§454Μοῖραι ξυνάγουσιν.
CH: The Fates assemble us.
§455μόνοις γὰρ ἡμῖν ἥλιος §456καὶ φέγγος ἱλαρόν ἐστιν, §457ὅσοι μεμυήμεθʼ εὐ- §457aσεβῆ τε διήγομεν §458τρόπον περὶ τοὺς ξένους §459καὶ τοὺς ἰδιώτας.
For to us alone the sun and the joyful light exist, as many as have been initiated and have led a pious manner of life toward strangers and private citizens.
§460ἄγε δὴ τίνα τρόπον τὴν θύραν κόψω;
D: Come now, in what way shall I knock at the door?
τίνα;
In what way?
§461πῶς ἐνθάδʼ ἄρα κόπτουσιν οὑπιχώριοι;
How indeed do the locals knock here?
X: Don't waste time, but taste the door, having the garb and the spirit according to Heracles.
§464παῖ παῖ.
D: Boy, boy!
§464bτίς οὗτος;
AE: Who is this?
§464cἩρακλῆς ὁ καρτερός.
D: The mighty Heracles.
§465ὦ βδελυρὲ κἀναίσχυντε καὶ τολμηρὲ σὺ §466καὶ μιαρὲ καὶ παμμίαρε καὶ μιαρώτατε, §467ὃς τὸν κύνʼ ἡμῶν ἐξελάσας τὸν Κέρβερον §468ἀπῇξας ἄγχων κἀποδρὰς ᾤχου λαβών, §469ὃν ἐγὼ ʼφύλαττον.
AE: O disgusting and shameless and daring one, and abominable and all-abominable and most abominable, who, having driven out our dog Cerberus, choked him and snatched him away and went off escaping, whom I was guarding.
ἀλλὰ νῦν ἔχει μέσος· §470τοία Στυγός σε μελανοκάρδιος πέτρα §471Ἀχερόντιός τε σκόπελος αἱματοσταγὴς §472φρουροῦσι, Κωκυτοῦ τε περίδρομοι κύνες, §473ἔχιδνά θʼ ἑκατογκέφαλος, ἣ τὰ σπλάγχνα σου §474διασπαράξει, πλευμόνων τʼ ἀνθάψεται §475Ταρτησία μύραινα· τὼ νεφρὼ δέ σου §476αὐτοῖσιν ἐντέροισιν ᾑματωμένω §477διασπάσονται Γοργόνες Τειθράσιαι, §478ἐφʼ ἃς ἐγὼ δρομαῖον ὁρμήσω πόδα.
But now you are caught in the middle; such a black-hearted rock of Styx and blood-dripping cliff of Acheron guard you, and the roaming dogs of Cocytus, and the hundred-headed Echidna, who your innards will tear to pieces, and at your lungs will clutch the Tartessian murena; and your two kidneys together with your bloody entrails the Gorgons of Tithras will tear apart, towards whom I shall set my running foot.
§479οὗτος τί δέδρακας;
X: Hey, what have you done?
§479bἐγκέχοδα· κάλει θεόν.
D: I've crapped myself; call the god.
X: O ridiculous man, won't you stand up quickly before some stranger sees you?
§481bἀλλʼ ὡρακιῶ.
D: But I'm going to faint.
§482ἀλλʼ οἶσε πρὸς τὴν καρδίαν μου σφογγιάν.
Please bring a sponge to my heart.
§483ἰδοὺ λαβέ, προσθοῦ.
X: Look, take it, apply it.
§483bποῦ ʼστιν;
D: Where is it?
D: Yes, for having feared it crept down into my lower belly.
§486ὦ δειλότατε θεῶν σὺ κἀνθρώπων.
X: O most cowardly of gods and men.
§486bἐγώ;
D: Me?
§487πῶς δειλὸς ὅστις σφογγιὰν ᾔτησά σε;
How am I cowardly, who asked you for a sponge?
§488οὐκ ἂν ἕτερός γʼ αὔτʼ ἠργάσατʼ ἀνήρ.
X: Another man indeed would not have done this.
§488bἀλλὰ τί;
D: But what then?
He would have lain there smelling it, if he were cowardly; but I stood up and besides wiped myself.
§491ἀνδρεῖά γʼ ὦ Πόσειδον.
X: Manly indeed, by Poseidon.
§491bοἶμαι νὴ Δία.
D: I think so, by Zeus.
But did you not fear the noise of the words and the threats?
§493bοὐ μὰ Δίʼ οὐδʼ ἐφρόντισα.
X: No, by Zeus, I didn't even care.
