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Complete Works of Achilles Tatius

Page 48

by Achilles Tatius


  9. I related to Clinias my whole story — how it came about, my feelings, how I first saw her, the arrival, the dinner, the great beauty of the maiden. At last I felt that I was talking in a very unseemly way, and burst out: “I cannot bear the pain, Clinias; Love with all his forces has attacked me and drives sleep away from my eyes; I see Leucippe always. No one has ever been in such misery as I am; my grief lives always with me.”

  “What nonsense you talk,” cried Clinias, “you, who are a fortunate lover. You do not have constantly to be going to the doors of another’s house; you have no need of a messenger; fortune has given her to you, has brought her and established her at your very side. Some lovers have to be content with a mere look at their sweetheart, so well guarded is she, and to think themselves very lucky if they can obtain this pleasure of the eye; others are more fortunate, if they can but get a word with her: but you — you are constantly seeing her and hearing her; you eat with her and drink with her: and yet, with all this good fortune, you grumble; let me tell you that you are ungrateful for this gift that Love has made you. You do not know what it is to be able to see the one you love; it is a greater pleasure than further favours. When the eyes meet one another they receive the impression of the body as in a mirror, and this emanation of beauty, which penetrates down into the soul through the eyes, effects a kind of union however the bodies are sundered; ’tis all but a bodily union — a new kind of bodily embrace. But I prophesy to you that you will soon obtain all you desire. There is no more ready road to overcoming the resistance of the beloved than constantly to be in her presence; the eye is the go-between of affection, and the habit of being regularly in one another’s society is a quick and successful way to full favour. Wild beasts can be tamed by habit, as they become used to their masters; how much more easily can a woman’s heart be softened by the same means! And then the fact that her lover is of the same age as herself is a powerful impulse to a maiden. Those feelings which are natural in the heyday of youth, and her knowledge that she is adored, will often inspire her to return your passion; for every maiden wishes to be fair, is pleased to be loved, and is grateful to the lover for the witness that he bears to her charms — if no one were in love with her, she could have so far no grounds of confidence that she was beautiful. One only piece of advice then I have to give you: let her be sure that she is loved, and she will soon return your affection.”

  “But how,” said I, “is this prophecy of yours to be accomplished? Indicate to me at any rate how to begin; you were initiated before me into the mysteries of the god and are better acquainted with the course required to become an adept. What am I to say? What am I to do? How am I to win the object of my passion? I have no idea of the way to proceed.”

