Part 1

Produced by an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer.

[Transcriber's note: This book consists of the main text and a supplement ('Notes') which not only contains explanations on the background of some stories, but also explains less frequent words (mostly in Greek). These refer to pages (and lines) of the main text. Therefore, the page numbers have been inserted by labels like '[Page x]' in the main text.

In the notes, refence is generally made to the first word of each note or the first part (separated by '·') which is printed bold in the text. To avoid distraction by too much formatting, they have only in a few exceptional cases marked by underscores where the referenced words are not obvious.

Very few typos have also been marked, cf. notes in the text starting with 'typo'. ]

LUCIAN'S DIALOGUES PREPARED FOR SCHOOLS WITH SHORT NOTES IN GREEK BY W. H. D. ROUSE, M.A., LITT.D. HEAD MASTER OF PERSE GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAMBRIDGE

OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1909

PREFACE

This book contains most of Lucian's _Dialogues_, prepared for school use by certain omissions and changes. The syntax has been changed where it did not accord with the normal Attic (mostly in the use of ἄν and a few particles), and rare or poetical words have sometimes been simplified. The style, however, is much what it was. It would not be possible to make the style agree with the best Attic without a good deal of new writing; and, although the style of Lucian is more cumbrous than Plato's, yet this very fault gives scope for paraphrase as a simpler style would not do. We shall see later how this comes into the question. It is a great comfort that the readers will forget most of the words and forms used, unless the master takes pains to fix them in the memory; in such cases he may fix the simpler paraphrase, leaving the verbiage to take care of itself. If the pupils, after reading the book, can express the meaning of any passage in simpler words, they will understand the meaning, which is the essential thing; and if at the same time they are able to recognize and understand certain long or ugly phrases, that will do them no harm. They will not be tempted to use these phrases rather than the simpler and easier phrases.

Moreover, such disadvantages as there are in Lucian's style are many times outweighed by the lively interest that he inspires. I have found the _Dialogues_, as far as substance goes, an almost perfect book for a first author. Many of them are short enough for one lesson; all are full of wit, and such wit as the boy's mind can enjoy. They also teach, or cause to be learnt, a good deal of mythology; and, since the humorous aspect of Olympus is natural to the Greek from Homer onwards, the reader will not get a false or unhistorical impression. He is not yet ready to understand the serious side of Greek religion, which will be impressed on him when he comes to read Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Plato. Moreover, the boy who leaves school after one year of Greek will carry with him from Lucian a pleasant memory such as is not given by Greek grammars and exercise-books. If he gives a second year to the study of Greek, he will have read some Homer or Herodotus, and Plato's _Apology_ or some other prose work of value.

The notes are in Greek. They are meant to be used in a way shortly to be described; but any master who prefers to put them at once into the hands of his class will still find them useful. The boy is in that case given a choice of two things: either he may read them, in which case some of his difficulties are solved, but he has to read more Greek in order to solve them; or he may look up the words and names in his dictionary, in which case he has the practice of looking them up. In neither case will he get his information without doing something for it. Many teachers believe that looking up words in a dictionary is good for the learner; these also will be able to use this book. It may not be out of place, however, to ask those who believe this whether they have any reason for their belief. I do not know that any one has made any systematic inquiry into the use of the dictionary, to find out how long it takes beginners to look up words and what their minds are doing while they are looking them up. I cannot pretend to have done this systematically; but the few inquiries we have made in this school, go to show that to look up words takes a very long time for the beginner, even when he has not a dictionary with many meanings to the word, but a special vocabulary with only one or two meanings. It certainly distracts his attention, and he has to resume the thread of his thought before he can fit in his new word, which also takes time. My own state of mind in looking up new words is quite clear to me: it is a blank, out of which emerges now a word expressive of exasperation, now the address of a friend forgotten and puzzled over, or other flotsam of the subconsciousness. If it were so that all this time the new word should be impressing itself on the memory, well and good; but it does not seem to be so, and if not, here is another of the time-wasting devices which have become sacred in schools.

HINTS TO THE MASTER

The following I have found to be the best way of using this book.

The pupils are in their first year of Greek; they have worked through all the common accidence and syntax, and the various exercises in reading or composition that belong to the beginner's stage. They are provided with a reference grammar, containing accidence, outline of syntax, and a table of the commonest irregular verbs. Our problem now is to fix the grammar by use, and to enlarge the vocabulary.

_Preparation_. The text alone is put into the boys' hands, the booklet of notes being kept for revision. The master reads the text of a dialogue aloud in Greek. Each boy is expected to ask, in Greek, for an explanation of anything he does not understand. This the master gives by paraphrasing the new word in simple Greek words already known; and all the class (not the one only) write the explanation in their notebooks, with accents, carefully. The master must assure himself that this is done, by going round and looking as he dictates, or by calling up the boys in turn to his desk. When this care is taken, accuracy soon becomes a habit. Parts of new verbs, or other forms, may be treated in the same way. When the whole piece has been done, if time be left, the boys are asked to read it over in Greek, two (or more) taking parts as the characters.

