dym otechestva

[Stephen L. Baehr]

The citation, from +Gore ot uma+ (I, 385-86), has an interesting history.
It actually comes from a Latin proverb ("Et fumus patriae est dulcis"),
taken from Ovid (+Epistulae ex Ponto+, 1,3,33), which had its ultimate
origin in Homer's Odyssey (I, 57-59).

In Russia, the phrase had been used as an epigraph for the journal
+Rossiiskii muzei+ (1792-94) and was quoted in a number of poems including
Derzhavin's "Arfa" (1798)--the probable source for Griboedov.

Most of the above material comes from Ashukin and Ashukina wonderful
+Krylatye slova+, 242-43, and they give a fascinating history of the "dym
otechestva" motif from Derzhavin through Maiakovskii in Russia.

       Steve Baehr

>Dear Seelangers,
>Who can help me to identify the following citation, which sound very
>familiar to me:
>
>"Kogda postranstvuesh', vorotish'sia nazad, i dym otechestva i sladok i
>priiaten"
>

Stephen L. Baehr
Professor of Russian
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0225
Phone: (540) 231-8323.  FAX:: (540) 231-4812.