Complete Works of Theocritus

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by Theocritus


  φάτνη σημαίνοισα τὰ πρὸς πλόον εὔδια πάντα.

  ὦ ἄμφω θνητοῖσι βοηθόοι, ὦ φίλοι ἄμφω,

  ἱππῆες κιθαρισταί, ἀεθλητῆρες ἀοιδοί:

  Κάστορος ἢ πρώτου Πολυδεύκεος ἄρξομ᾽ ἀείδειν; 25

  ἀμφοτέρους ὑμνέων Πολυδεύκεα πρῶτον ἀείσω.

  [1] Our song is of the sons of Leda and the Aegis-Bearer, Castor to wit and with him Polydeuces, that dire wielder of the fist and of the wrist-harness of the leathern thong. Twice is our song and thrice of the boys of Thestius’ daughter, the two Spartan brethren which wont to save both men that are come upon the brink and horses that are beset in the bloody press; aye, and ships also, that because they sail in despite of rise or set of the stars do fall upon evil gales, which, or fore or aft or where they list, upraise a great surge, and both hurl it into the hold and rive with it their timbers whether on this side or on that. Then hang sail and shroud by the board; and night comes, and with it a great storm from the sky, and the broad sea rattles and plashes with the battery blast and of the irresistible hail. But for all that, ye, even ye, do draw both ship and despairing shipmen from out the hell; the winds abate, the sea puts on a shining calm, the clouds run asunder this way and that way; till out come the Bears peeping, and betwixt the Asses lo! that Manger so dim, which betokens all fair for voyaging on the sea. O helpers twain of men, O friends both of mortals, O horseman harpers, O boxer bards, whether of Castor first or Polydeuces shall I sing? Be my song of both, and yet the beginning of it of Polydeuces.

  ῾Η μὲν ἄρα προφυγοῦσα πέτρας εἰς ἓν ξυνιούσας

  ᾿Αργὼ καὶ νιφόεντος ἀταρτηρὸν στόμα Πόντου

  Βέβρυκας εἰσαφίκανε θεῶν φίλα τέκνα φέρουσα.

  ἔνθα μιῆς πολλοὶ κατὰ κλίμακος ἀμφοτέρων ἒξ 30

  τοίχων ἄνδρες ἔβαινον ᾿Ιησονίης ἀπὸ νηός.

  ἐκβάντες δ᾽ ἐπὶ θῖνα βαθὺν καὶ ὑπήνεμον ἀκτὴν

  εὐνάς τ᾽ ἐστόρνυντο πυρεῖά τε χερσὶν ἐνώμων.

  Κάστωρ δ᾽ αἰολόπωλος ὅ τ᾽ οἰνωπὸς Πολυδεύκης

  ἄμφω ἐρημάζεσκον ἀποπλαγχθέντες ἑταίρων, 35

  παντοίην ἐν ὄρει θηεύμενοι ἄγριον ὕλην.

  εὗρον δ᾽ ἀέναον κρήνην ὑπὸ λισσάδι πέτρῃ

  ὕδατι πεπληθυῖαν ἀκηράτῳ: αἱ δ᾽ ὑπένερθεν

  λάλλαι κρυστάλλῳ ἠδ᾽ ἀργύρῳ ἰνδάλλοντο

  ἐκ βυθοῦ: ὑψηλαὶ δὲ πεφύκεσαν ἀγχόθι πεῦκαι 40

  λεῦκαί τε πλάτανοί τε καὶ ἀκρόκομοι κυπάρισσοι,

  ἄνθεά τ᾽ εὐώδη, λασίαις φίλα ἔργα μελίσσαις,

  ὅσσ᾽ ἔαρος λήγοντος ἐπιβρύει ἀν λειμῶνας.

  ἔνθα δ᾽ ἀνὴρ ὑπέροπλος ἐνήμενος ἐνδιάασκε,

  δεινὸς ἰδεῖν, σκληραῖσι τεθλασμένος οὔατα πυγμαῖς:

  στήθεα δ᾽ ἐσφαίρωτο πελώρια καὶ πλατὺ νῶτον

  σαρκὶ σιδηρείῃ, σφυρήλατος οἷα κολοσσός.

