ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
ἔξειμ’ ἔχουσα· κλαυμυρίζεται, τάλαν,
πάλαι γάρ· οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι κακὸν πέπονθέ μοι.
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
τίς ἂν θεῶν τάλαιναν ἐλεήσειέ με;855
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
ὦ φίλτατον τέκνον, πότ’ ὄψει μητέρα;
καὶ […]
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
πορεύσομαι.
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
μικρόν, γύναι, πρόσμεινον.
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
ἐμὲ καλεῖς;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
ἐγώ.
ἐναντίον βλέπε.
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
ἦ με γινώσκεις, γύναι;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
αὐτή ’στιν ἣν ἑόρακα· χαῖρε, φιλτάτη.860
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
τίς δ’ εἶ σύ;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
χεῖρα δεῦρό μοι τὴν σὴν δίδου̣.
λέγε μοι, γλυκεῖα, πέρυσιν ἦλθες ἐπὶ θέαν
τοῖς Ταυροπολίοις …
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
γύναι, πόθεν ἔχεις, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ παιδίον
λαβοῦσα;865
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
ὁρᾷς τι, φιλτάτη, σοι γνώριμον
ὧν τοῦτ’ ἔχει; μηδέν με δείσῃς, ὦ γύναι.
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
οὐκ ἔτεκες αὐτὴ τοῦτο;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
προσεποιησάμην,
οὐχ ἵν’ ἀδικήσω τὴν τεκοῦσαν, ἀλλ’ ἵνα
κατὰ σχολὴν εὕροιμι. νῦν δ’ εὕρηκα· σὲ
ὁρῶ γάρ, ἣν καὶ τότε.870
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
τίνος δ’ ἐστὶν πατρός;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
Χαρισίου.
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
τοῦτ’ οἶσθ’ ἀκριβῶς, φιλτάτη;
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
εὖ οἶδ’ ἔγωγ’· ἀλλ’ οὐ σε τὴν νύμφην ὁρῶ
τὴν ἔνδον οὖσαν;
ΠΑΜΦΙΛΗ
ναιχί.
ΑΒΡΟΤΟΝΟΝ
μακαρία γύναι,
θεῶν τις ὑμᾶς ἠλέησε. τὴν θύραν
τῶν γειτόνων τις ἐψόφηκεν ἐξιών.875
εἴσω λαβοῦσά μ’ ὡς σεαυτὴν εἴσαγε,
ἵνα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα μου πύθῃ σαφῶς.
vocabulary
ἔξειμι: to come out
κλαυμυρίζω: to weep, cry
τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched
πάλαι: for a long time
τάλας τάλαινα τάλαν: sorry, wretched
ἐλεέω ἐλεήσω ἠλέησα: to show mercy
φίλτατος -η -ον: dearest, darling
προσμένω προσμενῶ πρόσεμεινα: to remain
φίλτατος -η -ον: dearest, darling
γλυκύς -εῖα -ύ: sweet
πέρυσι: a year ago, last year
πόθεν: from where
παιδίον -ου τό: little child, young child
φίλτατος -η -ον: dearest, darling
γνώριμος -ον: familiar, well-known
δείδω δείσομαι ἔδεισα: to fear
προσποιέω προσποιήσω προσεποίησα: to pretend
σχολή -ῆς ἡ: leisure, rest, ease
ἀκριβῶς: exactly, accurately
φίλτατος -η -ον: dearest, darling
νύμφη -ης ἡ: young wife, bride
ἔνδον: inside
ναίχι: yes
μακάριος,-α -ον: blessed, happy
ἐλεέω ἐλεήσω ἠλέησα: to show mercy
γείτων -ονος ὁ: neighbor
ψοφέω ψοφήσω ἑψόφησα ἑψόφηκα: to knock
ἔξειμι: to come out
εἴσω: within, into
εἰσάγω: to lead in, bring in
σαφῶς: clearly, plainly, distinctly
notes
When the script again becomes legible, SMIKRINES has departed but PAMPHILE remains on stage. Now HABROTONON comes out:
853: HABROTONON comes out of the house with the baby crying.
