1. MNESIPPUS What about it, Toxaris? Do you Scythians sacrifice to Orestes and Pylades, and have you come to believe that they are gods? TOXARIS We sacrifice, Mnesippus, we sacrifice; not, however, because we think them gods, but good men.MNESIPPUS Is it your custom to sacrifice to good men when they are dead, as if they were gods? TOXARIS Not only that, but we honour them with festivals and pilgrimages. MNESIPPUS What do you crave from them? For surely it is not to gain their grace that you sacrifice to them, in view of the fact that they are dead.TOXARIS Well, we should be none the worse off, perhaps, if even the dead should be gracious to us. However, we think it will be better for the living if we do not forget men of high achievement, and we honour them after death because we consider that in this way we can get many to wish to become like them.
1. Μνήσιππος: τί φής, ὦ Τόξαρι; θύετε Ὀρέστῃ καὶ Πυλάδῃ ὑμεῖς οἱ Σκύθαι καὶ θεοὺς εἶναι πεπιστεύκατε αὐτούς; Τόξαρις: θύομεν, ὦ Μνήσιππε, θύομεν, οὐ μὴν θεούς γε οἰόμενοι εἶναι, ἀλλὰ ἄνδρας ἀγαθούς. Μνήσιππος: νόμος δὲ ὑμῖν καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἀγαθοῖς ἀποθανοῦσι θύειν ὥσπερ θεοῖς; Τόξαρις: οὐ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑορταῖς καὶ πανηγύρεσιν τιμῶμεν αὐτούς. Μνήσιππος: τί θηρώμενοι παρʼ αὐτῶν; οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐπʼ εὐμενείᾳ θύετε αὐτοῖς, νεκροῖς γε οὖσιν. Τόξαρις: οὐ χεῖρον μὲν ἴσως, εἰ καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἡμῖν εὐμενεῖς εἶεν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς ζῶντας ἄμεινον οἰόμεθα πράξειν μεμνημένοι τῶν ἀρίστων, καὶ τιμῶμεν ἀποθανόντας, ἡγούμεθα γὰρ οὕτως ἂν ἡμῖν πολλοὺς ὁμοίους αὐτοῖς ἐθελῆσαι γενέσθαι.
2. MNESIPPUS In that matter, to be sure, your judgement is sound. But as regards Orestes and Pylades, on just what ground did you so admire them, that you have put them on a parity with the gods, and that too when they were trespassers upon your soil and— what is most significant—enemies? Why, when the Scythians of that day seized them after their shipwreck and dragged them off intending to sacrifice them to Artemis, they set upon the keepers of their prison, overpowered the watch, and not only slew the king but carried off the priestess, nay even kidnapped Artemis herself, and then went. sailing away, after having made a mock of the Scythian commonwealth. So if that is why you honour those heroes, you will very soon produce many like them! Draw the conclusion for yourselves in the light of what happened of old whether it is desirable for you that many an Orestes and Pylades should descend upon Scythia. To me it seems that very soon, under those conditions, you would become irreligious yourselves, yes, godless, after the remainder of your gods had been similarly shipped out of the country to foreign parts. And then, I suppose, in place of the whole company of gods, you will deify the men who came to obtain them for export and will sacrifice to the robbers of your temples as gods!
2. Μνήσιππος: ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὀρθῶς γιγνώσκετε. Ὀρέστην δὲ καὶ Πυλάδην τίνος μάλιστα θαυμάσαντες ἰσοθέους ἐποιήσασθε, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπήλυδας ὑμῖν ὄντας καὶ τὸ μέγιστον πολεμίους; οἵ γε, ἐπεὶ σφᾶς ναυαγίᾳ περιπεσόντας οἱ τότε Σκύθαι συλλαβόντες ἀπῆγον ὡς τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι καταθύσοντες, ἐπιθέμενοι τοῖς δεσμοφύλαξι καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες τόν τε βασιλέα κτείνουσι καὶ τὴν ἱέρειαν παραλαβόντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν αὐτὴν ἀποσυλήσαντες ᾤχοντο ἀποπλέοντες, καταγελάσαντες τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Σκυθῶν. ὥστε εἰ διὰ ταῦτα τιμᾶτε τοὺς ἄνδρας, οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιτε πολλοὺς ὁμοίους αὐτοῖς ἐξεργασάμενοι. καὶ τοὐντεῦθεν αὐτοὶ ἤδη πρὸς τὰ παλαιὰ σκοπεῖτε, εἰ καλῶς ἔχει ὑμῖν πολλοὺς ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν Ὀρέστας καὶ Πυλάδας καταίρειν. ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖτε τάχιστα ἂν οὕτως ἀσεβεῖς αὐτοὶ καὶ ἄθεοι γενέσθαι, τῶν περιλοίπων θεῶν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὑμῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἀποξενωθέντων. εἶτʼ, οἶμαι, ἀντὶ τῶν θεῶν ἁπάντων τοὺς ἐπʼ ἐξαγωγῇ αὐτῶν ἥκοντας ἄνδρας ἐκθειάσετε καὶ ἱεροσύλοις ὑμῶν οὖσιν θύσετε ὡς θεοῖς.
3. If that is not why you honour Orestes and Pylades, do tell me, Toxaris, what other benefit have they done you to bring it about that although formerly you deemed them anything but gods, now, on the contrary, you have made them pass for gods by sacrificing to them, and you now bring victims to men who at that time very nearly became victims? This conduct, you know, might be thought ridiculous and inconsistent with that of former times. TOXARIS As a matter of fact, Mnesippus, even these actions that you have described evince nobility in those men. That two should dare so bold a deed; that they should sail so far from their own country as to cruise out into the Pontus (still unexplored by any of the Greeks except the force that fared upon the Argo to Colchis) undismayed either by the fables regarding it or by its name through any terror inspired by the fact that it was called ‘Inhospitable” (I suppose because savage peoples dwelt all about it); that after their capture they faced the situation so courageously, and were not content simply to make their escape but punished the king for his insolence and took Artemis with them when they sailed away—why is not all this admirable and worthy of divine honour in some sort from all who praise manhood? Yet that is not what we see in Orestes and Pylades, to treat them as heroes.
3. Μνήσιππος: εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀντὶ τούτων Ὀρέστην καὶ Πυλάδην τιμᾶτε, ἀλλʼ εἰπέ, τί ἄλλο, ὦ Τόξαρι, ἀγαθὸν ὑμᾶς εἰργάσαντο ἀνθʼ ὅτου, πάλαι οὐ θεοὺς εἶναι δικαιώσαντες αὐτούς, νῦν τὸ ἔμπαλιν θύσαντες αὐτοῖς θεοὺς νενομίκατε, καὶ ἱερείοις ὀλίγου δεῖν τότε γενομένοις ἱερεῖα νῦν προσάγετε; γελοῖα γὰρ ἂν ταῦτα δόξειε καὶ ὑπεναντία τοῖς πάλαι. Τόξαρις: καὶ ταῦτα μέν, ὦ Μνήσιππε, γενναῖα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων ἃ κατέλεξας. τὸ γὰρ δύο ὄντας οὕτω μέγα τόλμημα τολμῆσαι καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀπάραντας ἐκπλεῦσαι ἐς τὸν Πόντον ἀπείρατον ἔτι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὄντα πλὴν μόνων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργοῦς ἐς τὴν Κολχίδα στρατευσάντων, μὴ καταπλαγέντας μήτε τοὺς μύθους τοὺς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ μήτε τὴν προσηγορίαν καταδείσαντας ὅτι ἄξενος ἐκαλεῖτο, οἷα, οἶμαι, ἀγρίων ἐθνῶν περιοικούντων, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἑάλωσαν, οὕτως ἀνδρείως χρήσασθαι τῷ πράγματι καὶ μὴ ἀγαπῆσαι εἰ διαφεύξονται μόνον, ἀλλὰ τιμωρησαμένους τὸν βασιλέα τῆς ὕβρεως καὶ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν ἀναλαβόντας ἀποπλεῦσαι, πῶς ταῦτα οὐ θαυμαστὰ καὶ θείας τινὸς τιμῆς ἄξια παρὰ πάντων ὁπόσοι ἀρετὴν ἐπαινοῦσιν; ἀτὰρ οὐ ταῦτα ἡμεῖς Ὀρέστῃ καὶ Πυλάδῃ ἐνιδόντες ἥρωσιν αὐτοῖς χρώμεθα.
