Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [54] ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Ἄνδρες, ἐγὼ πάλαι τοῦτον ἀμφιγνοῶν ἠπίστουν ὅμως. ἐπεὶ δὲ σαφῶς αὐτὸν ἔγνωκα, δεινόν μοι δοκεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀσεβές, μὴ εἰπεῖν ἃ συνεπίσταμαι μηδ᾽ ἀποδοῦναι λόγῳ

  [54] but he said: ‘Sirs, for a long time I have been wondering whether I knew this man, but nevertheless was inclined to think that I did not. But now that I have clearly identified him, it seems to me that it would be dreadful, or rather a crime against heaven, for me not to corroborate his statements as far as I can, or express my gratitude in words after having in very deed received the greatest kindness at his hands.

  [55] χάριν, ἔργῳ τὰ μέγιστα εὖ παθών. εἰμὶ δέ, ἔφη, πολίτης, ὡς ἴστε, καὶ ὅδε, δείξας τὸν παρακαθήμενον, καὶ ὃς ἐπανέστη: ἐτύχομεν δὲ πλέοντες ἐν τῇ Σωκλέους νηὶ τρίτον ἔτος. καὶ διαφθαρείσης τῆσνεὼς περὶ τὸν Καφηρέα παντελῶς ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἐσώθημεν ἀπὸ πολλῶν. τοὺς μὲν οὖν πορφυρεῖς ἀνέλαβον: εἶχον γὰρ αὐτῶν τινες ἀργύριον ἐν φασκωλίοις. ἡμεῖς δὲ γυμνοὶ παντελῶς ἐκπεσόντες δἰ ἀτραποῦ τινος ἐβαδίζομεν, ἐλπίζοντες εὑρήσειν σκέπην τινὰ ποιμένων ἢ βουκόλων, κινδυνεύοντες ὑπὸ λιμοῦ τε καὶ δίψους διαφθαρῆναι.

  [55] I am,’ he continued, ‘a citizen here, as you are aware, and so is this man,’ pointing to his neighbour, who thereupon rose also. ‘Two years ago we happened to be sailing in Socles’ boat when it was lost off Caphereus and only a handful of us were saved out of a large number. Now some were sheltered by purple-fishers, for a few had money in their wallets; but we who were cast ashore destitute tramped along a path, hoping to find some shelter among shepherds or herdsmen, for we were in danger of perishing from hunger and thirst.

  [56] καὶ μόλις ποτὲ ἤλθομεν ἐπὶ σκηνάς τινας, καὶ στάντες ἐβοῶμεν. προελθὼν δὲ οὗτος εἰσάγει τε ἡμᾶς ἔνδον καὶ ἀνέκαε πῦρ οὐκ ἀθρόον, ἀλλὰ κατ᾽ ὀλίγον: καὶ τὸν μὲν ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνέτριβε, τὸν δὲ ἡ γυνὴ στέατι: οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἔλαιον: τέλος δὲ ὕδωρ κατέχεον θερμόν, ἕως ἀνέλαβον ἀπεψυγμένους.

  [56] And after much hardship we did finally reach some huts and stopped and hallooed, when this man here came out, brought us in, and made a low fire which he gradually increased. Then he himself rubbed one of us, and his wife the other, with tallow, they had no olive oil. Finally, they poured warm water over us until they brought us around, chilled to the bone as we had been.

  [57] ἔπειτα κατακλίναντεσκαὶ περιβαλόντες οἷς εἶχον παρέθηκαν φαγεῖν ἡμῖν ἄρτους πυρίνους, αὐτοὶ δὲ κέγχρον ἑφθὴν ἤσθιον. ἔδωκαν δὲ καὶ οἶνον ἡμῖν πιεῖν, ὕδωρ αὐτοὶ πίνοντες, καὶ κρέα ἐλάφεια ὀπτῶντες ἄφθονα, τὰ δὲ ἕψοντες: τῇ δ᾽ ὑστεραίᾳ βουλομένους ἀπιέναι κατέσχον ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας. ἔπειτα προύπεμψαν εἰς τὸ πεδίον, καὶἀπιοῦσι κρέας ἔδωκαν καὶ δέρμα ἑκατέρῳ πάνυ καλόν.

