Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  3.23 “There are several kinds of Nymphs, my dear Chloe, Nymphs of the forest, of the woods, and of the meadows: they are all beautiful, and all skilled in singing. Echo was the daughter of one of these: she was mortal, since her father was a mortal, and beautiful, being born of a beautiful mother. She was brought up by the Nymphs, and taught by the Muses to play on the flute and pipe, the lyre and the lute, and to sing all kinds of songs: when she grew up, she danced with the Nymphs and sang with the Muses: but, jealous of her virginity, she avoided all males, both Gods and men. Pan was incensed against the maiden, being jealous of her singing, and vexed that he could not enjoy her beauty. He inspired with frenzy the shepherds and goatherds, who, like dogs or wolves, tore the maiden to pieces, and flung her limbs here and there, still quivering with song. Earth, out of respect for the Nymphs, received and hid them in her bosom, where they still preserve their gift of song, and, by the will of the Muses, speak and imitate all sounds, as the maiden did when alive - the voices of men and Gods, musical instruments, and the cries of wild beasts: they even imitate the notes of Pan when playing on his pipe. And he, when he hears it, springs up and rushes down the mountains, with the sole desire of finding out who is the pupil who thus conceals himself.” When Daphnis had finished his story Chloe gave him, not ten, but ten times ten kisses: for Echo had repeated nearly all her words, as if to testify that he had spoken nothing but the truth.

  Θερμοτέρου δὲ καθ̓ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν γινομένου τοῦ ἡλίου, οἷα τοῦ μὲν ἦρος παυομένου τοῦ δὲ θέρους ἀρχομένου, πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐγίνοντο καιναὶ τέρψεις καὶ θέρειοι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐνήχετο ἐν τοῖς ποταμοῖς, ἡ δὲ ἐν ταῖς πηγαῖς ἐλούετο: ὁ μὲν ἐσύριττεν ἁμιλλώμενος πρὸς τὰς πίτυς, ἡ δὲ ᾖδε ταῖς ἀηδόσιν ἐρίζουσα: ἐθήρων ἀκρίδας λάλους, ἐλάμβανον τέττιγας ἠχοῦντας, ἄνθη συνέλεγον, δένδρα ἔσειον, ὀπώραν ἤσθιον: ἤδη ποτὲ καὶ γυμνοὶ συγκατεκλίνησαν καὶ ἓν δέρμα αἰγὸς ἐπεσύραντο. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἂν γυνὴ Χλόη ῥᾳδίως, εἰ μὴ Δάφνιν ἐτάραξε τὸ αἷμα. Ἀμέλει καὶ δεδοικὼς μὴ νικηθῇ τὸν λογισμόν ποτε, πολλὰ γυμνοῦσθαι τὴν Χλόην οὐκ ἐπέτρεπεν, ὥστε ἐθαύμαζε μὲν ἡ Χλόη, τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν ᾐδεῖτο πυθέσθαι.

  3.24 The sun grew daily hotter for spring was at its close and summer was beginning, and the delights of summer returned to them once more. Daphnis swam in the rivers, Chloe bathed in the springs: he played on the pipe, in rivalry with the rustling of the pines, she emulated the nightingales in her song: they chased the noisy locusts, caught the chirping grasshoppers, plucked the flowers, shook the fruit from the trees and ate it: they even sometimes lay naked together side by side under the same goatskin. Then Chloe would have soon become a woman, had not Daphnis been deterred by his horror of blood. Often, being afraid that he might not be able to contain himself, he would not allow Chloe to remove her clothes: whereat she was astonished, but was too bashful to inquire the reason.

