- Source
- Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0062.tlg055.humanitext-grc3:15-18
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The text presents the rules of exchange during the Cronia, including double gifts for the educated and symbolic returns from the poor, along with symposium laws requiring absolute equality in seating, wine, and food distribution, concluding with an order to carve these laws on a bronze tablet.
κατανείμαντες δὲ αὐτοὶ κατ’ ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ πρὶν ἥλιον δῦναι πεμπόντων τοῖς φίλοις. οἱ δὲ ἀποκομίζοντες μὴ πλείους τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων, οἱ πιστότατοι τῶν οἰκετῶν, ἤδη πρεσβῦται. ἐγγραψάσθω δὲ ἐς γραμμάτιον ὅ τι τὸ πεμπόμενον καὶ ὅσον, ὡς μὴ ἀμφότεροι ὑποπτεύοιεν τοὺς διακομίζοντας. αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ οἰκέται μίαν κύλικα ἕκαστος πιόντες ἀποτρεχόντων, ἀπαιτούντων δὲ μηδὲν πλέον. Τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις διπλάσια πάντα πεμπέσθω· ἄξιον γὰρ διμοιρίτας εἶναι. τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις λεγόμενα ὡς μετριώτατα καὶ ὀλίγιστα ἔστω. ἐπαχθὲς δὲ μηδεὶς μηδὲν συνεπιστελλέτω μηδὲ ἐπαινείτω τὰ πεμπόμενα. Πλούσιος πλουσίῳ μηδὲν πεμπέτω μηδὲ ἑστιάτω Κρονίοις ὁ πλούσιος τὸν ἰσότιμον. τῶν εἰς τὸ πεμφθῆναι προχειρισθέντων1 φυλασσέσθω μηδὲν μηδὲ μετάνοια εἰσίτω ἐπὶ τῇ δωρεᾷ. Εἴ τις πέρυσιν ἀποδημῶν δι’ αὐτὸ ἄμοιρος κατέστη, ἀπολαμβανέτω κἀκεῖνα. Διαλυόντων δὲ οἱ πλούσιοι καὶ χρέα ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων τῶν πενήτων καὶ τὸ ἐνοίκιον, οἵτινες ἂν καὶ τοῦτο ὀφείλοντες καταβαλεῖν μὴ ἔχωσι. καὶ ὅλως, πρὸ πολλοῦ μελέτω αὐτοῖς εἰδέναι ὅτου μάλιστα δέονται.
Let them themselves distribute according to the worth of each and send it to their friends before the sun sets. Let those carrying it be no more than three or four, the most trustworthy of the servants, already elderly. Let it be written in a small tablet what is sent and how much, so that both may not suspect the carriers. Let the servants themselves, having each drunk one cup, run back, demanding nothing more. To the educated, let everything be sent double; for they deserve to have a double share. Let the things said over the gifts be as moderate and few as possible. Let no one add any offensive message, nor praise the things sent. Let no rich man send anything to another rich man, nor let the rich man feast his equal during the Cronian festival. Let nothing of what has been prepared to be sent be kept back, nor let regret enter for the gift. If anyone, being abroad last year, was thereby deprived of his share, let him receive those things as well. Let the rich also pay the debts on behalf of their poor friends, and the rent, whoever owe this and have no means to pay. And in general, let them care long beforehand to know what they need most.