4. MNESIPPUS Please go on and say what else they did that is imposing and godlike; since as far as concerns their voyage and their foreign travel I could point you many who are more godlike than they—the merchant traders, and particularly the Phoenicians among them, who not only sail into the Pontus or as far as Lake Maeotis and the Cimmerian Bosporus, but cruise everywhere in Greek and foreign waters; for these fellows comb every single shore and every strand, you may say, each year before returning late in the autumn to their own country. On the same principle, you should account them gods, even though most of them are pedlars and, it may be, fishmongers!
4. Μνήσιππος: λέγοις ἂν ἤδη ὅ τι τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ θεῖον ἄλλο ἐξειργάσαντο· ἐπεὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ πλῷ καὶ τῇ ἀποδημίᾳ πολλοὺς ἄν σοι θειοτέρους ἐκείνων ἀποδείξαιμι, τοὺς ἐμπόρους, καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς Φοίνικας αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἰς τὸν Πόντον οὐδὲ ἄχρι τῆς Μαιώτιδος καὶ τοῦ Βοσπόρου μόνον ἐσπλέοντας, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς καὶ βαρβαρικῆς θαλάττης ναυτιλλομένους· ἅπασαν γὰρ οὗτοι ἀκτὴν καὶ πάντα αἰγιαλόν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, διερευνησάμενοι καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος ὀψὲ τοῦ μετοπώρου εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπανίασιν. οὓς κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον θεοὺς νόμιζε, καὶ ταῦτα καπήλους καὶ ταριχοπώλας, εἰ τύχοι, τοὺς πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ὄντας.
5. TOXARIS Listen then, you amazing fellow, and learn how much more generously than you Greeks we barbarians judge good men. In Argos and Mycenae there is not even a respectable tomb of Orestes or Pylades to be seen, but among us a temple has been assigned them, to both together, as was reasonable since they were comrades, and sacrifices are offered them, and all sorts of honours besides. The fact that they were not Scythians but foreigners is no hindrance to their having been accounted good men and their being cherished by the foremost Scythians; for we do not enquire what country proper men come from, nor do we bear a grudge if men who are not friendly have done noble deeds; we commend what they have accomplished and count them our own in virtue of their achievements. What especially impressed us in these men and gains our commendation is this: it seemed to us that as friends they, surely, had proved themselves the best in the world, and had established precedents for everyone else in regard to the way in which friends should share all their fortunes.
5. Τόξαρις: ἄκουε δή, ὦ θαυμάσιε, καὶ σκόπει καθʼ ὅσον ἡμεῖς οἱ βάρβαροι εὐγνωμονέστερον ὑμῶν περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν κρίνομεν, εἴ γε ἐν Ἄργει μὲν καὶ Μυκήναις οὐδὲ τάφον ἔνδοξον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν Ὀρέστου ἢ Πυλάδου, παρʼ ἡμῖν δὲ καὶ νεὼς ἀποδέδεικται αὐτοῖς ἅμα ἀμφοτέροις, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἦν, ἑταίροις γε οὖσι, καὶ θυσίαι προσάγονται καὶ ἡ ἄλλη τιμὴ ἅπασα, κωλύει τε οὐδὲν ὅτι ξένοι ἦσαν ἀλλὰ μὴ Σκύθαι ἀγαθοὺς κεκρίσθαι καὶ ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν τῶν ἀρίστων θεραπεύεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἐξετάζομεν ὅθεν οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοί εἰσιν, οὐδὲ φθονοῦμεν εἰ μὴ φίλοι ὄντες ἀγαθὰ εἰργάσαντο, ἐπαινοῦντες δὲ ἃ ἔπραξαν, οἰκείους αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ποιούμεθα. Ὃ δὲ δὴ μάλιστα καταπλαγέντες τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων ἐπαινοῦμεν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι ἡμῖν ἔδοξαν φίλοι οὗτοι δὴ ἄριστοι ἁπάντων γεγενῆσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις νομοθέται καταστῆναι ὡς χρὴ τοῖς φίλοις ἁπάσης τύχης κοινωνεῖν.
6. All that the went through in each other’s company or for eac other’s sake our ancestors inscribed on a tablet of bronze which they set up in the Oresteum; and they made it the law that the first study and lesson for their children should be this tablet and the memorising of all that had been written upon it. In point of fact, every one of them would sooner forget the name of his own father than fail to know the achievements of Orestes and Pylades. But in the temple close, too, the very same matters that are set forth on the tablet are to be seen represented in paintings by the ancients; Orestes voyaging with his friend, and then, after his ship had been destroyed on the rocks, his arrest and preparation for the sacrifice; Iphigenia is already consecrating them. Opposite this, on the other wall, he is depicted as just out of his fetters, slaying Thoas and many more of the Scythians. Finally, they are sailing off, with Iphigenia and the goddess; the Scythians meanwhile are vainly laying hold of the ship, which is already under way, hanging to the rudders and trying to get aboard; then, unable to accomplish anything, they swim back to land, some of them because they are wounded, others for fear of that. It is just there that one may see how much good-will they displayed in each other’s interest; I mean, in the engagement with the Scythians. For the artist has portrayed each of them paying no heed to the foemen opposite himself, but encountering those who are assailing the other, trying to meet their missiles in his stead, and counting it nothing to die if he saves his friend and intercepts with his own body the stroke that is being directed at the other.
6. Τόξαρις: καὶ ἅ γε μετʼ ἀλλήλων ἢ ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ἔπαθον ἀναγράψαντες οἱ πρόγονοι ἡμῶν ἐπὶ στήλης χαλκῆς ἀνέθεσαν εἰς τὸ Ὀρέστειον, καὶ νόμον ἐποιήσαντο πρῶτον τοῦτο μάθημα καὶ παίδευμα τοῖς παισὶ τοῖς σφετέροις εἶναι τὴν στήλην ταύτην καὶ τὰ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς γεγραμμένα διαμνημονεῦσαι. θᾶττον γοῦν τοὔνομʼ ἂν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἐπιλάθοιτο τοῦ πατρὸς ἢ τὰς Ὀρέστου καὶ Πυλάδου πράξεις ἀγνοήσειεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ περιβόλῳ τοῦ νεὼ τὰ αὐτὰ ὁπόσα ἡ στήλη δηλοῖ γραφαῖς ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν εἰκασμένα δείκνυται, πλέων Ὀρέστης ἅμα τῷ φίλῳ, εἶτα ἐν τοῖς κρημνοῖς διαφθαρείσης αὐτῷ τῆς νεὼς συνειλημμένος καὶ πρὸς τὴν θυσίαν παρεσκευασμένος, καὶ ἡ Ἰφιγένεια ἤδη κατάρχεται αὐτῶν. καταντικρὺ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου τοίχου ἤδη ἐκδεδυκὼς τὰ δεσμὰ γέγραπται καὶ φονεύων τὸν Θόαντα καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους τῶν Σκυθῶν, καὶ τέλος ἀποπλέοντες, ἔχοντες τὴν Ἰφιγένειαν καὶ τὴν θεόν. οἱ Σκύθαι δὲ ἄλλως ἐπιλαμβάνονται τοῦ σκάφους ἤδη πλέοντος, ἐκκρεμαννύμενοι τῶν πηδαλίων καὶ ἐπαναβαίνειν πειρώμενοι· εἶτʼ οὐδὲν ἀνύσαντες οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν τραυματίαι, οἱ δὲ καὶ δέει τούτου, ἀπονήχονται πρὸς τὴν γῆν. ἔνθα δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ἴδοι τις ἂν ὁπόσην ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων εὔνοιαν ἐπεδείκνυντο, ἐν τῇ πρὸς τοὺς Σκύθας συμπλοκῇ. πεποίηκεν γὰρ ὁ γραφεὺς ἑκάτερον ἀμελοῦντα μὲν τῶν καθʼ ἑαυτὸν πολεμίων, ἀμυνόμενον δὲ τοὺς ἐπιφερομένους θατέρῳ καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνου ἀπαντᾶν πειρώμενον τοῖς τοξεύμασιν καὶ παρʼ οὐδὲν τιθέμενον εἰ ἀποθανεῖται σώσας τὸν φίλον καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον φερομένην πληγὴν προαρπάσας τῷ ἑαυτοῦ σώματι.