855: PAMPHILE is still venting after her argument with her father and has not yet noticed HABROTONON.
856-858: Most of line 857 is lost, but HABROTONON is at first still talking to the crying baby. PAMPHILE announces that she is going to leave, when HABROTONON calls out to her. It is important in this scene to realize that the two women do not realize that they have met previously.
858 πρόσμεινον: > προσμένω, 2nd sing. aor. imper. act.
861 δίδου: > δίδωμι 2nd sing. pres. imper. mid.
863: See note on line 451, where ONESIMOS first mentions the Tauropolia festival. Most of line 863 is lost.
866 μηδέν … δείσῃς: a polite subjunctive “Don’t be afraid of anything…” (cf. Goodell 485, CGCG 38.26)
874-875: HABROTONON refers to the sound of ONESIMOS exiting from the house of CHAIRESTRATOS.
877 πύθῃ: > πυνθάνομαι 2nd sing. aor. subj. mid.
translation
HABROTONON
(enters carrying the baby, oblivious of the argument going on)
(853) Oh, wretched, miserable little thing!
(to the audience, concerned)
He’s been crying for such a long time now, I don’t know what terrible thing he’s suffering, but it’s my fault!
PAMPHILE
(exhausted from conversation with SMIKRINES)
(855) Which of the gods will take pity on me?
HABROTONON
(to the baby)
Oh dearest, most darling, little child, when will you see your mother? Oh…
(sees PAMPHILE)
PAMPHILE
(turning to go inside)
I guess I’ll head in now.
HABROTONON
Wait! Just a moment!
PAMPHILE
(looks around stage, out at the audience, looks behind the door, etc. finally concluding there is no one else on stage)
I’m sorry, are you talking to me?
HABROTONON
Yes! You! Here, face me
(gestures for PAMPHILE to present herself, looks her up and down, walks circles around her, inspecting)
PAMPHILE
(annoyed by HABROTONON, but humorously complying by lifting arms, giving different angles, etc.)
Do I KNOW you?
HABROTONON
(to the audience, excitedly, tucks baby under one are to clap happily)
(860) That’s her! The very same girl! The one I saw!
(to PAMPHILE)
Hello, darling dearest one!
PAMPHILE
(skeptical, guard up)
Who are you?
HABROTONON
(coaxingly)
Here, give me your hand
(takes PAMPHILE’s hand though it’s not given willingly)
HABROTONON cont.
There, that’s lovely. Now, tell me,
(glancing around stage furtively)
did you go to the Tauropolia last year?
PAMPHILE
(staring at the child which HABROTONON has been mishandling, jolt of recognition at “Tauropolia”)
Ma’am, where did you find that baby?
HABROTONON
(excitedly)
Why? Do you see something familiar?
(holds baby up, flipping it to give PAMPHILE a better look/different angles;
PAMPHILE reacts, making a move to go catch the baby/etc but can’t because of spatial limitations)
Oh, no darling, you shouldn’t fear me in the slightest!
PAMPHILE
It isn’t… yours?
HABROTONON
Oh, gods no! I’m pretending!
(holds the baby out, wrinkling her nose)
Not to hurt the mother in any way of course, just to give us more time to find her. But now
(smiling brightly)
I’ve found her – you!
(roughly tosses the baby over to PAMPHILE)
(870) I recognized you right away!
PAMPHILE
(overwhelmed both by HABROTONON’s “weirdness” and by the news)
But… who’s the father?
HABROTONON
(as if divulging the most delightful secret)
Charisios!
PAMPHILE
(realizing what it means, playing along with HABROTONON’s style of address to get more information)
And you know this for certain, darling?
HABROTONON
Of course, I know it very well, but…
(putting the pieces together, lightbulb moment, pointed to PAMPHILE)
you’re his wife, aren’t you? The one I saw inside?
PAMPHILE
Yes.
HABROTONON
(clapping her hands together)
Oh, how lucky! Blessed woman, one of the gods must’ve taken pity on you!
(hearing an offstage noise)
(875) Oh, come, one of the neighbors is knocking around behind his door, I think he’s coming out.
(shooing PAMPHILE towards the door)
Take me inside with you, quick, I’ll tell you the whole story!