Λυκῖνος ἐπεὶ τοίνυν, ὦ Κράτων, δεινήν τινα ταύτην κατηγορίαν ἐκ πολλοῦ, οἶμαι, παρεσκευασμένος κατηγόρηκας ὀρχήσεών τε καὶ αὐτῆς ὀρχηστικῆς, καὶ προσέτι ἡμῶν γε τῶν χαιρόντων τῇ τοιαύτῃ θέᾳ ὡς ἐπὶ φαύλῳ καὶ γυναικείῳ πράγματι μεγάλην σπουδὴν ποιουμένων, ἄκουσον ὅσον τοῦ ὀρθοῦ διημάρτηκας καὶ ὡς λέληθας σεαυτὸν τοῦ μεγίστου τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἀγαθῶν κατηγορῶν. καὶ συγγνώμη σοι εἰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς βίῳ αὐχμηρῷ συζῶν καὶ μόνον τὸ σκληρὸν ἀγαθὸν ἡγούμενος ὑπʼ ἀπειρίας αὐτῶν κατηγορίας ἄξια εἶναι νενόμικας.
LYCINUS Here are heavy charges, Crato; I suppose you have been getting up this subject for some time. You are not content with attacking the whole pantomimic art, practical and theoretic; we too, the pleased spectators thereof, come in for our share: we have been lavishing our admiration, it seems, on effeminate triflers. And now let me show you how completely you have been mistaken; you will find that the art you have been maligning is the greatest boon of our existence. There is some excuse for your strictures: how should you know any better, confirmed ascetic that you are, believing that virtue consists in being uncomfortable?
Κράτων ἀνὴρ δὲ τίς ὢν ὅλως, καὶ ταῦτα παιδείᾳ σύντροφος καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ τὰ μέτρια ὡμιληκώς, ἀφέμενος, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τοῦ περὶ τὰ βελτίω σπουδάζειν καὶ τοῖς παλαιοῖς συνεῖναι κάθηται καταυλούμενος, θηλυδρίαν ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶν ἐσθῆσι μαλακαῖς καὶ ᾄσμασιν ἀκολάστοις ἐναβρυνόμενον καὶ μιμούμενον ἐρωτικὰ γύναια, τῶν πάλαι τὰς μαχλοτάτας, Φαίδρας καὶ Παρθενόπας καὶ Ῥοδόπας τινάς, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ὑπὸ κρούμασιν καὶ τερετίσμασι καὶ ποδῶν κτύπῳ, καταγέλαστα ὡς ἀληθῶς πράγματα καὶ ἥκιστα ἐλευθέρῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ οἵῳ σοὶ πρέποντα; ὥστε ἔγωγε πυθόμενος ὡς ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ θέᾳ σχολάζοις, οὐκ ᾐδέσθην μόνον ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠνιάθην εἰ Πλάτωνος καὶ Χρυσίππου καὶ Ἀριστοτέλους ἐκλαθόμενος κάθησαι τὸ ὅμοιον πεπονθὼς τοῖς τὰ ὦτα πτερῷ κνωμένοις, καὶ ταῦτα μυρίων ἄλλων ὄντων ἀκουσμάτων καὶ θεαμάτων σπουδαίων, εἰ τούτων τις δέοιτο, τῶν κυκλίων αὐλητῶν καὶ τῶν κιθάρᾳ τὰ ἔννομα προσᾳδόντων, καὶ μάλιστα τῆς σεμνῆς τραγῳδίας καὶ τῆς φαιδροτάτης κωμῳδίας, ἅπερ καὶ ἐναγώνια εἶναι ἠξίωται.
