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Complete Works of Achilles Tatius

Page 57

by Achilles Tatius


  But no woman ever went up to heaven by reason of her beauty — yes, Zeus had dealings with women too — but the fate of Alcmene (The wife of Amphitryon, in whose semblance Zeus visited her and begat Heracles.) was sorrow and exile, of Danae (The daughter of Acrisius, visited by Zeus in the form of a shower of gold. Her father in anger put her and her baby (Perseus) into a chest or ark and sent them adrift at sea; they finally arrived at the island of Seriphus.) an ark and the sea, while Semele (The daughter of Cadmus, who foolishly prayed that Zeus might visit her as he visited Hera. He came therefore with fire and lightning, by which she was destroyed; but her offspring was saved, the god Dionysus.) became food for fire. But if his affections fall upon this Phrygian youth, he takes him to heaven to be with him and to pour his nectar for him; and she (Hebe.) whose was formerly this duty, was deprived of the honour — she, I fancy, was a woman.”

  [1] Ὑπολαβὼν οὖν ἐγὼ ‘καὶ μὴν οὐράνιον’ ἔφην ‘ἔοικε μᾶλλον εἶναι τὸ τῶν γυναικῶν κάλλος, ὅσον μὴ ταχὺ φθείρεται. Ἐγγὺς γὰρ τοῦ θείου τὸ ἄφθαρτον, τὸ δὲ κινούμενον ἐν φθορᾷ θνητὴν φύσιν μιμούμενον οὐκ οὐράνιόν ἐστιν ἀλλὰ πάνδημον. [2] Ἠράσθη μειρακίου Φρυγός, ἀνήγαγεν εἰς οὐρανὸν τὸν Φρύγα: τὸ δὲ κάλλος τῶν γυναικῶν αὐτὸν τὸν Δία κατήγαγεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. Διὰ γυναῖκά ποτε Ζεὺς ἐμυκήσατο, διὰ γυναῖκά ποτε Σάτυρον ὠρχήσατο, καὶ χρυσὸν πεποίηκεν ἑαυτὸν ἄλλῃ γυναικί. [3] Οἰνοχοείτω μὲν Γανυμήδης, μετὰ δὲ τῶν θεῶν Ἥβη πινέτω, ἵνα ἔχῃ μειράκιον διάκονον γυνή. Ἐλεῶ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁρπαγήν. Ὄρνις ἐπ̓ αὐτὸν κατέβη ὠμηστής, ὁ δὲ ἀνάρπαστος γενόμενος ὑβρίζεται καὶ ἔοικεν ἐσταυρουμένῳ: καὶ τὸ θέαμά ἐστιν αἴσχιστον, μειράκιον ἐξ ὀνύχων κρεμάμενον. [4] Σεμέλην δὲ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνήγαγεν οὐκ ὄρνις ὠμηστής, ἀλλὰ πῦρ: καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς εἰ διὰ πυρός τις ἀναβαίνει εἰς οὐρανόν: οὕτως ἀνέβη Ἡρακλῆς. Εἰ δὲ Δανάης τὴν λάρνακα γελᾷς, πῶς τὸν Περσέα σιωπᾷς; Ἀλκμήνῃ δὲ τοῦτο μόνον δῶρον ἀρκεῖ, ὅτι δἰ αὐτὴν ἔκλεψεν ὁ Ζεὺς τρεῖς ὅλους ἡλίους. [5] Εἰ δὲ δεῖ μεθέντα τὰς μυθολογίας αὐτὴν εἰπεῖν τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ἡδονήν, ἐγὼ μὲν πρωτόπειρος ὢν εἰς γυναῖκας, ὅσον ὁμιλῆσαι ταῖς εἰς Ἀφροδίτην πωλουμέναις: ἄλλος γὰρ ἂν ἴσως εἰπεῖν τι καὶ πλέον ἔχοι μεμυημένος: εἰρήσεται δέ μοι, κἂν μετρίως ἔχω πείρας. [6] Γυναικὶ μὲν οὖν ὑγρὸν μὲν τὸ σῶμα ἐν ταῖς συμπλοκαῖς, μαλθακὰ δὲ τὰ χείλη πρὸς τὰ φιλήματα. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἔχει τὸ σῶμα ἐν τοῖς ἀγκαλίσμασιν, ἐν δὲ ταῖς σαρξὶν ὅλως ἐνηρμοσμένον, καί πως ἐγκείμενον περιβάλλει τὴν ἡδονήν. [7] Ἐνστίζει δὲ τοῖς χείλεσιν ὥσπερ σφραγῖδας τὰ φιλήματα, φιλεῖ δὲ τέχνῃ καὶ σκευάζει τὸ φίλημα γλυκύτερον. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐθέλει φιλεῖν τοῖς χείλεσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀδοῦσι συμβάλλεται καὶ περὶ τὸ τοῦ φιλοῦντος στόμα βόσκεται καὶ δάκνει τὰ φιλήματα. [8] Ἐν δὲ τῇ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀκμῇ οἰστρεῖ μὲν ὑφ̓ ἡδονῆς, περικέχηνε δὲ φιλοῦσα καὶ μαίνεται: αἱ δὲ γλῶτται τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον φοιτῶσιν ἀλλήλαις εἰς ὁμιλίαν καὶ ὡς δύνανται βιάζονται κἀκεῖναι φιλεῖν: σὺ δὲ μείζονα ποιεῖς τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀνοίγων τὰ φιλήματα. [9] Πρὸς δὲ τὸ τέρμα τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἡ γυνὴ γινομένη πέφυκεν ἀσθμαίνειν ὑπὸ καυματώδους ἡδονῆς, τὸ δὲ ἄσθμα σὺν πνεύματι ἐρωτικῷ μέχρι τῶν τοῦ στόματος χειλέων ἀναθορὸν συντυγχάνει πλανωμένῳ τῷ φιλήματι καὶ ζητοῦντι καταβῆναι κάτω: [10] ἀναστρέφον δὲ σὺν τῷ ἄσθματι τὸ φίλημα καὶ μιχθὲν ἕπεται καὶ βάλλει τὴν καρδίαν: ἡ δὲ ταραχθεῖσα τῷ φιλήματι πάλλεται. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἦν δεδεμένη, ἠκολούθησεν ἂν ἑλκυσθεῖσα ἄνω τοῖς φιλήμασι. Παίδων δὲ φιλήματα μὲν ἀπαίδευτα, περιπλοκαὶ δ̓ ἀμαθεῖς, Ἀφροδίτη δὲ ἀργή, ἡδονῆς δ̓ οὐδέν.’