7. That great good-will of theirs, that common front amid those perils, that faithfulness and comradely love, that genuineness and solidity of their affection for one another were not, we thought, of this world, but marked a spirit too noble for these men about us of the common sort, who, as long as the course of their friends is with the wind, take it ill if they do not give them an equal share in all their delights, but if even a slight breath sets against them, they bear away, entirely abandoning them to their perils. For I would have you know this also—Scythians think that there is nothing greater than friendship, and there is not anything upon which a Scythian will pride himself more than on aiding a friend and sharing his dangers, just as there is no greater disgrace among us than to bear the name of having played false to friendship. That is why we honour Orestes and Pylades, because they practised best what Scythians hold good, and excelled in friendship, an achievement which we admire before all things else; in token whereof we have given them the name of Korakoi to go by, which in our language is as much as to say “guiding spirits of friendship.”
7. Τόξαρις: τὴν δὴ τοσαύτην εὔνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς κοινωνίαν καὶ τὸ πιστὸν καὶ φιλέταιρον καὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ βέβαιον τοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔρωτος, οὐκ ἀνθρώπινα ταῦτα ᾠήθημεν εἶναι, ἀλλά τινος γνώμης βελτίονος ἢ κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς τούτους ἀνθρώπους, οἳ μέχρι μὲν κατʼ οὖρον ὁ πλοῦς εἴη τοῖς φίλοις, ἀγανακτοῦσιν εἰ μὴ ἐπʼ ἴσης κοινωνήσουσιν τῶν ἡδέων, εἰ δέ τι καὶ μικρὸν ἀντιπνεύσειεν αὐτοῖς, οἴχονται μόνους τοῖς κινδύνοις ἀπολιπόντες. καὶ γὰρ οὖν καὶ τόδε ὅπως εἰδῇς, οὐδὲν Σκύθαι φιλίας μεῖζον οἴονται εἶναι, οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐφʼ ὅτῳ ἄν τις Σκύθης μᾶλλον σεμνύναιτο ἢ ἐπὶ τῷ συμπονῆσαι φίλῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ κοινωνῆσαι τῶν δεινῶν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲν ὄνειδος μεῖζον παρʼ ἡμῖν τοῦ προδότην φιλίας γεγενῆσθαι δοκεῖν. διὰ ταῦτα Ὀρέστην καὶ Πυλάδην τιμῶμεν, ἀρίστους γενομένους τὰ Σκυθῶν ἀγαθὰ καὶ ἐν φιλίᾳ διενεγκόντας, ὃ πρῶτον ἡμεῖς ἁπάντων θαυμάζομεν, καὶ τοὔνομα ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτῶν ἐθέμεθα Κοράκους καλεῖσθαι· τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ φωνῇ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις λέγοι φίλιοι δαίμονες.
8. MNESIPPUS Toxaris, it has turned out that Scythians are not only good archers and better than all others in warfare, but the most convincing of all peoples at making speeches. Anyhow, I, who formerly had a different opinion, now myself think you do right in thus deifying Orestes and Pylades. And I had failed, my accomplished friend, to grasp the fact that you are also a good painter. Very animated indeed was the sketch that you drew for us of the pictures in the Oresteum, of the fighting of your heroes, and the wounds that each bore for the other. However, I should not have expected friendship to be so highly cherished among the Scythians, for as they are inhospitable and uncivilised I thought that they always were well acquainted with hatred, anger, and bad humour but did not enter into friendship even with their closest kin, judging by all that we hear about them, and especially the report that they eat their dead fathers!
8. Μνήσιππος: ὦ Τόξαρι, οὐ μόνον ἄρα τοξεύειν ἀγαθοὶ ἦσαν Σκύθαι καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀμείνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥῆσιν εἰπεῖν ἁπάντων πιθανώτατοι. ἐμοὶ γοῦν τέως ἄλλως γιγνώσκοντι ἤδη καὶ αὐτῷ δίκαια ποιεῖν δοκεῖτε οὕτως Ὀρέστην καὶ Πυλάδην ἐκθειάσαντες. ἐλελήθεις δέ με, ὦ γενναῖε, καὶ γραφεὺς ἀγαθὸς ὤν. πάνυ γοῦν ἐναργῶς ἐπέδειξας ἡμῖν τὰς ἐν τῷ Ὀρεστείῳ εἰκόνας καὶ τὴν μάχην τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων τραύματα. πλὴν ἀλλʼ οὐκ ᾠήθην ἂν οὕτω ποτὲ περισπούδαστον εἶναι φιλίαν ἐν Σκύθαις· ἅτε γὰρ ἀξένους καὶ ἀγρίους ὄντας αὐτοὺς ἔχθρᾳ μὲν ἀεὶ συνεῖναι καὶ ὀργῇ καὶ θυμῷ, φιλίαν δὲ μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους ἐπαναιρεῖσθαι, τεκμαιρόμενος τοῖς τε ἄλλοις ἃ περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκούομεν καὶ ὅτι κατεσθίουσι τοὺς πατέρας ἀποθανόντας.
9. TOXARIS Whether we are in general not only more just than the Greeks towards our parents but more reverential is a question which I would rather not debate with you at present. But that Scythian friends are far more faithful than Greek friends and that friendship matters more with us than with you is easily demonstrated; and in the name of your Gods of Greece, do not listen to me with displeasure if I mention one of the observations which I have made after having lived with your people for a long time now. It seems to me that you Greeks can indeed say all that is to be said about friendship better than others, but not only fail to practise its works in a manner that befits your words,—no, you are content to have praised it and shown what a very good thing it is, but in its times of need you play traitor to your words about it and beat a hasty retreat, somehow or other, out of the press of deeds. And whenever your tragedians put friendships of this kind on the stage and exhibit them to you, you bestow praise and applause, yes, even tears upon them, most of you, when they face danger for each other’s sake; yet you yourselves dare not come out with any praiseworthy deed for the sake of your friends. On the contrary, if a friend happens to stand in need of anything, those many tragic histories take wing and vanish from your path on the instant, like dreams, and leave you looking like those empty, silent masks which, for all their open mouths, widely agape, do not utter even the slightest sound. We are your opposites; for we have as much the better of you in practising friendship as we fall short of you in talking about it.