Κράτων πολλῆς οὖν, ὦ γενναῖε, τῆς ἀπολογίας σοι δεήσει πρὸς τοὺς πεπαιδευμένους, εἰ βούλει μὴ παντάπασιν ἐκκεκρίσθαι καὶ τῆς τῶν σπουδαίων ἀγέλης ἐξεληλάσθαι. καίτοι τό γε ἄμεινον ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν, οἶμαι, ἀρνήσει τὸ πᾶν ἰάσασθαι καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁμολογεῖν τι τοιοῦτον παρανενομῆσθαί σοι. πρὸς δʼ οὖν τοὐπιὸν ὅρα ὅπως μὴ λάθῃς ἡμῖν ἐξ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ πάλαι Λυδή τις ἢ Βάκχη γενόμενος, ὅπερ οὐ σὸν ἂν ἔγκλημα εἴη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῶν, εἰ μή σε κατὰ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα τοῦ λωτοῦ ἀποσπάσαντες ἐπὶ τὰς συνήθεις διατριβὰς ἐπανάξομεν πρὶν λάθῃς τελέως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ Σειρήνων κατεσχημένος. καίτοι ἐκεῖναι μὲν τοῖς ὠσὶν μόνοις ἐπεβούλευον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κηροῦ ἐδέησεν πρὸς τὸν παράπλουν αὐτῶν· σὺ δὲ καὶ διʼ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔοικας ὅλος δεδουλῶσθαι.
CRATO Now, my dear sir, can any one who calls himself a man, and an educated man, and in some sort a student of philosophy,—can such a one leave those higher pursuits, leave communing with the sages of old, to sit still and listen to the sound of a flute, and watch the antics of an effeminate creature got up in soft raiment to sing lascivious songs and mimic the passions of prehistoric strumpets, of Rhodopes and Phaedras and Parthenopes, to the accompaniment of twanging string and shrilling pipe and clattering heel? It is too absurd: these are not amusements for a gentleman; not amusements for Lycinus. When I first heard of your spending your time in this way, I was divided betwixt shame and indignation, to think that you could so far forget Plato and Chrysippus and Aristotle, as to sit thus having your ears tickled with a feather. If you want amusements, are there not a thousand things worth seeing and hearing? Can you not hear classical music performed at the great festivals? Are there not lofty tragedy and brilliant comedy,—things that have been deemed worthy of state recognition? My friend, you have a long reckoning to settle with men of learning, if you would not be repudiated altogether, and expelled from the congregation of the wise. I think your best course will be a point-blank denial: declare flatly that you never did anything of the kind. Anyhow, you must watch your conduct for the future: we do not want to find that our Lycinus has changed his sex, and become a Bacchante or a Lydian damsel. That would be as much to our discredit as to yours: for ours should be Odysseus’s part,—to tear you from the lotus, and bring you back to your accustomed pursuits; to save you from the clutches of these stage Sirens before it is too late. The Sirens, after all, did but plot against men’s ears; it needed but a little wax, and a man might sail past them uninjured: but yours is a captivity of ear and eye, of body and soul.
Λυκῖνος παπαῖ, ὦ Κράτων, ὡς κάρχαρόν τινα ἔλυσας ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὸν σαυτοῦ κύνα. πλὴν τό γε παράδειγμα„ τὴν τῶν Λωτοφάγων καὶ Σειρήνων εἰκόνα, πάνυ ἀνομοιοτάτην μοι δοκεῖς εἰρηκέναι ὧν πέπονθα, παρʼ ὅσον τοῖς μὲν τοῦ λωτοῦ γευσαμένοις καὶ τῶν Σειρήνων ἀκούσασιν ὄλεθρος ἦν τῆς τε ἐδωδῆς καὶ τῆς ἀκροάσεως τοὐπιτίμιον, ἐμοὶ δὲ πρὸς τῷ τὴν ἡδονὴν παρὰ πολὺ ἡδίω πεφυκέναι καὶ τὸ τέλος ἀγαθὸν ἀποβέβηκεν· οὐ γὰρ εἰς λήθην τῶν οἴκοι οὐδʼ εἰς ἀγνωσίαν τῶν κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν περιίσταμαι, ἀλλʼ εἰ χρὴ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν, μακρῷ πινυτώτερος καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ διορατικώτερος ἐκ τοῦ θεάτρου σοι ἐπανελήλυθα. μᾶλλον δέ, τὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου αὐτὸ εἰπεῖν καλόν, ὅτι ὁ τοῦτο ἰδὼν τὸ θέαμα τερψάμενος νεῖται καὶ πλείονα εἰδώς.
