Complete Works of Achilles Tatius

by Achilles Tatius

  [1] Κἀγὼ εἶπον ‘μή με βιάσῃ λῦσαι θεσμὸν ὁσίας νεκρῶν: οὔπω τῆς ἀθλίας ἐκείνης τοὺς ὅρους παρήλθομεν, ἕως ἂν γῆς ἐπιβῶμεν ἑτέρας. Οὐκ ἤκουσας, ὡς ἐν θαλάσσῃ τέθνηκεν; ἔτι πλέω Λευκίππης τὸν τάφον: τάχα που περὶ τὴν ναῦν αὐτῆς εἰλεῖται τὸ εἴδωλον. [2] Λέγουσι δὲ τὰς ἐν ὕδατι ψυχὰς ἀνῃρημένας μηδὲ εἰς Ἅδου καταβαίνειν ὅλως, ἀλλ̓ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἔχειν τὴν πλάνην, καὶ ἐπιστήσεται τάχα ἡμῖν συμπλεκομένοις. Ἐπιτήδειον δέ σοι δοκεῖ τὸ χωρίον εἶναι πρὸς γάμον; γάμος ἐπὶ κύματος, γάμος ὑπὸ θαλάσσης φερόμενος; θάλαμον ἡμῖν θέλεις γενέσθαι μὴ μένοντα;’ [3] ‘Σὺ μὲν’ ἔφη ‘σοφίζῃ, φίλτατε: πᾶς δὲ τόπος τοῖς ἐρῶσι θάλαμος: οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄβατον τῷ θεῷ. Θάλασσα δὲ μὴ καὶ οἰκειοτάτη ἐστὶν Ἔρωτι καὶ Ἀφροδισίοις μυστηρίοις; θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη Θαλάσσης. [4] Χαρισώμεθα τῇ γαμηλίῳ θεῷ, τιμήσωμεν αὐτῆς γάμῳ τὴν μητέρα: ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖ τὰ παρόντα γάμων εἶναι σύμβολα. Ζυγὸς μὲν οὗτος ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς κρεμάμενος, δεσμοὶ δὲ περὶ τὴν κεραίαν τεταμένοι: καλά γε, ὦ δέσποτα, τὰ μαντεύματα: ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ὁ θάλαμος καὶ κάλω δεδεμένοι: ἀλλὰ καὶ πηδάλιον τοῦ θαλάμου πλησίον. [5] Ἰδοὺ τοὺς γάμους ἡμῶν ἡ Τύχη κυβερνᾷ, νυμφοστολήσουσι δὲ ἡμᾶς Ποσειδῶν καὶ Νηρεΐδων χορός: ἐνταῦθα γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς Ἀμφιτρίτην γαμεῖ. Λιγυρὸν δὲ συρίζει περὶ τοὺς κάλως καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα: ἐμοὶ μὲν ὑμέναιον ᾄδειν δοκεῖ τὰ τῶν ἀνέμων αὐλήματα. [6] Ὁρᾷς δὲ καὶ τὴν ὀθόνην κεκυρτωμένην, ὥσπερ ἐγκύμονα γαστέρα: δεξιόν μοι καὶ τοῦτο τῶν οἰωνισμάτων: ἔσῃ μοι ταχὺ καὶ πατήρ.’ [7] Ἰδὼν οὖν αὐτὴν σφόδρα ἐγκειμένην ‘φιλοσοφήσωμεν’ εἶπον ‘ὦ γύναι, μέχρις ἂν λαβώμεθα γῆς: ὄμνυμι γάρ σοι τὴν θάλατταν αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλοῦ τύχην, ὡς ἐσπούδακα καὶ αὐτός. Ἀλλ̓ εἰσὶ καὶ θαλάσσης νόμοι. [8] Πολλάκις ἤκουσα παρὰ τῶν ναυτικωτέρων, καθαρὰ δεῖν ἀφροδισίων εἶναι τὰ σκάφη, τάχα μὲν ὡς ἱερά, τάχα δὲ ἵνα μή τις ἐν τηλικούτῳ κινδύνῳ τρυφᾷ. Μὴ ἐνυβρίσωμεν, ὦ φιλτάτη, τῇ θαλάσσῃ: μὴ συμμίξωμεν γάμον ὁμοῦ καὶ φόβον: τηρήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς καθαρὰν τὴν ἡδονήν.’ Ταῦτα λέγων καὶ μειλισσόμενος τοῖς φιλήμασιν ἔπειθον, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὕτως ἐκαθεύδομεν.

