Codex Sinaiticus and Constantine Simonides - arrest and imprisonment in Berlin 1856

TwoNoteableCorruptions

TwoNoteableCorruptions

Well-known member
In 1856, in Germany, Constantine Simonides was arrested and imprisoned for fraud.

Simonides’ New Testament Papyri: Their Production and Purported Provenance
Tommy Wasserman on the most notorious New Testament forger
July 6, 2018

A few years earlier Simonides had succeeded in duping several prominent scholars, collectors and librarians. Among his greatest victims were the renowned German professors in Lepzig, Rudolph Anger, Leopold Gersdorf, and Karl Wilhelm Dindorf. In July 1855 he had showed Anger and Gersdorf Greek manuscripts and sold them a copy of the Shepherd of Hermas (part of which Simonides himself had copied at Mt Athos) which the two professors subsequently published in 1856. Before the publication of Hermas, Dindorf was informed by Simonides of another very important palimpsest manuscript entitled “Three Books of Records of the Egyptian Kings, by Uranius of Alexandria, son of Anaximenes.” When Dindorf had inspected it, he came to Simonides in the company of Anger, full of excitement and offered to buy the manuscript for the Bodleian library. The Athenaeum, February 23rd, 1856, reported that “Simonides presented the palimpsest of Uranius to the Academy of Berlin.” Apparently, the Academy appointed a commission to examine its genuineness “with the assistance of some of the first chemists of the day” and they declared it to be authentic, and proposed that the King of Prussia acquire it “at a very high price,” which amounted to 5,000 thalers. The sum was never transferred, although Dindorf had paid 2,000 thalers to Simonides in advance. Dindorf was so eager to make the discovery known to the world, The Athenaeum continues, “that he had a specimen of it printed without delay.” In the meantime, Tischendorf had declared the Uranius manuscript a forgery on paleographic grounds, whereas Professor Karl Richard Lepsius, while delighted at first that it confirmed his system of Egyptian chronology, eventually realized that “the coincidences between Uranius and the writings of Bunsen and himself were of too startling a nature.” He travelled to Leipzig with a policeman to arrest Simonides and take him to Berlin. Simonides was soon released from the prison in Berlin and was under the radar for several years before he appeared in England to find new victims of his scams. While in England, he would also try to get back at Tischendorf, now his sworn enemy.

(Emphasis added by me)

https://themarginaliareview.com/sim...ri-their-production-and-purported-provenance/​

What can we learn about Simonides character, personal integrity, sense of honor, and trustworthiness from this episode in his life?

What do we know about it?

What are the facts?

Stay on topic. Don't post here, if it's not on this specific topic of his arrest and imprisonment in 1856.
 
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Perhaps another thread with the same name is in order.Cant have enough

Codex Sinaiticus and Constantine Simonides​

 
(Emphasis added)

1853 handelte er in England mit echten und gefälschten Manuskripten und gelangte 1855 nach Leipzig. Dort suchte er eine angebliche ägyptische Königsgeschichte des Uranios zu verkaufen, die von Lykourgos und Konstantin von Tischendorf als Fälschung identifiziert wurde.[1] Er kam dafür ins Gefängnis. Einige Jahre später wollte sich Simonides an Tischendorf rächen und behauptete, er habe den Codex Sinaiticus (diese griechische Bibelhandschrift stammt aus dem 4. Jh. n. Chr., ist die älteste komplett erhaltene Handschrift des Neuen Testaments und wurde 1844 und 1859 von Tischendorf im St. Katharinenkloster auf dem Sinai entdeckt) auf dem Athos selber angefertigt. Englische Zeitungen griffen diese Beschuldigungen unkritisch auf. Konstantin von Tischendorf widerlegte diese wahnwitzigen Behauptungen in seinen beiden Schriften Die Anfechtungen der Sinai-Bibel und Waffen der Finsternis wider die Sinaibibel (beide erschienen 1863 in Leipzig). Später flüchtete Simonides nach Ägypten.
[1.] Alexander Lykurgos: Enthüllungen über den Simonides-Dindorfschen Uranios. Fritzsche, Leipzig 1856. (online)
Click to expand...

Google Translate from German (Emphasis added)

There he tried to sell an alleged Egyptian royal history of Uranios, which Lykourgos and Konstantin von Tischendorf identified as a forgery.[1] He went to prison for it. A few years later, Simonides wanted revenge on Tischendorf and claimed that he had the Codex Sinaiticus (this Greek Bible manuscript dates from the 4th century AD,Athos made himself. English newspapers took up these allegations uncritically. Konstantin von Tischendorf refuted these insane claims in his two writings Anfechtungen der Sinai-Bibel and Waffen der Dunkelns gegen die Sinai-Bible (both published in Leipzig in 1863). Simonides later fled to Egypt.
Click to expand...
[1] Alexander Lykurgos: Revelations about the Simonides-Dindorfsche Uranios. Fritzsche, Leipzig 1856. (online)
Click to expand...

https://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Person/de/KonstantinosSimonides.html

The Book on Google, in which, "apparently" Tischendorf was instrumental in exposing Simonides forgery of Uranios:


Alexander Lykurgos: Enthüllungen über den Simonides-Dindorfschen Uranios. Fritzsche, Leipzig 1856.

Alexander Lykurgos: Revelations about the Simonides-Dindorfsche Uranios. Fritzsche, Leipzig 1856.

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false​
 
Andreas David Mordtmann
Allgemeine Zeitung
Augsburg
November 28th, 1853
Col. 5307
Pages 952

"The Literary Swindles of Simonides & Constantinople"

(Google translated from German into garbled English)

[English text edited and paraphrased by me]​

[Page 952] "According to newspaper reports, a certain Simonides has sold a number of ancient Greek manuscripts to the British Museum, and it is thereby to be understood that the Greek Government has been mistaken in letting such a treasure slip out of their hands. Given the close proximity of England, German philologists could easily be tempted to make the journey there in order to exploit these treasures for their studies, and it should therefore be of interest to make them better acquainted with the details of this man, especially since we had the opportunity here [i.e. Turkey, in Constantinople] to observe what he has been doing. Simonides is from the island of Syme, opposite the mainland of Caria, and may be about thirty - five years old. He devoted himself a great deal to paleographic studies, and in this science he achieved wonderfully, bordering on virtuosity. Several years ago he suddenly appeared in Athens and offered a multitude of the rarest manuscripts of works that have been entirely lost, as well as of the most important classics still extant, all very old manuscripts. He related that his uncle had found them in a monastery on Mount Athos, and he had secretly taken them away, but only in part; he [i.e. Simonides] always behaved in a very suspicious and secretive manner, and he spoke constantly of enemies and spies. The Greek government appointed a commission to examine his manuscripts; he presented an ancient Homer, if I am not mistaken, with a complete commentary of Eustathius. The commission spoke favorably about it; there was only one member who disagreed, and pressed for a new investigation. It turned out to be nothing more and nothing less than a verbatim copy of the edition of Wolf, even with the typographical errors, and [thus] Simonides was unmasked in Athens. By now he had published a history of the School of Syme which was a sham from start to finish. [?] the 4th sc [?].
In 1851 Simonides came to Constantinople, where a record can be found that he worked with [?] the Minister-Resident [?] of Sardinia, Mr. Baron Tecco. Here in Constantinople, his lodgings were [filled with] adventurers of every kind, he came up with even grander things [i.e. schemes]; first he claimed to be in possession of a complete Sanchuniathon which he intends to publish. I received the message about this from a friend (until then I had heard nothing from Simonides), and, I confess, this news made the most unfavorable impression on me, a North German - Wagenfeld in my homeland, was at that time experienced [i.e. thoroughly familiar with] the whole history of the Sanchuniathon, which I did not hide at all. Whether my doubts were communicated to him remains unknown to me; but later there was no more talk of the Sanchuniathon. On the other hand he now came forward with an ancient Greek work on the hieroglyphs. One of my acquaintances, Mr. Cayol, has a small mounted Egyptian figure of fired clay, with five rows of hieroglyphs, two on the back and three on the front. Such figures are very common here and are offered to tourists by the dozens all the time. Simonides claimed that the explanation of Cayol's figure was in his manuscript. Mr. Cayol, a man of letters, who is both a printer and a lithographer (he introduced lithography here in Turkey), made an image of the figure text, and Mr. Baron Tecco invited me to hear his interpretation. Simonides appeared and read his interpretation to me while I held the print in my hand. I was incredulous, and voiced my doubts against this in French to Mr. Baron Tecco (Simonides understands no French, only Greek), and I relied chiefly on the fact that Simonides' lecture went on for at least ten minutes, while the figure had at the most a hundred characters. Accordingly, each hieroglyph should have meant, not just a whole word, but at least a whole sentence, since he almost read us a sermon. Baron Tecco was shaken by my doubts and wanted to get to the bottom of the matter; in the end he informed me that Simonides had pressed upon him a manuscript in cuneiform with a Phoenician interlinear translation; which he has seen himself, and it is true that the characters in one row resemble the Persepolitan [i.e. Persian, referring to the ancient citadel of "Persepolis" in modern day Iran], in cuneiforms, in the second row the Phoenician ones. Both scripts and languages are not unfamiliar to me, and he [i.e Baron Tecco] proposed to show me his [i.e. Simonides] manuscript, which Simonides had also promised. And that's how it stayed; I have heard no more from him, and he has carefully guarded against me..."

[Cont.]

NOTE: Text between [?] and [?] in italics was unintelligible.
NOTE: Text with [i.e. ] in italics are my words for clarification.
 
