Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  4.22 While she was still speaking, Dionysophanes kissed the tokens, and wept from excess of joy. Then Astylus, understanding that Daphnis was his brother, immediately threw off his cloak, and hastened to the garden, wishing to be the first to embrace him. But when Daphnis saw him coming towards him, accompanied by a number of people, and shouting “Daphnis,” thinking that he wanted to seize him, he threw away his wallet and his pipe, and fled towards the sea, intending to throw himself from the top of the rock: and perhaps, by a strange caprice of Fortune, Daphnis, who had just been found, would have been lost, had not Astylus, perceiving his intention, shouted to him: “Stop, Daphnis, fear nothing: I am your brother: your former master and mistress are your parents. Lamon has told us all about the goat, and shown us the tokens: look, turn around and see how glad and cheerful they seem. But kiss me first: I swear by the Nymphs that I am speaking the truth.”

  Μόλις μετὰ τὸν ὅρκον ἔστη καὶ τὸν Ἀστύλον τρέχοντα περιέμεινε καὶ προσελθόντα κατεφίλησεν. Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐφίλει, πλῆθος τὸ λοιπὸν ἐπιρρεῖ θεραπόντων, θεραπαινῶν, αὐτὸς ὁ πατήρ, ἡ μήτηρ μετ̓ αὐτοῦ. Οὗτοι πάντες περιέβαλλον, κατεφίλουν, χαίροντες κλάοντες. Ὁ δὲ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐφιλοφρονεῖτο, καὶ ὡς πάλαι εἰδὼς προσεστερνίζετο καὶ ἐξελθεῖν τῶν περιβολῶν οὐκ ἤθελεν: οὕτω φύσις ταχέως πιστοῦται. Ἐξελάθετο καὶ Χλόης πρὸς ὀλίγον: καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἔπαυλιν ἐσθῆτά εἰς τὴν ἔπαυλιν ἐσθῆτά τε ἔλαβε πολυτελῆ καὶ παρὰ τὸν πατέρα τὸν ἴδιον καθεσθεὶς ἤκουεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος οὕτως:

  4.23 Even when he heard this oath, Daphnis was loath to stop: however, he waited for Astylus, and kissed him when he came running up to him. In the meantime, all the household, men and women servants, and his mother and father came and embraced and kissed him, with tears of joy. Daphnis welcomed them all affectionately, but especially his father and mother, whom he clasped to his bosom as if he had already known them for a long time: so quickly does Nature make her claim felt. For a while he even forgot Chloe: and when he reached the homestead, they gave him a handsome dress (?), and he sat down by the side of his father, who addressed him and Astylus as follows:

  ‘Ἔγημα, ὦ παῖδες, κομιδῇ νέος. Καὶ χρόνου διελθόντος ὀλίγου πατήρ, ὡς ᾤμην, εὐτυχὴς ἐγεγόνειν: ἐγένετο γάρ μοι πρῶτος υἱὸς καὶ δευτέρα θυγάτηρ καὶ τρίτος Ἄστυλος. Ὤιμην ἱκανὸν εἶναι τὸ γένος, καὶ γενόμενον ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον ἐξέθηκα, οὐ γνωρίσματα ταῦτα συνεκθείς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐντάφια. Τὰ δὲ τῆς Τύχης ἄλλα βουλεύματα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρεσβύτερος παῖς καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ ὁμοίᾳ νόσῳ μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἀπώλοντο: σὺ δέ μοι προνοίᾳ θεῶν ἐσώθης, ἵνα πλείους ἔχωμεν χειραγωγούς. Μήτ᾽ οὖν σύ μοι μνησικακήσῃς ποτὲ τῆς ἐκθέσεως — ἑκὼν γὰρ οὐκ ἐβουλευσάμην — , μήτε σὺ λυπηθῇς, Ἄστυλε, μέρος ληψόμενος ἀντὶ πάσης τῆς οὐσίας — κρεῖττον γὰρ τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν ἀδελφοῦ κτῆμα οὐδέν — , ἀλλὰ φιλεῖτε ἀλλήλους καὶ χρημάτων ἕνεκα καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ἐρίζετε. Πολλὴν μὲν γὰρ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν καταλείψω γῆν, πολλοὺς δὲ οἰκέτας δεξιούς, χρυσόν, ἄργυρον καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα εὐδαιμόνων κτήματα. Μόνον ἐξαίρετον τοῦτο Δάφνιδι τὸ χωρίον δίδωμι καὶ Λάμωνα καὶ Μυρτάλην καὶ τὰς αἶγας, ἃς αὐτὸς ἔνεμεν.’

