date:     Unknown Region:    Unknown Citation:    Greek Anthology 16.183

A Poem About a Statue of Dionysus Next to Athena

A: Tell me, Bacchus, what on earth do you have in common with Pallas Athena?

She’s all about weapons and warfare; you just really, really like dinner parties.

 B: O traveler, don’t be so critical about the matters of the gods,

But think about how the goddess and I are alike.

I am also successful in warfare; all of India

Knows I have conquered it, from sea to shining sea.

Both of us have enriched the human race;

Athena has endowed them with olive oil,

My gift is wine from freshly squeezed grapes.

And no mother has suffered labor pains on my behalf.

I came from our father’s [Zeus’] thigh; she came from his head.

 

α Εἰπὲ, τί σοὶ ξυνὸν καὶ Παλλάδι;  τῇ γὰρ ἄκοντες καὶ πόλεμοι, πέρι σοὶ δ’ εὔαδον εἰλαπίναι.

In signum Bacchi iuxta Minervam erectum A: Dic, quid tibi commune et Pallidi? Huic enim iacula et certamina; tibi vero valde placent convivia.

β Μὴ προπετῶς, ὦ ξεῖνε, θεῶν πέρι τoῖα μετάλλα. ἴσθι δ’ ὅσοις ἴκελος δαίμονι τῇδε πέλω καὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ πολέμων φίλιον κλέος οἶδεν ἅπας μοι ἠῳου δμηθείς Ινδός ἀπ’ Ωκεανοῦ Καὶ μερόπων δὲ φυην ἐγερηραμεν ἡ μὲν ἐλαίῄ αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ γλυκεροῖς βότρυσιν ἡμερίδος Καὶ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ μήτηρ ὠδῖνας ὑπέτλη λῦσα δ’ ἐγὼ μηρὸν πάτριον, ἡ δὲ χάρη.

B. Ne temere, o hospes, de diis talia inquire: tene autem quot rebus similis deae huiusce sim. Etenim mihi quoque bellorum amica gloria; novit omnis Eoo domitus Indus ab Oceano. Et mortalium utique genus remuneravimus, haec quidem olea, sed ego dulcibus uvis vineae--excultae. Verum etiam neque ob me mater labores tulit; solvi autem ego femur patrium, haec vero caput. Translated into Latin by Hugo Grotius