ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ
τὸν δακτύλιον ὥρμηκα πλεῖν ἢ πεντάκις
τῷ δεσπότῃ δεῖξαι προσελθών, καὶ σφόδρα420
ὢν ἐγγὺς ἤδη καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ παντελῶς
ἀναδύομαι. καὶ τῶν πρότερόν μοι μεταμέλει
μηνυμάτων·
λέγει γὰρ ἐπιεικῶς πυκνά
“ὡς τὸν φράσαντα ταῦτά μοι κακὸν κακῶς
ὁ Ζεὺς ἀπολέσαι.”425
μή με δὴ διαλλαγεὶς
πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τὸν φράσαντα ταῦτα καὶ
συνειδότ’ ἀφανίσῃ λαβών. καλῶς ποῶν
ἕτερόν τι πρὸς τούτοις κυκᾶν ἀπεσχόμην.
κἀνταῦθα κακὸν ἔνεστιν ἐπιεικῶς μέγα.
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
ἐᾶτέ μ’ ἱκετεύω σε καὶ μή μοι κακὰ430
παρέχετ’. ἐμαυτήν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἁθλία
λέληθα χλευάζουσ’· ἐρᾶσθ[αι προσεδόκων,
θεῖον δὲ μισεῖ μῖσος ἅνθρωπός με τι.
οὐκέτι μ’ ἐᾷ γὰρ οὐδὲ κατακεῖσθαι, τάλαν,
παρ’ αὑτόν, ἀλλὰ χωρίς.435
ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ
ἀλλ’ ἀποδῶ πάλιν
παρ’ οὗ παρέλαβον ἀρτίως; ἄτοπον.
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
τάλας
οὗτος. τί τοσοῦτον ἀργύριον ἀπολλύει;
ἐπεὶ τό γ’ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸ τῆς θεοῦ φέρειν
κανοῦν ἔμοιγ’ οἷόν τε νῦν ἐστ’, ὦ τάλαν·
ἁγνὴ γάμων γάρ, φασίν, ἡμέρ̣αν τρίτην440
ἤδη κάθημαι.
ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ
πῶς ἂν οὖν, πρὸς τῶν θεῶν,
πῶς ἄν, ἱκετεύω—
vocabulary
δακτύλιος -ου ὁ: ring, signet
πεντάκις: five times
προσέρχομαι προσελεύσομαι προσήλυθον: to approach
σφόδρα: very much
ἐγγύς: near
παντελῶς: absolutely
ἀναδύνω: to draw back, hesitate
μεταμέλει: it is something to regret (+ dat. referring to person who feels the regret, + gen. referring to the source of the regret)
μήνυμα -ατος τό: information, (pl.) revelation
ἐπιεικής -ές: fitting, suitable
πυκνός -ή -όν: frequent
διαλλάγω: to reconcile
σύνοιδα: to know
ἀφανίζω ἀφανιῶ ἠφάνισα: to do away with
κυκάω: to stir
ἔνειμι: to be present
ἱκετεύω: to beg, plead
ἄθλιος -α -ον: unhappy, miserable
χλευάζω: to jest, mock
ἐράω: to love
προσδοκάω: to expect
μισέω: to hate
μῖσος -ους τό: hate, hatred
κατάκειμαι: to lie down beside
τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched
παραλαμβάνω παραλήψομαι παρέλαβον: to take, seize
ἀρτίως: just now
ἄτοπος, -ον: absurd, out of place
τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched
κάνουν -ου τό: basket
τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched
ἁγνός -ή -όν: pure, chaste
γάμος -ου ὁ: wedding, marriage
κάθημαι: to sit
ἱκετεύω: to beg
notes
Act 3
At the end of Act 2, ONESIMOS had entered CHAIRESTRATOS’ house with the intention of presenting the ring (acquired by SYROS with the recovered baby) to his master CHARISIOS, to whom the ring belongs. The chorus performed in between the acts. If the chorus members were also members of the party at CHAIRESTRATOS’ house, where CHARISIOS is staying, there could be some visual transition or setup to the beginning of Act 3. In any case, the new act begins with ONESIMOS racing out of the house frantically and venting to the audience.