_Home Work_. The passage thus read is translated into English, at first in writing, later in writing or not, as proves to be more convenient. Any new forms are looked up in the grammar, and verb-tenses learnt.

_The next lesson_ will begin with the reading out of one or more of these versions, which the master will criticize; they will then be collected, and he can examine them all later. He will thus be able to see where his explanations were not clear or sufficient, and this will guide him the next time. There is no need to give back the papers, although criticism may be made, of praise or blame, if time allows, with grammar drill where the need is shown.

Preparation for next day follows; and this will take up most of the lesson. At this stage the learner is not fit to do his preparation unaided.

_Composition_ will be learnt by the continual practice of question and answer, and by the paraphrases written in the notebooks. The master can practise almost any construction that he wishes to practise, by changing the form of his note. More formal exercises should be given occasionally, in the following forms: (1) a free English translation of some passages of the text may be given to be put into Greek, not necessarily word for word; (2) shorter sentences, also taken or adapted from the text, to be translated exactly; (3) passages of English of a similar type may be set for translation; (4) the substance of any passage of the text may be set to be written in the boys' own words; (5) similar themes may be set to be written up in the boys' own words.

Of these (1) is very useful, and may form a part of the home-work instead of the English version, on certain days. No. (2) is also good, so long as the sentences bear on the text or on the grammar arising out of it, but anything arbitrary is sure to cause weariness. No. (3) is more advanced; Nos. (4) and (5) are too difficult for the first year of Greek, but are good later.

It is found that by working on this plan the translation of the boys is much better than if each lesson were construed in class; and the work is not mechanical, but individual.

Very little revision is needed; once reading through at the end of term, in Greek, is enough, the master now asking the questions, and the boys answering him in the same language. At this stage the printed notes are to be given to the class, for checking their own. Meanwhile they may have been useful to the master in suggesting each day how he may treat the next lesson.

A little ingenuity and experience will suggest many other ways of driving the work home. For instance, if the boys have a dictionary of biography and mythology, one evening's work may be to write a short account in Greek of some of the personages mentioned in the part prepared: if these are many, they may be divided amongst the boys. Or again, the boys may prepare a dialogue for acting, and recite it in their own words, if they prefer.

I wish to repeat that these hints are not evolved out of the imagination, but are the result of all sorts of different experiments, carried on during eight years. I shall be grateful if any one who uses the book will give me some hints derived from his own experience.

ΘΕΩΝ ΔΙΑΛΟΙΟΙ

1 ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΟΣ

ΠΡΟΜ. Δῦσόν με, ὦ Ζεῦ· δεινὰ γὰρ ἤδη πέπονθα.

ΖΕΥΣ. Λύσω σε, φής, ὃν ἐχρῆν βαρυτέρας πέδας ἔχοντα, καὶ τὸν Καύκασον ὅλον ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ἐπικείμενον, ὑπὸ ἑκκαίδεκα γυπῶν μὴ μόνον κείρεσθαι τὸ ἧπαρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύττεσθαι, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν τοιαῦθ᾽ ἡμῖν ζῷα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔπλασας, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἔκλεψας, καὶ γυναῖκας ἐδημιούργησας; ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὲ ἐξηπάτησας ἐν τῇ νομῇ τῶν κρεῶν, ὀστᾶ πιμελῇ κεκαλυμμένα παραθεὶς καὶ τὴν ἀμείνω τῶν μοιρῶν σεαυτῷ φυλάττων, τί χρὴ λέγειν;

ΠΡΟΜ. Οὔκουν ἱκανὴν ἤδη τὴν δίκην ἐκτέτεικα, τοσοῦτον χρόνον τῷ Καυκάσῳ προσηλωμένος, τὸν κάκιστα ὀρνίθων ἀπολούμενον αἰετὸν τρέφων τῷ ἥπατι;

ΖΕΥΣ. Οὐδὲ πολλοστημόριον τοῦτο ὧν σε δεῖ παθεῖν.

ΠΡΟΜ. Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἀμισθί με λύσεις, ἀλλά σοι μηνύσω τι, ὦ Ζεῦ, πάνυ ἀναγκαῖον.

ΖΕΥΣ. Κατασοφίζῃ με, ὦ Προμηθεῦ.

ΠΡΟΜ. Καὶ τί πλέον ἕξω; οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοήσεις αὖθις ἔνθα ὁ Καύκασός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἀπορήσεις δεσμῶν, ἤν τι τεχνάζων ἁλίσκωμαι. [Page 2]

ΖΕΥΣ. Εἰπὲ πρότερον, ὅντινα μισθὸν ἀποτείσεις ἀναγκαῖον ἡμῖν ὄντα.

ΠΡΟΜ. Ἢν εἴπω ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι βαδίζεις νῦν, ἀξιόπιστος ἔσομαί σοι καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπολοίπων μαντευόμενος;

ΖΕΥΣ. Πῶς γὰρ οὔ;

ΠΡΟΜ. Παρὰ τὴν Θέτιν, γυναῖκα ληψόμενος αὐτήν.

