[36] διατρίψασα δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις δύ᾽ ἔτη, τόν τ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἀστείου ἄρχοντος καὶ Ἀλκισθένους ἐνιαυτόν, ὡς αὐτῇ ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἐργασία οὐχ ἱκανὴν εὐπορίαν παρεῖχεν ὥστε διοικεῖν τὴν οἰκίαν,  (πολυτελὴς δ᾽ ἦν, οἱ Μεγαρεῖς δ᾽ ἀνελεύθεροι καὶ μικρολόγοι, ξένων δὲ οὐ πάνυ ἐπιδημία ἦν αὐτόθι διὰ τὸ πόλεμον εἶναι καὶ τοὺς μὲν Μεγαρέας λακωνίζειν, τῆς δὲ θαλάττης ὑμᾶς ἄρχειν· εἰς δὲ τὴν Κόρινθον οὐκ ἐξῆν αὐτῇ ἐπανελθεῖν διὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπηλλάχθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Εὐκράτους καὶ τοῦ Τιμανορίδου, ὥστ᾽ ἐν Κορίνθῳ μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι),

[37] ὡς οὖν γίγνεται ἡ εἰρήνη ἡ ἐπὶ Φρασικλείδου ἄρχοντος καὶ ἡ μάχη ἡ ἐν Λεύκτροις Θηβαίων καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων, τότε ἐπιδημήσαντα Στέφανον τουτονὶ εἰς τὰ Μέγαρα καὶ καταγόμενον ὡς αὐτὴν ἑταίραν οὖσαν καὶ πλησιάσαντα αὐτῇ, διηγησαμένη πάντα τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ τὴν ὕβριν τοῦ Φρυνίωνος, καὶ ἐπιδοῦσα ἃ ἐξῆλθεν ἔχουσα παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ἐπιθυμοῦσα μὲν τῆς ἐνθάδε οἰκήσεως, φοβουμένη δὲ τὸν Φρυνίωνα διὰ τὸ ἠδικηκέναι μὲν αὐτή, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ὀργίλως ἔχειν αὐτῇ, σοβαρὸν δὲ καὶ ὀλίγωρον εἰδυῖα αὐτοῦ τὸν τρόπον ὄντα, προΐσταται Στέφανον τουτονὶ αὑτῆς.

[38] ἐπάρας δὲ αὐτὴν οὗτος ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις τῷ λόγῳ καὶ φυσήσας, ὡς κλαύσοιτο ὁ Φρυνίων εἰ ἅψοιτο αὐτῆς, αὐτὸς δὲ γυναῖκα αὐτὴν ἕξων, τούς τε παῖδας τοὺς ὄντας αὐτῇ τότε εἰσάξων εἰς τοὺς φράτερας ὡς αὑτοῦ ὄντας καὶ πολίτας ποιήσων, ἀδικήσει δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων, ἀφικνεῖται αὐτὴν ἔχων δεῦρο ἐκ τῶν Μεγάρων, καὶ παιδία μετ᾽ αὐτῆς τρία, Πρόξενον καὶ Ἀρίστωνα καὶ θυγατέρα, ἣν νυνὶ Φανὼ καλοῦσιν·

    Stephanos then came to Megara and became a client of Neaira. After she told him about her treatment at the hands of Phrynion, he vowed to protect her, to keep her as his wife, and to introduce her children into his phratry.

    36

    λκισθένους νιαυτόν: i.e., 372/1 BCE

    ς: a causal conjunction (G. 633d, S. 3000)

    στε διοικεν: natural result clause

    νελεύθεροι: with respect to money matters this adjective means “stingy.”

    ξένων δ ο πάνυ πιδημία ν: “there was not much residence of foreigners at all,” i.e., Megara was quite inhospitable to foreigners at that time, for reasons about to be listed. πιδημία: when this word is used of foreigners, it refers to their coming to and staying in a place that is not their home city.

    τος μν Μεγαρέας...τς δ θαλάττης: note the μέν/δέ contrast being drawn

    ξν < ἐξεστίν: see §3.

    πανελθεν < ἐπανέρχομαι

    π τούτ: “on this condition” (S. 2279), with the condition spelled out in the ὥστε clause (S. 2268)

    ἀπηλλάχθαι < ἀπαλλάττω

    37

    ς: here, temporal conjunction

    ερήνη: a peace treaty was signed in the summer of 371 BCE ending a two years’ war and guaranteeing the independence of all Greek poleis.

    π Φρασικλείδου ρχοντος: 371/0 BCE

    μάχη ν Λεύκτροις: Thebes had wanted to sign the peace treaty (mentioned above) on behalf of all the Boiotians, but Athens and Sparta objected, and war followed. At the battle of Leuktra, Sparta was defeated, and Sparta’s power essentially came to an end.

    βριν: ὕβρις is an important concept in ancient Greek law and thought, referring to violently insulting behavior (and sometimes to the state of mind underlying this behavior).

    πιδοσα ...χουσα: “handing over to him (Stephanos) the property she had (i.e., had taken or been given) from him (Phrynion) when she left (Athens),” as described in §35. ἅ is an abbreviated form of ταῦτα ἅ, where the elided ταῦτα is the object of ἐπιδοῦσα, and ἅ is the object of ἔχουσα.

    δι τ δικηκέναι μέν ατή: “because of the wrong she had done him” (by absconding with his property). The manuscripts have αὐτήν, which would reverse the meaning. 

    ργίλως χειν: for ἔχω + adverb, see §12; take ἔχειν as parallel to ἠδικηκέναι (both are objects of διά).