9. Τόξαρις: εἰ μὲν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἡμεῖς τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ δικαιότεροι τὰ πρὸς τοὺς γονέας καὶ ὁσιώτεροί ἐσμεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐν τῷ παρόντι φιλοτιμηθείην πρὸς σέ. ὅτι δὲ οἱ φίλοι οἱ Σκύθαι πολὺ πιστότεροι τῶν Ἑλλήνων φίλων εἰσὶν καὶ ὅτι πλείων φιλίας λόγος παρʼ ἡμῖν ἢ παρʼ ὑμῖν, ῥᾴδιον ἐπιδεῖξαι· καὶ πρὸς θεῶν τῶν Ἑλλήνων μὴ πρὸς ἀχθηδόνα μου ἀκούσῃς ἢν εἴπω τι ὧν κατανενόηκα πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ὑμῖν συγγινόμενος. ὑμεῖς γάρ μοι δοκεῖτε τοὺς μὲν περὶ φιλίας λόγους ἄμεινον ἄλλων ἂν εἰπεῖν δύνασθαι, τἄργα δὲ αὐτῆς οὐ μόνον οὐ κατʼ ἀξίαν τῶν λόγων ἐκμελετᾶν, ἀλλʼ ἀπόχρη ὑμῖν ἐπαινέσαι τε αὐτὴν καὶ δεῖξαι ἡλίκον ἀγαθόν ἐστιν· ἐν δὲ ταῖς χρείαις προδόντες τοὺς λόγους δραπετεύετε οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἐκ μέσων τῶν ἔργων. καὶ ὁπόταν ὑμῖν οἱ τραγῳδοὶ τὰς τοιαύτας φιλίας ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ἀναβιβάσαντες δεικνύωσιν ἐπαινεῖτε καὶ ἐπικροτεῖτε καὶ κινδυνεύουσιν αὐτοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐπιδακρύετε, αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐδὲν ἄξιον ἐπαίνου ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων παρέχεσθαι τολμᾶτε, ἀλλʼ ἤν του φίλος δεηθεὶς τύχῃ, αὐτίκα μάλα ὥσπερ τὰ ὀνείρατα οἴχονται ὑμῖν ἐκποδὼν ἀποπτάμεναι αἱ πολλαὶ ἐκεῖναι τραγῳδίαι, τοῖς κενοῖς τούτοις καὶ κωφοῖς προσωπείοις ἐοικότας ὑμᾶς ἀπολιποῦσαι, ἃ διηρμένα τὸ στόμα καὶ παμμέγεθες κεχηνότα οὐδὲ τὸ σμικρότατον φθέγγεται. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἔμπαλιν· ὅσῳ γὰρ δὴ λειπόμεθα ἐν τοῖς περὶ φιλίας λόγοις, τοσοῦτον ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτῆς πλεονεκτοῦμεν.
10. If you like, then, let us do this; let us leave the friends of former times to rest in peace, whomsoever, I mean, of the ancients either we or you are able to enumerate; for there, to be sure, you would outdo us by citing many trustworthy witnesses, your poets, who have rehearsed in the most beautiful of epic lines and lyric verses the friendship of Achilles and Patroclus and the comradeship of Theseus, Peirithous, and all the rest. Instead, let us take up just a few of our own contemporaries and recount their deeds, I for the Scythian side, you for the Greek; then whichever of us wins in this by bringing out better = of friendship shall not only be adjudged victor himself but shall be allowed to name his country in the proclamation, inasmuch as he will have taken part in a right glorious and noble contest. For my own part, I think I would much rather be defeated in single combat and have my right hand cut off, which is the penalty for defeat in Scythia, than to be pronounced inferior to anyone else in the matter of friendship, and above all to a Greek, when I am myself a Scythian.
10. Τόξαρις: Εἴ δʼ οὖν δοκεῖ, οὕτω νῦν ποιῶμεν. τοὺς μὲν παλαιοὺς φίλους ἀτρεμεῖν ἐάσωμεν, εἴ τινας ἢ ἡμεῖς ἢ ὑμεῖς τῶν πάλαι καταριθμεῖν ἔχομεν, ἐπεὶ κατά γε τοῦτο πλεονεκτοῖτε ἄν, πολλοὺς καὶ ἀξιοπίστους μάρτυρας τοὺς ποιητὰς παρεχόμενοι τὴν Ἀχιλλέως καὶ Πατρόκλου φιλίαν καὶ τὴν Θησέως καὶ Πειρίθου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑταιρείαν ἐν καλλίστοις ἔπεσι καὶ μέτροις ῥαψῳδοῦντας· ὀλίγους δέ τινας προχειρισάμενοι τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν διηγησάμενοι, ἐγὼ μὲν τὰ Σκυθικά, σὺ δὲ τὰ Ἑλληνικά, ὁπότερος ἂν ἐν τούτοις κρατῇ καὶ ἀμείνους παράσχηται τοὺς φίλους, αὐτός τε νενικηκὼς ἔσται καὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ ἀνακηρύξει, κάλλιστον ἀγῶνα καὶ σεμνότατον ἀγωνισάμενος. ὡς ἔγωγε πολὺ ἥδιον ἄν μοι δοκῶ μονομαχῶν ἡττηθεὶς ἀποτμηθῆναι τὴν δεξιάν, ὅπερ ἥττης Σκυθικῆς ἐπιτίμιόν ἐστιν, ἢ χείρων ἄλλου κατὰ φιλίαν κεκρίσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα Ἕλληνος, Σκύθης αὐτὸς ὤν.
11. MNESIPPUS It is no mean undertaking, Toxaris, to engage in single combat with a man-at-arms like yourself, equipped with very accurate and well-sharpened shafts of speech. Nevertheless, I shall not so ignobly betray of a sudden the whole Greek cause as to yield you the field. It would be shocking if, when they two defeated as many Scythians as are indicated by the stories and by those ancient paintings in your country which you described with such histrionic expressiveness a little while ago, all the Greeks, including so many peoples and so many cities, should lose by default to you alone. If that should take place, it would be fitting for me to be docked, not of my right hand, as your people are, but of my tongue. But ought we to set ourselves a limit to the number of these exploits of friendship, or should we hold that the more of them a man can tell, the better off he is as regards the victory? TOXARIS By no means; let us prescribe that the victory does not in this case reside with the greater numbers. No, if yours turn out to be better and more telling ‘than mine, though equal in number, they will obviously inflict more serious wounds upon me and I shall succumb to your blows more quickly.MNESIPPUS You are right, so let us settle how many will do. Five, I should think, for each.. TOXARIS I think so too; and you may speak first, after taking oath that you will assuredly tell the truth. Merely to make up such tales is not at all hard, and there is no obvious means of disproof. But if you should take your oath, it would not be right to disbelieve you. MNESIPPUS We shall do so, if you really think an oath is at all essential. But which of our gods will satisfy you? Zeus Philios? TOXARIS Yes indeed; and I will take the oath of my own country for you when I myself speak.
11. Μνήσιππος: ἔστιν μέν, ὦ Τόξαρι, οὐ φαῦλον τὸ ἔργον ἀνδρὶ οἵῳ σοὶ πολεμιστῇ μονομαχῆσαι, πάνυ εὐστόχους καὶ τεθηγμένους παρεσκευασμένῳ τοὺς λόγους. οὐ μὴν ἀγεννῶς γε οὕτως καταπροδοὺς ἐν βραχεῖ τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν ἅπαν ὑποχωρήσομαί σοι· καὶ γὰρ ἂν εἴη πάνδεινον ὑπὸ δυοῖν μὲν ἐκείνοιν ἡττηθῆναι τοσούτους τῶν Σκυθῶν ὁπόσους οἵ τε μῦθοι δηλοῦσι καὶ αἱ ὑμέτεραι παλαιαὶ γραφαί, ἃς μικρῷ πρόσθεν εὖ μάλα ἐξετραγῴδησας, Ἕλληνας δὲ πάντας, τοσαῦτα ἔθνη καὶ τοσαύτας πόλεις, ἐρήμην ὑπὸ σοῦ ἁλῶναι. εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο γένοιτο, οὐ τὴν δεξιὰν ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς ἀλλὰ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀποτμηθῆναι καλόν. πότερον δὲ ὡρίσθαι χρὴ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἡμῖν τῶν φιλικῶν τούτων πράξεων, ἢ ὁπόσῳ ἄν τις πλείους ἔχῃ λέγειν, τοσούτῳ εὐπορώτερος ἂν δόξειεν πρὸς τὴν νίκην; Τόξαρις: οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ ὡρίσθω μὴ ἐν τῷ πλήθει αὐτῶν τὸ κράτος, ἀλλʼ εἰ ἀμείνους καὶ τομώτεραι φαίνοιντο αἱ σαὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ἴσαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν οὖσαι, καιριώτερα δῆλον ὅτι ἐργάσονταί μοι τραύματα καὶ θᾶττον ἐνδώσω πρὸς τὰς πληγάς. Μνήσιππος: εὖ λέγεις, καὶ ὡρίσθωσαν ὁπόσαι ἱκαναί. πέντε ἔμοιγε δοκοῦσιν ἑκατέρῳ. Τόξαρις: κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ. πρότερος δὲ λέγε, ἀλλʼ ἐπομοσάμενος ἦ μὴν ἀληθῆ ἐρεῖν· ἄλλως γὰρ ἀναπλάττειν τὰ τοιαῦτα οὐ πάνυ χαλεπὸν καὶ ὁ ἔλεγχος ἀφανής. εἰ δὲ ὀμόσειας, οὐχ ὅσιον ἀπιστεῖν. Μνήσιππος: ὀμούμεθα, εἴ τι καὶ ὅρκου δεῖν νομίζεις. τίς δέ σοι τῶν ἡμετέρων θεῶν ἄρʼ ἱκανός; ὁ Φίλιος; Τόξαρις: καὶ μάλα· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν ἐπιχώριον ὀμοῦμαί σοι ἐν τῷ ἐμαυτοῦ λόγῳ.