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Andreas David Mordtmann
Allgemeine Zeitung
Augsburg
November 28th, 1853
Col. 5307
Page 953

"The Literary Swindles of Simonides & Constantinople"

(Google translated from German into garbled English)

[English text edited and paraphrased by me]​

[Page 953] "Sanchuniathon, the hieroglyphs, the cuneiform writing and Phoenician ones, were thus put aside, and another [?] stüd was played woll [?]. [He] claimed to have a history of Armenia written in Greek and offered it to some Armenian primates [i.e. high ranking Church officials]. These Primates, who do a great deal for the promotion of Armenian literature, were caught off guard, and in the end arranged a subscription. They wanted to buy his manuscript from him and the original with an Armenian translation. First he was supposed to give them a draft [i.e. a copy for print]. He gave the preface and several small epitaphs of Armenian generals. The former proved nothing, and the names of the generals were not even Armenian. When urged to show his manuscript, he made excuses; finally he was asked the price, HE DEMANDED A MILLION piafters, and with that all further negotiations were cut off. The Armenian story was put aside, and now Simonides changed his tactic. He claimed while in Constantinople to be in possession of a manuscript of the period of French-Venetian rule [i.e. of Turkey or Constantinople]; in this manuscript a monk gave news that the Comnenes had buried various precious manuscripts on various lands on the Bosphorus to hide them from the Latins ; [?] the Derter [locations?] were specified with their external racing marks. Thus there is a manuscript in a monastery on the Brinzian Islands which contains the acts of the first apostolic council of Antioch.
Simonides DEMANDED permission from the gate and from the Patriarch to dig there. The Patriarch (Anthimos) first asked for the details of the island and the monastery, of which there are quite a number. But he did not want to get involved in this, and so the Patriarch refused permission. In order to take revenge on the Patriarch, he now had it circulated here [i.e. Constantinople] that he, like the Caliph Omar, had spoken as follows: “The acts of the Council of Antioch would be superfluous; they either confirm the canons of the Greek Church or contradict them ; in both cases it would be useless to dig." Soon after, Simonides visited the Minister of Public Works and Commerce [i.e. of Turkey] Ismail Pasha (now governor of Smyrna), a Greek by birth, at his summer camp at Bebek on the Bosphorus. Mr Pasha had not yet left his harem, and so Simonides had to wait. To while away the time [i.e. supposedly, but all planned by Simonides], he went for a walk in the garden and afterwards told that he had discovered a long-sought-after spot in the garden in an Ede, where, according to the manuscript [i.e. mentioned above], there was a map which had been buried of the Brinzen Islands and a poem by Aristotle in Greek, but with Karis characters. So the Pascha ordered the excavation, whereby the above-mentioned Mr. Cayol was present. After a while both works were found in a kind of capsule which looked quite old, and the manuscripts on parchment were in pretty [i.e. in suspiciously] good condition. Mr. Cayol published an article about it in the Journal de Constantinople, but without finding the enthusiasm among the literary public that he had hoped for as a bona fide witness. [?] So it was important to try to wake up again [?]. Ibrahim Pasha, one of the first scholars of this capital, had the ground excavated on his property near the hippodrome (Atmeidan) for the purpose of a new building. Simonides was referred by Mr. Cayol's initiative and asked if the manuscript had anything to say about this locality. After a quick glance he replied: "Yes, there must be a manuscript in Arabic with old Syrian letters." So there is digging, in the presence of the Pasha, Mr. Cayol and Simonides, the latter not being allowed to descend. After two hours of fruitless work, there is a break and a little breakfast, after which the work begins again. After some ground breaking, Simonides delightedly calls out: "There it is, fetch it up." A kind of capsule is taken out and brought to the Pasha; the workers laugh. Ibrahim Pasha examines the capsule and is not a little surprised that the soil sticking to it is of a completely different nature than the soil it was dug out of. The workers explain saying, "during breakfast Simonides ran out, jumped into the pit and burried something there." These two facts could not be denied, and the Pascha asked the shepherd [i.e. Simonides] to justify himself within eight days. But Simonides was nowhere to be seen again, the word spread, and he was unmasked here [i.e. in Constantinople] not long after. Simonides traveled to England where he hoped to find better ground for his business. From the foregoing facts, then, it appears that Simonides is one of the greatest swindlers [ever], against whom one could not be sufficiently warned; it can be proved here, by the utmost evidence, that his Sanchuniathon, his Armenian history, his Symais, farther everything he pretends to conquer is of his own power [i.e. of his own creation] from beginning to end, which is to be valued as the most shameless fraud. The documents for this, can be produced here at any time [?] on Berlangen [?], and will be published in full, in the near future. But this has another connection, Simonides is a most dangerous man, and all who are entrusted with the care of literary rarities must be made aware of him. Simonides [i.e. claims he] had obtained permission to use all the manuscripts while he was there on Mount Athos, and having traveled to that place was given this permission. For it was well known here, that when a passage falsified by Simonides was found in a manuscript which he already had in hand, the heads of the monasteries on Mount Athos were at once informed of it; and permission was, of course, immediately confiscated, and it was high time, for he had to leave Mount Athos. It is therefore advised, urgently, that under no circumstances should a manuscript that is by Simonides be trusted at all, and valued as worthless. Because Simonides has thrown himself exclusively into this subject, he is therefore well acquainted with all chemical and mechanical means of erasing writing, and possesses, moreover, a marvelous gift of DECEPTIVELY imitating all sorts of typefaces, even as far as the ink is concerned ; moreover he is a lithographer. Dr A. D. Morbtmann."


NOTE: Text between [?] and [?] in italics was unintelligible.
NOTE: Text with [i.e. ] in italics are my words for clarification.
 
Simonides diatribe against Tischendorf in Memnon:

"Memnon"
By Constantine Simonides
[No page numbers are in this magazine]
Munich, 1857
[the year after Simonides' arrest and imprisonment in Berlin]​

Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τισσενδόρφιος, ὁ ὁμώνυμος ἑμαυτῷ, ὁ τῶν Ἀποκρύφων (all secrets), κλεινότατος ἐκδότης, οὐκ οἶδα τὶ παθὼν, ἢ τὶ μαθὼν ἀνδρὶ διαβόλῳ, οἵῳ τῷ ψευδωνύμῳ (α) Λυκούργῳ ᾠκειώθη καὶ ἐπίστευσε, καὶ οὕτως ἑκὼν ἀέχων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Αὐγείου κόπρον φεῦ ! ἐμπέπτωκεν ὁ Κομπᾶς οὗτος Μάξιμος (β), ὁ ἀντὶ στύλου καὶ ἐρείσματος τῆς ἐν Λειψίᾳ κλεινοτάτης ̓Ακαδημίας, ὕβρις καὶ σκύβαλον γιγνόμενος. Ἤδη οὖν οὐδὲ Ἡράκλειος δύναμις ῥύσασθαι αὐτὸν κατισχύσει, οὐδὲ ποταμοὶ ὅλοι ἐξαρκέσουσιν εἰ μή τις δύναμις τῆς τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἰσχυροτέρα δυνήσεται σῶσαι αὐτὸν καθαρίσαι τοῦ ῥύπου τῆς κόπρου , εἰς ἣν ὁ γεννάδας οὗτος ἐμπεσὼν ὁδηγίᾳ τοῦ ἐκ Σάμου Ἰούδα, ἐβαπτίσθη ὅλως ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Αὐγείου, καὶ ὥς περ χιτῶνα ὁ ὀρθόδοξος οὗτος σοφός!!! ἐνεδύθη τὸν ῥύπον αὐτοῦ. „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ καὶ ἤδη ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς εὐόσμου ὄνθου καθήμενος, ὡς ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, ὅλας ἁμάξας βλασφημιῶν κατασκεδάζει τῆς ̓Αληθείας καὶ ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἔστι δίκης ὀφθαλμὸς, ὃς τὰ πανθ' ὁρᾶ.

NB: the quotation „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ commonly found as "ἐλπὶς κακοῦ κέρδους ἀρχὴ ζημίας" = "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."


"Constantinos Tissendorfius, the very homonym himself, the publisher of all the secrets of the Apocrypha, I cannot see what he suffers from [i.e. a subtle insinuation of mental disorder], or from what man he has learned to slander [Perhaps: "or of what man he has learned to be [such] διαβόλῳ a devil"], apart from the one called by the pseudonym{a} Lycurgus, and, as far as I'm concerned, this fellow, has become a member of this one's Aegian dung [Or: "excrement"]!!! This fellow has fallen into the dung [Or: "excrement"] of Maximus{b}, who has leaned against the pillar and support of the cloisters of the Academy in Leipsis, who has become a disgrace and a dog. Therefore, not even the strength of Heracleus can overcome him, nor can all the rivers be sufficient, unless the strength of the stronger Heracleus is able to save him [and] cleanse him from the filth of the dung [Or: "excrement"], into which this brave man entered by the guidance of Judas of Samos, having become completely immersed in the name of the Aegian, and as if this fellow was wearing the cloak of the Orthodox wiseman!!! He has hereafter brought his [stinking] shame upon it. "For the hope of evil is the beginning of loss."{NB} And already sitting in the middle, this fragrant being [i.e. fragrance of dung!], as if on his high and lofty throne, is fabricating a whole chariot load of blasphemies against the truth and us. But he is the eye of judgment, which sees all things..."

NB: the quotation "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss." commonly found as "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."

