Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  Δάκρυα ἦν ἐπὶ τούτοις θερμότερα, καὶ ἐθρήνουν τὰ ἄνθη λοιπόν, ἀλλὰ τὰς αὑτῶν συμφοράς. Ἐθρήνει καὶ Χλόη Δάφνιν εἰ κρεμήσεται καὶ εὔχετο μηκέτι ἐλθεῖν τὸν δεσπότην αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμέρας διήντλει μοχθηράς, ὡς ἤδη Δάφνιν βλέπουσα μαστιγούμενον. Καὶ δὴ νυκτὸς ἀρχομένης ὁ Εὔδρομος αὐτοῖς ἀπήγγελλεν ὅτι ὁ μὲν πρεσβύτερος δεσπότης μεθ̓ ἡμέρας ἀφίξεται τρεῖς, ὁ δὲ παῖς αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐπιούσης πρόσεισι. Σκέψις οὖν ἦ περὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων καὶ κοινωνὸν εἰς τὴν γνώμην τὸν Εὔδρομον παρελάμβανον: ὁ δὲ εὔνους ὢν τῷ Δάφνιδι παρῄνει τὸ συμβὰν ὁμολογῆσαι πρότερον τῷ νέῳ δεσπότῃ καὶ αὐτὸς συμπράξειν ἐπηγγέλλετο, τιμώμενος ὡς ὁμογάλακτος: καὶ ἡμέρας γενομένης οὕτως ἐποίησαν.

  4.9 At these words, they wept even more bitterly, not so much on account of the flowers as for themselves. Chloe was bitterly distressed, at the thought that Daphnis would be hung: she prayed that their master might not come, and passed her days in bitterness, thinking that she already saw Daphnis under the lash. One evening, Eudromus came to inform them that the master himself would not arrive for three days, but that his son would be there on the morrow. They accordingly thought over what had happened, and took Eudromus into their confidence. He, being well disposed towards Daphnis, advised him to tell everything to their young master beforehand, promising to do his best for them, since he possessed some influence with him, being his foster-brother. When the day came, they did as he had advised them.

  Ἧκε μὲν ὁ Ἀστύλος ἐπὶ ἵππου καὶ παράσιτος αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὗτος ἐπὶ ἵππου: ὁ μὲν ἀρτιγένειος, ὁ δὲ Γνάθων ῾τουτὶ γὰρ ἐκαλεῖτὀ τὸν πώγωνα ξυρώμενος πάλαι: ὁ δὲ Λάμων ἅμα τῇ Μυρτάλῃ καὶ τῷ Δάφνιδι πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ καταπεσὼν ἱκέτευεν οἰκτεῖραι γέροντα ἀτυχῆ καὶ πατρῴας ὀργῆς ἐξαρπάσαι τὸν οὐδὲν ἀδικήσαντα, ἅμα τε αὐτῷ καταλέγει πάντα. Οἰκτείρει τὴν ἱκεσίαν ὁ Ἀστύλος καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν παράδεισον ἐλθὼν καὶ τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν ἀνθέων ἰδὼν αὐτὸς ἔφη παραιτήσεσθαι τὸν πατέρα καὶ κατηγορήσειν τῶν ἵππων, ὡς ἐκεῖ δεθέντες ἐξύβρισαν καὶ τὰ μὲν κατέκλασαν, τὰ δὲ κατεπάτησαν, τὰ δὲ ἀνώρυξαν λυθέντες. Ἐπὶ τούτοις εὔχοντο μὲν αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ Λάμων καὶ Μυρτάλη: Δάφνις δὲ δῶρα προσεκόμισεν ἐρίφους, τυρούς, ὄρνιθας καὶ τὰ ἔκγονα αὐτῶν, βότρυς ἐπὶ κλημάτων, μῆλα ἐπὶ κλάδων. Ἦν ἐν τοῖς δώροις καὶ ἀνθοσμίας οἶνος Λέσβιος, ποθῆναι κάλλιστος οἶνος.

