by Longus
Ἦν δὲ ὁ παράδεισος πάγκαλόν τι χρῆμα καὶ κατὰ τοὺς βασιλικούς. Ἐξετέτατο μὲν εἰς σταδίου μῆκος, ἐπέκειτο δὲ ἐν χώρῳ μετεώρῳ, τὸ εὖρος ἔχων πλέθρων τεττάρων. Εἴκασεν ἄν τις αὐτὸν πεδίῳ μακρῷ. Εἶχε δὲ πάντα δένδρα, μηλέας, μυρρίνας, ὄχνας καὶ ῥοιὰς καὶ συκῆν καὶ ἐλαίας: ἑτέρωθι ἄμπελον ὑψηλήν: καὶ ἐπέκειτο ταῖς μηλέαις καὶ ταῖς ὄχναις περκάζουσα, καθάπερ περὶ τοῦ καρποῦ αὐταῖς προσερίζουσα. Τοσαῦτα τὰ ἥμερα. Ἦσαν δὲ καὶ κυπάριττοι καὶ δάφναι καὶ πλάτανοι καὶ πίτυς. Ταύταις πάσαις ἀντὶ τῆς ἀμπέλου κιττὸς ἐπέκειτο: καὶ ὁ κόρυμβος αὐτοῦ μέγας ὢν καὶ μελαινόμενος βότρυν ἐμιμεῖτο. Ἔνδον ἦν τὰ καρποφόρα φυτά, καθάπερ φρουρούμενα: ἔξωθεν περιειστήκει τὰ ἄκαρπα, καθάπερ θριγκὸς χειροποίητος: ταῦτα μέντοι λεπτῆς αἱμασιᾶς περιέθει περίβολος. Ἐτέτμητο καὶ διακέκριτο πάντα καὶ στέλεχος στελέχους ἀφειστήκει, ἐν μετεώρῳ δὲ οἱ κλάδοι συνέπιπτον ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἐπήλλαττον τὰς κόμας: ἐδόκει μέντοι καὶ ἡ τούτων φύσις εἶναι τέχνη. Ἦσαν καὶ ἀνθῶν πρασιαί, ὧν τὰ μὲν ἔφερεν ἡ γῆ, τὰ δὲ ἐποίει τέχυη: ῥοδωνιὰ καὶ ὑάκινθοι καὶ κρίνα χειρὸς ἔργα: ἰωνιὰς καὶ ναρκίσσους καὶ ἀναγαλλίδας ἔφερεν ἡ γῆ. Σκιά τε ἦν θέρους καὶ ἦρος ἄνθη καὶ μετοπώρου ὀπώρα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν τρυφή.
4.2 These grounds were very beautiful, like royal parks. They were about a stade in length, situated on high ground, about four plethra in breadth, so that they were rectangular in shape. All kinds of trees were to be found there, apple-trees, myrtles, pear trees, pomegranates, fig-trees, and olives: on one side was a lofty vine, which with its black grapes overspread the apple and pear trees, as if to contend with them in fruitfulness. These were the cultivated trees: but there were also cypresses, laurels, planes, and pines, over which, instead of the vine, spread branches of ivy, whose large berries turning black looked like ripe grapes. The fruit trees were in the centre of the garden, as if for better protection: those that did not bear fruit stood round them like an artificial fence, and the whole was shut in by a little wall. Everything was admirably arranged and distributed: the trunks of the trees were kept apart, but, overhead, the branches were so intertwined that what was due to Nature seemed to be the work of art. There were also beds of flowers, some growing wild, others cultivated roses, hyacinths, and lilies that had been planted: violets, narcissuses, and pimpernel, which grew wild. There was shade in summer, flowers in spring, grapes in autumn, and fruit in every season of the year.