  Ἐν τῷ θέρει τῷδε καὶ μνηστήρων πλῆθος ἦν περὶ τὴν Χλόην καὶ πολλοὶ πολλαχόθεν ἐφοίτων παρὰ τὸν Δρύαντα πρὸς γάμον αἰτοῦντες αὐτήν. Καὶ οἱ μέν τι δῶρον ἔφερον, οἱ δὲ ἐπηγγέλλοντο μεγάλα. Ἡ μὲν οὖν Νάπη ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐπαιρομένη συνεβούλευεν ἐκδιδόναι τὴν Χλόην μηδὲ κατέχειν οἴκοι πρὸς πλέον τηλικαύτην κόρην, ἣ τάχα μικρὸν ὕστερον νέμουσα τὴν παρθενίαν ἀπολέσει καὶ ἄνδρα ποιήσεταί τινα τῶν ποιμένων ἐπὶ μήλοις ἢ ῥόδοις, ἀλλ̓ ἐκείνην τε ποιῆσαι δέσποιναν οἰκίας καὶ αὐτοὺς πολλὰ λαβόντας ἰδίῳ φυλάττειν αὐτὰ καὶ γνησίῳ παιδίῳ ῾ἐγεγόνει γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἄρρεν παιδίον οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ τινος᾿: ὁ δὲ Δρύας ποτὲ μὲν ἐθέλγετο τοῖς λεγομένοις ῾μείζονα γὰρ ἢ κατὰ ποιμαίνουσαν κόρην δῶρα ὠνομάζετο παῤ ἑκάστοὐ, ποτὲ δὲ ἐννοήσας ὡς κρείττων ἐστὶν ἡ παρθένος μνηστήρων γεωργῶν καὶ ὡς, εἴ ποτε τοὺς ἀληθινοὺς γονέας εὕροι, μεγάλως αὐτοὺς εὐδαίμονας θήσει, ἀνεβάλλετο τὴν ἀπόκρισιν καὶ εἷλκε χρόνον ἐκ χρόνου καὶ ἐν τῷ τέως ἀπεκέρδαινεν οὐκ ὀλίγα δῶρα. Ἡ μὲν δὴ μαθοῦσα λυπηρῶς πάνυ διῆγε καὶ τὸν Δάφνιν ἐλάνθανεν ἐπὶ πολύ, λυπεῖν οὐ θέλουσα: ὡς δὲ ἐλιπάρει καὶ ἐνέκειτο πυνθανόμενος καὶ ἐλυπεῖτο μᾶλλον μὴ μανθάνων ἢ ἔμελλε μαθών, πάντα αὐτῷ διηγεῖται, τοὺς μνηστευομένους ὡς πολλοὶ καὶ πλούσιοι, τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἡ Νάπη σπεύδουσα τὸν γάμον ἔλεγεν, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀπείπατο Δρύας, ἀλλ̓ ὡς εἰς τὸν τρυγητὸν ἀναβέβληται.

  3.25 During this summer, a number of suitors for the hand of Chloe presented themselves, coming from all parts to ask her of Dryas in marriage. Some brought presents, others made lavish promises. Nape, her hopes being thus excited, advised him to let Chloe marry, and not keep a girl of her age at home, who might, at any moment, while tending her flocks, lose her virginity and bestow herself upon some shepherd for a present of roses or apples: it would be better, said she, to make her mistress of a home and to keep the presents they had received for their own son lately born. Sometimes Dryas felt tempted by these arguments: for each of the suitors made far handsomer offers than might have been expected in the case of a simple shepherdess; but at other times he came to the conclusion that the girl was too good for a rustic husband, and that, if she ever found her parents again, they might make him and Nape rich. He accordingly put off answering from day to day, receiving in the meantime a considerable number of presents. Chloe, seeing all this, was overcome with grief, which she for a long time concealed from Daphnis to avoid giving him pain: but at last, as he importuned her with questions, and was even more unhappy than if he knew all, she told him everything - her numerous and wealthy suitors, Nape’s reasons for hastening on her marriage, and how Dryas, without absolutely refusing his consent, had deferred his answer to the next vintage.

