ΟΝΕΣΙΜΟΣ

ὑπομαίνεθ’ οὗτος, νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, μαίνεται·

μεμάνητ’ ἀληθῶς· μαίνεται νὴ τοὺς θεούς.

τὸν δεσπότην λέγω Χαρίσιον. χολὴ880

μέλαινα προσπέπτωκεν ἢ τοιοῦτό τι.

τί γὰρ ἄν τις εἰκάσειεν ἄλλο γεγονέναι;

πρὸς ταῖς θύραις γὰρ ἔνδον ἀρτίως πολὺν

χρόνον διακύπτων ἐνδιέτριψ’

ὁ πατὴρ δὲ τῆς νύμφης τι περὶ τοῦ πράγματος885

ἐλάλει πρὸς ἐκείνην, ὡς ἔοιχ’, ὁ δ’ οἷα μὲν

ἤλλαττε χρώματ’, ἄνδρες, οὐδ’ εἰπεῖν καλόν.

 

“ὦ γλυκυτάτη” δὲ “τῶν λόγων οἵους λέγεις”

ἀνέκραγε, τὴν κεφαλήν τ’ ἀνεπάταξε σφόδρα

αὑτοῦ. πάλιν δὲ διαλιπών, “οἵαν λαβὼν890

γυναῖχ’ ὁ μέλεος ἠτύχηκα.” τὸ δὲ πέρας,

ὡς πάντα διακούσας ἀπῆλθ’ εἴσω ποτέ,

βρυχηθμὸς ἔνδον, τιλμός, ἔκστασις συχνή.

 

“ἐγὼ” γὰρ “ἁλιτήριος” πυκνὸν πάνυ

ἔλεγεν “τοιοῦτον ἔργον ἐξειργασμένος895

αὐτὸς γεγονώς τε παιδίου νόθου πατὴρ

οὐκ ἔσχον οὐδ’ ἔδωκα συγγνώμης μέρος

οὐθὲν ἀτυχούσῃ ταὔτ’ ἐκείνῃ, βάρβαρος

ἀνηλεής τε.” λοιδορεῖτ’ ἐρρωμένως

αὑτῷ βλέπει θ’ ὕφαιμον ἠρεθισμένος.900

πέφρικ’ ἐγὼ μέν, αὖός εἰμι τῷ δέει.

οὕτως ἔχων γὰρ αὐτὸν ἂν ἴδῃ μέ που

τὸν διαβαλόντα, τυχὸν ἀποκτείνειεν ἄν.

διόπερ ὑπεκδέδυκα δεῦρ’ ἔξω λάθρᾳ.

καὶ ποῖ τράπωμαί γ’; εἰς τί βουλῆς; οἴχομαι.905

ἀπόλωλα· τὴν θύραν πέπληχεν ἐξιών·

Ζεῦ σῶτερ, εἴπερ ἐστὶ δυνατόν, σῷζέ με.

    As HABROTONON and PAMPHILE exit into the house of CHARISIOS, a terrified ONESIMOS races out from the house of CHAIRESTRATOS to convey to the audience what has happened to CHARISIOS inside.

     

    879 μεμάνητ(αι): > μαίνομαι 3rd sing. perf. indic. mid.

    880: Notice that it is only at this point that ONESIMOS declares the subject of the previous two lines.

    882 εἰκάσειεν: > εἰκάζω 3rd sing. aor. opt. act.

    885-886: ONESIMOS here seems to be saying that CHARISIOS was eavesdropping on the conversation between PAMPHILE and SMIKRINES.

    886 ὡς ἔοιχ’: = ὡς ἔοικε “apparently”

    887 οὐδ’ εἰπεῖν καλόν (ἐστι): “it is not decent to say,” referring to the grotesque change of color of CHARISIOS.

    891 γυναῖχ’: = γυναῖκα

    892 ἀπῆλθ’: = ἀπῆλθε

    896 γεγονώς: > γίγνομαι masc. nom. sing. perf. part. act.

    898 ταὔτ: = τὰ αὐτὰ

    899 λοιδορεῖτ’: = λοιδορεῖται

    901 πέφρικ’: = πέφρικα

    903 ἴδῃ: > ὁράω 3rd sing. aor. subj. act.

    905 τράπωμαι: > τρέπω 1st sing. aor. subj. mid. (deliberative subjunctive, Goodell 471a, CGCG 34.8)

    ὑπομαίνομαι: to be a bit insane

    νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω: “by Apollo!”

    μαίνομαι: to be insane

    ἀληθῶς: really, truly

    μαίνομαι: to rage

    χολή -ῆς ἡ: bile; this refers to the belief that certain substances in the body caused personality disorders; notice that χολὴ μέλαινα is the source of the word “melancholy”.