Ἐντεῦθεν εὔοπτον μὲν ἦν τὸ πεδίον καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν τοὺς νέμοντας, εὔοπτος δ̓ ἡ θάλαττα καὶ ἑωρῶντο οἱ παραπλέοντες: ὥστε καὶ ταῦτα μέρος ἐγίνετο τῆς ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τρυφῆς. Ἵνα τοῦ παραδείσου τὸ μεσαίτατον ἐπὶ μῆκος καὶ εὖρος ἦν, νεὼς Διονύσου καὶ βωμὸς ἦν: περιεῖχε τὸν μὲν βωμὸν κιττός, τὸν νεὼν δὲ κλήματα. Εἶχε δὲ καὶ ἔνδοθεν ὁ νεὼς Διονυσιακὰς γραφάς: Σεμέλην τίκτουσαν, Ἀριάδνην καθεύδουσαν, Λυκοῦργον δεδεμένον, Πενθέα διαιρούμενον: ἐπῆσαν καὶ Ἰνδοὶ νικώμενοι καὶ Τυρρηνοὶ μεταμορφούμενοι: πανταχοῦ Σάτυροι πατοῦντες, πανταχοῦ Βάκχαι χορεύουσαι: οὐδὲ ὁ Πὰν ἠμέλητο: ἐκαθέζετο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς συρίττων ἐπὶ πέτρας, ὅμοιος ἐνδιδόντι κοινὸν μέλος καὶ τοῖς πατοῦσι καὶ ταῖς χορευούσαις.
4.3 From this spot the plain could be seen, with the shepherds feeding their flocks; also the sea, and the vessels passing along, which added enjoyment to this delightful spot. In the very centre of the garden, there was a temple and altar of Dionysus, the latter covered with ivy, the former with vine branches. Within the temple were pictures representing incidents in the life of the God: Semele brought to bed, Ariadne asleep, Lycurgus bound in chains, Pentheus being torn to pieces, conquered Indians, Tyrrhenians changed into dolphins, and everywhere Satyrs and Bacchantes leading the dance. Nor was Pan forgotten: he was seated on a rock, playing upon his pipe, so that he seemed to be playing the same air both for those who were treading the wine-press and for the Bacchantes who were dancing.
Τοιοῦτον ὄντα τὸν παράδεισον ὁ Λάμων ἐθεράπευε, τὰ ξηρὰ ἀποτέμνων, τὰ κλήματα ἀναλαμβάνων. Τὸν Διόνυσον ἐστεφάνωσε: τοῖς ἄνθεσιν ὕδωρ ἐπωχέτευσε. Πηγή τις ἦν, ἣν εὗρεν ἐς τὰ ἄνθη Δάφνις: ἐσχόλαζε μὲν τοῖς ἄνθεσιν ἡ πηγή, Δάφνιδος δὲ ὅμως ἐκαλεῖτο πηγή. Παρεκελεύετο δὲ καὶ τῷ Δάφνιδι ὁ Λάμων πιαίνειν τὰς αἶγας ὡς δυνατὸν μάλιστα, πάντως που κἀκείνας λέγων ὄψεσθαι τὸν δεσπότην ἀφικόμενον διὰ μακροῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἐθάρρει μὲν ὡς ἐπαινεθησόμενος ἐπ̓ αὐταῖς: διπλασίονάς τε γὰρ ὧν ἔλαβεν ἐποίησε καὶ λύκος οὐδὲ μίαν ἥρπασε, καὶ ἦσαν πιότεραι τῶν οἰῶν: βουλόμενος δὲ προθυμότερον αὐτὸν γενέσθαι πρὸς τὸν γάμον πᾶσαν θεραπείαν καὶ προθυμίαν προσέφερεν, ἐξάγων τε αὐτὰς πάνυ ἕωθεν καὶ ἀπάγων τὸ δειλινόν. Δὶς ἡγεῖτο ἐπὶ πότον: ἀνεζήτει τὰ εὐνομώτατα τῶν χωρίων: ἐμέλησεν αὐτῷ καὶ σκαφίδων καινῶν καὶ γαυλῶν πολλῶν καὶ ταρσῶν μειζόνων: τοσαύτη δὲ ἦν κηδεμονία, ὥστε καὶ τὰ κέρατα ἤλειφε καὶ τὰς τρίχας ἐθεράπευε. Πανὸς ἄν τις ἱερὰν ἀγέλην ἔδοξεν ὁρᾶν. Ἐκοινώνει δὲ παντὸς εἰς αὐτὰς καμάτου καὶ ἡ Χλόη, καὶ τῆς ποίμνης παραμελοῦσα τὸ πλέον ἐκείναις ἐσχόλαζεν, ὥστε ἐνόμιζεν ὁ Δάφνις δἰ ἐκείνην αὐτὰς φαίνεσθαι καλάς.