  4.10 Astylus arrived on horseback, accompanied by his parasite, also on horseback. Astylus’s beard was only just beginning to grow, but Gnatho’s (so was the parasite named) had long been familiar with the razor. Lamon, together with Daphnis and Myrtale, fell at his feet and besought him to have compassion upon an unfortunate old man, and to save from his father’s wrath one who had committed no offence: and at the same time he told him all that had occurred. Astylus was moved to pity by his supplication: he went to the garden, inspected the damage done to the flowers, promised to make his father relent, and undertook to lay the blame upon his own horses, and to say that they had been fastened up in the garden, but, having become frisky, had broken loose, and trampled down, trodden under foot, and uprooted the flowers. Lamon and Myrtale wished him all prosperity in return for his kindness: and Daphnis presented him with some kids, cheeses, birds with their young, grapes still on the vine-branches, and apples on the boughs: to these he added some fragrant Lesbian wine, most delightful to drink.

  Ὁ μὲν δὴ Ἀστύλος ἐπῄνει ταῦτα καὶ περὶ θήραν εἶχε λαγῶν, οἷα πλούσιος νεανίσκος καὶ τρυφῶν ἀεὶ καὶ ἀφιγμένος εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν ξένης ἡδονῆς. Ὁ δὲ Γνάθων, οἷα μαθὼν ἐσθίειν ἄνθρωπος καὶ πίνειν εἰς μέθην καὶ λαγνεύειν μετὰ τὴν μέθην καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ὢν ἢ γνάθος καὶ γαστὴρ καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ γαστέρα, οὐ παρέργως εἶδε τὸν Δάφνιν τὰ δῶρα κομίσαντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ φύσει παιδεραστὴς ὢν καὶ κάλλος οἷον οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως εὑρών, ἐπιθέσθαι ἔγνω τῷ Δάφνιδι καὶ πείσειν ᾤετο ῥᾳδίως ὡς αἰπόλον. Γνοὺς δὲ ταῦτα θήρας μὲν οὐκ ἐκοινώνει τῷ Ἀστύλῳ, κατιὼν δὲ ἵνα ἔνεμεν ὁ Δάφνις, λόγῳ μὲν τῶν αἰγῶν, τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς Δάφνιδος ἐγίνετο θεατής: μαλθάξων δὲ αὐτὸν τάς τε αἶγας ἐπῄνει καὶ συρίσαι τὸ αἰπολικὸν ἠξίωσε καὶ ἔφη ταχέως ἐλεύθερον θήσειν τὸ πᾶν δυνάμενος.

  4.11 Astylus, having expressed his satisfaction, went to hunt the hares, like a wealthy young man who had nothing to do but amuse himself, and was visiting the country in search of some fresh diversion. Gnatho, who knew nothing except how to eat till he could eat no more, and to drink till he was drunk, and was all throat and belly and lust, had carefully observed Daphnis when he brought the presents to Astylus. Being naturally fond of boys, and finding Daphnis handsomer than any of the youths in the city, he resolved to make advances to him, thinking that he would find no difficulty in seducing a simple goatherd. Having made up his mind to this, instead of accompanying Astylus to the chase, he went down to the place where Daphnis was tending his flock, under pretence of looking at the goats, but in reality he had eyes for nothing but Daphnis. In order to coax him, he praised his goats, and begged him to play a pastoral air upon his pipe: then he promised to obtain his freedom for him shortly, saying that he was all-powerful with his master.

  Ὡς δὲ εἶχε χειροήθη, νύκτωρ λοχήσας ἐκ τῆς νομῆς ἐλαύνοντα τὰς αἶγας πρῶτον μὲν ἐφίλησε προσδραμών, εἶτα ὄπισθεν παρασχεῖν τοιοῦτον οἷον αἱ αἶγες τοῖς τράγοις. Τοῦ δὲ βραδέως νοήσαντος καὶ λέγοντος, ὡς αἶγας μὲν βαίνειν τράγους καλόν, τράγον δὲ οὐπώποτε εἶδέ τις βαίνοντα τράγον οὐδὲ κριὸν ἀντὶ τῶν οἰῶν κριὸν οὐδὲ ἀλεκτρυόνας ἀντὶ τῶν ἀλεκτορίδων ἀλεκτρυόνας, οἷος ἦν ὁ Γνάθων βιάζεσθαι τὰς χεῖρας προσφέρων: ὁ δὲ μεθύοντα ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἑστῶτα μόλις παρωσάμενος ἔσφηλεν εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ ὥσπερ σκύλαξ ἀποδραμὼν κείμενον κατέλιπεν ἀνδρός, οὐ παιδὸς πρὸς χειραγωγίαν δεόμενον: καὶ οὐκέτι προσίετο ὅλως, ἀλλ̓ ἄλλοτε ἄλλῃ τὰς αἶγας ἔνεμεν, ἐκεῖνον μὲν φεύγων, Χλόην δὲ τηρῶν. Οὐδὲ ὁ Γνάθων ἔτι περιειργάζετο, καταμαθὼν ὡς οὐ μόνον καλός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰσχυρός ἐστιν: ἐπετήρει δὲ καιρὸν δ
ιαλεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἀστύλῳ καὶ ἤλπιζε δῶρον αὐτὸν ἕξειν παρὰ τοῦ νεανίσκου πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα χαρίζεσθαι θέλοντος.

