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.
vocabulary
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
notes
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.
translation
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!