12. MNESIPPUS Well then, as Zeus Philios is my witness, I solemnly swear that whatever I shall tell you I will say either from my own knowledge or from information obtained of others with all the accuracy that was possible, without contributing any dramaturgy on my own part. And the first friendship of which I shall give you an account is that of Agathocles and Deinias, which has become far-famed among the Ionians. Agathocles of Samos, to whom I refer, lived not long ago, and was peerless in friendship, as he proved, but otherwise not at all superior to the general run of Samians qjther in family or in means. He and Deinias, the son of Lyson, of Ephesus, were friends from their boyhood. But Deinias turned out to be enormously rich; and as was natural in one whose wealth was new, he had many others about him who were well enough as boon companions and agreeable associates, but as far as could be from friends. Well, for a time Agathocles was put to the test among them, associating with them and drinking with them, though he took little pleasure in that kind of pastime; and Deinias held him in no higher esteem than his toadies. But at length Agathocles began to give offence by rebuking him frequently, and. came to be considered a nuisance by reminding him always of his ancestors and admonishing him to keep what his father had acquired with much labour and left to him. Consequently Deinias no longer even took him along when he caroused about the town, but used to go alone with those others, trying to escape the eye of Agathocles.
12. Μνήσιππος: ἴστω τοίνυν ὁ Ζεὺς ὁ Φίλιος, ἦ μὴν ὁπόσα ἂν λέγω πρὸς σὲ ἢ αὐτὸς εἰδὼς ἢ παρʼ ἄλλων ὁπόσον οἷόν τε ἦν διʼ ἀκριβείας ἐκπυνθανόμενος ἐρεῖν, μηδὲν παρʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιτραγῳδῶν. καὶ πρώτην γέ σοι τὴν Ἀγαθοκλέους καὶ Δεινίου φιλίαν διηγήσομαι, ἀοίδιμον ἐν τοῖς Ἴωσι γενομένην. Ἀγαθοκλῆς γὰρ οὗτος ὁ Σάμιος οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ ἐγένετο, ἄριστος μὲν πρὸς φιλίαν, ὡς ἔδειξεν, τὰ ἄλλα δὲ οὐδὲν ἀμείνων Σαμίων τῶν πολλῶν οὔτε ἐς τὸ γένος οὔτε ἐς τὴν ἄλλην περιουσίαν. Δεινίᾳ δὲ τῷ Λύσωνος Ἐφεσίῳ φίλος ἐκ παίδων ἦν. ὁ δὲ Δεινίας ἐπλούτει ἄρα εἰς ὑπερβολήν, καὶ ὥσπερ εἰκὸς νεόπλουτον ὄντα, πολλοὺς καὶ ἄλλους εἶχε περὶ ἑαυτόν, ἱκανοὺς μὲν συμπιεῖν καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν συνεῖναι, φιλίας δὲ πλεῖστον ὅσον ἀποδέοντας. τέως μὲν οὖν ἐν τούτοις καὶ ὁ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐξητάζετο, καὶ συνῆν καὶ συνέπινεν αὐτοῖς οὐ πάνυ χαίρων τῇ τοιαύτῃ διατριβῇ, καὶ ὁ Δεινίας οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ἐντιμότερον εἶχεν τῶν κολάκων. τελευταῖον δὲ καὶ προσέκρουε τὰ πολλὰ ἐπιτιμῶν, καὶ φορτικὸς ἐδόκει ὑπομιμνήσκων ἀεὶ τῶν προγόνων καὶ φυλάττειν παραγγέλλων ἃ μετὰ πολλῶν καμάτων ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ κτησάμενος κατέλιπεν, ὥστε διὰ ταῦτα οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς κώμους ἀπῆγεν ἔτι αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ μόνος μετʼ ἐκείνων ἐκώμαζε, λανθάνειν πειρώμενος τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα.
13. In course of time those flatterers persuaded the poor fellow that Charicleia was in love with him. She was the wife of Demonax, a distinguished man, foremost among the Ephesians in public affairs. Notes from the woman kept coming into his house; also, half-faded wreaths, apples with a piece bitten out, and every other contrivance with which gobetweens lay siege to young men, gradually working up their love-affairs for them and inflaming them at the start with the thought that they are adored (for this is extremely seductive, especially to those who think themselves handsome), until they fall unawares into the net. Charicleia was a dainty piece of femininity, but outrageously meretricious, giving herself to anyone who happened to meet her, even if he should want her at very little cost; if you but looked at her, she nodded at once, and there was no fear that Charicleia might perhaps be reluctant. She was clever too, in every way, and an artist comparable with any courtesan you please at alluring a lover, bringing him into complete subjection when he was still of two minds, and when at last he was in her toils working him up and fanning his flame, now by anger, now by flattery, soon by scorn and by pretending to have an inclination for someone else. She was every bit of her thoroughly sophisticated, that woman, and plentifully armed with siege-engines to train upon her lovers.
13. Μνήσιππος: καὶ δή ποτε ὑπὸ τῶν κολάκων ἐκείνων ὁ ἄθλιος ἀναπείθεται ὡς ἐρῴη αὐτοῦ Χαρίκλεια Δημώνακτος γυνή, ἀνδρὸς ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ πρώτου Ἐφεσίων τὰ πολιτικά· καὶ γραμματεῖά τε εἰσεφοίτα παρὰ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτῷ καὶ στέφανοι ἡμιμάραντοι καὶ μῆλά τινα ἀποδεδηγμένα καὶ ἄλλα ὁπόσα αἱ μαστροποὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς νέοις μηχανῶνται, κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτεχνώμεναι τοὺς ἔρωτας καὶ ἀναφλέγουσαι τὸ πρῶτον ἐρᾶσθαι νομίζοντας (ἐπαγωγότατον γὰρ τοῦτό γε, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς καλοῖς εἶναι οἰομένοις), ἄχρι ἂν λάθωσιν εἰς τὰ δίκτυα ἐμπεσόντες. ἡ Χαρίκλεια δὲ ἦν ἀστεῖον μέν τι γύναιον, ἑταιρικὸν δὲ ἐκτόπως καὶ τοῦ προστυχόντος ἀεί, καὶ εἰ πάνυ ἐπʼ ὀλίγῳ ἐθελήσειέ τις· καὶ εἰ προσίδοι τις μόνον, εὐθὺς ἐπένευε, καὶ δέος οὐδὲν ἦν μή πη ἀντείποι Χαρίκλεια. δεινὴ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, καὶ τεχνῖτις παρʼ ἥντινα βούλει τῶν ἑταιρῶν ἐπισπάσασθαι ἐραστὴν καὶ ἀμφίβολον ἔτι ὄντα ὅλον ὑποποιήσασθαι καὶ ἐνεχόμενον ἤδη ἐπιτεῖναι καὶ προσεκκαῦσαι ἄρτι μὲν ὀργῇ, ἄρτι δὲ κολακείᾳ, καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν ὑπεροψίᾳ καὶ τῷ πρὸς ἕτερον ἀποκλίνειν δοκεῖν, καὶ ὅλη συνεκεκρότητο ἁπανταχόθεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ πολλὰ μηχανήματα παρεσκεύαστο κατὰ τῶν ἐραστῶν.