  4.24 “My sons, I married when I was a very young man, and, after a short time, I became a happy father, as I then imagined. My first child was a son, the second a daughter, and the third, Astylus. I thought that three children were enough, and, when another son was born, I exposed him together with these jewels and tokens, which I considered rather as funeral ornaments than as tokens by which he might be afterwards recognised. But Fortune willed otherwise. My eldest son and daughter died of the same complaint on the same day: but you, Daphnis, have been preserved to us by the providence of the Gods that we may have greater support in our old age. Do not bear a grudge against me, my son, for having exposed you: for, though I did so, it was sorely against my will. Nor do you, Astylus, be annoyed that you will have to share your inheritance, for to a wise man a brother is better than all possessions. Love one another: as far as wealth is concerned, you need not envy even a king. For I will leave to both [of you] large estates, a number of clever and industrious servants, gold, silver, and all other blessings that rich men enjoy. But I specially wish that Daphnis should have this estate, and I make him a present of Lamon and Myrtale, and the goats which he has tended.”

  Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λέγοντος Δάφνις ἀναπηδήσας ‘καλῶς με’ εἶπε ‘ταῦτα, πάτερ, ἀνέμνησας. Ἄπειμι τὰς αἶγας απἄξων ἐπὶ ποτόν, αἵ που νῦν διψῶσαι περιμένουσι τὴν σύριγγα τὴν ἐμήν: ἐγὼ δὲ ἐνταυθοῖ καθέζομαι.’ Ἡδὺ πάντες ἐξεγέλασαν ὅτι δεσπότης γεγενημένος ἔτι θέλει εἶναι αἰπόλος: κἀκείνας μὲν θεραπεύσων ἐπέμφθη τις ἄλλος, οἱ δὲ θύσαντες Διὶ Σωτῆρι συμπόσιον συνεκρότουν. Εἰς τοῦτο τὸ συμπόσιον μόνος οὐχ ἧκε Γνάθων, ἀλλὰ φοβούμενος ἐν τῷ νεῲ τοῦ Διονύσου καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἔμεινε καὶ τὴν νύκτα, ὥσπερ ἱκέτης. Ταχείας δὲ φήμης εἰς πάντας ἐλθούσης ὅτι Διονυσοφάνης εὗρεν υἱόν, καὶ ὅτι Δάφνις ὁ αἰπόλος δεσπότης τῶν ἀγρῶν εὑρέθη, ἅμα ἕῳ συνέτρεχον ἄλλος ἀλλαχόθεν, τῷ μὲν μειρακίῳ συνηδόμενοι, τῷ δὲ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ δῶρα κομίζοντες: ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ Δρύας πρῶτος ὁ τρέφων τὴν Χλόην. 6

  4.25 While he was still speaking, Daphnis suddenly started up and said: “You have just reminded me, father: I will go and take my goats to drink: they are thirsty about this time, and are waiting for the sound of my pipe, while I am sitting here.” Hereupon all laughed, at the idea that Daphnis, who had just become a master, should still wish to perform the duties of a goatherd. They sent someone else to look after his goats, offered sacrifice to Zeus Soter, and held high festival. Gnatho alone was not present, but, seized with alarm, he remained day and night in the temple of Dionysus, as a suppliant. The report soon spread that Dionysophanes had found his son, and that the goatherd Daphnis had become master of the estate: and, the next morning, the peasants gathered together from all parts to congratulate the young man, and offer presents to his father, the first to arrive being Dryas, who had brought up Chloe.

