Complete Works of Achilles Tatius

by Achilles Tatius

  “We,” said I, “have never seen one up to this time, except in a picture.”

  “In that case,” he said, “I will describe it to you, as we have plenty of time. The female has a long period of pregnancy; for she takes ten years (Pliny, H.N. viii. 10. “The common sort of men think that they go with young for ten years, but Aristotle that they go but two years.”) to give form to the seed in her womb, and after that period she brings forth, her offspring being thus already old. This is the reason, I imagine, that he grows in the end to such an enormous bulk, is unconquerable by reason of his strength, and is so long-lived and slow to come to his end; they say that he lives longer than the crow in Hesiod. (Although the extant works of Hesiod, as we have them, do not include this allusion, we fortunately have a reference to it in Pliny, and Hesiod’s exact words preserved to us in Plutarch, de defectu oracidorum (Morals, 415 c):

  έvvέa roi ζώζι yeveizs λαχέρυζα κυρώνη άνδρών ηβώντων.

  Nine ages of men in their flower doth live The cawing crow.) The elephant’s jaw is like the head of an ox, because to the observer his mouth appears to have two horns; these are, however, in reality the elephant’s curved tusks. Between them grows his trunk, in appearance and size not unlike a trumpet, and very convenient for all that the beast may require; it takes up his food for him or anything that he finds to eat; if it is proper nutriment for an elephant, he takes it at once, and then bending inwards towards his jaw, delivers it to his mouth; but if he sees that it is anything too rich for him, he seizes it, twists up his find in a circle, raises it on high, and offers it as a gift to his master. This master is an Ethiopian who sits on his back, a sort of elephant horseman; the beast fawns on him and fears him, and attends to his voice and submits to be beaten by him, the instrument with which he is beaten being an iron axe. I once saw an extraordinary sight; there was a Greek who had put his head right into the middle of the animal’s jaws; it kept its mouth open and breathed upon him as he remained in that position. I was surprised at both, the audacity of the man and the amiability of the elephant; but the man told me that he had in fact given the animal a fee for it, because the beast’s breath was only less sweet than the scents of India, and a sovereign remedy for the headache. The elephant knows that he possesses this power of healing, and will not open his mouth for nothing; he is one of those rascally doctors that insist on having their fee first. When you give it him, he graciously consents, stretches open his jaws, and keeps them agape as long as the man desires; he knows that he has let out on hire the sweetness of his breath.”

  [1] ‘Καὶ πόθεν’ ἔφην ‘οὕτως ἀμόρφῳ θηρίῳ τοσαύτη τῆς εὐωδίας ἡδονή;’ ‘Ὅτι’ ἔφη Χαρμίδης ‘τοιαύτην ποιεῖται καὶ τὴν τροφήν. Ἰνδῶν γὰρ ἡ γῆ γείτων ἡλίου: πρῶτοι γὰρ ἀνατέλλοντα τὸν θεὸν ὁρῶσιν Ἰνδοί, καὶ αὐτοῖς θερμότερον τὸ φῶς ἐπικάθηται, καὶ τηρεῖ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν βαφήν. [2] Γίνεται δὲ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἄνθος Αἰθίοπος χρόας, ἔστι δὲ παῤ Ἰνδοῖς οὐκ ἄνθος ἀλλὰ πέταλον, οἷα παῤ ἡμῖν τὰ πέταλα τῶν φυτῶν, ὃ ἐκεῖ μὲν κλέπτει τὴν πνοὴν καὶ τὴν ὀδμὴν οὐκ ἐπιδείκνυται: ἢ γὰρ ἀλαζονεύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς εἰδότας ὀκνεῖ ἢ τῆς ἡδονῆς τοῖς πολίταις φθονεῖ: ἂν δὲ τῆς γῆς μικρὸν ἐξοικήσῃ καὶ ὑπερβῇ τοὺς ὅρους, ἀνοίγει τῆς κλοπῆς τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ ἄνθος ἀντὶ φύλλου γίνεται καὶ τὴν ὀδμὴν ἐνδύεται. [3] Μέλαν τοῦτο ῥόδον Ἰνδῶν. Ἔστι δὲ τοῖς ἐλέφασι σιτίον, ὡς τοῖς βουσὶ παῤ ἡμῖν ἡ πόα. Ἅτε οὖν ἐκ πρώτης γονῆς αὐτῷ τραφείς, ὄδωδέ τε πᾶς κατὰ τὴν τροφήν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα πέμπει κάτωθεν εὐωδέστατον ὃ τῆς πνοῆς αὐτῷ γέγονε πηγή.’