  37. Here I interrupted him. “Woman’s beauty,” said I, “seems the more heavenly of the two, because it does not rapidly fade; the incorruptible is not far from the divine, while that which is ever changing and corruptible (in which it resembles our poor mortality) is not heavenly but vulgar. Zeus was fired with a Phrygian stripling; true, and he took his Phrygian up to heaven; but women’s beauty actually brought Zeus down from heaven. For a woman Zeus once lowed as a bull; for a woman he danced the satyr’s dance; for another woman he changed himself into gold. Let Ganymede pour out the wine; but let Hera drink with the gods, so that a woman may have a youth to serve her. I am even sorry for him in the manner of his assumption — a savage bird swooped down upon him, and when he had been seized by it he was placed in an ignominious position, looking like one crucified. Can one imagine a viler sight than a youth hanging from a beast’s talons? But Semele was caught up to heaven — not by a savage bird, but by fire. It is no matter for surprise that any should ascend to heaven through fire: that is how Hercules ascended. You laugh at Danae’s ark, but you say nothing of Perseus. (Danae’s hero son — a worthy scion of Zeus.) As for Alcmene, this compliment alone is enough for her, that for her sake Zeus stole away three whole courses of the sun. (“Tam libens cum ea concubuit, unum diem usurparet, duas noctes congeminaret, ita lit Alcumena tam longam noctein admiraretur.” — Hyginus, Fabulae, 29.) But it is time to leave mythology and to talk of the delights of reality, though here I am but a novice; I have only had the society of women to whom love is a profession; perhaps somebody else who has been more deeply initiated might have more to say; but I will make an attempt, though my experience has been so small. Mulieribus ergo lubricum corpus in concubitu, mollia labra ad osculationes, quare et in amplexu brachiorum suorum et in teneritudine carnium corpus suum praebet, quod et juxta amautem jaceus voluptatem circumfundit: oscula autem tanquam sigilla labris ejus imprimit, artificiose enim osculatur et de industria suavius osculum facit. Non labris enim tantum osculatur, sed etiam dentibus convenit et circa os amantis pascitur et basiis suis mordet; cujus et papilla tacta propriam voluptatem affert. In summo vero Veneris discrimine bacchatur voluptate concitata, inhiat dum basiat, et furit; coeunt interea inter se linguae et invicem, quoad licet, osculari volunt:

  majorem autem efficis voluptatem ore ad oscula aperto. Tunc Veneris ad ipsum culmen anhelat propter ardentem voluptatem, natura ipsius cogente, mulier; cujus anhelitus cum amatorio spiritu usque ad labia oris surgens, vaganti occurrit osculo et intus descendere desideranti; quod reversum et post anhelitus mixtionem subsequitur et cor vulnerat. Cor vero cum osculo turbatur, subsalit; et nisi ad ipsum corpus esset religatum, secutum per talia oscula sese in altum ferret. Puerorum contra minime instructa oscula,
carens arte concubitus, tarda Venus; in iis denique nihil est voluptatis.”

  [1] Καὶ ὁ Μενέλαος ‘ἀλλὰ σύ μοι δοκεῖς’ ἔφη ‘μὴ πρωτόπειρος ἀλλὰ γέρων εἰς Ἀφροδίτην τυγχάνειν: τοσαύτας ἡμῶν κατέχεας γυναικῶν περιεργίας. Ἐν μέρει δὲ καὶ τὰ τῶν παίδων ἀντάκουσον. [2] Γυναικὶ μὲν γὰρ πάντα ἐπίπλαστα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τὰ σχήματα: κἂν εἶναι δόξῃ καλή, τῶν ἀλειμμάτων ἡ πολυπράγμων μηχανή: καί ἐστιν αὐτῆς τὸ κάλλος ἢ μύρων ἢ τριχῶν βαφῆς ἢ καὶ φιλημάτων: ἂν δὲ τῶν πολλῶν τούτων γυμνώσῃς δόλων, ἔοικε κολοιῷ γεγυμνωμένῳ τῶν τοῦ μύθου πτερῶν. [3] Τὸ δὲ κάλλος τὸ παιδικὸν οὐκ ἀρδεύεται μύρων ὄσφραις οὐδὲ δολεραῖς καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις ὀσμαῖς, πάσης δὲ γυναικῶν μυραλοιφίας ἥδιον ὄδωδεν ὁ τῶν παίδων ἱδρώς. [4] Ἔξεστι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐν Ἀφροδίτῃ συμπλοκῆς ἐν παλαίστρᾳ συμπεσεῖν καὶ φανερῶς περιχυθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν αἰσχύνην αἱ περιπλοκαί, καὶ οὐ μαλθάσσει τὰς ἐν Ἀφροδίτῃ περιπλοκὰς ὑγρότης σαρκῶν, ἀλλ̓ ἀντιτυπεῖ πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ σώματα καὶ περὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἀθλεῖ. [5] Τὰ δὲ φιλήματα σοφίαν μὲν οὐκ ἔχει γυναικείαν οὐδὲ μαγγανεύει τοῖς χείλεσιν σινάμωρον ἀπάτην, ὡς δὲ οἶδε φιλεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τέχνης ἀλλὰ τῆς φύσεως τὰ φιλήματα. Αὕτη δὲ παιδὸς φιλήματος εἰκών: εἰ νέκταρ ἐπήγνυτο καὶ χεῖλος ἐγίνετο, τοιαῦτα ἂν ἔσχες τὰ φιλήματα. Φιλῶν δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις κόρον, ἀλλ̓ ὅσον ἐμφορῇ, διψῇς ἔτι φιλεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀποσπάσειας τὸ στόμα, μέχρις ἂν ὑφ̓ ἡδονῆς ἐκφύγῃς τὰ φιλήματα.’

