Rare, 1881, Greek Syntipas Edition, Fables of the Seven Wise Masters, Venice Publishing

Description

Μυθολογικόν 

Συντίπα 

του Φιλοσόφου 

τα Πλείστα Περίεργον 

εκ της Περσικής γλώσσης μεταφρασθέν 

Βενετία εκ του ελληνικού τυπογραφ. ο Φοίνιξ 1881

 

Mythologikon 

Syntipa tou Philosophou 

translated from the Persian language

Published by Phoenix Greek Press in Venice in 1881

13 cm x 19. 5 cm 

80 pages

Original Paper binding

About the book: This rare and finely printed 1881 Greek edition of Syntipas the Philosopher contains a fascinating set of moral and allegorical tales derived from Indian and Persian origins, forming part of the legendary “Seven Wise Masters” tradition — a cycle of storytelling that spread widely across Europe and the Middle East during the medieval period. Syntipas is the legendary philosopher-counselor to King Cyrus, and tutor to the prince. When the prince is falsely accused of seduction by his stepmother during a seven-day vow of silence, a contest of stories unfolds: each day, the king’s philosophers and the stepmother present competing moral tales — some defending the prince, others seeking his condemnation. The prince’s eventual exoneration reveals the core moral of the work: justice triumphs, while deception is exposed.

This story-within-a-story structure, comparable to One Thousand and One Nights, originated likely in India or Persia, passed into Arabic and Syriac, and was eventually translated into Greek by Michael Andreopoulos in the 11th century. The text was valued not only for its entertainment but also for its ethical reflections, despite its acknowledged elements of exoticism and eroticism.