Mesomedes 3: Hymn to Nemesis

William S. Annis
Aoidoi.org
July 2008
The meter is apokrota, , mixed with paroemiacs, (4, 6, 9,


for .
10, 13). The language has a superficial Doric coloring, mostly
,
,

,
5
.

,

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1

voc. retribution; righteous anger, here a goddess. winged.

(mode of) life. turn of the scale, weight; decision, outcome, influence; decisive moment.
2
voc. dark-eyed. voc. daughter. gen.sg. custom;
right, justice; judgement.
3
= . light, nimble; vain. snorting, whinnying of a horse; metaph.
insolence. mortal, as noun, mortal person.
4
- hold out; keep in check. unconquerable (< - + ), adamant;
diamond. (pl. ) bit.
5
hate. wantonness, insolence, violence; lust; outrage. The meter is a bit loose
here the final syllable of needs to scan long. acc.sg.f. destructive, deadly.
mortal, human.
6
acc.sg.m. black; dark. ill-will, envy, jealousy. outside,
out(ward). drive, march; so drive out.
7
+ acc. under. wheel, here a wheel of torture. never standing
still, unresting. untrodden; not to be stepped on, holy; leaving no track.
8
nom.sg.f. grim?, fierce?; blue-grey, grey; the meaning of this word is uncertain.
articulate, a poetic word used only of humans. cause to rotate, turn; mid.
turn (oneself). luck, success; chance, fortune.

 ,
.
,

.

15 .
10

,

,

20 .
12

Heitsch

Bellermann.

9
pres.act.part. nom.sg.f. escape, avoid or elude attention or notice; here
using an alternate pres. stem, . = . foot; here an idiom,
, in a moment, close behind.
10
make proud; mid. be proud, exult. neck, throat. ()
cause to lean, slant; turn aside.
11
forearm; cubit. life; duration of ones life; means of living.
measure; count, measure out.
12
incline; nod, nod assent. lap, bosom; fold of a garment. eyebrow,
brow; with often to nod as a sign. Something is not quite right with the text of this line.
It appears to mean nod with furrowed brow or perhaps frown down to the lap, whatever that
means exactly.
13
yoke. hand; arm; idiom in the hand. be
strong; rule over; seize, hold fast.
14
be gracious (only this verb form exists, 2sg.imper.). blessed, happy, epith. of
the gods. , voc. judge, one who gives law.
16
, god, goddess. , to sing, to hymn. imperishable, undecaying.
17
() victory. long-winged, with long wings. =
() strong, mighty.
18
unerring, infallible. sitting beside; as noun assessor, co-judge.
right, justice.
19
= . = . self-confidence; haughtiness.
20
feel just anger at + acc. of the cause. The implied object of is .
+ gen. down from; down upon, down into. Tartarus, the underworld.