  38. Tunc Menelaus: “At enim tu mihi videris,” inquit, “tiro minime sed inveteratus in rebus Veneriis esse, quippe qui tantas mulierum industrias nobis narraveris; nunc contra et res pueriles audi. Apud mulieres omnia fuco illita sunt, et verba et facta, quarum si qua videtur pulchra, nihil est nisi pigmentorum artificiosa colluvies; illius pulchritudo aut murrae aut capillorum tinctorum aut fucorum est: — quibus dolis mulierem si privas omnibus, similis graculo est pennis, qualiter in fabula, denudato. At pulchritudo puerilis non madet olenti murra neque odoribus fallacibus et sui alienis; sudor vero puerilis suavius olet quam omnia mulierum unguenta. Necnon multo ante ipsum concubitum licet pueris in gymnasio occurrere, et palam amplecti, et tales amplexus verecundia non afficiuntur; neque ipsam rem Veneream nimium molleficant lubricae carnes, sed corpus corpori resistit et de voluptate invicem contendit. Oscula vero arte muliebri carent, neque in labris dolos meretricios congerit puer; sed ut novit osculatur, ut basia non sint artis sed naturae: imago basii puerilis, si nectar concretum esset et labrum factum; talia habuisses basia. Osculans denique puerum nunquam satiareris: sed quo magis implereris, eo etiam osculari sitires, neque os ab ore detraheres dum prae ipsa voluptate oscula refugeres.” (p. 123, mention may also be made of a medieval example, the “Ganymede and Helen” (Zeitschrift far Deutsches Alterthum, xviii p. 124), and, in Oriental literature, Arabian Nights, 419 sqq. The curious may find a full investigation of our author’s sources for this dialogue by Friedrich Wilhelm, in vol l vii of the Rheinisches Museum.)

  BOOK III.