  [1] ‘Μηδὲν’ εἶπεν ὁ Κλεινίας ‘πρὸς ταῦτα ζήτει παῤ ἄλλου μαθεῖν: αὐτοδίδακτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς σοφιστής. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ἀρτίτοκα τῶν βρεφῶν οὐδεὶς διδάσκει τὴν τροφήν (αὐτόματα γὰρ ἐκμανθάνει καὶ οἶδεν ἐν τοῖς μαζοῖς οὖσαν αὐτοῖς τὴν τράπεζαν), οὕτω καὶ νεανίσκος ἔρωτος πρωτοκύμων οὐ δεῖται διδασκαλίας πρὸς τὸν τοκετόν. [2] Ἐὰν γὰρ ἡ ὠδὶς παραγένηται καὶ ἐνστῇ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἡ προθεσμία, μηδὲν πλανηθείς, κἂν πρωτοκύμων ᾖς, εὑρήσεις τεκεῖν ὑπ̓ αὐτοῦ μαιωθεὶς τοῦ θεοῦ. Ὅσα δ̓ ἐστὶ κοινὰ καὶ μὴ τῆς εὐκαίρου τύχης δεόμενα, ταῦτα ἀκούσας μάθε. Μηδὲν μὲν εἴπῃς πρὸς τὴν παρθένον ἀφροδίσιον, [3] τὸ δὲ ἔργον ζήτει πῶς γένηται σιωπῇ. Παῖς γὰρ καὶ παρθένος ὅμοιοι μὲν εἰς αἰδῶ: πρὸς δὲ τὴν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης χάριν κἂν τὴν γνώμην ἔχωσιν, ἃ πάσχουσιν ἀκούειν οὐ θέλουσι: τὴν γὰρ αἰσχύνην κεῖσθαι νομίζουσιν ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασι. [4] Γυναῖκας μὲν γὰρ εὐφραίνει καὶ τὰ ῥήματα: παρθένος δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἔξωθεν ἀκροβολισμοὺς τῶν ἐραστῶν εἰς πεῖραν φέρει καὶ ἄφνω συντίθεται τοῖς νεύμασιν: ἐὰν δὲ αἰτήσῃς τὸ ἔργον προσελθών, ἐκπλήξεις αὐτῆς τὰ ὦτα τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ ἐρυθριᾷ καὶ μισεῖ τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι δοκεῖ κἂν ὑποσχέσθαι θέλῃ τὴν χάριν, αἰσχύνεται: τότε γὰρ πάσχειν νομίζει τὸ ἔργον, ὅτε μᾶλλον τὴν πεῖραν ἐκ τῆς τῶν λόγων ἡδονῆς ἀκούει. [5] Ἐὰν δὲ τὴν πεῖραν προσαγαγὼν τὴν ἄλλην καὶ εὐάγωγον αὐτὴν παρασκευάσας ἡδέως ἤδη προσέρχῃ, σιώπα μὲν οὖν τὰ πολλὰ ὡς ἐν μυστηρίῳ, φίλησον δὲ προσελθὼν ἠρέμα: τὸ γὰρ ἐραστοῦ φίλημα πρὸς ἐρωμένην θέλουσαν μὲν παρέχειν αἴτησίς ἐστι, πρὸς ἀπειθοῦσαν δὲ ἱκετηρία. [6] Κἂν μὲν προσῇ τις συνθήκη τῆς πράξεως πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἑκοῦσαι πρὸς τὸ ἔργον ἐρχόμεναι θέλουσι βιάζεσθαι δοκεῖν, ἵνα τῇ δόξῃ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἀποτρέπωνται τῆς αἰσχύνης τὸ ἑκούσιον. Μὴ τοίνυν ὀκνήσῃς, ἐὰν ἀνθισταμένην ἴδῃς, ἀλλ̓ ἐπιτήρει πῶς ἀνθίσταται: σοφίας γὰρ κἀνταῦθα δεῖ. [7] Κἂν μὲν προσκαρτερῇ, ἐπίσχες τὴν βίαν: οὔπω γὰρ πείθεται: ἐὰν δὲ μαλθακώτερον ἤδη θέλῃς, χορήγησον τὴν ὑπόκρισιν, μὴ ἀπολέσῃς σου τὸ δρᾶμα.’

  10. “On this subject,” said Clinias, “you have no need to enquire of another: Love is a self-instructed expert. He is like the new-born babe which needs no teaching from anybody where to look for its nourishment; for that is an accomplishment which it learns of itself, knowing that its table is spread in its mother’s breasts; in the same way a young man for the first time big with love needs no instruction as to how to bring it to birth. For when you begin to feel the pangs and it is clear that the destined day is at hand, you cannot go wrong, even though it be your first labour, but you will find the way to bring forth and the god himself will deliver you. However, you may as well listen to the ordinary maxims which are applicable at any time and need no fortunate occasion. In the first place, say nothing to the maiden of the actual fruition of love, but rather look for a means for your passion silently to be translated into action: boys and girls are alike shamefaced creatures; however much they may be inclined towards the pleasures that Aphrodite can afford, they do not care to hear their experiences mentioned aloud: they think that modesty is a matter of words, while grown women, on the other hand, take a pleasure in the words too. A girl will regard very calmly the first skirmishes that a lover uses to feel his way, and will suddenly express her complacency by a gesture; but if you go bluntly to her with a verbal invitation, you will only shock her ears by the words you employ. She will blush, affect to regard your proposal with horror, and think that an insult is being offered to her; even if she is desirous to afford you her favours, she is ashamed, for it seems to her that she is already yielding, when the pleasure she derives from your words seems to transform your tentative into reality. If, however, you act upon the other tack, gradually moulding her to your wishes and gaining easy access to her, be as silent as in church, but approach her gently and kiss her: if the beloved is compliant, the lover’s kiss is an invitation to her to accord him all her favours; if reluctant, it is a kind of supplication and prayer. Then, even when
they have promised and are certain to yield, many of them, however willing, prefer to have at least the appearance of coercion applied, so that by a shew of force they can avoid the charge of compliance which would be a reproach to their modesty. Even if you find her persistently obdurate, do not relax your efforts, but rather watch closely for the means of converting her: here too tact is wanted. Do not in any case, if she remains obstinate, employ force; she is not yet sufficiently softened: but if you desire her to melt, you must be prepared to act a part, or else you will lose all the trouble of your plot.” (English. “You must stage-manage your own acting, or else you will not get your play accepted, and so will have wasted all the trouble you took in composing it.”)