  Ὁ δὲ Διονυσοφάνης κατεῖχε πάντας, κοινωνοὺς μετὰ τὴν εὐφροσύνην καὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐσομένους. Παρεσκεύαστο δὲ πολὺς μὲν οἶνος, πολλὰ δὲ ἄλευρα, ὄρνιθες ἕλειοι, χοῖροι γαλαθηνοί, μελιτώματα ποικίλα: καὶ ἱερεῖα δὲ πολλὰ τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις θεοῖς ἐθύετο. Ἐνταῦθα ὁ Δάφνι�
� συναθροίσας πάντα τὰ ποιμενικὰ κτήματα διένειμεν ἀναθήματα τοῖς θεοῖς. Τῷ Διονύσῳ μὲν ἀνέθηκε τὴν πήραν καὶ τὸ δέρμα, τῷ Πανὶ δὲ τὴν σύριγγα καὶ τὸν πλάγιον αὐλόν, τὴν καλαύροπα ταῖς Νύμφαις καὶ τοὺς γαυλοὺς οὓς αὐτὸς ἐτεκτήνατο. Οὕτως δὲ ἄρα τὸ σύνηθες ξενιζούσης εὐδαιμονίας τερπνότερόν ἐστιν, ὥστε ἐδάκρυεν ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ τούτων ἀπαλλαττόμενος: καὶ οὔτε τοὺς γαυλοὺς ἀνέθηκε πρὶν ἀμέλξαι, οὔτε τὸ δέρμα πρὶν ἐνδύσασθαι, οὔτε τὴν σύριγγα πρὶν συρίσαι: ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφίλησεν αὐτὰ πάντα καὶ τὰς αἶγας προσεῖπε καὶ τοὺς τράγους ἐκάλεσεν ὀνομαστί. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ πηγῆς καὶ ἔπιεν, ὅτι πολλάκις καὶ μετὰ Χλόης. Οὔπω δὲ ὡμολόγει τὸν ἔρωτα καιρὸν παραφυλάττων.

  4.26 Dionysophanes made them all stay for the festivities: for he had prepared abundance of bread and wine, waterfowl, sucking-pigs, honey-cakes of all kinds, and victims to be offered as a sacrifice to the Gods of the country. Then Daphnis, having collected all his pastoral equipments, distributed them as offerings to the Gods. To Dionysus he consecrated his wallet and goat-skin, to Pan his pipe and flute, to the Nymphs his crook and the milk-pails which he had made himself. But - so much sweeter is that to which we are accustomed than strange and unexpected good fortune - Daphnis wept as he parted with each of these things. He did not offer up his milk-pails before he had milked his goats once again, nor his goat-skin before he had put it on again, nor his pipe before he had played upon it: he kissed them all, spoke to his goats, and called his he-goats by name: he also went and drank at the fountain, because he had often done so before with Chloe. But he did not yet venture to declare his love, since he was waiting for a better opportunity.

  Ἐν ᾧ δὲ Δάφνις ἐν θυσίαις ἦν, τάδε γίνεται περὶ τὴν Χλόην. Ἐκάθητο κλάουσα, λέγουσα, οἷα εἰκὸς ἦν: ‘Ἐξελάθετό μου Δάφνις. Ὀνειροπολεῖ γάμους πλουσίους. Τί γὰρ αὐτὸν ὀμνύειν ἀντὶ τῶν Νυμφῶν τὰς αἶγας ἐκέλευον; Κατέλιπε ταύτας ὡς καὶ Χλόην. Οὐδὲ θύων ταῖς Νύμφαις καὶ τῷ Πανὶ ἐπεθύμησεν ἰδεῖν Χλόην. Εὗρεν ἴσως παρὰ τῇ μητρὶ θεραπαίνας ἐμοῦ κρείττονας. Χαιρέτω: ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ ζήσομαι.’

