Bibliotheca Polyglotta

Ἤματα δ᾽ ἐκ Διόθεν πεφυλαγμένος εὖ κατὰ μοῖραν
πεφραδέμεν δμώεσσι: τριηκάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην
ἔργα τ᾽ ἐποπτεύειν ἠδ᾽ ἁρμαλιὴν δατέασθαι.

(Calendar 765-767) Mark the days which come from Zeus, duly telling your slaves of them, and that the thirtieth day of the month is best for one to look over the work and to deal out supplies.

αἵδε γὰρ ἡμέραι εἰσὶ Διὸς πάρα μητιόεντος,
εὖτ᾽ ἂν ἀληθείην λαοὶ κρίνοντες ἄγωσιν.

(769-768) For these are days which come from Zeus the all-wise, when men discern aright.

Πρῶτον ἔνη τετράς τε καὶ ἑβδόμη ἱερὸν ἦμαρ:
τῇ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα χρυσάορα γείνατο Λητώ:
ὀγδοάτη δ᾽ ἐνάτη τε, δύω γε μὲν ἤματα μηνὸς
ἔξοχ᾽ ἀεξομένοιο βροτήσια ἔργα πένεσθαι:
ἑνδεκάτη δὲ δυωδεκάτη τ᾽, ἄμφω γε μὲν ἐσθλαί,
ἠμὲν ὄις πείκειν ἠδ᾽ εὔφρονα καρπὸν ἀμᾶσθαι:
ἡ δὲ δυωδεκάτη τῆς ἑνδεκάτης μέγ᾽ ἀμείνων:
τῇ γάρ τοι νῇ νήματ᾽ ἀερσιπότητος ἀράχνης
ἤματος ἐκ πλείου, ὅτε ἴδρις σωρὸν ἀμᾶται:
τῇ δ᾽ ἱστὸν στήσαιτο γυνὴ προβάλοιτό τε ἔργον.

(770-779) To begin with, the first, the fourth, and the seventh--on which Leto bare Apollo with the blade of gold--each is a holy day. The eighth and the ninth, two days at least of the waxing month , are specially good for the works of man. Also the eleventh and twelfth are both excellent, alike for shearing sheep and for reaping the kindly fruits; but the twelfth is much better than the eleventh, for on it the airy-swinging spider spins its web in full day, and then the Wise One , gathers her pile. On that day woman should set up her loom and get forward with her work.

Μηνὸς δ᾽ ἱσταμένου τρισκαιδεκάτην ἀλέασθαι
σπέρματος ἄρξασθαι: φυτὰ δ᾽ ἐνθρέψασθαι ἀρίστη.

(780-781) Avoid the thirteenth of the waxing month for beginning to sow: yet it is the best day for setting plants.

782-789ἕκτη δ᾽ ἡ μέσση μάλ᾽ ἀσύμφορός ἐστι φυτοῖσιν,
ἀνδρογόνος δ᾽ ἀγαθή: κούρῃ δ᾽ οὐ σύμφορός ἐστιν,
οὔτε γενέσθαι πρῶτ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂρ γάμου ἀντιβολῆσαι.
οὐδὲ μὲν ἡ πρώτη ἕκτη κούρῃ γε γενέσθαι
ἄρμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐρίφους τάμνειν καὶ πώεα μήλων
σηκόν τ᾽ ἀμφιβαλεῖν ποιμνήιον ἤπιον ἦμαρ:
ἐσθλὴ δ᾽ ἀνδρογόνος: φιλέοι δ᾽ ὅ γε κέρτομα βάζειν
ψεύδεά θ᾽ αἱμυλίους τε λόγους κρυφίους τ᾽ ὀαρισμούς.

(782-789) The sixth of the mid-month is very unfavourable for plants, but is good for the birth of males, though unfavourable for a girl either to be born at all or to be married. Nor is the first sixth a fit day for a girl to be born, but a kindly for gelding kids and sheep and for fencing in a sheep-cote. It is favourable for the birth of a boy, but such will be fond of sharp speech, lies, and cunning words, and stealthy converse.

μηνὸς δ᾽ ὀγδοάτῃ κάπρον καὶ βοῦν ἐρίμυκον
ταμνέμεν, οὐρῆας δὲ δυωδεκάτῃ ταλαεργούς.

(790-791) On the eighth of the month geld the boar and loud-bellowing bull, but hard-working mules on the twelfth.

