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Search results for zeta,29 in Adler number:
Headword:
Zerkôn
Adler number: zeta,29
Translated headword: Zerkon
Vetting Status: high
Translation: [Zerkon,] a Scythian so named, a Moor by race.[1] On account of the deformity of his body and the laughter that came from his lisping voice and his appearance—[for he was a short man, hunched, and had deformed legs; and he displayed his nose and nostrils because he was exceedingly snub-nosed]—he had been given to Aspar son of Ardabur, [2] while he was in Libya. Later he was captured when the barbarians made an incursion into the land of the Thracians and was taken to the royal Scythians.[3] And Attila[4] could not even bear his appearance, but Bleda[5] quite enjoyed not only when he spoke things worthy of laughter but also when he walked and moved his body strangely. And he was with him when he feasted and went on campaign, and he would put on a full suit of armor made to make him look even more ridiculous on the march. Therefore, after he ran away with the Roman captives, Bleda, since he considered him very much a favorite, disregarded the rest of them but ordered that he be sought out with the utmost care. When they caught Zerkon and brought him in chains to Bleda, he laughed as soon as he saw him; and, dismissing his anger, he asked the reason for his flight and why he thought the Roman [court] was better than his own. Then he answered that his flight was wrong, and he had an explanation for his wrong action, namely that he had not been given a wife. Then Bleda, even more carried away in his laughter, gave him a wife from the well-born women, who had been one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting, but on account of some strange action[6] was no longer going to her [as a companion]. So then he continued to live perpetually with Bleda. But after his death Attila gave Zerkon as a gift to
Aetius[7] the general of the Western Romans, who sent him back to Aspar.
Greek Original:Zerkôn, Skuthês houtô kaloumenos, Maurousios to genos. dia de kakophuïan sômatos kai to gelôta ek tês traulotêtos tês phônês kai opseôs parechein [brachus gar tis ên, kurtos, diastrophos tois posi, tên rhina tois muktêrsi paraphainôn dia simotêtos huperbolên], Aspari tôi Ardabouriôi ededôrêto, kath' hon en Libuêi dietribe chronon. hêlô de tôn barbarôn es tên Thraikôn embalontôn kai para tous basileious êchthê Skuthas. kai Attêlas men oude tên autou ênenken opsin: ho de Blêdas hêsthê te lian autôi phthengomenôi ou monon gelôtos axia, ei mê ge kai badizonti kai perittôs kinounti to sôma. sunên de autôi euôchoumenôi kai ekstrateuonti, pepoiêmenên pros to geloioteron analambanôn en tais exodois panoplian. dio dê perispoudaston auton ho Blêdas poioumenos meta aichmalôtôn apodranta Rhômaiôn, tôn men allôn katôligôrêsen, auton de meta pasês phrontidos anazêteisthai prosetaxen. kai halonta kai par' auton achthenta en desmois idôn egelasen. kai kathupheis tês orgês epunthaneto tên aitian tês phugês, kai hotou charin nomizoi ta Rhômaiôn tôn para sphisin ameinona. ho de apekrinato, hamartêma men tên phugên einai, echein de tou hamartêmatos logon, to mê gametên autôi dedosthai. tôi de gelôti mallon ho Blêdas hupachtheis didôsin autôi gunaika tôn men eu gegonotôn kai têi basilidi diakonêsamenôn, atopou de tinos praxeôs heneka ouketi par' ekeinên phoitôsan. kai houtô dietelei hapanta ton chronon tôi Blêdai sunôn. meta de tên autou teleutên Attêlas Aetiôi tôi stratêgôi tôn Hesperiôn Rhômaiôn dôron ton Zerkôna didôsin, hos auton para ton Aspara apepempsen.
Notes:
This entry is
Priscus fr.11 FHG (4.96), still 11 Bornmann. See Blockley (vol. 2, 287, 289) for another translation of the passage
[1] The author of this entry seems to have misunderstood the narrative given at Constantine VII,
De legationibus 145, where Zerkon enters the scene just after "
*sku/qhs tis." Blockley has a note on this confusion (vol. 2, 388 n. 81).
[2] cf.
alpha 3803 and
alpha 4201.
[3] Blockley (vol. 1, 168 n. 48) points out that this detail proves that Hunnish attacks before Bleda's death in 445 had reached far east, perhaps including the sacks of Naissus and
Serdica, which are sometimes dated later.
[4] cf.
alpha 4351 kappa 2123, and
mu 405. See article at web address 1.
[5] Bleda was Attila's brother, whom he had killed in 445; cf.
beta 334.
[6] Blockley (I, 287, 289) translates "because of some misdemeanour" but this seems to overly legalize the offense, which may have been some social
faux pas.
[7] See web address 2.
References:
Blockley, R.C. The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the Later Roman Empire. Eunapius, Olympiodorus, Priscus and Malchus. Vol. 1. Liverpool: Francis Cairns, 1981
Blockley, R.C. The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the Later Roman Empire. Eunapius, Olympiodorus, Priscus and Malchus. Vol. 2. Liverpool: Francis Cairns, 1983
Associated internet addresses:
Web address 1,
Web address 2
Keywords: biography; clothing; comedy; definition; ethics; food; geography; historiography; history; medicine; military affairs; women
Translated by: Abram Ring on 30 May 2005@13:32:55.
Vetted by:
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