I Do Not Owe the State Children
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Name: John
Tzetzes Date: 1100 – 1180 CE Region: Constantinople [modern Istanbul, Turkey] Citation: Histories /
Chiliades 12.464 – 471 |
Epaminondas was an excellent leader of
the Thebans.
When he died, he was excessively
mourned by them.
They reproached him, saying, “When you
die, Thebes will die with you,
For you did not leave behind a son
from your loins.”
As he died, he responded to them:
“I do not die childless, fellow
countrymen;
Instead, I am a prolific father!
For I leave behind my two daughters,
The
victory at Leuctra, and the victory at Mantinea!”
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Ἔπαμεινώνδας στρατηγὸς Θηβαίων ὑπηργμένος, Ὡς ἐθρηνεῖτο τελευτῶν περιπαθῶς Θηβαίοις, Ἔπαμεινώνδα, λέγουσι, θνήσκῃς σὺν σοὶ καὶ Θῆβαι Τέκνον ἐν βίῳ μὴ λιπών, τέκνον ἐκ σῶν σπερμάτων, Ἀποκριθεὶς ὡς πρὸς αὐτοὺς
τάδε καὶ θνήσκων λέγει: Οὐ μὲν οὐ θνήσκω ἄτεκνος, ἀλλ ̓ εὔτεκνος, Θηβαῖοι Δύο γὰρ καταλέλοιπα ἐμοῦ τὰς θυγατέρας, Τὴν ἐπὶ Λεύκτροις νίκην τε καὶ τὴν ἐν Μαντινεία. |
Epaminondas imperator Thebanorum existens, ut lugebatur mortuus perdolenter a Thebanis Epaminonda (dicentibus) mortuus es, tecum & Thebae filium in vita non linquens, filium ex tuis seminibus. Respondens ad ipsos, haec et moriens dicit: Haud vero haud morior orbus, sed fecundus pater, o
Thebani: duas enim reliqui ex me filias, illam in Leuctris victoriam, & illam Mantinaeae. Translated into Latin by Paolo Lazise |
John Tzetzes
[1100 – 1180 CE, Constantinople/Byzantium, modern Istanbul, Turkey] was a
Byzantine scholar and beaurocrat. He is known for his epic poem the Histories
/ Chiliades, which ties together topics from Greek and Roman history and
mythology, followed by a Christian interpretation.