  [57] Then, after making us recline and throwing about us what they had, they put wheaten loaves before us to eat while they themselves ate millet porridge. They also gave us wine to drink, they themselves drinking water, and they roasted venison in abundance, while some of it they boiled. And though we wanted to go away on the morrow, they held us back for three days.

  [58] ἐμὲ δὲ ὁρῶν ἐκ τῆς κακοπαθείας ἔτι πονήρως ἔχοντα ἐνέδυσε χιτώνιον, τῆς θυγατρὸς ἀφελόμενος: ἐκείνη δὲ ἄλλο τι ῥάκος περιεζώσατο. τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῇ κώμῃ ἐγενόμην, ἀπέδωκα. οὕτως ἡμεῖς γε ὑπὸ τούτου μάλιστα ἐσώθημεν μετὰ τοὺς θεούς.

  [58] Then they escorted us down to the plains and gave us meat when we left them, as well as a very handsome pelt for each of us. And when this man here saw that I was still ill from my trying experience, he put on me a little tunic which he took from his daughter, and she girded a bit of cloth about herself instead. This I gave back when I reached the village. So, next to the gods, we owe our lives to this man especially.’

  [59] ταῦτα δὲ ἐκείνου λέγοντος ὁ μὲν δῆμος ἤκουεν ἡδέως καὶ ἐπῄνουν [p. 201] με, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀναμνησθείς, χαῖρε, ἔφην, Σωτάδη: καὶ προσελθὼν ἐφίλουν αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν ἕτερον. ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐγέλα σφόδρα, ὅτι ἐφίλουν αὐτούς. τότε ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν οὐ φιλοῦσιν ἀλλήλους.

  [59] “While he was thus speaking, the people listened with pleasure and showed me their approval, and I recalled it all and cried out, ‘Hello, Sotades!’ And I approached and kissed him and the other man. However, the people laughed heartily because I kissed them. Then I understood that in the cities people do not kiss one another.

  [60] παρελθὼν δὲ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἐπιεικὴς ὁ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ λέγων, Ἐμοί, ἔφη, ὦ ἄνδρες, δοκεῖ καλέσαι τοῦτον εἰς τὸ πρυτανεῖον ἐπὶ ξένια. οὐ γάρ, εἰ μὲν ἐν πολέμῳ τινὰ ἔσωσε τῶν πολιτῶν ὑπερασπίσας, πολλῶν ἂν καὶ μεγάλων δωρεῶν ἔτυχε: νυνὶ δὲ δύο σώσας πολίτας, τυχὸν δὲ καὶ ἄλλους, οἳ οὐ πάρεισιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος οὐδεμιᾶς τιμῆς;

  [60] “Then that kind and good man who had spoken in my behalf at the beginning came forward and said, ‘I move, sirs, that we invite this man to dine in the town-hall. If he had saved one of our townsfolk in battle by covering him with his shield, would he not have received many large gifts? But now, when he has saved two citizens, and perhaps others who are not here, is he entitled to no honour at all?

  [61] ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ χιτῶνος, ὃν ἔδωκε τῷ πολίτῃ κινδυνεύοντι, τὴν θυγατέρα ἀποδύσας, ἐπιδοῦναι αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν χιτῶνα καὶ ἱμάτιον, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις προτροπὴ γένηται δικαίοις εἶναι καὶ ἐπαρκεῖν ἀλληλοις, ψηφίσασθαι δὲ αὐτοῖς καρποῦσθαι τὸ χωρίον καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ τέκνα, καὶ μηδένα αὐτοῖς ἐνοχλεῖν, δοῦναι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἑκατὸν δραχμὰς εἰς κατασκευήν: τὸ δὲ ἀργύριον τοῦτο ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ἐγὼ παρ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ δίδωμι.

