293-352

SYROS

(to Smikrines)

Is he done sermonizing? 

SMIKRINES

Are you stupid? He’s spoken! He’s finished! He’s DONE!

SYROS

(straightening his clothes, brushing off dirt [not that it helps])

Great. Then I suppose it is my turn. He did find the child alone – (292) indeed, all the things he says are quite true, that is how it happened, sir. I cannot contradict any of it. Begging, pleading, I took the child from him – he speaks the truth. A shepherd, with whom this man

(casual wave towards DAOS)

had chatted (300) – they work together you see – told me that some ornaments had been discovered at the same time, discovered with the child, sir, this child here. Woman, give me the child

(she gently tosses the child to him, anxious about its safety; SYROS catches it like a football, clearly unconcerned).

HE claims the necklaces and tokens from you, Daos! (305) He says that these things were put out as ornaments for him, not to support you.

And I demand these things on his behalf as his legally appointed guardian

(DAOS seems about to interject)

– Oh yes! Legally appointed by you!

(addressing SMIKRINES again)

Now, sir, you must understand, as I see it, it is imperative that these golden pieces, these things with which he was found, (310) these gifts from his mother whoever she may be, be kept safe at all costs until the child has grown – or should this saboteur have them simply because he found the trinkets first? Now

(turning dramatically, playing up role as prosecutor)

perhaps you wonder, why is it that I did not demand these things then, at the time of my appointment as guardian of the child? Well, sir, I’ll tell you! (315) It was not yet my place! But, here I am now, speaking on behalf of him

(gestures with the baby),

asking nothing for myself. “Finders-keepers” he says? He found nothing! Where there is an injured party there is no discovery, but a robbery!

SYROS cont.

(320) But see here, too, sir, perhaps, this child is above us in station, perhaps he will come to despise us for raising him among workmen, among commoners, even though according to his nature he is free, he may undertake to accomplish anything – to hunt lions

(acts out hunting lion, using the child as a weapon),

to take up arms

(shoulders the child like a rifle, salutes),

(325) to run in contests

(mimes running through a finish line, holds the baby up like a trophy) (the wife, horrified, chases after him around the stage, snatching the baby back)

– well, of course you’ve seen the tragedies, sir, you know.

(addressing story out towards the audience, as if a dramatic reading)

An aged goat-herd found some Neleus and some Pelias, wearing work clothes – just as I am now! – but when he perceived that they were his BETTERS! Oh! Immediately, (330) he tells them the story, how he found them, how he took them up, and then he gave them a pouch of tokens and once they had learned all there was to know about themselves, even though they were but goat-herds at the time, they became KINGS!

(returning to his role as prosecutor)

Now, if Daos takes these things and sells them in order to gain what? (335) Twelve drachmas for himself? Then perhaps a man of such magnitude will spend all time unknown… On the one hand, it is not fair that I rear this child, on the other hand, sir, Daos seizes this baby’s only (340) hope of preservation and destroys it utterly – utterly, sir! One man avoided marrying his sister through tokens, another found his mother and saved her, a third saved his brother! Life is uncertain and therefore it is necessary to guard it with forethought. Just think, far stranger occurrences happen every day, this child could be THE child! (345) But

(mocking DAOS)

“give it back if ya don’t want it” he says, he thinks such things are relevant to the situation! That is no longer fair!

(turning to DAOS)

If it is now necessary for you to give up something of his, do you seek to take it (350) in order to go be scum again with less risk, since Lady Luck herself has saved something of his? There. I have spoken. Judge what you reckon is just!