§13Κυνίσκος
τὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Λαΐου καὶ γελοῖον, τό· "
μὴ σπεῖρε τέκνων ἄλοκα δαιμόνων βίᾳ· εἰ γὰρ τεκνώσεις (φησὶ) παῖδʼ, ἀποκτενεῖ ς’ ὁ φύς.
Cyniscus For the case of Laius is also ridiculous, namely: "Do not sow the furrow of children against the will of the gods; for if you beget a child, the one born shall kill you.
"
περιττὴ γάρ, οἶμαι, ἡ παραίνεσις πρὸς τὰ πάντως οὕτω γενησόμενα.
"For the advice, I think, is superfluous toward things that will absolutely happen in this way.
τοιγάρτοι μετὰ τὸν χρησμὸν καὶ ἔσπειρεν καὶ ὁ φὺς ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν.
Consequently, after the oracle, he did sow, and the one born killed him.
ὥστε οὐχ ὁρῶ ἀνθʼ ὅτου ἀπαιτεῖτε τὸν μισθὸν ἐπὶ τῇ μαντικῇ.
So I do not see on what account you demand payment for the art of prophecy.
§14Κυνίσκος
ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὡς λοξὰ καὶ ἐπαμφοτερίζοντα τοῖς πολλοῖς χρᾶν εἰώθατε, οὐ πάνυ ἀποσαφοῦντες εἰ ὁ τὸν Ἅλυν διαβὰς τὴν αὑτοῦ ἀρχὴν καταλύσει ἢ τὴν τοῦ Κύρου· ἄμφω γὰρ δύναται ὁ χρησμός.
Cyniscus For I refrain from saying that you are accustomed to deliver ambiguous and double-meaning oracles to most people, in no way making it clear whether the one who crosses the Halys will destroy his own empire or that of Cyrus; for the oracle can mean both.
Ζεύς
ἦν τις, ὦ Κυνίσκε, τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ὀργῆς αἰτία κατὰ τοῦ Κροίσου, διότι ἐπειρᾶτο ἐκεῖνος αὐτοῦ ἄρνεια κρέα καὶ χελώνην ἐς τὸ αὐτὸ ἕψων.
Zeus There was, Cyniscus, a cause of anger for Apollo against Croesus, because that man tried him by boiling lamb’s meat and a tortoise together.
Κυνίσκος
ἐχρῆν μὲν μηδὲ ὀργίζεσθαι θεὸν ὄντα·
Cyniscus Indeed, being a god, he ought not even to have been angry.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐξαπατηθῆναι τῷ Λυδῷ ἐπέπρωτο, οἶμαι, καὶ ὅλως τὸ μὴ σαφῶς ἀκοῦσαι τὰ μέλλοντα ἡ Εἱμαρμένη ἐπέκλωσεν·
But besides, I suppose, it was fated for the Lydian to be deceived, and on the whole, Fate spun it so that he would not clearly hear the future.
ὥστε καὶ ἡ μαντικὴ ὑμῶν ἐκείνης μέρος ἐστίν.
Consequently, your art of prophecy is also a part of her.
§15Ζεύς
ἡμῖν δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπολείπεις, ἀλλὰ μάτην θεοί ἐσμεν, οὔτε πρόνοιάν τινα εἰσφερόμενοι εἰς τὰ πράγματα οὔτε τῶν θυσιῶν ἄξιοι καθάπερ τρύπανα ὡς ἀληθῶς ἢ σκέπαρνα;
Zeus Do you leave nothing to us, but are we gods in vain, neither introducing any providence into affairs nor worthy of sacrifices, being in truth just like drills or adzes?
καί μοι δοκεῖς εἰκότως μου καταφρονεῖν, ὅτι κεραυνόν, ὡς ὁρᾷς, διηγκυλημένος ἀνέχομαί σε τοσαῦτα καθʼ ἡμῶν διεξιόντα.
And it seems to me you naturally despise me, because, as you see, I hold my thunderbolt ready and yet tolerate you going through so many things against us.