  5. “From what source,” said I, “does this ugly beast get this delightful scent of his?”— “From the character of his food,” said Charmides. “The country of the Indians is close to the sun: they are the first to see the sun-god rising; his rays are very hot when they strike them, and their body preserves the tint due to exposure to his fire. (Ovid, Met ii. 235 (of Phaethon’s fatal drive): —

  The Aethiopians at that time (as men for truth uphold)

  — The blood by force of that same heat drawn to the outer part

  And there adust from that time forth — became so black and swart.) We Greeks have a certain flower as dark as a negro’s skin: in India it is not a flower, but a leaf, such as we find on trees in our country: there, it conceals its fragrance and gives no evidence of its scent; for it either hesitates to vaunt its qualities before those who know them well, or grudges them to those of its own country. But if it remove but a little from its own haunts and pass the borders of its own land, it throws open the sweetness that it has hidden, turns into a flower instead of a leaf, and becomes invested with scent. This is the black rose of the Indians; it is the food of the elephant, as is grass to our oxen. Nurtured on it from birth, the whole animal acquires the scent of its food and sends forth its breath endowed with the sweetest savour — its breathing is the origin of its fragrance.”

  [1] Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἀπηλλάγημεν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, μικρὸν διαλιπὼν ‘ὅτι οὐ δύναταί τις τρωθεὶς ἀνέχεσθαι θλιβόμενος τῷ πυρὶ’ τὸν Μενέλαον μεταπέμπεται καὶ τῆς χειρὸς λαβόμενος λέγει ‘ἀγαθὸν εἰς φιλίαν οἶδά σε ἐξ ὧν ἔπραξας εἰς Κλειτοφῶντα: [2] κἀμὲ δὲ εὑρήσεις οὐ χείρονα. Δέομαι δὲ παρὰ σοῦ χάριτος σοὶ μὲν ῥᾳδίας, ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀνασώσεις τὴν ψυχήν, ἂν παράσχῃς. Λευκίππη με ἀπολώλεκε: σῶσον δὲ σύ. Ὀφείλεταί σοι παῤ αὐτῆς ζωάγρια, μισθὸς δὲ σοὶ μὲν χρυσοῖ πεντήκοντα τῆς διακονίας, αὐτῇ δὲ [3] ὅσους ἂν θέλῃ.’ Λέγει οὖν ὁ Μενέλαος ‘τοὺς μὲν χρυσοῦς ἔχε καὶ φύλαττε τοῖς τὰς χάριτας πιπράσκουσιν: ἐγὼ δὲ φίλος ὢν πειράσομαι γενέσθαι σοι χρήσιμος.’ Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ πάντα καταγορεύει. Ἐβουλευόμεθα οὖν τί δεῖ πράττειν. Ἔδοξε δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπατῆσαι: [4] τὸ γὰρ ἀντιλέγειν οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον ἦν, μὴ καὶ βίαν προσαγάγῃ: τὸ δὲ φεύγειν ἀδύνατον, πάντη μὲν λῃστῶν περικεχυμένων, τοσούτων δὲ στρατιωτῶν ἀμφ̓ αὐτὸν ὄντων.

  6. Not very long after the general had made an end of these stories (for he who has suffered Cupid’s attack cannot long endure torture in his fire), he sent for Menelaus and took him by the hand, saying: “Your services to Clitophon shew that you have a genius for friendship; and you shall find the same in me. I ask of you a favour which is quite easy for you to perform; and by granting it you can save my life, if you will. Leucippe is the death of me; do you come to the rescue. She is already in your debt for saving her life; your reward for the service you can do me will be fifty pieces of gold, while she can have as much as she likes.”

  “No,” said Menelaus, “keep your money for those who make their friendship a matter of barter; I, who am already your friend, will try to be of service to you.” With these words, he came to me and related the whole story, and we took counsel what to do. Our conclusion was that it was best
to cozen him; for open opposition was not without danger, in case he should employ force, while flight was impossible, as we were surrounded on every side both by the robbers and by his own very large retinue of soldiers.

