Xenophanes 1, 18
translation and commentary by Ava Scott (’26)
Translation
Xenophanes 1
1 Now the floor is clean, and everyone’s hands,
2 and the cups. One person dons wreaths,
3 and another passes along sweet-smelling perfume in a saucer.
4 The mixing-bowl stands full of cheer.
5 Wine is at the ready, which promises never to run out;
6 it is mild in its jars and fragrant like a flowery bouquet.
7 In the middle of it all, frankincense sets forth a sacred scent,
8 and there is frigid, sweet, pure water.
9 Golden loaves lie close by, and a divine table
10 is laden with cheese and thick honey.
11 In the center, an altar is fully covered with flowers,
12 and the room is surrounded with dance and good cheer.
13 But first, cheerful men must sing hymns to divinities
14 with reverent tales and pure speech,
15 having poured libations, praying to be able to do
16 what is right – for this is a more obvious thing to do, not deeds of violence.
17 It’s not right to drink so much that you require a servant to lead you home,
18 unless you are very old.
19 Praise the man who reveals noble deeds while drinking
20 that result in a recollection of and stretching towards virtue.
21 He doesn’t marshal battles of Titans, nor giants,
22 nor centaurs, nor any fictions of old,
23 nor violent conflicts – in these, there is nothing useful.
24 Instead, it is always good to hold the gods in high regard.
Xenophanes 18
1 One should say such things in the season of winter, beside a fire,
2 reclining gently, with a full stomach,
3 drinking sweet wine and gnawing upon chickpeas:
4 “Who are you among men, and where do you come from?”
5 “How old are you, good sir?”
6 and “What age were you when the Mede arrived?”
Commentary
Xenophanes 1
Line 1: The word “clean” (Greek καθαρόν) appears in line 1, referring to the floor; in line 8, referring to the water; and in line 14, referring to speech. This repetition of “clean” underscores the theme of “cleanliness” holding a sort of ritualistic divinity (Allan 2019, 181).
Line 2: Greek type of cup is a “kylix.” See this link for an interactive example.
Wreaths were sacred in Greek culture. Ivy wreaths were thought to be a preventative measure against the consequences of drunkenness and were even sometimes placed on the wine crockery (Hurschmann 2006).
Line 3: “In Greek and Roman antiquity, perfumes served a variety of purposes. They were used as cosmetics by both women and men. Men anointed their heads at symposia to avoid drunkenness and perfumed their body after visiting the gymnasia. Perfumes were used in rituals surrounding birth, marriage, and death, and in some cult worships. Perfuming of wines and foods was also common. These themes regularly appear on classical vase paintings” (Cancick, 2006).
Line 4: In Greek culture, getting drunk quickly was seen as uncivilized. Watered-down wine, then, was seen as more distinguished (Allan 2019, 182). See this link for a κρατηρ, or Greek mixing-bowl.
Line 6: “Flowery bouquet” taken from Allan’s translation of the text (Allan 2019, 182).
Line 7: Frankincense is “resin from bushes of the Boswellia species… burnt for its aromatic smell” (Hünemörder, 2006). The scent is described as “sacred” because it was often used in religious contexts. Sappho speaks of it used in the wedding of Hector and Andromache and at Aphrodite’s altars (Campbell 1982, 335).
Line 11: A small terracotta altar where the frankincense was burned (Allan 2019, 182; Campbell 1982, 335).
Line 13: We see poetry being recited at symposiums in many ancient texts, like in Athenaeus’ Deipnosophistae. Here, Xenophanes transitions to talking about the activities at the symposium. Now that he has set the scene, the symposium begins (Allan 2019, 182).
“Divinities” is singular in Greek, so it is often translated “the god.” I have translated it as plural based on the concept that it refers to the general concept of divinity, not a specific divinity (Allan 2019, 182).
Line 15: Libations are drink offerings to the gods (Renger and Haase 2006).
Line 16: Scholars debate the exact meaning of “more obvious” (lit. “close at hand”). It probably doesn’t mean “easier,” since virtue is traditionally seen as a difficult endeavor. Possibly, Xenophanes means “more obviously correct” here (Allan 2019, 183).