  [1] Κἀγὼ ‘μεγάλα μὲν’ ἔφην ‘ἐφόδιά μοι δέδωκας καὶ εὔχομαι τυχεῖν, Κλεινία: φοβοῦμαι δ̓ ὅμως μὴ κακῶν μοι γένηται τὸ εὐτύχημα μειζόνων ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐπιτρίψῃ με πρὸς ἔρωτα πλείονα. Ἂν οὖν αὐξηθῇ μοι τὸ δεινόν, τί δράσω; [2] γαμεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην: ἄλλῃ γὰρ δέδομαι παρθένῳ: ἐπίκειται δέ μοι πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν γάμον ὁ πατὴρ δίκαια αἰτῶν, οὐ ξένην, οὐδὲ αἰσχρὰν γῆμαι κόρην, οὐδ̓ ὡς Χαρικλέα πλούτῳ με πωλεῖ, ἀλλ̓ αὑτοῦ μοι δίδωσι θυγατέρα, καλὴν μέν, ὦ θεοί, πρὶν Λευκίππην ἰδεῖν, νῦν δὲ πρὸς τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς τυφλώττω καὶ πρὸς Λευκίππην μόνην τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχω. [3] Ἐν μεθορίῳ κεῖμαι δύο ἐναντίων: Ἔρως ἀνταγωνίζεται καὶ πατήρ. Ὁ μὲν ἕστηκεν αἰδοῖ κρατῶν, ὁ δὲ κάθηται πυρπολῶν. Πῶς κρίνω τὴν δίκην; ἀνάγκη μάχεται καὶ φύσις, καὶ θέλω μὲν σοὶ δικάσαι, πάτερ, ἀλλ̓ ἀντίδικον ἔχω χαλεπώτερον. Βασανίζει τὸν δικαστήν, ἕστηκε: μετὰ βελῶν, κρίνει μετὰ πυρός. Ἂν ἀπειθήσω, πάτερ, αὐτῷ, κάομαι τῷ πυρί.’

  11. “By your advice, Clinias,” said I, “you have given me the most admirable provision for my journey, and I pray that I may arrive safely; but at the same time I cannot help fearing that my very success may be the beginning of worse troubles and expose me to the more violent flames of love; and at any rate if they do become more savage, what am I to do? I cannot marry her — I am pledged to another maiden; and my father is greatly set on this match. Nor is his object an unreasonable one: he does not ask me to marry a foreigner, or an ugly girl; he does not sell me for gold, as Charicles is to be sold; but he intends for me his own daughter, who was beautiful enough, God knows, before I saw Leucippe; but now I am blind to her beauty and have eyes for Leucippe alone. I am on the horns of a dilemma — Love and my father wait on opposite sides of me: my father stands behind me, holding me back by the respect which I owe to him; Love sits before me, brandishing his torch of fire. How am I to decide the contest, when affection is at war with the promptings of nature? I desire to give my verdict for you, father, but I have a stronger adversary — he puts the judge to the torture, he stands in court armed with his arrows, he pleads his cause with flame; if I do not decide against you, father, I must be utterly consumed by his fire.”