  [1] Μικρὸν οὖν διαλιπὼν ὁ Μενέλαος, ἀπελθὼν πρὸς τὸν Χαρμίδην ‘κατείργασται τὸ ἔργον’ ἔφη, ‘καίτοι τὸ πρῶτον ἠρνεῖτο ἰσχυρῶς ἡ γυνή: δεομένου δέ μου καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκοντος τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐπένευσεν. [2] Ἀξιοῖ δὲ δικαίαν δέησιν ὀλίγων αὐτῇ χαρίσασθαι προθεσμίαν ἡμερῶν, ‘ἔστ̓ ἂν εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἀφίκωμαι: κώμη γὰρ αὕτη καὶ ἐν ὄψει τὰ γινόμενα καὶ πολλοὶ μάρτυρες.’’ ‘Εἰς μακρὰν’ ὁ Χαρμίδης εἶπε ‘δίδωσι τὴν χάριν. [3] Ἐν πολέμῳ δὲ τίς ἐπιθυμίαν ἀναβάλλεται; στρατιώτης δὲ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχων μάχην οἶδεν εἰ ζήσεται; τοσαῦται τῶν θανάτων εἰσὶν ὁδοί. Αἴτησαί μοι παρὰ τῆς Τύχης τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καὶ μενῶ. Ἐπὶ πόλεμον νῦν ἐξελεύσομαι βουκόλων: ἔνδον μου τῆς ψυχῆς ἄλλος πόλεμος κάθηται: στρατιώτης με πορθεῖ τόξον ἔχων, βέλος ἔχων: [4] νενίκημαι, πεπλήρωμαι βελῶν. Κάλεσον, ἄνθρωπε, ταχὺ τὸν ἰώμενον: ἐπείγει τὸ τραῦμα. Ἅψω πῦρ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους: ἄλλας δᾷδας ὁ ἔρως ἀνῆψε κατ̓ ἐμοῦ. [5] Τοῦτο πρῶτον, Μενέλαε, σβέσον τὸ πῦρ. Καλὸν τὸ οἰώνισμα πρὸ πολέμου συμβολῆς ἐρωτικὴ συμπλοκή. Ἀφροδίτη με πρὸς Ἄρεα ἀποστειλάτω.’ Καὶ ὁ Μενέλαος ‘ἀλλ̓ ὁρᾷς’ ἔφη ‘ὡς οὐκ ἔστι ῥᾴδιον λαθεῖν αὐτὴν ἐνθάδε τὸν ἄνδρα ὄντα καὶ ταῦτα ἐρῶντα.’ [6] Καὶ ὁ Χαρμίδης ‘ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε ῥᾴδιον’ ἔφη ‘τὸν Κλειτοφῶντα ἀποφορτίσασθαι.’ Ὁρῶν οὖν ὁ Μενέλαος τοῦ Χαρμίδου τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ φοβηθεὶς περὶ ἐμοῦ, [7] ταχύ τι σκήπτεται πιθανὸν καὶ λέγει ‘βούλει τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς ἀναβολῆς; ἡ γυνὴ χθὲς ἀφῆκε τὰ ἔμμηνα καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνελθεῖν οὐ θέμις.’ ‘Οὐκοῦν ἀναμενοῦμεν’ ὁ Χαρμίδης εἶπεν ‘ἐνταῦθα τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἢ τέτταρας, αὗται γὰρ ἱκαναί. [8] Ὃ δὲ ἔξεστιν αἰτοῦ παῤ αὐτῆς: εἰς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡκέτω τοὺς ἐμοὺς καὶ λόγων μεταδότω: ἀκοῦσαι θέλω φωνῆς, χειρὸς θιγεῖν, ψαῦσαι σώματος: αὗται γὰρ ἐρώντων παραμυθίαι. Ἔξεστι δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ φιλῆσαι: τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ κεκώλυκεν ἡ γαστήρ.’

  7. Menelaus therefore waited a short time, and then returned to Charmides. “Your business is done,” he said. “At first she refused most vehemently, but when I implored her, reminding her that she was under obligations to me, she consented. She makes, however, a reasonable request, and that is a short delay of a few days; ‘Until,’ she says, ‘I arrive at Alexandria; this is only a village, where everything is in the public view, and there are too many here who see everything that goes on.’ “— “It is a long time to wait,” said Charmides, “for her favours. When one is at war, how can one postpone one’s desires? And when a soldier is just going into battle, how can he know whether he will survive? There are so many different roads to death; if you can get my safety guaranteed to me by Fate, I will wait. I am just going out to fight against buccaneers; but within my soul there is a different kind of conflict. A warrior, (Cupid.) armed with bow and arrows, is ravaging me: I am beaten, I am covered with wounds; call, my friend, call quickly the physician that can heal me; the wound is dangerous. I shall carry fire into the country of my enemies; but Love has lit up another kind of torch against me; do you, Menelaus, quench this fire first. Love’s congress would be a fair omen before we join in battle; let it be Aphrodite that sends me out on my way to Ares.”

