M/M: Harmodius & Aristogeiton, Defenders of Liberty. Athenaeus, Deipnosoph. 15.l

Hymns in Praise of Harmodius and Aristogeiton,  The Liberators of Athens

Name:   Athenaeus Date:   2nd century CE Region:   Naucratis [modern Egypt] Citation:    Deipnosophists  15.49.10-13

I carry a sword hidden in a myrtle branch,

Just like Harmodius and Aristogeiton did

When they killed the tyrant

And stood up for a free Athens.

ἐν μύρτου κλαδὶ τὸ ξίφος φορήσω,  ὥσπερ Ἁρμόδιος καὶ Ἀριστογείτων, ὅτε τὸν τύραννον κτανέτην ἰσονόμους τ᾽ ' Ἀθήνας ἐποιησάτην.

In myrti ramo gladium feram, sicut Harmodius Aristogitonque, quum tyrannum occiderunt, liberasque Athenas praestiterunt. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Dearest Harmodius, you are not dead;

Rather, they say you live on the Isle of the Blessed

Where swift-footed Achilles lives,

Where Diomedes lives.

φίλταθ᾽ Ἁρμόδι᾽, οὔ τι που τέθνηκας νήσοις δ᾽ ἐν μακάρων σέ φασιν εἶναι, ἵνα περ ποδώκης Ἀχιλεὺς, Τυδείδην τέ φασιν Διομήδεα.

Carissime Harmodie, non utique mortuus es: beatorum sed in insulis te aiunt esse, ubi velox pedibus Achilles, Tydidemque ubi aiunt esse Diomedem. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

I carry a sword hidden in a myrtle branch

Just like Harmodius and Aristogeiton did

When during Minerva’s sacrifices

They slaughtered the tyrant Hipparchus.

ἐν μύρτου κλαδὶ τὸ ξίφος φορήσω, ὥσπερ Ἁρμόδιος κ’ Ἀριστογείτων, ὅτ᾽ Ἀθηναίης ἐν θυσίαις ἄνδρα τύραννον Ἵππαρχον ἐκαινέτην.

In myrti ramo gladium feram sicut Harmodius Aristogitonque, Minervae cum in sacrificiis virum tyrannum Hipparchum occiderunt. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Dearest Harmodius and Aristogeiton,

The earth will forever honor you

Because you removed a tyrant

And stood up for a free Athens. 

αἰεὶ σφῷν κλέος ἔσσεται κατ᾽ αἶαν, φίλταθ᾽ Ἁρμόδιε κ’ Ἀριστόγειτον: ὅτι τὸν τύραννον κτανέτον ἰσονόμους τ᾽ Ἀθήνας ἐποιησάτον.

Semper vester honos in terra durabit, carissime Harodie & Aristogiton; quod tyrannum sustulistis, liberasque praestitistis Athenas.   Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Athenaeus of Naucratis [2nd century CE, modern Egypt] was a scholar who lived in Naucratis during the reign of the Antonines. His fifteen volume work, the Deipnosophists, are invaluable for the amount of quotations that preserve otherwise lost authors, including the poetry of Sappho.