Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  4.16 Gnatho, inflamed still more by what he had seen of the goatherd, and considering that life would not be endurable if he did not get possession of Daphnis, waited his opportunity until Astylus was walking in the garden: then, leading him up to the temple of Dionysus, he kissed his hands and feet. When Astylus asked what was the meaning of his behaviour, and bade him speak, swearing that he would grant whatever favour he asked, Gnatho replied: “Your poor Gnatho is lost, O master. I who hitherto cared for nothing but the pleasures of the table, who used to swear that there was nothing more delightful than old wine, who considered your cooks far superior to all the youths of Mitylene - I now think that there is nothing beautiful in the world but Daphnis. I do not so much as taste the most dainty dishes, although so many are prepared each day - meat, fish, and honey-cakes. I should like to be a goat, I should like to eat grass and leaves, listening to his pipe and tended by him. Save Gnatho, I beseech you, and remedy a love that is irremediable. If you do not, I swear to you by my God that I will take a hearty meal, and then stab myself in front of Daphnis’s door; and you will never again call me your dear little Gnatho, as you used to do in jest.”

  Οὐκ ἀντέσχε κλάοντι καὶ αὖθις τοὺς πόδας καταφιλοῦντι νεανίσκος μεγαλόφρων καὶ οὐκ ἄπειρος ἐρωτικῆς λύπης, ἀλλ̓ αἰτήσειν αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπηγγείλατο καὶ κομιεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὑτῷ μὲν δοῦλον, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ἐρώμενον. Εἰς εὐθυμίαν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον θέλων προαγαγεῖν ἐπυνθάνετο μειδιῶν εἰ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται Λάμωνος υἱὸν φιλῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σπουδάζει συγκατακλινῆναι νέμοντι αἶγας μειρακίῳ: καὶ ἅμα ὑπεκρίνετο τὴν τραγικὴν δυσωδίαν μυσάττεσθαι. Ὁ δέ, οἷα πᾶσαν ἐρωτικὴν μυθολογίαν ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἀσώτων συμποσίοις πεπαιδευμένος, οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δάφνιδος ἔλεγεν ‘οὐδεὶς ταῦτα, δέσποτα, ἐραστὴς πολυπραγμονεῖ: ἀλλ̓ ἐν οἵῳ ποτε ἂν σώματι εὕρῃ τὸ κάλλος, ἑάλωκε. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ φυτοῦ τις ἠράσθη καὶ ποταμοῦ καὶ θηρίου. Καίτοι τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐραστὴν ἠλέησεν, ὃν ἔδει φοβεῖσθαι τὸν ἐρώμενον; Ἐγὼ δὲ σώματος μὲν ἐρῶ δούλου, κάλλους δὲ ἐλευθέρου. Ὁρᾷς ὡς ὑακίνθῳ μὲν τὴν κόμην ὁμοίαν ἔχει, λάμπουσι δὲ ὑπὸ ταῖς ὀφρύσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καθάπερ ἐν χρυσῇ σφενδόνῃ ψηφίς; Καὶ τὸ μὲν πρόσωπον ἐρυθήματος μεστόν, τὸ δὲ στόμα λευκῶν ὀδόντων ὥσπερ ἐλέφαντος. Τίς ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἂν εὔξαιτο λαβεῖν ἐραστὴς γλυκέα φιλήματα; Εἰ δὲ νέμοντος ἠράσθην, θεοὺς ἐμιμησάμην. Βουκόλος ἦν Ἀγχίσης, καὶ ἔσχεν αὐτὸν Ἀφροδίτη: αἶγας ἔνεμε Βράγχος, καὶ Ἀπόλλων αὐτὸν ἐφίλησε: ποιμὴν ἦν Γανυμήδης, καὶ αὐτὸν ὁ Ζεὺς ἥρπασε. Μὴ καταφρονῶμεν παιδός, ᾧ καὶ αἶγας ὡς ἐρώσας πειθομένας εἴδομεν: ἀλλὰ ὅτι μένειν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐπιτρέπουσι τοιοῦτον κάλλος χάριν ἔχωμεν τοῖς Διὸς ἀετοῖς.’

