Simonides of Ceos

Simonides of Ceos (c. 556 BC – 469 BC) was a Greek lyric poet.

Quotes


κείμεθα τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι. (wrongly attributed) keimetha tois keinōn rhēmasi peithomenoi.'' O stranger, announce to the Lacadaemonians [Spartans] that here We lie, to their words [or laws] obedient. That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.''' That here obedient to their laws we lie. That we, who lie here, did as we were ordered. We remain, obedient to their orders. That here we lie, obeying their words. that here by Spartan law we lie. stranger passing by, that here, obedient to Spartan law, we dead of Sparta lie
 * ὦ ξεῖν', ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε
 * ''Ō xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti tē(i)de
 * [Word-for-word translation]
 * '''Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by
 * Epitaph on the Cenotaph of Thermopylae, recorded by Herodotus.
 * Note: There is a long unsolved dispute around the interpretation of the word rhemasi, such as laws, words or orders.
 * Variant translations:
 * Go, tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
 * Stranger, go tell the men of Lacedaemon
 * Stranger, bring the message to the Spartans that here
 * Oh foreigner, tell the Lacedaemonians
 * Go, tell the Spartans, passerby,
 * Go, tell the Spartans

When the Medes crossed Spercheius' tide. A great seer, yet he scorned to save Himself, and shared the Spartans' grave.
 * Here lies Megistias, who died
 * Epitaph of the Spartan Diviner, Megistias, at Thermopylae


 * ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται.
 * "Anankei d' oude theoi makhontai."
 * Not even the gods fight against necessity.
 * Quoted by Plato in the dialogue Protagoras, 345d (Simonides Fr. 37.1.27 ff.).
 * Variant translations:
 * The gods do not fight against necessity.
 * Not even the gods war against necessity.
 * I praise and love all men who do no sin willingly; but with necessity even the gods do not contend.


 * We did not flinch but gave our lives to save Greece when her fate hung on a razor's edge.
 * From the Cenotaph at the Isthmos


 * … ζωγραφίαν ποίησιν σιωπῶσαν προσαγορεύει [sc. ὁ Σιμωνίδης], τὴν δὲ ποίησιν ζωγραφίαν λαλοῦσαν.
 * … zographian poiesin sioposan prosagoreuei, ten de poiesin zographian lalousan.
 * Painting is silent poetry, and poetry painting that speaks.
 * Quoted by Plutarch, De gloria Atheniensium 3.346f.
 * Variant translations:
 * Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech.
 * Painting is silent poetry, poetry is eloquent painting.
 * See also: Ut pictura poesis