  Ἔκφρων ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Δάφνις γίνεται καὶ ἐδάκρυσε καθήμενος, ἀποθανεῖσθαι μηκέτι συννεμούσης Χλόης λέγων: καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πρόβατα μετὰ τοιοῦτον ποιμένα. Εἶτα ἀνενεγκὼν ἐθάρρει καὶ πείσειν ἐνενόει τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἕνα τῶν μνωμένων αὑτὸν ἠρίθμει καὶ πολὺ κρατήσειν ἤλπιζε τῶν ἄλλων. Ἓν αὐτὸν ἐτάραττεν: οὐκ ἦν Λάμων πλούσιος: τοῦτο μόνον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐλπίδα λεπτὴν εἰργάζετο: ὅμως δὲ ἐδόκει μνᾶσθαι, καὶ τῇ Χλόῃ συνεδόκει. Τῷ Λάμωνι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ἐτόλμησεν εἰπεῖν, τῇ Μυρτάλῃ δὲ θαρρήσας καὶ τὸν ἔρωτα ἐμήνυσε καὶ περὶ τοῦ γάμου λόγους προσήνεγκεν: ἡ δὲ τῷ Λάμωνι νύκτωρ ἐκοινώσατο. Σκληρῶς δὲ ἐκείνου τὴν ἔντευξιν ἐνεγ�
�όντος καὶ λοιδορήσαντος εἰ παιδὶ θυγάτριον ποιμένων προξενεῖ μεγάλην ἐν τοῖς γνωρίσμασιν ἐπαγγελλομένῳ τύχην, ὃς αὐτούς, εὑρὼν τοὺς οἰκείους, καὶ ἐλευθέρους θήσει καὶ δεσπότας ἀγρῶν μειζόνων, ἡ Μυρτάλη διὰ τὸν ἔρωτα φοβουμένη μὴ τελέως ἀπελπίσας ὁ Δάφνις τὸν γάμον τολμήσῃ τι θανατῶδες, ἄλλας αὐτῷ τῆς ἀντιρρήσεως αἰτίας ἀπήγγειλε. ‘Πένητες ἐσμέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ δεόμεθα νύμφης φερούσης τι μᾶλλον: οἱ δὲ πλούσιοι καὶ πλουσίων νυμφίων δεόμενοι. Ἴθι δή, πεῖσον Χλόην, ἡ δὲ τὸν πατέρα, μηδὲν αἰτεῖν μέγα: πάντως δή που κἀκείνη φιλεῖ σε καὶ βούλεται συγκαθεύδειν πένητι καλῷ μᾶλλον ἢ πιθήκῳ πλουσίῳ.’

  3.26 When Daphnis heard this, he nearly went out of his mind: he sat down and began to weep, declaring that he should die if Chloe no longer came to tend her flocks in the fields; and not he alone, but her sheep also, if they lost such a shepherdess. Then, having recovered himself a little, he took courage and thought of asking her father for her hand himself. He already reckoned himself one of her suitors, and hoped to be easily preferred before the rest. One thing alone disturbed him: Lamon was not rich, and even though (?) he had been rich, he was not free: this alone made his chances slighter. Nevertheless, he decided to prefer (?) his suit, and Chloe approved his resolution. He did not, however, venture to speak directly to Lamon, but, feeling bolder with Myrtale, he told her of his love and spoke to her of his wish to marry Chloe. At night, she told Lamon, who was greatly annoyed at the proposal: he sharply rebuked her for wanting to marry, to the daughter of a simple shepherd, a youth who, to judge from the tokens found with him when he lay exposed, might look forward to a higher destiny, and who, if he found his parents again, might not only grant them their freedom, but might bestow upon them a larger estate even than the one on which they worked. Myrtale, fearing that Daphnis might do something desperate, or even take his own life, if he lost all hope of winning Chloe, gave him other reasons for Lamon’s refusal. “We are poor, my son,” she said to him, “we rather want a bride who will bring a dowry with her: while they [Dryas and Nape] are wealthy, and seek wealthy suitors. But, come, persuade Chloe, and let her try and persuade her father, not to ask for a large settlement, but to allow you to marry. No doubt she loves you and would prefer for her bed fellow a handsome youth, though poor, to an ape, however wealthy.”

