The Europa Barbarorum Quotes Project

[DeathFinger]

One Bactrian quote, for once.

It's an extract of the poeme of Sophytôs' stele, found in Kandahar, and dated circa II century BC. The poem speaks about a called Sophytôs (who is not the maybe-king Sophytôs whom we have found some coins in this area), whose house was destroyed "by the Moires" (Μοιρων), and so he decided to use all the skills he has to accumulate a vast fortune to rebuild it.

This passage is interesting:

ως ἀρετην Εκατου Mουσεων τ'ησ(κ)ηκα σuν εσθλῄ
φuptηv σωφpoσuvηι, (t)ηµoς επεφpασαµηv
uψωσαιµι κε πως µεγαpov παtpoιov αuθις


"having cultivated the talent of the Archer and Muses
united with a noble wisdom, then I think
how to raise well above the house of my father again"

What's interesting is that whe have a native (his name is not greek) who appropriates greek gods and even maybe greek way of thinking because he speaks about Muses and Apollon ("the Archer"). What destroyed the hosue of his father is not develloped; "the Moires" is a way to tell about a stroke of fate imparable; maybe a war?

Especially, rare thing, it's a Bactrian source ^^

[oudysseos]

Deathfinger, well done indeed. And quickly too! Je vous remercie.

[DeathFinger]

De rien ^^

I've used this website to find greek quotes about Scythians kings so... ^^