§980τί δʼ ἦν ὅ τι σου μάλιστʼ ἐδεῖθʼ ἑκάστοτε;
And what was it that he most needed from you each time?
§981οὐ πολλά· καὶ γὰρ ἐκνομίως μʼ ᾐσχύνετο.
Not much; for he was exceedingly and properly modest with me.
§982ἀλλʼ ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς ἂν ᾔτησʼ εἴκοσιν §983εἰς ἱμάτιον, ὀκτὼ δʼ ἂν εἰς ὑποδήματα· §984καὶ ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς ἀγοράσαι χιτώνιον §985ἐκέλευσεν ἂν τῇ μητρί θʼ ἱματίδιον· §986πυρῶν τʼ ἂν ἐδεήθη μεδίμνων τεττάρων.
But he would ask for twenty silver drachmas for a cloak, and eight for shoes; and he would bid me buy a tunic for his sisters and a little cloak for his mother; and he would also need four medimnoi of wheat.
By Apollo, these things you have mentioned are not much indeed, but it is clear that he was modest with you.
§989καὶ ταῦτα τοίνυν οὐχ ἕνεκα μισητίας §990αἰτεῖν μʼ ἔφασκεν, ἀλλὰ φιλίας οὕνεκα, §991ἵνα τοὐμὸν ἱμάτιον φορῶν μεμνῇτό μου.
And indeed, he would say he did not ask for these things out of greed, but for the sake of friendship, so that wearing my cloak he might remember me.
§992λέγεις ἐρῶντʼ ἄνθρωπον ἐκνομιώτατα.
You speak of a man who is most properly in love.
But now the abominable fellow no longer has the same mind, but has changed very much indeed.
§995ἐμοῦ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὸν πλακοῦντα τουτονὶ §996καὶ τἄλλα τἀπὶ τοῦ πίνακος τραγήματα §997ἐπόντα πεμψάσης ὑπειπούσης θʼ ὅτι §998εἰς ἑσπέραν ἥξοιμι—
For when I sent him this cake and the other sweetmeats on the platter and added a message that I would come in the evening— What did he do to you?
§998bτί σʼ ἔδρασʼ; εἰπέ μοι.
Tell me.
§999ἄμητα προσαπέπεμψεν ἡμῖν τουτονί, §1000ἐφʼ ᾧ τʼ ἐκεῖσε μηδέποτέ μʼ ἐλθεῖν ἔτι, §1001καὶ πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις εἶπεν ἀποπέμπων ὅτι §1002πάλαι ποτʼ ἦσαν ἄλκιμοι Μιλήσιοι. §1003δῆλον ὅτι τοὺς τρόπους τις οὐ μοχθηρὸς ἦν, §1004ἔπειτα πλουτῶν οὐκέθʼ ἥδεται φακῇ·
He sent back this milk cake to us, on the condition that I should never go there again, and in addition to this, he said as he sent it back, "Once upon a time the Milesians were brave." It is clear that his character was not naturally wicked; but now being rich, he no longer enjoys lentil soup.
§1005πρὸ τοῦ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας ἅπανθʼ ὑπήσθιεν.
Before this, because of poverty, he used to eat everything up.
And indeed, before this, by the two goddesses, every day he would always walk to my door.
§1008ἐπʼ ἐκφοράν;
For a funeral procession?
§1008bμὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τῆς φωνῆς μόνον
By Zeus, no!
§1009ἐρῶν ἀκοῦσαι.
But because he loved only to hear my voice.
§1009bτοῦ λαβεῖν μὲν οὖν χάριν.
Rather, for the sake of getting something.
And by Zeus, if he perceived that I was sad, he would call me his little duck and his little dove.
§1012ἔπειτʼ ἴσως ᾔτει σʼ ἂν εἰς ὑποδήματα.
And then perhaps he would ask you for shoe money.
§1013μυστηρίοις δὲ τοῖς μεγάλοις ὀχουμένην §1014ἐπὶ τῆς ἁμάξης ὅτι προσέβλεψέν μέ τις, §1015ἐτυπτόμην διὰ τοῦθʼ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν.
And when I was riding in a carriage at the Great Mysteries, just because someone looked at me, I was beaten because of this the whole day.
§1016οὕτω σφόδρα ζηλότυπος ὁ νεανίσκος ἦν.
So exceedingly jealous was the young man.