Κράτων Ἡράκλεις, ὦ Λυκῖνε, οἷα πέπονθας, ὃς οὐδʼ αἰσχύνῃ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σεμνυνομένῳ ἔοικας. τὸ γοῦν δεινότατον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι μηδὲ ἰάσεώς τινα ἡμῖν ὑποφαίνεις ἐλπίδα, ἐπαινεῖν τολμῶν τὰ οὕτως αἰσχρὰ καὶ κατάπτυστα.
Λυκῖνος εἰπέ μοι, ὦ Κράτων, ταυτὶ δὲ περὶ ὀρχήσεως καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ γινομένων ἰδὼν πολλάκις αὐτὸς ἐπιτιμᾷς, ἢ ἀπείρατος ὢν τοῦ θεάματος ὅμως αἰσχρὸν αὐτὸ καὶ κατάπτυστον, ὡς φής, νομίζεις; εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἶδες, ἐξ ἴσου ἡμῖν καὶ σὺ γεγένησαι· εἰ δὲ μή, ὅρα μὴ ἄλογος ἡ ἐπιτίμησις εἶναί σου δόξῃ καὶ θρασεῖα, κατηγοροῦντος ὧν ἀγνοεῖς.
Κράτων ἔτι γὰρ τοῦτό μοι τὸ λοιπὸν ἦν, ἐν βαθεῖ τούτῳ τῷ πώγωνι καὶ πολιᾷ τῇ κόμῃ καθῆσθαι μέσον ἐν τοῖς γυναίοις καὶ τοῖς μεμηνόσιν ἐκείνοις θεαταῖς, κροτοῦντά τε προσέτι καὶ ἐπαίνους ἀπρεπεστάτους ἐπιβοῶντα ὀλέθρῳ τινὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐς οὐδὲν δέον κατακλωμένῳ.
Λυκῖνος συγγνωστά σου ταῦτα, ὦ Κράτων. εἰ δέ μοι πεισθείης ποτὲ καὶ ὅσον πείρας ἕνεκα παράσχοις σεαυτὸν ἀναπετάσας τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, εὖ οἶδα ὡς οὐκ ἀνάσχοιο ἂν μὴ οὐχὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων θέαν ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ καταλαμβάνων ὅθεν καὶ ὄψει ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἀκούσῃ ἅπαντα.
Κράτων μὴ ὥρας ἄρα ἱκοίμην, εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ἀνασχοίμην ποτέ, ἔστʼ ἂν δασύς τε εἴην τὰ σκέλη καὶ τὸ γένειον ἀπαράτιλτος· ὡς νῦν γε καὶ σὲ ἤδη ἐλεῶ τελέως ἡμῖν ἐκβεβακχευμένον.
LYCINUS Goodness gracious! All the Cynic in you is loose, and snarls at me. At the same time, I think your Lotus-and-Siren simile is rather off the point: you see, the people who ate the Lotus and listened to the Sirens paid for the gratification of ear and palate with their lives: whereas I not only have a great deal more enjoyment than they had, but am all the better for it. I have experienced no oblivion of my domestic affairs, nor blindness to my own interests; in fact—if I may venture to say so—you will find my penetration and practical wisdom considerably increased by my theatrical experiences. Homer has it exactly: the spectator
Returns a gladder and a wiser man.
CRATO Dear, dear! Yours is a sad case, Lycinus. You are not even ashamed; you seem quite pleased with yourself. That is the worst of it: there seems no hope of your recovery, while you can actually commend the mire in which you wallow.
LYCINUS Now, Crato,—you talk of pantomimes and theatres,—have you seen these performances yourself, that you are so hard on them? or do you decide that they are ‘foul mire’ without personal experience? If you have seen them, you are just as bad as I am; and if not, are you justified in censuring them? does it not savour of over-confidence, to condemn what you know nothing about?
CRATO Truly that would be the climax: that I should show my long beard and white hairs amid that throng of women and lunatics; and clap and yell in unseemly rapture over the vile contortions of an abandoned buffoon.