    μέλας μέλαινα μέλαν: black, dark

    προσπίπτω προσπεσοῦμαι προσέπεσον προσπέπτωκα: to fall into, to take over

    εἰκάζω εἰκάσω εἴκασα: to explain

    θύρα -ας ἡ: door

    ἔνδον: inside

    ἀρτίως: completely

    διακύπτω: to bend forward, to stoop

    ἐνδιατρίβω ἐνδιατρίψω: to spend (time)

    νύμφη -ης ἡ: young wife, bride

    ἀλλάττω: to change, alter

    χρῶμα -ατος τό: color, complexion

    γλυκύς -εῖα -ύ: sweet

    ἀνακράζω ἀνακράξομαι ἀνέκραγον: to shout, cry

    ἀναπατάττω ἀναπατάξω ἀνεπάταξα: to knock, beat

    σφόδρα: very much, a whole lot

    διαλείπω διαλείψω διέλιπον: to pause

    μέλεος -α -ον: miserable, wretched

    ἀτυχέω ἀτυχήσω ἠτύχησα ἠτύχηκα: to be unlucky

    πέρας -ατος τό: the last thing

    διακούω διακούσομαι διήκουσα: to hear, learn

    ἀπέρχομαι ἀπελεύσομαι ἀπῆλθον: to depart from, go away

    εἴσω: within, into

    βρυχηθμός -οῦ ὁ: bellowing

    ἔνδον: inside

    τιλμός -οῦ ὁ: pulling or tearing out hair

    ἔκστασις -εως ἡ: raving (like demonic possession)

    συχνός -ή -όν: long, large  

    ἀλιτήριος -ον: guilty, sinning, offending

    πυκνός -ή -όν: frequent

    ἐξεργάζομαι ἐξεργάσομαι ἐξεργηργασάμην ἐξεργείργασμαι: to accomplish, finish

    παιδίον -ου τό: little child, young child

    νόθος -ου ὁ: out of wedlock

    συγγνώμη -ης ἡ: pardon, lenience

    ἀτυχέω: to be unfortunate

    ἀνηλεής -ές: without pity, merciless

    λοιδορέω: to abuse, rebuke

    ἐρρωμένως: vigorously

    ὕφαιμος -ον: bloodshot

    ἐρεθίζω ἐρεθίσω ἠρέθισα ἠρέθικα ἠρέσθισμαι: to excite, provoke, irritate

    φρίττω φρίξω ἔφριξα πέφρικα: to shudder, fear

    αὖος -η -ον: drained, exhausted

    δέος δοῦς τό: fear, terror

    διαβάλλω διαβαλῶ διέβαλον: to slander, deceive

    διόπερ: on account of which

    ὑπεκδύομαι ὑπεκδύσομαι ὑπεξέδυν ὑπεκδέδυκα: to escape

    δεῦρο: here

    λάθρᾳ: secretly

    οἴχομαι: to be undone, ruined

    θύρα, -ας ἡ: door

    πλάττω πλάξω ἔπλαξα πέπληχα: to rattle

    ἔξειμι: to come out

    Ζεῦ σῶτερ: a prayer to Zeus the Savior

    εἴπερ: if indeed, if really

    ONESIMOS

    (pacing rapidly, panicked,

    to the audience)

    The man’s gone mad, by Apollo, he’s raging! He’s truly insane, raging, he’s lost his mind, by the gods! (880) It’s my master Charisios, he’s been filled up with black bile – or something like that.

    (stops pacing, exasperated sigh)

    How else could something like this happen? He kept

    (mimes CHARISIOS looking out of the door)

    poking his head through the door the whole time that grump was talking to his daughter about the whole affair, or so it seemed, and he kept changing colors

    (gestures towards his face, tries on a few weird/pained facial expressions)

    in such a way, well… it’s impossible to say nicely!

    (pretending to be CHARISIOS, crazy, loud, deep voice, etc)

    “O sweetie,” he’d cry, “such words you speak!” and then he’d

    (mimes knocking head against the door)

    hit his head violently and then – after a pause – he’d start up again!

    “I took such a wife – oh! what a wife! – and I’m failing uselessly!”

    and then, finally, once they’d finished talking, he went inside, wailing, screaming, crying, tearing his hair, losing his mind!

    “For I am guilty, I’ve done it this time! I’ve become the father of a bastard child! And I didn’t have even an ounce of mercy for her – I am a pitiless barbarian!” He taunts himself (900) so viciously, with crazy bloodshot eyes

    (pulls his bottom eyelids down making a gruesome face, shudders)

    I can hardly believe it, look!

    (examines arms)

    I’m absolutely shivering in terror! If he found me,

    (gasp, realizing what he’s doing)

    if he even saw me now, the one who told him all this, while he’s in THIS state – he might actually kill me!

    I had no choice, I had to escape out here, but (905) where do I turn now? What’s my plan? I’m done for! Utterly destroyed! I’m a goner! Oh gods, the door is rattling! Oh no, he’s coming out!

    (yelps and runs for cover)

    Zeus the savior, save me if you can! (badly hidden on stage)

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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/878-907