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Posidonius
Fragments on Customs and Wars Carrier unit 107
Carrier unit 131 of 197
Canonical reference F.107
Ancient Greek
;XIV 37 p. 635 CD: διαποροῦσι δ’ ἔνιοι ὅπως τῆς μαγάδιδος 〈οὐκέτι〉 οὔσης κατὰ Ἀνακρέοντα (ὀψὲ γάρ ποτε τὰ πολύχορδα ὀφθῆναι) μνημονεύων αὐτῆς ὁ Ἀνακρέων λέγει (F 70 Diehl) ‘ψάλλω δ’ εἴκοσι χορδαῖσι μάγαδιν ἔχων, ὦ Λεύκασπι‘. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ποσειδώνιός φησιν τριῶν μελωιδιῶν αὐτὸν μνημονεύειν, Φρυγίου τε 〈καὶ Δωρίου〉 καὶ Λυδίου· ταύταις γὰρ μόναις τὸν Ἀνακρέοντα κεχρῆσθαι· ὧν ζ χορδαῖς ἑκάστης περαινομένης εἰκότως φάναι ψάλλειν αὐτὸν κ χορδαῖς, τῶι ἀρτίωι χρησάμενον ἀριθμῶι τὴν μίαν ἀφελόντα. ἀγνοεῖ δ’ ὁ Ποσειδώνιος ὅτι ἀρχαῖόν ἐστιν ὄργανον ἡ μάγαδις ....
English AI-generated translation, non-official
Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-15
XIV 37 p. 635 CD: Some are perplexed as to how Anacreon mentions the magadis when, according to their account, it did not yet exist in his time, since many-stringed instruments appeared only at a late date. Anacreon says (F 70 Diehl): “I pluck twenty strings, holding a magadis, O Leucaspis.” Posidonius says that he is referring to three modes, the Phrygian, the Dorian, and the Lydian; for Anacreon used only these. Since each of them is completed with seven strings, he reasonably says that Anacreon played on twenty strings, using the even number after subtracting one. But Posidonius is unaware that the magadis is an ancient instrument ....
French AI-generated translation, non-official
Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-15
ATHÉNÉE XIV 37, p. 635 CD : Certains se demandent comment, puisque la magadis n’existait plus à l’époque d’Anacréon (car les instruments à cordes multiples ne seraient apparus que tardivement), Anacréon peut la mentionner en disant (F 70 Diehl) : « Je joue sur vingt cordes, tenant une magadis, ô Leucaspis. » Posidonius affirme qu’il fait référence à trois mélodies, la phrygienne, la dorienne et la lydienne, car Anacréon n’aurait employé que celles-là. Chacune étant exécutée sur sept cordes, il serait naturel qu’il dise jouer sur vingt cordes, ayant choisi le nombre pair en retranchant une unité. Mais Posidonius ignore que la magadis est un instrument ancien ....
Concepts in this passage
Anger
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Aporia
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Customs and institutions
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Empirical inquiry through travel
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Historical causation
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Luxury and corruption
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Nature
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Reason
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War and civil disorder
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