§494ἴθι νυν ἐπειδὴ ληματίας κἀνδρεῖος εἶ, §495σὺ μὲν γενοῦ ʼγὼ τὸ ῥόπαλον τουτὶ λαβὼν §496καὶ τὴν λεοντῆν, εἴπερ ἀφοβόσπλαγχνος εἶ· §497ἐγὼ δʼ ἔσομαί σοι σκευοφόρος ἐν τῷ μέρει.
D: Come now, since you are so spirited and brave, you become me, having taken this club and the lion skin, if you are fearless of heart; and I will be your baggage-bearer in turn.
§498φέρε δὴ ταχέως αὔτʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἀλλὰ πειστέον· §499καὶ βλέψον ἐς τὸν Ἡρακλειοξανθίαν, §500εἰ δειλὸς ἔσομαι καὶ κατὰ σὲ τὸ λῆμʼ ἔχων.
X: Bring them quickly indeed; for one must obey; and look at Heracles-Xanthias, whether I shall be cowardly and having a spirit like yours.
§501μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἀληθῶς οὑκ Μελίτης μαστιγίας.
D: No, by Zeus, but truly the whipped slave from Melite.
§502φέρε νυν ἐγὼ τὰ στρώματʼ αἴρωμαι ταδί.
Come now, let me lift up these blankets here.
§503ὦ φίλταθʼ ἥκεις Ἡράκλεις;
MAID: O dearest Heracles, have you come?
δεῦρʼ εἴσιθι.
Come in here.
§504ἡ γὰρ θεός σʼ ὡς ἐπύθεθʼ ἥκοντʼ, εὐθέως §505ἔπεττεν ἄρτους, ἧψε κατερεικτῶν χύτρας §506ἔτνους δύʼ ἢ τρεῖς, βοῦν ἀπηνθράκιζʼ ὅλον, §507πλακοῦντας ὤπτα κολλάβους.
For the goddess, as soon as she learned you had come, immediately was baking bread, was boiling pots of crushed pea-soup, two or three, was roasting a whole ox on the coals, was baking flat-cakes and loaves.
ἀλλʼ εἴσιθι.
But come in.
§508κάλλιστʼ, ἐπαινῶ.
X: Very well, I thank you.
§508bμὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω οὐ μή σʼ ἐγὼ §509περιόψομἀπελθόντʼ, ἐπεί τοι καὶ κρέα §510ἀνέβραττεν ὀρνίθεια, καὶ τραγήματα §511ἔφρυγε, κᾦνον ἀνεκεράννυ γλυκύτατον.
MAID: By Apollo, I will not let you go, since indeed she was also boiling chicken meat, and was roasting sweetmeats, and was mixing the sweetest wine.
§512ἀλλʼ εἴσιθʼ ἅμʼ ἐμοί.
But come in with me.
§512bπάνυ καλῶς.
X: Very kind of you.
And indeed a flute-girl is inside, most beautiful, and other dancers, two or three.
§515bπῶς λέγεις;
X: How do you say?
ὀρχηστρίδες;
Dancers?
§516ἡβυλλιῶσαι κἄρτι παρατετιλμέναι.
MAID: In the bloom of youth and newly plucked.
But come in, since the cook was already about to take off the slices and the table was being carried in.
X: Go now, tell first of all the dancers who are inside that I myself am entering.
§521ὁ παῖς ἀκολούθει δεῦρο τὰ σκεύη φέρων.
Boy, follow this way carrying the baggage.
§522ἐπίσχες οὗτος. οὔ τί που σπουδὴν ποιεῖ,
D: Stop there, you.
§523ὁτιή σε παίζων Ἡρακλέα ʼνεσκεύασα;
Surely you are not making this serious, because in jest I dressed you up as Heracles?
Don't talk nonsense, Xanthias, but pick up and carry the blankets again.
§526τί δʼ ἔστιν;
X: What is this?
οὔ τι πού μʼ ἀφελέσθαι διανοεῖ §527ἅδωκας αὐτός;
Surely you don't intend to take away from me what you yourself gave?
§527bοὐ τάχʼ, ἀλλʼ ἤδη ποιῶ.
D: Not soon, but I am doing it already.
§528κατάθου τὸ δέρμα.
Put down the skin.
X: I call this to witness and commit it to the gods.
§529bποίοις θεοῖς;
D: What gods?
Isn't it foolish and vain for you to expect that being a slave and mortal you will be the son of Alcmene?
§532ἀμέλει καλῶς· ἔχʼ αὔτʼ.
X: Never mind, very well; take them.
ἴσως γάρ τοί ποτε §533ἐμοῦ δεηθείης ἄν, εἰ θεὸς θέλοι.
For perhaps someday you might need me, if god wills.