  4.12 When Gnatho thought he had won Daphnis’s affection, he lay in wait for him one evening as he was driving back his goats from pasture, ran up to him and kissed him. Then he asked him to turn his back to him and let him do to him what the he-goats did to the she-goats. Daphnis was slow to understand, but at last he said to himself that, while it was quite natural for he-goats to mount she-goats, no one had ever seen a he-goat mounting a he-goat, or a ram another ram instead of a sheep, or a cock treading a cock in place of a hen. Meanwhile, Gnatho attempted to lay violent hands upon Daphnis, who dealt him a vigorous blow, which felled him to the ground, since he was already drunk and could hardly stand. After this, Daphnis ran away as swiftly as a fawn, leaving Gnatho on the ground, more in need of the assistance of a man, than of a boy, to help him along. From that time Daphnis shunned him altogether, changing the pasturage of his goats from one place to another, avoiding Gnatho as carefully as he sought Chloe. Nor did Gnatho trouble him any more, when he found that he was not only handsome, but also strong and vigorous. But he watched for ail opportunity to speak to Astylus about him, hoping that his young master would make him a present of Daphnis, since he knew that he was ready to grant almost every favour he asked.

  Τότε μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη, προσῄει γὰρ ὁ Διονυσοφάνης ἅμα τῇ Κλεαρίστῃ, καὶ ἦν θόρυβος πολὺς κτηνῶν, οἰκετῶν, ἀνδρῶν, γυναικῶν: μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο συνέταττε λόγον καὶ ἐρωτικὸν καὶ μακρόν. Ἦν δὲ ὁ Διονυσοφάνης μεσαιπόλιος μὲν ἤδη, μέγας δὲ καὶ καλὸς καὶ μειρακίοις ἁμιλλᾶσθαι δυνάμενος: ἀλλὰ καὶ πλούσιος ἐν ὀλίγοις καὶ χρηστὸς ὡς οὐδεὶς ἕτερος. Οὗτος ἐλθὼν τῇ πρώτῃ μὲν ἡμέρᾳ θεοῖς ἔθυσεν, ὅσοι προεστᾶσιν ἀγροικίας, Δήμητρι καὶ Διονύσῳ καὶ Πανὶ καὶ Νύμφαις, καὶ κοινὸν πᾶσι τοῖς παροῦσιν ἔστησε κρατῆρα: ταῖς δὲ ἄλλαις ἡμέραις ἐπεσκόπει τὰ τοῦ Λάμωνος ἔργα. Καὶ ὁρῶν τὰ μὲν πεδία ἐν αὔλακι, τὰς δὲ ἀμπέλους ἐν κλήματι, τὸν δὲ παράδεισον ἐν κάλλει ῾περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀνθέων Ἀστύλος τὴν αἰτίαν ἀνελάμβανεν̓ ἥδετο περιττῶς καὶ τὸν Λάμωνα ἐπῄνει καὶ ἐλεύθερον θήσειν ἐπηγγέλλετο. Κατῆλθε μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ εἰς τὸ αἰπόλιον τάς τε αἶγας ὀψόμενος καὶ τὸν νέμοντα.

