ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

ὅρα σὺ τοῦτ’· ἐὰν δὲ νοῦν ἔχῃς

ἐμοί τε πείθῃ, τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην

φανερὸν ποήσεις· εἰ γάρ ἐστ’ ἐλευθέρας495

παιδός, τί τοῦτον λανθάνειν δεῖ τὸ γεγονός;

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

πρότερον ἐκείνην ἥτις ἐστίν, Ἁβρότονον,

εὕρωμεν. ἐπὶ τούτῳ δ’ ἐμοὶ νῦν συγγενοῦ.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην, τὸν ἀδικοῦντα πρὶν σαφῶς

τίς ἐστιν εἰδέναι. φοβοῦμαι τοῦτ’ ἐγώ,500

μάτην τι μηνύειν πρὸς ἐκείνας ἃς λέγω.

τίς οἶδεν εἰ καὶ τοῦτον ἐνέχυρον λαβὼν

τότε τις παρ’ αὐτοῦ τῶν παρόντων ἀπέβαλεν

ἕτερος; κυβεύων τυχὸν ἴσως εἰς συμβολὰς

ὑπόθημ’ ἔδωκ’, ἢ συντιθέμενος περί τινος505

περιείχετ’, εἶτ’ ἔδωκεν· ἕτερα μυρία

ἐν τοῖς πότοις τοιαῦτα γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ.

πρὶν εἰδέναι δὲ τὸν ἀδικοῦντ’ οὐ βούλομαι

ζητεῖν ἐκείνην οὐδὲ μηνύειν ἐγὼ

τοιοῦτον οὐδέν.510

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

οὐ κακῶς μέντοι λέγεις.

τί οὖν ποήσῃ τις;

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

θέασ’, Ὀνήσιμε,

ἂν συναρέσῃ σοι τοὐμὸν ἐνθύμημ’ ἄρα.

ἐμὸν ποήσομαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτ’ ἐγώ,

τὸν δακτύλιον λαβοῦσά τ’ εἴσω τουτονὶ

εἴσειμι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον.515

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

λέγ’ ὃ λέγεις· ἄρτι γὰρ

νοῶ.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

κατιδών μ’ ἔχουσαν ἀνακρινεῖ πόθεν

εἴληφα. φήσω “Ταυροπολίοις παρθένος

ἔτ’ οὖσα”, τά τ’ ἐκείνῃ γενόμενα πάντ’ ἐμὰ

ποουμένη· τὰ πλεῖστα δ’ αὐτῶν οἶδ’ ἐγώ.

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

ἄριστά γ’ ἀνθρώπων.520

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

ἐὰν οἰκεῖον ᾖ

αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα δ’, εὐθὺς ἥξει φερόμενος

ἐπὶ τὸν ἔλεγχον καὶ μεθύων γε νῦν ἐρεῖ

πρότερος ἅπαντα καὶ προπετῶς· ἃ δ’ ἂν λέγῃ

προσομολογήσω τοῦ διαμαρτεῖν μηδὲ ἓν

προτέρα λέγουσα.525

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

ὑπέρευγε νὴ τὸν Ἥλιον.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

τὰ κοινὰ ταυτὶ δ’ ἀκκιοῦμαι τῷ λόγῳ

τοῦ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν· “ὡς ἀναιδὴς ἦσθα καὶ

ἰταμός τις”.

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

εὖγε.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

“κατέβαλες δέ μ’ ὡς σφόδρα·

ἱμάτια δ’ οἷ’ ἀπώλεσ’ ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ”

φήσω. πρὸ τούτου δ’ ἔνδον αὐτὸ βούλομαι530

λαβοῦσα κλαῦσαι καὶ φιλῆσαι καὶ πόθεν

ἔλαβεν ἐρωτᾶν τὴν ἔχουσαν.