Ἀπέστω δὲ καὶ τῶν λαμβανόντων μεμψιμοιρία, καὶ τὸ πεμφθὲν ὁποῖον ἂν ᾖ, μέγα δοκείτω. οἴνου ἀμφορεὺς ἢ λαγὼς ἢ ὄρνις παχεῖα Κρονίων δῶρον μὴ δοκείτω, μηδὲ τὰς Κρονικὰς δωρεὰς εἰς γέλωτα φερέτωσαν. Ἀντιπεμπέτω δὲ ὁ πένης τῷ πλουσίῳ ὁ μὲν πεπαιδευμένος βιβλίον τῶν παλαιῶν, εἴ τι εὔφημον καὶ συμποτικόν, ἢ αὐτοῦ σύγγραμμα ὁποῖον ἂν δύνηται, καὶ τοῦτο λαμβανέτω ὁ πλούσιος πάνυ φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ λαβὼν ἀναγινωσκέτω εὐθύς. Ἢν δὲ ἀπωθῆται ἢ ἀπορρίψῃ, ἴστω τῇ τῆς ἅρπης ἀπειλῇ ἔνοχος ὤν,2 κἂν πέμψῃ ὅσα ἐχρῆν. οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι οἱ μὲν στεφάνους, οἱ δὲ λιβανωτοῦ χόνδρους πεμπόντων. Ἢν δὲ πένης ἐσθῆτα ἢ ἄργυρον ἢ χρυσὸν παρὰ τὴν δύναμιν πέμψῃ πλουσίῳ, τὸ μὲν πεμφθὲν ἔστω δημόσιον καὶ καταπραθὲν ἐμβαλλέσθω εἰς τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦ Κρόνου, ὁ δὲ πένης ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν πληγὰς παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου λαμβανέτω τῷ νάρθηκι εἰς τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἐλάττους διακοσίων καὶ πεντήκοντα.
Let complaints also be absent from those receiving, and let the gift, whatever it may be, seem great. Let not an amphora of wine, a hare, or a fat bird seem a trifling Cronian gift, nor let them turn the Cronian gifts into laughter. And let the poor man send in return to the rich: the educated man, a book of the ancients, if there is one auspicious and suitable for a symposium, or his own writing, whatever he is able to produce; and let the rich man receive this with a very cheerful countenance and, having received it, read it immediately. If he rejects it or throws it away, let him know that he is liable to the threat of the sickle, even if he sent as much as he ought. Let the others send, some garlands, others grains of frankincense. If a poor man, contrary to his means, sends clothing, silver, or gold to a rich man, let the sent item be public property and, having been sold, let it be cast into the treasury of Cronus; and let the poor man on the following day receive from the rich man blows with a giant fennel on his hands, no fewer than two hundred and fifty.
3. ΝΟΜΟΙ ΣΥΜΠΟΤΙΚΟΙ Λούεσθαι μὲν ὁπόταν τὸ στοιχεῖον ἑξάπουν ᾖ,3 τὰ δὲ πρὸ τοῦ λουτροῦ κάρυα καὶ πεσσοὶ ἔστωσαν. Κατακείσθω ὅπου ἂν τύχῃ ἕκαστος. ἀξίωμα ἢ γένος ἢ πλοῦτος ὀλίγον συντελείτω ἐς προνομήν. Οἴνου τοῦ αὐτοῦ πίνειν ἅπαντας, μηδ’ ἔστω πρόφασις τῷ πλουσίῳ ἢ στομάχου ἢ κεφαλῆς ὀδύνη, ὡς μόνον δι’ αὐτὴν πίνειν τοῦ κρείττονος. Μοῖρα κρεῶν κατ’ ἴσον ἅπασιν. οἱ διάκονοι πρὸς χάριν μηδενὶ μηδέν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ βραδυνέτωσαν μηδὲ παραπεμπέσθωσαν ἔστ’ ἂν αὐτοῖς δοκῇ, ὁπόσα χρὴ ἀποφέρειν. μηδὲ τῷ μὲν μεγάλα, τῷ δὲ κομιδῇ μικρὰ παρατιθέσθω, μηδὲ τῷ μὲν ὁ μηρός, τῷ δὲ ἡ γνάθος συός, ἀλλ’ ἰσότης ἐπὶ πᾶσιν.
3. SYMPOSIAST LAWS Let them bathe when the shadow on the sundial is six feet long, and before the bath let there be walnuts and dice. Let each recline wherever he happens to be. Let prestige, birth, or wealth contribute little to preference of seats. Let everyone drink the same wine, nor let there be any excuse for the rich man of a stomachache or a headache, so that only because of this he drinks the better wine. An equal portion of meat for everyone. Let the attendants do nothing for favor to anyone, nor let them delay or pass by until it pleases them, as to what they must bring. Nor let large portions be set before one and utterly small ones before another, nor the thigh to one and the jaw of the pig to another, but let there be equality in all things.