  ἐν δὲ μύες στερεοῖσι βραχίοσιν ἄκρον ὑπ᾽ ὦμον

  ἕστασαν ἠύτε πέτροι ὁλοίτροχοι, οὕστε κυλίνδων

  χειμάρρους ποταμὸς μεγάλαις περιέξεσε δίναις: 50

  αὐτὰρ ὑπὲρ νώτοιο καὶ αὐχένος ᾐωρεῖτο

  ἄκρων δέρμα λέοντος ἀφημμένον ἐκ ποδεώνων.

  τὸν πρότερος προσέειπεν ἀεθλοφόρος Πολυδεύκης.

  [27] The Together-coming Rocks were safely passed and the baleful mouth of the snowy Pontic entered, and Argo with the dear children of the Gods aboard her had made the country of the Bebrycians. Down the ladders on either side went crowding the men of Jason’s ship, and soon as they were out upon the soft deep sand of that lee shore, set to making them greenbeds and rubbing fire-sticks for fire. Then when Castor of the nimble coursers and Polydeuces ruddy as the wine together wandering afield from the rest, for to see the wild woodland of all manner of trees among the hills. Now beneath a certain slabby rock they did find a freshet brimming ever with water pure and clear. The pebbles at the bottom of it were like to silver and crystal, and long and tall there grew beside it, as well firs and poplars and planes and spiry cypresses, as all fragrant flowers which abound in the meadows of outgoing spring to be loved and laboured of the shag bee. In that place there sat taking the air a man both huge and terrible. His ears were crushed shapeless by the hard fist, and his giant breast and great broad back were orbed with iron flesh like a sledge-wrought effigy; moreover the sinews upon his brawny arms upstood beside the shoulder like the boulder-stones some torrent hath rolled and rounded in his swirling eddies; and, to end all, over his neck and about his back there was hung by the claws a swinging lion-skin.

  Πολυδεύκης

  χαῖρε ξεῖν᾽, ὅτις ἐσσί. τίνες βροτοί, ὧν ὅδε χῶρος;

  [53] First spoke the champion Polydeuces. ‘Whoever you may be, Sir,’ says he, ‘I bid you good morrow. Pray tell me what people possesseth this country.’

  AMYCUS

  Ἄμυκος

  χαίρω πῶς, ὅτε τ᾽ ἄνδρας ὁρῶ, τοὺς μὴ πρὶν ὄπωπα; 55

  Πολυδεύκης

  θάρσει. μήτ᾽ ἀδίκους μήτ᾽ ἐξ ἀδίκων φάθι λεύσσειν.

  Ἄμυκος

  θαρσέω, κοὐκ ἐκ σεῦ με διδάσκεσθαι τόδ᾽ ἔοικεν.

  Πολυδεύκης

  ἄγριος εἶ, πρὸς πάντα παλίγκοτος, ἢ ὑπερόπτης;

  Ἄμυκος

  τοιόσδ᾽ οἷον ὁρᾷς: τῆς σῆς γε μὲν οὐκ ἐπιβαίνω.

  π. ἔλθοις, καὶ ξενίων γε τυχὼν πάλιν οἴκαδ᾽ ἱκάνοις. 60

  Ἄμυκος

  μήτε σύ με ξείνιζε, τά τ᾽ ἐξ ἐμεῦ οὐκ ἐν ἑτοίμῳ.

  Πολυδεύκης

  δαιμόνι᾽, οὐδ᾽ ἂν τοῦδε πιεῖν ὕδατος σύγε δοίης;

  Ἄμυκος

  γνώσεαι, εἴ σευ δῖψος ἀνειμένα χείλεα τέρσει.

  Πολυδεύκης

  ἄργυρος ἢ τίς ὁ μισθός, ἐρεῖς, ᾧ κέν σε πίθοιμεν;

  α. εἷς ἑνὶ χεῖρας ἄειρον ἐναντίος ἀνδρὶ καταστάς. 65

  Πολυδεύκης

  πυγμάχος, ἢ καὶ ποσσὶ θενὼν σκέλος;

  Ἄμυκος

  ………ὄμματά γ᾽ ὀρθὸς

  πὺξ διατεινάμενος σφετέρης μὴ φείδεο τέχνης.