  [1] Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἐφιλοσοφοῦμεν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ: ἐξαίφνης δέ τις εἰστρέχει τῶν τοῦ Χαρικλέους οἰκετῶν, ἔχων ἐπὶ τοῦ προσώπου τὴν ἀγγελίαν τοῦ κακοῦ, ὡς τὸν Κλεινίαν εὐθὺς ἀνακραγεῖν θεασάμενον ‘κακόν τι γέγονε Χαρικλεῖ.’ Ἅμα δὲ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος συνεξεφώνησεν ὁ οἰκέτης ‘τέθνηκε [2] Χαρικλῆς.’ Τὸν μὲν δὴ Κλεινίαν πρὸς τὴν ἀγγελίαν ἀφῆκεν ἡ φωνὴ καὶ ἔμεινεν ἀκίνητος, ὥσπερ τυφῶνι βεβλημένος τῷ λόγῳ: ὁ δὲ οἰκέτης διηγεῖται ‘ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον τὸν σὸν ἐκάθισεν, ὦ Κλεινία, ὃς τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἤλαυνεν ἠρέμα: δύο δὲ ἢ τρεῖς δρόμους περιελθὼν τὴν ἱππασίαν ἐπέσχε καὶ τὸν ἵππον ἱδροῦντα κατέψα καθήμενος, τοῦ ῥυτῆρος ἀμελήσας. [3] Ἀπομάττοντος δὲ τῆς ἕδρας τοὺς ἱδρῶτας ψόφος κατόπιν γίνεται, καὶ ὁ ἵππος ἐκταραχθεὶς πηδᾷ ὄρθιος ἀρθεὶς καὶ ἀλογίστως ἐφέρετο. Τὸν γὰρ χαλινὸν ἐνδακὼν καὶ τὸν αὐχένα γυρώσας φρίξας τε τὴν κόμην, οἰστρηθεὶς τῷ φόβῳ διαέριος ἵπτατο. Τῶν δὲ ποδῶν οἱ μὲν ἔμπροσθεν ἥλλοντο, οἱ δὲ ὄπισθεν τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπειγόμενοι φθάσαι τὸν δρόμον ἐπέσπευδον, [4] διώκοντες τὸν ἵππον. Ὁ δὲ ἵππος τῇ τῶν ποδῶν κυρτούμενος ἁμίλλῃ, ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω πηδῶν πρὸς τὴν ἑκατέρων σπουδὴν δίκην νεὼς χειμαζομένης τοῖς νώτοις ἐκυμαίνετο. Ὁ δὲ κακοδαίμων Χαρικλῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς ἱππείας ταλαντευόμενος κύματος ἐκ τῆς ἕδρας ἐσφαιρίζετο, ποτὲ μὲν ἐπ̓ οὐρὰν κατολισθάνων, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τράχηλον κυβιστῶν: ὁ δὲ τοῦ κλύδωνος ἐπίεζεν αὐτὸν χειμών. [5] Τῶν δὲ ῥυτήρων οὐκέτι κρατεῖν δυνάμενος, δοὺς δὲ ἑαυτὸν τῷ τοῦ δρόμου πνεύματι, τῆς τύχης ἦν. Ὁ δὲ ἵππος ῥύμῃ θέων ἐκτρέπεται τῆς λεωφόρου καὶ ἐς ὕλην ἐπήδησε καὶ εὐθὺς τὸν ἄθλιον Χαρικλέα περιρρήγνυσι δένδρῳ. Ὁ δὲ ὡς ἀπὸ μηχανῆς προσαραχθεὶς ἐκκρούεται μὲν τῆς ἕδρας, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν τοῦ δένδρου κλάδων τὸ πρόσωπον αἰσχύνεται καὶ τοσούτοις περιδρύπτεται τραύμασιν, ὅσαι τῶν κλάδων ἦσαν αἱ αἰχμαί. [6] Οἱ δὲ ῥυτῆρες αὐτῷ περιδεθέντες οὐκ ἤθελον ἀφεῖναι τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ̓ ἀνθεῖλκον αὐτὸ περισύροντες θανάτου τρίβον. Ὁ δὲ ἵππος ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐκταραχθεὶς τῷ πτώματι καὶ ἐμποδιζόμενος εἰς τὸν δρόμον τῷ σώματι κατεπάτει τὸν ἄθλιον, ἐκλακτίζων τὸν δεσμὸν τῆς φυγῆς: ὥστε οὐκ ἂν αὐτόν τις ἰδὼν γνωρίσειε.’