Ὁ οἰνοχόος ὀξὺ δεδορκέτω ἐκ περιωπῆς ἐς ἕκαστον, καὶ ἔλαττον ἐς τὸν δεσπότην, καὶ ἐπ’ ὀξύτερον ἀκουέτω, καὶ κύλικες παντοῖαι. καὶ ἐξέστω παρέχειν, ἤν τις ἐθέλῃ, φιλοτησίαν. πάντες πᾶσι προπινέτωσαν, ἢν ἐθέλωσι, προπιόντος τοῦ πλουσίου. μὴ ἐπάναγκες ἔστω πίνειν, ἤν τις μὴ δύνηται. Ἐς τὸ συμπόσιον μήτε ὀρχηστὴν μήτε κιθαριστὴν αὐτοὺς ἄγειν ἄρτι μανθάνοντα ἐξέστω, ἤν τις ἐθέλῃ. Σκώμματος μέτρον ἔστω τὸ ἄλυπον ἐπὶ πᾶσιν. Πεττευέτωσαν ἐπὶ καρύων. ἤν τις ἐπ’ ἀργυρίῳ πεττεύσῃ, ἄσιτος ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἔστω. Καὶ μενέτω καὶ ἀπίτω ἕκαστος, ὁπόταν βούληται. Ἐπὰν δὲ τοὺς οἰκέτας ὁ πλούσιος εὐωχῇ, διακονούντων καὶ οἱ φίλοι σὺν αὐτῷ. Τοὺς νόμους τούτους ἕκαστον τῶν πλουσίων ἐγγράψαντα ἐς χαλκῆν στήλην ἔχειν ἐν μεσαιτάτῳ τῆς αὐλῆς, καὶ ἀναγινωσκέτω. δεῖ δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτι ἔστ’ ἂν αὕτη ἡ στήλη μένῃ,4 οὔτε λιμὸς οὔτε λοιμὸς οὔτε πυρκαϊὰ οὔτε ἄλλο χαλεπὸν οὐδὲν εἴσεισιν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῖς. ἢν δέ ποτε—ὅπερ μὴ γένοιτο—καθαιρεθῇ, ἀποτρόπαιον οἷα πείσονται.
Let the cupbearer watch sharply from a high position at everyone, and less so at the master, and let him listen more sharply; and let there be cups of all kinds. And let it be permitted to offer, if anyone wishes, a loving cup. Let all toast to all, if they wish, after the rich man has toasted first. Let it not be compulsory to drink, if anyone is unable. Into the symposium, let it not be permitted for them to bring a dancer or a cithara-player who is just learning, even if anyone wishes. Let the measure of jesting be that which is painless to all. Let them play games for walnuts. If anyone plays for money, let him go without food on the following day. And let each stay and depart whenever he wishes. And when the rich man feasts his servants, let his friends also serve along with him. Let each of the rich write these laws on a bronze tablet and have it in the middle of the courtyard, and let him read it. And he must know that as long as this tablet remains, neither famine, nor pestilence, nor fire, nor any other harsh thing will enter their house. But if ever—which may it not happen—it is cast down, what terrible things they will suffer!
- 15τῶν εἰς τὸ πεμφθῆναι προχειρισθέντων
This genitive phrase functions as a partitive genitive, qualifying the following indefinite pronoun μηδὲν (subject or object depending on the focus) governed by the third-person passive imperative φυλασσέσθω. It defines the group of items from which "nothing" must be kept back.
- 16ἴστω τῇ τῆς ἅρπης ἀπειλῇ ἔνοχος ὤν
ἴστω is the third-person singular imperative of οἶδα ("let him know"). It is followed by the nominative participle ἔνοχος ὤν ("being liable") in indirect discourse, which agrees with the subject of the main clause, indicating that the offender must recognize his own liability to the threat of the sickle.
- 17ὁπόταν τὸ στοιχεῖον ἑξάπουν ᾖ
The noun στοιχεῖον, which typically means "element" or "sign," is used here to refer to the shadow of a sundial's gnomon. "When the shadow is six feet long" was a colloquial idiom in classical antiquity for denoting late afternoon, the typical time for a dinner or banquet.
- 18ἔστ’ ἂν αὕτη ἡ στήλη μένῃ
The temporal-conditional conjunction ἔστ' ἄν ("as long as") is paired here with the present subjunctive μένῃ. This construct denotes a continuous condition that extends indefinitely into the future, translating to "as long as this tablet remains standing."