Μεγαπένθης ἄκουσον, ὦ Κλωθοῖ, ἅ σοι ἰδίᾳ μηδενὸς ἀκούοντος εἰπεῖν βούλομαι· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀπόστητε πρὸς ὀλίγον. ἄν με ἀφῇς ἀποδρᾶναι, χίλιά σοι τάλαντα χρυσίου ἐπισήμου δώσειν ὑπισχνοῦμαι τήμερον.
Κλωθώ ἔτι γὰρ χρυσόν, ὦ γελοῖε, καὶ τάλαντα διὰ μνήμης ἔχεις;
Μεγαπένθης καὶ τοὺς δύο δὲ κρατῆρας, εἰ βούλει, προσθήσω οὓς ἔλαβον ἀποκτείνας Κλεόκριτον, ἕλκοντας ἑκάτερον χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου τάλαντα ἑκατόν.
Κλωθώ ἕλκετε αὐτόν· ἔοικε γὰρ οὐκ ἐπεμβήσεσθαι ἡμῖν ἑκών.
Μεγαπένθης μαρτύρομαι ὑμᾶς, ἀτελὲς μένει τὸ τεῖχος καὶ τὰ νεώρια· ἐξετέλεσα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὰ ἐπιβιοὺς πέντε μόνας ἡμέρας.
Κλωθώ Ἀμέλησον· ἄλλος τειχιεῖ.
Μεγαπένθης καὶ μὴν τοῦτό γε πάντως εὔγνωμον αἰτῶ.
Κλωθώ τὸ ποῖον;
Μεγαπένθης εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐπιβιῶναι, μέχρι ἂν ὑπαγάγωμαι Πισίδας καὶ Λυδοῖς ἐπιθῶ τοὺς φόρους καὶ μνῆμα ἑαυτῷ παμμέγεθες ἀναστήσας ἐπιγράψω ὁπόσα ἔπραξα μεγάλα καὶ στρατηγικὰ παρὰ τὸν βίον.
Κλωθώ οὗτος, οὐκέτι μίαν ἡμέραν ταύτην αἰτεῖς, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν διατριβήν.
Μεγαπένθης καὶ μὴν ἐγγυητὰς ὑμῖν ἕτοιμος παρασχέσθαι τοῦ τάχους καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου. εἰ βούλεσθε δέ, καὶ ἄντανδρον ὑμῖν ἀντʼ ἐμαυτοῦ παραδώσω τὸν ἀγαπητόν.
Κλωθώ ὦ μιαρέ, ὃν ηὔχου πολλάκις ὑπὲρ γῆς καταλιπεῖν;
Μεγαπένθης πάλαι ταῦτα ηὐχόμην· νυνὶ δὲ ὁρῶ τὸ βέλτιον.
Κλωθώ ἥξει κἀκεῖνός σοι μετʼ ὀλίγον ὑπὸ τοῦ νεωστὶ βασιλεύοντος ἀνῃρημένος.
MEGAPENTHES Yes, but it was mine after that.
CLOTHO Well, and now your term of possession expires.
MEGAPENTHES A word in your ear, madam; no one else must hear this.—Sirs, withdraw for a space.—Clotho, if you will let me escape, I pledge myself to give you a quarter of a million sterling this very day.
CLOTHO Ha, ha! So your millions are still running in your head?
MEGAPENTHES Shall I throw in the two mixing-bowls that I got by the murder of Cleocritus? They weigh a couple of tons apiece; refined gold!
CLOTHO Drag him up. We shall never get him to come on board by himself.
MEGAPENTHES I call you all to witness! My city-wall, my docks, remain unfinished. I only wanted five days more to complete them.
CLOTHO Never mind. It will be another’s work now.
MEGAPENTHES Stay! One request I can make with a clear conscience.
CLOTHO Well?
MEGAPENTHES Suffer me only to complete the conquest of Persia; … and to impose tribute on Lydia; … and erect a colossal monument to myself, … and inscribe thereon the military achievements of my life. Then let me die.
CLOTHO Creature, this is no single day’s reprieve: you would want something like twenty years.
