Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae, ed. William W. Goodwin, 47

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[47]

Question 47.

Why is it spoken by way of proverb amongst the Eleans, Thou sufferest worse things than Sambicus?

Solution.

It is said that one Sambicus an Elean, having many comrades with him, did break off many of the devoted bronze offerings placed in Olympia and disposed of them, and at length robbed the temple of Diana the Bish opess (which temple is in Elis, and is called Aristarchaeum. Presently after the committing of this sacrilege, he was taken and tormented the space of a year, being examined concerning all his accessories, and so died; hence this proverb arose from his suffering.

Quaestiones Graecae. Plutarch. ed. William W. Goodwin. Boston. 1874.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Greek Questions (English) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Chauncy, Isaac translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.)

Editions (2)

Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 47 focus

[47] διὰ τί παρὰ τοῖς Ἠλείοις παροιμιῶδὲς 302c ἐστι τὸ ʼδεινότερα Σαμβίκου παθεῖνʼ;

λέγεταί τινα Σάμβικον Ἠλεῖον ἔχοντα πολλοὺς ὑφʼ ἑαυτῷ συνεργοὺς πολλὰ περικόψαι τῶν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ χαλκῶν ἀναθημάτων καὶ ἀποδόσθαι, τέλος δὲ συλῆσαι τὸ τῆς ἐπισκόπου Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερόν τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ μὲν ἐν Ἤλιδι, καλεῖται δʼ Ἀριστάρχειον. εὐθὺς οὖν μετὰ ταύτην τὴν ἱεροσυλίαν ἁλόντα βασανίζεσθαι διʼ ἐνιαυτοῦ περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν κεκοινωνηκότων ἀνακρινόμενον, καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανεῖν καὶ τὴν παροιμίαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου πάθεσι γενέσθαι.

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 47 focus

[47] διὰ τί παρὰ τοῖς Ἠλείοις παροιμιῶδές ἐστι 10 302c τὸ δεινότερα Σαμβίκου παθεῖν; λέγεταί τινα Σάμβικον Ἠλεῖον ἔχοντα πολλοὺς ὑφʼ ἑαυτῷ συνεργοὺς πολλὰ περικόψαι τῶν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ χαλκῶν ἀναθημάτων καὶ ἀποδόσθαι, τέλος δὲ συλῆσαι τὸ τῆς ἐπισκόπου Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερόν· τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ μὲν ἐν 15 Ἤλιδι, καλεῖται δʼ Ἀριστάρχειον· εὐθὺς οὖν μετὰ ταύτην τὴν ἱεροσυλίαν ἁλόντα βασανίζεσθαι διʼ ἐνιαυτοῦ περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν κεκοινωνηκότων ἀνακρινόμενον, καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανεῖν καὶ τὴν παροιμίαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου πάθεσι γενέσθαι. 20

Translations (1)

The Greek Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 47 focus

[47] Why is there a proverb among the Eleans to suffer more terribly than Sambicus?

The story is told that a certain Sambicus, an Elean, at the head of a numerous group of confederates, cut many pieces from the bronze votive statues in Olympia and sold them, and finally he despoiled the shrine of Artemis the Guardian. This is in Elis and is called the Aristarcheum. Immediately, then, after this sacrilege, he was caught and tortured for a year, being interrogated about each of his confederates in turn; and in this manner he died and the proverb arose from his sufferings.

Plutarch Quaestiones Graecae 47

ed. William W. Goodwin

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Question 47.

Solution.

Current edition Perseus

Stable identifiers