792-799εἰκάδι δ᾽ ἐν μεγάλῃ, πλέῳ ἤματι, ἵστορα φῶτα
γείνασθαι: μάλα γάρ τε νόον πεπυκασμένος ἐστίν.
ἐσθλὴ δ᾽ ἀνδρογόνος δεκάτη, κούρῃ δέ τε τετρὰς
μέσση: τῇ δέ τε μῆλα καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς
καὶ κύνα καρχαρόδοντα καὶ οὐρῆας ταλαεργοὺς
πρηΰνειν ἐπὶ χεῖρα τιθείς. πεφύλαξο δὲ θυμῷ
τετράδ᾽ ἀλεύασθαι φθίνοντός θ᾽ ἱσταμένου τε
ἄλγε᾽ ἃ θυμβορεῖ μάλα γὰρ τετελεσμένον ἦμαρ.

(792-799) On the great twentieth, in full day, a wise man should be born. Such an one is very sound-witted. The tenth is favourable for a male to be born; but, for a girl, the fourth day of the mid-month. On that day tame sheep and shambling, horned oxen, and the sharp-fanged dog and hardy mules to the touch of the hand. But take care to avoid troubles which eat out the heart on the fourth of the beginning and ending of the month; it is a day very fraught with fate.

800-801Ἐν δὲ τετάρτῃ μηνὸς ἄγεσθαι οἶκον ἄκοιτιν
οἰωνοὺς κρίνας, οἳ ἐπ᾽ ἔργματι τούτῳ ἄριστοι.

(800-801) On the fourth of the month bring home your bride, but choose the omens which are best for this business.

πέμπτας δ᾽ ἐξαλέασθαι, ἐπεὶ χαλεπαί τε καὶ αἰναί:
ἐν πέμπτῃ γάρ φασιν Ἐρινύας ἀμφιπολεύειν
Ὅρκον γεινόμενον, τὸν Ἔρις τέκε πῆμ᾽ ἐπιόρκοις.

(802-810) Avoid fifth days: they are unkindly and terrible. On a fifth day, they say, the Erinyes assisted at the birth of Horcus (Oath) whom Eris (Strife) bare to trouble the forsworn.

Μέσσῃ δ᾽ ἑβδομάτῃ Δημήτερος ἱερὸν ἀκτὴν
εὖ μάλ᾽ ὀπιπεύοντα ἐυτροχάλῳ ἐν ἀλωῇ
βαλλέμεν, ὑλοτόμον τε ταμεῖν θαλαμήια δοῦρα
νήιά τε ξύλα πολλά, τά τ᾽ ἄρμενα νηυσὶ πέλονται.
τετράδι δ᾽ ἄρχεσθαι νῆας πήγνυσθαι ἀραιάς.

(805-809) Look about you very carefully and throw out Demeter’s holy grain upon the well-rolled threshing floor on the seventh of the mid-month. Let the woodman cut beams for house building and plenty of ships’ timbers, such as are suitable for ships. On the fourth day begin to build narrow ships.

εἰνὰς δ᾽ ἡ μέσση ἐπὶ δείελα λώιον ἦμαρ,
πρωτίστη δ᾽ εἰνὰς παναπήμων ἀνθρώποισιν:
ἐσθλὴ μὲν γάρ θ᾽ ἥ γε φυτευέμεν ἠδὲ γενέσθαι
ἀνέρι τ᾽ ἠδὲ γυναικί: καὶ οὔποτε πάγκακον ἦμαρ.

(810-813) The ninth of the mid-month improves towards evening; but the first ninth of all is quite harmless for men. It is a good day on which to beget or to be born both for a male and a female: it is never an wholly evil day.

παῦροι δ᾽ αὖτε ἴσασι τρισεινάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην
ἄρξασθαί τε πίθου καὶ ἐπὶ ζυγὸν αὐχένι θεῖναι
βουσὶ καὶ ἡμιόνοισι καὶ ἵπποις ὠκυπόδεσσι,
νῆα πολυκλήιδα θοὴν εἰς οἴνοπα πόντον
εἰρύμεναι: παῦροι δέ τ᾽ ἀληθέα κικλῄσκουσιν.

(814-818) Again, few know that the twenty-seventh of the month is best for opening a wine-jar, and putting yokes on the necks of oxen and mules and swift-footed horses, and for hauling a swift ship of many thwarts down to the sparkling sea; few call it by its right name.

τετράδι δ᾽ οἶγε πίθον: περὶ πάντων ἱερὸν ἦμαρ
μέσση: παῦροι δ᾽ αὖτε μετ᾽ εἰκάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην
ἠοῦς γιγνομένης: ἐπὶ δείελα δ᾽ ἐστὶ χερείων.

(819-821) On the fourth day open a jar. The fourth of the mid-month is a day holy above all. And again, few men know that the fourth day after the twentieth is best while it is morning: towards evening it is less good.

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