MEGAPENTHES Oh, but I am quite prepared to give security for my expeditious return. Nay, I could provide a substitute, if preferred—my well-beloved!
CLOTHO Wretch! How often have you prayed that he might survive you!
MEGAPENTHES That was a long time ago. Now,—I see a better use for him.
CLOTHO But he is due to be here, shortly, let me tell you. He is to be put to death by the new sovereign.
Μεγαπένθης οὐκοῦν ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε μὴ ἀντείπῃς ὦ Μοῖρά μοι.
Κλωθώ τὸ ποῖον;
Μεγαπένθης εἰδέναι βούλομαι τὰ μετʼ ἐμὲ ὅντινα ἕξει τὸν τρόπον.
Κλωθώ ἄκουε· μᾶλλον γὰρ ἀνιάσῃ μαθών. τὴν μὲν γυναῖκα Μίδας ὁ δοῦλος ἕξει, καὶ πάλαι δὲ αὐτὴν ἐμοίχευεν.
Μεγαπένθης ὁ κατάρατος, ὃν ἐγὼ πειθόμενος αὐτῇ ἀφῆκα ἐλεύθερον;
Κλωθώ ἡ θυγάτηρ δέ σοι ταῖς παλλακίσι τοῦ νυνὶ τυραννοῦντος ἐγκαταλεγήσεται· αἱ εἰκόνες δὲ καὶ ἀνδριάντες οὓς ἡ πόλις ἀνέστησέ σοι πάλαι πάντες ἀνατετραμμένοι γέλωτα παρέξουσι τοῖς θεωμένοις.
Μεγαπένθης εἰπέ μοι, τῶν φίλων δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀγανακτήσει τοῖς δρωμένοις;
Κλωθώ τίς γὰρ ἦν σοι φίλος; ἢ ἐκ τίνος αἰτίας γενόμενος; ἀγνοεῖς ὅτι πάντες οἱ καὶ προσκυνοῦντες καὶ τῶν λεγομένων καὶ πραττομένων ἕκαστα ἐπαινοῦντες ἢ φόβῳ ἢ ἐλπίσι ταῦτα ἔδρων, τῆς ἀρχῆς ὄντες φίλοι καὶ πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἀποβλέποντες;
Μεγαπένθης καὶ μὴν σπένδοντες ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἐπηύχοντό μοι πολλὰ καὶ ἀγαθά, προαποθανεῖν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἕτοιμος, εἰ οἷόν τε εἶναι· καὶ ὅλως, ὅρκος αὐτοῖς ἦν ἐγώ.
Κλωθώ τοιγαροῦν παρʼ ἑνὶ αὐτῶν χθὲς δειπνήσας ἀπέθανες· τὸ γὰρ τελευταῖόν σοι πιεῖν ἐνεχθὲν ἐκεῖνο δευρὶ κατέπεμψέ σε.
Μεγαπένθης τοῦτʼ ἄρα πικροῦ τινος ᾐσθόμην· τί βουλόμενος δὲ ταῦτα ἔπραξε;
Κλωθώ πολλά με ἀνακρίνεις, ἐμβῆναι δέον.
MEGAPENTHES Well, Clotho, I hope you will not refuse my last request.
CLOTHO Which is?
MEGAPENTHES I should like to know how things will be, now that I am gone.
CLOTHO Certainly; you shall have that mortification. Your wife will pass into the hands of Midas, your slave; he has been her gallant for some time past.
MEGAPENTHES A curse on him! ‘Twas at her request that I gave him his freedom.
CLOTHO Your daughter will take her place in the harem of the present monarch. Then all the old statues and portraits which the city set up in your honour will be overturned,—to the entertainment, no doubt, of the spectators.
MEGAPENTHES And will no friend resent these doings?
CLOTHO Who was your friend? Who had any reason to be? Need I explain that the cringing courtiers who lauded your every word and deed were actuated either by hope or by fear—time-servers every man of them, with a keen eye to the main chance?