4.4 Such were the grounds to which Lamon devoted all his attention, lopping off the dry leaves and tying up the vine-branches. He placed a garland of flowers upon the head of Dionysus, and conveyed water to the flower-beds from a spring which had been discovered by Daphnis, and was hence called “Daphnis’s spring.” Lamon also advised Daphnis to get his goats into as good condition as possible, as his master would want to inspect them, since he had not visited his estate for so long a time. Daphnis had no fear of not being praised for the condition of his flock: he had doubled their number, not one of them had been carried off by wolves, and they were fatter than the sheep. But, as he was eager to do everything to obtain his master’s approval of his marriage, he spared no pains to make them sleek and fat, driving them out to pasture in the early morning, and not driving them home until late in the evening. He took them twice to drink, and carefully sought for the places where there was the best pasturage. He also took care
that there were new drinking vessels, plenty of milk-pails, and larger cheese-vats. He was so particular that he even anointed their horns, and combed their hair: you would have thought you were looking upon Pan’s sacred flock. Chloe also assisted him in his labours, and, neglecting her sheep, devoted the greater part of her time to the goats: so that Daphnis declared that it was owing to her that they looked in such good condition.
Ἐν τούτοις οὖσιν αὐτοῖς δεύτερος ἄγγελος ἐλθὼν ἐξ ἄστεος ἐκέλευεν ἀποτρυγᾶν τὰς ἀμπέλους ὅτι τάχιστα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφη παραμενεῖν ἔστ̓ ἂν τοὺς βότρυς ποιήσωσι γλεῦκος, εἶτα οὕτως κατελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἄξειν τὸν δεσπότην ἤδη τῆς μετοπωρινῆς τρύγης. Τοῦτόν τε οὖν τὸν Εὔδρομον ῾οὕτω γὰρ ἐκαλεῖτο, ὅτι ἦν αὐτῷ ἔργον τρέχειν̓ ἐδεξιοῦντο πᾶσαν δεξίωσιν καὶ ἅμα τὰς ἀμπέλους ἀπετρύγων, τοὺς βότρυς ἐς τὰς ληνοὺς κομίζοντες, τὸ γλεῦκος εἰς τοὺς πίθους φέροντες, τῶν βοτρύων τοὺς ἡβῶντας ἐπὶ κλημάτων ἀφαιροῦντες, ὡς εἴη καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐλθοῦσιν ἐν εἰκόνι καὶ ἡδονῇ γενέσθαι τρυγητοῦ.
4.5 While they were thus engaged, a second messenger arrived from the city, bidding them gather the grapes as speedily as possible; since he had been ordered to stay until the new wine was made, when he was to return to the city to fetch his master in time for the autumn vintage. They gave Eudromus (so was the slave called, because he acted as his master’s courier) a hearty reception, stripped the vines, pressed the grapes, put the new wine into casks, and cut off a number of branches with the grapes still unpicked, so that those who came from the city might have an idea of the delights of the vintage and might think that they had taken part in them.