  4.13 For the moment he could do nothing: for Dionysophanes had just arrived with Clearista, and nothing was heard but the noise of animals, slaves, men, and women. In the meantime, Gnatho set about composing a long and amorous discourse upon Daphnis. Dionysophanes, whose hairs were already beginning to turn grey, was a tall, handsome man, who need not have shrunk from rivalry with many a young man: in addition to this, he was richer than most men, and none were more virtuous. On the first day of his arrival, he offered sacrifice to all the Gods who preside over husbandry, to Demeter, Dionysus, Pan, and the Nymphs, and gave a feast to all the household. On the following days, he went to see how Lamon had done his work: and, at the sight of the ploughed fields, the well-kept vines, and the beautiful garden - for Astylus had taken the blame for the damage done to the flowers - he was delighted, congratulated Lamon, and promised him his freedom. After this he went to see the goats and the goatherd.

  Χλόη μὲν οὖν εἰς τὴν ὕλην ἔφυγεν, ὄχλον τοσοῦτον αἰδεσθεῖσα καὶ φοβηθεῖσα: ὁ δὲ Δάφνις εἱστήκει δέρμα λάσιον αἰγὸς ἐζωσμένος, πήραν νεορραφῆ κατὰ τῶν ὤμων ἐξηρτημένος, κρατῶν ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις τῇ μὲν ἀρτιπαγεῖς τυρούς, τῇ δὲ ἐρίφους γαλαθηνούς. Εἴ ποτε Ἀπόλλων Λαομέδοντι θητεύων ἐβουκόλησε, τοιόσδε ἦν, οἷος τότε ὤφθη Δάφνις. Αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν εἶπεν οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ ἐρυθήματος πλησθεὶς ἔνευσε κάτω, προτείνας τὰ δῶρα: ὁ δὲ Λάμων ‘οὗτος’ εἶπε ‘σοί, δέσποτα, τῶν αἰγῶν αἰπόλος. Σὺ μὲν ἐμοὶ πεντήκοντα νέμειν δέδωκας καὶ δύο τράγους, οὗτος δέ σοι πεποίηκεν ἑκατὸν καὶ δέκα τράγους. Ὁρᾷς ὡς λιπαραὶ καὶ τὰς τρίχας λάσιαι καὶ τὰ κέρατα ἄθραυστοι. Πεποίηκε δὲ αὐτὰς καὶ μουσικάς: σύριγγος γοῦν ἀκούουσαι ποιοῦσι πάντα.’

  4.14 Chloe immediately ran away into the forest, feeling bashful and afraid of so many visitors: but Daphnis remained where he was, with a shaggy goat skin fastened round him, and a new wallet hanging from his shoulder, holding in one hand some fresh cheeses, and in the other some sucking kids. If ever Apollo tended the flocks of Laomedon as a hired servant, he must have looked like Daphnis, who, without saying a word, his face covered with blushes, bowed and presented his gifts.

  Then Lamon said: “O master, this is the goatherd: you gave me fifty goats and two he-goats to look after: he has doubled the number of the goats, and increased the he-goats to ten. You see how fat and sleek they are, what long hair they have, and how sound their horns are. He has also taught them to understand music: when they hear the sound of his pipe, they are ready to do anything.”

  Παροῦσα δὲ τοῖς λεγομένοις ἡ Κλεαρίστη πεῖραν ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ λεχθέντος λαβεῖν καὶ κελεύει τὸν Δάφνιν ταῖς αἰξὶν οἷον εἴωθε συρίσαι καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται συρίσαντι χαριεῖσθαι χιτῶνα καὶ χλαῖναν καὶ ὑποδήματα. Ὁ δὲ καθίσας αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ θέατρον, στὰς ὑπὸ τῇ φηγῷ κἀκ τῆς πήρας τὴν σύριγγα προκομίσας πρῶτα μὲν ὀλίγον ἐνέπνευσε: καὶ αἱ αἶγες ἔστησαν τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀράμεναι: εἶτα ἐνέπνευσε τὸ νόμιον, καὶ αἱ αἶγες ἐνέμοντο νεύσασαι κάτω: αὖθις λιγυρὸν ἐνέδωκε, καὶ ἀθρόαι κατεκλίνησαν: ἐσύρισέ τι καὶ ὀξὺ μέλος, αἱ δὲ ὥσπερ λύκου προσιόντος εἰς τὴν ὕλην κατέφυγον: μετ̓ ὀλίγον ἀνακλητικὸν ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι τῆς ὕλης πλησίον αὐτοῦ τῶν ποδῶν συνέδραμον. Οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπους οἰκέτας εἶδεν ἄν τις οὕτω πειθομένους προστάγματι δεσπότου. Οἵ τε οὖν ἄλλοι πάντες ἐθαύμαζον καὶ πρὸ πάντων ἡ Κλεαρίστη καὶ τὰ δῶρα ἀποδώσειν ὤμοσε καλῷ τε ὄντι αἰπόλῳ καὶ μουσικῷ: καὶ ἀνελθόντες εἰς τὴν ἔπαυλιν ἀμφὶ ἄριστον εἶχον καὶ τῷ Δάφνιδι ἀφ̓ ὧν ἤσθιον ἔπεμψαν.

