23. After letting a few days pass, he (knowing that Conops was always the slave of his belly) bought a drug of the nature of a strong sleeping-draught, and asked him to dinner. At first he suspected some trick and hesitated: then, his beloved belly being too strong for him, he accepted. He came to Satyrus, and after dinner was just on the point of going away, when Satyrus poured some of the drug into his parting glass: he drank it, had just time to get to his own room, and then fell down and lay sleeping a drugged sleep. Then Satyrus hurried to me and said: “Your Cyclops is asleep; see that you prove yourself a brave Ulysses. (A reference to the famous story in the ninth book of the Odyssey.)” He was still speaking when we came to my beloved’s door. He left me, and I entered, Clio letting me in on tiptoe, trembling with the double emotion of joy and fear: the fear of the danger we were running troubled the hopes of my heart, while the hope of success dulled with pleasure the fear I had conceived; hope was afraid and apprehension rejoiced. But hardly had I entered the maiden’s chamber, when a strange event befell her mother: she was troubled by a dream in which she saw a robber with a naked sword snatch her daughter from her, throw her down on her back, and then rip her up the middle of the belly with the blade, beginning from below. Greatly frightened and disturbed, naturally enough, she jumped up and rushed to her daughter’s chamber, which was quite close, when I had but just lain down: I, hearing the noise of the doors opening, leaped quickly up; but she was already at the bed-side. Then I understood the mischief, sprang away, and ran through the door-way, where Satyrus was waiting for me, all trembling and disordered as I was: then we fled through the darkness and came to our own rooms.
[1] Ἡ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ὑπὸ ἰλίγγου κατέπεσεν, εἶτα ἀνενεγκοῦσα τὴν Κλειὼ κατὰ κόρρης ὡς εἶχε ῥαπίζει, καὶ ἐπιλαβομένη τῶν τριχῶν ἅμα πρὸς τὴν θυγατέρα ἀνῴμωξεν ‘ἀπώλεσάς μου’ λέγουσα ‘Λευκίππη, [2] τὰς ἐλπίδας. Οἴμοι, Σώστρατε. Σὺ μὲν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ πολεμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἀλλοτρίων γάμων, ἐν Τύρῳ δὲ καταπεπολέμησαι, καὶ τῆς θυγατρός σού τις τοὺς γάμους σεσύληκεν. Οἴμοι δειλαία, τοιούτους σου γάμους ὄψεσθαι οὐ προσεδόκων. [3] Ὄφελον ἔμεινας ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, ὄφελον ἔπαθες πολέμου νόμῳ τὴν ὕβριν, ὄφελόν σε κἂν Θρᾲξ νικήσας ὕβρισεν: οὐκ εἶχεν ἡ συμφορὰ διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην ὄνειδος: νῦν δέ, [4] κακόδαιμον, ἀδοξεῖς ἐν οἷς δυστυχεῖς. Ἐπλάνα δέ με καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐνυπνίων φαντάσματα, τὸν δὲ ἀληθέστερον ὄνειρον οὐκ ἐθεασάμην: νῦν δ̓ ἀθλιώτερον ἀνετμήθης τὴν γαστέρα: αὕτη δυστυχεστέρα τῆς μαχαίρας τομή, οὐδὲ εἶδον τὸν ὑβρίσαντά σε, οὐδὲ οἶδά μου τῆς συμφορᾶς τὴν τύχην. Οἴμοι τῶν κακῶν. Μὴ καὶ δοῦλος ἦν;’
24. Panthea first of all fell down in a swoon: when she recovered, she straightway boxed Clio’s ears and caught her by the hair, at the same time crying out to her daughter: “Leucippe, you have destroyed all my hopes. Ah, my poor Sostratus; you are fighting at Byzantium to protect other people’s marriages; while at Tyre you have already been defeated and another has ravished your daughter’s marriage. Woe is me, Leucippe: I never thought to see your wedding in this wise: would that you had remained at Byzantium; would that you had suffered violence after the custom of war; yes, would even that a conquering Thracian had been your ravisher: a misfortune brought about by force does not carry shame with it. But now, wretched girl; you have lost your fame at the same time as your happiness. Even the visions of the night have beguiled me — this is truer than any dream: you have suffered a worse fate than being; as I saw you, ripped up; this is a crueller wound than the cutting of the sword — and I could not see your ravisher; nor do I know how the whole wretched business came about: alas; alas; was he perhaps a slave?”
