Two by Demodocus

Demodocus of Leros (sixth century BC) shares his name with a famous bard in Homer's Odyssey. Richard Porson had his paradoxes in mind when he wrote his epigram of 1836:

The Germans in Greek 

Are badly to seek; 

Not five in five-score, 

But ninety-five more, — 

All, save only Hermann, 

And Hermann’s a German.

Sententiae Antiquae has blogged about the Demodocus-Porson connection, with characteristic erudition and clarity.

Here are Demodocus' two poems, from the sympotic and satirical eleventh book of the Anthology.

11.235 

Demodocus has this as well to say: 

Chians are dreadful. They are all that way: 

No ‘He is bad; this other one will do’; 

Except for Procles — and he’s Chian, too. 

11.236 

Cilicians are crooked to a man. 

The only honest one is Cinyras, 

And Cinyras is a Cilician.