Compare:

Κόμπος Μάξιμος, id est, Fastuosus Maximus. In eum dicebatur, qui sibi plus satis arrogasset in sapientia. Sumptum a moribus Maximi cujuspiam arrogantis, et sibi immodice placentis. In nonnullis exemplaribus invenio κομπᾶς Μάξιμος. Graecis κόμπος arrogantiam insolentiamque significat, unde κομπεῖν καὶ κομπάζειν. Proinde et Euripides : Γλώσσης τε κόμποι, id est Linguaeque fastus. Recensetur et hoc in Diogeniani collectaneis.​

http://ihrim.huma-num.fr/nmh/Erasmus/Proverbia/Adagium_174.html

Λυκοῦργος = from λύκος (lúkos, “wolf”) +‎ -ουργός (-ourgós), literally “worker-wolf”;​

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Λυκοῦργος

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_(lawgiver)
 
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He pictures Tischendorf as being baptized in excrement...

No wonder Tischendorf was pissed...

There's a tremendous amount of vulgarity and vitriol, spewing like lava from Simonides' corrupted and devious mind.
 
TwoNoteableCorruptions said:
Simonides diatribe against Tischendorf in Memnon:

"Memnon"
By Constantine Simonides
[No page numbers are in this magazine]
Munich, 1857
[the year after Simonides' arrest and imprisonment in Berlin]​

Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τισσενδόρφιος, ὁ ὁμώνυμος ἑμαυτῷ, ὁ τῶν Ἀποκρύφων (all secrets), κλεινότατος ἐκδότης, οὐκ οἶδα τὶ παθὼν, ἢ τὶ μαθὼν ἀνδρὶ διαβόλῳ, οἵῳ τῷ ψευδωνύμῳ (α) Λυκούργῳ ᾠκειώθη καὶ ἐπίστευσε, καὶ οὕτως ἑκὼν ἀέχων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Αὐγείου κόπρον φεῦ ! ἐμπέπτωκεν ὁ Κομπᾶς οὗτος Μάξιμος (β), ὁ ἀντὶ στύλου καὶ ἐρείσματος τῆς ἐν Λειψίᾳ κλεινοτάτης ̓Ακαδημίας, ὕβρις καὶ σκύβαλον γιγνόμενος. Ἤδη οὖν οὐδὲ Ἡράκλειος δύναμις ῥύσασθαι αὐτὸν κατισχύσει, οὐδὲ ποταμοὶ ὅλοι ἐξαρκέσουσιν εἰ μή τις δύναμις τῆς τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἰσχυροτέρα δυνήσεται σῶσαι αὐτὸν καθαρίσαι τοῦ ῥύπου τῆς κόπρου , εἰς ἣν ὁ γεννάδας οὗτος ἐμπεσὼν ὁδηγίᾳ τοῦ ἐκ Σάμου Ἰούδα, ἐβαπτίσθη ὅλως ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Αὐγείου, καὶ ὥς περ χιτῶνα ὁ ὀρθόδοξος οὗτος σοφός!!! ἐνεδύθη τὸν ῥύπον αὐτοῦ. „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ καὶ ἤδη ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς εὐόσμου ὄνθου καθήμενος, ὡς ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, ὅλας ἁμάξας βλασφημιῶν κατασκεδάζει τῆς ̓Αληθείας καὶ ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἔστι δίκης ὀφθαλμὸς, ὃς τὰ πανθ' ὁρᾶ.

NB: the quotation „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ commonly found as "ἐλπὶς κακοῦ κέρδους ἀρχὴ ζημίας" = "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."


"Constantinos Tissendorfius, the very homonym himself, the publisher of all the secrets of the Apocrypha, I cannot see what he suffers from [i.e. a subtle insinuation of mental disorder], or from what man he has learned to slander [Perhaps: "or of what man he has learned to be [such] διαβόλῳ a devil"], apart from the one called by the pseudonym{a} Lycurgus, and, as far as I'm concerned, this fellow, has become a member of this one's Aegian dung [Or: "excrement"]!!! This fellow has fallen into the dung [Or: "excrement"] of Maximus{b}, who has leaned against the pillar and support of the cloisters of the Academy in Leipsis, who has become a disgrace and a dog. Therefore, not even the strength of Heracleus can overcome him, nor can all the rivers be sufficient, unless the strength of the stronger Heracleus is able to save him [and] cleanse him from the filth of the dung [Or: "excrement"], into which this brave man entered by the guidance of Judas of Samos, having become completely immersed in the name of the Aegian, and as if this fellow was wearing the cloak of the Orthodox wiseman!!! He has hereafter brought his [stinking] shame upon it. "For the hope of evil is the beginning of loss."{NB} And already sitting in the middle, this fragrant being [i.e. fragrance of dung!], as if on his high and lofty throne, is fabricating a whole chariot load of blasphemies against the truth and us. But he is the eye of judgment, which sees all things..."

NB: the quotation "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss." commonly found as "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."

Compare:

Κόμπος Μάξιμος, id est, Fastuosus Maximus. In eum dicebatur, qui sibi plus satis arrogasset in sapientia. Sumptum a moribus Maximi cujuspiam arrogantis, et sibi immodice placentis. In nonnullis exemplaribus invenio κομπᾶς Μάξιμος. Graecis κόμπος arrogantiam insolentiamque significat, unde κομπεῖν καὶ κομπάζειν. Proinde et Euripides : Γλώσσης τε κόμποι, id est Linguaeque fastus. Recensetur et hoc in Diogeniani collectaneis.​

http://ihrim.huma-num.fr/nmh/Erasmus/Proverbia/Adagium_174.html

Λυκοῦργος = from λύκος (lúkos, “wolf”) +‎ -ουργός (-ourgós), literally “worker-wolf”;​

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Λυκοῦργος

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_(lawgiver)
Click to expand...
The next part of Simonides' diatribe against Tischendorf, running here to the end of the first page in Memnon concerning it, is below. It's quite difficult to get a sense of what Simonides is talking about as you need to have some awareness of current affairs in Greece, and contemporary Greek authors, and the recent Greek revolution for independence from the Ottomans, which had led to the gratuitous massacre and / or enslavement of most of the circa 100,000 inhabitants of the Island of Chios by the Ottomans in 1822, to which atrocity Simonides seeks to link Tischendorf to (I presume), by virtue of Tischendorf's recent fraternization with Ibrahim Pasha, adoptive son of the viceroy of Eqypt, whom had initiated the campaign against the Greeks which had led to the Chios massacre of 1822.

Done with various aids, and from my own researchand efforts. Difficult to translate as full of nuances. Feel free to improve.

______________

Τί οὖν ἐγὼ ἔπταισα τῷ σοφῷ !!! τούτῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ κατηγορεῖ μου οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ; ἢ μήτοι ἐγὼ εἰμὶ ὁ καταβιβάσας αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν βυθὸν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ , ἢ ὁ ἀναβιβάσας αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν κολοφῶνα τῆς ἀδοξίας αὐτοῦ; βεβαίως οὐχί • ἕτερος γὰρ ἦν οὗτος, ὁ υἱὸς φημὶ τοῦ σφαγέως τῆς Χίου, τοῦ προδότον ἐκείνου, ὥς περ φασὶ σὺν ἄλλοις καὶ ὁ κλεινὸς Κοραῆς, καὶ ὁ Βλαστὸς ἐν τοῖς Χιακοῖς, καὶ ὁ Τρικούπης ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ αὐτοῦ • οἵ περ μάλιστα τῶν πολλῶν χιλιάδων σφαγέντων ἕνεκα, καὶ τῶν ἐπιβιωσάντων αἰχμαλώτων τῇ μόνῃ κακοβουλίᾳ τοῦ προδότου Λυκούργου παραπέμπουσιν εἰς τὸ αἰώνιον ἀνάθεμα!! Τούτου φημὶ ὁ γνήσιος υἱός • κακοῦ γὰρ κόρακος κακὸν ὠὸν, ὠδήγησεν ὑμᾶς, ὦ καθηγητά!!! καὶ ἀπήγαγε τάχιστα μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀδοξίας ἀχανὲς βάραθρον ἤ περ εἰς τὴν σπουδοζομένην δόξαν τῇ ψευδολογίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνώθησεν ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ μετὰ κρότου κατὰ πετρῶν, ὡς χείμαῤῥος ὁρμητικὸς ὁπότε μετὰ λαίλαπος ἀφ' ὑψηλῶν καὶ καθέτων ὀρέων καταπίπτει, καὶ βουνοὺς ὅλους καταφέρει τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ῥεύματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετὰ κρότου εἰς τὰ βάραθρα ῥίπτει. οὗτός ἐστιν, ὁ περιλημένος ὑμῶν, ὁ ἐν τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ τῆς ἀτιμίας, κατάβαπτίσας ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ νῦν πολλὰ ἀγορεύεις • „ἐπίτασις γὰρ κακίας μὴ μόνον αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνηγορεῖν ἄλλοις.“

_________________

What then, have I caused the skilled artisan to stumble!!! even this man speaking of me in this shameless way? Or else am I not the one who brought him down to the bottom of his glory, or the one who raised him to the summit of his infamy? Of course not. For this was another, the famous son [i.e. Ibrahim Pasha] of the slaughterer of Chios [Mohammad Ali of Egypt], of that betrayer, as all affirm with others: the renowned Koraïs [1] and Vlasto in his XIAKA [2], and Trikoupis [3] in his history - the many thousands slain and the surviving prisoners, the solitary ill-advisedness of the traitor Lycurgus [4] are sent forward as an eternal votive offering to evil. Of this I write of a true son - for the bad egg of a vile raven had led you, O professor!!! And hath brought forth speedily into the vast abyss of glory, or into the learned glory of his falsehood, and hath brought you into it with a clanging of stones, as a rushing torrent, whereupon it falleth down like a flood from the high and low mountains, and bringeth down all mountains by the power of this stream, and casteth them into the abyss with a clanging. This is he that compasseth you about, that is in the pool of iniquity, who hath fallen upon you, of whom even now thou sayest many things - "For the appearance of wickedness doth not only [cause] sin [in] him, but also maketh others to sin."

