[VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus
Many thanks to all of you who replied. I couldn't quite see how the grasshopper could produce a string! But the noise that it makes might enhance many a performance! Monica - Original Message - From: "Peter Kooiman" To: "Monica Hall" Cc: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:54 PM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus I found an English translation of Strabo's, 6.1.9: The Halex River, which marks the boundary between the Rhegian and the Locrian territories, passes out through a deep ravine; and a peculiar thing happens there in connection with the grasshoppers, that although those on the Locrian bank sing, the others remain mute. As for the cause of this, it is conjectured that on the latter side the region is so densely shaded that the grasshoppers, being wet with dew, cannot expand their membranes, whereas those on the sunny side have dry and horn-like membranes and therefore can easily produce their song. And people used to show in Locri a statue of Eunomus, the cithara-bard, with a locust seated on the cithara. Timaeus says that Eunomus and Ariston of Rhegium were once contesting with each other at the Pythian games and fell to quarrelling about the casting of the lots;so Ariston begged the Delphians to cooperate with him, for the reason that his ancestors belonged to the god and that the colony had been sent forth from there;and although Eunomus said that the Rhegini had absolutely no right even to participate in the vocal contests, since in their country even the grasshoppers, the sweetest-voiced of all creatures, were mute, Ariston was none the less held in favour and hoped for the victory; and yet Eunomus gained the victory and set up the aforesaid image in his native land, because during the contest, when one of the chords broke, a grasshopper lit on his cithara and supplied the missing sound. The interior above these cities is held by the Brettii; here is the city Mamertium, and also the forest that produces the best pitch, the Brettian. This forest is called Sila, is both well wooded and well watered, and is seven hundred stadia in length. Peter - Original Message - From: "Peter Kooiman" To: "Monica Hall" Cc: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010 11:43:07 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus It's from Strabo's Geographika, Strabo in turn attributes the story to Timaeos. I only have a German translation, a websearch for "Eunomos" will probably yield what you are looking for. Regards Peter - Original Message - From: "Monica Hall" To: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010 10:57:45 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Euonimo and Aristonus Is there anyone familiar with Classical litereature who know of the story of Euonimo. Apparently he was competing with Ariston playing the cithara and broke a string (it happens to the best of us). The Gods (all of them?) sent a Cicada (presumably a sort of silkworm) which produced such a wonderful string that he won the competition and a statue was erected to him. Does anyone know where the story comes from? Regards Monica -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus
I found an English translation of Strabo's, 6.1.9: The Halex River, which marks the boundary between the Rhegian and the Locrian territories, passes out through a deep ravine; and a peculiar thing happens there in connection with the grasshoppers, that although those on the Locrian bank sing, the others remain mute. As for the cause of this, it is conjectured that on the latter side the region is so densely shaded that the grasshoppers, being wet with dew, cannot expand their membranes, whereas those on the sunny side have dry and horn-like membranes and therefore can easily produce their song. And people used to show in Locri a statue of Eunomus, the cithara-bard, with a locust seated on the cithara. Timaeus says that Eunomus and Ariston of Rhegium were once contesting with each other at the Pythian games and fell to quarrelling about the casting of the lots;so Ariston begged the Delphians to cooperate with him, for the reason that his ancestors belonged to the god and that the colony had been sent forth from there;and alth! ough Eunomus said that the Rhegini had absolutely no right even to participate in the vocal contests, since in their country even the grasshoppers, the sweetest-voiced of all creatures, were mute, Ariston was none the less held in favour and hoped for the victory; and yet Eunomus gained the victory and set up the aforesaid image in his native land, because during the contest, when one of the chords broke, a grasshopper lit on his cithara and supplied the missing sound. The interior above these cities is held by the Brettii; here is the city Mamertium, and also the forest that produces the best pitch, the Brettian. This forest is called Sila, is both well wooded and well watered, and is seven hundred stadia in length. Peter - Original Message - From: "Peter Kooiman" To: "Monica Hall" Cc: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010 11:43:07 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus It's from Strabo's Geographika, Strabo in turn attributes the story to Timaeos. I only have a German translation, a websearch for "Eunomos" will probably yield what you are looking for. Regards Peter - Original Message - From: "Monica Hall" To: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010 10:57:45 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Euonimo and Aristonus Is there anyone familiar with Classical litereature who know of the story of Euonimo. Apparently he was competing with Ariston playing the cithara and broke a string (it happens to the best of us). The Gods (all of them?) sent a Cicada (presumably a sort of silkworm) which produced such a wonderful string that he won the competition and a statue was erected to him. Does anyone know where the story comes from? Regards Monica -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[VIHUELA] Re: Euonimo and Aristonus
It's from Strabo's Geographika, Strabo in turn attributes the story to Timaeos. I only have a German translation, a websearch for "Eunomos" will probably yield what you are looking for. Regards Peter - Original Message - From: "Monica Hall" To: "Vihuelalist" Sent: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010 10:57:45 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Euonimo and Aristonus Is there anyone familiar with Classical litereature who know of the story of Euonimo. Apparently he was competing with Ariston playing the cithara and broke a string (it happens to the best of us). The Gods (all of them?) sent a Cicada (presumably a sort of silkworm) which produced such a wonderful string that he won the competition and a statue was erected to him. Does anyone know where the story comes from? Regards Monica -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