LYCINUS I can make allowance for you. But wait till I have prevailed on you to give it a fair trial, to accept the judgement of your own eyes: after that you will never be happy till you have secured the best seat in the theatre, where you may hear every syllable, mark every gesture.
CRATO While this beard is yet unplucked, these limbs unshaven, God forbid that I should ever find happiness in such things. As it is, my poor friend, I see that you are wholly possessed.
Λυκῖνος βούλει οὖν ἀφέμενος, ὦ ἑταῖρε, τῶν βλασφημιῶν τούτων ἀκοῦσαί μού τι περὶ ὀρχήσεως λέγοντος καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ καλῶν, καὶ ὡς οὐ τερπνὴ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν τοῖς θεωμένοις, καὶ ὅσα παιδεύει καὶ ὅσα διδάσκει, καὶ ὡς ῥυθμίζει τῶν ὁρώντων τὰς ψυχάς, καλλίστοις θεάμασιν ἐγγυμνάζουσα καὶ ἀρίστοις ἀκούσμασιν ἐνδιατρίβουσα καὶ κοινόν τι ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος κάλλος ἐπιδεικνυμένη; τὸ γὰρ καὶ μετὰ μουσικῆς καὶ ῥυθμοῦ ταῦτα πάντα ποιεῖν οὐ ψόγος ἂν αὐτῆς ἀλλʼ ἔπαινος μᾶλλον εἴη.
Κράτων ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πάνυ σχολὴ μεμηνότος ἀνθρώπου ἀκροᾶσθαι τὴν νόσον τὴν αὑτοῦ ἐπαινοῦντος· σὺ δὲ εἰ βούλει λῆρόν τινα κατασκεδάσαι μου, ἕτοιμος φιλικὴν ταύτην λειτουργίαν ὑποστῆναι καὶ παρασχεῖν τὰ ὦτα, καὶ ἄνευ κηροῦ παρακούειν τῶν φαύλων δυνάμενος. ὥστε ἤδη σιωπήσομαί σοι, καὶ λέγε ὁπόσα ἐθέλεις ὡς μηδὲ ἀκούοντός τινος.
Λυκῖνος εὖ γε, ὦ Κράτων, καὶ τούτου ἐδεόμην μάλιστα· εἴσῃ γὰρ μετʼ ὀλίγον εἰ λῆρος εἶναί σοι δόξει τὰ λεχθησόμενα. καὶ πρῶτόν γε ἐκεῖνο πάνυ ἠγνοηκέναι μοι δοκεῖς, ὡς οὐ νεώτερον τὸ τῆς ὀρχήσεως ἐπιτήδευμα τοῦτό ἐστιν οὐδὲ χθὲς καὶ πρῴην ἀρξάμενον, οἷον κατὰ τοὺς προπάτορας ἡμῶν ἢ τοὺς ἐκείνων, ἀλλʼ οἵ γε τἀληθέστατα ὀρχήσεως πέρι γενεαλογοῦντες ἅμα τῇ πρώτῃ γενέσει τῶν ὅλων φαῖεν ἄν σοι καὶ ὄρχησιν ἀναφῦναι, τῷ ἀρχαίῳ ἐκείνῳ Ἔρωτι συναναφανεῖσαν. ἡ γοῦν χορεία τῶν ἀστέρων καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀπλανεῖς τῶν πλανήτων συμπλοκὴ καὶ εὔρυθμος αὐτῶν κοινωνία καὶ εὔτακτος ἁρμονία τῆς πρωτογόνου ὀρχήσεως δείγματά ἐστιν. κατʼ ὀλίγον δὲ αὐξανομένη καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον ἀεὶ προσθήκης τυγχάνουσα, νῦν ἔοικεν ἐς τὸ ἀκρότατον ἀποτετελέσθαι καὶ γεγενῆσθαι ποικίλον τι καὶ παναρμόνιον καὶ πολύμουσον ἀγαθόν.
LYCINUS Now suppose you were to abstain from further abuse, and hear what I have to say of the merits of Pantomime; of the manner in which it combines profit with amusement; instructing, informing, perfecting the intelligence of the beholder; training his eyes to lovely sights, filling his ears with noble sounds, revealing a beauty in which body and soul alike have their share. For that music and dancing are employed to produce these results is no disparagement of the art; it is rather a recommendation.