  16. “No,” said I, “force me not to do violence to the duty owed to the dead; we have not traversed the limits consecrated to that poor girl until we land in another country. Did you not hear that she perished at sea? I am now sailing over Leucippe’s grave, and perhaps her shade is even now hovering round the ship. They say that the souls of those who have met their end in the deep never go down to Hades, but wander in the same spot about the face of the waters; she may perhaps be present at our embraces. Then does this seem to you a spot suitable for the completion of our marriage? A marriage on the ocean wave, a marriage tossed by the deep? Could you bear that ours should be an unstable and rocking marriage-bed?”— “You quibble, my dearest,” she cried; “lovers find every spot a possible marriage-bed, and Love is a god who finds nowhere inaccessible to him. Indeed where could a place be found more appropriate than on the sea for love and the mysteries of Aphrodite? Aphrodite is the sea’s daughter. Let us propitiate that goddess who presides over marriages and honour her mother by this marriage of ours. Yes, all that I see about seems to me to be emblematic of marriage: here is the yoke of marriage that hangs above our heads, there are the ties of marriage which depend from the yard — fine omens, my lord and master — our couch is beneath the yoke, and the ties are securely fastened. Here too is the rudder close to our couch, and Fortune is the helmsman that directs our espousals; our groomsman and bridesmaids are Poseidon and his train of Nereids; for it was here that he wedded Amphitrite. The wind too whistles tunefully in the rigging: I think that the breath of the gale is singing our bridal song. Then you also see the sail bellying out, like a woman’s fertile womb: this seems to me the most propitious of omens; I shall soon see you a father.” Seeing that she was in a coming-on humour, “Let us continue,” I said, “these arguments, dear lady, until we touch land. I swear to you by this very sea and by the good luck of our voyage, that I too am as anxious as you for fruition; but the sea too has its statutes, and I have often heard from seafaring men that ships should always be pure from the rites of love, perhaps because they themselves are sacred, (I do not know why ships are sacred per se, unless it he for the tutela navis — the figure-head gods.) or perhaps that there should be no dalliance in the dangerous state in which ship-board always is. Therefore, my dearest, do not let us inflict this insult on the sea — we do not want our marriage to have in it a large admixture of fear — let us keep our pleasure pure and undefiled.” Using these words I did my best to appease her with my kisses, and finally succeeded; we then went to sleep in the cabin, just as we were, for the rest of the time on board.

