878-907

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.

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

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)

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