[1] Adamantios Korais (Ἀδαμάντιος Κοραῆς: 27 April 1748 – 6 April 1833) was a Greek scholar credited with laying the foundations of modern Greek literature and a major figure in the Greek Enlightenment.
[2] Dr. Alexander M. Vlasto author of "XIAKA," or "The History of the Island of Chios from the earliest times down to its destruction by the Turks in 1822".
[3] Spyridon Trikoupis (April 20/February 12, 1788 - February 12/24, 1873 - Prime Minister of Greece and author of Istoria tis Ellinikis Epanastaseos (London, 1853–1857), on the history of the Greek revolution.
[4] In March 1822, a troop of revolutionaries from Samos island led by Lykourgos Logothetis had landed on Chios and were attracting more and more inhabitants to join the Greek Revolution. The Sultan learned about it and heard some rumors about a conspiracy of the inhabitants against the Empire. This infuriated him and he was turned against this island, that had previously benefited by the Turkish government. This led to the Chios massacre.
 
Concerning Footnote (α) to Page 1. Going back to the first part of page 1 of Simonides diatribe against Tischendorf, there are two footnotes, (α) & (β):

"Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τισσενδόρφιος, ὁ ὁμώνυμος ἑμαυτῷ, ὁ τῶν Ἀποκρύφων (all secrets), κλεινότατος ἐκδότης, οὐκ οἶδα τὶ παθὼν, ἢ τὶ μαθὼν ἀνδρὶ διαβόλῳ, οἵῳ τῷ ψευδωνύμῳ (α) Λυκούργῳ ᾠκειώθη καὶ ἐπίστευσε.....​
​
("Constantinos of Tissendorf, the eponymous self, the author of all secrets, a secret publisher, I didn't see what happened or what man taught the devil, to whom the pseudonym (a) Lycurgus was given and credited..." (just a rough translation)​

In an earlier post I had assumed this Lycurgus was a figure taken from Greek mythology (an impious thracian king who was punished by being driven mad and went on to kill his wife and children); but Simonides here is making a play also between a latterday Lykourgos, who had also adopted "Lykourgos" as a pseudonym (perhap taken from yet another ancient Lycurgus - the renowned ancient lawgiver of Sparta). This latterday Lykourgos (another impious character) was a Greek military leader of the war of independence from Ottoman rule, called "Lykourgos Logothetis" (see footnote [4] in Post #9 above). Of this person, in footnote (α) on this page, Simonides says this:

"(α) Ὅτι μὲν ὁ Λυκοῦργός ἐστι ψευδώνυμος, δῆλον ἐκ τῆς βιογραφίας τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἣν συνέθετο μὲν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Ἱπποκράτης, διόρθωσε δὲ ὁ Κ. Οἰκονόμος • καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ἱταμῶν νεανίσκων τούτων Γεώργιος ἐκαλεῖτο τὸ πρὶν, καὶ οὐχὶ Λυκοῦργος· ἐν δὲ τῇ Ἑλληνικῇ κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπαναστάσει Λυκοῦργος ἐπεκλήθη, αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν οὕτω μετωνομάσας. ῎Αρχεται δὲ ὁ βιογράφος, ὁ τοῦ τῆς Μαρούδας καὶ Ἰωάννου υἱοῦ υἱὸς Ἱπποκράτης (Hippocrates), ᾧδε πως • „Γεώργιος Λογοθέτης, ὁ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν Ἐπαναστασιν Λυκοῦργος ἐπικληθεὶς, ἐγεννήθη ἐν Νέῳ Καρλοβασίῳ, Κωμοπόλει τῆς Σάμου, τὴν 10 Φεβρ. 1772. Οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ ἦσαν μετρίας τάξεως καὶ καταγωγῆς. Ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ ὁ μὲν πατὴρ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννης, ἡ δὲ μήτηρ Μαρούδα · καί τοι δὲ ἀγράμματοι ἀμφότεροι“...​

Google translated without modification (so may be incorrect):

"(α) That Lykorgos is a pseudonym is evident from the biography of his father, which was composed by his brother Hippocrates, but K. Oikonomos corrected it, because the father of these young men was called George before, and not Lykorgos. but when the Greeks revolted against the barbarians, Lykorgos was summoned, and he renamed himself after that. And the biographer begins, that of the son of Marouda and Ioannou, son of Hippocrates, where he says • "Georgios Logothetis, who during the Greek Revolution was called Lykorgos, was born in Neos Karlovasios, Town of Samos, on February 10, 1772. his parents were of moderate class and origin. And his father was called Ioannis, and his mother Marouda • and both of them were illiterate"...​

Further notes about this Greek revolutionary leader whose incompetence was partly responsible for the Chios massacre: Lykourgos Logothetis (10 February 1772 – 25 May 1850), was born Georgios Paplomatas. He was recognised as the leader of the revolution in Samos, and in this capacity led one of the greatest military defences against the Ottomans on Samos. After his initial victory there, patriots from Chios persuaded him to launch a campaign on the island of Chios, despite the opposition of the revolutionary leadership. He landed in Chios with 250 men and proclaimed independence from the Ottoman yoke. The result was disastrous for Chios: he immediately replaced the local authorities with his own people and tried to organise the fight on the island. However, a strong reaction from the Protestants of Chios hindered his preparation. When a strong Turkish fleet and army arrived on the island, the island was destroyed and the inhabitants were slaughtered or sold as slaves. Lycurgus Logothetis was considered responsible for the destruction of Chios and the interim government summoned him to Nafplio for an apology and imprisoned him until December of 1822. After a few months, he was released due to the intervention of Kolokotronis and Nikitaras. He returned to Samos to take over the duties of commander again. He organised the islands defences, ready to repel the new efforts of the Turks to invade the island. An Ottoman fleet under Hosref Pasha appeared arrived on Samos. Lykourgos Logothetis convinced his compatriots that the only way out was to stay and fight to the end. His speech inspired the Samians, who fortified the island effectively. When Khosref tried to land, he met a decisive reaction and was forced to leave. Every year since then, he was elected governor of Samos. The castle where he planned his defence strategies was henceforth named the ‘Castle of Lykourgos Logothetis’.
 
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Concerning Footnote (β) to Page 1:

".......ἐμπέπτωκεν ὁ Κομπᾶς οὗτος Μάξιμος (β),"​
​
("Arrogance/tumult/boasts of the tongue fell upon this Maxumus" or "This Maximus fell upon arrogance/tumult/boasts of the tongue")​
​
NB: there is a problem with the Greek word "Κόμπἀς" as used by Simonides in that it isn't recognized by standard greek lexical tools.​
​
However in Erasmus's Proverbia, there is this entry, which I take as permission to synonymize Κόμπἀς and Κόμπος.​

Maximus the Great.64​

Κόμπος Μάξιμος, that is, Magnificent Maximus. It was said of him that he had arrogated to himself more than enough in wisdom. Taken from the character of Maximus, every one of them was arrogant, and pleased himself immoderately. In some copies I find κομπᾶς Μάχιμος. In Greek, κόμπος signifies arrogance and insolence, hence κομπεῖν καὶ κομπάζειν. Hence also Euripides: Γλώσσης τε κόμποι, that is, the boast of the tongue. This too is recorded in the Diogenes collectanei.​
​
Footnote (β)

"Ο Κύριος Τισσενδόρφιος πρῶτος ἤρξατο ὑβρίζειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ πλαστογράφους καλεῖν, καὶ ἀγύρτας , καὶ τυχοδιώκτας, καὶ λωποδύτας καὶ παραχαράκτας, καὶ ἄλλας, τοιαῦτας ἀγοραίας βλασφημίας ἀποσφενδονᾷν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐν γλώσσῃ ἀνδρὸς λογίου !!, οἵου τοῦ μεγαλαυχοῦντος Τισσενδορφίου, μηδόλως προσήκουσαι • ἀλλὰ τὶς οἶδε καὶ τοῦτο??? Ἐγὼ δὲ γινώσκων ἐμαυτὸν παντὸς ἑτέρου κάλλιον, καθάπερ καὶπᾶς ἔκαστος σύνοιδε τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, καταγελῶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀνδρὸς τὸν νοῦν παρεξηυλημένου πάντῃ ὄντος • οὐδόλως γὰρ μετέχομεν, ὧν ἀπονέμει ἡμῖν οὗτος τίτλων, τοῦ θεολογικοῦ αὐτοῦ χαρακτῆρος ἐκ διαμέτρου ἀντιθέτων, καὶ ὡς ἔοικεν ἐξ ἰδίων κρίνει τὰ ἀλλότρια • ἀληθῶς, „Τὸ εὖ πράττειν παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀφορμὴ τοῦ κακῶς φρονεῖν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις γίνεται‟​
​
Google/Deepl translated with only slight attention given to corrections (so may be incorrect):

"The Lord Tissendorfius was the first to start reviling us, and calling forgers, and beggars, and adventurers, and thieves, and forgeries, and others, such gross blasphemies are hurled at us in the language of a man of wisdom!! saw this too??? I, however, knowing myself better than anyone else, because each one of them gathers his own things together, I criticize him, as a man whose mind is always misguided. Of his theological character he is diametrically opposed [to us], as he himself judgeth things differently. Truly, "The well-doing, in spite of merit, becomes the occasion of evil to the foolish."​
 
cjab said:
"What then, have I caused the skilled artisan to stumble!!! even this man speaking of me in this shameless way? Or else am I not the one who brought him down to the bottom of his glory, or the one who raised him to the summit of his infamy? Of course not. For this was another, the famous son [i.e. Ibrahim Pasha] of the slaughterer of Chios [Mohammad Ali of Egypt], of that betrayer, as all affirm. "
Click to expand...
The identity of this "slaughterer of Chios" still eludes me. I'm still not entirely sure who Simonides is referring to: whether it be the one I identified above, or Lycurgus/Lykourgos Logothetis and his betrayal of the inhabitants of Chios by his incompetence, greed and cowardice - Logothetis's ill-advised arrival had provoked the Turks to the massacre and Logothetis's 'Greek' Samian fleet, which has been preventing a Turkish invasion from the mainland, had sailed away for safety on first sight of the invasion fleet - or whether it be Sultan Mahmoud ll, or Admiral Ali Pasha, or the resident Pasha (Bachet Pasha) or any number of other Pashas - all Turkish officials were called Pashas.