  [1] Πέντε δὲ τῶν ἑξῆς ἡμερῶν διανύσαντες τὸν πλοῦν ἥκομεν εἰς τὴν Ἔφεσον. Οἰκία μεγάλη καὶ πρώτη τῶν ἐκεῖ, θεραπεία πολλὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη παρασκευὴ πολυτελής. [2] Κελεύει δὴ δεῖπνον ὡς ὅτι ἐκπρεπέστατον ἑτοιμάζειν: ‘ἡμεῖς δὲ τέως’ ἔφη ‘χωρήσωμεν εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς.’ Ἀπεῖχον δὲ τῆς πόλεως σταδίους τέτταρας. Ἐπικαθίσαντες οὖν ὀχήματι ἐξήλθομεν. [3] Καὶ ἐπεὶ τάχιστα παρεγενόμεθα, διεβαδίζομεν τοὺς ὀρχάτους τῶν φυτῶν, καὶ ἐξαίφνης προσπίπτει τοῖς γόνασιν ἡμῶν γυνή, χοίνιξι παχείαις δεδεμένη, δίκελλαν κρατοῦσα, τὴν κεφαλὴν κεκαρμένη, ἐρρυπωμένη τὸ σῶμα, χιτῶνα ἀνεζωσμένη ἄθλιον πάνυ, καὶ ‘ἐλέησόν με’ ἔφη ‘δέσποινα, γυνὴ γυναῖκα, ἐλευθέραν μέν, ὡς ἔφυν, δούλην δὲ νῦν, ὡς δοκεῖ τῇ Τύχῃ,’ καὶ ἅμα ἐσιώπησε. [4] Λέγει οὖν ἡ Μελίτη ‘ἀνάστηθι, ὦ γύναι: λέγε τίς εἶ καὶ πόθεν, καὶ τίς σοι τοῦτον περιέθηκε τὸν σίδηρον: κέκραγε γάρ σου καὶ ἐν κακοῖς ἡ μορφὴ τὴν εὐγένειαν.’ ‘Ὁ σὸς’ εἶπεν ‘οἰκέτης, ὅτι αὐτῷ μὴ πρὸς εὐνὴν ἐδούλευον. [5] Ὄνομά μοι Λάκαινα, Θετταλὴ τὸ γένος, καί σοι προσφέρω μου ταύτην τὴν τύχην ἱκετηρίαν. Ἀπόλυσόν με τῆς καθεστώσης συμφορᾶς: πάρασχε δέ μοι τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, ἔστ̓ ἂν ἀποτίσω τὰς δισχιλίας: τοσούτου γάρ με ὁ Σωσθένης ἀπὸ τῶν λῃστῶν ἐωνήσατο. [6] Ποριοῦμεν
δέ, εὖ ἴσθι, τὴν ταχίστην: εἰ δὲ μή, σοὶ δουλεύσομεν. Ὁρᾷς δὲ καὶ πληγαῖς ὡς κατέξηνέ με πολλαῖς.’ Καὶ ἅμα διανοίξασα τὸν χιτῶνα δείκνυσι τὰ νῶτα διαγεγραμμένα ἔτι οἰκτρότερον. [7] Ὡς οὖν ταῦτα ἠκούσαμεν, ἐγὼ μὲν συνεχύθην: καὶ γάρ τι ἐδόκει Λευκίππης ἔχειν: ἡ δὲ Μελίτη ἔφη ‘θάρρει, γύναι: τούτων γάρ σε λύσομεν εἴς τε τὴν οἰκείαν προῖκα ἀποπέμψομεν. Τὸν Σωσθένην [8] καλεσάτω τις ἡμῖν.’ Ἡ μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς τῶν δεσμῶν ἠλευθεροῦτο, ὁ δὲ παρῆν τεταραγμένος. Λέγει οὖν ἡ Μελίτη ‘ὦ κακὴ κεφαλή, τίνα ποτὲ κἂν τῶν ἀχρειοτάτων οἰκετῶν τεθέασαι παῤ ἡμῖν οὕτως ᾐκισμένον; τίς αὕτη; λέγε μηδὲν ψευσάμενος.’ [9] ‘Οὐκ οἶδα’ εἶπεν ‘ὦ δέσποινα, πλὴν ἔμπορός τις, ὄνομα Καλλισθένης, ταύτην μοι πέπρακε, φάσκων ἐωνῆσθαι μὲν αὐτὴν ἀπὸ λῃστῶν, εἶναι δὲ ἐλευθέραν: [10] ὄνομα δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ ἔμπορος ἐκάλει Λάκαιναν.’ Ἡ δὲ τὸν μὲν τῆς διοικήσεως, ἧς εἶχεν, ἀπέπαυσε, τὴν δὲ παραδίδωσι θεραπαίναις, κελεύσασα λοῦσαι καὶ ἐσθῆτα ἀμφιέσαι καθαρὰν καὶ εἰς ἄστυ ἀγαγεῖν: διοικήσασα δέ τινα τῶν κατὰ τοὺς ἀγρούς, ὧν ἕνεκεν παρῆν, ἐπιβᾶσα τοῦ ὀχήματος ἅμα ἐμοί, ἐπανῄειμεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ περὶ τὸ δεῖπνον ἦμεν.

  17. It took us five days sail after this to reach Ephesus. Her house there was large and one of the most important in the city, her servants numerous and her furniture costly. She first ordered a most elaborate dinner to be prepared; “Meanwhile,” said she, “we will visit my country seat.” This was about half a mile from the city, and we entered a carriage and set out for it. On our arrival we were walking through the rows of plants in the garden when suddenly there threw herself at our feet a woman wearing heavy fetters and holding a hoe, her head shorn, her person dirty, clad in a short and wretched garment. “Have pity on me,” she cried, “my lady, let a woman pity a woman, and one that was once free, and was born so, though now, by the decree of Fortune, a slave.” After these words she remained silent; so “Rise, woman,” said Melitte, “say who you are and whence you come, and to whom you owe these fetters. Even in your misery your appearance proclaims aloud that you are of gentle birth.”