Μέλλοντος δὲ ἤδη σοβεῖν ἐς ἄστυ τοῦ Εὐδρόμου καὶ ἄλλα μὲν οὐκ ὀλίγα αὐτῷ Δάφνις ἔδωκεν, ἔδωκε δὲ καὶ ὅσα ἀπ̓ αἰπολίου δῶρα, τυροὺς εὐπαγεῖς, ἔριφον ὀψίγονον, δέρμα αἰγὸς λευκὸν καὶ λάσιον, ὡς ἔχοι χειμῶνος ἐπιβάλλεσθαι τρέχων. Ὁ δὲ ἥδετο καὶ ἐφίλει τὸν Δάφνιν καὶ ἀγαθόν τι ἐρεῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ἐπηγγέλλετο. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀπῄει φίλα φρονῶν, ὁ δὲ Δάφνις ἀγωνιῶν τῇ Χλόῃ συνένεμεν. Εἶχε δὲ κἀκείνην πολὺ δέος: μειράκιον γὰρ εἰωθὸς αἶγας βλέπειν καὶ οἶς καὶ γεωργοὺς καὶ Χλόην πρῶτον ἔμελλεν ὄψεσθαι δεσπότην, οὗ πρότερον μόνον ἤκουε τοὔνομα. Ὑπέρ τε οὖν τοῦ Δάφνιδος ἐφρόντιζεν, ὅπως ἐντεύξεται τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ περὶ τοῦ γάμου τὴν ψυχὴν ἐταράττετο, μὴ μάτην ὀνειροπολοῦσιν αὐτόν. Συνεχῆ μὲν οὖν τὰ φιλήματα καὶ ὥσπερ συμπεφυκότων αἱ περιβολαί: καὶ τὰ φιλήματα δειλὰ ἦν καὶ αἱ περιβολαὶ σκυθρωπαί, καθάπερ ἤδη παρόντα τὸν δεσπότην φοβουμένων ἢ λανθανόντων. Προσγίνεται δέ τις αὐτοῖς καὶ τοιόσδε τάραχος.
4.6 When Eudromus was ready to hurry back to the city, Daphnis gave him several presents, such as a goatherd might have been expected to give some well-made cheeses, a young kid, and the shaggy skin of a white goat, to wear during the winter when he was running messages. Eudromus was highly pleased, kissed Daphnis, and promised to say everything in his favour to his master. Then he departed, full of kindly feelings: but Daphnis, full of anxiety, remained with Chloe in the fields. She felt equally timid, when she remembered that Daphnis, a youth who had never seen anything but goats, mountains, husbandmen, and herself, was now for the first time to see his master, whom he had hitherto only known by name. She was very anxious to know how Daphnis would address his master, and was greatly disturbed in mind regarding their marriage, for fear it might prove an idle dream. They kissed each other over and over again, and embraced tenderly: but their kisses were mingled with apprehension and their embraces were tinged with sadness, as if their master were already present, and they were afraid of him or were obliged to keep their love a secret. While they were in this distress, the following trouble came upon them.
Λάμπις τις ἦν ἀγέρωχος βουκόλος. Οὗτος καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμνᾶτο τὴν Χλόην παρὰ τοῦ Δρύαντος καὶ δῶρα ἤδη πολλὰ ἐδεδώκει σπεύδων τὸν γάμον. Αἰσθόμενος οὖν ὡς, εἰ συγχωρηθείη παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου, Δάφνις αὐτὴν ἄξεται, τέχνην ἐζήτει, δἰ ἧς τὸν δεσπότην αὐτοῖς ποιήσει πικρόν: καὶ εἰδὼς πάνυ αὐτὸν τῷ παραδείσῳ τερπόμενον, ἔγνω τοῦτον ὅσον οἷός τέ ἐστι διαφθεῖραι καὶ ἀποκοσμῆσαι. Δένδρα μὲν οὖν τέμνων ἔμελλεν ἁλώσεσθαι διὰ τὸν κτύπον: ἐπεῖχε δὲ τοῖς ἄνθεσιν, ὥστε διαφθεῖραι αὐτά. Νύκτα δὴ φυλάξας καὶ ὑπερβὰς τὴν αἱμασιὰν τὰ μὲν ἀνώρυξε, τὰ δὲ κατέκλασε, τὰ δὲ κατεπάτησεν ὥσπερ σῦς. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λαθὼν ἀπεληλύθει: Λάμων δὲ τῆς ἐπιούσης παρελθὼν εἰς τὸν κῆπον ἔμελλεν ὕδωρ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς ἐπάξειν. Ἰδὼν δὲ πᾶν τὸ χωρίον δεδῃωμένον καὶ ἔργον οἷον ἄν ἐχθρός, οὐ λῃστὴς ἐργάσαιτο, κατερρήξατο μὲν εὐθὺς τὸν χιτωνίσκον, βοῇ δὲ μεγάλῃ θεοὺς ἀνεκάλει, ὥστε καὶ ἡ Μυρτάλη τὰ ἐν χερσὶ καταλιποῦσα ἐξέδραμε καὶ ὁ Δάφνις ἐάσας τὰς αἶγας ἀνέδραμε: καὶ ἰδόντες ἐβόων καὶ βοῶντες ἐδάκρυον.