  “But you must see,” said Menelaus, “that it is not easy for her here to trick her future husband, especially as he is greatly in love with her.”

  “Tush,” said Charmides, “it is easy enough to send off Clitophon somewhere else.”

  Menelaus saw that Charmides was in earnest, and began to fear for my safety; he therefore hastily concocted a plausible excuse saying: “Do you wish to know the real reason of the delay? Only yesterday there was upon her after the manner of women, so that she cannot be approached by a man.”

  “Very well then,” said Charmides, “we must wait here three or four days, which will be quite enough. But ask her to do what is possible; let her at any rate come into my sight and converse with me; I wish to hear her voice, to hold her hand, to touch her — the consolations of lovers. Yes, and I may kiss her too; in her condition there is no objection to this.”

  [1] Ὡς οὖν ταῦτα ὁ Μενέλαος ἐλθὼν ἀπαγγέλλει μοι, πρὸς τοῦτο ἀνεβόησα ὡς θᾶττον ἂν ἀποθάνοιμι ἢ περιίδω Λευκίππης φίλημα ἀλλοτριούμενον. ‘Οὗ τί γὰρ’ ἔφην ‘ἐστὶ γλυκύτερον; [2] τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔργον τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ὅρον ἔχει καὶ κόρον καὶ οὐδὲν ἐστίν, ἐὰν ἐξέλῃς αὐτοῦ τὰ φιλήματα: φίλημα δὲ καὶ ἀόριστόν ἐστι καὶ ἀκόρεστον καὶ καινὸν ἀεί. Τρία γὰρ τὰ κάλλιστα ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος ἄνεισιν, ἀναπνοὴ καὶ φωνὴ καὶ φίλημα. [3] Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ χείλεσιν ἀλλήλους φιλοῦμεν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐστι πηγή. Πίστευσόν μοι λέγοντι, Μενέλαε, （ἐν γὰρ τοῖς κακοῖς ἐξορχήσομαι τὰ μυστήρια） ταῦτα μόνα παρὰ Λευκίππης ἔχω κἀγώ: ἔτι μένει παρθένος: μέχρι μόνων τῶν φιλημάτων ἐστί μου γυνή. [4] Εἰ δέ τις ἁρπάσει μου καὶ ταῦτα, οὐ φέρω τὴν φθοράν, οὐ μεμοιχεύσεταί μου τὰ φιλήματα.’ ‘Οὐκοῦν’ ἔφη ὁ Μενέλαος ‘βουλῆς ἡμῖν ἀρίστης δεῖ καὶ ταχίστης. [5] Ἐρῶν γάρ τις, εἰς ὅσον μὲν ἔχει τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ τυχεῖν, φέρει, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ τυχεῖν ἀποτεινόμενος: ἐὰν δὲ ἀπογνῷ, τὸ ἐπιθυμοῦν μεταβαλὼν ἀντιλυπῆσαι μέχρι τοῦ δυνατοῦ τολμᾷ τὸ κωλῦον. [6] Ἔστω δὲ καὶ ἰσχύς, ὥστε τι δρᾶσαι μετὰ τοῦ μὴ παθεῖν: τότε δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ μὴ φοβούμενον ἀγριαίνει μᾶλλον τὸ θυμούμενον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ καιρὸς ἐπείγει τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ ἄπορον.’

  8. When Menelaus came and told me this, I cried out that I would much rather die than see Leucippe’s kiss bestowed upon another. “What,” I said, “can be sweeter than her kiss? Love’s full enjoyment comes to an end and one is soon sated with it — it is nothing, if you take away the kisses from it; the kiss does not come to an end, never brings satiety, and is always fresh. Three very charming things come from the mouth; the breath, the voice, and the kiss; we kiss those whom we love with the lips, but the spring of the pleasure comes from the soul. Believe me, Menelaus, when I tell you (for in my troubles I will reveal to you th
e most sacred secrets), that this is all that even I have received from Leucippe; she is still a virgin; only as far as kisses go she is my spouse; and if another is to ravish these from me, I will not tolerate the rape; there can be no adultery with my kisses.”