14. This, then, was the ally whom Deinias’ toadies at that time enlisted against the boy, and they constantly played up to rer lead, unitedly thrusting him into the affair with Charicleia. And she, who already had given many young fellows a bad fall, * who, times without number, had played at being in love, who had ruined vast estates, versatile and thoroughly practised mischief-maker that she was— once she got into her clutches a simple youngster who had no experience of such enginery, she would not let him out of her talons but encompassed him all round about and pierced him through and through, until, when at last she had him wholly in her power, she not only lost her own life through her quarry but caused poor Deinias misfortunes without end. From the very first she kept baiting him with those notes, sending her maid continually, making out that she had cried, that she had lain awake, and at last that she would hang herself for love, poor girl, until the blessed simpleton became convinced that he was handsome and adored by the women of Ephesus, and of course made a rendezvous after many entreaties.
14. Μνήσιππος: ταύτην οὖν τότε οἱ Δεινίου κόλακες παραλαμβάνουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ μειράκιον, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ὑπεκωμῴδουν, συνωθοῦντες αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ἔρωτα τῆς Χαρικλείας. ἡ δὲ πολλοὺς ἤδη νέους ἐκτραχηλίσασα καὶ μυρίους ἔρωτας ὑποκριναμένη καὶ οἴκους πολυταλάντους ἀνατρέψασα, ποικίλον τι καὶ πολυγύμναστον κακόν, παραλαβοῦσα εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἁπλοϊκὸν καὶ ἄπειρον τῶν τοιούτων μηχανημάτων νεανίσκον οὐκ ἀνῆκεν ἐκ τῶν ὀνύχων, ἀλλὰ περιέχουσα πανταχόθεν καὶ διαπείρασα, ὅτε ἤδη παντάπασιν ἐκράτει, αὐτή τε ἀπώλετο ὑπὸ τῆς ἄγρας καὶ τῷ κακοδαίμονι Δεινίᾳ μυρίων κακῶν αἰτία ἐγένετο. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον εὐθὺς ἐκεῖνα ἐπʼ αὐτὸν καθίει τὰ γραμματεῖα, συνεχῶς πεμπομένη τὴν ἅβραν, ὡς ἐδάκρυσε καὶ ἐπηγρύπνησε καὶ τέλος ὡς ἀπάγξει ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀθλία ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔρωτος, ἕως δὴ ὁ μακάριος ἐπείσθη καλὸς εἶναι καὶ ταῖς Ἐφεσίων γυναιξὶ περιπόθητος, καί που συνηνέχθη πολλὰ ἱκετευθείς.
15. After that, naturally, it was bound to be an easy matter for him to be captured by a beautiful woman, who knew how to please him with her company, to weep on occasion, to sigh piteously in the midst of her conversation, to lay hold of him when he was at last going away, to run up to him when he came in, to adorn herself in the way that would best please him, and of course to sing and to strum the lyre. All this she had brought into play against Deinias; and then, when she discerned that he was in a bad way, having by that time become thoroughly permeated with love and pliable, she employed another artifice to complete the poor boy’s undoing. She pretended to be with child by him (this too is an effective way to fire a sluggish lover); moreover, she discontinued her visits to him, saying that she was kept in by her husband, who had found out about their affair. Deinias was now unable to bear the situation and could not endure not seeing her. He wept, he sent his toadies, he called upon the name of Charicleia, he embraced her statue (having had one of marble made for him), he wailed; at last he flung himself on the ground and rolled about, and his condition was absolute insanity. Naturally, the gifts which he exchanged for hers were not on a par with apples and wreaths, but whole apartment-houses, farms, and serving-women, gay clothing, and all the gold that she wanted. Why make a long story of it? In a trice the estate of Lyson, which had been the most famous in Ionia, was completely pumped out and exhausted.
15. Μνήσιππος: τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ῥᾷον, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἁλώσεσθαι ἔμελλεν ὑπὸ γυναικὸς καλῆς καὶ πρὸς ἡδονήν τε ὁμιλῆσαι ἐπισταμένης καὶ ἐν καιρῷ δακρῦσαι καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν λόγων ἐλεεινῶς ὑποστενάξαι καὶ ἀπιόντος ἤδη λαβέσθαι καὶ εἰσελθόντι προσδραμεῖν καὶ καλλωπίζεσθαι ὡς ἂν μάλιστα ἀρέσειε, καί που καὶ ᾆσαι καὶ κιθαρίσαι. οἷς ἅπασι κατὰ τοῦ Δεινίου ἐκέχρητο· καὶ ἐπεὶ ᾔσθετο πονηρῶς ἔχοντα καὶ διάβροχον ἤδη τῷ ἔρωτι καὶ τακερὸν γεγενημένον, ἄλλο ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐπενόει καὶ τὸν ἄθλιον ἀπώλλυε· κύειν τε γὰρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ σκήπτεται — ἱκανὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο βλᾶκα ἐραστὴν προσεκπυρῶσαι — καὶ οὐκέτι ἐφοίτα πρὸς αὐτόν, φυλάττεσθαι ὑπὸ τἀνδρὸς λέγουσα πεπυσμένου τὸν ἔρωτα. ὁ δʼ οὐκέτι οἷός τε ἦν φέρειν τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐδὲ ἠνείχετο μὴ ὁρῶν αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ ἐδάκρυε καὶ τοὺς κόλακας εἰσέπεμπεν καὶ τοὔνομα τῆς Χαρικλείας ἐπεβοᾶτο καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα περιβαλὼν αὐτῆς — ἐπεποίητο δὲ λίθου λευκοῦ — ἐκώκυε, καὶ τέλος καταβαλὼν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τοὔδαφος ἐκυλίνδετο καὶ λύττα ἦν ἀκριβὴς τὸ πρᾶγμα. τὰ μὲν γὰρ δῶρα οὐ κατὰ μῆλα καὶ στεφάνους ἀντεδίδοτο αὐτῇ, ἀλλὰ συνοικίαι ὅλαι καὶ ἀγροὶ καὶ θεράπαιναι καὶ ἐσθῆτες εὐανθεῖς καὶ χρυσὸν ὁπόσον ἐθελήσειε. Καὶ τί γάρ; ἐν βραχεῖ ὁ Λύσωνος οἶκος, ὀνομαστότατος τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ γενόμενος, ἐξήντλητο ἤδη καὶ ἐξεκεκένωτο.
16. And then, when at last he was drained dry, she left him, pursued another gilded youth from Crete, and went over to him; now she loved him, and he put faith in it. Neglected not only by Charicleia but by the toadies, for they too had now gone over to the Cretan whom she loved, Deinias sought out Agathocles, who had long known that things were going badly with him. Though overcome with shame at first, nevertheless he told the whole story—his passion, his desperate straits, the woman’s disregard, the Cretan rival—and in conclusion said that he would not remain alive if he could not have Charicleia. Agathocles thought it unseasonable at that moment to remind Deinias that he used never to be glad to see him, and him only, of all his friends, but used always to give preference to his toadies in those days. So he sold all that he had, the house that he had inherited in Samos, and came back bringing him the price, three talents. When Deinias received this, it was at once patent to Charicleia that in some way he had once more become handsome. Again the maid, and the notes, and reproof because he had not come for a long while; and the toadies came running up to dangle a line for him, seeing that Deinias was still good for a meal.