I tend to think it ought to be Lycurgus because Simonides was obsessed with his betrayal of Chios, and in likening him to Tishendorf - but then the passage above makes no sense (as far as I can tell).
 
cjab said:
The identity of this "slaughterer of Chios" still eludes me. I'm still not entirely sure who Simonides is referring to: whether it be the one I identified above, or Lycurgus/Lykourgos Logothetis and his betrayal of the inhabitants of Chios by his incompetence, greed and cowardice - Logothetis's ill-advised arrival had provoked the Turks to the massacre and Logothetis's 'Greek' Samian fleet, which has been preventing a Turkish invasion from the mainland, had sailed away for safety on first sight of the invasion fleet - or whether it be Sultan Mahmoud ll, or Admiral Ali Pasha, or the resident Pasha (Bachet Pasha) or any number of other Pashas - all Turkish officials were called Pashas.

I tend to think it ought to be Lycurgus because Simonides was obsessed with his betrayal of Chios, and in likening him to Tishendorf - but then the passage above makes no sense (as far as I can tell).
Click to expand...
NB: it does appear that the unnamed "famous son of the slaughterer of Chios" is one of the sons of Lycurgus/Lykourgos Logothetis, i.e. Greek orthodox prelate Alexander Lykourgos, with whom Tischendorf was associated with in Simonides arrest for forgery.
 
TwoNoteableCorruptions said:
Simonides diatribe against Tischendorf in Memnon:

"Memnon"
By Constantine Simonides
[No page numbers are in this magazine]
Munich, 1857
[the year after Simonides' arrest and imprisonment in Berlin]​

Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τισσενδόρφιος, ὁ ὁμώνυμος ἑμαυτῷ, ὁ τῶν Ἀποκρύφων (all secrets), κλεινότατος ἐκδότης, οὐκ οἶδα τὶ παθὼν, ἢ τὶ μαθὼν ἀνδρὶ διαβόλῳ, οἵῳ τῷ ψευδωνύμῳ (α) Λυκούργῳ ᾠκειώθη καὶ ἐπίστευσε, καὶ οὕτως ἑκὼν ἀέχων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Αὐγείου κόπρον φεῦ ! ἐμπέπτωκεν ὁ Κομπᾶς οὗτος Μάξιμος (β), ὁ ἀντὶ στύλου καὶ ἐρείσματος τῆς ἐν Λειψίᾳ κλεινοτάτης ̓Ακαδημίας, ὕβρις καὶ σκύβαλον γιγνόμενος. Ἤδη οὖν οὐδὲ Ἡράκλειος δύναμις ῥύσασθαι αὐτὸν κατισχύσει, οὐδὲ ποταμοὶ ὅλοι ἐξαρκέσουσιν εἰ μή τις δύναμις τῆς τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἰσχυροτέρα δυνήσεται σῶσαι αὐτὸν καθαρίσαι τοῦ ῥύπου τῆς κόπρου , εἰς ἣν ὁ γεννάδας οὗτος ἐμπεσὼν ὁδηγίᾳ τοῦ ἐκ Σάμου Ἰούδα, ἐβαπτίσθη ὅλως ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Αὐγείου, καὶ ὥς περ χιτῶνα ὁ ὀρθόδοξος οὗτος σοφός!!! ἐνεδύθη τὸν ῥύπον αὐτοῦ. „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ καὶ ἤδη ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς εὐόσμου ὄνθου καθήμενος, ὡς ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, ὅλας ἁμάξας βλασφημιῶν κατασκεδάζει τῆς ̓Αληθείας καὶ ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἔστι δίκης ὀφθαλμὸς, ὃς τὰ πανθ' ὁρᾶ.

NB: the quotation „Ἐλπὶς γὰρ κακοῦ κέρδεος ἀρχὴ ζημίης.‟ commonly found as "ἐλπὶς κακοῦ κέρδους ἀρχὴ ζημίας" = "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."


"Constantinos Tissendorfius, the very homonym himself, the publisher of all the secrets of the Apocrypha, I cannot see what he suffers from [i.e. a subtle insinuation of mental disorder], or from what man he has learned to slander [Perhaps: "or of what man he has learned to be [such] διαβόλῳ a devil"], apart from the one called by the pseudonym{a} Lycurgus, and, as far as I'm concerned, this fellow, has become a member of this one's Aegian dung [Or: "excrement"]!!! This fellow has fallen into the dung [Or: "excrement"] of Maximus{b}, who has leaned against the pillar and support of the cloisters of the Academy in Leipsis, who has become a disgrace and a dog. Therefore, not even the strength of Heracleus can overcome him, nor can all the rivers be sufficient, unless the strength of the stronger Heracleus is able to save him [and] cleanse him from the filth of the dung [Or: "excrement"], into which this brave man entered by the guidance of Judas of Samos, having become completely immersed in the name of the Aegian, and as if this fellow was wearing the cloak of the Orthodox wiseman!!! He has hereafter brought his [stinking] shame upon it. "For the hope of evil is the beginning of loss."{NB} And already sitting in the middle, this fragrant being [i.e. fragrance of dung!], as if on his high and lofty throne, is fabricating a whole chariot load of blasphemies against the truth and us. But he is the eye of judgment, which sees all things..."

NB: the quotation "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss." commonly found as "Hope of a bad profit the beginning of loss."

Compare:

Κόμπος Μάξιμος, id est, Fastuosus Maximus. In eum dicebatur, qui sibi plus satis arrogasset in sapientia. Sumptum a moribus Maximi cujuspiam arrogantis, et sibi immodice placentis. In nonnullis exemplaribus invenio κομπᾶς Μάξιμος. Graecis κόμπος arrogantiam insolentiamque significat, unde κομπεῖν καὶ κομπάζειν. Proinde et Euripides : Γλώσσης τε κόμποι, id est Linguaeque fastus. Recensetur et hoc in Diogeniani collectaneis.​

http://ihrim.huma-num.fr/nmh/Erasmus/Proverbia/Adagium_174.html

Λυκοῦργος = from λύκος (lúkos, “wolf”) +‎ -ουργός (-ourgós), literally “worker-wolf”;​

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Λυκοῦργος

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_(lawgiver)
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Hi Cjab.

You'll find that Simonide's Memnon is possibly talking about these two people who were instrumental in Simonide's arrest in Berlin in 1856.

  1. Alexandros Lycurgos
  2. Karl Richard Lepsius

ἢ τὶ μαθὼν ἀνδρὶ διαβόλῳ, οἵῳ τῷ ψευδωνύμῳ (α) Λυκούργῳ ᾠκειώθη καὶ ἐπίστευσε
or from what man he has learned to slander [Perhaps: "or of what man he has learned to be [such] διαβόλῳ a devil"], apart from the one called by the pseudonym{a} Lycurgus​
Click to expand...



en.m.wikipedia.org

​

Alexandros Lykourgos - Wikipedia​



en.m.wikipedia.org
en.m.wikipedia.org​


Lycurgos (or Lycurgus) had Simonide's stay in his house in Athens in 1850, and became aquatinted with Simonide's through giving him secret syntax lessons in Greek (the secrecy of course was at Simonide's urgent request, and we all know why) but only lasted two months because of Simonades rebellious and unruly spirit.

Lycurgos also hosted him again his home in Lepzig in 1855 at the beginning of the Uranius controversy. But Lycurgos disassociated himself from his company when he became absolutely convinced that Simonides was up to no good (fraud, forgery, lying etc, i.e. Simonide's usual activities).


ὁ ἀντὶ στύλου καὶ ἐρείσματος τῆς ἐν Λειψίᾳ κλεινοτάτης ̓Ακαδημίας
who has leaned against the pillar and support of the cloisters of the Academy in Leipsis​
Click to expand...

Lepsius was another professor who accompanied the Police officer in Berlin to arrest Simonades in 1856.

But after looking at it again, I think Λειψίᾳ is not referring the person of Leipsis, but simply to the University of (Λειψίᾳ) Lepzig as "the cloistered Academy" where the Uranius (or Uranios) controversy mainly took place.
 
When the event that Kevin McGrane describes below (from Lycurgus' own account) happens, Lycurgus was not aware of Simonides background. Simonides starts softening Lycurgus up (reconnaissance and grooming), and eventually begs him for the lessons described below.