  [1] Τρίτην δὲ ἡμέραν πλεόντων ἡμῶν, ἐξ αἰθρίας πολλῆς αἰφνίδιον ἀχλὺς περιχεῖται καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀπωλώλει τὸ φῶς: ἐγείρεται δὲ κάτωθεν ἄνεμος ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς νεώς, καὶ ὁ κυβερνήτης περιάγειν ἐκέλευσε τὴν κεραίαν. [2] Καὶ σπουδῇ περιῆγον οἱ ναῦται, πῇ μὲν τὴν ὀθόνην ἐπὶ θάτερα συνάγοντες ἄνω τοῦ κέρως βίᾳ (τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα σφοδρότερον ἐμπεσὸν ἀνθέλκειν οὐκ ἐπέτρεπε), πῇ δὲ πρὸς θάτερον μέρος, φυλάττοντες τοῦ πρόσθεν μέτρου καθ̓ ὃ συνέβαινεν οὔριον εἶναι τῇ περιαγωγῇ τὸ πνεῦμα. [3] Κλίνεται δὲ κοῖλον τοιχίσαν τὸ σκάφος καὶ ἐπὶ θάτερα μετεωρίζεται καὶ πάντη πρηνὲς ἦν, καὶ ἐδόκει τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡμῶν περιτραπήσεσθαι καθάπαξ ἐμπίπτοντος τοῦ πνεύματος. Μετεσκευαζόμεθα οὖν ἅπαντες εἰς τὰ μετέωρα τῆς νεώς, ὅπως τὸ μὲν βαπτιζόμενον τῆς νεὼς ἀνακουφίσαιμεν, τὸ δὲ τῇ προσθήκῃ βιασάμενοι κατὰ μικρὸν καθέλοιμεν εἰς τὸ ἀντίρροπον. [4] Πλέον δὲ ἠνύομεν οὐδέν: ἀνέφερε γὰρ ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον κορυφούμενον τὸ ἔδαφος τῆς νεώς, ἢ πρὸς ἡμῶν κατεβιβάζετο. [5] Καὶ χρόνον μέν τινα διαταλαντουμένην οὕτω τὴν ναῦν τοῖς κύμασιν ἐπαλαίομεν εἰς τὸ ἀντίρροπον καθελεῖν: αἰφνίδιον δὲ μεταβάλλεται τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπὶ θάτερα τῆς νεὼς καὶ μικροῦ βαπτίζεται τὸ σκάφος, τοῦ μὲν τέως εἰς κῦμα κλιθέντος ἀναθορόντος ὀξείᾳ ῥοπῇ, θατέρου δέ, ὃ ᾐώρητο, καταρραγέντος εἰς τὴν θάλατταν. [6] Κωκυτὸς οὖν αἴρεται μέγας ἐκ τῆς νεώς, καὶ μετοικία πάλιν καὶ δρόμος μετὰ βοῆς ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχαίας ἕδρας. Καὶ τρίτον καὶ τέταρτον καὶ πολλάκις τὸ αὐτὸ πάσχοντες κοινὴν ταύτην εἴχομεν ἐν τῷ σκάφει τὴν πλάνην. Πρὶν μὲν γὰρ μετασκευάσασθαι τὸ πρῶτον, δίαυλος ἡμᾶς διαλαμβάνει δεύτερος.

  1. ON the third day of our voyage, the perfect calm we had hitherto experienced was suddenly overcast by dark clouds and the daylight disappeared, a wind blew upwards from the sea full in the ship’s face, and the helmsman bade the sailyard be slewed round. The sailors hastened to effect this, bunching up half the sail upon the yard by main force, for the increasing violence of the gusts obstructed their efforts; for the rest, they kept enough of the full spread to make the wind help them to tack. As a result of this, the ship lay on her side, one bulwark raised upward into the air and the deck a steep slope, so that most of us thought that she must heel over when the gale next struck us. We transferred ourselves therefore to that part of the boat which was highest out of water, in order to lighten that part which was down in the sea, and so if possible, by our own added weight depressing the former, to bring the whole again to a level; but all was of no avail: the high part of the deck, far from being weighed down by our presence, merely lifted us higher still away from the water. For some time we thus ineffectually struggled to bring to an equilibrium the vessel thus balanced on the waves: but the wind suddenly shifted to the other side so that the ship was almost sent under water, and instantly that part of the boat which had been down in the waves was now violently thrown up, and the part formerly raised on high was crushed down into the waters. Then arose a great wailing from the ship, and all changed their station, running, with shouts and cries, to the position in which they had been before they moved; and the same thing happe
ning a third and a fourth, nay, many times, we thus imitated the motion of the ship; and even before we had finished one transmigration, the necessity for a second and contrary one was upon us.