  [61] For the tunic which he stripped from his daughter and gave to his fellow-townsman in distress, let the city give him a tunic and a cloak as an inducement to others to be righteous and to help one another. Further, let it vote that they and their children have the use of the farm free from molestation, and that the man himself be given one hundred drachmas for equipment; and as for this money, I offer it out of my own pocket on behalf of the city.’

  [62] ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ ἐπῃνέθη, καὶ τἄλλα ἐγένετο ὡς εἶπεν. καὶ ἐκομίσθη παραχρῆμα εἰς τὸ θέατρον τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον. ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐβουλόμην λαβε�
�ν, ἀλλ᾽ εἶπον ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι δειπνεῖν ἐν τῷ δέρματι. οὐκοῦν, εἶπον, τὸ σήμερον ἄδειπνος μενῶ. ὅμως δὲ ἐνέδυσάν με τὸν χιτῶνα καὶ περιέβαλον τὸ ἱμάτιον.

  [62] “For this he was applauded and the motion was carried. The clothes and the money were also brought into the theatre at once. But I was loath to accept, whereupon they said, ‘You cannot dine in the skin.’ ‘Well then,’ said I, ‘I shall go without dinner to-day.’ However, they put the tunic on me and threw the cloak over my shoulders. Then I wanted to throw my skin on top of all, but they would not let me.

  [63] ἐγὼ δὲ ἄνωθεν βαλεῖν ἐβουλόμην τὸ δέρμα, οἱ δὲ οὐκ εἴων. τὸ δὲ ἀργύριον οὐκ ἐδεξάμην οὐδένα τρόπον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπωμοσάμην λήψεσθαι. εἰ δὲ ζητεῖτε τίς λάβῃ, τῷ ῥήτορι, ἔφην, δότε, ὅπως κατορύξῃ αὐτό: ἐπίσταται γὰρ δῆλον ὅτι. ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνου δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐδεὶς ἠνώχλησε.

  [63] The money I absolutely refused and swore that I would not take it. ‘But if you are hunting for somebody who will take it,’ said I, ‘give it to that orator that he may bury it, for he knows all about that evidently.’ And from that day nobody has bothered us.”

  [64] σχεδὸν οὖν εἰρηκότος αὐτοῦ πρὸς ταῖς σκηναῖς ἦμεν. κἀγὼ γελάσας εἶπον, Ἀλλ᾽ ἕν τι ἀπεκρύψω τοὺς πολίτας, τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν κτημάτων. τί τοῦτο; εἶπεν. τὸν κῆπον, ἔφην, τοῦτον, πάνυ καλὸν καὶ λάχανα πολλὰ καὶ δένδρα ἔχοντα. οὐκ ἦν, ἔφη, τότε, ἀλλ᾽ ὕστερον ἐποιήσαμεν.

  [64] Now he had hardly ended when we were at the huts, and laughing I said, “But you have hidden from your fellow-citizens one thing, the fairest of your possessions.” “What is that?” said he. “This garden,” I replied, “very pretty indeed with all its vegetables and trees.” “There was not any then,” he said; “we made it afterwards.”

  [65] εἰσελθόντες οὖν εὐωχούμεθα τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς ἡμέρας, ἡμεῖς μὲν κατακλιθέντες ἐπὶ φύλλων τε καὶ δερμάτων ἐπὶ στιβάδος ὑψηλῆς, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ πλησίον παρὰ τὸν ἄνδρα καθημένη. θυγάτηρ δὲ ὡραία γάμου διηκονεῖτο, καὶ ἐνέχει πιεῖν μέλανα οἶνον ἡδύν. [p. 202] οἱ δὲ παῖδες τὰ κρέα παρεσκεύαζον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἅμα ἐδείπνουν παρατιθέντες, ὥστε ἐμὲ εὐδαιμονίζειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους καὶ οἴεσθαι μακαρίως ζῆν πάντων μάλιστα ὧν ἠπιστάμην.