A Review of: "The Forging of Codex Sinaiticus" By Dr W. R. Cooper
Against Detailed Background of the Discovery of the Codex
By Kevin McGrane
2018
Page 57-58
Footnotes 138​

Having emerged from Russia in 1846, Simonides had improved in his reading and writing skills, but had still not yet sufficiently mastered Greek syntax, and required the services of others to polish his writings for public consumption. We have an interesting view into Simonides’ time in Athens from Alexandros Lykourgos (later professor of theology at the University of Athens, and bishop of Syros and Tenos), which reveals that it was not earlier than 1850 that Simonides got a reasonable grip of Greek syntax and style:

“As he [i.e. Simonides] lived in Athens near my old home and visited us frequently, I soon noticed​
that he was lacking in higher education but not in the sense of the same. Through a very lively imagination and a sense for beauty, as well as a retentive memory, he made up for some of what was missing. He eagerly read the Greek writers, as far as they were accessible, and sought in all possible ways to broaden his archaeological and historical knowledge. He also knew how to give his writing a certain charm and great liveliness by coincidences and by imitating the ancients. As he often tried productions, he quite keenly felt his weakness in style, because many mistakes and solecisms escaped his pen. For this reason he also learned from the scholars among his acquaintances for articles that he intended for the newspapers. In this embarrassment, which highlighted his inadequate education, combined with the shame of having been taught in a municipal school, he asked me in 1850 to give him instruction in Greek syntax, desiring that this relationship, which made me, a student, his teacher, not be made public. Out of pure interest for him, I allowed myself to be persuaded to comply with his request. I had the opportunity more and more to get to know his easy and quick perception; for he understood quite well the speeches of Demosthenes, which we read together, and also made progress in syntax. My interest in him grew in the hope that increased education would lessen his recklessness, and that he would mature in his gifts into a good and useful man. I considered it a true Christian duty to contribute as much as possible to his recovery. But after two months he gave up this instruction; he probably found in it an unwelcome bridle on his unruly spirit, which in his vast fantasies he preferred to continue; and my frequent chastisement of him for his vanity and indiscretions was not to his liking.”{138}​

[Footnote] 138 A. Lykourgos, Enthüllungen über den Simonides-dindorfschen Uranios (Leipzig, 1856), pp.55-56. Lykourgos had the same experience as those at the Panteleimon monastery 1839-41 and the Greek school at Odessa [Modern Ukraine] in 1841-2, from which Simonides was expelled for unruly behaviour. In 1855, when Simonides came to Leipzig, Lykourgos was studying there, and Lykourgos allowed Simonides to stay with him for some months. They fell out permanently when Lykourgos discovered that the rumours about Simonides, which he had tried not to believe, were fully justified, and Simonides tried to deceive the University of Leipzig. Though Simonides had only slight competence in Greek when he left Mount Athos in 1841, and that still by 1850 his education and competence in Greek were only fair, Simonides in the details given in the Biographical Memoir, and in the forged manuscripts that he claimed to have had published in Russia in 1853 (his Autographa etc), states that he had received a PhD in Moscow in the early 1840s. This appears to be yet another deception.

[Emphasis added by me]

Google Translate came out with:

Page 52​
​
"Da er sifch häufig in Productionen versuchte, fühlte er recht wohl seine Schwäche in der Stylistik, denn Fehler und Solöcismen entschlüpften seiner Feder viele. Deshalb Hess er sich auch von den Gelehrten unter seinen Bekannten die von ihm für Zeitungen bestimmten Aufsätze corrigiren."​
​
[McGrane] "As he often tried productions, he quite keenly felt his weakness in style, because many mistakes and solecisms escaped his pen. For this reason he also learned from the scholars among his acquaintances for articles that he intended for the newspapers."​
​
[Google] "As he often dabbled in productions, he was well aware of his weakness in stylistics, for many mistakes and solecisms escaped his pen. That is why he had the scholars among his acquaintances correct the articles he had intended for newspapers."​

This actually makes better sense in the second sentence.


The source material is in:

A. Lykourgos
"Enthüllungen über den Simonides-dindorfschen Uranios"
Leipzig, 1856

"The Exposing of the Simonides-Dindorfian Uranios"

https://ia902202.us.archive.org/24/items/enthllungenberd00lykogoog/enthllungenberd00lykogoog.pdf​
 
Simonides had to keep these syntax lessons in his own language secret because it would ruin his reputation and damage his income....

It also demonstrates his devious and manipulating behavior.
 
Here is Page 2 of Simonides' attack on Tischendorf, with my effort at Greek translation and abbreviated notes. We see some of Simonides famed learning, in references to many diverse ancient Greek writers and proverbs. However due to the over-use of metaphors and the rambling style, sometimes it's unclear who Simonides is referring to, or who he is talking to. Tischendorf is labelled inter alia, a Fool, and one who plays the ape, which by reference to Greek mythology, is perhaps the ultimate insult that Simonides could have bestowed on him, in describing him an insidious, deceitful, cunning, gnome-like individual, with a tail, given over to evil.

If you can see any mistakes, please comment.

First the Greek (with index nos to the quotations / references ):

_____________________

Καὶ ἤδη καταγελῶσιν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀβουλίᾳ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀπρονοησίᾳ. Τίς γὰρ εἶπεν ὑμῖν προδικᾶσαι, ἅπερ οὐκ ἴστε κρίναι, οἱ ἄκριτοι ὑμεῖς καὶ ἄδικοι ὅλως; Οὐκ ἴστε, ὡς ἔοικεν ὅτι,

„δεινὸν ὅταν τις μὴ δοκῶν δοκῇ φρονεῖν.‟ [1]​

ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τοῦτο μὲν οἶδα καὶ πάνυ καλῶς • πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ [NB: don't know why these words are in quotes in Memnon]

„ποἱ κακὰ πράσσοντες οὐ κωφοὶ μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐδ ̓ ὁρῶντες εἰσορῶσι τ ̓ ἀφανῆ‟ [2]​

Τὶ οὖν ἐγὼ ἔπταισά σοι; Σὺ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔβλαψας σεαντὸν τυφλὸν ὁδηγὸν καὶ ἀνόητον ξύμβουλον παραλαβῶν, ὅπως παγιώσῃς τὰς ἐκ πολλοῦ τεκταινομένας κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας πολυπλόκους πλεκτάνας • Σὺ οὖν ἔπταισας εἰς σεαυτὸν, σὺ καὶ ἐπαυρήσῃ καὶ οἱ φίλοι ὑμῶν. Τὶ κοινὸν ἤδη μεταξὺ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ;

„Δέον, ὦ φίλε, τὰ τέλη τῶν πραγμάτων ἡμᾶς προορᾷν καὶ οὕτως τὴν τούτων ἐγχείρησιν ποιεῖσθαι.‟ [3]​
​
„Δεῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὀρθῶς πολέμῳ χρωμένους μὴ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθεν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων“. [4]​

Σὺ δὲ ἁμαξιαῖα ῥήματα ἀεὶ φθεγγόμενος τούτων ἠμέλησας.[5]

„Δι' ὃ καὶ Νέμεσις παρὰ πόδας σοι βαίνει.“[6]​

Καὶ τὶ οὖν κακὸν ἐποίησεν οὗτος, διαπυνθάνονταί τινες τῶν σοφῶν, ὥστε οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς δυνήσεται ῥῦσαι αὐτὸν τῆς τοῦ Αὐγείου κόπρου, οὐδὲ οἱ ποταμοὶ τῆς γῆς ἐξαρκέσουσι καθαρῖσαι αὐτὸν τοῦ ῥύπου, οὐδὲ ὁ πῶς αἰων ἐξαλεῖψαι τὸ ὄνειδος τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ; Ἀπαντῶμεν • Πρῶτον μὲν

οὗτος τε καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν δηλήμονες τὴν τοῦ Ἑρμᾶ καὶ Οὐρανίου ἐπεβουλεύσαντο ζωὴν, καὶ τῇ φαντασιοκοπίᾳ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐν τυμπάνῳ καὶ χορδαῖς ὀργάνων διέδοσαν τὸν θάνατον αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν ταφὴν λαμπρῶς ἐπανηγύρισαν • ὡς δὲ ἐνωτίσθησαν αἴφνης ἀναβιῶναι αὐτούς • εἶπον τοῖς ἀπαγγείλασιν αὐτοῖς Ἰουδαίοις (τοῖς δυσὶ ψευδωνύμοις, καὶ Βενθύλῳ [7] τῷ πορνογενεῖ [8] τε καὶ ὅλως αἰσχροβίῳ καὶ, τῇ λοιπῇ μικρᾷ φρατρίᾳ [9]) τὴν ἀνέγερσιν • Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς διαγράψομεν τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ προσκαίρου βίου κεκλεισμένης βίβλου, καὶ ἐγχαράξομεν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ στήλης καταφανοῦς ἀριδήλοις γράμμασι στηλιτεύοντες αὐτὰ εἰς αἰῶνα τὸν ἅπαντα, ἂν τἀναντία τῆς ἀληθείας διαδώσητε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἴωμεν οὖν ἤδη τροφῆς ἄψεσθαι, καὶ ὕστερον ψεύσατε • τὴν ἀνέγερσιν αὐτῶν, οἷς ἐδιδάχθητε λόγοις.