  Πολυδεύκης

  τίς γάρ, ὅτῳ χεῖρας καὶ ἐμοὺς συνερείσω ἱμάντας;

  Ἄμυκος

  ἐγγὺς ὁρᾷς: οὐ γύννις ἐὼν κεκλήσεθ᾽ ὁ πύκτης.

  π. ἦ καὶ ἄεθλον ἑτοῖμον, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ δηρισόμεθ᾽ ἄμφω 70

  Ἄμυκος

  σὸς μὲν ἐγώ, σὺ δ᾽ ἐμὸς κεκλήσεαι, αἴκε κρατήσω.

  Π�
�λυδεύκης

  ὀρνίθων φοινικολόφων τοιοίδε κυδοιμοί.

  Ἄμυκος

  εἴτ᾽ οὖν ὀρνίθεσσιν ἐοικότες εἴτε λέουσι

  γινόμεθ᾽, οὐκ ἄλλῳ γε μαχεσσαίμεσθ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀέθλῳ.

  [55] Is it good-morrow, quotha, when I see strangers before me?

  POLYDEUCES

  Be of good cheer. Trust me, we be no evil men nor come we of evil stock.

  AMYCUS

  Of right good cheer am I, and knew it or ever I learnt it of you.

  POLYDEUCES

  Pray are you a man o’ the wilds, a churl come what may, a mere piece of disdain?

  AMYCUS

  I am what you see; and that’s no goer upon other’s ground, when all’s said.

  POLYDEUCES

  Come you upon my ground and welcome; you shall not go away empty.

  AMYCUS

  I’ll none of your welcomes and you shall none of mine.

  POLYDEUCES

  Lord, man! would you have me denied even a drink of this water?

  AMYCUS

  That shall you know when there comes you the parching languor o’ thirst on the lips.

  POLYDEUCES

  Would you silver or aught else for price? Say what you’ll take.

  AMYCUS

  Up hands fight me man against man.

  POLYDEUCES

  Fisticuffs is ‘t? or feet and all? mind you, I have a good eye.

  AMYCUS

  Fists be it, and you may do all your best and cunningest.

  POLDEUCES

  But who is he for whom I am to bind thong to arm?

  AMYCUS

  You see him nigh; the man that shall fight you may be called a woman, but ‘faith, shall not deserve the name.

  POLYDEUCES

  And pray is there a prize we may contend for in this our match?

  AMYCUS

  Whethersoever shall win shall have the other to his possession.

  POLYDEUCES

  But such be the mellays of the red-crested game-cock.

  AMYCUS

  Whether we be like cock or lion there shall be no fight betwixt us on any other stake.

  ̂̓Η ῥ᾽ ῎Αμυκος, καὶ κόχλον ἑλὼν μυκήσατοκοίλην. 75

  οἱ δὲ θοῶς συνάγερθεν ὑπὸ σκιερὰς πλατανίστους

  κόχλου φυσηθέντος ἀεὶ Βέβρυκες κομόωντες.

  ὣς δ᾽ αὔτως ἥρωας ἰὼν ἐκαλέσσατο πάντας

  Μαγνήσσης ἀπὸ νηὸς ὑπείροχος ἐν δαῒ Κάστωρ.

  οἱ δ᾽ ἐπεὶ οὖν σπείρῃσιν ἐκαρτύναντο βοείαις 80

  χεῖρας καὶ περὶ γυῖα μακροὺς εἵλιξαν ἱμάντας,

  ἐς μέσσον σύναγον φόνον ἀλλήλοισι πνέοντες.

  [75] With these words Amycus took and blared upon his hollow shell, and quickly in answer to his call came the thick-haired Bebrycians and gathered themselves together beneath the shady platens. And in like manner all the heroes of the ship of Magnesia were fetched by Castor the peerless man-o’-war. And so the twain braced their hands with the leathern coils and twined the long straps about their arms, and forth and entered the ring breathing slaughter each against the other.

  ἔνθα πολύς σφισι μόχθος ἐπειγομένοισιν ἐτύχθη,

  ὁππότερος κατὰ νῶτα λάβοι φάος ἠελίοιο:

  ἰδρείῃ μέγαν ἄνδρα παρήλυθες ὦ Πολύδευκες, 85

  βάλλετο δ᾽ ἀκτίνεσσιν ἅπαν ᾿Αμύκοιο πρόσωπον.