[1] Ἐθάρρησεν οὖν ἡ παρθένος, ὡς ἂν ἐμοῦ διαπεφευγότος, καὶ λέγει ‘μὴ λοιδόρει μου, μῆτερ, τὴν παρθενίαν: οὐδὲν ἔργον μοι πέπρακται τοιούτων ῥημάτων ἄξιον, οὐδὲ οἶδα τοῦτον ὅστις ἦν, εἴτε δαίμων εἴτε ἥρως εἴτε λῃστής. [2] Ἐκείμην δὲ πεφοβημένη, μηδ̓ ἀνακραγεῖν διὰ τὸν φόβον δυναμένη: φόβος γὰρ γλώττης ἐστὶ δεσμός. Ἓν οἶδα μόνον, οὐδείς [3] μου τὴν παρθενίαν κατῄσχυνε.’ Καταπεσοῦσα οὖν ἡ Πάνθεια πάλιν ἔστενεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐσκοποῦμεν καθ̓ ἑαυτοὺς γενόμενοι τί ποιητέον εἴη, καὶ ἐδόκει κράτιστον εἶναι φεύγειν, πρὶν ἕως γένηται καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἡ Κλειὼ βασανιζομένη κατείπῃ.
25. This, showing that I had escaped; gave the maiden fresh courage. “Do not; mother,” said she, “thus disparage my virginity; nothing has happened to justify what you have said; and I know not who was here — god; demigod; or burglar. I was lying stricken with fright; and I was too much afraid; even to cry out: fear is a shackle on the tongue. Only one thing I know; that nobody has offended my virginity.” Then Panthea again fell down and wept: but Satyrus and I, when we were alone in our rooms, were considering what we had best do, and we decided that the best course would be to fly before morning came and Clio revealed the whole story under torture.
[1] Δόξαν οὖν οὕτως εἰχόμεθα ἔργου, σκηψάμενοι πρὸς τὸν θυρωρὸν ἀπιέναι πρὸς ἐρωμένην, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐρχόμεθα τὴν Κλεινίου. Ἦσαν δὲ λοιπὸν μέσαι νύκτες, ὥστε μόλις ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνέῳξεν ἡμῖν. Καὶ ὁ Κλεινίας （ἐν ὑπερῴῳ γὰρ τὸν θάλαμον εἶχε） διαλεγομένων ἡμῶν ἀκούσας κατατρέχει τεταραγμένος. [2] Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὴν Κλειὼ κατόπιν ὁρῶμεν σπουδῇ θέουσαν: ἦν γὰρ δρασμὸν βεβουλευμένη. Ἅμα τε οὖν ὁ Κλεινίας ἤκουσεν ἡμῶν ἃ πεπόνθαμεν̓ καὶ τῆς Κλειοῦς ἡμεῖς ὅπως φύγοι, καὶ πάλιν ἡμῶν ἡ Κλειὼ τί ποιεῖν μέλλομεν. [3] Παρελθόντες οὖν εἴσω τῶν θυρῶν τῷ Κλεινίᾳ διηγούμεθα τὰ γεγονότα καὶ ὅτι φεύγειν διεγνώκαμεν. Λέγει ἡ Κλειὼ ‘κἀγὼ σὺν ὑμῖν: ἢν γὰρ περιμείνω τὴν ἕω, θάνατός μοι πρόκειται τῶν βασάνων γλυκύτερος.’
26. This resolved, we set about it at once. We told the porter that we were going out to see my mistress, (Not, of course, Leucippe, but some girl of lower station. Young Greeks and Romans were almost encouraged in light love-affairs to keep them from the graver offences of meddling with women of their own rank.) and went to Clinias’ house. It was still deep night, and his porter made some difficulty about opening to us; but Clinias; whose bedroom was upstairs; heard us talking to him and came running down in disorder: and just at that moment we saw Clio behind us, running; she too had made up her mind to run away. So all together Clinias heard our story from us, and we Clio’s; how she had fled; and Clio our next intentions. We all therefore went indoors; related to Clinias all that had happened; and told him that we had made up our mind to fly. Then said Clio:— “I am with you too: if I wait until morning; my only resource is death, which I prefer to torture.”