MEGAPENTHES And these are they whose feasts rang with my name! who, as they poured their libations, invoked every blessing on my head! Not one but would have died before me, could he have had his will; nay, they swore by no other name.
CLOTHO Yes; and you dined with one of them yesterday, and it cost you your life. It was that last cup you drank that brought you here.
MEGAPENTHES Ah, I noticed a bitter taste.—But what was his object?
CLOTHO Oh, you want to know too much. It is high time you came on board.
Μεγαπένθης ἕν με πνίγει μάλιστα, ὦ Κλωθοῖ, διʼ ὅπερ ἐπόθουν κἂν πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐς τὸ φῶς ἀνακῦψαι πάλιν.
Κλωθώ τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; ἔοικε γάρ τι παμμέγεθες εἶναι.
Μεγαπένθης Καρίων ὁ ἐμὸς οἰκέτης ἐπεὶ τάχιστά με ἀποθανόντα εἶδε, περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἀνελθὼν εἰς τὸ οἴκημα ἔνθα ἐκείμην, σχολῆς οὔσης — οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὐδὲ ἐφύλαττέ με — Γλυκέριον τὴν παλλάκιδα μου — καὶ πάλαι δέ, οἶμαι, κεκοινωνήκεσαν — παραγαγὼν ἐπισπασάμενος τὴν θύραν ἐσπόδει καθάπερ οὐδενὸς ἔνδον παρόντος· εἶτʼ ἐπειδὴ ἅλις εἶχε τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ἀποβλέψας εἰς ἐμέ, σὺ μέντοι, φησίν, ὦ μιαρὸν ἀνθρώπιον, πληγάς μοι πολλάκις οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντι ἐνέτεινας· καὶ ταῦθʼ ἅμα λέγων παρέτιλλέ τέ με καὶ κατὰ κόρρης ἔπαιε, τέλος δὲ πλατὺ χρεμψάμενος καταπτύσας μου καί, εἰς τὸν Ἀσεβῶν χῶρον ἄπιθι, ἐπειπὼν ᾤχετο· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐνεπιμπράμην μέν, οὐκ εἶχον δὲ ὅμως ὅ τι καὶ δράσαιμι αὐτὸν αὖος ἤδη καὶ ψυχρὸς ὤν. καὶ ἡ μιαρὰ δὲ παιδίσκη ἐπεὶ ψόφου προσιόντων τινῶν ᾔσθετο, σιέλῳ χρίσασα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὡς δακρύσασα ἐπʼ ἐμοί, κωκύουσα καὶ τοὔνομα ἐπικαλουμένη ἀπηλλάττετο. ὧν εἰ λαβοίμην —
MEGAPENTHES Clotho, I had a particular reason for desiring one more glimpse of daylight. I have a burning grievance!
CLOTHO And what is that? Something of vast importance, I make no doubt.
MEGAPENTHES It is about my slave Carion. The moment he knew of my death, he came up to the room where I lay; it was late in the evening; he had plenty of time in front of him, for not a soul was watching by me; he brought with him my concubine Glycerium (an old affair, this, I suspect), closed the door, and proceeded to take his pleasure with her, as if no third person had been in the room! Having satisfied the demands of passion, he turned his attention to me. ‘You little villain,’ he cried, ‘many’s the flogging I’ve had from you, for no fault of mine!’ And as he spoke he plucked out my hair and smote me on the face. ‘Away with you,’ he cried finally, spitting on me, ‘away to the place of the damned!’—and so withdrew. I burned with resentment: but there I lay stark and cold, and could do nothing. That baggage Glycerium, too, hearing footsteps approaching, moistened her eyes and pretended she had been weeping for me; and withdrew sobbing, and repeating my name.—If I could but get hold of them—
CLOTHO Never mind what you would do to them, but come on board. The hour is at hand when you must appear before the tribunal.
MEGAPENTHES And who will presume to give his vote against a tyrant?
Κλωθώ παῦσαι ἀπειλῶν, ἀλλὰ ἔμβηθι· καιρὸς ἤδη σε ἀπαντᾶν ἐπὶ τὸ δικαστήριον.