„Καὶ ἂν ἀκουσθῇ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος τῆς Προυσίας, ἡμεῖς πείσομεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους ποιήσομεν." [10]​

Οἱ δε Κοροίβου ἠλιθιώτεροι ὄντες, καὶ μηδαμῶς τοὺς σκοποὺς αὐτῶν κατανοήσαντες, ἐπείσθησαν πρᾶξαι τὰ τοῖς Φαρισαίοις δόξαντα • καὶ τοίνυν περὶ Συρακουσίων [11] τράπεζαν καθήσαντες οἱ κνισσοδιῶκται οὗτοι, καὶ τὴν ἀδηφάγον κοιλίαν αὐτῶν βρωμάτων πληρώσαντες πρῶτον, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν οἴνῳ καταμίξαντες, ἐξῆλθον ὥστερον καὶ παραλαβόντες καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ κώπης ἐπὶ βῆμα, ἀπόλογον Ἀλκίνου [12], Ἀλέξανδρον Γεωργιάδην [13], ἐποίησαν ὡς ἐδιδάχθησαν, πολύφθογγοι ῥήτορες γενόμενοι τῇ δυνάμει τῆς πόσεως , καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Φαρισαίων γραφένια τυφλοῖς τοῖς ὄμμασιν ὑπέγραψαν, καὶ ὡς ἴδια ἐξέδωκαν γεννήματα •

„Καὶ διεφημίσθη ὁ λόγος οὗτος παρὰ ἀνθρώποις μέχρι τῆς σήμερον.‟ [14]​
​
„Εὐλαβοῦ τὰς διαβολὰς, καν ψευδεῖς ὦσιν • οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοοῦσι, πρὸς δὲ τὴν δίξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν.“ [15]​

Ἔγραψαν οὖν τινὲς τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς Φαρισαίων Σάξωνες, καὶ Σαδουκαίων Προῦσοι, αὐτοὶ οὗτοι οἱ εἰς κυνὸς πυγὴν ὁρῶντες ἀεὶ καὶ τριῶν ἀλωπέκων[16], πολλὰ κόγχης ἄξια, ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς • κατίσχυσαν δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐδαμῶς.

„Ψευδόμενος γὰρ οὐδεὶς λανθάνει πολὺν χρόνον.“ [17]​
​
„Τὸ δὲ ἐκ διαβολῆς αὐτῶν ἄκρατον ψεῦδος μικρὸν ἰσχύσαν ἀπεμαράνθη.“ [18]​

καὶ τοὺς Κερκωπίζοντας [19] τὸ κοινὸν τούτους ἀρκούντως ὡς τοιούτους, οἷοι ἂν καὶ ἀληθῶς ὦσιν, ἡ ̓Αλήθεια κατέδειξεν •

„που χαλεπόν ἐστι τὸ ψευδῆ λέγειν. [20]​

Εἶδον γὰρ τοὺς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάντας πολλοὶ τῶν μαθητῶν τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ προσεκύνησαν [21] αὐτοῖς, καὶ διέδοσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τῶν διαβόλων τούτων τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀκκιζομένων κατηγοροῦσι τυφλοτέρους ἀσπαλάκων ἀποκαλοῦντες αὐτοὺς, δικαίως, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς γραφομένοις αὐτῶν καταγελῶσι, λέγοντες • γράφουσιν οὗτοι πολλὰ, ἃ δὲ γράφουσιν, ἕνεκα ἀμαθίας γράφουσιν • Ἔλαβον γὰρ οὗτοι τὸν κάλαμον ὅπως ἀποδείξωσι καὶ καταδείξωσιν, ἅπερ διέδοσαν, διὰ παρεξευλημένου τὸν νοῦν νεανίσκου θεολόγου!!! παιδαριώδη ψεύδη, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν τοῦτο κατορθῶσαι, καὶ μάρτυς αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ ὑπὲρ Κάρα πτύων Τισσενδόρφιος, ὃς σκιαμαχῶν περὶ τοῦ τύπου τεσσάρων γραμμάτων, καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ γράμματος Α ἀπαντωμένου, καὶ ἐν προγενεστέροις τοῦ Οὐρανίου χειρογράφοις, καὶ πολὺ τοῖς χρόνοις τούτου μεταγενεστέροις, καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ κόρον ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Ἑρμᾶ τρισὶ πρωτοτύποις φύλλοις,.....

[next page to complete the sentence]

.....τοῖς ἤδη ἐν τῇ Ἀκαδημαϊκῇ τῆς Λειψίας βιβλιοθήκῃ ἀποκειμένοις, ὧν τὸ γνήσιον διασαλπίζει καὶ οὗτος, καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ μέσῳ λέξεων πολλῶν, ἐπιφέρει ἐν τῷ τέλει τῆς μωρᾶς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅλως παιδαριώδους, καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ ἀμαθοῦς ἀνδρὸς γεγραμμένης παλαιογραφικῆς!!!
 
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Here is my translation of Page 2.

____________________

And they are making fun of you [Tischendorf] for your thoughtlessness and improvidence. For what hath he said to you before judging: wherefore you know not to distinguish, you who are thoughtless and unrighteous, you are confused, and completely unjust, you know not as it seems that,

„δεινὸν ὅταν τις μὴ δοκῶν δοκῇ φρονεῖν.‟​
​
"It is terrible when one who is not wise thinks himself so." [1]​
​
I know this one very well; but there is also:
​
„οἱ κακὰ πράσσοντες οὐ κωφοὶ μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐδ ̓ ὁρῶντες εἰσορῶσι τ ̓ ἀφανῆ‟​
​
"The wretched are not only dumb, but even when they have sight they do not see things that are clearly visible." [2]​

What then, have I lashed out against you? For thou art he who disabled a blindman's guide and received an unheard of counsellor, as you consolidate the many and varied plots against the truth. Then you caused yourself to stumble - you and your reputation and your friends. What is common between me and you:

„Δέον, ὦ φίλε, τὰ τέλη τῶν πραγμάτων ἡμᾶς προορᾷν καὶ οὕτως τὴν τούτων ἐγχείρησιν ποιεῖσθαι.‟​
​
„That which is needful, O beloved, [is] to foresee the consumation of things, and in this manner to set about their operation. ‟[3]​
​
„Δεῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὀρθῶς πολέμῳ χρωμένους μὴ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθεν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων. ‟​
​
„It behoves one to to learn a lesson from those who are experienced in war: you must not follow the trend of events but must forestall them.‟ [4]​

But you are forever uttering cart-loads of words of which you have no care of.[5]

„Δι' ὃ καὶ Νέμεσις παρὰ πόδας σοι βαίνει.“​
​
„On account of which Nemesis walks close behind you.‟ [6]​

And what evil did he do? Some of the wise found out, so that not even Hercules could extracate him from the Augean dung, nor are the rivers of the earth sufficient to cleanse his filth; we answer: first both this one and the noxious around about him plotted against Hermas and Uranius, and reduced them to a fantasy, and intending to make angry at the drums and the strings of musical instruments, announced their death, and celebrated their burial brightly; but when they came to their senses, suddenly revived themselves. I said to those who brought tidings to those Jews (to those who use false names and to Benthylos [7], the son of a harlot,[8], and to all the heathens, and to the remainder of the lesser Fratia [9]) "Behold, we will erase your names from the closed papyri of transient lifespan, and will inscribe them on a column with visible bold letters, enshrining them for ever and ever, if you spread the truth to men." Therefore we would go already to cling to your learning, but later you were deceived, as to which reckoning you were instructed.

"And if this should come to the governor of Prussia's ears, we will persuade him, and keep you free from care."​
​
„Καὶ ἂν ἀκουσθῇ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος τῆς Προυσίας, ἡμεῖς πείσομεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους ποιήσομεν.‟ [10]​

But those of the Fool are vain, and not even one of them aware of the intended purpose; they were persuaded of the decision of the Pharisees • and moreover concerning the Syracusians[11], these have sat down at tables seeking after titbits, and having filled their gluttonous stomach from these foods first, mixed their spirit with wine, and afterwards went out and received, as from rags to riches - the Alcinous story [12] - Alexander, Georgiades [13] - they did as they were taught, cacophonic orators born of the power of drink, and through the Pharisees put signature to the writings of the blind in eye, and brought out as their own work that which they produced.

„Καὶ διεφημίσθη ὁ λόγος οὗτος παρὰ ἀνθρώποις μέχρι τῆς σήμερον.‟​
​
"And this account has been widely circulated among men to this very day." [14]​
​
„Εὐλαβοῦ τὰς διαβολὰς, καν ψευδεῖς ὦσιν • οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοοῦσι, πρὸς δὲ τὴν δίξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν.“​
​
"Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation." [15]​

Consequently some of the Pharisaic Saxons wrote against us, and the Sadducean Prussians, and these are the ones who are always looking into the doghouse [16], reflecting their small measure of capacity, as is their disposition, but they did not prevail against the truth.

„Ψευδόμενος γὰρ οὐδεὶς λανθάνει πολὺν χρόνον.“​
​
"Nobody lies for a long time without being discovered." [17]​
​
„Τὸ δὲ ἐκ διαβολῆς αὐτῶν ἄκρατον ψεῦδος, μικρὸν ἰσχύσαν ἀπεμαράνθη.“​
​
" But from the devil's unbridled lies, their little strength was wasted.“ [18]​

And the state of them sufficiently, as far as this sort is concerned, are such as those that play the ape[19], which even as it is true, the Truth has revealed it.

„που χαλεπόν ἐστι τὸ ψευδῆ λέγειν“​
​
"wherein is the evil of speaking falsely."[20]​

For many of the disciples of the truth saw them risen from the dead, and they paid deference [21] to them, and passed on the truth, and they accuse these devils who are dissembling their implements of war, calling them blinder than blind-rats, jeering at what was written by them. They write extensively, but what they write, they write on account of ignorance. For these have taken the pen, in order to make known and prove, these very things spread widely by the misguided mind of a young theologian - childish lies, but they are not strong enough that they might be established; and this itself is a witness on behalf of the spitting Face, Tishendorf, who spars against a shaddow on account of an impress of four letters, most certainly of a departure from the inscribed "A," and in ancient manuscripts of Uranius, and very much in times subsequent to this, and above all, as usual, also in Hermas's three original leaves, now laid away in the academic library of Leipzig, in which he also trumpets the genuine, both at the the beginning and in the middle of many words, brings to fulfilment his stupid self, utterly puerile, and as though written by the instrument of an ignorant man of paleography.
 