  “It is your steward,” she replied, “because I would not be a slave to his lusts. My name is Lacaena, I come from Thessaly. I lay before you this my fate with all supplication. Save me from this threatening disaster, grant me security until I can pay you the two thousand pieces of gold; that was the sum for which Sosthenes bought me from the hands of the pirates, and be sure that I can raise it with very small delay; if not, I will be your slave. Yes, and you can see how he has torn my flesh with many stripes,” and, as she spoke, she opened her tunic and shewed us her back most piteously marked and scarred. When we heard her story, while I was greatly moved, finding some look of Leucippe about her, Melitte said, “Be of good cheer, woman: I will both deliver you from your present apprehension and will send you back to your own country without ransom. Let someone call Sosthenes hither to us.”

  The woman was at once freed from her fetters, and Sosthenes appeared before us greatly disordered. “Wretch,” said Melitte to him, “have you ever seen even the most worthless of my slaves disfigured like this at my hands? Who is this woman? No lies, now: tell me the whole story.”

  “I know nothing, Madam,” said he, “save that a dealer named Callisthenes sold her to me, saying that he had bought her from some pirates, and that she was of free birth. The dealer said that her name was Lacaena.” Melitte deposed him from his stewardship, and handed over the woman to her serving-maids, bidding them wash her, clothe her in clean garments, and bring her to town. Then, having settled the business connected with her country place, the object of her journey thither, she entered the carriage with me and returned to the city, where we set about our dinner.

  [1] Ἑστιωμένῳ δέ μοι μεταξὺ σημαίνει νεύσας ὁ Σάτυρος προανίστασθαι, καὶ ἦν τὸ πρόσωπον ἐσπουδακώς. Σκηψάμενος οὖν ὑπό τινος τῶν κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα ἐπείγεσθαι ἐξανίσταμαι: καὶ ἐπεὶ προῆλθον, [2] λέγει μὲν οὐδέν, ἐπιστολὴν δὲ ὀρέγει. Λαβὼν δέ, πρὶν ἀναγνῶναί με, κατεπλάγην εὐθύς: ἐγνώρισα γὰρ Λευκίππης τὰ γράμματα. Ἐγέγραπτο δὲ τάδε: ΛΕΥΚΙΠΠΗ ΚΛΕΙΤΟΦΩΝΤΙ ΤΩ῾̣̣̓ ΔΕΣΠΟΤΗ῾̣̣̓ ΜΟΥ. [3] Τοῦτο γάρ σε δεῖ καλεῖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἀνὴρ εἶ τῆς ἐμῆς. Ὅσα μὲν διὰ σὲ πέπονθα, οἶδας: ἀνάγκη δὲ νῦν ὑπομνῆσαί σε. [4] Διὰ σὲ τὴν μητέρα κατέλιπον καὶ πλάνην εἱλόμην, διὰ σὲ πέπονθα ναυαγίαν καὶ λῃστῶν ἠνεσχόμην: διὰ σὲ ἱερεῖον γέγονα καὶ καθαρμὸς καὶ τέθνηκα ἤδη δεύτερον, διὰ σὲ πέπραμαι καὶ ἐδέθην σιδήρῳ καὶ δίκελλαν ἐβάστασα καὶ ἔσκαψα γῆν καὶ ἐμαστιγώθην, ἵνα σὺ ὃ γέγονας ἄλλῃ γυναικὶ κἀγὼ ἑτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ γένωμαι; [5] Μὴ γένοιτο. Ἀλλ̓ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἀνάγκαις διεκαρτέρησα, σὺ δὲ ἄπρατος, ἀμαστίγωτος γαμεῖς. Εἴ τις οὖν τῶν πεπονημένων διὰ σὲ κεῖται χάρις, δεήθητί σου τῆς γυναικὸς ἀποπέμψαι, ὡς ἐπηγγείλατο: τὰς δὲ δισχιλίας, ἃς ὁ Σωσθένης ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ κατεβάλετο, πίστευσον ἡμῖν καὶ ἐγγύησαι πρὸς τὴν Μελίτην ὅτι πέμψομεν: ἐγγὺς γὰρ τὸ Βυζάντιον. [6] Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀποτίσῃς, νόμιζε μισθόν μοι δεδωκέναι τῶν ὑπὲρ σοῦ πόνων. Ἔρρωσο καὶ ὄναιο τῶν καινῶν γάμων. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἔτι σοι ταῦτα γράφω παρθένος.

  18. I was about at the middle of the banquet when Satyrus indicated to me by signs to come aside, with a grave expression on his face. I therefore made some pretence of a call of nature, and left the table. When I had come to him, he said nothing, but handed me a letter. Even as I took it from him, before I began to read it, I was thunder-struck; for I recognized Leucippe’s writing! This was the tenor of it.