Μεγαπένθης καὶ τίς ἀξιώσει κατʼ ἀνδρὸς τυράννου ψῆφον λαβεῖν;
Κλωθώ κατὰ τυράννου μὲν οὐδείς, κατὰ νεκροῦ δὲ ὁ Ῥαδάμανθυς, ὃν αὐτίκα ὄψει μάλα δίκαιον καὶ κατʼ ἀξίαν ἐπιτιθέντα ἑκάστῳ τὴν δίκην· τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον μὴ διάτριβε.
Μεγαπένθης κἂν ἰδιώτην με ποίησον, ὦ Μοῖρα, τῶν πενήτων ἕνα, κἂν δοῦλον ἀντὶ τοῦ πάλαι βασιλέως· ἀναβιῶναί με ἔασον μόνον.
Κλωθώ ποῦ ʼστιν ὁ τὸ ξύλον; καὶ σὺ δέ, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, σύρατʼ αὐτὸν εἴσω τοῦ ποδός· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐμβαίη ἑκών.
Ἑρμῆς ἕπου νῦν, δραπέτα· δέχου τοῦτον σύ, πορθμεῦ, καὶ τὸ δεῖνα, ὅπως ἀσφαλῶς —
Χάρων ἀμέλει, πρὸς τὸν ἱστὸν δεδήσεται.
Μεγαπένθης καὶ μὴν ἐν τῇ προεδρίᾳ καθέζεσθαί με δεῖ.
Κλωθώ ὅτι τί;
Μεγαπένθης ὅτι, νὴ Δία, τύραννος ἦν καὶ δορυφόρους εἶχον μυρίους.
Κυνίσκος εἶτʼ οὐ δικαίως σε παρέτιλλεν ὁ Καρίων οὑτωσὶ σκαιὸν ὄντα; πικρὰν δʼ οὖν τὴν τυραννίδα ἕξεις γευσάμενος τοῦ ξύλου.
Μεγαπένθης τολμήσει γὰρ Κυνίσκος ἐπανατείνασθαί μοι τὸ βάκτρον; οὐκ ἐγώ σε πρῴην, ὅτι ἐλεύθερος ἄγαν καὶ τραχὺς ἦσθα καὶ ἐπιτιμητικός, μικροῦ δεῖν προσεπαττάλευσα;
Κυνίσκος τοιγαροῦν μενεῖς καὶ σὺ τῷ ἱστῷ προσπεπατταλευμένος.
CLOTHO Against a tyrant, who indeed? Against a Shade, Rhadamanthus will take that liberty. He is strictly impartial, as you will presently observe, in adapting his sentences to the requirements of individual cases. And now, no more delay.
MEGAPENTHES Dread Fate, let me be some common man,—some pauper! I have been a king,—let me be a slave! Only let me live!
CLOTHO Where is the one with the stick? Hermes, you and he must drag him up feet foremost. He will never come up by himself.
HERMES Come along, my runagate. Here you are, skipper. And I say, keep an eye—
CHARON Never fear. We’ll lash him to the mast.
MEGAPENTHES Look you, I must have the seat of honour.
CLOTHO And why exactly?
MEGAPENTHES Can you ask? Was I not a tyrant, with a guard of ten thousand men?
CYNISCUS Oh, dullard! And you complain of Carion’s pulling your hair! Wait till you get a taste of this stick; you shall know what it is to be a tyrant.
MEGAPENTHES What, shall a Cynic dare to raise his staff against me? Sirrah, have you forgotten the other day, when I had all but nailed you to the cross, for letting that sharp censorious tongue of yours wag too freely?
CYNISCUS Well, and now it is your turn to be nailed,—to the mast.
Μίκυλλος εἰπέ μοι, ὦ Κλωθοῖ, ἐμοῦ δὲ οὐδεὶς ὑμῖν λόγος; ἢ διότι πένης εἰμί, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τελευταῖον ἐμβῆναί με δεῖ;
Κλωθώ σὺ δὲ τίς εἶ;
Μίκυλλος ὁ σκυτοτόμος Μίκυλλος.