  4.15 Clearista, who was present and heard what was said, was anxious to put it to the proof: she ordered Daphnis to play on his pipe to his goats as he was accustomed to do, and promised to give him a cloak, a tunic, and a pair of shoes for his trouble. Daphnis made them sit down as if they were at the theatre, stood up under the beech tree, took his pipe out of his wallet, and, to commence with, drew from it merely a feeble strain. The goats immediately stood up, and lifted their heads. Then he piped to pastur
e and the goats began to browse, with their heads towards the ground. He played a clear sweet strain, and they all lay down. He played a shrill air, and they fled towards the forest, as if a wolf was approaching. After a brief interval, he piped a recall, and they came out of the forest, and ran to his feet. They obeyed the notes of the pipe more readily than servants obey their masters’ orders.

  The visitors were astonished, especially Clearista, who swore to give what she had promised to the gentle goatherd who played so well. Then they returned to the homestead for dinner, and sent Daphnis something from their own table. Daphnis shared the food with Chloe, highly pleased at tasting city cookery, and feeling sanguine of obtaining his master’s consent to his marriage.

  Ὁ δὲ μετὰ τῆς Χλόης ἤσθιε καὶ ἥδετο γευόμενος ἀστικῆς ὀψαρτυσίας καὶ εὔελπις ἦν τεύξεσθαι τοῦ γάμου, πείσας τοὺς δεσπότας. Ὁ δὲ Γνάθων προσεκκαυθεὶς τοῖς κατὰ τὸ αἰπόλιον γεγενημένοις καὶ ἀβίωτον νομίζων τὸν βίον, εἰ μὴ τεύξεται Δάφνιδος, περιπατοῦντα τὸν Ἀστύλον ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ φυλάξας καὶ ἀναγαγὼν εἰς τὸν τοῦ Διονύσου νεὼν πόδας καὶ χεῖρας κατεφίλει. Τοῦ δὲ πυνθανομένου τίνος ἕνεκα ταῦτα δρᾷ, καὶ λέγειν κελεύοντος καὶ ὑπουργήσειν ὀμνύοντος, ‘οἴχεταί σοι Γνάθων’ ἔφη ‘δέσποτα. Ὁ μέχρι νῦν μόνης τραπέζης τῆς σῆς ἐρῶν, ὁ πρότερον ὀμνὺς ὅτι μηδέν ἐστιν ὡραιότερον οἴνου γέροντος, ὁ κρείττους τῶν ἐφήβων τῶν ἐν Μυτιλήνῃ τοὺς σοὺς ὀψαρτυτὰς λέγων, μόνον λοιπὸν καλὸν εἶναι Δάφνιν νομίζω. Καὶ τροφῆς μὲν τῆς πολυτελοῦς οὐ γεύομαι, καίτοι τοσούτων παρασκευαζομένων ἑκάστης ἡμέρας κρεῶν, ἰχθύων, μελιτωμάτων, ἡδέως δ̓ ἂν αἲξ γενόμενος πόαν ἐσθίοιμι καὶ φύλλα, τῆς Δάφνιδος ἀκούων σύριγγος καὶ ὑπ̓ ἐκείνου νεμόμενος. Σὺ δὲ σῶσον Γνάθωνα τὸν σὸν καὶ τὸν ἀήττητον ἔρωτα νίκησον. Εἰ δὲ μή, σὲ ἐπόμνυμι, τὸν ἐμὸν θεόν, ξιφίδιον λαβὼν καὶ ἐμπλήσας τὴν γαστέρα τροφῆς ἐμαυτὸν ἀποκτενῶ πρὸ τῶν Δάφνιδος θυρῶν: σὺ δὲ οὐκέτι καλέσεις Γναθωνάριον, ὥσπερ εἰώθεις παίζων ἀεί.’