Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  3.29 Having gained possession of the three thousand drachmas, he delayed no longer. He thought himself the richest man, not only amongst the husbandmen in the neighbourhood, but of all men living, hastened to Chloe, told her of the dream, showed her the purse, told her to mind the flocks till he returned, and then ran with all speed to Dryas, whom he found with Nape, beating some wheat on a threshing-floor. Then, quite confidently, he approached the subject of marriage: “Give Chloe to me to wife: I know how to play on the pipe, to prime vines, and to plant trees: I also know how to plough, and to winnow the corn in the breeze: how I can tend flocks, Chloe herself can testify. I had fifty goats at first, I have doubled their number. I have reared some fine large he-goats, whereas before I was obliged to borrow those belonging to others. I am young and your neighbour, against whom no one has any complaint. I was brought up by a goat, Chloe by a sheep: and, though I am so far superior to her other suitors, I will not be outdone by them even in presents. They will give you some goats and sheep, a yoke of mangy oxen, or some corn, not enough to feed a few fowls: but I will give you these three thousand drachmas. But let no one know of this, not even my father Lamon.” With these words, he offered Dryas the money, and embraced him.

  Οἱ δὲ παῤ ἐλπίδα ἰδόντες τοσοῦτον ἀργύριον, αὐτίκα τε δώσειν ἐπηγγέλλοντο τὴν Χλόην καὶ πείσειν ὑπισχνοῦντο τὸν Λάμωνα. Ἡ μὲν δὴ Νάπη μετὰ τοῦ Δάφνιδος αὐτοῦ μένουσα περιήλαυνε τὰς βοῦς καὶ τοῖς τριβόλοις κατειργάζετο τὸν στάχυν: ὁ δὲ Δρύας θησαυρίσας τὸ βαλάντιον ἔνθα ἀπέκειτο τὰ γνωρίσματα, ταχὺ παρὰ τὸν Λάμωνα καὶ τὴν Μυρτάλην ἐφέρετο, μέλλων παῤ αὐτῶν, τὸ καινότατον, μνᾶσθαι νυμφίον. Εὑρὼν δὲ κἀκείνους κριθία μετροῦντας οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ λελικμημένα ἀθύμως τε ἔχοντας ὅτι μικροῦ δεῖν ὀλιγώτερα ἦν τῶν καταβληθέντων σπερμάτων, ἐπ̓ ἐκείνοις μὲν παρεμυθήσατο, κοινὴν ὁμολογήσας ἀφορίαν πανταχοῦ γεγονέναι, τὸν δὲ Δάφνιν ᾐτεῖτο Χλόῃ καὶ ἔλεγεν ὅτι πολλὰ ἄλλων διδόντων, οὐδὲν παῤ αὐτῶν λήψεται, μᾶλλον δέ τι οἴκοθεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιδώσει: συντετράφθαι γὰρ ἀλλήλοις κἀν τῷ νέμειν συνῆφθαι φιλίᾳ ῥᾳδίως λυθῆναι μὴ δυναμένῃ: ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡλικίαν ἔχειν ὡς καθεύδειν μετ̓ ἀλλήλων. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα καὶ ἔτι πλείω ἔλεγεν, οἷα τοῦ πεῖσαι ἆθλον ἔχων τὰς τρισχιλίας: ὁ δὲ Λάμων μήτε πενίαν ἔτι προβάλλεσθαι δυνάμενος ῾αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὑπερηφάνουν̓ μήτε ἡλικίαν Δάφνιδος ῾ἤδη γὰρ μειράκιον ἦν̓ τὸ μὲν ἀληθὲς οὐδ̓ ὣς ἐξηγόρευσεν, ὅτι κρείττων ἐστὶ τοιούτου γάμου, χρόνον δὲ σιωπήσας ὀλίγον οὕτως ἀπεκρίνατο

  3.30 When Dryas and Nape saw so large a sum of money, they immediately promised him Chloe in marriage, and undertook to persuade Lamon to give his consent. Daphnis and Nape remained, driving the oxen round, and beating out the ears with the threshing machines. Dryas, having first stored away the money with the tokens, hastened to Lamon and Myrtale, to ask for the hand of Daphnis for their daughter, a most unusual proceeding. He found them measuring out some barley that had lately been winnowed, and greatly disheartened, because the crop was disproportionate to the seed that had been sown. He tried to console them, saying that the same complaint was to be heard everywhere: and then asked the hand of Daphnis for Chloe, saying: “Although others offer much for the honour, I will take nothing from you, but will rather give you something out of my own purse. They have been brought up together, and while tending their flocks, have become so attached to each other, that it would be hard to separate them: and they are now both of marriageable age.” This and more said Dryas, as a man who was to have 3,000 drachmas for a reward, if he persuaded Lamon and Myrtale. Lamon, being no longer able to allege his poverty as an excuse (since the parents of the girl did not reject the alliance), nor the age of Daphnis (for he was now a well-grown youth), nevertheless shrunk from stating the real reason of his hesitation, namely, that Daphnis was above such a connection. He remained silent for a while, and then said:

  ‘Δίκαια ποιεῖτε τοὺς γείτονας προτιμῶντες τῶν ξένων καὶ πενίας ἀγαθῆς πλοῦτον μὴ νομίζοντες κρείττονα. Ὁ Πὰν ὑμᾶς καὶ αἱ Νύμφαι ἀντὶ τῶνδε φιλήσειαν. Ἐγὼ δὲ σπεύδω μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν γάμον τοῦτον: καὶ γὰρ ἂν μαινοίμην, εἰ μὴ γέρων τε ὢν ἤδη καὶ χειρὸς εἰς τὰ ἔργα περιττοτέρας δεόμενος ᾤμην καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον οἶκον φίλον προσλαβεῖν: περισπούδαστος δὲ καὶ Χλόη, καλὴ καὶ ὡραία κόρη καὶ πάντα ἀγαθή: δοῦλος δὲ ὢν οὐδενός εἰμι τῶν ἐμῶν κύριος, ἀλλὰ δεῖ τὸν δεσπότην μανθάνοντα ταῦτα συγχωρεῖν. Φέρε οὖν ἀναβαλώμεθα τὸν γάμον εἰς τὸ μετόπωρον. Ἀφίξεσθαι τότε λέγουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ παραγενόμενοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἄστεος. Τότε ἔσονται ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνή: νῦν δὲ φιλείτωσαν ἀλλήλους ὡς ἀδελφοί. Ἴσθι μόνον, ὦ Δρύα, τοσοῦτον: σπεύδεις περὶ μειράκιον κρεῖττον ἡμῶν.’

  3.31 “You do right in preferring neighbours to strangers, and in esteeming riches above honourable poverty. May Pan and the Nymphs reward you for it. I myself am anxious for this marriage: for I should be mad, seeing that I am now an old man, and have need of more hands to help me, if I did not consider it a great honour to enter into an alliance with your family. Chloe herself is much sought after, being a good and beautiful girl. But, as I am a serf, I have nothing of which I can dispose: I must first inform my master and gain his consent. Come then, let us put off the marriage until autumn, when, according to those who have visited us from the city, he will be here. Then they shall become man and wife: in the meantime, let them love each other like brother and sister. But let me tell you this, Dryas: you are asking for the hand of a youth whose station is superior to our own.” When he had thus spoken, Lamon kissed Dryas, and offered him wine to drink, for the sun was at its height: then he accompanied him part of the way home, with every mark of affection.

  Καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐφίλησέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ ὤρεξε πότον ἤδη μεσημβρίας ἀκμαζούσης καὶ προύπεμψε μέχρι τινός, φιλοφρονούμενος πάντα: ὁ δὲ Δρύας οὐ παρέργως ἀκούσας τὸν ὕστερον λόγον τοῦ Λάμωνος ἐφρόντιζε βαδίζων καθ̓ αὑτὸν ὅστις ὁ Δάφνις. ‘Ἐτράφη μὲν ὑπ̓ αἰγὸς ὡς κηδομένων θεῶν: ἔστι δὲ καλὸς καὶ οὐδὲν ἐοικὼς σιμῷ γέροντι καὶ μαδώσῃ γυναικί: εὐπόρησε δὲ καὶ τρισχιλίων, ὅσον οὐδὲ ἀχράδων εἰκὸς ἔχειν αἰπόλον. Ἆρα καὶ τοῦτον ἐξέθηκέ τις ὡς Χλόην; Ἆρα καὶ τοῦτον εὗρε Λάμων ὡς ἐκείνην ἐγώ; Ἆρα καὶ γνωρίσματα ὅμοια παρέκειτο τοῖς εὑρεθεῖσιν ὑπ̓ ἐμοῦ; Ἐὰν ταῦτα οὕτως, ὦ δέσποτα Πὰν καὶ Νύμφαι φίλαι, τάχ�
� οὗτος τοὺς ἰδίους εὑρὼν εὑρήσει τι καὶ τῶν Χλόης ἀπορρήτων.’ Τοιαῦτα μὲν πρὸς αὑτὸν ἐφρόντιζε καὶ ὠνειροπόλει μέχρι τῆς ἅλω: ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν Δάφνιν μετέωρον πρὸς τὴν ἀκοὴν καταλαβὼν ἀνέρρωσέ τε γαμβρὸν προσαγορεύσας καὶ τῷ μετοπώρῳ τοὺς γάμους θύσειν ἐπαγγέλλεται, δεξιάν τε ἔδωκεν ὡς οὐδενὸς ἐσομένης ὅτι μὴ Δάφνιδος Χλόης.