Κλωθώ εἶτα ἄχθῃ βραδύνων; οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὁπόσα ὁ τύραννος ὑπισχνεῖται δώσειν ἀφεθεὶς πρὸς ὀλίγον; θαῦμα γοῦν ἔχει με, εἰ μὴ ἀγαπητὴ καὶ σοὶ ἡ διατριβή.
Μίκυλλος ἄκουσον, ὦ βελτίστη Μοιρῶν· οὐ πάνυ με ἡ τοῦ Κύκλωπος ἐκείνη εὐφραίνει δωρεά, ὑπισχνεῖσθαι ὅτι πύματον ἐγὼ τὸν Οὖτιν κατέδομαι· ἄν τε γοῦν πρῶτον, ἄν τε πύματον, οἱ αὐτοὶ ὀδόντες περιμένουσιν. ἄλλως τε οὐδʼ ὅμοια τἀμὰ τοῖς τῶν πλουσίων· ἐκ διαμέτρου γὰρ ἡμῶν οἱ βίοι, φασίν· ὁ μέν γε τύραννος εὐδαίμων εἶναι δοκῶν παρὰ τὸν βίον, φοβερὸς ἅπασι καὶ περίβλεπτος, ἀπολιπὼν χρυσὸν τοσοῦτον καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ ἐσθῆτα καὶ ἵππους καὶ δεῖπνα καὶ παῖδας ὡραίους καὶ γυναῖκας εὐμόρφους εἰκότως ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἀποσπώμενος αὐτῶν ἤχθετο· οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ ὅπως καθάπερ ἰξῷ τινι προσέχεται τοῖς τοιούτοις ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλει ἀπαλλάττεσθαι ῥᾳδίως ἅτε αὐτοῖς πάλαι προστετηκυῖα· μᾶλλον δὲ ὥσπερ ἄρρηκτός τις οὗτος ὁ δεσμός ἐστιν, ᾧ δεδέσθαι συμβέβηκεν αὐτούς. ἀμέλει κἂν ἀπάγῃ τις αὐτοὺς μετὰ βίας, ἀνακωκύουσι καὶ ἱκετεύουσι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὄντες θρασεῖς, δειλοὶ πρὸς ταύτην εὑρίσκονται τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἅιδην φέρουσαν ὁδόν· ἐπιστρέφονται γοῦν εἰς τοὐπίσω καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ δυσέρωτες κἂν πόρρωθεν ἀποβλέπειν τὰ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ βούλονται, οἷα ὁ μάταιος ἐκεῖνος ἐποίει καὶ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀποδιδράσκων κἀνταῦθά σε καταλιπαρῶν.
Μίκυλλος ἐγὼ δὲ ἅτε μηδὲν ἔχων ἐνέχυρον ἐν τῷ βίῳ, οὐκ ἀγρόν, οὐ συνοικίαν, οὐ χρυσόν, οὐ σκεῦος, οὐ δόξαν, οὐκ εἰκόνας, εἰκότως εὔζωνος ἦν, κἀπειδὴ μόνον ἡ Ἄτροπος ἔνευσέ μοι, ἄσμενος ἀπορρίψας τὴν σμίλην καὶ τὸ κάττυμα — κρηπῖδα γάρ τινα ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν εἶχον — ἀναπηδήσας εὐθὺς ἀνυπόδητος οὐδὲ τὴν μελαντηρίαν ἀπονιψάμενος εἱπόμην, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡγούμην, ἐς τὸ πρόσω ὁρῶν· οὐδὲν γάρ με τῶν κατόπιν ἐπέστρεφε καὶ μετεκάλει. καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἤδη καλὰ τὰ παρʼ ὑμῖν πάντα ὁρῶ· τό τε γὰρ ἰσοτιμίαν ἅπασιν εἶναι καὶ μηδένα τοῦ πλησίον διαφέρειν, ὑπερήδιστον ἐμοὶ γοῦν δοκεῖ. τεκμαίρομαι δὲ μηδʼ ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τὰ χρέα τοὺς ὀφείλοντας ἐνταῦθα μηδὲ φόρους ὑποτελεῖν, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, μηδὲ ῥιγοῦν τοῦ χειμῶνος μηδὲ νοσεῖν μηδʼ ὑπὸ τῶν δυνατωτέρων ῥαπίζεσθαι. εἰρήνη δὲ πᾶσι καὶ πράγματα ἐς τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἀνεστραμμένα· ἡμεῖς μὲν οἱ πένητες γελῶμεν, ἀνιῶνται δὲ καὶ οἰμώζουσιν οἱ πλούσιοι.