16. Μνήσιππος: εἶτα, ὡς ἤδη αὖος ἦν, ἀπολιποῦσα αὐτὸν ἄλλον τινὰ Κρῆτα νεανίσκον τῶν ὑποχρύσων ἐθήρα καὶ μετέβαινεν ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἤρα ἤδη αὐτοῦ, κἀκεῖνος ἐπίστευεν. ἀμελούμενος οὖν ὁ Δεινίας οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς Χαρικλείας μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν κολάκων (κἀκεῖνοι γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν Κρῆτα ἤδη τὸν ἐρώμενον μετεληλύθεσαν) ἔρχεται παρὰ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ πάλαι εἰδότα ὡς ἔχοι πονηρῶς τὰ πράγματα αὐτῷ, καὶ αἰδούμενος τὸ πρῶτον ὅμως διηγεῖτο πάντα — τὸν ἔρωτα, τὴν ἀπορίαν, τὴν ὑπεροψίαν τῆς γυναικός, τὸν ἀντεραστὴν τὸν Κρῆτα, καὶ τέλος ὡς οὐ βιώσεται μὴ οὐχὶ συνὼν τῇ Χαρικλείᾳ. ὁ δὲ ἄκαιρον εἶναι νομίσας ἐν τούτῳ ἀπομνημονεύειν τῷ Δεινίᾳ διότι οὐ προσίετο μόνον αὐτὸν τῶν φίλων ἀλλὰ τοὺς κόλακας αὐτοῦ προετίμα τότε, ἣν μόνον εἶχεν πατρῴαν οἰκίαν ἐν Σάμῳ ἀπεμπολήσας ἧκεν αὐτῷ τὴν τιμὴν κομίζων, τρία τάλαντα. λαβὼν δὲ ὁ Δεινίας οὐκ ἀφανὴς εὐθὺς ἦν τῇ Χαρικλείᾳ καλός ποθεν αὖθις γεγενημένος, καὶ αὖθις ἡ ἅβρα καὶ τὰ γραμματεῖα, καὶ μέμψις ὅτι μὴ πολλοῦ χρόνου ἀφίκετο, καὶ οἱ κόλακες συνέθεον ἐπικαλαμησόμενοι, ὁρῶντες ἐδώδιμον ἔτι ὄντα τὸν Δεινίαν.
17. But when he had promised to come to her, had actually come, in the early hours of the night, and was inside the house, Demonax, the husband of Charicleia, whether through accidental detection of him or through arrangement with his wife—both stories are told—springing out upon him as if from ambush, gave orders to lock the outer door and to seize Deinias, threatening him with burning and scourging and coming at him with drawn sword, as an adulterer. Perceiving what a calamitous situation he was in, Deinias seized a bar that lay near and killed not only Demonax himself, striking him on the temple, but also Charicleia, not with one blow in her case, but by striking her first with the bar again and again and afterwards with the sword of Demonax. The servants stood speechless in the meantime, dazed by the suddenness of the thing; then they tried to seize him, but when he made at them too with the sword, they fled, and Deinias made good his escape in spite of his monstrous deed. The time that remained until dawn he spent with Agathocles in going over all that had happened and considering what would come of it in future. At dawn the magistrates appeared, for by then the thing had been noised abroad; they arrested Deinias, who himself did not deny that he had committed the murders, and brought him before the Salariae’ who then administered Asia. He sent im to the Emperor, and before long Deinias was committed to the island of Gyaros, one of the Cyclades, condemned by the Emperor to live there in perpetual exile.
17. Μνήσιππος: ὡς δὲ ὑπέσχετο ἥξειν παρʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἧκε περὶ πρῶτον ὕπνον καὶ ἔνδον ἦν, ὁ Δημῶναξ, ὁ τῆς Χαρικλείας ἀνήρ, εἴτε ἄλλως αἰσθόμενος εἴτε καὶ ἀπὸ συνθήματος τῆς γυναικός (ἄμφω γὰρ λέγεται) ἐπαναστὰς ὥσπερ ἐκ λόχου τήν τε αὔλειον ἀποκλείειν ἐκέλευεν καὶ συλλαμβάνειν τὸν Δεινίαν, πῦρ καὶ μάστιγας ἀπειλῶν καὶ ξίφος ὡς ἐπὶ μοιχὸν σπασάμενος. ὁ δὲ συνιδὼν οὗ κακῶν ἦν, μοχλόν τινα πλησίον κείμενον ἁρπάσας αὐτόν τε ἀποκτείνει τὸν Δημώνακτα, πατάξας εἰς τὸν κρόταφον, καὶ τὴν Χαρίκλειαν, οὐ μιᾷ πληγῇ ταύτην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ μοχλῷ πολλάκις καὶ τῷ ξίφει τοῦ Δημώνακτος ὕστερον. οἱ δʼ οἰκέται τέως μὲν ἑστήκεσαν ἄφωνοι, τῷ παραδόξῳ τοῦ πράγματος ἐκπεπληγμένοι, εἶτα πειρώμενοι συλλαμβάνειν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπῄει μετὰ τοῦ ξίφους, ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἔφευγον, ὁ Δεινίας δὲ ὑπεξέρχεται τηλικοῦτον ἔργον εἰργασμένος. καὶ τὸ μέχρι τῆς ἕω παρὰ τῷ Ἀγαθοκλεῖ διέτριβεν, ἀναλογιζόμενοι τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι ἀποβήσεται σκοποῦντες· ἕωθεν δὲ οἱ στρατηγοὶ παρῆσαν — ἤδη γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα διεβεβόητο — καὶ συλλαβόντες τὸν Δεινίαν, οὐδʼ αὐτὸν ἔξαρνον ὄντα μὴ οὐχὶ πεφονευκέναι, ἀπάγουσι παρὰ τὸν ἁρμοστὴν ὃς ἥρμοζε τὴν Ἀσίαν τότε. ὁ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῷ μεγάλῳ ἀναπέμπει αὐτόν· καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ κατεπέμφθη ὁ Δεινίας εἰς Γύαρον νῆσον τῶν Κυκλάδων, ἐν ταύτῃ φεύγειν εἰς ἀεὶ τεταγμένος ὑπὸ βασιλέως.
18. Agathocles alone of all his friends kept with him, sailed with him to Italy, went to the trial with him, and failed him in nothing. Moreover, when at length Deinias went into exile, he did not desert his comrade even then, but of his own accord sentenced himself to live in Gyaros and share his exile; and when they were completely in want of necessities, he joined the purple-fishers, dived with them, brought home what he earned by this, and so supported Deinias. Besides, when the latter fell ill, he took care of him for a very long time, and when he died, did not care to return again to his own country, but remained there in the island, ashamed to desert his friend even after his death. There you have the deed of a Greek friend which took place not long ago; I hardly think five years have passed since Agathocles died in Gyaros. TOXARIS I do wish, Mnesippus, you had told this story without taking an oath, so that I might have been able to disbelieve it, for this Agathocles whom you have described is very much of a Scythian friend. However, I have no fear that you will be able to name any other like him.
18. Μνήσιππος: ὁ δὲ Ἀγαθοκλῆς καὶ τἄλλα μὲν συνῆν καὶ συναπῆρεν εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν καὶ συνεισῆλθεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον μόνος τῶν φίλων καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐνεδέησεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤδη ἔφευγεν ὁ Δεινίας, οὐδὲ τότε ἀπελείφθη τοῦ ἑταίρου, καταδικάσας δὲ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ διέτριβεν ἐν Γυάρῳ καὶ συνέφευγεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπειδὴ παντάπασιν ἠπόρουν τῶν ἀναγκαίων, παραδοὺς ἑαυτὸν τοῖς πορφυρεῦσι συγκατεδύετο καὶ τὸ γινόμενον ἐκ τούτου ἀποφέρων ἔτρεφε τὸν Δεινίαν· καὶ νοσήσαντά τε ἐπὶ μήκιστον ἐθεράπευσε καὶ ἀποθανόντος οὐκέτι ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἠθέλησεν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ἔμεινεν αἰσχυνόμενος καὶ τεθνεῶτα ἀπολιπεῖν τὸν φίλον. τοῦτό σοι ἔργον φίλου Ἕλληνος οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ γενόμενον· ἔτη γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα εἰ πέντε ἤδη διελήλυθεν ἀφʼ οὗ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐν Γυάρῳ ἀπέθανεν. Τόξαρις: καὶ εἴθε γε, ὦ Μνήσιππε, ἀνώμοτος ὢν ταῦτα ἔλεγες, ἵνα καὶ ἀπιστεῖν ἂν ἐδυνάμην αὐτοῖς· οὕτω Σκυθικόν τινα φίλον τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα τοῦτον διηγήσω. πλὴν οὐ δέδια μή τινα καὶ ἄλλον ὅμοιον εἴπῃς αὐτῷ.
