ESCULTURA GREGA EM BIZÂNCIO

Cedreno, Comp. Hist. 1.564 [Kedrenos A] [séc. XI d.C.]

Note that in the quarter of Lausos there used to be various buildings and certain hostels at the pla-
ce where the [cistern of] Philoxenus provided its water, whence its name. There stood there also a
statue of Lindian Athena, four cubits high, of emerald stone, the work of the sculptors Skyllis and
Dipoinos, which Sesostris, tyrant of Egypt, once sent as a gift to Kleoboulos, tyrant of Lindos. Like-
wise the Knidian Aphrodite of white stone, naked, shielding with her hand only her pudenda, a
work of Praxiteles of Knidos. Also the Samian Hera, a work of Lysippos and the Chian Bupalos;
a winged Eros holding a bow, brought from Myndos; the ivory Zeus by Pheidias, whom Perikles
dedicated at the temple of the Olympians; the statue representing Chronos, a work of Lysippos,
bald at the back and having hair in front; unicorns, tigresses, vultures, giraffes, an ox-elephant, cen-
taurs and pans. [Transl. Mango et alii 1992]

Cedreno, Comp. Hist. 1.616 [Kedrenos B]

When he [Basiliskos] had been proclaimed, there occurred a conflagration in the City which des-
troyed its most flourishing part. For it started in the middle of the Chalkoprateia [Copper Market]
and consumed both porticoes and everything adjacent to them and the so-called Basilica, in which
there was a library that had 120,000 books. Among these books was a dragon's gut 120 feet long
upon which Homer's poems, namely the Iliad and the Odyssey, were written in gold letters together
with the story of the heroes' deeds. [The fire] also destroyed the porticoes on either side of the street
Mese and the excellent offerings of Lausos: for many ancient statues were set up there, namely,
the famous one of the Aphrodite of Knidos, that of the Samian Hera, that of Lindian Athena
made of a different material which Amasis, king of Egypt, had sent to the wise Kleobolus, and
countless others. The fire extended as far as the Forum of the great Constantine, as it is called.
[Transl. Mango et alii 1992]

Zonaras III.231 [séc. XII d.C.]

A great, consuming conflagration broke out in Constantinople, beginning in the Chalkoprateia and
spreading to all the nearby areas and reducing the public portico and adjacent buildings to ashes, in-
cluding the so-called Basilica where there was a library that housed 120,000 books. Among these
books was a dragon gut measuring 120 feet with the poetry of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey,
written in golden letters, which Malchos mentioned in writing of the emperors. The fire utterly des-
troyed this object and both the splendor in the city's Lausos quarter and the statues set up there, the
Samian Hera, the Lindian Athena and the Knidian Aphrodite, famous works of art. [Transl.
Guberti Bassett 2000]
 EPIGRAMAS DA ANTOLOGIA GREGA (LIVRO XVI - PLANUDES)

57. ΠΑΥΛΟΥ ΣΙΛΕΝΤΙΑΡΙΟΥ

εἰς Βάκχην ἐν Βυζαντίνῳ

Ἔκφρονα τὴν βάκχην οὐχ ἡ φύσις, ἀλλ' ἡ τέχνη

θήκατο καὶ μανίην ἐγκατέμιξε λίθῳ.

57. De Paulo Silenciário [séc. VI d.C.]

Sobre uma bacante em Bizâncio

Esta bacante em fúria, não foi a natureza, antes a arte

que a construiu, misturando o frenesim e a pedra.

58.
Ἴσχετε τὴν βάκχην, μὴ λαϊνέη περ ἐοῦσα
οὐδὸν ὑπερθεμένη νηὸν ὑπεκπροφύγῃ.

58. Parai essa bacante! Não vá ela, mesmo de mármore,

transpor o portal e escapar-se do templo.

59. ΑΓΑΘΙΟΥ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΟΥ

Οὔπω ἐπισταμένην τάχα κύμβαλα χερσὶ τινάξαι
βάκχην αἰδομένην στήσατο λαοτύπος.
οὕτω γὰρ προνένευκεν· ἔοικε δὲ τοῦτο βοώσῃ·
“Ἔξιτε, καὶ παταγῶ μηδενὸς ἱσταμένου.”

59. De Agátias, o Escolasta [séc. VI d.C.]

Ignorando como tocar os címbalos com as mãos,
uma bacante envergonhada, isso moldou o escultor.
Por isso se inclina para a frente, e parece gritar assim:
“Fora, para tocá-los sem ninguém por perto!”

60. [ΣΙΜΩΝΙΔΟΥ]
Τίς ἅδε; – ”Βάκχα.” – Τίς δέ νιν ξέσε; – ”Σκόπας.” –
Τίς δ' ἐξέμηνε, Βάκχος ἢ Σκόπας; – ”Σκόπας.”

60. [De Simónides]

– Quem é esta? – Uma bacante. – Quem a esculpiu? – Escopas.
– E quem a fez delirar, Baco ou Escopas? – Escopas.

