1. CROESUS: Pluto, we can’t stand having this Dog, Menippus, for our neighbour. So put him somewhere else, or we’ll move ourselves.PLUTO: What harm does he do you as a fellow-shade? CROESUS: Whenever we moan and groan at our memories of life above, Midas recalling his gold, Sardanapalus his great luxury, and I, Croesus, my treasures, he mocks and reviles us, calling us slaves and scum: sometimes he even disturbs our lamentations by singing. In short, he’s a pest.
1. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Οὐ φέρομεν, ὦ Πλούτων, Μένιππον τουτονὶ τὸν κύνα παροικοῦντα· ὥστε ἢ ἐκεῖνόν ποι κατάστησον ἢ ἡμεῖς μετοικήσομεν εἰς ἕτερον τόπον.ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τί δ’ ὑμᾶς δεινὸν ἐργάζεται ὁμόνεκρος ὤν; ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Ἐπειδὰν ἡμεῖς οἰμώζωμεν καὶ στένωμεν ἐκείνων μεμνημένοι τῶν ἄνω, Μίδας μὲν οὑτοσὶ τοῦ χρυσίου, Σαρδανάπαλλος δὲ τῆς πολλῆς τρυφῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ Κροῖσος τῶν θησαυρῶν, ἐπιγελᾷ καὶ ἐξονειδίζει ἀνδράποδα καὶ καθάρματα ἡμᾶς ἀποκαλῶν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ᾄδων ἐπιταράττει ἡμῶν τὰς οἰμωγάς, καὶ ὅλως λυπηρός ἐστιν.
PLUTO: What’s this they tell me, Menippus?
ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τί ταῦτά φασιν, ὦ Μένιππε;
MENIPPUS: True enough, Pluto; I hate them; they’re low scoundrels, not content with having led bad lives, but even in death they remember their past and cling to it. That’s why I enjoy tormenting them.
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἀληθῆ, ὦ Πλούτων· μισῶ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀγεννεῖς καὶ ὀλεθρίους ὄντας, οἷς οὐκ ἀπέχρησεν βιῶναι κακῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανόντες ἔτι μέμνηνται καὶ περιέχονται τῶν ἄνω· χαίρω τοιγαροῦν ἀνιῶν αὐτούς.
PLUTO: You shouldn’t; they mourn great losses.
ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Ἀλλ' οὐ χρή· λυποῦνται γὰρ οὐ μικρῶν στερόμενοι.
MENIPPUS: Are you a fool too, Pluto? Do you approve of their groanings?
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ σὺ μωραίνεις, ὦ Πλούτων, ὁμόψηφος ὢν τοῖς τούτων στεναγμοῖς;
PLUTO: Not at all, but I wouldn’t like you to be quarrelling.
ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἐθέλοιμι στασιάζειν ὑμᾶς.
2. MENIPPUS: Even so, you lowest of the low from Lydia, Phrygia and Assyria, I’d have you know that I’ll never stop. Wherever you go, I’ll follow, tormenting you with my songs and mockery. CROESUS: Isn’t this outrageous?
2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ μήν, ὦ κάκιστοι Λυδῶν καὶ Φρυγῶν καὶ Ἀσσυρίων, οὕτω γινώσκετε ὡς οὐδὲ παυσομένου μου· ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ἴητε, ἀκολουθήσω ἀνιῶν καὶ κατᾴδων καὶ καταγελῶν. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Ταῦτα οὐχ ὕβρις;
MENIPPUS: No, the outrageous thing was your behaviour, when you expected people to worship you, treated free men with contempt, and forgot all about death. That’s why you’re going to lament the loss of all those things. CROESUS: Oh, ye gods, many and great possessions they were! MIDAS: All my gold! SARDANAPALUS: All my luxury!
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνα ὕβρις ἦν, ἃ ὑμεῖς ἐποιεῖτε, προσκυνεῖσθαι ἀξιοῦντες καὶ ἐλευθέροις ἀνδράσιν ἐντρυφῶντες καὶ τοῦ θανάτου παράπαν οὐ μνημονεύοντες· τοιγαροῦν οἰμώξεσθε πάντων ἐκείνων ἀφῃρημένοι. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Πολλῶν γε, ὦ θεοί, καὶ μεγάλων κτημάτων. ΜΙΔΑΣ: Ὅσου μὲν ἐγὼ χρυσοῦ. ΣΑΡΔΑΝΑΠΑΛΛΟΣ: Ὅσης δὲ ἐγὼ τρυφῆς.
MENIPPUS: Bravo, go on. You keep up your whimperings, and I’ll accompany you with song, with a string of “Know-Thyself” s for my refrain. That’s the proper accompaniment for such lamentations.
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὖ γε, οὕτω ποιεῖτε· ὀδύρεσθε μὲν ὑμεῖς, ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ γνῶθι σαυτὸν πολλάκις συνείρων ἐπᾴσομαι ὑμῖν· πρέποι γὰρ ἂν ταῖς τοιαύταις οἰμωγαῖς ἐπᾳδόμενον.