  αὐτὰρ ὅγ᾽ ἐν θυμῷ κεχολωμένος ἵετο πρόσσω,

  χερσὶ τιτυσκόμενος. τοῦ δ᾽ ἄκρον τύψε γένειον

  Τυνδαρίδης ἐπιόντος: ὀρίνθη δὲ πλέον ἢ πρίν,

  σὺν δὲ μάχην ἐτάραξε, πολὺς δ᾽ ἐπέκειτο νενευκὼς 90

  ἐς γαῖαν. Βέβρυκες δ᾽ ἐπαΰτεον, οἱ δ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν

  ἥρωες κρατερὸν Πολυδεύκεα θαρσύνεσκον,

  δειδιότες μή πώς μιν ἐπιβρίσας δαμάσειε

  χώρῳ ἐνὶ στεινῷ Τιτυῷ ἐναλίγκιος ἀνήρ.

  ἤτοι ὅγ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παριστάμενος Διὸς υἱὸς 95

  ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἄμυσσεν ἀμοιβαδίς, ἔσχεθε δ᾽ ὁρμῆς

  παῖδα Ποσειδάωνος ὑπερφίαλόν περ ἐόντα.

  ἔστη δὲ πληγαῖς μεθύων, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔπτυσεν αἷμα

  φοίνιον: οἱ δ᾽ ἅμα πάντες ἀριστῆες κελάδησαν,

  ὡς ἴδον ἕλκεα λυγρὰ περὶ στόμα τε γναθμούς τε: 100

  ὄμματα δ᾽ οἰδήσαντος ἀπεστείνωτο προσώπου.

  τὸν μὲν ἄναξ ἐτάρασσεν ἐτώσια χερσὶ προδεικνὺς

  πάντοθεν: ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή μιν ἀμηχανέοντ᾽ ἐνόησε,

  μέσσης ῥινὸς ὕπερθε κατ᾽ ὀφρύος ἤλασε πυγμῇ,

  πᾶν δ᾽ ἀπέσυρε μέτωπον ἐς ὀστέον. αὐτὰρ ὁ πληγεὶς

  ὕπτιος ἐν φύλλοισι τεθηλόσιν ἐξετανύσθη.

  [83] Now was there much ado which should have the sunshine at his back; but he cunning of my Polydeuces outwent the mighty man, and those beams did fall full in Amycus his face. So goes master Amycus in high dudgeon forward with many outs and levellings o’s fists. But the child of Tyndareüs was ready, and catched him a blow on the point o’ the chin; the which did the more prick him on and make him to betumble his fighting, so that he went in head-down and full-tilt. At that the Bebrycians holla’d him on, and they of the other part cried cheerily unto the stalwart Polydeuces for fear this Tityus of a man should haply overpeise him and so bear him down in that narrow room. But the son of Zeus stood up to him first on this side and then on that, and touched him left and right and left again; and for all his puissance the child of Poseidon was stayed in ‘s onset, insomuch that he stood all drunken with his drubbing and spit out the crimson blood. Whereat all the mighty men gave joyful tongue together by reason of the grievous bruises he had both by cheek and jowl; for his eyes were all-to-straitened with the puffing of their sockets. Next did my lord maze his man awhile with sundry feints and divers passes all about, and then, as soon as he had him all abroad, let drive at him to the bone, and laid him flatlong amid the springing flowers.

  ἔνθα μάχη δριμεῖα πάλιν γένετ᾽ ὀρθωθέντος:

  ἀλλήλους δ᾽ ὄλεκον στερεοῖς θείνοντες ἱμᾶσιν.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐς στῆθός τε καὶ ἔξω χεῖρας ἐνώμα

  αὐχένος ἀρχηγὸς Βεβρύκων: ὁ δ᾽ ἀεικέσι πληγαῖς 110

  πᾶν συνέφυρε πρόσωπον ἀνίκητος Πολυδεύκης.

