Alexandrova Tatiana

Triphiodorus. The sack of Ilion

Abstract

This article contains a poetical translation of the epic poem by the late-ancient poet Triphiodorus, The Sack of Ilion. For a long time, Triphiodorus had been considered as a poet of “the school of Nonnus” and as his epigone, and his lifetime had been dated to the end of the 5th — beginning of the 6th century. But after the publication in 1972 of the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus of the 3th century containing a few lines by Triphiodorus, it became clear that his lifetime should be shifted to the 3th century and it was not Nonnus who influenced Triphiodorus, but vice versa. Triphiodorus anticipated some stylistic and metrical innovations of Nonnus. “Suda” conveys some data about Triphiodorus stating that he lived in Egypt, and attributing to him several epic poems, among which only The Sack of Ilion has survived. It is a poem containing 691 verses and based on the plot of the Song of Demodocus summarised in Odyssey. The poem by Triphiodorus can be called “a reconstruction” of Demodocusʼ Song. It is also close in content to the last books of the epic Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, though it is not a paraphrase but an independent development of the theme. Such Christian authors as Gregory the Nazianzenus and Gregory of Nyssa could be familiar with the poem. This is the first full translation of the poem into Russian.

Keywords

Triphiodorus, The Sack of Ilion, Homerus, Nonnus, epic, Late Ancient Poetry

References

1. Miguélez-Cavero L. (2013) Triphiodorus, “The Sack of Troy”: A General Study and Commentary. Berlin; Boston.
2. Mair A. W. (ed.) (1928) Oppian, Colluthus, Tryphiodorus. Cambridge, Massachusets, 1928, pp. 580–632.
3. Pamiatniki pozdnej antichnoj poezii i prozy II–V veka (1964). Moscow, pp. 56–61 (in Russian).
4. Adler A. (ed.) (1928–1935) Suidae lexicon. Leipzig, vol. 1–4 (repr.: Stuttgart, 1967–1971).
5. Gerlaud B. (ed.) (1982). Triphiodore, La Prise d’Ilion. Paris.
6. Vian F. (1986) “L’épopée grecque de Quintus de Smyrne à Nonnos de Panopolis”. Bulletin de l’Association Guillaume Budé, 1986, no. 45, pp. 333–343.
7. Zhukovsky V. (transl.), Neihardt A., Osherov S. (eds) (1984) Gomer. Odisseia [Homer. Odyssey]. Moscow (in Russian).

Information about the author

Alexandrova Tatiana

Academic Degree: Doctor of sciences* in Philology;
Place of work: A. M. Gorky Institute of World literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 25a Povarskaya, Moscow 121069, Russian Federation; St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities; 6/1 Likhov Pereulok, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation;
ORCID: 0000-0002-6963-2263;
Email: tatianaalexandrova@yandex.ru.

*According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011, the degree of Candidate of Sciences (Cand.Sc.) belongs to ISCED level 8 — "doctoral or equivalent", together with PhD, DPhil, D.Lit, D.Sc, LL.D, Doctorate or similar.