CRATO I have not much time for listening to a madman’s discourse in praise of his own madness. However—if you must deluge me with nonsense—I am prepared to do you that friendly office. My ears are at your service: they need no wax to render them deaf to foolishness. Henceforth I will be silent: speak on;—no one is listening.
LYCINUS Thank you, Crato; just what I wanted. As to ‘foolishness,’ that remains to be seen. Now, to begin with, you seem to be quite ignorant of the antiquity of the pantomimic art. It is not a new thing; it does not date from to-day or yesterday; not, that is to say, from our grandfathers’ times, nor from their grandfathers’ times. The best antiquarians, let me tell you, trace dancing back to the creation of the universe; it is coeval with that Eros who was the beginning of all things. In the dance of the heavenly bodies, in the complex involutions whereby the planets are brought into harmonious intercourse with the fixed stars, you have an example of that art in its infancy, which, by gradual development, by continual improvements and additions, seems at length to have reached its climax in the subtle harmonious versatility of modern Pantomime.
Λυκῖνος πρῶτον δέ φασιν Ῥέαν ἡσθεῖσαν τῇ τέχνῃ ἐν Φρυγίᾳ μὲν τοὺς Κορύβαντας, ἐν Κρήτῃ δὲ τοὺς Κουρῆτας ὀρχεῖσθαι κελεῦσαι, καὶ οὐ τὰ μέτρια ὤνατο τῆς τέχνης αὐτῶν, οἵ γε περιορχούμενοι διεσώσαντο αὐτῇ τὸν Δία, ὥστε καὶ σῶστρα εἰκότως ἂν ὁ Ζεὺς ὀφείλειν ὁμολογοίη αὐτοῖς, ἐκφυγὼν διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ὄρχησιν τοὺς πατρῴους ὀδόντας. ἐνόπλιος δὲ αὐτῶν ἡ ὄρχησις ἦν, τὰ ξίφη μεταξὺ κροτούντων πρὸς τὰς ἀσπίδας καὶ πηδώντων ἔνθεόν τι καὶ πολεμικόν.
Μετὰ δέ, Κρητῶν οἱ κράτιστοι ἐνεργῶς ἐπιτηδεύσαντες αὐτὸ ἄριστοι ὀρχησταὶ ἐγένοντο, οὐχ οἱ ἰδιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ βασιλικώτεροι καὶ πρωτεύειν ἀξιοῦντες. ὁ γοῦν Ὅμηρος τὸν Μηριόνην, οὐκ αἰσχῦναι βουλόμενος ἀλλὰ κοσμῆσαι, ὀρχηστὴν προσεῖπεν, καὶ οὕτως ἄρα ἐπίσημος ἦν καὶ γνώριμος ἅπασιν ἐπὶ τῇ ὀρχηστικῇ ὥστε οὐχ οἱ Ἕλληνες μόνον ταῦτα ἠπίσταντο περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ Τρῶες αὐτοί, καίτοι πολέμιοι ὄντες· ἑώρων γάρ, οἶμαι, καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ πολεμεῖν αὐτοῦ κουφότητα καὶ εὐρυθμίαν, ἣν ἐξ ὀρχήσεως ἐκέκτητο. φησὶν δὲ τὰ ἔπη ὧδέ πως· Μηριόνη, τάχα κέν σε καὶ ὀρχηστήν περ ἐόντα / ἔγχος ἐμὸν κατέπαυσε. / καὶ ὅμως οὐ κατέπαυσεν αὐτόν· ἅτε γὰρ ἠσκημένος ἐν τῇ ὀρχηστικῇ, ῥᾳδίως, οἶμαι, διεδίδρασκεν τὰς ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀφέσεις τῶν ἀκοντίων.