§1017μόνος γὰρ ἥδεθʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐσθίων.
For he liked, as it seems, to eat alone.
§1018καὶ τάς γε χεῖρας παγκάλας ἔχειν μʼ ἔθη.
And he used to say that I had very beautiful hands.
§1019ὁπότε προτείνοιέν γε δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν.
Whenever they held out twenty drachmas, indeed.
§1020ὄζειν τε τῆς χρόας ἔφασκεν ἡδύ μου.
And he would say that my skin smelled sweet.
§1021εἰ Θάσιον ἐνέχεις, εἰκότως γε νὴ Δία.
By Zeus, naturally so, if you were pouring Thasian wine for him.
§1022τὸ βλέμμα θʼ ὡς ἔχοιμι μαλακὸν καὶ καλόν.
And that my look was soft and beautiful.
The man was not stupid, but knew well how to devour the provisions of a lustful old woman.
Therefore, o dear man, the god does not do right in this, though he claims always to help those who are wronged.
§1027τί γὰρ ποιήσει;
For what shall he do?
φράζε, καὶ πεπράξεται.
Speak, and it shall be done.
§1028ἀναγκάσαι δίκαιόν ἐστι νὴ Δία §1029τὸν εὖ παθόνθʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πάλιν μʼ ἀντευποιεῖν, §1030ἢ μηδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀγαθὸν δίκαιόν ἐστʼ ἔχειν.
By Zeus, it is right to force the one who has been well-treated by me to treat me well in return, or else it is not right that he should have any good thing at all.
§1031οὔκουν καθʼ ἑκάστην ἀπεδίδου τὴν νύκτα σοι;
Did he not then pay you back every night?
§1032ἀλλʼ οὐδέποτέ με ζῶσαν ἀπολείψειν ἔφη.
But he said he would never desert me as long as I lived.
§1033ὀρθῶς γε· νῦν δέ γʼ οὐκέτι ζῆν σʼ οἴεται.
Rightly so; but now he thinks you are no longer alive.
§1034ὑπὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἄλγους κατατέτηκʼ ὦ φίλτατε.
For I have wasted away from grief, o dearest one.
§1035οὐκ ἀλλὰ κατασέσηπας, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς.
No, but you have rotted away, so it seems to me.
§1036διὰ δακτυλίου μὲν οὖν ἔμεγʼ ἂν διελκύσαις.
Why, you could draw me through a ring.
§1037εἰ τυγχάνοι γʼ ὁ δακτύλιος ὢν τηλία.
Yes, if the ring happened to be the rim of a sieve.
And indeed, this young man is approaching, whom I have been accusing for some time; he seems to be going to a revel.
§1041στέφανόν γέ τοι καὶ δᾷδʼ ἔχων πορεύεται.
At any rate, he is walking with a wreath and a torch.
§1042ἀσπάζομαί σε.
I greet you.
§1042bτί φησιν;
What does he say?
My old girlfriend, by heaven, you have become gray-haired very quickly!
§1044τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ τῆς ὕβρεος ἧς ὑβρίζομαι.
Wretched me, for the insult I am suffering!
§1045ἔοικε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου σʼ ἑορακέναι.
He seems to have seen you after a long time.
§1046ποίου χρόνου ταλάνταθʼ, ὃς παρʼ ἐμοὶ χθὲς ἦν;
What long time, you miserable man? He was with me yesterday!
Then he has experienced the opposite of most people; for being drunk, as it seems, he sees more sharply.
§1049οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀκόλαστός ἐστιν ἀεὶ τοὺς τρόπους.
No, but he is always insolent in his ways.
O Sea-Poseidon and you elderly gods, how many wrinkles she has on her face!
§1052ἆ ἆ,
Ah! Ah!
§1052bτὴν δᾷδα μή μοι πρόσφερʼ.
Do not bring the torch near me!
§1052cεὖ μέντοι λέγει.
Indeed, she speaks well.
For if a single spark catches her, she will burn like an old eiresione.
§1055βούλει διὰ χρόνου πρός με παῖσαι;
Do you want to play with me after all this time?
§1055bποῖ τάλαν;
At what, you wretch?
§1056αὐτοῦ, λαβοῦσα κάρυα.
Right here, taking some nuts.
§1056bπαιδιὰν τίνα;
What kind of game?
§1057πόσους ἔχεις ὀδόντας.
How many teeth you have.