ΖΕΥΣ. Τουτὶ μὲν ἔγνως· τί δ᾽ οὖν τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ; δοκεῖς γὰρ ἀληθές τι ἐρεῖν.

ΠΡΟΜ. Μηδέν, ὦ Ζεῦ, κοινωνήσῃς τῇ Νηρηΐδι· ἢν γὰρ αὕτη τέκῃ τι ἐκ σοῦ, τὸ τεχθὲν ἴσα ἐργάσεταί σε οἷα καὶ σὺ ἔδρασας–

ΖΕΥΣ. Τοῦτο φής, ἐκπεσεῖσθαί με τῆς ἀρχῆς;

ΠΡΟΜ. Μὴ γένοιτο, ὦ Ζεῦ. πλὴν τοιοῦτό γε ἡ μείξις αὐτῆς ἀπειλεῖ.

ΖΕΥΣ. Χαιρέτω τοιγαροῦν ἡ Θέτις· σὲ δὲ ὁ Ἥφαιστος ἐπὶ τούτοις λυσάτω.

2 ΔΙΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΑΝΥΜΗΔΟΥΣ

ΖΕΥΣ. Ἄγε, ὦ Γανύμηδες–ἥκομεν γὰρ ἔνθα ἐχρῆν–ὁρᾷς με νῦν οὐκέτι ῥάμφος ἀγκύλον ἔχοντα οὐδ᾽ ὄνυχας ὀξεῖς οὐδὲ πτερά, οἷος ἐφαινόμην σοι πτηνὸς εἶναι δοκῶν.

ΓΑΝ. Ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ αἰετὸς ἄρτι ἦσθα καὶ καταπτάμενος ἥρπασάς με ἀπὸ μέσου τοῦ ποιμνίου; πῶς οὖν τὰ μὲν πτερά σοι ἐκεῖνα ἐξερρύηκε, σὺ δὲ ἄλλος ἤδη ἀναπέφηνας;

ΖΕΥΣ. Ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε ἄνθρωπον ὁρᾷς, ὦ μειράκιον, [Page 3] οὔτε αἰετόν, ὁ δὲ πάντων βασιλεὺς τῶν θεῶν οὗτός εἰμι πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἀλλάξας ἐμαυτόν.

ΓΑΝ. Τί φής; σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ Πὰν ἐκεῖνος; εἶτα πῶς σύριγγα οὐκ ἔχεις οὐδὲ κέρατα οὐδὲ λάσιος εἶ τὰ σκέλη;

ΖΕΥΣ. Μόνον γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ἡγῇ θεόν;

ΓΑΝ. Ναί· καὶ θύομέν γε αὐτῷ τράγον ἐπὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ἄγοντες, ἔνθα ἕστηκε· σὺ δὲ ἀνδραποδιστής τις εἶναί μοι δοκεῖς.

ΖΕΥΣ. Εἰπέ μοι· Διὸς δὲ οὐκ ἤκουσας ὄνομα οὐδὲ βωμὸν εἶδες ἐν τῳ Γαργάρῳ τοῦ ὕοντος καὶ βροντῶντος καὶ ἀστράπτοντος;

ΓΑΝ. Σύ, ὦ βέλτιστε, φὴς εἶναι, ὃς πρῴην κατέχεας ἡμῖν τὴν πολλὴν χάλαζαν, ὁ οἰκεῖν ἄνω λεγόμενος, ὁ ποιούμενος τὸν ψόφον, ᾧ τὸν κριὸν ὁ πατὴρ ἔθυσεν; εἶτα τί ἀδικήσαντά με ἀνήρπασας, ὦ βασιλεῦ τῶν θεῶν; τὰ δὲ πρόβατα ἴσως οἱ λύκοι διαρπάσονται ἤδη ἐρήμοις ἐπιπεσόντες.

ΖΕΥΣ. Ἔτι γὰρ μέλει σοι τῶν προβάτων, ἀθανάτῳ γεγενημένῳ, καὶ ἐνταῦθα συνεσομένῳ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν;

ΓΑΝ. Τί λέγεις; οὐ γὰρ κατάξεις με ἤδη ἐς τὴν Ἴδην τήμερον;

ΖΕΥΣ. Οὐδαμῶς· ἐπεὶ μάτην αἰετὸς ἂν εἴην ἀντὶ θεοῦ γεγενημένος.

ΓΑΝ. Οὐκοῦν ἐπιζητήσει με ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἀγανακτήσει μὴ εὑρίσκων, καὶ πληγὰς ὕστερον λήψομαι καταλιπὼν τὸ ποίμνιον.

ΖΕΥΣ. Ποῦ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὄψεταί σε;

ΓΑΝ. Μηδαμῶς· ποθῶ γὰρ ἤδη αὐτόν. εἰ δὲ ἀπάξεις [Page 4] με, ὑπισχνοῦμαί σοι καὶ ἄλλον παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ κριὸν θύσειν λύτρα ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν τριετῆ, τὸν μέγαν, ὃς ἡγεῖται πρὸς τὴν νομήν.