  [65] Then we entered and feasted the rest of the day, we reclining on boughs and skins the made a high bed and the wife sitting beside her husband. But a daughter of marriageable age served the food and poured us a sweet dark wine to drink; and the boys prepared the meat, helping themselves as they passed it around, so that I could not help deeming these people fortunate and thinking that of all the men that I knew, they lived the happiest lives.

  [66] καίτοι πλουσίων οἰκίας τε καὶ τραπέζας ἠπιστάμην, οὐ μόνον ἰδιωτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σατραπῶν καὶ βασιλέων, οἳ μάλιστα ἐδόκουν μοι τότεἄθλιοι, καὶ πρότερον δοκοῦντες, ἔτι μᾶλλον, ὁρῶντι τὴν ἐκεῖ πενίαν τε καὶ ἐλευθερίαν, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἀπελείποντο οὐδὲ τῆς περὶ τὸ φαγεῖν τε καὶ πιεῖν ἡδονῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτοις ἐπλεονέκτουν σχεδόν τι.

  [66] And yet I knew the homes and tables of rich men, of satraps and kings as well as of private individuals; but then they seemed to me the most wretched of all; and though they had so appeared before, yet I felt this the more strongly as I beheld the poverty and free spirit of the humble cottagers and noted that they lacked naught of the joy of eating and drinking, nay, that even in these things they had, one might almost say, the better of it.

  [67] ἤδη δ᾽ ἱκανῶς ἡμῶν ἐχόντων ἦλθε κἀκεῖνος ὁ ἕτερος. συνηκολούθειδὲ υἱός αὐτῷ, μειράκιον οὐκ ἀγεννές, λαγὼν φέρων. εἰσελθὼν δὲ οὗτος ἠρυθρίασεν: ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἠσπάζετο ἡμᾶς, αὐτὸς ἐφίλησε τὴν κόρην καὶ τὸν λαγὼν ἐκείνῃ ἔδωκεν. ἡ μὲν οὖν παῖς ἐπαύσατο διακονουμένη καὶ παρὰ τὴν μητέρα ἐκαθέζετο,

  [67] We were almost already well enough supplied when that other man entered, accompanied by his son, a prepossessing lad who carried a hare. The latter on entering commenced to blush; and while his father was welcoming us, he himself kissed the maiden and gave her the hare. The child then ceased serving and sat down beside her mother while the boy served in her stead.

  [68] τὸ δὲ μειράκιον ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνης διηκονεῖτο. κἀγὼ τὸν ξένονἠρώτησα, Αὕτη, ἔφην, ἐστίν, ἧς τὸν χιτῶνα ἀποδύσας τῷ ναυαγῷ ἔδωκας; καὶ ὃς γελάσας, Οὐκ, ἔφη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκείνη, εἶπε, πάλαι πρὸς ἄνδρα ἐδόθη, καὶ τέκνα ἔχει μεγάλα ἤδη, πρὸς ἄνδρα πλούσιον εἰς κώμην. οὐκοῦν, ἔφην, ἐπαρκοῦσιν ὑμῖν ὅ, τι ἂν δέησθε; οὐδέν,

  [68] “Is she the one,” I enquired of my host, “whose tunic you took off and gave to the shipwrecked man?” “No,” said he with a smile, “that daughter was married long ago and already has grown-up children. Her husband is a rich man living in a village.” “And do they help you when you need anything?” I enquired. “We do not need anything,” replied the wife,

  [69] εἶπεν ἡ γυνή, δεόμεθα ἡμεῖς. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ λαμβάνουσι καὶ ὁπηνίκ᾽ ἄντι θηραθῇ καὶ ὀπώραν καὶ λάχανα: οὐ γὰρ ἔστι κῆπος παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς. πέρυσι δὲ παρ᾽ αὐτῶν πυροὺς ἐλάβομεν, σπέρμα ψιλόν, καὶ ἀπεδώκαμεν αὐτοῖς εὐθὺς τῆς θερείας. τί οὖν; ἔφην, καὶ ταύτην διανοεῖσθε διδόναι πλουσίῳ, ἵνα ὑμῖν καὶ αὐτὴ πυροὺς δανείσῃ; ἐνταῦθα μέντοι ἄμφω ἠρυθριασάτην, ἡ κόρη καὶ τὸ μειράκιον.

