Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  Ὁ στρατηγὸς ὁ τῶν Μηθυμναίων ὅσον δέκα σταδίους ἀπελάσας ἠθέλησε τοὺς στρατιώτας τῇ καταδρομῇ κεκμηκότας ἀναλαβεῖν. Ἄκρας οὖν ἐπεμβαινούσης τῷ πελάγει λαβόμενος ἐπεκτεινομένης μηνοειδῶς, ἧς ἐντὸς θάλαττα γαληνότερον τῶν λιμένων ὅρμον εἰργάζετο, ἐνταῦθα τὰς ναῦς ἐπ̓ ἀγκυρῶν μετεώρους διορμίσας, ὡς μηδὲ μίαν ἐκ τῆς γῆς τῶν ἀγροίκων τινὰ λυπῆσαι, ἀνῆκε τοὺς Μηθυμναίους εἰς τέρψιν εἰρηνικήν. Οἱ δὲ ἔχοντες πάντων ἀφθονίαν ἐκ τῆς ἁρπαγῆς ἔπινον, ἔπαιζον, ἐπινίκιον ἑορτὴν ἐμιμοῦντο. Ἄρτι δὲ παυομένης ἡμέρας καὶ τῆς τέρψεως ἐς νύκτα ληγούσης αἰφνίδιον μὲν ἡ γῆ πᾶσα ἐδόκει λάμπεσθαι πυρί, κτύπος δὲ ἠκούετο ῥόθιος κωπῶν, ὡς ἐπιπλέοντος μεγάλου στόλου. Ἐβόα τις ὁπλίζεσθαι τὸν στρατηγόν, ἄλλος ἄλλον ἐκάλει, καὶ τετρῶσθαί τις ἐδόκει, καὶ σχῆμά τις ἔκειτο νεκροῦ μιμούμενος. Εἴκασεν ἄν τις ὁρᾶν νυκτομαχίαν οὐ παρόντων πολεμίων.

  2.25 The Methymnaean captain, when he had proceeded about ten stades, was desirous of giving his men some rest, as they were greatly fatigued with rowing. Accordingly, having reached a promontory which jutted out into the sea in the shape of a crescent, the bay of which afforded a quieter port than any harbour, he cast anchor, but at some distance from the shore, for fear that the inhabitants might annoy him; then he allowed his crew to enjoy themselves undisturbed. Since they were abundantly supplied with everything, they drank and made merry, as if they had been celebrating a feast in honour of a victory. But, when night began to fall and put an end to their enjoyment, suddenly the whole earth appeared in flames: the splash of oars was heard upon the waters, as if a numerous fleet were approaching. They called upon the general to arm himself: they shouted to each other: some thought they were already wounded, others lay as if they were dead. One would have thought that they were engaged in a battle by night, although there was no enemy.

  Τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς αὐτοῖς τοιαύτης γενομένης ἐπῆλθεν ἡ ἡμέρα πολὺ τῆς νυκτὸς φοβερωτέρα. Οἱ τράγοι μὲν οἱ τοῦ Δάφνιδος καὶ αἱ αἶγες κιττὸν ἐν τοῖς κέρασι κορυμβοφόρον εἶχον, οἱ δὲ κριοὶ καὶ αἱ οἶς τῆς Χλόης λύκων ὠρυγμὸν ὠρύοντο. Ὤφθη δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ πίτυος ἐστεφανωμένη. Ἐγίνετο καὶ περὶ τὴν θάλατταν αὐτὴν πολλὰ παράδοξα. Αἵ τε γὰρ ἄγκυραι πειρωμένων ἀναφέρειν κατὰ βυθοῦ ἔμενον, αἵ τε κῶπαι καθιέντων εἰς εἰρεσίαν ἐθραύοντο: καὶ δελφῖνες πηδῶντες ἐξ ἁλὸς ταῖς οὐραῖς παίοντες τὰς ναῦς ἔλυον τὰ γομφώματα. Ἠκούετό τις καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀρθίου πέτρας τῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἄκραν σύριγγος ἦχος: ἀλλὰ οὐκ ἔτερπεν ὡς σύριγξ, ἐφόβει δὲ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὡς σάλπιγξ. Ἐταράττοντο οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἔθεον καὶ πολεμίους ἐκάλουν τοὺς οὐ βλεπομένους, ὥστε πάλιν εὔχοντο νύκτα ἐπελθεῖν, ὡς τευξόμενοι σπονδῶν ἐν αὐτῇ. Συνετὰ μὲν οὖν πᾶσιν ἦν τὰ γινόμενα τοῖς φρονοῦσιν ὀρθῶς ὅτι ἐκ Πανὸς ἦν τὰ φαντάσματα καὶ ἀκούσματα μηνίοντός τι τοῖς ναύταις: οὐκ εἶχον δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν συμβαλεῖν ῾οὐδὲν γὰρ ἱερὸν ἐσεσύλητο Πανός᾿, ἔστε ἀμφὶ μέσην ἡμέραν ἐς ὕπνον οὐκ ἀθεεὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καταπεσόντος αὐτὸς ὁ Πὰν ὤφθη τοιάδε λέγων

  2.26 After a night thus spent, a day followed even more terrible to them than the night. They saw Daphnis’s goats with ivy-branches, loaded with berries, on their horns: while Chloe’s rams and ewes were heard howling like wolves: Chloe herself appeared, crowned with a garland of pine. Many marvellous things also happened on the sea. When they attempted to raise the anchors, they remained fast to the bottom: when the oars were dipped into the water to row, they snapped. Dolphins, leaping from the waves, lashed the ships with their tails, and loosened the fastenings. From the top of the steep rock overhanging the promontory was heard the sound of a pipe: but the sound did not soothe the hearers, but terrified them, like the blast of a trumpet. Then, smitten with affright they ran to arms, and called upon their invisible enemies to appear: after which, they prayed for the return of night, hoping that it might afford them some relief. All who possessed any intelligence clearly understood that all the marvellous things that they had seen and heard were the work of God Pan, who was angry with them for some offence they had committed against him: but they could not guess the cause of it, for they had not plundered any spot that was sacred to him. At last, however, at mid-day, when their general had fallen asleep, not without the intervention of the Gods, Pan himself appeared to him and spoke as follows:

  ‘Ὦ πάντων ἀνοσιώτατοι καὶ ἀσεβέστατοι, τί ταῦτα μαινομέναις φρεσὶν ἐτολμήσατε; Πολέμου μὲν τὴν ἀγροικίαν ἐνεπλήσατε τὴν ἐμοὶ φίλην, ἀγέλας δὲ βοῶν καὶ αἰγῶν καὶ ποιμνίων ἀπηλάσατε τὰς ἐμοὶ μελομένας: ἀπεσπάσατε δὲ βωμῶν παρθένον, ἐξ ἧς Ἔρως μῦθον ποιῆσαι θέλει: καὶ οὔτε τὰς Νύμφας ᾐδέσθητε βλεπούσας οὔτε τὸν Πᾶνα ἐμέ. Οὔτ̓ οὖν Μήθυμναν ὄψεσθε μετὰ τοιούτων λαφύρων πλέοντες, οὔτε τήνδε φεύξεσθε τὴν σύριγγα τὴν ὑμᾶς ταράξασαν: ἀλλὰ ὑμᾶς βορὰν ἰχθύων θήσω καταδύσας, εἰ μὴ τὴν ταχίστην καὶ Χλόην ταῖς Νύμφαις ἀποδώσεις καὶ τὰς ἀγέλας Χλόης. Ἀνάστα δὴ καὶ ἐκβίβαζε τὴν κόρην μεθ̓ ὧν εἶπον. Ἡγήσομαι δὲ ἐγὼ καὶ σοὶ τοῦ πλοῦ κἀκείνῃ τῆς ὁδοῦ.’