Κυνίσκος
βάλλε, ὦ Ζεῦ, εἴ μοι καὶ κεραυνῷ πληγῆναι εἵμαρται, καὶ σὲ οὐδὲν αἰτιάσομαι τῆς πληγῆς, ἀλλὰ τὴν Κλωθὼ τὴν διὰ σοῦ τιτρώσκουσαν·
Cyniscus Strike, Zeus, if indeed it is fated for me to be struck by a thunderbolt too, and I shall not blame you at all for the blow, but Clotho who wounds me through you.
οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν κεραυνὸν αὐτὸν φαίην ἂν αἴτιον μοι γενέσθαι τοῦ τραύματος.
For I would not say that even the thunderbolt itself became the cause of my wound.
πλὴν ἐκεῖνό γε ὑμᾶς ἐρήσομαι καὶ σὲ καὶ τὴν Εἱμαρμένην· σὺ δέ μοι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης ἀπόκριναι· ἀνέμνησας γάρ με ἀπειλήσας.
But I will ask you this, both you and Fate; and you, answer me on her behalf as well, for you reminded me by your threat.
§16Κυνίσκος
τί δήποτε τοὺς ἱεροσύλους καὶ λῃστὰς ἀφέντες καὶ τοσούτους ὑβριστὰς καὶ βιαίους καὶ ἐπιόρκους δρῦν τινα πολλάκις κεραυνοῦτε ἢ λίθον ἢ νεὼς ἱστὸν οὐδὲν ἀδικούσης, ἐνίοτε δὲ χρηστόν τινα καὶ ὅσιον ὁδοιπόρον;
Cyniscus Why on earth, letting temple-robbers and robbers go, and so many insolent and violent and perjured men, do you often strike with lightning a certain oak, or a stone, or a ship’s mast that is doing no wrong, and sometimes a certain good and holy traveler?
τί σιωπᾷς, ὦ Ζεῦ;
Why are you silent, Zeus?
ἢ οὐδὲ τοῦτό με θέμις εἰδέναι;
Or is it not permitted for me to know this either?
Ζεύς
οὐ γάρ, ὦ Κυνίσκε.
Zeus Indeed it is not, Cyniscus.
σὺ δὲ πολυπράγμων τις εἶ καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅθεν ταῦτα ἥκεις μοι συμπεφορηκώς.
You are a meddlesome fellow, and I don't know where you have come from, having scraped together these things against me.
Κυνίσκος
οὐκοῦν μηδὲ ἐκεῖνο ὑμᾶς ἔρωμαι, σέ τε καὶ τὴν Πρόνοιαν καὶ τὴν Εἱμαρμένην, τί δήποτε Φωκίων μὲν ὁ χρηστὸς ἐν τοσαύτῃ πενίᾳ καὶ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπέθανε καὶ Ἀριστείδης πρὸ αὐτοῦ, Καλλίας δὲ καὶ Ἀλκιβιάδης, ἀκόλαστα μειράκια, ὑπερεπλούτουν καὶ Μειδίας ὁ ὑβριστὴς καὶ Χάροψ ὁ Αἰγινήτης, κίναιδος ἄνθρωπος, τὴν μητέρα λιμῷ ἀπεκτονώς, καὶ πάλιν Σωκράτης μὲν παρεδόθη τοῖς ἕνδεκα, Μέλητος δὲ οὐ παρεδόθη, καὶ Σαρδανάπαλλος μὲν ἐβασίλευε θῆλυς ὤν, Γώχης δὲ ἀνὴρ ἐνάρετος ἀνεσκολοπίσθη πρὸς αὐτοῦ, διότι μὴ ἠρέσκετο τοῖς γιγνομένοις·
Cyniscus Then should I not ask you this either—you and Providence and Fate—why on earth the good Phocion died in such poverty and lack of necessities, and Aristides before him, while Callias and Alcibiades, unbridled youths, were exceedingly rich, and Meidias the insolent, and Charops of Aegina, a lascivious man who had killed his mother by starvation? And again, Socrates was handed over to the Eleven, while Meletus was not? And Sardanapalus reigned, though being effeminate, while Goches, a virtuous man, was impaled by him because he was not pleased with what was happening?