ΖΕΥΣ. Ὡς ἀφελὴς ὁ παῖς ἐστι καὶ ἁπλοῦς καὶ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο παῖς ἔτι. – ἀλλ᾽, ὦ Γανύμηδες, ἐκεῖνα μὲν πάντα χαίρειν ἔα καὶ ἐπιλάθου αὑτῶν, τοῦ τε ποιμνίου καὶ τῆς Ἴδης. σὺ δὲ – ἤδη γὰρ ἐπουράνιος εἶ – πολλὰ εὖ ποιήσεις ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν πατρίδα, καὶ ἀντὶ μὲν τυροῦ καὶ γάλακτος ἀμβροσίαν ἔδῃ καὶ νέκταρ πίῃ· τοῦτο μέντοι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡμῖν αὐτὸς παρέξεις ἐγχέων· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀθάνατος γενήσῃ, καὶ ἀστέρα σου φαίνεσθαι ποιήσω κάλλιστον, καὶ ὅλως εὐδαίμων ἔσῃ.

ΓΑΝ. Ἢν δὲ παίζειν ἐπιθυμήσω, τίς συμπαίξεταί μοι; ἐν γὰρ τῇ Ἴδῃ πολλοὶ ἡλικιῶται ἦμεν.

ΖΕΥΣ. Ἔχεις κἀνταῦθα τὸν συμπαιξόμενόν σοι τουτονὶ τὸν Ἔρωτα καὶ ἀστραγάλους μάλα πολλούς. θάρρει μόνον καὶ φαιδρὸς ἴσθι καὶ μηδὲν ἐπιπόθει τῶν κάτω.

ΓΑΝ. Τί δαὶ ὑμῖν χρήσιμος ἂν γενοίμην; ἢ ποιμαίνειν δεήσει κἀνταῦθα;

ΖΕΥΣ. Οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ οἰνοχοήσεις καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ νέκταρος τετάξῃ καὶ ἐπιμελήσῃ τοῦ συμποσίου.

ΓΑΝ. Τοῦτο μὲν οὐ χαλεπόν· οἶδα γὰρ ὡς χρὴ ἐγχέαι τὸ γάλα καὶ περιφέρειν τὸ κισσύβιον.

ΖΕΥΣ. Ἰδού, πάλιν οὗτος γάλακτος μνημονεύει καὶ ἀνθρώποις διακονήσειν οἴεται· ταυτὶ δ᾽ ὁ οὐρανός ἐστι, καί πίνομεν, ὥσπερ ἔφην, τὸ νέκταρ.

ΓΑΝ. Ἥδιον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τοῦ γάλακτος;

[Page 5] ΖΕΥΣ. Εἴσῃ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον καὶ γευσάμενος οὐκέτι ποθήσεις τὸ γάλα. νῦν δὲ ἄπαγε αὐτόν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ ἐπειδὰν πίῃ τῆς ἀθανασίας, ἄγε οἰνοχοήσοντα ἡμῖν, διδάξας πρότερον ὡς χρὴ ὀρέγειν τὸν σκύφον.

3 ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΟΣ

ΗΦ. Ἑόρακας, ὦ Ἄπολλον, τὸ τῆς Μαίας βρέφος τὸ ἄρτι τεχθέν; ὡς καλόν τέ ἐστι καὶ προσμειδιᾷ πᾶσι καὶ δηλοῖ ἤδη μέγα τι ἀγαθὸν ἀποβησόμενον.

ΑΠ. Ἐκεῖνο τὸ βρέφος, ὦ Ἥφαιστε, ἦ μέγα ἀγαθόν, ὃ τοῦ Ἰαπετοῦ πρεσβύτερόν ἐστιν τῇ πανουργίᾳ;

ΗΦ. Καὶ τί ἂν ἀδικῆσαι δύναιτο ἀρτίτοκον ὄν;

ΑΠ. Ἐρώτα τὸν Ποσειδῶνα, οὗ τὴν τρίαιναν ἔκλεψεν, ἢ τὸν Ἄρη· καὶ τούτου γὰρ ἐξείλκυσε λαθὸν ἐκ τοῦ κολεοῦ τὸ ξίφος, ἵνα μὴ ἐμαυτὸν λέγω, ὃν ἀφώπλισε τοῦ τόξου καὶ τῶν βελῶν.

ΗΦ. Τὸ νεογνὸν ταῦτα, ὃ μόλις ἕστηκε, τὸ ἐν τοῖς σπαργάνοις;

ΑΠ. Εἴσῃ, ὦ Ἥφαιστε, ἤν σοι προσέλθῃ μόνον.

ΗΦ. Καὶ μὴν προσῆλθεν ἤδη.

ΑΠ. Τί οὖν; πάντα ἔχεις τὰ ἐργαλεῖα καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόλωλεν αὐτῶν;

ΗΦ. Πάντα, ὦ Ἄπολλον.

ΑΠ. Ὅμως ἐπίσκεψαι ἀκριβῶς.

ΗΦ. Μὰ Δία, τὴν πυράγραν οὐχ ὁρῶ.

ΑΠ. Ἀλλ᾽ ὄψῃ που ἐν τοῖς σπαργάνοις αὐτὴν τοῦ βρέφους.