Λυκῖνος πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τῶν ἡρώων εἰπεῖν ἔχων τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐγγεγυμνασμένους καὶ τέχνην τὸ πρᾶγμα πεποιημένους, ἱκανὸν ἡγοῦμαι τὸν Νεοπτόλεμον, Ἀχιλλέως μὲν παῖδα ὄντα, πάνυ δὲ διαπρέψαντα ἐν τῇ ὀρχηστικῇ καὶ εἶδος τὸ κάλλιστον αὐτῇ προστεθεικότα, Πυρρίχιον ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ κεκλημένον· καὶ ὁ Ἀχιλλεύς, ταῦτα ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδὸς πυνθανόμενος, μᾶλλον ἔχαιρεν, οἶμαι, ἢ ἐπὶ τῷ κάλλει καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ ἀλκῇ αὐτοῦ. τοιγαροῦν τὴν Ἴλιον, τέως ἀνάλωτον οὖσαν, ἡ ἐκείνου ὀρχηστικὴ καθεῖλεν καὶ εἰς ἔδαφος κατέρριψεν.
The first step, we learn, was taken by Rhea, who was so pleased with the art that she introduced it among the Corybantes in Phrygia and the Curetes in Crete. She was richly rewarded: for by their dancing they saved her child Zeus, who owes it to them (nor can he with decency deny it) that he escaped the paternal teeth. The dancing was performed in full armour; sword clashed against shield, and inspired heels beat martial time upon the ground. The art was presently taken up by the leading men in Crete, who by dint of practice became admirable dancers; and this applies not only to private persons, but to men of the first eminence, and of royal blood. Thus Homer, when he calls Meriones a dancer, is not disparaging him, but paying him a compliment: his dancing fame, it seems, had spread not only throughout the Greek world, but even into the camp of his enemies, the Trojans, who would observe, no doubt, on the field of battle that agility and grace of movement which he had acquired as a dancer. The passage runs as follows:
Meriones, great dancer though thou be, My spear had stopped thy dancings,—
it did not, however, do so; his practice in that art enabling him, apparently, to evade without difficulty any spears that might be hurled at him.
I could mention a number of other heroes who went through a similar course of training, and made a serious study of dancing: but I will confine myself to the case of Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, and a most eminent dancer. He it was who invented that beautiful dance called after him the Pyrrhic; a circumstance which may be supposed to have afforded more gratification to his father than his comeliness, or his prowess in other respects. Thus Troy, impregnable till then, falls a victim to the dancer’s skill, and is levelled with the dust.
Λυκῖνος Λακεδαιμόνιοι μέν, ἄριστοι Ἑλλήνων εἶναι δοκοῦντες, παρὰ Πολυδεύκους καὶ Κάστορος καρυατίζειν μαθόντες (ὀρχήσεως δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἶδος, ἐν Καρύαις τῆς Λακωνικῆς διδασκόμενον) ἅπαντα μετὰ Μουσῶν ποιοῦσιν, ἄχρι τοῦ πολεμεῖν πρὸς αὐλὸν καὶ ῥυθμὸν καὶ εὔτακτον ἔμβασιν τοῦ ποδός· καὶ τὸ πρῶτον σύνθημα Λακεδαιμονίοις πρὸς τὴν μάχην ὁ αὐλὸς ἐνδίδωσιν. τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἐκράτουν ἁπάντων, μουσικῆς αὐτοῖς καὶ εὐρυθμίας ἡγουμένης.
ἴδοις δʼ ἂν νῦν ἔτι καὶ τοὺς ἐφήβους αὐτῶν οὐ μεῖον ὀρχεῖσθαι ἢ ὁπλομαχεῖν μανθάνοντας· ὅταν γὰρ ἀκροχειρισάμενοι καὶ παίσαντες καὶ παισθέντες ἐν τῷ μέρει παύσωνται, εἰς ὄρχησιν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἀγωνία τελευτᾷ, καὶ αὐλητὴς μὲν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ κάθηται ἐπαυλῶν καὶ κτυπῶν τῷ ποδί, οἱ δὲ κατὰ στοῖχον ἀλλήλοις ἑπόμενοι σχήματα παντοῖα ἐπιδείκνυνται πρὸς ῥυθμὸν ἐμβαίνοντες, ἄρτι μὲν πολεμικά, μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ χορευτικά, ἃ Διονύσῳ καὶ Ἀφροδίτῃ φίλα.