[1] Ὁ οὖν Κλεινίας τῆς χειρός μου λαβόμε�
�ος ἄγει τῆς Κλειοῦς μακρὰν καὶ λέγει ‘δοκῶ μοι καλλίστην γνώμην εὑρηκέναι, ταύτην μὲν ὑπεξαγαγεῖν, ἡμᾶς δὲ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἐπισχεῖν, κἂν οὕτω δοκῇ, συσκευασαμένους ἀπελθεῖν. [2] Οὔτε γὰρ νῦν οἶδε τῆς κόρης ἡ μήτηρ τίνα κατέλαβεν, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, ὅ τε καταμηνύσων οὐκ ἔσται τῆς Κλειοῦς ἐκ μέσου γενομένης: τάχα δὲ καὶ τὴν κόρην συμφυγεῖν πείσετε.’ Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅτι κοινωνὸς γενήσεται τῆς ἀποδημίας. [3] Ταῦτα ἔδοξε: καὶ τὴν μὲν Κλειὼ τῶν οἰκετῶν αὑτοῦ τινι παραδίδωσι, κελεύσας ἐμβάλλεσθαι σκάφει, ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῦ καταμείναντες ἐφροντίζομεν περὶ τῶν ἐσομένων, καὶ τέλος ἔδοξεν ἀποπειραθῆναι τῆς κόρης καὶ εἰ μὲν θελήσει συμφυγεῖν, οὕτω πράττειν: εἰ δὲ μή, μένειν αὐτοῦ, παραδόντας ἑαυτοὺς τῇ τύχῃ. Κοιμηθέντες οὖν ὀλίγον τῆς νυκτὸς ὅσον τὸ λοιπὸν περὶ τὴν ἕω πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπανήλθομεν.
27. Then Clinias took me by the hand and led me away from Clio. “I think,” said he, “that I have conceived the best idea: namely, to send her away privily, and ourselves remain a few days; then, if we like, we can ourselves go after making all necessary preparations. At present, so you tell me, the girl’s mother does not even know whom she caught; and when Clio has once disappeared there will be nobody able to inform her. And perhaps you will be able to persuade the girl to escape with you.” At the same time he told us that he was prepared to share our flight abroad. This plan commended itself to us: so he handed Clio over to the charge of one of his servants, telling him to put her aboard a ship, while we waited there and discussed the future. Our final decision was to make an attempt to persuade Leucippe, and if she were willing to accompany us in our flight, to act accordingly: if not, to remain at home and put ourselves in the hands of fortune. We reposed ourselves therefore for the small part of the night that was still left, and returned home again about dawn.
[1] Ἡ οὖν Πάνθεια ἀναστᾶσα περὶ τὰς βασάνους τῆς Κλειοῦς ηὐτρεπίζετο καὶ καλεῖν αὐτὴν ἐκέλευσεν. Ὡς δ̓ ἦν ἀφανής, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν θυγατέρα ἵεται καὶ ‘οὐκ ἐρεῖς’ ἔφη ‘τὴν συσκευὴν τοῦ δράματος; ἰδοὺ [2] καὶ ἡ Κλειὼ πέφευγεν.’ Ἡ δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐθάρρησε καὶ λέγει ‘τί πλέον εἴπω σοι, τίνα δ̓ ἄλλην προσαγάγω πίστιν τῆς ἀληθείας μείζονα; Εἰ παρθενίας ἐστί τις δοκιμασία, [3] δοκίμασον.’ ‘Ἔτι καὶ τοῦτο’ ἔφη ἡ Πάνθεια ‘λείπεται, ἵνα καὶ μετὰ μαρτύρων δυστυχῶμεν.’ Ταῦτα ἅμα λέγουσα, ἐπήδησεν ἔξω.
28. When Panthea had risen, she began to set about the preparations for the torturing of Clio, and bade her be summoned. As Clio could not be found, she again attacked her daughter. “Do you refuse,” said she, “to tell how this plot was composed? Now Clio too has fled.” On this Leucippe gained still greater courage, saying, “What more can I tell you? What more valid proof can I bring that I am speaking the truth? If there be any test of virginity, apply it to me.”
“Yes,” said Panthea, “that was the one thing lacking — that our disgrace should be publicly known to others too.” As she said this, she flounced out of the room.