[Page 6] ΗΦ. Οὕτως ὀξύχειρ ἐστὶν ὥσπερ πρὶν γεγονέναι ἐκμελετήσας τὴν κλεπτικήν;

ΑΠ. Οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσας αὐτοῦ καὶ λαλοῦντος ἤδη στωμύλα καὶ ἐπίτροχα· ὁ δὲ καὶ διακονεῖν ἡμῖν ἐθελει. χθὲς δὲ προκαλεσάμενος τὸν Ἔρωτα κατεπάλαισεν εὐθύς, οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως, ὑφελὼν τὼ πόδε· εἶτα μεταξὺ ἐπαινούμενος, τῆς Ἀφροδίτης μὲν τὸν κεστὸν ἔκλεψε ἀσπαζομένης αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ, τοῦ Διὸς δὲ γελῶντος ἔτι τὸ σκῆπτρον· εἰ δὲ μὴ βαρύτερος ὁ κεραυνὸς ἦν καὶ πολὺ τὸ πῦρ εἶχε, κἀκεῖνον ἂν ὑφείλετο.

ΗΦ. Γοργόν τινα τὸν παῖδα φής.

ΑΠ. Οὐ μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ μουσικόν.

ΗΦ. Τῷ τοῦτο τεκμαίρεσθαι ἔχεις;

ΑΠ. Χελώνην που νεκρὰν εὑρὼν ὄργανον ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς συνεπήξατο· πήχεις γὰρ ἐναρμόσας καὶ ζυγώσας, ἔπειτα κολλάβους ἐμπήξας, καὶ μαγάδα ὑποθείς, καὶ ἐντεινάμενος ἑπτὰ χορδάς, ἐμελῴδει πάνυ ἡδύ, ὦ Ἥφαιστε, καὶ ἐναρμόνιον, ὡς κἀμὲ αὐτῷ φθονεῖν πάλαι κιθαρίζειν ἀσκοῦντα. ἔλεγε δὲ ἡ Μαῖα, ὡς οὐδὲ μένοι τὰς νύκτας ἐν τῳ οὐρανῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ περιεργίας ἄχρι τοῦ ᾅδου κατίοι, κλέψων τι κἀκεῖθεν δηλαδή. ὑπόπτερος δ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ ῥάβδον τινὰ πεποίηται θαυμασίαν τὴν δύναμιν, ᾗ ψυχαγωγεῖ καὶ κατάγει τοὺς νεκρούς.

ΗΦ. Ἐγὼ ἐκείνην ἔδωκα αὐτῷ παίγνιον εἶναι.

ΑΠ. Τοιγαροῦν ἀπέδωκέ σοι τὸν μισθόν, τὴν πυράγραν‒

ΗΦ. Εὖ γε ὑπέμνησας· ὥστε βαδιοῦμαι ἀποληψόμενος αὐτήν, εἴ που ὡς φὴς εὑρεθείη ἐν τοῖς σπαργάνοις.

[Page 7] 4 ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΟΣ

ΗΦ. Τί με, ὦ Ζεῦ, χρὴ ποιεῖν; ἥκω γάρ, ὡς ἐκέλευσας, ἔχων τὸν πέλεκυν ὀξύτατον, εἰ καὶ λίθον δέοι μιᾷ πληγῇ διακόψαι.

ΖΕΥΣ. Εὖ γε, ὦ Ἥφαιστε· ἀλλὰ δίελέ μου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐς δύο κατενεγκών.

ΗΦ. Πειρᾷ μου, εἰ μέμηνα; πρόσταττε δ᾽ οὖν τι ἄλλο ὅπερ ἐθέλεις σοι γενέσθαι.

ΖΕΥΣ. Τοῦτο αὐτό, διαιρεθῆναί μοι τὸ κρανίον· εἰ δὲ ἀπειθήσεις, οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ὀργιζομένου πειράσῃ. ἀλλὰ χρὴ καθικνεῖσθαι παντὶ τῷ θυμῷ, μηδὲ μέλλειν· ἀπόλλυμαι γὰρ ὑπὸ ὠδίνων, αἵ μοι τὸν ἐγκέφαλον ἀναστρέφουσιν.

ΗΦ. Ὅρα, ὦ Ζεῦ, μὴ κακόν τι ποιήσωμεν· ὀξὺς γὰρ ὁ πέλεκύς ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀναιμωτὶ τοῦτο ποιήσει.

ΖΕΥΣ. Κατένεγκε μόνον, ὦ Ἥφαιστε, θαρρῶν· οἶδα ἐγὼ τὸ συμφέρον.