Λυκῖνος τοιγαροῦν καὶ τὸ ᾆσμα ὃ μεταξὺ ὀρχούμενοι ᾄδουσιν Ἀφροδίτης ἐπίκλησίς ἐστιν καὶ Ἐρώτων, ὡς συγκωμάζοιεν αὐτοῖς καὶ συνορχοῖντο. καὶ θάτερον δὲ τῶν ᾀσμάτων — δύο γὰρ ᾄδεται — διδασκαλίαν ἔχει ὡς χρὴ ὀρχεῖσθαι. πόρρω γάρ, φασίν, ὦ παῖδες, πόδα μετάβατε καὶ κωμάξατε βέλτιον, τουτέστιν ἄμεινον ὀρχήσασθε.
ὅμοια δὲ καὶ οἱ τὸν ὅρμον καλούμενον ὀρχούμενοι ποιοῦσιν.
Λυκῖνος ὁ δὲ ὅρμος ὄρχησίς ἐστιν κοινὴ ἐφήβων τε καὶ παρθένων, παρʼ ἕνα χορευόντων καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὅρμῳ ἐοικότων· καὶ ἡγεῖται μὲν ὁ ἔφηβος τὰ νεανικὰ ὀρχούμενος καὶ ὅσοις ὕστερον ἐν πολέμῳ χρήσεται, ἡ παρθένος δὲ ἕπεται κοσμίως τὸ θῆλυ χορεύειν διδάσκουσα, ὡς εἶναι τὸν ὅρμον ἐκ σωφροσύνης καὶ ἀνδρείας πλεκόμενον. καὶ αἱ γυμνοπαιδίαι δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως ὄρχησίς ἐστιν.
The Lacedaemonians, who are reputed the bravest of the Greeks, ever since they learnt from Castor and Pollux the Caryatic (a form of dance which is taught in the Lacedaemonian town of Caryae), will do nothing without the accompaniment of the Muses: on the field of battle their feet keep time to the flute’s measured notes, and those notes are the signal for their onset. Music and rhythm ever led them on to victory. To this day you may see their young men dividing their attention between dance and drill; when wrestling and boxing are over, their exercise concludes with the dance. A flute-player sits in their midst, beating time with his foot, while they file past and perform their various movements in rhythmic sequence, the military evolutions being followed by dances, such as Dionysus and Aphrodite love. Hence the song they sing is an invitation to Aphrodite and the Loves to join in their dance and revel; while the other (I should have said that they have two songs) contains instructions to the dancers: ‘Forward, lads: foot it lightly: reel it bravely’ (i.e. dance actively). It is the same with the chain dance, which is performed by men and girls together, dancing alternately, so as to suggest the alternating beads of a necklace. A youth leads off the dance: his active steps are such as will hereafter be of use to him on the field of battle: a maiden follows, with the modest movements that befit her sex; manly vigour, maidenly reserve,—these are the beads of the necklace. Similarly, their Gymnopaedia is but another form of dance.
Λυκῖνος ἃ δὲ Ὅμηρος ὑπὲρ Ἀριάδνης ἐν τῇ ἀσπίδι πεποίηκεν καὶ τοῦ χοροῦ ὃν αὐτῇ Δαίδαλος ἤσκησεν ὡς ἀνεγνωκότι σοι παρίημι, καὶ τοὺς ὀρχηστὰς δὲ τοὺς δύο οὓς ἐκεῖ ὁ ποιητὴς κυβιστητῆρας καλεῖ, ἡγουμένους τοῦ χοροῦ, καὶ πάλιν ἃ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ἀσπίδι λέγει· κοῦροι δʼ ὀρχηστῆρες ἐδίνεον, ὥς τι κάλλιστον τοῦτο τοῦ Ἡφαίστου ἐμποιήσαντος τῇ ἀσπίδι. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ Φαίακας καὶ πάνυ εἰκὸς ἦν ὀρχήσει χαίρειν, ἁβρούς τε ὄντας καὶ ἐν πάσῃ εὐδαιμονίᾳ διατρίβοντας. ὁ γοῦν Ὅμηρος τοῦτο αὐτῶν μάλιστα θαυμάζοντα πεποίηκε τὸν Ὀδυσσέα καὶ τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς τῶν ποδῶν θεώμενον.