  Leucippe, to my lord Clitophon.

  Lord I must call you, as you are my lady’s husband. You know what I have suffered for your sake, but perforce I must remind you of it. For you I left my mother and, took up the life of a wanderer; for you I suffered shipwreck and fell into the hands of pirates; for you I became a victim for sacrifice and an expiatory offering and twice entered the valley of the shadow of death; for you I was sold and fettered, I carried a hoe, I tilled the ground, I underwent the scourge — and was this all that I might become to another man what you have become to another woman? Never. I, through all these trials, have persevered to the end; you were never sold, never scourged, but you are marrying. If you have any gratitude for all that I have suffered for your sake, ask your wife to send me home as she promised; lend me the two thousand pieces of gold which Sosthenes paid for me, and go bail to Melitte that I will send them to her. Byzantium is not far off, and even if you have to pay the money yourself, consider it
a return for the miseries endured for your sake. Fare you well, and be happy in your new espousals: I who write this to you am still a virgin.

  [1] Τούτοις ἐντυχὼν πάντα ἐγινόμην ὁμοῦ: ἀνεφλεγόμην, ὠχρίων, ἐθαύμαζον, ἠπίστουν, ἔχαιρον, [2] ἠχθόμην. Λέγω οὖν πρὸς τὸν Σάτυρον ‘πότερον ἐξ Ἅδου ἥκεις φέρων τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ἢ τί ταῦτα θέλει; Λευκίππη πάλιν ἀνεβίω;’ ‘Μάλιστα’ ἔφη, ‘καὶ ἔστιν ἣν εἶδες ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς. Τότε μὲν οὖν οὐδ̓ ἂν ἄλλος αὐτὴν ἰδὼν ἐγνώρισεν, ἔφηβον οὕτω γενομένην: τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ τῶν τριχῶν αὐτῆς κουρὰ μόνον [3] ἐνήλλαξεν.’ ‘Εἶτα ἕστηκας’ ἔφην ‘ἐπὶ τηλικούτοις ἀγαθοῖς καὶ μέχρι τῶν ὤτων μόνον εὐφραίνεις, ἀλλ̓ οὐ δεικνύεις καὶ τοῖς ὄμμασι τἀγαθά;’ ‘Μὴ σύ γε’ εἶπεν ὁ Σάτυρος: ‘ἀλλ̓ ἐνεὸς κάτασχε ‘μὴ πάντα ἀπολέσῃς’, ἕως ἂν περὶ τούτων ἀσφαλέστερον βουλευσώμεθα. [4] Γυναῖκα ὁρᾷς τὴν πρώτην Ἐφεσίων μαινομένην ἐπὶ σοί, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐρήμους ἐν μέσαις ἄρκυσιν.’ ‘Ἀλλ̓ οὐ δύναμαι’ ἔφην: （ἐπέρχεται γὰρ διὰ πασῶν τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὁδῶν ἡ χαρά. [5] Ἀλλ̓ ἰδού μοι διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐγκαλεῖ.） Καὶ ἅμα αὖθις ἐντυγχάνων τοῖς γράμμασιν, ὡς ἐκείνην δἰ αὐτῶν βλέπων, καὶ ἀναγινώσκων καθ̓ ἓν ἔλεγον ‘δίκαια ἐγκαλεῖς, φιλτάτη. Πάντα δἰ ἐμὲ ἔπαθες: [6] πολλῶν σοι γέγονα κακῶν αἴτιος.’ Ὡς δὲ εἰς τὰς μάστιγας καὶ εἰς τὰς βασάνους ἐγενόμην, ἃς ὁ Σωσθένης αὐτῇ παρετρίψατο, ἔκλαον ὥσπερ αὐτὰς τὰς βασάνους βλέπων αὐτῆς: ὁ γὰρ λογισμὸς πέμπων τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ ὄμματα πρὸς τὴν ἀπαγγελίαν τῶν γραμμάτων, ἐδείκνυ τὰ ὁρώμενα ὡς δρώμενα: πάνυ δὲ ἠρυθρίων ἐφ̓ οἷς μοι τὸν γάμον ὠνείδιζεν, ὥσπερ ἐπ̓ αὐτοφώρῳ μοιχὸς κατειλημμένος. Οὕτως ᾐσχυνόμην καὶ τὰ γράμματα.