  It is clear, then,” said Menelaus, “that we need good and speedy counsel. For when a man is in love, he can bear it so long as he cherishes a hope of success, striving eagerly to that very success; once drive him to despair, and he will transform his desire into a passion to inflict pain in return upon that which stands in his way. And suppose he has power also, so as to inflict, without suffering, an injury, then the fact that his spirit is without fear inflames his fury further; and the opportunity urges him to deal drastically with his difficult situation.” (I do not feel at all sure of the exact meaning of Menelaus’ last sentence. It might also mean: “Yes, and the occasion [the short time we have in which to act] increases our difficulties in dealing with the situation.”)

  [1] Σκοπούντων οὖν ἡμῶν εἰστρέχει τις τεθορυβημένος καὶ λέγει τὴν Λευκίππην ἄφνω βαδίζουσαν καταπεσεῖν καὶ τὼ ὀφθαλμὼ διαστρέφειν. Ἀναπηδήσαντες οὖν ἐθέομεν ἐπ̓ αὐτὴν καὶ ὁρῶμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κειμένην. [2] Προσελθὼν οὖν ἐπυθόμην ὅ τι πάθοι: ἡ δὲ ὡς εἶδέ με, ἀναπηδήσασα παίει με κατὰ τῶν προσώπων, ὕφαιμον βλέπουσα: ὡς δὲ καὶ ὁ Μενέλαος οἷός τε ἦν ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι, παίει κἀκεῖνον τῷ σκέλει. Συνέντες οὖν ὅτι μανία εἴη τις τὸ κακόν, βίᾳ συλλαβόντες ἐπειρώμεθα κρατεῖν: ἡ δὲ προσεπάλαιεν ἡμῖν, οὐδὲν φροντίζουσα κρύπτειν ὅσα γυνὴ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι θέλει. [3] Θόρυβος οὖν πολὺς περὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αἴρεται, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸν εἰσδραμεῖν τὸν στρατηγὸν καὶ τὰ γινόμενα ὁρᾶν. Ὁ δὲ τὰ πρῶτα σκῆψιν ὑπώπτευε τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ τέχνην ἐπ̓ αὐτόν, καὶ τὸν Μενέλαον ὑπεβλέπετο: ὡς δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἑώρα τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἔπαθέ τι καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἠλέησε. [4] Κομίσαντες οὖν βρόχους ἔδησαν τὴν ἀθλίαν. Ὡς δὲ εἶδον αὐτῆς περὶ τὰς χεῖρας τὰ δεσμά, ἐδεόμην Μενελάου τῶν πολλῶν ἀπηλλαγμένων ἤδη ‘λύσατε’ λέγων, ‘ἱκετεύω, λύσατε: οὐ φέρουσι δεσμὸν χεῖρες ἁπαλαί: ἐάσατέ με σὺν αὐτῇ: μόνος ἐγὼ περιπτυξάμενος αὐτῇ δεσμὸς ἔσομαι: μαινέσθω κατ̓ ἐμοῦ. [5] Τί γάρ με καὶ ξῆν ἔτι δεῖ; οὐ γνωρίζει με Λευκίππη παρόντα, κεῖται δέ μοι δεδεμένη, καὶ ὁ ἀναιδὴς ἐγὼ λῦσαι δυνάμενος οὐκ ἐθέλω. Ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἡμᾶς σέσωκεν ἡ Τύχη ἐκ τῶν λῃστῶν, ἵνα γένῃ μανίας παιδιά; [6] ὦ δυστυχεῖς ἡμεῖς, ὅταν εὐτυχήσωμεν. Τοὺς οἴκοι φόβους ἐκπεφεύγαμεν, ἵνα ναυαγίαν δυστυχήσωμεν: ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης περιγεγόναμεν: ἐκ τῶν λῃστῶν ἀνασεσώσμεθα: [7] μανίᾳ γὰρ ἐτηρούμεθα. Ἐγὼ μέν, ἂν σωφρονήσῃς, φιλτάτη, φοβοῦμαι πάλιν τὸν δαίμονα μή τί σοι κακὸν ἐργάσηται. Τίς οὖν ἡμῶν κακοδαιμονέστερος, οἳ φοβούμεθα καὶ τὰ εὐτυχήματα; ἀλλ̓ εἰ μόνον μοι σωφρονήσειας καὶ σεαυτὴν ἀπολάβοις, παιζέτω πάλιν ἡ Τύχη.’