Λυκῖνος ἐν μέν γε Θεσσαλίᾳ τοσοῦτον ἐπέδωκεν τῆς ὀρχηστικῆς ἡ ἄσκησις, ὥστε τοὺς προστάτας καὶ προαγωνιστὰς αὐτῶν προορχηστῆρας ἐκάλουν· καὶ δηλοῦσι τοῦτο αἱ τῶν ἀνδριάντων ἐπιγραφαὶ οὓς τοῖς ἀριστεύουσιν ἀνίστασαν· προὔκρινεν γάρ, φασίν, προορχηστῆρα ἁ πόλις. καὶ αὖθις, Εἰλατίωνι τὰν εἰκόνα ὁ δᾶμος εὖ ὀρχησαμένῳ τὰν μάχαν.
Λυκῖνος ἐῶ λέγειν, ὅτι τελετὴν οὐδεμίαν ἀρχαίαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἄνευ ὀρχήσεως, Ὀρφέως δηλαδὴ καὶ Μουσαίου καὶ τῶν τότε ἀρίστων ὀρχηστῶν καταστησαμένων αὐτάς, ὥς τι κάλλιστον καὶ τοῦτο νομοθετησάντων, σὺν ῥυθμῷ καὶ ὀρχήσει μυεῖσθαι. ὅτι δʼ οὕτως ἔχει, τὰ μὲν ὄργια σιωπᾶν ἄξιον τῶν ἀμυήτων ἕνεκα, ἐκεῖνο δὲ πάντες ἀκούουσιν, ὅτι τοὺς ἐξαγορεύοντας τὰ μυστήρια ἐξορχεῖσθαι λέγουσιν οἱ πολλοί.
Λυκῖνος ἐν Δήλῳ δέ γε οὐδὲ αἱ θυσίαι ἄνευ ὀρχήσεως ἀλλὰ σὺν ταύτῃ καὶ μετὰ μουσικῆς ἐγίγνοντο. παίδων χοροὶ συνελθόντες ὑπʼ αὐλῷ καὶ κιθάρᾳ οἱ μὲν ἐχόρευον, ὑπωρχοῦντο δὲ οἱ ἄριστοι προκριθέντες ἐξ αὐτῶν. τὰ γοῦν τοῖς χοροῖς γραφόμενα τούτοις ᾄσματα ὑπορχήματα ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ ἐμπέπληστο τῶν τοιούτων ἡ λύρα.
You have read your Homer; so that I need say nothing of the Shield of Achilles, with its choral dance, modelled on that which Daedalus designed for Ariadne; nor of the two dancers (‘tumblers,’ he calls them) there represented as leading the dance; nor again of the ‘whirling dance of youth,’ so beautifully wrought thereon by Hephaestus. As to the Phaeacians, living as they did in the lap of luxury, nothing is more natural than that they should have rejoiced in the dance. Odysseus, we find, is particularly struck with this: he gazes with admiration on the ‘twinkling of their feet.’ In Thessaly, again, dancing was such a prominent feature, that their rulers and generals were called ‘Dancers-in- chief,’ as may be seen from the inscriptions on the statues of their great men: ‘Elected Prime Dancer,’ we read; and again: ‘This statue was erected at the public expense to commemorate Ilation’s well-danced victory.’
I need hardly observe that among the ancient mysteries not one is to be found that does not include dancing. Orpheus and Musaeus, the best dancers of their time, were the founders of these rites; and their ordinances show the value they attached to rhythm and dance as elements in religion. To illustrate this point would be to make the ceremonial known to the uninitiated: but so much is matter of common knowledge, that persons who divulge the mysteries are popularly spoken of as ‘dancing them out.’ In Delos, not even sacrifice could be offered without dance and musical accompaniment. Choirs of boys gathered and performed their dance to the sound of flute and lyre, and the best of them were chosen to act characters; the songs written for these occasions were known as chorales; and the ancient lyric poetry abounded in such compositions.
Cite This Text