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

Ἡράκλεις.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

τὸ πέρας δὲ πάντων, “παιδίον τοίνυν” ἐρῶ

“ἐστὶ̣ γεγονός σοι”, καὶ τὸ νῦν εὑρημένον

δείξω.535

 

ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

πανούργως καὶ κακοήθως, Ἁβρότονον.

 

ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ

ἂν δ’ ἐξετασθῇ ταῦτα καὶ φανῇ πατὴρ

ὢν οὗτος αὐτοῦ, τὴν κόρην ζητήσομεν

κατὰ σχολήν.

    492 τοῦτ’: = τοῦτο

    493 πείθῃ: 2nd sing. pres. indic. mid.

    494 ποήσεις: = ποιήσεις. ἐστ’: = ἐστι

    498 συγγενοῦ: 2nd sing. aor. imper. mid.

    506 περιείχετ(ο): Unfortunately the exact meaning of this term in this context cannot be determined, but the general idea is clear enough, that Charisios could have used the ring either as a guarantee of some sort or lost it on a bet.

    511 ποήσῃ: = ποιήσῃ. θέασ(αι): > θεάομαι, 2nd sing. pres. imper. mid.

    513 ποήσομαι: = ποιήσομαι

    514 τουτονί: = τοῦτον + deictic (“pointing”) iota, “this here”

    515 ἐκεῖνον: refers to Charisios.

    516 κατεῖδον: > καθοράω masc. nom. sing. aor. part. act.

    517: See note on line 451, where Onesimos first mentions the Tauropolia festival.

    518 ἔτ’: = ἔτι. πάντ’: = πάντα

    525 νὴ τὸν Ἥλιον: “by Helios!” “by the Sun!” The sun can be associated implicitly with the light of knowledge or discovery.

    526 ταυτὶ: = ταῦτα + deictic (“pointing”) iota, “these (that I am about to give examples of)”

    529 οἷ’: = οἷα. ἀπώλεσ’: = ἀπώλεσα. τάλαιν’: = τάλαινα

    536 ἐξετασθῇ: > ἐξετάζω, 3rd sing. aor. subj. pass.

    συγγίγνομαι συγγενήσομαι συγεγενόμην: to come to assist, help

    μηνύω: to reveal

    ἐνέχυρον -ου τό: pledge, security

    ἀποβάλλω ἀποβαλῶ ἀπέβαλον: to throw off, lose

    κυβεύω: to play at dice

    συμβολή -ῆς ἡ: contribution, (in this context of gambling = the ante into “the pot”)

    ὑπόθημα -ατος τό: pledge, security deposit

    συντίθημι: to put down

    πότος -ου ὁ: drinking-bout, party

    μηνύω: to reveal

    συναρέσκω συναρέσω συνήρεσα: to please

    ἐνθύμημα -ατος τό: thought, plan

    δακτύλιος -ου ὁ: ring, signet

    ἄρτι: just exactly

    νοέω: to comprehend, understand

    καθοράω: to catch sight of

    πόθεν: from where

    παρθένος -ου ἡ: maiden, girl, virgin

    οἰκεῖος -α -ον: lit. “of his house” but more like “his business”

    ἔλεγχος -ου ὁ: argument, cross-examining

    μεθύω: to be drunk

    προπετῶς: headlong, hastily

    προσομολογέω προσομολογήσω: to agree

    διαμαρτάνω διαμαρτήσομαι διήμαρτον: to go astray

    ὑπέρευγε: “super great!”

    ἀκκίζομαι ἀκκιοῦμαι: to dissemble, act shocked

    διαμαρτάνω διαμαρτήσομαι διήμαρτον: to go astray

    ἀναιδής -ές: shameless, ruthless

    ἰταμός,-ή -όν: hasty, eager

    εὖγε: “great!”

    καταβάλλω καταβαλῶ κατέβαλον: to throw down

    σφόδρα: very much, exceedingly

    ἱμάτιον -ου τό: outer garment, dress

    τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched

    ἔνδον: inside

    κλαίω κλαύσομαι ἔκλαυσα: to cry, wail

    πόθεν: from where

    Ἡράκλεις: “by Hercules!” Hercules could be associated with awe-inspiring events or ideas.