  4.17 When Gnatho began to kiss his feet again, Astylus could no longer resist his entreaties, for he was a generous youth, who had himself felt the pains of love. He promised to ask his father for Daphnis and to take him to the city, nominally as his slave, but really as Gnatho’s minion. Then, wishing to cheer him up, he asked him with a smile if he were not ashamed of being in love with Lamon’s son, and why he was so anxious to sleep with this young goatherd, at the same time pretending that the smell of goats disgusted him. But Gnatho, like one who had gone through the whole course of erotic lore at the tables of debauchees, replied shrewdly enough in regard to himself and Daphnis:

  “No lover troubles himself about such things: in whatever form he finds beauty, he is smitten with it. Men have been known to become enamoured of a plant, a river, or a wild beast: and yet who would not pity a lover who has to fear what he loves? No doubt the form that I love is that of a slave, but its beauty is free. Do you see how like his hair is to the hyacinth, how his eyes glitter beneath his brows, like a jewel in a setting of gold? His face is ruddy, his teeth are white as ivory. Who would not long for a tender kiss from his lips? In loving a goatherd, I am but following the example of the Gods. Anchises was a cowherd, and Aphrodite possessed him: Branchius tended goats, and Apollo loved him: Ganymede was a shepherd, and Zeus carried him up to heaven. Let us not despise a lad, whose goats we see obey him, as if even they were enamoured of him: let us rather thank the eagles of Zeus for allowing such beauty to remain upon the earth.”

  Ἡδὺ γελάσας ὁ Ἀστύλος ἐπὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα τῷ λεχθέντι καὶ ὡς μεγάλους ὁ Ἔρως ποιεῖ σοφιστὰς εἰπὼν ἐπετήρει καιρόν, ἐν ᾧ τῷ πατρὶ περὶ Δάφνιδος διαλέξεται. Ἀκούσας δὲ τὰ λεχθέντα κρύφα πάντα ὁ Εὔδρομος καὶ τὰ μὲν τὸν Δάφνιν φιλῶν ὡς ἀγαθὸν νεανίσκον, τὰ δὲ ἀχθόμενος εἰ Γνάθωνος ἐμπαροίνημα γενήσεται τοιοῦτον κάλλος, αὐτίκα καταλέγει πάντα κἀκείνῳ καὶ Λάμωνι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Δάφνις ἐκ. πλαγεὶς ἐγίνωσκεν ἅμα τῇ Χλόῃ τολμῆσαι φυγεῖν ἢ ἀποθανεῖν, κοινωνὸν κἀκείνην λαβών: ὁ δὲ Λάμων προκαλεσάμενος ἔξω τῆς αὐλῆς τὴν Μυρτάλην ‘οἰχόμεθα’ εἶπεν ‘ὦ γύναι. Ἥκει καιρὸς ἐκκαλύπτειν τὰ κρυπτά. Ἔρρει μοι καὶ αἱ αἶγες καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα: ἀλλ̓ οὐ μὰ τὸν Πᾶνα καὶ τὰς Νύμφας, οὐδ̓ εἰ μέλλω βοῦς, φασίν, ἐν αὐλίῳ καταλείπεσθαι, τὴν Δάφνιδος τύχην ἥτις ἐστὶν οὐ σιωπήσομαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι εὗρον ἐκκείμενον ἐρῶ καὶ ὅπως τρεφόμενον μηνύσω καὶ ὅσα εὗρον συνεκκείμενα δείξω. Μαθέτω Γνάθων ὁ μιαρὸς οἷος ὢν οἵων ἐρᾷ. Παρασκεύαζέ μοι μόνον εὐτρεπῆ τὰ γνωρίσματα.’

  4.18 Astylus, who was highly amused by this speech, laughed and told Gnatho that love produced very plausible orators: at the same time, he promised to watch for an opportunity to speak to his father about Daphnis. But Eudromus had heard all that was said without being seen. His friendship for Daphnis, whom he considered a worthy young man, and his indignation at the idea of such beauty being handed over to the insults of a drunken wretch like Gnatho, made him go and tell Daphnis and Lamon at once. Daphnis, in great consternation, at first thought of flight in company with Chloe, or of dying together with her. Then Lamon called Myrtale out and said to her: “We are lost, my dear wife: the moment is come to reveal what has long been hidden. Although the goats and everything else be abandoned, I swear, by Pan and the Nymphs, even though I should be left like a worn-out ox in the stall, that I will no longer hold my tongue in regard to the history of Daphnis. I will tell how I found him exposed: I will declare how he has been brought up: and I will show all the tokens that I found exposed with him. That infamous wretch Gnatho shall know what manner of man he is, and who it is that he has the audacity to love. Do you look after the tokens, and see that I have them ready
to hand.”

  Καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα συνθέμενοι ἀπῆλθον εἴσω πάλιν: ὁ δὲ Ἀστύλος σχολὴν ἄγοντι τῷ πατρὶ προσρυεὶς αἰτεῖ τὸν Δάφνιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καταγαγεῖν ὡς καλόν τε ὄντα καὶ ἀγροικίας κρείττονα καὶ ταχέως ὑπὸ Γνάθωνος καὶ τὰ ἀστικὰ διδαχθῆναι δυνάμενον. Χαίρων ὁ πατὴρ δίδωσι καὶ μεταπεμψάμενος τὸν Λάμωνα καὶ τὴν Μυρτάλην εὐηγγελίζετο μὲν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ἀστύλον θεραπεύσει λοιπὸν ἀντὶ αἰγῶν καὶ τράγων Δάφνις, ἐπηγγέλλετο δὲ δύο ἀντ̓ ἐκείνου δώσειν αὐτοῖς αἰπόλους. Ἐνταῦθα ὁ Λάμων, πάντων ἤδη συνερρυηκότων καὶ ὅτι καλὸν ὁμόδουλον ἕξουσιν ἡδομένων, αἰτήσας λόγον ἤρξατο λέγειν ‘ἄκουσον, ὦ δέσποτα, παῤ ἀνδρὸς γέροντος ἀληθῆ λόγον: ἐπόμνυμι δὲ τὸν Πᾶνα καὶ τὰς Νύμφας ὡς οὐδὲν ψεύσομαι. Οὐκ εἰμὶ Δάφνιδος πατήρ, οὐδ̓ εὐτύχησέ ποτε Μυρτάλη μήτηρ γενέσθαι. Ἄλλοι πατέρες ἐξέθηκαν τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον, ἴσως παιδίων πρεσβυτέρων ἅλις ἔχοντες: ἐγὼ δὲ εὗρον ἐκκείμενον καὶ ὑπὸ αἰγὸς ἐμῆς τρεφόμενον, ἣν καὶ ἀποθανοῦσαν ἔθαψα ἐν τῷ περικήπῳ φιλῶν ὅτι ἐποίησε μητρὸς ἔργα. Εὗρον αὐτῷ καὶ γνωρίσματα συνεκκείμενα ὁμόλογα, ὦ δέσποτα, καὶ φυλάττω: τύχης γάρ ἐστι μείζονος ἢ καθ̓ ἡμᾶς σύμβολα. Ἀστύλου μὲν οὖν εἶναι δοῦλον αὐτὸν οὐχ ὑπερηφανῶ, καλὸν οἰκέτην καλοῦ κἀγαθοῦ δεσπότου: παροίνημα δὲ Γνάθωνος οὐ δύναμαι περιιδεῖν γενόμενον, ὃς ἐς Μυτιλήνην αὐτὸν ἄγειν ἐπὶ γυναικῶν ἔργα σπουδάζει.’

  4.19 Having settled this, they went indoors. Meanwhile, Astylus, finding his father disengaged, hastened to him and asked permission to take Daphnis home with him to the city, declaring that he was a handsome lad and too superior to be left in the country, and that Gnatho would soon teach him city manners. His father willingly gave his consent, and, having sent for Lamon and Myrtale, told them the good news that Daphnis would in future serve his son Astylus instead of tending goats, and promised to give them two goatherds to take his place. Then, when all the other slaves had gathered together, delighted at the prospect of having so handsome a fellow-servant, Lamon asked leave to speak, and, on its being granted, began as follows:

  “O master, hear a true story from an old man: I swear by Pan and the Nymphs that I will not utter a word that is false. I am not the father of Daphnis, nor has Myrtale the good fortune to be his mother. He was exposed when a child by other parents, who perhaps had enough children already. I found him abandoned, and being suckled by one of my goats, which I buried in the garden when it died: for I loved it because it had performed the part of a mother towards the infant. I also found some tokens lying by its side: this I confess, master, and also that I kept them: for they show that he belongs to a higher rank of life than our own. I have no objection to his serving Astylus, for he will be a good servant to a good and honourable master: but I cannot endure that he should become the laughing-stock of the drunken Gnatho, who wants to take him to Mitylene and make him play the part of a woman.”

  Ὁ μὲν Λάμων ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐσιώπησε καὶ πολλὰ ἀφῆκε δάκρυα: τοῦ δὲ Γνάθωνος θρασυνομένου καὶ πληγὰς ἀπειλοῦντος, ὁ Διονυσοφάνης τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐκπλαγεὶς τὸν μὲν Γνάθωνα σιωπᾶν ἐκέλευσε, σφόδρα τὴν ὀφρὺν εἰς αὐτὸν τοξοποιήσας, τὸν δὲ Λάμωνα πάλιν ἀνέκρινε καὶ παρεκελεύετο τἀληθῆ λέγειν μηδὲ ὅμοια πλάττειν μύθοις ἐπὶ τῷ κατέχειν τὸν υἱόν. Ὡς δ̓ ἀτενὴς ἦν καὶ κατὰ πάντων ὤμνυε θεῶν καὶ ἐδίδου βασανίζειν αὑτόν, εἴ τι ψεύδεται, παρακαθημένης τῆς Κλεαρίστης ἐβασάνιζε τὰ λελεγμένα. ‘Τί δ̓ ἂν ἐψεύδετο Λάμων, μέλλων ἀνθ̓ ἑνὸς δύο λαμβάνειν αἰπόλους; Πῶς δ̓ ἂν καὶ ταῦτ̓ ἔπλασσεν ἄγροικος; Οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἦν ἄπιστον ἐκ τοιούτου γέροντος καὶ μητρὸς εὐτελοῦς υἱὸν καλὸν οὕτω γενέσθαι;’