MICYLLUS And what of me, mistress? Am I to be left out of the reckoning? Because I am poor, must I be the last to come aboard?
CLOTHO Who are you?
MICYLLUS Micyllus the cobbler.
CLOTHO A cobbler, and cannot wait your turn? Look at the tyrant: see what bribes he offers us, only for a short reprieve. It is very strange that delay is not to your fancy too.
MICYLLUS It is this way, my lady Fate. I find but cold comfort in that promise of the Cyclops: ‘Outis shall be eaten last,’ said he; but first or last, the same teeth are waiting. And then, it is not the same with me as with the rich. Our lives are what they call ‘diametrically opposed.’ This tyrant, now, was thought happy while he lived; he was feared and respected by all: he had his gold and his silver; his fine clothes and his horses and his banquets; his smart pages and his handsome ladies,—and had to leave them all. No wonder if he was vexed, and felt the tug of parting. For I know not how it is, but these things are like birdlime: a man’s soul sticks to them, and will not easily come away; they have grown to be a part of him. Nay, ‘tis as if men were bound in some chain that nothing can break; and when by sheer force they are dragged away, they cry out and beg for mercy. They are bold enough for aught else, but show them this same road to Hades, and they prove to be but cowards. They turn about, and must ever be looking back at what they have left behind them, far off though it be,—like men that are sick for love. So it was with the fool yonder: as we came along, he was for running away; and now he tires you with his entreaties. As for me, I had no stake in life; lands and horses, money and goods, fame, statues,—I had none of them; I could not have been in better trim: it needed but one nod from Atropus,—I was busied about a boot at the time, but down I flung knife and leather with a will, jumped up, and never waited to get my shoes, or wash the blacking from my hands, but joined the procession there and then, ay, and headed it, looking ever forward; I had left nothing behind me that called for a backward glance. And, on my word, things begin to look well already. Equal rights for all, and no man better than his neighbour; that is hugely to my liking. And from what I can learn there is no collecting of debts in this country, and no taxes; better still, no shivering in winter, no sickness, no hard knocks from one’s betters. All is peace. The tables are turned: the laugh is with us poor men; it is the rich that make moan, and are ill at ease.
Κλωθώ πάλαι οὖν σε, ὦ Μίκυλλε, γελῶντα ἑώρων. τί δʼ ἦν ὅ σε μάλιστα ἐκίνει γελᾶν;
Μίκυλλος ἄκουσον, ὦ τιμιωτάτη μοι θεῶν· παροικῶν ἄνω τῷ τυράννῳ πάνυ ἀκριβῶς ἑώρων τὰ γιγνόμενα παρʼ αὐτῷ καί μοι ἐδόκει τότε ἰσόθεός τις εἶναι· τῆς τε γὰρ πορφύρας τὸ ἄνθος ὁρῶν ἐμακάριζον, καὶ τῶν ἀκολουθούντων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὰ λιθοκόλλητα ἐκπώματα καὶ τὰς κλίνας τὰς ἀργυρόποδας· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ κνῖσα ἡ τῶν σκευαζομένων εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον ἀπέκναιέ με, ὥστε ὑπεράνθρωπός τις ἀνὴρ καὶ τρισόλβιός μοι κατεφαίνετο καὶ μονονουχὶ πάντων καλλίων καὶ ὑψηλότερος ὅλῳ πήχει βασιλικῷ, ἐπαιρόμενος τῇ τύχῃ καὶ σεμνῶς προβαίνων καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐξυπτιάζων καὶ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἐκπλήττων. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπέθανεν, αὐτός τε παγγέλοιος ὤφθη μοι ἀποδυσάμενος τὴν τρυφήν, κἀμαυτοῦ ἔτι μᾶλλον κατεγέλων οἷον κάθαρμα ἐτεθήπειν, ἀπὸ τῆς κνίσης τεκμαιρόμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν καὶ μακαρίζων ἐπὶ τῷ αἵματι τῶν ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ θαλάττῃ κοχλίδων.