  4.27 While Daphnis was engaged in these ceremonies, this was what happened to Chloe. She was sitting down, weeping, while she tended her flock, and lamenting, as indeed was only natural: “Daphnis has forgotten me: he is dreaming of a wealthy match. Why did I make him swear by his goats instead of the Nymphs? He has abandoned them as he has abandoned Chloe: even when he was sacrificing to the Nymphs and Pan, he felt no desire to come and see me. Perhaps he has found some handmaids at his mother’s house whom he prefers. May he be happy: but I can live no longer.”

  Τοιαῦτα λέγουσαν, τοιαῦτα ἐννοοῦσαν ὁ Λάμπις ὁ βουκόλος μετὰ χειρὸς γεωργικῆς ἐπιστὰς ἥρπασεν αὐτήν, ὡς οὔτε Δάφνιδος ἔτι γαμήσοντος καὶ Δρύαντος ἐκεῖνον ἀγαπήσοντος. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐκομίζετο βοῶσα ἐλεεινόν, τῶν δέ τις ἰδόντων ἐμήνυσε τῇ Νάπῃ κἀκείνη τῷ Δρύαντι καὶ ὁ Δρύας τῷ Δάφνιδι. Ὁ δὲ ἔξω τῶν φρενῶν γενόμενος οὔτε εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἐτόλμα καὶ καρτερεῖν μὴ δυνάμενος εἰς τὸν περίκηπον εἰσελθὼν ὠδύρετο ‘ὢ τῆς πικρᾶς ἀνευρέσεως’ λέγων: ‘πόσον ἦν μοι κρεῖττον νέμειν; Πόσον ἤμην μακαριώτερος, δοῦλος ὤν; Τότε ἔβλεπον Χλόην, τότε , νῦν δὲ τὴν μὲν Λάμπις ἁρπάσας οἴχεται, νυκτὸς δὲ γενομένης συγκοιμήσεται. Ἐγὼ δὲ πίνω καὶ τρυφῶ καὶ μάτην τὸν Πᾶνα καὶ τὰς αἶγας καὶ τὰς Νύμφας ὤμοσα.’

  4.28 While she thus gave utterance to her thoughts, the herdsman Lampis came up with a band of peasants and carried her off, being persuaded that Daphnis would no longer care to marry her and that Dryas would accept Lampis as her husband. As she was being carried off, uttering piercing cries, some one who had seen what had taken place went and told Nape, who informed Dryas, who in his turn told Daphnis. The latter, almost beside himself, had neither the courage to confess everything to his father, nor the strength of mind to resign himself to this misfortune; he entered the garden-walk, and thus lamented:

  “What a painful discovery! How much better it would have been for me to remain a shepherd! How much happier I was when I was a slave! Then I used to see Chloe: but now Lampis has carried her off, and at night he will sleep with her. But I am drinking and enjoying myself, and in vain have I taken an oath by Pan, my goats, and the Nymphs.”