[1] Ἡ δὲ Λευκίππη καθ̓ ἑαυτὴν γενομένη καὶ τῶν τῆς μητρὸς γεμισθεῖσα ῥημάτων παντοδαπή τις ἦν. Ἤχθετο, ᾐσχύνετο, ὠργίζετο: ἤχθετο μὲν πεφωραμένη, ᾐσχύνετο δὲ ὀνειδιζομένη, ὠργίζετο δὲ ἀπιστουμένη. Αἰδὼς δὲ καὶ λύπη καὶ ὀργὴ τρία τῆς ψυχῆς κύματα. [2] Ἡ μὲν γὰρ αἰδὼς διὰ τῶν ὀμμάτων εἰσρέουσα τὴν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐλευθερίαν καθαιρεῖ: ἡ δὲ λύπη περὶ τὰ στέρνα διανεμομένη κατατήκει τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ζωπυροῦν: ἡ δὲ ὀργὴ περιυλακτοῦσα τὴν καρδίαν ἐπικλύζει τὸν λογισμὸν τῷ τῆς μανίας ἀφρῷ. [3] Λόγος δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων πατήρ, καὶ ἔοικεν ἐπὶ σκοπῷ τόξον βάλλειν καὶ ἐπιτυγχάνειν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν πέμπειν τὰ βλήματα καὶ ποικίλα τοξεύματα. Τὸ μέν ἐστιν αὐτῷ λοιδορίας βέλος, καὶ γίνεται τὸ ἕλκος ὀργή: τὸ δέ ἐστιν ἔλεγχος ἀτυχημάτων: ἐκ τούτου τοῦ βέλους λύπη γίνεται: τὸ δὲ ὄνειδος ἁμαρτημάτων, [4] καὶ καλοῦσιν αἰδῶ τὸ τραῦμα. Ἴδιον δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων τῶν βελῶν βαθέα μὲν τὰ βλήματα, ἄναιμα δὲ τὰ τοξεύματα. Ἓν δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων φάρμακον, ἀμύνεσθαι τὸν βάλλοντα τοῖς αὐτοῖς βλήμασι: λόγος γὰρ γλώσσης βέλος ἄλλης γλώσσης βέλει θεραπεύεται: καὶ γὰρ τῆς καρδίας ἔπαυσε τὸ θυμούμενον καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐμάρανε τὸ λυπούμενον. [5] Ἂν δέ τις ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ κρείττονος σιγάσῃ τὴν ἄμυναν, ἀλγεινότερα γίνεται τὰ ἕλκη τῇ σιωπῇ: αἱ γὰρ ὠδῖνες τῶν ἐκ τοῦ λόγου κυμάτων οὐκ ἀποπτύσασαι τὸν ἀφρὸν οἰδοῦσι περὶ ἑαυτὰς πεφυσημέναι.
29. Leucippe, left alone to ponder on her mother’s words, was a prey to various differing emotions; grief, shame, and anger. She was grieved at having been found out: she was ashamed because of the reproaches which had been cast upon her: and she was angry because her mother would not believe her. Shame, grief, and anger may be compared to three billows which dash against the soul: shame enters through the eyes and takes away their freedom; grief diffuses itself about the breast and tends to extinguish the lively flame of the soul; while anger, roaring round the heart, overwhelms the reasoning power with its foam of madness. Of all these speech is the begetter: it is like a bow shooting and aiming at its mark and discharging its wounding arrows of various kinds against the soul. One of its arrows is upbraiding, the wound it causes, anger. Another is the conviction of wrong, and the wound caused by it grief. The third is the reproach for error, and the wound inflicted by this is called shame. All these arrows have the same peculiarity; the wounds they deal are deep, but bloodless, and there is but one remedy for all of them — to return the same arrows against the enemy. Speech is the arrow of the tongue, and the wound it causes can only be cured by another tongue shooting in return: this quiets the anger of the heart and deadens the soul’s pain. If the fact that one is dealing with a stronger makes such a return impossible, the wound grows more painful by reason of the silence thus enjoined. For the pains which are the result of these stormy waves of speech, if they cannot cast off their foam, swell within and only become the more severe. Such were the thoughts that surged upon Leucippe’s mind, and she was little able to bear their onslaught.
[1] Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ἔτυχον πέμψας τὸν Σάτυρον πρὸς τὴν κόρην ἀποπειρασόμενον τῆς φυγῆς. Ἡ δὲ πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι πρὸς τὸν Σάτυρον ‘δέομαι’ ἔφη ‘πρὸς θεῶν ξένων καὶ ἐγχωρίων, ἐξαρπάσατέ με τ�
��ν τῆς μητρὸς ὀφθαλμῶν, ὅπη βούλεσθε: [2] εἰ δέ με ἀπελθόντες καταλίποιτε, βρόχον πλεξαμένη τὴν ψυχήν μου οὕτως ἀφήσω.’ Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ταῦτα ἤκουσα, τὸ πολὺ τῆς φροντίδος ἀπερριψάμην. Δύο δὲ ἡμέρας διαλιπόντες, ὅτε καὶ ἀποδημῶν ἔτυχεν ὁ πατήρ, παρεσκευαζόμεθα πρὸς τὴν φυγήν.
30. It so happened that just at that moment I sent Satyrus to her to see if she were prepared to run away with us. But before she even heard what he had to say, “I implore you,” said she to Satyrus, “in the name of our country gods and all there are in the world, take me away, wherever you like, out of my mother’s sight. If you go away and leave me behind, I shall end my life by a noose of my own making.” When I heard of her words, I felt that the greater part of my anxiety was gone; we waited a couple of days, while my father was still away, (In Palestine: see V. x. § 3.) and began to make our preparations for flight.
Complete Works of Achilles Tatius Page 55