  2.27 “O most impious and sacrilegious of men! What has driven your frenzied minds to such audacity? You have filled with war the country that I love, and have carried off the herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats entrusted to my care: you have dragged away from my altars a young girl whom Love has reserved for himself, to adorn a tale. Nay, you did not even respect the presence of the Nymphs, nor me, the great God Pan. Wherefore you shall never again see Methymna with such booty on board, nor shall you escape this pipe, which has so smitten you with alarm: I will swamp you in the waves and give you as food to the fishes, unless you speedily restore Chloe and her flocks, sheep and goats, to the Nymphs. Arise then, put ashore the young girl with all that I have mentioned: and then I will guide your course by sea, and Chloe’s by land.”

  Πάνυ οὖν τεθορυβημένος ὁ Βρύαξις ῾τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκαλεῖτο ὁ στρατηγὸς᾿ ἀναπηδᾷ καὶ τῶν νεῶν καλέσας τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἐκέλευσε τὴν ταχίστην ἐν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις ἀναζητεῖσθαι Χλόην. Οἱ δὲ ταχέως καὶ ἀνεῦρον καὶ εἰς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκόμισαν: ἐκαθέζετο γὰρ τῆς πίτυος ἐστεφανωμένη. Σύμβολον �
�ὴ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὀνείροις ὄψεως ποιούμενος ἐπ̓ αὐτῆς τῆς ναυαρχίδος εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτὴν κομίζει. Κἀκείνη ἄρτι ἀπεβεβήκει καὶ σύριγγος ἦχος ἀκούεται πάλιν ἐκ τῆς πέτρας, οὐκέτι πολεμικὸς καὶ φοβερός, ἀλλὰ ποιμενικὸς καὶ οἷος εἰς νομὴν ἡγεῖται ποιμνίων. Καὶ τά τε πρόβατα κατὰ τῆς ἀποβάθρας ἐξέτρεχεν ἐξολισθάνοντα τοῖς κέρασι τῶν χηλῶν, καὶ αἱ αἶγες πολὺ θρασύτερον, οἷα καὶ κρημνοβατεῖν εἰθισμέναι.

  2.28 Alarmed at this vision, Bryaxis - that was the captain’s name – started up, summoned the commanders of the ships, and ordered them to search for Chloe with all speed amongst the captives. They soon found her and brought her before him: for she was sitting down, with a pine garland on her head. Recognising by this that it was she to whom his vision referred, he put her on board his own vessel, and conveyed her to land. As soon as she had gone ashore, the sound of the pipe again made itself heard from the summit of the rock, not martial and awe-inspiring, as before, but playing a pastoral air such as shepherds play when driving out their flocks to feed. Then immediately the sheep hurried down the gangway, without stumbling: while the goats descended with even greater confidence, being accustomed to climb steep places.

  Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περιίσταται κύκλῳ τὴν Χλόην ὥσπερ χορός, σκιρτῶντα καὶ βληχώμενα καὶ ὅμοια χαίρουσιν: αἱ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων αἰπόλων αἶγες καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τὰ βουκόλια κατὰ χώραν ἔμενεν ἐν κοίλῃ νηί, καθάπερ αὐτὰ τοῦ μέλους μὴ καλοῦντος. Θαύματι δὲ πάντων ἐχομένων καὶ τὸν Πᾶνα εὐφημούντων ὤφθη τούτων ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις ἀμφοτέροις θαυμασιώτερα. Τῶν μὲν Μηθυμναίων, πρὶν ἀνασπάσαι τὰς ἀγκύρας, ἔπλεον αἱ νῆες καὶ τῆς ναυαρχίδος ἡγεῖτο δελφὶν πηδῶν ἐξ ἁλός: τῶν δὲ αἰγῶν καὶ τῶν προβάτων ἡγεῖτο σύριγγος ἦχος ἥδιστος, καὶ τὸν συρίττοντα ἔβλεπεν οὐδείς, ὥστε τὰ ποίμνια καὶ αἱ αἶγες προῄεσαν ἅμα καὶ ἐνέμοντο τερπόμεναι τῷ μέλει.