  Μυρτάλη μὲν οὔποτε ἐλπίσασα Δρύαντα τούτοις συνθήσεσθαι μνηστῆρας ἔχοντα πλουσιωτέρους εὐπρεπῶς ᾤετο παρῃτῆσθαι τὸν γάμον: Δάφνις δὲ οὐκ εἶχε μέμφεσθαι τὰ λελεγμένα. Λειπόμενος δὲ πολὺ τῶν αἰτουμένων τὸ σύνηθες ἐρασταῖς πενομένοις ἔπραττεν: ἐδάκρυε καὶ τὰς Νύμφας αὖθις ἐκάλει βοηθούς. Αἱ δὲ αὐτῷ καθεύδοντι νύκτωρ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐφίστανται σχήμασιν, ἐν οἷς καὶ πρότερον: ἔλεγε δὲ ἡ πρεσβυτάτη πάλιν ‘γάμου μὲν μέλει τῆς Χλόης ἄλλῳ θεῷ, δῶρα δέ σοι δώσομεν ἡμεῖς, ἃ θέλξει Δρύαντα. Ἡ ναῦς ἡ τῶν Μηθυμναίων νεανίσκων, ἧς τὴν λύγον αἱ σαί ποτε αἶγες κατέφαγον, ἡμέρᾳ μὲν ἐκείνῃ μακρὰν τῆς γῆς ὑπηνέχθη πνεύματι: νυκτὸς δὲ πελαγίου ταράξαντος ἀνέμου τὴν θάλατταν εἰς τὴν γῆν εἰς τὰς τῆς ἄκρας πέτρας ἐξεβράσθη. Αὐτὴ μὲν οὖν διεφθάρη καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ: βαλάντιον δὲ τρισχιλίων δραχμῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ κύματος ἀπεπτύσθη καὶ κεῖται φυκίοις κεκαλυμμένον πλησίον δελφῖνος νεκροῦ, δἰ ὃν οὐδεὶς προσῆλθεν ὁδοιπόρος, τὸ δυσῶδες τῆς σηπεδόνος παρατρέχων. Ἀλλὰ σὺ πρόσελθε καὶ προσελθὼν ἀνελοῦ καὶ ἀνελόμενος δός. Ἱκανόν σοι νῦν μὲν δόξαι μὴ πένητι, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον ἔσῃ καὶ πλούσιος.’

  3.27 Myrtale, who never expected that Dryas would give his consent, since there were far wealthier suitors for the hand of Chloe, thought that she had very cleverly avoided the question of the marriage. Daphnis, for his part, could find nothing to say against this: but, finding how little chance he had of getting what he wanted, he did what poor lovers usually do - he began to weep, and again implored the assistance of the Nymphs, who appeared to him at night, while he was asleep, in the same dress and form as on the first occasion. The eldest of them again addressed him: “Chloe’s marriage is the business of another God: but we will give you some presents which will soften the heart of Dryas. The vessel which belonged to the young Methymnaeans, the osier cable of which your goats formerly ate, was carried far out to sea all that day by the winds. But, during the night, when a violent breeze blew from the sea, it was driven ashore on the rocky promontory. The vessel was shattered to pieces, and nearly all that was in it was lost: but a purse of three thousand drachmas was cast up by the waves, and it now lies upon the shore, hidden under some seaweed, close to a dead dolphin, the stench from which is so noisome that no passer-by will go near it. Go, take the purse, and give it to Dryas. It is enough for you now to show that you are not poor: but a day will come when you will be even wealthy.”