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Here my (abbreviated) notes to Page 2 (with all www references removed).
________________________

[1] This quote in ancient Greek is from Critias. Found in modified form „δεινὸν δ᾽ ὅταν τις μὴ φρονῶν δοχῆι φρονεῖν.‟ in "Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker: griechisch und deutsch," Weidmann, 1903, p.572, 28] and translated in " Ancilla to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers," Kathleen Freeman, 1948, " Critias," p158, No. 28. Critias (Κριτίας c. 460 – 403 BC) was an ancient Athenian, known today for being a student of Socrates, a writer of some regard, and the leader of the Thirty Tyrants, who ruled Athens for several months after the conclusion of the Peloponnesian War in 404/403.

[2] "Sophocles Fragments," Edited and Translated by Hugh Lloyd-Jones (Emeritus Regius Professor of Greek, Oxford University), p.394 Fragments Unassignable, No. 919. Found in modified form as „ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς πράσσοντες οὐ κωφοὶ μόνον ἀλλ' οὐδ ̓ ὁρῶντες εἰσορῶσι τἀμφανῆ.‟

[3] cf. „Δέον τὰ τέλη τῶν πραγμάτων ἡμᾶς προορᾷν, καὶ οὕτως τὴν τούτων ἐγχείρησιν ποιεῖσθαι‟ translated into:

Latin (a) Oportet rerum fine a nobis praevideri, et ita carum gestionem suscipere (It is necessary for us to foresee the end of things, and thus to undertake the valued management) in " Patrologiae cursus completus, seu bibliotheca universalis, integra, uniformis, commoda, oeconomica, omnium SS. Patrum, doctorum scriptorumque ecclesiasticorum ...", Migne, 1864, p.1087.
[4] cf. "ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ὀρθῶς πολέμῳ χρωμένους οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθεν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων." Demosthenes, Speeches, 4.39 etc.

[5] Contrast: " Ὅρα γὰρ οἷα πρὸ τούτου ἐπιβλαβῆ φθεγγόμενοι, οἷα κεχαριτωμένα ῥήματα φθεγγόμεθα νῦν."Chrysostom Homily on Letter to the Ephesians, (0345-0407 - Iohannes Chrysostomus - In epistulam ad Ephesios), "Think what injurious words we uttered heretofore, and look, what gracious words we utter now."

[6] cf. ‘At least Nemesis walks at your feet’; that is to say that Nemesis (from nemo - the dispenser of dues - a Greek goddess) swiftly pursues wrong-doers - see Tosi no.898, on Horace's culpam poena premit comes and Greek parallels. A related proverb - 'unnoticed she walks at your feet, snaps your haughty neck, and always holds sway over your sustenance with her forearm.' - Synesius, Letter 95, p.235b Hercher, quoting Mesomedes.

[7] or "Venthilus." This may be a political reference, as the only contempory-with-Simonides reference I can find to a Venthilus or Benthylos is to one Ιωάννης Βενθύλος (1804-1854 ), who was a Greek philologist and university professor and educator. He was one of the first teachers who contributed to the development of education in modern Greece. He came to Greece at the same time as the arrival of Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1828 and worked in parallel to organize the educational system. Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831) is considered to be the founder of the modern Greek State and the architect of Greek Independence, along with his brothers Viaros and Augustinos Kapodistrias. However Ιωάννης Βενθύλος seems to have soon fallen out with the Kapodistrians, and he became an anti-Kapodistrian; as to which, the anti-Kapodistrians accused the Kapodistrian brothers of authoritarianism, nepotism and various abuses of power.

[8] The Greek is πορνογενεῖς (dative sing.) derived from πορνο-γενής (porno-genes) literally "born of porn" or "son of a harlot", with other shades of meaning, such as fornicator.

[9] or Phratia: more generally - a secret society. In ancient Greek society, a phratia is defined as a socio-political group of people typically included in a set with specific goals, pursuing common selfish goals. They consisted of cousins who had a common ancestor - progenitor, ate from the same pot and breathed the same air, conditions of common residence. Etymologically, it comes from the word Fratir-Frater/Frator , originating from the Minoan Language, where it means "brother", since the members of the phratry were "brothers" among themselves or otherwise "brothers".

[10] cf. Matt 28:14 "And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and keep you free from care."

[11] Syracusans were proverbial for being wealthy.

[12] or "Alkinoos" story. There are two possibilities for what this "Alcinous story" may refer to. The first concerns Odysseus who told King Alcinous or his wanderings. Hence "Alcinous story" is proverbial for a long and involved story. The second concerns Jason and the Argonauts: in this story, Alcinous was the savior and benefactor of the Argonauts and sent them onwards on their travels with great wealth.

[13] This person is completely unknown. It may be a transcription error on the part of SImonides, who may have intended to refer to one Anastasios Georgiadis Lefkias (1773-1853) who was a Greek benefactor, university professor and physician, perhaps embodying the rags-riches story. Despite his humble beginnings and status as a physician he embodied the ideal model of Homo Universalis, or polymath, or Renaissance man.

[14] cf. Matt 28:15, but where "men" in substituted for "Jews."

[15] cf. "Εὐλαβὲ τὰς διαβολὰς, και ψουδες ὦσιν, οἱ γδ πολλοὶ τὰν μὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοῦσι,πρὸς ἢ τὴν δίξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν." Isocrates, To Demonicus 1:17 (George Norlin, Ed.). Also at p.192 'Calumnia' in "Novissima Polyanthea in libros XX Dispertita", Publisher: LAZ. RI ZETZNERI ; Author, Dominicus (Nanus Mirabellius), Publication Date: 1613.

[16] Greek "κυνὸς" (gen. sing. - dog) "πυγὴν" (acc. sing - rump, buttocks). Literally "the rear end of a dog." But there is a word play between this ancient Greek barbarism and later Greek meaning "dog house". This is a further allusion to a medieval Greek proverb concerning a doghouse and three foxes: proverb of Michael Apostolios (Proverb writer - Byzantium - 15th century AD) - "Look at the three foxes in the doghouse" - Εἰς κυνὸς πυγὴν ὁρᾶι καὶ τριῶν ἀλωπέκων (In canis podicem inspice trium vulpium), where "looking into the doghouse " is presumably a further metaphore for "looking for trouble.

[17] Meander: Monostricha - Sententiae 547 (Men. Mon. 547). Ψευδόμενος οὐδεὶς λανθάνει πολὺν χρόνον – Diu latere non queunt mendacia.

[18] Theophrastus ( 371 BC – 287 BC) as recorded in Stob. T. 38. 30 and also in "Arseniou Iōnia = Arsenii Violetum", p.296 by Arsenios, Archbishop of Monemvasia, 1465-1535 "ὁ αὐτὸς ἔφη, ἐκ διαβολῆς καὶ φϑόνου φεῦδος ἰσχύσαν ἀπεμαράνϑη" = "that same year, from the devil and envy, a curse took effect."

[19] The Greek word used by Simonides is singular: Κερκωπίζοντασ, as derived from Κερκωπίζω (or κέρκωψ) [play the ape] + οντασ [being][reference]. cf. Κερκωπίζειν (pres inf act - attic epic) κερκωπίζοντες pres part act masc nom/voc plural).

The motif derives from the myth of Heracles and Omphale Queen of Lydia. During his stay in Lydia Heracles captured the Cercopes (Gk: Kerkops/Kerkopians). These were mischievous forest creatures who lived in Thermopylae or on Euboea but roamed the world and might turn up anywhere mischief was afoot. They were two brothers, but their names are given variously. They were proverbial as liars, cheats, and accomplished knaves. In Greek their name means "tail-men." The Latin "Cercopes" also refers to a cunning, trickish people on the island of Pithecusa, changed by Jupiter into monkeys.

Play-the-ape is thus metaphorical for one who mocks, or jeers, exhibits dwarf-like / goblin-like characteristics, and as applied to humans, betrays cunning, deceitful and insidiousness.

Alse see p.23 "Representing the Slave's Body," 2002, edited by Jane Gardner, Thomas Wiedemann. "There was a market for crooks or villains in Athens called the Kerkopon agora. This name is a derivation of Kerkopes, the two gnome-like and mischeivously deformed goblins, who played an episodic role in the Hercules myth. The word Kerkops means, as such, devious rogue, and the verb kerkopizein translated means, play the ape."

Also see "Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt and Greece," Veronique Dasen, 1993.

[20]cf. "ἡ πού τι χαλεπόν ἐστι τὸ ψευδῇ λέγειν", Proverb 778 in "Comicorum atticorum fragmenta," Vol III, 1888, p. 216 by Theodor Kock.

[21] I assume the Greek word προσκυνέω (proskyneō = to worship, pay homage, show reverence; to kneel down before) is used here entirely sarcastically.
 
cjab said:
"On account of which Nemesis walks close behind you.‟ [6]
Click to expand...

Here we have, coming from the pen of Simonides himself, calling himself Tischendorf's "Nemesis, who walks close behind you..."

Completely contrary to the Oh, Simonides' was not vengeful claim by Avery, Simonides literally proclaims himself Tischendorf's:


ΝΈΜΕΣΙΣ

“NEMESIS”​


The overall tone of this 1857 scathing vitriol (Simonides foaming at the mouth and seething with pent up resentment) show's clearly and unmistakably how incensed, spiteful, and how vengeful Simonides really was post-the-1856-Uranius-humiliation by Tischendorf.

Tishendorf is the chief object of his attack. Unmistakable.

This blows Avery's myth completely out of the water that Simonides' was not vengeful in regard to Tischendorf.
 
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