275. ΠΟΣΕΙΔΙΠΠΟΥ
εἰς ἄγαλμα τοῦ Καιροῦ

Τίς, πόθεν ὁ πλάστης; – ”Σικυώνιος.” – Οὔνομα δὴ τίς; –

“Λύσιππος.” – Σὺ δὲ τίς; – ”Καιρὸς ὁ πανδαμάτωρ.” –
Τίπτε δ' ἐπ' ἄκρα βέβηκας; – ”Ἀεὶ τροχάω.” – Τί δὲ ταρσοὺς
ποσσὶν ἔχεις διφυεῖς; – ”Ἵπταμ' ὑπηνέμιος.” –
Χειρὶ δὲ δεξιτερῇ τί φέρεις ξυρόν; – ”Ἀνδράσι δεῖγμα,
ὡς ἀκμῆς πάσης ὀξύτερος τελέθω.” –
Ἡ δὲ κόμη τί κατ' ὄψιν; – ”Ὑπαντιάσαντι λαβέσθαι,
νὴ Δία.” – Τἀξόπιθεν πρὸς τί φαλακρὰ πέλει; –
“Τὸν γὰρ ἅπαξ πτηνοῖσι παραθρέξαντά με ποσσὶν
οὔτις ἔθ' ἱμείρων δράξεται ἐξόπιθεν.” –
Τοὔνεχ' ὁ τεχνίτης σε διέπλασεν; – ”Εἵνεκεν ὑμέων,
ξεῖνε, καὶ ἐν προθύροις θῆκε διδασκαλίην.”

275. De Posidipo [séc. IV-III a.C.]

Sobre uma estátua da Ocasião

– De onde é o escultor? – De Sícion. – E chama-se?

– Lisipo. – E tu és? – A Ocasião que tudo domina.
– Porque andas em pontas? – Sempre com pressa! – E porquê
esse par de asas nos pés? – É que voo como o vento.
– E essa navalha na mão direita, para quê? Para os mortais
é sinal que sou mais afiada que qualquer lâmina.
– E esse cabelo nos olhos? – Para que o puxe quem me encontrar.
– Por Zeus, porque és tu careca na parte de trás?
– Para que sempre que os meus pés alados vencem na corrida
ninguém possa, mesmo que queira, agarrar-me por trás.

159.
εἰς ἄγαλμα ᾽Αφροδίτης Pl Σπ τῆς ἐν Κνίδῳ Pl

Τίς λίθον ἐψύχωσε; τίς ἐν χθονὶ Κύπριν ἐσεῖδεν;

ἵμερον ἐν πέτρῃ τίς τόσον εἰργάσατο;
Πραξιτέλους χειρῶν ὅδε που πόνος, ἢ τάχ' Ὄλυμπος
χηρεύει Παφίης εἰς Κνίδον ἐρχομένης.

159. Anónimo
Sobre a estátua de Afrodite de Cnidos

Quem dotou a pedra de alma? Quem viu Cípris na terra?

Um tamanho desejo no mármore, quem o plasmou?
É obra da mão de Praxíteles, a menos que, descendo do Olimpo,
a Páfia deusa em pessoa tenha vindo a Cnidos.

203. ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΥΠΑΡΧΩΝ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΙΟΝ

εἰς τὸν Πραξιτέλους Ἔρωτα Pl εἰς Πραξιτέλεν SP

Κλίνας αὐχένα γαῦρον ὑφ' ἡμετέροισι πεδίλοις

χερσί με ληιδίαις ἔπλασε Πραξιτέλης.
αὐτὸν γὰρ τὸν Ἔρωτα τὸν ἔνδοθι κευθόμενόν με
χαλκεύσας Φρύνῃ δῶκε γέρας φιλίης.
ἡ δέ μιν αὖτις Ἔρωτι προσήγαγε. καὶ γὰρ ἐρῶντας
δῶρον Ἔρωτι φέρειν αὐτὸν Ἔρωτα θέμις.

203. De Juliano, Prefeito do Egito

Sobre o Eros de Praxíteles

Reclinando o pescoço orgulhoso à altura das minhas sandálias,

com as suas mãos cativas Praxíteles me modelou.
A mim, o Amor, deu-me todo o amor que escondia dentro
trabalhando o bronze, presente do seu afeto para Frine.
E agora ela de novo me devolve ao Amor – é de justiça:
que os apaixonados levem o Amor ao próprio Amor.

157. ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΥΠΑΡΧΩΝ [ΑΙΓΥΠΤΙΟΝ]

εἰς τὴν Αθήναις ἄνοπλον Αθηνᾶν Pl

Τίπτε, Τριτογένεια, κορύσσεαι ἄστεϊ μέσσῳ;

εἶξε Ποσειδάων. φείδεο Κεκροπίης.

157. De Juliano, Prefeito [do Egito] [séc. V-VI d.C.]

Sobre uma estátua de Atena armada em Atenas

Porque te armas, Tritogeneia, em meio da cidadela?

Posídon cedeu – poupa a cidade de Cécrops!