ΗΦ. Ἄκων μέν, κατοίσω δέ· τί γὰρ χρὴ ποιεῖν σοῦ κελεύοντος;–τί τοῦτο; κόρη ἔνοπλος; μέγα, ὦ Ζεῦ, κακὸν εἶχες ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ· εἰκότως γοῦν ὀξύθυμος ἦσθα τηλικαύτην ὑπὸ τῇ μήνιγγι παρθένον ἔχων, καὶ ταύτην ἔνοπλον· ἦ που στρατόπεδον, οὐ κεφαλὴν ἐλελήθεις ἔχων. ἡ δὲ πηδᾷ, καὶ πυρριχίζει, καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα κινεῖ καὶ τὸ δόρυ πάλλει καὶ ἐνθουσιάζει, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, καλὴ πάνυ καὶ ἀκμαία γεγένηται ἤδη ἐν βραχεῖ· γλαυκῶπις μέν, ἀλλὰ κοσμεῖ καὶ τοῦτο ἡ κόρυς. ὥστε, ὦ Ζεῦ, μαίωτρά μοι ἀπόδος ἐγγυήσας ἤδη αὐτήν.

[Page 8] ΖΕΥΣ. Ἀδύνατα αἰτεῖς, ὦ Ἥφαιστε· παρθένος γὰρ ἀεὶ ἐθελήσει μένειν. ἐγὼ δ᾽ οὖν τό γε ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ οὐδὲν ἀντιλέγω.

ΗΦ. Τοῦτ᾽ ἐβουλόμην· ἐμοὶ μελήσει τὰ λοιπά, καὶ ἤδη συναρπάσω αὐτήν.

ΖΕΥΣ. Εἴ σοι ῥᾴδιον, οὕτω ποίει· πλὴν οἶδα ὅτι ἀδυνάτων ἐρᾷς.

5 ΔΙΟΣ. ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΖΕΥΣ. Παύσασθε, ὦ Ἀσκληπιὲ καὶ Ἡράκλεις, ἐρίζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι· ἀπρεπῆ γὰρ ταῦτα, καὶ ἀλλότρια τοῦ συμποσίου τῶν θεῶν.

ΗΡΑ. Ἀλλὰ ἐθέλεις, ὦ Ζεῦ, τουτονὶ τὸν φαρμακέα προκατακλίνεσθαί μου;

ΑΣΚ. Νὴ Δία· καὶ ἀμείνων γάρ εἰμι.

ΗΡΑ. Κατὰ τί, ὦ ἐμβρόντητε; ἢ διότι σε ὁ Ζεὺς ἐκεραύνωσεν ἃ μὴ θέμις ποιοῦντα, νῦν δὲ κατ᾽ ἔλεον αὖθις ἀθανασίας μετείληφας;

ΑΣΚ. Ἐπιλέλησαι γὰρ καὶ σύ, ὦ Ἡράκλεις, ἐν τῇ Οἴτῃ καταφλεχθείς, ὅτι μοι ὀνειδίζεις τὸ πῦρ;

ΗΡΑ. Οὔκουν ἴσα καὶ ὅμοια βεβίωται ἡμῖν, ὃς Διὸς μὲν υἱός εἰμι, τοσαῦτα δὲ πεπόνηκα ἐκκαθαίρων τὴν γῆν, θηρία καταγωνιζόμενος καὶ ἀνθρώπους ὑβριστὰς τιμωρούμενος· σὺ δὲ ῥιζοτόμος εἶ και ἀγύρτης, νοσοῦσι μὲν ἴσως ἀνθρώποις χρήσιμος ἐπιθήσειν τῶν φαρμάκων, ἀνδρῶδες δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπιδεδείγμενος.

ΑΣΚ. Εὖ λέγεις, ὅτι σου τὰ ἐγκαύματα ἰασάμην, ὅτε πρῴην ἀνῆλθες ἡμίφλεκτος ὑπ᾽ ἀμφοῖν διεφθαρμένος [Page 9] τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τοῦ χιτῶνος καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τοῦ πυρός. ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο, οὔτε ἐδούλευσα ὥσπερ σὺ οὔτε ἔξαινον ἔρια ἐν Λυδίᾳ πορφυρίδα ἐνδεδυκώς, καὶ παιόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς Ὀμφάλης χρυσῷ σανδάλῳ, ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ μελαγχολήσας ἀπέκτεινα τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα.

ΗΡΑ. Εἰ μὴ παύσῃ λοιδορούμενός μοι, αὐτίκα μάλα εἴσῃ ὡς οὐ πολύ σε ὀνήσει ἡ ἀθανασία, ἐπεὶ ἀράμενός σε ῥίψω ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὥστε μηδὲ τὸν Παιῶνα ἰάσασθαί σε τὸ κρανίον συντριβέντα.

ΖΕΥΣ. Παύσασθε, φημί, καὶ μὴ ἐπιταράττετε ἡμῖν τὴν ξυνουσίαν, ἢ ἀμφοτέρους ἀποπέμψομαι ὑμᾶς τοῦ ξυμποσίου. καίτοι εἰκός, ὦ Ἡράκλεις, προκατακλίνεσθαί σου τὸν Ἀσκληπιὸν ἅτε καὶ πρότερον ἀποθανόντα.

6 ΕΡΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΟΣ

ΕΡΜ. Τί σκυθρωπός, ὦ Ἄπολλον;

ΑΠ. Ὅτι, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, πενθῶ τὸν Λάκωνα τὸν Οἰβάλου.