  4.20 After this Lamon was silent and burst into tears. But when Gnatho waxed bolder and threatened to chastise him, Dionysophanes, astounded at what Lamon had said, knitted his brows and ordered Gnatho to hold his tongue: then he again questioned the old man, exhorting him to speak the truth, and not to invent some story, in order that he might keep his son. When Lamon persisted in his tale, swore by all the Gods that it was true, and offered to submit to the torture if he had lied, Dionysophanes, with Clearista sitting by his side, carefully considered what he had said. “What object could Lamon have in speaking falsely, seeing that he was to have two goatherds in place of one? How could a rude peasant have invented such a story? Again, was it not at the outset incredible that so handsome a youth should be the offspring of an old man like Lamon and a shabby old woman like Myrtale?”

  Ἐδόκει μὴ μαντεύεσθαι ἐπὶ πλέον, ἀλλὰ ἤδη τὰ γνωρίσματα σκοπεῖν εἰ λαμπρᾶς καὶ ἐνδοξοτέρας τύχης. Ἀπῄει μὲν Μυρτάλη κομιοῦσα πάντα φυλαττόμενα ἐν πήρᾳ παλαιᾷ: κομισθέντα δὲ πρῶτος Διονυσοφάνης ἐπέβλεπε καὶ ἰδὼν χλαμύδιον ἁλουργές, πόρπην χρυσήλατον, ξιφίδιον ἐλεφαντόκωπον, μέγα βοήσας ‘ὦ Ζεῦ δέσποτα’ καλεῖ τὴν γυναῖκα θεασομένην. Ἡ δὲ ἰδοῦσα μέγα καὶ αὐτὴ βοᾷ ‘φίλαι Μοῖραι: οὐ ταῦτα ἡμεῖς συνεξεθήκαμεν ἰδίῳ παιδί; Οὐκ εἰς τούτους τοὺς ἀγροὺς κομιοῦσαν Σωφροσύνην ἀπεστείλαμεν; Οὐκ ἄλλα μὲν οὖν, ἀλλ̓ αὐτὰ ταῦτα. Φίλε ἄνερ, ἡμέτερόν ἐστὶ τὸ παιδίον: σὸς υἱός ἐστι Δάφνις, καὶ πατρῴας ἔνεμεν αἶγας.’

  4.21 They determined not to trust any further to conjecture, but to examine the tokens at once, to see if they indicated that Daphnis belonged to a higher rank of life. Myrtale immediately went to fetch them out of an old sack in which they had been stored away. When they were brought, Dionysophanes looked at them first, and when he saw the little purple tunic with its golden clasp, and the dagger with the ivory handle, he cried aloud, “O Lord and master Zeus,” and called his wife to look: and she, as soon as she saw them, in like manner cried aloud, “O kindly Fates: are not these the jewels which we gave to Sophrosyne to put by the side of our own son when she exposed him? There is no doubt about it: they are the same. Dear husband, the child is ours. Daphnis is your son, and has fed his father’s goats.”

  Ἔτι λεγούσης αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ Διονυσοφάνους τὰ γνωρίσματα φιλοῦντος καὶ ὑπὸ περιττῆς ἡδονῆς δακρύοντος ὁ Ἀστύλος συνεὶς ὡς ἀδελφός ἐστι, ῥίψας θοιμάτιον ἔθει κατὰ τοῦ παραδείσου, πρῶτος τὸν Δάφνιν φιλῆσαι θέλων. Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Δάφνις θέοντα μετὰ πολλῶν κα�
� βοῶντα ‘Δάφνι,’ νομίσας ὅτι συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν βουλόμενος τρέχει, ῥίψας τὴν πήραν καὶ τὴν σύριγγα πρὸς τὴν θάλατταν ἐφέρετο ῥίψων ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης πέτρας. Καὶ ἴσως ἄν, τὸ καινότατον, εὑρεθεὶς ἀπωλώλει Δάφνις, εἰ μὴ συνεὶς ὁ Ἀστύλος ἐβόα πάλιν ‘στῆθι, Δάφνι, μηδὲν φοβηθῇς: ἀδελφός εἰμί σου, καὶ γονεῖς οἱ μέχρι νῦν δεσπόται. Νῦν ἡμῖν Λάμων τὴν αἶγα εἶπε καὶ τὰ γνωρίσματα ἔδειξεν: ὅρα δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς πῶς ἐπίασι φαιδροὶ καὶ γελῶντες. Ἀλλ̓ ἐμὲ πρῶτον φίλησον: ὄμνυμι δὲ τὰς Νύμφας ὡς οὐ ψεύδομαι.’