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.
vocabulary
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
notes
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)
translation
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)