  σάρκες δ᾽ αἱ μὲν ἱδρῶτι συνίζανον, ἐκ μεγάλου δὲ

  αἶψ᾽ ὀλίγος γένετ᾽ ἀνδρός: ὁ δ᾽ αἰεὶ πάσσονα γυῖα

  ἁπτομένου φορέεσκε πόνου καὶ χροιῇ ἀμείνων.

  [107] His rising was the renewing of the fray, and a bitter one; aye, now were those swingeing iron gloves to fight unto death. The high lord of Bebrycia, he was all for the chest and none for the head; but as for the never-to-be-beaten Polydeuces, he was for pounding and braying the face with ugly sham
eful blows: and lo! the flesh of the one began to shrink with the sweating, and eftsoons was a great man made little; but even as the other’s labour increased, so waxed his limbs ever more full and round and his colour ever better.

  πῶς γὰρ δὴ Διὸς υἱὸς ἀδηφάγον ἄνδρα καθεῖλεν; 115

  εἰπὲ θεά, σὺ γὰρ οἶσθα: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἑτέρων ὑποφήτης

  φθέγξομαι, ὡς ἐθέλεις σύ, καὶ ὅππως τοι φίλον αὐτῇ.

  [115] Now Muse, I pray thee tell – for thou knowest it – how the child of Zeus destroyed that glutton; and he that plays thy interpreter will say what thou willest and even as thou choosest.

  ῎Ητοι ὅγε ῥέξαί τι λιλαιόμενος μέγα ἔργον

  σκαιῇ μὲν σκαιὴν Πολυδεύκεος ἔλλαβε χεῖρα,

  δοχμὸς ἀπὸ προβολῆς κλινθείς, ἑτέρῃ δ᾽ ἐπιβαίνων 120

  δεξιτερῆς ἤνεγκεν ἀπὸ λαγόνος πλατὺ γυῖον.

  καί κε τυχὼν ἔβλαψεν ᾿Αμυκλαίων βασιλῆα.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅγ᾽ ὑπεξανέδυ κεφαλῇ, στιβαρῇ δ᾽ ἅμα χειρὶ

  πλῆξεν ὑπὸ σκαιὸν κρόταφον καὶ ἐπέμπεσεν ὤμῳ:

  ἐκ δ᾽ ἐχύθη μέλαν αἷμα θοῶς κροτάφοιο χανόντος: 125

  λαιῇ δὲ στόμα κόψε, πυκνοὶ δ᾽ ἀράβησαν ὀδόντες:

  αἰεὶ δ᾽ ὀξυτέρῳ πιτύλῳ δηλεῖτο πρόσωπον,

  μέχρι συνηλοίησε παρήια. πᾶς δ᾽ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

  κεῖτ᾽ ἀλλοφρονέων, καὶ ἀνέσχεθε νεῖκος ἀπαυδῶν

  ἀμφοτέρας ἅμα χεῖρας, ἐπεὶ θανάτου σχεδὸν ἦεν. 130

  τὸν μὲν ἄρα κρατέων περ ἀτάσθαλον οὐδὲν ἔρεξας,

  ὦ πύκτη Πολύδευκες: ὄμοσσε δέ τοι μέγαν ὅρκον,

  ὃν πατέρ᾽ ἐκ πόντοιο Ποσειδάωνα κικλήσκων,

  μήποτ᾽ ἔτι ξείνοισιν ἑκὼν ἀνιηρὸς ἔσεσθαι.

  [118] Then did Amycus, as who should achieve some great thing, come from his ward and with his left hand grasp Polydeuces’ left, and going in with the other, drive the flat of his hand from his right flank. And had the blow come home, he had wrought harm to the king of Amyclae. But lo! my lord slips his head aside and the same moment struck out forth-right from the shoulder and smote him under the left temple; and from that gaping temple the red blood came spirting. Then his left hand did beat him in the mouth, so that the rows of teeth in ‘t crackled again; aye, and an ever livelier patter o’ the fists did maul the face of him till his visage was all one mash. Then down went he in a heap and lay like to swoon upon the ground; and up with both his hands for to cry the battle off, because he was nigh unto death. But thou, good boxer Polydeuces, for all thy victory didst nothing presumptuous. Only wouldst thou have him swear a great oath by the name of his father Poseidon in the sea, that he would nevermore do annoyance unto strangers.

 

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