  Αἱ μὲν ταῦτα εἰποῦσαι τῇ νυκτὶ συναπῆλθον: γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ἀναπηδήσας ὁ Δάφνις περιχαρὴς ἤλαυνε ῥοίζῳ πολλῷ τὰς αἶγας εἰς τὴν νομήν: καὶ τὴν Χλόην φιλήσας καὶ τὰς Νύμφας προσκυνήσας κατῆλθεν ἐπὶ θάλατταν, ὡς περιρράνασθαι θέλων: καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψάμμου πλησίον τῆς κυματωγῆς ἐβάδιζε ζητῶν τὰς τρισχιλίας. Ἔμελλε δὲ ἄῤ οὐ πολὺν κάματον ἕξειν: ὁ γὰρ δελφὶς ὁ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν ὀδωδὼς αὐτῷ προσέπιπτεν ἐρριμμένος καὶ μυδῶν: οὗ τῇ σηπεδόνι καθάπερ ἡγεμόνι χρώμενος ὁδοῦ προσῆλθέ τε εὐθὺς καὶ τὰ φυκία ἀφελὼν εὑρίσκει τὸ βαλάντιον ἀργυρίου μεστόν. Τοῦτο ἀνελόμενος καὶ εἰς τὴν πήραν ἐνθέμενος οὐ πρόσθεν ἀπῆλθε, πρὶν τὰς Νύμφας εὐφημῆσαι καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν θάλατταν: καίπερ γὰρ αἰπόλος ὤν, ἤδη καὶ τὴν θάλατταν ἐνόμιζε τῆς γῆς γλυκυτέραν, ὡς εἰς τὸν γάμον αὐτῷ τὸν Χλόης συλλαμβάνουσαν.

  3.28 With these words, they disappeared, and night with them. At daybreak, Daphnis jumped up full of joy, and eagerly drove his goats to pasture. Having kissed Chloe and paid his respects to the Nymphs, he went down to the shore, saying he was going to bathe, and walked along the sand on the beach, looking for the three thousand drachmas. He had not to trouble himself long: for the evil smell of the dolphin, which lay rotting on the shore, soon reached his nostrils. Following the smell as a guide, he soon reached the spot, removed the seaweed, and found the purse full of money. He took it, stowed it away in his wallet, and, before departing, gave thanks to the Nymphs and the sea itself: for, although he was a goatherd, he began to think that the sea was pleasanter than the earth, since it had assisted his marriage with Chloe.

  Εἰλημμένος δ�
�� τῶν τρισχιλίων οὐκέτ̓ ἔμελλεν, ἀλλ̓ ὡς πάντων ἀνθρώπων πλουσιώτατος, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἐκεῖ γεωργῶν, αὐτίκα ἐλθὼν παρὰ τὴν Χλόην διηγεῖται τὸ ὄναρ, δείκνυσι τὸ βαλάντιον, κελεύει τὰς ἀγέλας φυλάττειν, ἔστ̓ ἂν ἐπανέλθῃ, καὶ συντείνας σοβεῖ παρὰ τὸν Δρύαντα. Καὶ εὑρὼν πυρούς τινας ἁλωνοτριβοῦντα μετὰ τῆς Νάπης πάνυ θρασὺν ἐμβάλλει λόγον περὶ γάμου. ‘Ἐμοὶ δὸς Χλόην γυναῖκα: ἐγὼ καὶ συρίττειν οἶδα καλῶς καὶ κλᾶν ἄμπελον καὶ φυτὰ κατορύττειν: οἶδα καὶ γῆν ἀροῦν καὶ λικμῆσαι πρὸς ἄνεμον. Ἀγέλην δὲ ὅπως νέμω μάρτυς Χλόη: πεντήκοντα αἶγας παραλαβὼν διπλασίονας πεποίηκα: ἔθρεψα καὶ τράγους μεγάλους καὶ καλούς: πρότερον δὲ ἀλλοτρίοις τὰς αἶγας ὑπεβάλλομεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ νέος εἰμὶ καὶ γείτων ὑμῖν ἄμεμπτος: καί με ἔθρεψεν αἴξ, ὡς Χλόην οἶς. Τοσοῦτον δὲ τῶν ἄλλων κρατῶν οὐδὲ δώροις ἡττηθήσομαι. Ἐκεῖνοι δώσουσιν αἶγας καὶ πρόβατα καὶ ζεῦγος ψωραλέων βοῶν καὶ σῖτον μηδὲ ἀλεκτορίδας θρέψαι δυνάμενον: παῤ ἐμοῦ δὲ αἵδε ὑμῖν τρισχίλιαι. Μόνον ἴστω τοῦτο μηδείς, μὴ Λάμων αὐτὸς οὑμὸς πατήρ.’ Ἅμα τ̓ ἐδίδου καὶ περιβαλὼν κατεφίλει.