  3.32 Dryas, who had listened attentively to Lamon’s last words, began to think, as he was walking along, who this Daphnis might be: “He was reared by a goat, as if the Gods watched over him: he is fair to look upon, and in no way resembles this snub-nosed old man or his bald-headed wife. He has been able to lay his hands upon three thousand drachmas, a larger sum than a man in his position could make out of pears. Was be exposed by some one, like Chloe? did Lamon find him, as I found her? were any tokens found with him, like those I found with Chloe? If this be so, O Pan and you, dear Nymphs, perhaps Daphnis will one day find his parents and find out the mystery attached to Chloe.”

  Thus reflecting and dreaming, Dryas went on until he reached the threshing floor, where he found Daphnis eagerly waiting to hear what news he had brought. He cheered him, called him his son-in-law, promised that the marriage should take place in the autumn, and pledged him his word that Chloe should never marry anyone but Daphnis.

  Θᾶττον οὖν νοήματος, μηδὲν πιὼν μηδὲ φαγὼν παρὰ τὴν Χλόην κατέδραμε: καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὴν ἀμέλγουσαν καὶ τυροποιοῦσαν, τόν τε γάμον εὐηγγελίζετο καὶ ὡς γυναῖκα λοιπὸν μὴ λανθάνων κατεφίλει καὶ ἐκοινώνει τοῦ πόνου. Ἤμελγε μὲν εἰς γαυλοὺς τὸ γάλα, ἐνεπήγνυ δὲ ταρσοῖς τοὺς τυρούς, προσέβαλλε δὲ ταῖς μητράσι τοὺς ἄρνας καὶ τοὺς ἐρίφους. Καλῶς δὲ ἐχόντων τούτων ἀπελούσαντο, ἐνέφαγον, ἔπιον, περιῄεσαν ζητοῦντες ὀπώραν ἀκμάζουσαν. Ἦν δὲ ἀφθονία πολλὴ διὰ τὸ τῆς ὥρας πάμφορον: πολλαὶ μὲν ἀχράδες, πολλαὶ δὲ ὄχναι, πολλὰ δὲ μῆλα: τὰ μὲν ἤδη πεπτωκότα κάτω, τὰ δὲ ἔτι ἐπὶ τῶν φυτῶν: τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εὐωδέστερα, τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων εὐανθέστερα: τὰ μὲν οἷον οἶνος ἀπῶζε, τὰ δὲ οἷον χρυσὸς ἀπέλαμπε. Μία μηλέα ἐτετρύγητο καὶ οὔτε καρπὸν εἶχεν οὔτε φύλλον: γυμνοὶ πάντες ἦσαν οἱ κλάδοι: καὶ ἓν μῆλον ἐλέλειπτο ἐν αὐτοῖς ἄκροις ἀκρότατον, μέγα καὶ καλὸν καὶ τῶν πολλῶν τὴν εὐωδίαν ἐνίκα μόνον: ἔδεισεν ὁ τρυγῶν ἀνελθεῖν, ἠμέλησε καθελεῖν: τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐφύλαττε τὸ καλὸν μῆλον ἐρωτικῷ ποιμένι.

  3.33 Daphnis, then, quicker than thought, without tasting food or drink, ran straight to Chloe, whom he found milking the cows and making cheese. He told her the good news of their approaching marriage, and kissed her, openly and without concealment, as his betrothed, and assisted her in all her tasks. He drew the milk into the pails, curdled the cheeses in the crates, and put the lambs and kids under their mothers. When all this was done, they washed themselves, ate and drank, and went in search of ripe fruit, of which they found abundance, since it was the fruitful season of the year-wild and garden pears and apples, some fallen on the ground, and others still on the trees. Those on the ground were more fragrant, and smelt like wine: those on the trees were fresher, and glittered like gold. There was one apple-tree, the fruit of which had already been plucked, and which was stripped of its fruit and leaves. All its branches were bare, and only a single apple remained on the topmost bough, fine and large, more fragrant than all the rest. He who had plucked the others had not ventured to climb so high, or had forgotten to take it: or it may be that so fine an apple was reserved for a love-sick shepherd.