  2.29 Then the sheep and the goats danced, skipped, and bleated around Chloe, as if they rejoiced with her: but the herds and flocks of the other shepherds remained where they were in the hollow ship, as if the sound of the pipe had not summoned them. While all were lost in admiration at this, and were singing the praises of Pan, stranger sights were seen on both elements. For the vessels of the Methymnaeans unmoored themselves of their own accord, before the anchors were pulled up, and a dolphin, leaping out of the sea, piloted the commander’s ship: on land the sweet sounds of a pipe guided the goats and sheep, although no one could be seen playing upon it. Thus the two flocks went on, feeding the while, delighted to hear such strains.

  Δευτέρας που νομῆς καιρὸς ἦν, καὶ ὁ Δάφνις ἀπὸ σκοπῆς τινος μετεώρου θεασάμενος τὰς ἀγέλας καὶ τὴν Χλόην, μέγα βοήσας ‘ὦ Νύμφαι καὶ Πὰν’ κατέδραμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον καὶ περιπλακεὶς τῇ Χλόῃ λιποθυμήσας κατέπεσε. Μόλις δὲ ἔμβιος ὑπὸ τῆς Χλόης φιλούσης καὶ ταῖς περιβολαῖς θαλπούσης γενόμενος ἐπὶ τὴν συνήθη φηγὸν ἔρχεται: καὶ ὑπὸ τῷ στελέχει καθίσας ἐπυνθάνετο πῶς ἀπέδρα τοσούτους πολεμίους. Η δὲ αὐτῷ κατέλεξε πάντα, τὸν τῶν αἰγῶν κιττόν, τὸν τῶν προβάτων ὠρυγμόν, τὴν ἐπανθήσασαν τῇ κεφαλῇ πίτυν, τὸ ἐν τῇ γῇ πῦρ, τὸν ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ κτύπον, τὰ συρίγματα ἀμφότερα, τὸ πολεμικὸν καὶ τὸ εἰρηνικόν, τὴν νύκτα τὴν φοβεράν, καὶ ὅπως αὐτῇ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀγνοούσῃ καθηγήσατο τῆς ὁδοῦ μουσική. Γνωρίσας οὖν ὁ Δάφνις τὰ τῶν Νυμφῶν ὀνείρατα καὶ τὰ τοῦ Πανὸς ἔργα διηγεῖται καὶ αὐτὸς ὅσα εἶδεν, ὅσα ἤκουσεν: ὅτι μέλλων ἀποθνήσκειν διὰ τὰς Νύμφας ἔζησε. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀποπέμπει κομιοῦσαν τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Δρύαντα καὶ Λάμωνα καὶ ὅσα πρέπει θυσίᾳ: αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῶν αἰγῶν τὴν ἀρίστην συλλαβὼν καὶ κιττῷ στεφανώσας, ὥσπερ ὤφθησαν τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ γάλα τῶν κεράτων κατασπείσας, ἔθυσέ τε ταῖς Νύμφαις καὶ κρεμάσας ἀπέδειρε καὶ τὸ δέρμα ἀνέθηκεν.

  2.30 It was about the time when the flocks were being driven to the plains after mid-day, when Daphnis, perceiving from a lofty hill the approach of Chloe and the herds, with a loud cry of “O Nymphs! 0 Pan!” hastened down, ran towards Chloe, and, after embracing her, fainted from excess of joy. Even the hot kisses of Chloe, as she clasped him in her arms, scarcely revived him; but at last, having regained consciousness, he made his way to the well-known beech, and, sitting on its trunk, inquired of her how she had managed to escape her numerous foes. Then she told him everything: the ivy that grew on the horns of her goats, the roaring of the sheep, the garland of pine-leaves that sprouted upon her head, the fire that blazed forth upon the land, the noise of oars upon the sea, the two different sounds of the pipe, the martial and the peaceful, the horrors of the night, and how she had been guided on the road which she did not know by the sound of sweet music.