19. MNESIPPUS Listen then, Toxaris, to the tale of another, Euthydicus of Chalcis. It was repeated to me by Simylus, the sea-captain of Megara, who took his solemn oath that he himself had seen the deed. He said that he was making a voyage from Italy to Athens at about the season of the setting of the Pleiades, carrying a miscellaneous collection of assengers, among whom was Euthydicus, and with im Damon, also of Chalcis, his comrade. They were of the same age, but Euthydicus was vigorous and strong, while Damon was pale and sickly, just convalescing, it seemed, from a prolonged illness. As far as Sicily they had made a fortunate passage, said Simylus; but when they had run through the straits and in due time were sailing in the Adriatic itself, a great tempest fell upon them. Why repeat the many details of his story—huge seas, cyclones, hail, and all the other evils of a storm? But when they were at last abreast of Zacynthos,! sailing with the yard bare, and also dragging hawsers in their wake to check the fury of their driving, towards midnight Damon became seasick, as was natural in weather so rough, and began to vomit, leaning outboard. Then, I suppose because the ship was hove down with greater force towards the side over which he was leaning and the high sea contributed a send, he fell overboard head-first; and the poor fellow was not even without his clothes, so as to have been able to swim more easily. So he began at once to call for help, choking and barely able to keep himself above the water.
19. Μνήσιππος: ἄκουε τοίνυν καὶ ἄλλον, ὦ Τόξαρι, Εὐθύδικον τὸν Χαλκιδέα. διηγεῖτο δέ μοι περὶ αὐτοῦ Σιμύλος ὁ ναύκληρος ὁ Μεγαρικός, ἐπομοσάμενος ἦ μὴν αὐτὸς ἑωρακέναι τὸ ἔργον. πλεῖν μὲν γὰρ ἔφη ἐξ Ἰταλίας Ἀθήναζε περὶ δύσιν Πλειάδος συλλογιμαίους τινὰς ἀνθρώπους κομίζων, ἐν δὲ τούτοις εἶναι τὸν Εὐθύδικον καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ Δάμωνα, Χαλκιδέα καὶ τοῦτον, ἑταῖρον αὐτοῦ· ἡλικιώτας δὲ εἶναι, τὸν μὲν Εὐθύδικον ἐρρωμένον καὶ καρτερόν, τὸν δὲ Δάμωνα ὕπωχρον καὶ ἀσθενικόν, ἄρτι ἐκ νόσου μακρᾶς, ὡς ἐδόκει, ἀνιστάμενον. Ἄχρι μὲν οὖν Σικελίας εὐτυχῶς διαπλεῦσαι ἔφη ὁ Σιμύλος σφᾶς· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν πορθμὸν διαπεράσαντες ἐν αὐτῷ ἤδη τῷ Ἰονίῳ ἔπλεον, χειμῶνα μέγιστον ἐπιπεσεῖν αὐτοῖς. καὶ τὰ μὲν πολλὰ τί ἄν τις λέγοι, τρικυμίας τινὰς καὶ στροβίλους καὶ χαλάζας καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα χειμῶνος κακά; ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤδη σφᾶς κατὰ τὴν Ζάκυνθον εἶναι ἀπὸ ψιλῆς τῆς κεραίας πλέοντας, ἔτι καὶ σπείρας τινὰς ἐπισυρομένους, ὡς τὸ ῥόθιον ἐπιδέχεσθαι τῆς ὁρμῆς, περὶ μέσας νύκτας οἷον ἐν τοσούτῳ σάλῳ ναυτιάσαντα τὸν Δάμωνα ἐμεῖν ἐκκεκυφότα ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν· εἶτα, οἶμαι, τῆς νεὼς βιαιότερον ἐς ὃ ἐκεκύφει μέρος ἐπικλιθείσης καὶ τοῦ κύματος συναπώσαντος, ἐκπεσεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐς τὸ πέλαγος, οὐδὲ γυμνὸν τὸν ἄθλιον, ὡς ἂν καὶ ῥᾷον δύνασθαι νεῖν. εὐθὺς οὖν βοᾶν πνιγόμενον καὶ μόγις ἑαυτὸν ὑπερέχοντα τοῦ κλύδωνος.
20. When Euthydicus, who happened to be undressed and in his bunk, heard him, he flung himself into the sea, got to Damon, who was already giving out (all this was visible at a long distance because the moon was shining) and helped him by swimming beside him and bearing him up. The rest of them, he said, wanted to aid the men and deplored their misfortune, but could not do it because the wind that drove them was too strong; however, they did at least something, for they threw them a number of pieces of cork and some spars, on which they might swim if they chanced upon any of them, and finally even the gang plank, which was not small. Think now, in the name of the gods! what firmer proof of affection could a man display towards a friend who had fallen overboard at night into a sea so wild, than that of sharing his death? I beg you, envisage the tumult of the seas, the roar of the breaking water, the boiling spume, the night, the despair; then one man strangling, barely keeping up his head, holding his arms out to his friend, and the other leaping after him at once, swimming with him, fearing that Damon would perish first. In that way you can appreciate that in the case of Euthydicus too it is no common friend whom I have described.
20. Μνήσιππος: τὸν δὲ Εὐθύδικον, ὡς ἤκουσε — τυχεῖν δὲ γυμνὸν ἐν τῇ εὐνῇ ὄντα — ῥῖψαι ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ καταλαβόντα τὸν Δάμωνα ἤδη ἀπαγορεύοντα — φαίνεσθαι γὰρ ἐπὶ πολὺ ταῦτα τῆς σελήνης καταλαμπούσης — συμπαρανήχεσθαι καὶ συγκουφίζειν. σφᾶς δὲ ἐπιθυμεῖν μὲν αὐτοῖς βοηθεῖν καὶ ἐλεεῖν τὴν συμφορὰν τῶν ἀνδρῶν, μὴ δύνασθαι δέ, μεγάλῳ τῷ πνεύματι ἐλαυνομένους. πλὴν ἐκεῖνά γε ποιῆσαι, φελλούς τε γὰρ πολλοὺς ἀφεῖναι αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν κοντῶν τινας, ὡς ἐπὶ τούτων ἀπονήξαιντο, εἴ τινι αὐτῶν περιτύχοιεν, καὶ τέλος καὶ τὴν ἀποβάθραν αὐτὴν οὐ μικρὰν οὖσαν. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν πρὸς θεῶν ἥντινα ἄν τις ἄλλην ἐπίδειξιν ἐπιδείξαιτο εὐνοίας βεβαιοτέραν πρὸς ἄνδρα φίλον ἐν νυκτὶ ἐκπεσόντα ἐς πέλαγος οὕτως ἠγριωμένον ἢ κοινωνήσας τοῦ θανάτου; καί μοι ἐπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν λαβὲ τὴν ἐπανάστασιν τῶν κυμάτων, τὸν ἦχον τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπικλωμένου, τὸν ἀφρὸν περιζέοντα, τὴν νύκτα καὶ τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν· εἶτα ἀποπνιγόμενον ἐκεῖνον καὶ μόγις ἀνακύπτοντα καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ὀρέγοντα τῷ ἑταίρῳ, τὸν δὲ ἐπιπηδῶντα εὐθὺς καὶ συννέοντα καὶ δεδιότα μὴ προαπόληται αὐτοῦ ὁ Δάμων. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μάθοις ὡς οὐκ ἀγεννῆ σοι καὶ τοῦτον φίλον τὸν Εὐθύδικον διηγησάμην.