ΕΡΜ. Τέθνηκε γάρ, εἰπέ μοι, ὁ Ὑάκινθος;

ΑΠ. Καὶ μάλα.

ΕΡΜ. Πρὸς τίνος, ὦ Ἄπολλον; ἢ τίς οὕτω σχέτλιος ἦν ὥστ᾽ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸ καλὸν ἐκεῖνο μειράκιον;

ΑΠ. Αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ τὸ ἔργον.

ΕΡΜ. Οὐκοῦν ἐμάνης, ὦ Ἄπολλον;

ΑΠ. Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ δυστύχημά τι ἀκούσιον ἐγένετο.

ΕΡΜ. Πῶς; ἐθέλω γὰρ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν τρόπον.

ΑΠ. Δισκεύειν ἐμάνθανε, κἀγὼ συνεδίσκευον αὐτῷ, [Page 10] ὁ δὲ κάκιστα ἀνέμων ἀπολούμενος ὁ Ζέφυρος ἐφθόνει μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ· ὥστ᾿ ἐγὼ μὲν ἀνέρριψα, ὥσπερ εἰώθειμεν, τὸν δίσκον ἐς τὸ ἄνω, ὁ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ταϋγέτου καταπνεύσας ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν τῷ παιδὶ ἐνέσεισε φέρων αὐτόν, ὥστε ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς αἷμά τε ῥυῆναι πολὺ καὶ τὸν παῖδα εὐθέως ἀποθανεῖν. ἀλλὰ ἐγὼ τὸν μὲν Ζέφυρον αὐτίκα ἠμυνάμην κατατοξεύσας, φεύγοντι ἐπισπόμενος ἄχρι τοῦ ὄρους, τῷ παιδὶ δὲ καὶ τὸν τάφον ἐχωσάμην ἐν Ἀμύκλαις, ὅπου ὁ δίσκος αὐτὸν κατέβαλε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ἄνθος ἀναδοῦναι τὴν γῆν ἐποίησα ἥδιστον, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ εὐανθέστατον ἀνθέων ἁπάντων, ἔτι καὶ γράμματα ἔχον ἐπαιάζοντα τῷ νεκρῷ. ἆρά σοι ἀλόγως λελυπῆσθαι δοκῶ;

ΕΡΜ. Ναί, ὦ Ἄπολλον· ᾔδησθα γὰρ θνητὸν ὄντα· ὥστε μὴ ἄχθου ἀποθανόντος.

7 ΗΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΗΤΟΥΣ

ΗΡΑ. Καλὰ μέν, ὦ Λητοῖ, καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἔτεκες τῷ Διί.

ΛΗΤ. Οὐ πᾶσαι, ὦ Ἥρα, τοιούτους τίκτειν δυνάμεθα, οἷος ὁ Ἥφαιστός ἐστιν.

ΗΡΑ. Ἀλλὰ οὗτος μὲν ὁ χωλὸς ὅμως χρήσιμός γε ἐστι, τεχνίτης ὢν ἄριστος, καὶ κατακεκόσμηκεν ἡμῖν τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἔγημε, καὶ σπουδάζεται πρὸς αὐτῆς· οἱ δὲ σοὶ παῖδες, ἡ μὲν αὐτῶν ἀρρενικὴ πέρα τοῦ μετρίου καὶ ὄρειος, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀπελθοῦσα πάντες ἴσασιν οἷα ἐσθίει, ξενοκτονοῦσα καὶ [Page 11] μιμουμένη τοὺς Σκύθας αὐτοὺς ἀνθρωποφάγους ὄντας· ὁ δὲ Ἀπόλλων προσποιεῖται μὲν πάντα εἰδέναι, καὶ τοξεύειν, καὶ κιθαρίζειν, καὶ ἰατρὸς εἶναι, καὶ μαντεύεσθαι, καὶ καταστησάμενος ἐργαστήρια τῆς μαντικῆς, τὸ μὲν ἐν Δελφοῖς, τὸ δὲ ἐν Κλάρῳ, καὶ ἐν Διδύμοις ἐξαπατᾷ τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῷ, λοξὰ καὶ ἐπαμφοτερίζοντα πρὸς ἑκάτερον τῆς ἐρωτήσεως ἀποκρινόμενος, ὥστ᾽ ἀκίνδυνον εἶναι τὸ σφάλμα. καὶ πλουτεῖ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ τοιούτου· πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ ἀνόητοι καὶ παρέχοντες αὑτοὺς καταγοητεύεσθαι· πλὴν οὐκ ἀγνοεῖταί γε ὑπὸ τῶν συνετωτέρων τὰ πολλὰ τερατευόμενος· αὑτὸς γοῦν ὁ μάντις ἠγνόει μὲν ὅτι φονεύσει τὸν Ὑάκινθον τῷ δίσκῳ, οὐ προεμαντεύσατο δὲ ὡς φεύξεται αὐτὸν ἡ Δάφνη, καὶ ταῦτα οὕτω καλὸν καὶ κομήτην ὄντα. ὥστε οὐχ ὁρῶ ὅπως καλλιτεκνοτέρα τῆς Νιόβης ἔδοξας.