Line 17: It was Plato’s claim to fame that he could outdrink everyone else at a symposium and then return home unaided, going about his day as if he had been sober (Allan 2019, 183; Plato’s Symposium, 223c-d).
Line 20: Campbell translates this “as his memory and his enthusiasm for virtue enable him” (Campbell 1982, 336).
Line 21: Here, Xenophanes is speaking against epic poetry, which he believed was not sacred or educational enough to be recited at an event such as a symposium. He uses the word διέπειν, which could be translated “relate” or “handle,” but Homer commonly uses it in his epic poetry to mean “marshal” (Allan 2019, 184).
According to Greek myth (Iliad, 8.478-81, Hesiod’s Theog. 133-8, 617-719), the Titans were the first generation of gods that were defeated by Zeus and his fellow Olympians, who imprisoned them in Tartarus. For Xenophanes, the idea of gods fighting each other represents divine chaos and misconduct and is therefore not an appropriate topic for a symposium.
The Giants (Theog. 185) were a product of Ouranos and Gaia. Like the Titans, the Giants also represent divine misconduct.
The Centaurs, horse-human hybrids, were known as wild, violent drunkards—another topic Xenophon did not want at a pure, restrained symposium (Allan 2019, 184).
Line 22: The use of “fictions” may underscore the derogatory idea that such epic poetry is not founded in reality (Allan 2019, 184) but Campbell disagrees and says the word itself need not have a negative connotation (Campbell 1982, 336). Either way, these fictions have “nothing useful” (line 23).
Xenophanes 18
Line 1: A Homeric line, quoted from Homer’s Odyssey 7.154 (Campbell 1982, 341).
Line 2: Campbell’s translation (341).
Line 3: Chickpeas were said to make people thirsty, like salted nuts (Campbell 1982, 341).
Line 4: A traditional greeting, found in Homer’s Odyssey 1.170 and Iliad 6.123 (Campbell 1982, 341).
Lines 4-6 draw much inspiration from Lesher’s translation (Lesher 24).
Line 5: In reference to Harpagus the Mede, who attacked Ionian cities (Campbell 1982, 341). This was a massively memorable event for the Greeks that changed their way of life—look at COVID-19 as a modern comparison, for which it is not out of the ordinary to ask, “How old were you during quarantine?”.
Sources
Allan, William. Greek elegy and iambus: A selection. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Bremmer, Jan N. “Titans.” In Brill’s New Pauly Online. Leiden: Brill, 2006. doi: https://doi-org.newman.richmond.edu/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e1215840
Campbell, David A. Greek lyric. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982.
Edmonds, J. M. “Elegy and Iambus, Volume.” Elegy and Iambus, Volume I, volume 1, Theognis, The Elegiac Poems of Theognis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1931. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0479%3Avolume%3D1%3Atext%3D11%3Asection%3D2.
Hünemörder, Christian. “Incense.” In Brill’s New Pauly Online. Leiden: Brill, 2006. doi: https://doi-org.newman.richmond.edu/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e12209480
Hurschmann, Rolf. “Wreath, Garland.” In Brill’s New Pauly Online. Leiden: Brill, 2006. doi: https://doi-org.newman.richmond.edu/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e622060
Lydos. “Attributed to Lydos: Terracotta Column-Krater (Bowl for Mixing Wine and Water): Greek, Attic: Archaic.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 15, 2023. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/253349.
“Perfume.” In Brill’s New Pauly Online. Leiden: Brill, 2006. doi: https://doi-org.newman.richmond.edu/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e908180
Pheidippos. “Attributed to Pheidippos: Terracotta Kylix: Eye-Cup (Drinking Cup): Greek, Attic: Archaic.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 15, 2023. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254175.
Renger, Johannes, and Mareile Haase.“Libation.” In Brill’s New Pauly Online. Leiden: Brill, 2006. doi: https://doi-org.newman.richmond.edu/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e1218770.