    πέρας -ατος τό: last

    παιδίον -ου τό: little child, young child

    πάνουργος -ον: devious

    κακοήθης -ες: malicious, conniving

    ἐξετάζω: examine

    κόρη -ης ἡ: girl

    σχολή -ῆς ἡ: leisure, rest, ease

    HABROTONON

    (suddenly taking charge)

    Well, you’ll have to see to it, but if you have any sense whatsoever, you’ll listen to me and (495) make it known to your master.

    (comfortingly)

    If the mother of the child is free born, there’s no reason to hide any of it, is there?

     

    ONESIMOS

    (semi-convinced, still hesitant/scared of CHARISIOS)

    Well, first we’d better figure out who she is, Habrotonon.

    (turning to her desperately)

    You’ll help me, right?

     

    HABROTONON

    I couldn’t! Not without first knowing without a doubt (500) who the culprit – I mean father – is. Imagine – what if I revealed something to those women that wasn’t true!  Who knows what really happened! Maybe one of the other women took it from him as a pledge and then lost it? Perhaps he gambled it away or (505) lost a bet and gave it up! It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for things like that to happen. No, until I know exactly who the wrongdoer is, I won’t look for the girl or reveal anything (510) at all.

     

    ONESIMOS

    That’s actually not a bad idea… but what am I supposed to do?

     

    HABROTONON

    Here,

    (begins stretching/cracking fingers, shaking out hands, getting ready for her performance)

    see if my plan pleases you, Onesimos: I’ll take on the role, make the whole affair mine, I’ll take the ring and go inside to Charisios…

     

    ONESIMOS

    Wait, you’re going to have to explain: I think I’m just starting to understand.

     

    HABROTONON

    (swept up in the act, not listening to ONESIMOS)

    He’ll see what I’m wearing

    (flashes her hand as if wearing the ring),

    he’ll recognize it,

    (pretends to be CHARISIOS, gasps)

    ask where I got it from, I’ll say

    (back to playing her in the future)

    “The festival, when I was still …

    (dramatic pause)

    a virgin” and then

     

    HABROTONON cont.

    (performance over for now)

    I’ll act as if that girl’s affairs are my own.

    (off-handedly)

    I know most of the story anyway.

     

    ONESIMOS

    (stunned)

    (520) This is … the greatest plan I’ve ever heard!

     

    HABROTONON

    So, if he really caused this whole ordeal, he’ll have to go straight for the defensive, but then he’ll spill everything because he’s drunk and I’ll just let him talk, agree with what he says but (525) never speak first.

     

    ONESIMOS

    Incredible! By the sun!

     

    HABROTONON

    (sucked back into her performance)

    I’ll conceal my ignorance with common experiences, so I don’t make a mistake, I will say “You were so ruthless and eager!”

     

    ONESIMOS

    Good!

     

    HABROTONON

    “And how violently you threw me down! And the tatters of my dress – wretched, miserable me! – destroyed utterly!” (530) I’ll say.

    (acting like a director)

    And for this scene, I want to go inside and take the baby and show it affection and ask his guardian where he found it.

     

    ONESIMOS

    Hercules!

     

    HABROTONON

    And then, last of all, I’ll say

    (pretending to cradle/rock a baby)

    “A little child was born to you” and then I’ll (535) present the ring

    (miming holding the baby and hands the ring to Onesimos as if he is Charisios)

     

    ONESIMOS

    Clever and cunning, Habrotonon!

     

    HABROTONON

    (satisfied)

    And if our suspicions are confirmed and this guy is proved to be the father, then we can search for the girl at our leisure!

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    Suggested Citation

    Marie Plunkett, Menander: Epitrepontes (The Arbitration). Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2022. ISBN: 978-1-947822-19-1. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/menander-epitrepontes/492-538