ΛΗΤ. Ταῦτα μέντοι τὰ τέκνα, ἡ ξενοκτόνος καὶ ὁ ψευδόμαντις, οἶδα ὅπως λυπεῖ σε ὅταν ὁρᾷς ἐν τοῖς θεοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα ὁπόταν ἡ μὲν ἐπαινῆται ἐς τὸ κάλλος, ὁ δὲ κιθαρίζῃ ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ θαυμαζόμενος ὑφ᾿ ἁπάντων.

ΗΡΑ. Ἐγέλασα, ὦ Λητοῖ· ἐκεῖνος θαυμαστός, ὃν ὁ Μαρσύας, εἰ τὰ δίκαια αἱ Μοῦσαι δικάσαι ἤθελον, ἀπέδειρεν ἂν αὐτός, κρατήσας τῇ μουσικῇ· νῦν δὲ ἀπατηθεὶς ἄθλιος ἀπόλωλεν, ἀδίκως ἁλούς· ἡ δὲ καλή σου παρθένος οὕτω καλή ἐστιν, ὥστε ἐπεὶ ἔμαθεν ὀφθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀκταίωνος, φοβηθεῖσα μὴ ὁ νεανίσκος ἐξαγορεύσῃ τὸ αἶσχος αὐτῆς, ἐπαφῆκεν αὐτῷ τοὺς κύνας.

ΛΗΤ. Μέγα, ὦ Ἥρα, φρονεῖς, ὅτι ξύνει τῷ Διὶ [Page 12] καὶ συμβασιλεύεις αὐτῷ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑβρίζεις ἀδεῶς· πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ὄψομαί σε μετ᾽ ὀλίγον αὖθις δακρύουσαν, ὁπόταν σε καταλιπὼν ἐς τὴν γῆν κατίῃ.

8 ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΡΩΤΟΣ

ΑΦΡ. Τί δήποτε, ὦ Ἔρως, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους θεοὺς κατηγωνίσω ἅπαντας, τὸν Δία, τὸν Ποσειδῶ, τὸν Ἀπόλλω, τὴν Ῥέαν, ἐμὲ τὴν μητέρα, μόνης δὲ ἀπέχῃ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνης ἄπυρος μέν σοι ἡ δᾴς, κενὴ δὲ ὀιστῶν ἡ φαρέτρα, σὺ δὲ ἄτοξος εἶ καὶ ἄστοχος;

ΕΡ. Δέδια, ὦ μῆτερ, αὐτήν· φοβερὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ χαροπὴ καὶ δεινῶς ἀνδρική· ὁπόταν γοῦν ἐντεινάμενος τὸ τόξον ἴω ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν, ἐπισείουσα τὸν λόφον ἐκπλήττει με, καὶ ὑπότρομος γίγνομαι, καὶ ἀπορρεῖ μου τὰ τοξεύματα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν.

ΑΦΡ. Ὁ Ἄρης γὰρ οὐ φοβερώτερος ἦν; καὶ ὅμως ἀφώπλισας αὐτὸν καὶ νενίκηκας.

ΕΡ. Ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνος ἑκὼν προσίεταί με καὶ προσκαλεῖται, ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ ὑφορᾶται ἀεί, καί ποτε ἐγὼ μὲν ἄλλως παρέπτην πλησίον ἔχων τὴν λαμπάδα, ἡ δέ, “εἴ μοι πρόσει, φησί, νὴ τὸν πατέρα, τῷ δορατίῳ σε διαπείρασα, ἢ τοῦ ποδὸς λαβομένη καὶ ἐς τὸν Τάρταρον ἐμβαλοῦσα, ἢ αὐτὴ διασπασαμένη, διαφθερῶ”. πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἠπείλησε· ὁρᾷ δὲ δριμύ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους ἔχει πρόσωπόν τι φοβερὸν ἐχίδναις κατάκομον, ὅπερ ἐγὼ μάλιστα δέδια· μορμολύττεται γάρ με καὶ φεύγω, ὅταν ἴδω αὐτό.

[Page 13] ΑΦΡ. Ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν Ἀθηνᾶν δέδιας, ὡς φής, καὶ τὴν Γοργώ, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ φοβηθεὶς τὸν κεραυνὸν τοῦ Διός. αἱ δὲ Μοῦσαι διὰ τί σοι ἄτρωτοι καὶ ἔξω βελῶν εἰσιν; ἢ κἀκεῖναι λόφους ἐπισείουσι καὶ Γοργόνας προφαίνουσιν;

ΕΡ. Αἰδοῦμαι αὐτάς, ὦ μῆτερ· σεμναὶ γάρ εἰσι, καὶ ἀεί τι φροντίζουσι, καὶ περὶ ᾠδὴν ἔχουσι, καὶ ἐγὼ παρίσταμαι πολλάκις αὐταῖς κηλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ μέλους.

ΑΦΡ. Ἔα καὶ ταύτας, ὅτι σεμναί· τὴν δὲ Ἄρτεμιν τίνος ἕνεκα οὐ τιτρώσκεις;