  [1] Σκευοφοροῦντες οὖν κατὰ τὴν ναῦν διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας δόλιχόν τινα τοῦτον δρόμον μυρίον ἐπονοῦμεν, ἀεὶ τὸν θάνατον προσδοκῶντες. Καὶ ἦν, ὡς εἰκός, οὐ μακράν. [2] Περὶ γὰρ μεσημβρίαν δείλην ὁ μὲν ἥλιος τέλεον ἁρπάζεται, ἑωρῶμεν δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ὡς ἐν σελήνῃ. Πῦρ μὲν ἀπ̓ αὐτῆς ἵπταται, μυκᾶται δὲ βροντῶν ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ τὸν ἀέρα γεμίζει βόμβος, ἀντεβόμβει δὲ κάτωθεν τῶν κυμάτων ἡ στάσις, μεταξὺ δὲ οὐρανοῦ καὶ θαλάσσης ἀνέμων ποικίλων ἐσύριζε ψόφος. [3] Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀὴρ εἶχε σάλπιγγος ἦχον, οἱ δὲ κάλοι περὶ τὴν ὀθόνην πίπτουσιν, ἀντιπαταγοῦντες δὲ ἐτετρίγεσαν: ἐφόβει δὲ καὶ τὰ ξύλα τῆς νεὼς ῥηγνύμενα μὴ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀνοιχθείη τὸ σκάφος τῶν γόμφων ἀποσπωμένων: γέρρα δὲ περὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ναῦν ἐκεκάλυπτο. [4] Καὶ γὰρ ὄμβρος ἐπέκλυζε πολύς, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ γέρρα ὑποδύντες ὥσπερ εἰς ἄντρον ἐμένομεν, παραδόντες ἑαυτοὺς τῇ τύχῃ, ῥίψαντες τὰς ἐλπίδας. [5] Τρικυμίαι δὲ πολλαὶ καὶ πάντοθεν, αἱ μὲν κατὰ πρόσωπον, αἱ δὲ κατ̓ οὐρὰν τῆς νεὼς ἀλλήλαις ἀντέπιπτον. Ἡ δὲ ναῦς ἀεὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸ κυρτούμενον τῆς θαλάσσης ἠγείρετο, πρὸς δὲ τὸ παραδραμὸν ἤδη καὶ χθαμαλὸν τοῦ κύματος κατεδύετο. Ἐῴκει δὲ τῶν κυμάτων μάτων τὰ μὲν ὄρεσι, τὰ δὲ χάσμασιν. [6] Ἦν δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐγκάρσια τῶν κυμάτων ἑκατέρωθεν φοβερώτερα. Ἀναβαίνουσα μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν ἡ θάλασσα διὰ τῶν γέρρων ἐκυλίετο καὶ ἐκάλυπτε πᾶν τὸ σκάφος. [7] Τὸ γὰρ κῦμα αἰρόμενον ὑψοῦ, ψαῦον αὐτῶν τῶν νεφῶν, πόρρωθεν μὲν πρὸς ἀντιπρόσωπον ἐφαίνετο τῷ σκάφει μέγεθος οἷον προσιὸν δὲ βλέπων καταποθήσεσθαι τὴν ναῦν προσεδόκησας. [8] Ἦν οὖν ἀνέμων μάχη καὶ κυμάτων: ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἠδυνάμεθα κατὰ χώραν μένειν ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς νεὼς σεισμοῦ. Συμμιγὴς δὲ πάντων ἐγίνετο βοή: ἐρρόχθει τὸ κῦμα, ἐπάφλαζε τὸ πνεῦμα, ὀλολυγμὸς γυναικῶν, ἀλαλαγμὸς ἀνδρῶν, κελευσμὸς ναυτῶν, πάντα θρήνων καὶ κωκυτῶν ἀνάμεστα. [9] Καὶ ὁ κυβερνήτης ἐκέλευε ῥίπτειν τὸν φόρτον: διάκρισις δ̓ οὐκ ἦν ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ πρὸς ἄλλο τι τῶν εὐτελῶν, ἀλλὰ πάνθ̓ ὁμοίως ἠκοντίζομεν ἔξω τῆς νεώς: πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐμπόρων αὐτοὶ τῶν οἰκείων λαμβάνοντες, ἐν οἷς εἶχον τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἐώθουν ἐπειγόμενοι. Καὶ ἦν ἤδη ἡ ναῦς τῶν ἐπίπλων γυμνή: ὁ δὲ χειμὼν οὐκ ἐσπένδετο.

 

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