  Τοῦτο τὸ μῆλον ὡς εἶδεν ὁ Δάφνις, ὥρμα τρυγᾶν ἀνελθὼν καὶ Χλόης κωλυούσης ἠμέλησεν: ἡ μὲν ἀμεληθεῖσα, ὀργισθεῖσα πρὸς τὰς ἀγέλας ἀπῆλθε: Δάφνις δὲ ἀναδραμὼν ἐφίκετο τρυγῆσαι καὶ ἐκόμισε δῶρον Χλόῃ καὶ λόγον τοιόνδ̓ εἶπεν ὠργισμένῃ ‘ὦ παρθένε, τοῦτο τὸ μῆλον ἔφυσαν Ὧραι καλαὶ καὶ φυτὸν καλὸν ἔθρεψε πεπαίνοντος ἡλίου, καὶ ἐτήρησε Τύχη. Καὶ οὐκ ἔμελλον αὐτὸ καταλιπεῖν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχων, ἵνα πέσῃ χαμαὶ καὶ ἢ ποίμνιον αὐτὸ πατήσῃ νεμόμενον ἢ ἑρπετὸν φαρμάξῃ συρόμενον ἢ χρόνος δαπανήσῃ κείμενον. Βλεπόμενον ἐπαινούμενον. Τοῦτο Ἀφροδίτη κάλλους ἔλαβεν ἆθλον: τοῦτο ἐγὼ σοὶ δίδωμι νικητήριον. Ὁμοίως ἔχομεν τοὺς σοὺς μάρτυρας: ἐκεῖνος ἦν ποιμήν, αἰπόλος ἐγώ.’ Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐντίθησι τοῖς κόλποις: ἡ δὲ ἐγγὺς γενόμενον κατεφίλησεν, ὥστε ὁ Δάφνις οὐ μετέγνω τολμήσας ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τοσοῦτον ὕψος: ἔλαβε γὰρ κρεῖττον καὶ χρυσοῦ μήλου φίλημα.

  3.34 When Daphnis saw this apple, he was eager to climb and pluck it, and, when Chloe tried to prevent him, he paid no heed to her, and she went off to her flocks. Then Daphnis climbed the tree, reached and plucked the apple, and took it to Chloe. Seeing that she was annoyed, he said: “Dear Chloe, the beautiful seasons have made this apple to grow, a beautiful tree has nourished it, the sun has ripened it, and chance has preserved it. I should have been blind not to see it, and foolish to leave it there, to fall to the ground and be trodden under foot by a grazing herd or poisoned by some creeping serpent, or to be consumed by time, though admired by all who saw it. Aphrodite was presented with an apple as the prize of beauty: I present this to you as the meed of victory. You are as beautiful as Aphrodite: your judges are alike: Paris was a shepherd, I am a goatherd.” With these words, he placed the apple in Chloe’s bosom, and, when he drew near, she kissed him, so that he did not regret that he had been bold enough to climb so high, for he was rewarded with a kiss that he valued above the golden apples of the Hesperides.

  BOOK IV.

  Ἥκων δέ τις ἐκ τῆς Μυτιλήνης ὁμόδουλος τοῦ Λάμωνος ἤγγειλεν ὅτι ὀλίγον πρὸ τοῦ τρυγητοῦ ὁ δεσπότης ἀφίξεται μαθησόμενος μή τι τοὺς ἀγροὺς ὁ τῶν Μηθυμναίων ἐπίπλους ἐλυμήνατο. Ἤδη οὖν τοῦ θέρους ἀπιόντος καὶ τοῦ μετοπώρου προσιόντος παρεσκεύαζεν αὐτῷ τὴν καταγωγὴν ὁ Λάμων εἰς πᾶσαν θέας ἡδονήν. Πηγὰς ἐξεκάθαιρεν, ὡς τὸ ὕδωρ καθαρὸν ἔχοιεν: τὴν κόπρον ἐξεφόρει τῆς αὐλῆς, ὡς ἀπόζουσα μὴ διοχλοίη: τὸν παράδεισον ἐθεράπευεν, ὡς ὀφθείη καλός.

  4.1 Meanwhile, one of Lamon’s fellow servants arrived from Mitylene and informed him that their master would visit his estate a little before the vintage, to see whether the inroad of the Methymnaeans had done any damage. As the summer was nearly over, and autumn was close at hand, Lamon made preparations to receive his master, and put his house and garden in order, that he
might find everything pleasant to look upon. He cleaned the fountains, that the water might be bright and pure, removed the dung from the yard, that he might not be annoyed by the smell, and put the grounds in order, that they might look as pleasant as possible.