  [69] “but they get game from us whenever we catch any, and fruit and vegetables, for they have no garden. Last year we borrowed some wheat just for seed, but we repaid them as soon as harvest time was come.” “Tell me,” said I, “do you intend to marry this girl also to a rich man that she too may lend you wheat?” At this the two blushed, the girl as well as the boy.

  [70] ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτῆς ἔφη, Πένητα ἄνδρα λήψεται, ὅμοιον ἡμῖν κυνηγέτην: καὶ μειδιάσας ἔβλεψεν εἰς τὸν νεανίσκον. κἀγώ, τί οὖν οὐκ ἤδη δίδοτε; ἢ δεῖ ποθεν αὐτὸν ἐκ κώμης ἀφικέσθαι; δοκῶ μέν, εἶπεν, οὐ μακράν ἐστίν: ἀλλ᾽ ἔνδον ἐνθάδε. καὶ ποιήσομέν γε τοὺς γάμους ἡμέραν ἀγαθὴν ἐπιλεξάμενοι. κἀγώ, Πῶς, ἔφην,κρίνετε τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἡμέραν; καὶ ὅς, Ὅταν μὴ μικρὸν ᾖ τὸ σελήνιον:

  [70] “She will have a poor man for a husband,” said the father, “a hunter like ourselves,” and with a smile he glanced at the young man. And I said, “But why do you not gi
ve her away at once? Must her husband come from some village or other?” “I have an idea,” he replied, “that he is not far off; nay, he is here in this house, and we shall celebrate the marriage when we have picked out a good day.” “And how do you determine the good day?” said I. And he replied, “When the moon is not in a quarter; the air must be clear too, and the weather fine.”

  [71] δεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀέρα εἶναι καθαρόν, αἰθρίαν λαμπράν. κἀγώ, Τί δέ; τῷ ὄντι κυνηγέτης ἀγαθός ἐστιν; ἔφην. ἔγωγε, εἶπεν ὁ νεανίσκος, [p. 203] καὶ ἔλαφον καταπονῶ καὶ σῦν ὑφίσταμαι. ὄψει δὲ αὔριον, ἂν θέλῃς, ὦ ξένε. καὶ τὸν λαγὼν τοῦτον σύ, ἔφην, ἔλαβες; ἐγώ, ἔφη γελάσας, τῷ λιναρίῳ τῆς νυκτός: ἦν γὰρ αἰθρία πάνυ καλὴ καὶ ἡ σελήνη τηλικαύτη τὸ μέγεθος ἡλίκη οὐδεπώποτε ἐγένετο.

  [71] And then I said, “Tell me, is he really a good hunter?” “I am,” cried the youth; “I can run down a deer and face the charge of a boar. You shall see to-morrow, stranger, if you wish it.” “And did you catch this hare?” said I. “Yes,” he replied, laughing— “with my net during the night, for the sky was very beautiful, and the moon was never so big before.”

  [72] ἐνταῦθα μέντοι ἐγέλασαν ἀμφότεροι, οὐ μόνον ὁ τῆς κόρης πατήρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἐκείνου. ὁ δὲ ᾐσχύνθη καὶ ἐσιώπησε. λέγει οὖν ὁ τῆς κόρης πατήρ, Ἐγὼ μέν, ἔφη, ὦ παῖ, οὐδὲν ὑπερβάλλομαι. ὁ δὲ πατήρ σου περιμένει, ἔστ᾽ ἂν ἱερεῖον πρίηται πορευθείς. δεῖ γὰρ θῦσαι τοῖς θεοῖς. εἶπεν οὖν ὁ νεώτερος ἀδελφὸς τῆς κόρης, Ἀλλὰ ἱερεῖόν γε πάλαι οὗτος παρεσκεύακε, καὶ ἔστιν ἔνδον τρεφόμενον ὄπισθεν τῆς σκηνῆς γενναῖον.