Μίκυλλος οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν δανειστὴν Γνίφωνα ἰδὼν στένοντα καὶ μεταγινώσκοντα ὅτι μὴ ἀπέλαυσε τῶν χρημάτων, ἀλλʼ ἄγευστος αὐτῶν ἀπέθανε τῷ ἀσώτῳ Ῥοδοχάρει τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπολιπών, — οὗτος γὰρ ἄγχιστα ἦν αὐτῷ γένους καὶ πρῶτος ἐπὶ τὸν κλῆρον ἐκαλεῖτο κατὰ τὸν νόμον — οὐκ εἶχον ὅπως καταπαύσω τὸν γέλωτα, καὶ μάλιστα μεμνημένος ὡς ὠχρὸς ἀεὶ καὶ αὐχμηρὸς ἦν, φροντίδος τὸ μέτωπον ἀνάπλεως καὶ μόνοις τοῖς δακτύλοις πλουτῶν, οἷς τάλαντα καὶ μυριάδας ἐλογίζετο, κατὰ μικρὸν συλλέγων τὰ μετʼ ὀλίγον ἐκχυθησόμενα πρὸς τοῦ μακαρίου Ῥοδοχάρους. ἀλλὰ τί οὐκ ἀπερχόμεθα ἤδη; καὶ μεταξὺ γὰρ πλέοντες τὰ λοιπὰ γελασόμεθα οἰμώζοντας αὐτοὺς ὁρῶντες.
Κλωθώ ἔμβαινε, ἵνα καὶ ἀνιμήσηται ὁ πορθμεὺς τὸ ἀγκύριον.
CLOTHO To be sure, I noticed that you were laughing, some time ago. What was it in particular that excited your mirth?
MICYLLUS I’ll tell you, best of Goddesses. Being next door to a tyrant up there, I was all eyes for what went on in his house; and he seemed to me neither more nor less than a God. I saw the embroidered purple, the host of courtiers, the gold, the jewelled goblets, the couches with their feet of silver: and I thought, this is happiness. As for the sweet savour that arose when his dinner was getting ready, it was too much for me; such blessedness seemed more than human. And then his proud looks and stately walk and high carriage, striking admiration into all beholders! It seemed almost as if he must be handsomer than other men, and a good eighteen inches taller. But when he was dead, he made a queer figure, with all his finery gone; though I laughed more at myself than at him: there had I been worshipping mere scum on no better authority than the smell of roast meat, and reckoning happiness by the blood of Lacedaemonian sea-snails! There was Gniphon the usurer, too, bitterly reproaching himself for having died without ever knowing the taste of wealth, leaving all his money to his nearest relation and heir-at-law, the spendthrift Rhodochares, when he might have had the enjoyment of it himself. When I saw him, I laughed as if I should never stop: to think of him as he used to be, pale, wizened, with a face full of care, his fingers the only rich part of him, for they had the talents to count,—scraping the money together bit by bit, and all to be squandered in no time by that favourite of Fortune, Rhodochares!—But what are we waiting for now? There will be time enough on the voyage to enjoy their woebegone faces, and have our laugh out.
CLOTHO Come on board, and then the ferryman can haul up the anchor.
Χάρων οὗτος, ποῖ φέρῃ; πλῆρες ἤδη τὸ σκάφος· αὐτοῦ περίμενε εἰς αὔριον· ἕωθέν σε διαπορθμεύσομεν.