  Then Daphnis, recognising the vision of the Nymphs and the influence of Pan, told her in turn all that he had seen and heard, and how that, when he was on the point of death, his life had been restored by the Nymphs. Then he sent her to fetch Dryas and Lamon, and all that was necessary for sacrifice: and, taking the choicest of his goats, he crowned it with ivy, just as the enemy had seen them, poured a libation of milk between its horns, sacrificed it to the Nymphs, hung up and flayed it, and consecrated its skin to them as a votive offering.

  Ἤδη δὲ παρόντων τῶν ἀμφὶ τὴν Χλόην, πῦρ ἀνακαύσας καὶ τὰ μὲν ἑψήσας τῶν κρεῶν τὰ δὲ ὀπτήσας ἀπήρξατό τε ταῖς Νύμφαις καὶ κρατῆρα μεστὸν γλεύκους ἐπέσπεισε: καὶ ἐκ φυλλάδος στιβάδας ὑποστορέσας ἐντεῦθεν ἐν τροφῇ ἦν καὶ πότῳ καὶ παιδιᾷ: καὶ ἅμα τὰς ἀγέλας ἐπεσκόπει, μὴ λύκος ἐμπεσὼν ἔργα ποιήσῃ πολεμίων. ᾞσάν τινας καὶ ᾠδὰς εἰς τὰς Νύμφας, παλαιῶν ποιμένων ποιήματα. Νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπελθούσης αὐτοῦ κοιμηθέντες ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, τῆς ἐπιούσης τοῦ Πανὸς ἐμνημόνευσαν, καὶ τῶν τράγων τὸν ἀγελάρχην στεφανώσαντες πίτυος προσήγαγον τῇ πίτυι, καὶ ἀποσπείσαντες οἴνου καὶ εὐφημοῦντες τὸν θεὸν ἔθυσαν, ἐκρέμασαν, ἀπέδειραν: καὶ τὰ μὲν κρέα ὀπτήσαντες καὶ ἑψήσαντες πλησίον ἔθηκαν ἐν τῷ λειμῶνι, ἐν τοῖς φύλλοις: τὸ δὲ δέρμα κέρασιν αὐτοῖς ἐνέπηξαν τῇ πίτυι πρὸς τῷ ἀγάλματι, ποιμενικὸν ἀνάθημα ποιμενικῷ θεῷ. Ἀπήρξαντο �
�αὶ τῶν κρεῶν, ἀπέσπεισαν καὶ κρατῆρος μείζονος: ᾖσεν ἡ Χλόη, ὁ Δάφνις ἐσύρισεν.

  2.31 When Chloe had returned, together with Dryas and Lamon and their wives, he roasted part of the flesh and boiled the rest, after having offered the firstlings to the Nymphs, and poured a libation from a full bowl of sweet wine. Then, having spread couches of leaves on the ground for the use of the guests, he enjoyed himself eating and drinking; but at the same time he kept an eye upon his flocks, for fear that a wolf might attack them. After this they sang some hymns in honour of the Nymphs, composed by some ancient shepherds. When night came on, they lay down in the fields, and on the following day bethought them of Pan. They crowned the goat that led the flock with branches of pine, and led him to the tree under which stood the image of the God: then, having poured a libation of wine over him, they sang praises to Pan, sacrificed, hung up, and flayed the goat. They roasted part of the flesh and boiled the rest, and set it down close by in the meadow on green leaves. The skin with the horns was hung up on the pine tree near the statue, an offering of shepherds to the shepherds’ God. They also gave him of the firstlings, and poured libations in his honour from a larger bowl, while Chloe sang, and Daphnis played the flute.