The 5th-century playwright Ion of Chios (b. ca. 480 BC - d. before 421; fl. 466). As many as 40 tragedies, dithyrambs, and satyr plays are known; and fragments of poetry in other genres from elegy to symposiac are known. Callimachus praised his poetic versatility across many genres. About a dozen fragments of his Omphale survive.



(tit,17a-33a?) ΟΜΦΑΛΗ ΣΑΤΥΡΟΙ <ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ δράματος ὑπόκειται πρὸ τῶν τῆς Ὀμφάλης βασιλείων>

(17a) Ὅρων μὲν [ἤ]δη Πέλοπος ἐξελαύ[νο]μεν,
Ἑρμῆ, βόρειον [ἵπ]πον, ἄνεται δ’ ὁδός

(18) Εὐβοῖδα μὲν γῆν λεπτὸς Εὐρίπου κλύδων †Βοιωτίας ἀκτῆς ἐχώρισεν ἐκτέμνων πρὸς κρῆτα πορθμόν†

(19) σπίλον Παρνασσίαν @1

(20) ἴτ’ ἐκφορεῖτε, παρθένοι, κύπελλα καὶ μεσομφάλους

(21) <ΗΡΑΚΛ.> ἐνιαυσίαν γὰρ δεῖ με τὴν ὁρτὴν ἄγειν

(22) <ΟΜΦ.> ἀλλ’ εἶα, Λυδαὶ ψάλτριαι, παλαιθέτων ὕμνων ἀοιδοί, τὸν ξένον κοσμήσατε

(23) <ΟΜΦ.> Λυδός τε μάγαδις αὐλὸς ἡγείσθω βοῆς @1

(24) βακκάρις δὲ καὶ μύρα καὶ Σαρδιανὸν κόσμον εἰδέναι χροός ἄμεινον ἢ τὸν Πέλοπος ἐν νήσῳ τρόπον

(25) καὶ τὴν μέλαιναν στίμμιν ὀμματογράφον

(26) οἶνος οὐκ ἔνι ἐν τῷ σκύφει

(27) ἔσπεισας· ἀλλὰ πῖθι Πακτωλοῦ ῥοάς @1

(28) ἐξανθρακώσας πυθμέν’ εὔκηλον δρυός

(29) ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς εὐφημίας κατέπινε καὶ τὰ κᾶλα καὶ τοὺς ἄνθρακας

(30*) εἶχεν ... τοὺς ὀδόντας ... τριστοίχους Ἡρακλῆς

(31) ἐρρωπίζομεν

(32) θίασος @1

(33) (τούς) βαρβάρους ... χελιδόνας
(33a?) [ φη]σὶ δὲ [περὶ
[? Ὀμφάλ]ης Ἴων[
[ ]λ̣η̣ν τι[


Fragment 17: The Satyr Play, Omphale
The scene of the play proceeds in front of the royal home of Omphale.