4.7 In the neighbourhood there lived a cowherd named Lampis, a man of insolent and overweening disposition. He too sought Chloe’s hand from Dryas, and had already given him several presents to further his suit. Seeing that, if his master’s consent were obtained, Daphnis would marry her, he cast about for the means of embittering the master against the young couple. Knowing that he took great pride in his garden, he determined to spoil and rob it of its beauty. Since, if he cut down the trees, he might be betrayed by the noise, he determined to devote his energies to destroying the flowers. He waited until it was night, climbed over the low wall, pulled up, broke off, and trod down the flowers like a wild boar, and then withdrew without having been seen by anybody. The next morning, Lamon went into the garden to water the flowers from his spring; and, when he saw the whole place thus ravaged, at the sight of this desolation, which was clearly the work of an enemy rather than of a robber, he immediately rent his cloak, and invoked the Gods with loud cries. Myrtale at once threw down what she had in her hands and ran out: Daphnis, who was driving out his goats, turned back: and when they saw what had happened they cried aloud and burst into tears.
Ἀλλ̓ οἱ μὲν πτοούμενοι τὸν δεσπότην ἔκλαον: ἔκλαυσε δ̓ ἄν τις καὶ ξένος ἐπιστάς: ἀπεκεκόσμητο γὰρ ὁ τόπος καὶ ἦν λοιπὸν γῆ πηλώδης. Τῶν δὲ εἴ τι διέφυγε τὴν ὕβριν, ὑπήνθει καὶ ἔλαμπε καὶ ἦν ἔτι καλὸν καὶ κείμενον. Ἐπέκειντο δὲ αὐτοῖς κα
ὶ μέλιτται συνεχὲς καὶ ἄπαυστον βομβοῦσαι καὶ θρηνούσαις ὅμοιον. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Λάμων ὑπ̓ ἐκπλήξεως κἀκεῖνα ἔλεγε ‘Φεῦ τῆς ῥοδωνιᾶς, ὡς κατακέκλασται: φεῦ τῆς ἰωνιᾶς, ὡς πεπάτηται: φεῦ τῶν ὑακίνθων καὶ τῶν ναρκίσσων, οὓς ἀνώρυξέ τις πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος. Ἀφίξεται τὸ ἦρ, τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνθήσει: ἔσται τὸ θέρος, τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἀκμάσει: τὸ μετόπωρον, τὰ δὲ οὐδένα στεφανώσει. Οὐδὲ σύ, δέσποτα Διόνυσε, τὰ ἄθλια ταῦτα ἠλέησας ἄνθη, οἷς παρῴκεις, ἃ ἔβλεπες, ἀφ̓ ὧν ἐστεφάνωσά σε πολλάκις; Πῶς δείξω νῦν τὸν παράδεισον τῷ δεσπότῃ; Τίς ἐκεῖνος θεασάμενος ἔσται; Κρεμᾷ γέροντα ἄνθρωπον ἐκ μιᾶς πίτυος ὡς Μαρσύαν: τάχα δὲ καὶ Δάφνιν, ὡς τῶν αἰγῶν ταῦτα εἰργασμένων.’
4.8 It was idle (?) to lament the loss of the flowers, but the fear of their master made them weep. Even a stranger would have wept at the sight: the whole place was in disorder, and nothing could be seen but upturned earth and mud. If by chance some flower had escaped the general destruction, it still looked gay and bright, and retained its former beauty, although lying on the ground. Swarms of bees hovered round, humming incessantly, as if they too lamented what had happened. Lamon cried out in his consternation: “Alas! my rose trees, how they are broken! Alas! my violets, how they are trodden under foot! Alas! my hyacinths and narcissuses, which the hand of some wretch has uprooted! The spring will return, but they will blossom no more: the summer will come, but they will not bloom: autumn will come again, but they will not deck anyone’s head. And you, my lord Dionysus, had you no pity for these unhappy flowers, near which you dwelt, with which I have often crowned your brows? How can I show the garden to my master? What will he think when he sees it? He will hang the old man on a pine tree, like Marsyas: and perhaps Daphnis as well, thinking that his goats have done this damage.”