  12. We were engaged in this kind of philosophical discussion about Love, when one of Charicles’ servants rushed in, with evil tidings so clearly written upon his face that Clinias instantly cried out: “Something has happened to Charicles.” He had not yet finished speaking, when the servant exclaimed in the same breath: “Charicles is dead.” At this announcement Clinias was stricken utterly dumb and stood motionless, as though he had been struck by a whirlwind. The servant went on: “He mounted your horse, Clinias, and at first rode quietly enough upon him; after two or three turns, he pulled him up, and, dropping the reins on his back, began to rub down the sweating animal as he sat. While he was wiping by the saddle, there was a sudden noise behind; the horse was frightened, reared, and bolted wildly. He took the bit between his teeth, tossed up his head, shook his mane, and seemed to fly through the air spurred on by fear; his hinder feet seemed to be trying to catch up his galloping fore-quarters, increasing the speed of his flight and spurring on his pace; his body arched by reason of the con
test between his feet, bounding up and down at each stride, the motion of his back was like a ship tossed in a storm. Poor Charicles, thrown up and down rather as if by a wave than on a horse, bounded from the saddle like a ball, at one time slipping back on to the horse’s quarters, at another hurled forward on to his neck, while the tempest-like motion ever more and more overcame his efforts. At last, no longer able to hold the reins, he let himself drive with the storm and was at the mercy of fortune; then the horse, still at top speed, turned aside from the high road, bounded into a wood, and straightway dashed the miserable Charicles against a tree. He left the saddle, shot like a stone from a sling; his face was cut to pieces by the tree’s branches and he was covered with as many wounds as there were sharp points oh the boughs. The reins twisted round his body, (The Greek rider had the reins carried round behind his waist.) which he was unable to extricate, and then dragged it along with them, making a very path of death. The horse, still more alarmed by the fall and finding his speed checked by the body dragging behind him, trampled upon the unhappy boy, kicking out at what he found to be a check upon his flight; so that now no one who saw him could possibly recognize him as the Charicles they once knew.”

  [1] Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀκούων ὁ Κλεινίας ἐσίγα τινὰ χρόνον ὑπ̓ ἐκπλήξεως, μεταξὺ δὲ νήψας ἐκ τοῦ κακοῦ διωλύγιον ἐκώκυσε καὶ ἐκδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ σῶμα ἠπείγετο: ἐπηκολούθουν δὲ κἀγώ, παρηγορῶν ὡς ἠδυνάμην. [2] Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ φοράδην Χαρικλῆς ἐκομίζετο, θέαμα οἴκτιστον καὶ ἐλεεινόν: ὅλος γὰρ τραῦμα ἦν, ὥστε μηδένα τῶν παρόντων κατασχεῖν τὰ δάκρυα. Ἐξῆρχε δὲ τοῦ θρήνου ὁ πατὴρ πολυτάρακτον βοῶν ‘οἷος ἀπ̓ ἐμοῦ προελθὼν οἷος ἐπανέρχῃ μοι, τέκνον; ὢ πονηρῶν ἱππασμάτων. Οὐδὲ κοινῷ μοι θανάτῳ τέθνηκας: οὐδ̓ εὐσχήμων φαίνῃ νεκρός. [3] Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοις τῶν ἀποθανόντων κἂν ἴχνος τῶν γνωρισμάτων διασώζεται: κἂν τὸ ἄνθος τις τῶν προσώπων ἀπολέσῃ, τηρεῖ τὸ εἴδωλον καὶ παρηγορεῖ τὸ λυπούμενον καθεύδοντα μιμούμενος: τὴν μὲν γὰρ ψυχὴν ἐξεῖλεν ὁ θάνατος, ἐν δὲ τῷ σώματι τηρεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. [4] Σοῦ δὲ ὁμοῦ καὶ ταῦτα διέφθειρεν ἡ τύχη, καί μοι τέθνηκας θάνατον διπλοῦν, ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος. Ὄντως σου τέθνηκε καὶ τῆς εἰκόνος ἡ σκιά: ἡ μὲν γὰρ ψυχή σου πέφευγεν, οὐχ εὑρίσκω δέ σε οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι. [5] Πότε μοι, τέκνον, γαμεῖς; πότε σου θύσω τοὺς γάμους, ἱππεῦ καὶ νυμφίε: νυμφίε μὲν ἀτελής, ἱππεῦ δὲ δυστυχής. Τάφος μέν σοι, τέκνον, ὁ θάλαμος, γάμος δὲ ὁ θάνατος, θρῆνος δὲ ὁ ὑμέναιος: ὁ δὲ κωκυτὸς οὗτος τῶν γάμων ᾠδαί. [6] Ἄλλο σοι, τέκνον, προσεδόκων πῦρ ἀνάψειν: ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἔσβεσεν ἡ φθονερὰ τύχη μετὰ σοῦ: ἀνάπτει δέ σοι δᾷδας κακῶν. Ὢ πονηρᾶς ταύτης δᾳδουχίας. Ἡ νυμφική σοι δᾳδουχία ταφὴ γίνεται.’

 

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