The Inaugural Speech, known in Greek as an epibatērion, represents a recognized genre of choral poetry performed during ceremonial departures for military or naval expeditions. While the genre itself is attested in ancient sources, no specific anonymous epic work bearing this exact title and described as comprising sixteen verse passages is recorded in extant scholarship. Consequently, there is no known manuscript tradition or fragmentary evidence for such a titled composition. The significance of the entry lies in its clarification of the genre, which illustrates the formal role of choral performance in public rituals marking major communal undertakings in the ancient Greek world. Such works were ceremonial in nature, designed to solemnize the embarkation on a campaign or voyage before a public audience.
| unit_1.1 | [ln_1][].λ..[] []τε δεῦρο [] []μενος |
| unit_1.2 | τε[] [] Ἀλεξανδ[ρ][ln_5][]νυν τινα μ[] [] οὔποτε |
| unit_1.3 | πο[] []ων κυδαλ[ιμ] []ς· ουσεκα[] []υμαι[][ln_10][προς]έφη |
| unit_1.4 | Τυ[ρίους] []εν ἐς Ἰταλ[ίαν] ων []ς ἀδελφει[] []σαν ἀγηνορ[] ημε[.....]θηβην ἑτεροι[][ln_15]οἱ δ’ ἐπὶ μ[.....] ἵκοντο καὶ α[] .ο...[.....]ο πρόσθεν ἑορ[ταῖς] πάσῃσιν [δ’ ἐκέκα]στο Τύρος |
| unit_1.5 | πορ[] νῦν δ’ ἐπι[–].τ[οῖ]σι θέμις |
| unit_1.6 | το[] ὁπλότεροι .[...]εον |
| unit_1.7 | προτέρων μ[][ln_20]ὅσ〈σ〉ων ξειν.[.]....τε ἐς ἄστεα η[] πατρίδος ἐξελάθοντο καὶ αὐτόθι [ναιετάεσκον.] οἱ δ’ ὁπόταν θ[υ]ρεοῖς [δει]νῶν |
| unit_1.8 | πτόλι[ν ἐκρύσωνται,] ἄψορροι |
| unit_1.9 | στείχουσιν [ἑὴ]ν |
| unit_1.10 | ποτὶ πατρί[δα γαῖαν] μᾶλλον ἀγαυότεροι, ναέτῃσι δὲ χ[άρμα π]έλονται. |
| unit_2.1 | [ln_25]τοὺς δ’ αὐτὴ δέχεται |
| unit_2.2 | πα[τρ]ὶς μέγα [κα]γχαλόωσα, μήτηρ οἷα Λάκαινα σὺν ἀσπίδι π[αῖδ]α λαβοῦσα αὖτις ἀφ’ αἱματόε[ν]τος ἀνερχόμενον |
| unit_2.3 | πολέμοιο. εὖ γὰρ δὴ τόδε ἴστε π[ο]λὺ [π]λέον ἤπερ ἔγωγε, οἳ καὶ ἐπειρήσασθ[ε καὶ] ὄμμασι θηήσασθε,[ln_30]πῶς ὅδ’ ἀν[ὴρ] ἐ[φ]έπε[σκ]ε κατ’ ἀντολίην ἐρατεινήν ἠῴαις |
| unit_2.4 | πτολίεσσι[ν ἐυ]κτιμένῃ[σιν ἀρ]ήγων, Μάξιμος ἀντίθεος, Τυρ[ί]ων ἀγὸς ἠδ’ ἐπα[ρωγός,] φαίνων εὐνομίης ἱερὸν φάος, ἔργα δ’ [ὕ]φ[ην]ε καλὰ καὶ ἀμφιβόητ[α], τὰ μὴ φθίσει ἄσπετο[ς αἰ]ών· |
| unit_3 | [ln_35][ἀλλὰ] τὰ μὲν μολπῇσιν [ἐ]ν εὐρυτέρῃσι[ν] ἀείσω. νζ |
| book 1r | vestigia 36 versuum:[ln_5][... ἀδ]αμαν[τ...][ln_23]πρῶτον[] ἄρχομαι[][ln_25]ταύρου θ[] αὐτόθι δρυ[] πολλῶν[][ln_29]ὑμετερ[ln_30]κυδαλίμοισιν[][ln_36]φησει... αὖτις ἱκη[] |
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