Skylax, Periplus Scylacis 34.15-24 (ed. Müller)

Greek Learning Greek
1

Dear Friends,

Here is a short passage from Skylax, whom I’d never heard of until I started this project. Help is appreciated.

SKYLAX, c. mid 4th century BC

Ἀχ 45. The Acheloios is located in Akarnania.

Periplus Scylacis 34.15-24 (ed. Müller):

Μετὰ ταῦτα πόλις Ἀλυζία, καὶ κατὰ ταύ-
την νῆσος Κάρνος, καὶ πόλις Ἀστακὸς καὶ λιμὴν καὶ
ποταμὸς Ἀχελῷος καὶ Οἰνιάδαι πόλις· καὶ εἰς ταύτας
(τὰς πόλεις) ἀνάπλους ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἀχελῷον. Εἰσὶ
δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι πόλεις Ἀκαρνάνων ἐν μεσογείᾳ. Πα-
ράπλους δὲ Ἀκαρνανίας ἐστὶν ἡμερῶν δύο*. Ἡ δὲ
Ἀκαρνανία ἐστὶ πᾶσα εὐλίμενος· καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα νῆ-
σοι παράκεινται πολλαὶ, ἃς ὁ Ἀχελῷος προσχωννύων
ἤπειρον ποιεῖ. Καλοῦνται Ἐχινάδες αἱ νῆσοι· εἰσὶ δὲ
ἔρημοι.

GPT-3 Davinci 003 and Molinari:

After this, the city of Alyzia, and the island of Karnos, and the city of Astakos, and the harbor and river of Achelous, and the city of Oinadia; and there are ships going to these cities on the Achelous. There are also other cities of the Akarnanians in the interior. The voyage across Akarnania takes two days. And all Akarnania is fertile; and many islands lie off this region, which the Achelous surrounds by flowing around them. These islands are called the Echinades; they are desolate.

Thémata: Echinades; Location: Aetolia/Akarnania

2

Your translation is full of errors (εὐλίμενος fertile?!). And you’ve totally misunderstood προσχωννύων ἤπειρον ποιεῖ.

3

Thank you–I’ll revisit today. I blame Davinci 3 for this one–he is so overconfident sometimes.

Should be “has/with good harbors”?

I’ll try and clean these up better moving forward.

4

I’m thinking προσχωννύων ἤπειρον ποιεῖ is “made into the mainland with its outpouring,” or something like that, which would be consistent with other accounts.

5

Revised:

After this, the city of Alyzia, and the island of Karnos, and the city of Astakos, and the harbor and river of Achelous, and the city of Oinadia; and there are ships going to these cities on the Achelous. There are also other cities of the Akarnanians in the interior. The voyage across Akarnania takes two days. And all Akarnania has good harbours; and many islands lie off this region, which the Achelous has made one with the mainland through its outpouring. These islands are called the Echinades; they are desolate.

6

Oinadia?! Nothing about outpouring.

7

Oiniadai, thanks.

Ah, “silting up”!