Μίκυλλος ἀδικεῖς, ὦ Χάρων, ἕωλον ἤδη νεκρὸν ἀπολιμπάνων· ἀμέλει γράψομαί σε παρανόμων ἐπὶ τοῦ Ῥαδαμάνθυος. οἴμοι τῶν κακῶν· ἤδη πλέουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ μόνος ἐνταῦθα περιλελείψομαι. καίτοι τί οὐ διανήχομαι κατʼ αὐτούς; οὐ γὰρ δέδια μὴ ἀπαγορεύσας ἀποπνιγῶ ἤδη τεθνεώς· ἄλλως τε οὐδὲ τὸν ὀβολὸν ἔχω τὰ πορθμεῖα καταβαλεῖν.
Κλωθώ τί τοῦτο; περίμεινον, ὦ Μίκυλλε· οὐ θέμις οὕτω σε διελθεῖν.
Μίκυλλος καὶ μὴν ἴσως ὑμῶν καὶ προκαταχθήσομαι.
Κλωθώ μηδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ προσελάσαντες ἀναλάβωμεν αὐτόν· καὶ σύ, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, συνανάσπασον. ΧΑΡΩΝ ποῦ νῦν καθεδεῖται; μεστὰ γὰρ πάντα, ὡς ὁρᾷς.
Ἑρμῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους, εἰ δοκεῖ, τοῦ τυράννου.
Κλωθώ καλῶς ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἐνενόησεν.
Χάρων ἀνάβαινε οὖν καὶ τὸν τένοντα τοῦ ἀλιτηρίου καταπάτει· ἡμεῖς δὲ εὐπλοῶμεν.
Κυνίσκος ὦ Χάρων, καλῶς ἔχει σοι τὰς ἀληθείας ἐντεῦθεν εἰπεῖν. ἐγὼ τὸν ὀβολὸν μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιμι δοῦναί σοι καταπλεύσας· πλέον γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τῆς πήρας ἣν ὁρᾷς καὶ τουτουὶ τοῦ ξύλου· τἆλλα δὲ ἢ ἀντλεῖν, εἰ θέλεις, ἕτοιμος ἢ πρόσκωπος εἶναι· μέμψῃ δὲ οὐδέν, ἢν εὐῆρες καὶ καρτερόν μοι ἐρετμὸν δῷς μόνον.
Χάρων Ἔρεττε· καὶ τουτὶ γὰρ ἱκανὸν παρὰ σοῦ λαβεῖν.
Κυνίσκος ἦ καὶ ὑποκελεῦσαι δεήσει;
Χάρων νὴ Δία, ἤνπερ εἰδῇς κέλευσμά τι τῶν ναυτικῶν.
Κυνίσκος οἶδα καὶ πολλά, ὦ Χάρων. ἀλλʼ, ὁρᾷς, ἀντεπηχοῦσιν οὗτοι δακρύοντες· ὥστε ἡμῖν τὸ ᾆσμα ἐπιταραχθήσεται.
CHARON Now, now! What are you doing here? The boat is full. You wait till to-morrow. We can bring you across in the morning.
MICYLLUS What right have you to leave me behind,—a shade of twenty-four hours’ standing? I tell you what it is, I shall have you up before Rhadamanthus. A plague on it, she’s moving! And here I shall be left all by myself. Stay, though: why not swim across in their wake? No matter if I get tired; a dead man will scarcely be drowned. Not to mention that I have not a penny to pay my fare.
CLOTHO Micyllus! Stop! You must not come across that way; Heaven forbid!
MICYLLUS Ha, ha! I shall get there first, and I shouldn’t wonder.
CLOTHO This will never do. We must get to him, and pick him up…. Hermes, give him a hand up.
CHARON And where is he to sit now he is here? We are full up, as you may see.
HERMES What do you say to the tyrant’s shoulders?
CLOTHO A good idea that.
CHARON Up with you then; and make the rascal’s back ache. And now, good luck to our voyage!
CYNISCUS Charon, I may as well tell you the plain truth at once. The penny for my fare is not forthcoming; I have nothing but my wallet, look, and this stick. But if you want a hand at baling, here I am; or I could take an oar; only give me a good stout one, and you shall have no fault to find with me.
CHARON To it, then; and I’ll ask no other payment of you.
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