Daulis is an anonymous ancient Greek prose narrative of an erotic nature. The title refers to the city in Phocis, central Greece, which is mythologically significant as the kingdom of Tereus in the tragic story of Proche and Philomela, a narrative involving adultery, rape, and mutilation. While the work's specific plot and characters remain unknown, its classification as an erotic narrative and its titular connection to a city associated with such a dark myth suggest it may have engaged with themes of desire, betrayal, and violence. The manuscript tradition and preservation status of Daulis are undocumented, and it is not listed among the extant works of known authors. Its existence presents a notable juxtaposition, indicating a potential adaptation of the tragic mythological material into a prose erotic context.
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| col2 | [blank] καλὸν οὖν αὐτῶι θῦμα τὸν σὸν ἐγὼ φόνον σπείσω.” τοῦ δὲ ταῦτα μετὰ πικρᾶς ἀνατάσεως ἀπειλοῦντος, 〈ὁ προφήτησ〉 ἐπὶ τὴν ἐν τῶι προδόμωι συμφυγὼν ἑστίαν, ἐφ’ ἧς τὸ τῆς ἀθανάτου πυρᾶς τεθησαυρισμένον φυλάττεται 〈φ〉ῶς. “φεῖσαι καὶ μὴ μιάνῃς,” ἔλεγε, “Δαῦλι, τὸ τῆς Θέμιδος ἀρχαῖον ἵδρυμα μηδὲ τὸν ἀναίμακτον σηκὸν σφαγῆι φ[ύ]ρησαι.” “οὐ προσίεμαι λόγον,” εἶπεν ὁ Δαῦλις, ”〈οὐδ’〉 ἱκέτην, σὺ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἃ δεῖ προλέγων ἃ σὲ δεῖ παθεῖν οὔτι ἔγνως. παύσω δὲ πάν[τ]α[ς ἀνθρώπο]υς ψευδέσιν ἐξαπατωμένους χρησ[μ]οῖς. πο[ῖο]ς γὰρ ἐνθάδε νῦν Ἀπόλλων ἢ ποῖος ὀμφαλὸς γῆς δάφνηι καταστεφόμενος τὰ κοινὰ πάν[τω]ν ἀνθρώπων φόβητρα καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐργας .. [ ... ]εδ .. ατα; ὁ γὰρ Λατοῦς ἐκεῖνος τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔχει, τὴν δὲ γῆν ἡμεῖς· μισθοῦ δ’ οὖ〈ν〉 μαντεύων θεὸς ἀνθρώποις παυσάσθω πεινῶντος ἔργον ἐπιτηδεύων [ .... ] . γόητος· ἀλλὰ ταῦτ’ ἐστιν ὑμέτερα σοφίσματ[α πίσ‐] τιν ἀπὸ λῃστείας κα[τα]σκευασαμένων. ἐπὶ σοὶ νῦν ποῦ τὸ ἄδυτον ἢ καὶ αὐτὸ καταδέδυκεν; μισῶ δὲ μάντεις ἀ[λ]λοτρίων προφήτας κακῶν δίκτυα χρησμῶν εἰς [ν]ε[ῦ]ρα ἐργασίας πλέκτοντας.” ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὁ προφήτης, “μάντις Ἀπόλλων,” εἶπε, “καὶ Δελφῶν ἑστία καὶ θείωι στόματι προθεσπιζομένη χρησμ[ῶ]ν ἀψευδὴς ἀλήθεια καὶ χάσμα γῆς, χθονίου πνεύματος στόμιον ἐξ οὗ τὴν ἀναφε[ρομένην ἀκούομεν] φωνὴν ἀθανάτω[ν] ὑβριζόμεθα δε[] ἀρρήτου χρησμω[] ται ξίφει καὶ ὀφ[] ὁ τῆς ἀσύλου Θέμ[ιδος] ὑπὸ Διὸς ἄνθρωπο[ς ?] ναὸν κα[ὶ τ]ὴν ὀροφ[ὴν] ἀγηράτοις ἀπόλ[λυσθαι] καὶ κατασβένν[υσθαι] αἵματι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆ[ς] φῶς ἀλλ’ οὔ τι τ[] ἀσεβείας ἀφήσε[σθαι] κνητος τῆς σῆς η[] ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ὁ πα[τήρ σου .[15] |
| col3 | ....... τόνδε τὸν] τόπον ἐξύβρισε[] θνητὸς παρὰ θε[ὸν ............ ἤ‐] δη, Δαῦλ[ι], τέθηκται [τὸ ξίφος] ἔστε[π]τα[ι ἡ] ἑστ[ία] κα[ὶ] καλλιερητ[] τὸν βωμὸν κει[] αἷμα· ἤδη γάρ σε [τίσονται αἱ Ἐρινύες τὸν] ἐμὸν φόνον ἐγ[] δίκης παιδὸς δ[] ἀπαραιτήτουσ[] νυκτὶ πολλῇ κα[] α[ἱ] δ’ ἐ[γ]γὺς ἐφεστη[κυῖαι] καὶ γὰρ [ἀ]γορευον[] ἐκπλήττεις ἤδ[η][25] |
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