Symphosius Riddle 81: Lagena
ALEXANDRAREIDER
Date: Sat 10 Sep 2022Original text:
Mater erat Tellus, genitor est ipse Prometheus;
Auriculaeque regunt redimitam ventre cavato.
Dum misere cecidi, mater mea me laniavit.
Translation:
My mother was the Earth, my father is Prometheus himself;
And my little ears guide (as handles), crowned with hollow belly;
When I fell miserably, my mother butchered me.
Ceramic Jar
Notes:
This edition is based on Raymond T. Ohl, ed. The Enigmas of Symphosius. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1928.
If you're researching/studying this collection, you should also consult this excellent new edition: T. J. Leary, ed. Symphosius: The Aenigmata, An Introduction, Text and Commentary. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. Textual differences in that edition include:
- line 2: regunt redimitam > rigent redimitae
- line 3 is different: dum cecidi subito laniavit
Tags: riddles solutions latin symphosius