    εδυα < οἶδα

    προΐσταται: it is unclear (see Patteson 1978: 68-69) whether this verb is being used in its technical sense to mean “to set him up as her προστάτης,” i.e., her citizen patron (all freed slaves and metics had προστάται) (Carey 1992: 104-5), or in a looser sense to mean “to place oneself under [someone’s] protection” (Kapparis 1999: 107).

    38

    παρας: “encouraging” < ἐπαίρω, “to lift up,” used figuratively

    φυσήσας < φυσάω, “to inflate, puff up,” used figuratively

    ς κλαύσοιτο: supply a verb of saying (hinted at with the preceding λόγῳ) to introduce this (secondary sequence) indirect statement. κλαύσοιτο: “would lament,” i.e., would regret it, < κλαίω. Kapparis 1999: 245 points out that “metaphorically used it implies threat of physical violence.”

    ξων...εσάξων...ποιήσων: all of these participles modify an implied Stephanos, future tense indicating his intent.

    εσάξων ες τος φράτερας: see above §13. Here Stephanos is offering to introduce Neaira’s children to his phratry as his own.

    ς ατο ντας: ὡς + circumstantial participle = “on the grounds that” (G. 593c, S. 2086); in this case, “on the grounds that they are his [children]”

    δικήσει: understand Neaira as the object of this verb; supply a verb of saying to introduce this clause. Kapparis 1999: 245 suggests that there is a shift to direct speech (hence the indicative, rather than the optative, which we saw with κλαύσοιτο); we might also explain this as a retained indicative. Either way, the force is to emphasize Stephanos’ promise that no one would hurt her.

    36

    διατρίβω διατρίψω διέτριψα διατέτριφα διατέτριμμαι διετρίφθην (or διετρίβην): spend time, stay, live, dwell

    ΜέγαραMegara, the city

    στεος: Asteios

    λκισθένης: Alkisthenes

    νιαυτός –ο : year

    ργασία : work, daily labour, business

    επορία: plenty, abundance, resource, means

    διοικέω διοικήσω δικησα δικηκα δικημαι δικήθην: to manage a house

    πολυτελής: very expensive, very costly

    Μεγαρεύς –έως : a citizen of Megara

    νελεύθερος: illiberal, not fit for a free person

    μικρολόγος: meticulous, quibbling; miserly

    πιδημία: a stay; an arrival; a persistence

    ατόθι: on the spot

    Λακωνίζω: to imitate the Lacedaemonians

    ρχω ρξω ρξα ρχα ργμαι ρχθην: begin; rule over (+ gen.)

    Κορίνθος : Corinth

    ξεστι: it is possible

    πανέρχομαι πανελεύσομαι/πάνειμι πανλθον πανελήλυθα: come back, return

    Εκράτης: Eukrates

    Τιμανορίδας: Timanoridas

    37

    Φρασικλείδης: Phrasikleides

    Λεκτρα: Leuktra

    Θηβαος –η/–α –ον: Theban

    Λακεδαιμόνιος –α –ον: Spartan

    πιδημέω πιδημήσω πεδήμησα πιδεδήμηκα: come to stay in a city, visit

    Στέφανος: Stephanos

    κατάγω κατάξω κατήγαγον καταγήοχα κατγμαι κατήχθην: (mid.) to turn in and lodge (at someone's house)

    ταίρα –ας : comrade (female), companion (female), courtesan

    πλησιάζω πλησιάσω πλησίασα πεπλησίακα ––– πλησιάσθην: to draw near; consort with, have sexual intercourse with, + dat.

    διηγέομαι διηγήσομαι διηγησάμην ––– διήγημαι διηγήθην: set out in detail, explain fully

    βρις –εως : violence; insolence; an outrage; violation, rape

    Φρυνίων: Phrynion

    πιδίδωμι πιδώσω πέδωκα πιδέδωκα πιδέδομαι πεδόθην: to give besides

    ξέρχομαι ξελεύσομαι ξλθον ξελήλυθα ––– –––: go/come out, go forth

    πιθυμέω πιθυμήσω πιθύμησα πιθύμηκα πιθύμημαι πιθυμήθην: to desire

    νθάδε: hither, thither

    οκησις –εως : the act of dwelling, habitation

    ργίλος –η –ον: prone to anger, irascible

    σοβαρός: rushing, swift; proud, haughty, pompous; imposing

    λίγωρος –ον: little-caring, scornful, contemptuous

    προίστημι προστήσω προστησα προέστηκα προέσταμαι προεστάθην: set in front; (mid.) choose as one's leader or protector

    38

    παίρω (Ion. παείρω) πρ πρα πρκα πρμαι πήρθην: to lift up; encourage

    φυσάω φυσήσω φύσησα ––– πεφύσημαι φυσήθην: blow up, puff up (with pride)

    κλαίω/κλάω κλαύσομαι/κλαήσω κλαυσα ––– κέκλαυμαι/κέκλαυσμαι κλαύσθην: (mid.) to bewail oneself

    πτω ψω ψα ––– μμαι φθην: fasten; touch + gen.

    εσάγω εσάξω εσήγαγον εσαγήοχα εσγμαι εσήχθην: to lead in, bring before

    φράτηρ: a member of the same phratry

    πολίτης –ου : citizen, freeman

    δερο: (to) here

    παιδίον –ου τό: a child

    Πρόξενος: Proxenos

    ρίστων –ωνος : Ariston

    Φανώ: Phano

    article nav
    Previous
    Next

    Suggested Citation

    Deborah Kamen, Pseudo-Demosthenes: Against Neaira. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-10-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/against-neaira/36-38