  Ταῦτα τοῦ Δάφνιδος λέγοντος ἤκουσεν ὁ Γνάθων ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ λανθάνων: καὶ καιρὸν ἥκειν διαλλαγῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν νομίζων τινὰς τῶν τοῦ Ἀστύλου νεανίσκων προσλαβὼν μεταδιώκει τὸν Δρύαντα. Καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι κελεύσας ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Λάμπιδος ἔπαυλιν συνέτεινε δρόμον: καὶ καταλαβὼν ἄρτι εἰσάγοντα τὴν Χλόην, ἐκείνην τε ἀφαιρεῖται καὶ ἀνθρώπους γεωργοὺς συνηλόησε πληγαῖς. Ἐσπούδαζε δὲ καὶ τὸν Λάμπιν δήσας ἄγειν ὡς αἰχμάλωτον ἐκ πολέμου τινός, εἰ μὴ φθάσας ἀπέδρα. Κατορθώσας δὲ τηλικοῦτον ἔργον νυκτὸς ἀρχομένης ἐπανέρχεται. Καὶ τὸν μὲν Διονυσοφάνην εὑρίσκει καθεύδοντα, τὸν δὲ Δάφνιν ἀγρυπνοῦντα καὶ ἔτι ἐν τῷ περικήπῳ δακρύοντα. Προσάγει δὴ τὴν Χλόην αὐτῷ καὶ διδοὺς διηγεῖται πάντα: καὶ δεῖται μηδὲν ἔτι μνησικακοῦντα δοῦλον ἔχειν οὐκ ἄχρηστον, μηδὲ ἀφελέσθαι τραπέζης, μεθ̓ ἣν τεθνήξεται λιμῷ. Ὁ δὲ ἰδὼν καὶ ἔχων ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τὴν Χλόην τῷ μὲν ὡς εὐεργέτῃ διηλλάττετο, τῇ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀμελείας ἀπελογεῖτο.

  4.29 Daphnis’s lamentations were heard by Gnatho, who was concealed in the garden. Thinking this a good opportunity for making peace with him, he went in search of Dryas, accompanied by some young men of Astylus’s retinue, ordered him to conduct him to Lampis’s house, and hastened thither with him. He came upon the herdsman just as he was taking Chloe inside, snatched her away from him, and severely beat the peasants who were with him. He was anxious to bind Lampis, and to take him away like a prisoner of war, but he got the start and ran away. Having accomplished this exploit, Gnatho returned at nightfall. He found Dionysophanes in bed, but Daphnis was still up, weeping in the garden. Gnatho conducted Chloe to him, told him what had taken place, begged him not to bear him ill will any longer, but to keep him - for he would be a useful servant - and not to drive him away from his table, otherwise he would die of hunger. When Daphnis saw Chloe, and clasped her in his arms, he pardoned Gnatho because of the service he had rendered him, and excused himself to Chloe for his own neglect.

  Βουλευομένοις δὲ αὐτοῖς �
��δόκει τὸν γάμον κρύπτειν, ἔχειν δὲ κρύφα τὴν Χλόην πρὸς μόνην ὁμολογήσαντα τὸν ἔρωτα τὴν μητέρα: ἀλλ̓ οὐ συνεχώρει Δρύας, ἠξίου δὲ τῷ πατρὶ λέγειν καὶ πείσειν αὐτὸς ἐπηγγέλλετο. Καὶ γενομένης ἡμέρας ἔχων ἐν τῇ πήρᾳ τὰ γνωρίσματα πρόσεισι τῷ Διονυσοφάνει καὶ τῇ Κλεαρίστῃ καθημένοις ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ῾παρῆν δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀστύλος καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Δάφνις᾿ καὶ σιωπῆς γενομένης ἤρξατο λέγειν ‘Ὁμοία με ἀνάγκη Λάμωνι τὰ μέχρι νῦν ἄρρητα ἐκέλευσε λέγειν. Χλόην ταύτην οὔτε ἐγέννησα οὔτε ἀνέθρεψα, ἀλλὰ ἐγέννησαν μὲν ἄλλοι, κειμένην δὲ ἐν ἄντρῳ Νυμφῶν ἀνέθρεψεν οἶς. Εἶδον τοῦτο αὐτὸς καὶ ἰδὼν ἐθαύμασα καὶ θαυμάσας ἔθρεψα. Μαρτυρεῖ μὲν καὶ τὸ κάλλος, ἔοικε γὰρ οὐδὲν ἡμῖν: μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ γνωρίσματα, πλουσιώτερα γὰρ ἢ κατὰ ποιμένα. Ἴδετε ταῦτα καὶ τοὺς προσήκοντας τῇ κόρῃ ζητήσατε, ἵν̓ ἀξία ποτὲ Δάφνιδος φανῇ.’