424-425 ὡς … ὁ Ζεὺς ἀπολέσαι: “I hope Zeus destroys…” (ἀπολέσαι: 3rd sing. aor. opt. act., optative of wish) Onesimos is quoting Charisios.
425 διαλλαγεὶς: > διαλλάττω, masc. nom. sing. aor. part. pass. “If he is reconciled…” (conditional participle, Goodell 583, CGCG 52.40)
427 συνειδότ(α): > σύνοιδα, masc. acc. sing. aor. part. act. ἀφανίσῃ: > ἀφανίζω, 3rd sing. aor. subj. act. μὴ... ἀφανίσῃ: “(I’m afraid that) he will do away with…” (Goodell 610-611, CGCG 43.3) ποῶν: = ποιῶν
429 κἀνταῦθα: = καὶ ἐνταῦθα
Now HABROTONON also races out of the house, frustrated and yelling back at someone inside. She comes to a different part of the stage and starts venting to a different section of the audience, not noticing or communicating with ONESIMOS.
434-435: At parties, Greeks (and other people in the ancient world) reclined on couches, so here HABROTONON expects, since CHARISIOS is paying her to be his companion, to recline next to him.
435-436: ONESIMOS continues venting to the audience, oblivious of HABROTONON. ἀποδῶ: > ἀποδίδωμι, 1st sing. aor. subj. act. (deliberative subjunctive, Goodell 471a, CGCG 34.8)
438-439 τῆς θεοῦ ...κανοῦν: “the goddess’ basket” refers to a ceremonial basket carried in the parade, a part of huge festival called the Panathenaea, by girls who were required to be virgins. Examples of these basket carriers are visible on the frieze from the Parthenon.
translation
Act 3
ONESIMOS
(pacing, almost at a full-on breakdown,
to the audience)
So I walk in, right?
(acting out what happened in the house; like a coach at a kid’s baseball game)
C’mon! Act confident! You can do it, Onesimos, just walk right up to (420) him and give him the ring!
(back to panic)
But then as soon as I get up to him… Nothing! I can’t do it! I’ve run away at least five times already, oh gods, he’s going to kill me! Or curse me!
(pretending to be CHARISIOS, “fancy voice”)
(425) “O Zeus, destroy the wretch who brought such evils before me!”
(gasping as a new terror occurs to him)
or he’ll reconcile with his wife and seize the man who told him –
(stopping to loudly “whisper” to the audience as if sharing a secret)
that’s me! – and do away with him!
(shaking head)
no, no that’s enough!
(holding hands up in a “surrender” motion)
I shouldn’t stir up any more trouble!
(moving as if to exit stage)
It’s bad enough as it is!
HABROTONON
(distraught, weepy, a bit like a kicked puppy,
to someone in the house)
(430) Leave me be, I beg you, and bring no more evil upon me!
(to audience, wailing)
Oh, wretched, miserable me!
(collecting herself a little, but still weepy; dabbing at eyes with a kerchief)
It seems I’ve made a fool of myself without noticing. I expected him to love me, but the man positively HATES me! I mean he really hates me, it’s really rather superhuman,
(looks around briefly, gives the air of spilling gossip to the audience)
he won’t even let me lie (435) beside him – no!
(back to affecting a weepy, inconsolable demeanor)
Instead, poor me has to sit separately, all by myself
(wistful sigh).
ONESIMOS
(to the audience, suddenly doubting the decision he just made; turning back/no longer heading to exit)
But then should I give it back to the man I took it from?
(remembering how awful SYROS was)
Ugh, that would be ridiculous!
HABROTONON
(dabbing her eyes with a kerchief again)
Wretched, miserable man! Why does he waste so much money –
(breaking character for a moment)
‘cuz he’s definitely not getting his money’s worth! For as much as he’s done, I could be one of the virgin goddesses,
(putting on the honey-toned voice again and clasping her hands lightly over one shoulder)
completely ignorant about men and marriages, as they say –
(dropping her hands and the act)
(440) two whole days without any sex… at all!
(rolls eyes and sighs dramatically)
ONESIMOS
(continuing his pacing)
How? Gods, what am I supposed to do?