§21Μένιππος
καίτοι πόσα ἐγὼ συνεπίσταμαι αὐτοῖς ἃ πράττουσι τῶν νυκτῶν αἰσχρὰ καὶ κατάπτυστα οἱ μεθʼ ἡμέραν σκυθρωποὶ καὶ ἀνδρώδεις τὸ βλέμμα καὶ τὸ σχῆμα σεμνοὶ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἀποβλεπόμενοι;
Menippus "And yet, how many shameful and abominable things do I witness them doing at night—those who by day are sullen-faced, manly in look, solemn in posture, and gazed up to by ordinary citizens!
κἀγὼ μὲν ταῦτα ὁρῶσα ὅμως σιωπῶ· οὐ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι πρέπειν ἀποκαλύψαι καὶ διαφωτίσαι τὰς νυκτερινὰς ἐκείνας διατριβὰς καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ σκηνῆς ἑκάστου βίον, ἀλλὰ κἄν τινα ἴδω αὐτῶν μοιχεύοντα ἢ κλέπτοντα ἢ ἄλλο τι τολμῶντα νυκτερινώτατον, εὐθὺς ἐπισπασαμένη τὸ νέφος ἐνεκαλυψάμην, ἵνα μὴ δείξω τοῖς πολλοῖς γέροντας ἄνδρας βαθεῖ πώγωνι καὶ ἀρετῇ ἐνασχημονοῦντας.
And I, seeing these things, nevertheless keep silent; for I do not think it proper to reveal and expose those nightly pastimes and the off-stage life of each of them. Rather, even if I see any of them committing adultery, or stealing, or daring any other most nightly deed, I immediately draw a cloud over myself and cover myself, so that I may not show to the crowd elderly men with deep beards behaving disgracefully with respect to virtue.
οἱ δὲ οὐδὲν ἀνιᾶσι διασπαράττοντές με τῷ λόγῳ καὶ πάντα τρόπον ὑβρίζοντες, ὥστε νὴ τὴν Νύκτα πολλάκις ἐβουλευσάμην μετοικῆσαι ὅτι πορρωτάτω, ἵνʼ αὐτῶν τὴν περίεργον ἂν γλῶτταν διέφυγον.
But they do not relax at all in tearing me apart in their discourse and insulting me in every way, so that, by Night, I have often resolved to emigrate as far away as possible, so that I might have escaped their meddlesome tongue.
μέμνησο οὖν ταῦτά τε ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ Διὶ καὶ προσθεῖναι δʼ ὅτι μὴ δυνατόν ἐστί μοι κατὰ χώραν μένειν, ἢν μὴ τοὺς φυσικοὺς ἐκεῖνος ἐπιτρίψῃ καὶ τοὺς διαλεκτικοὺς ἐπιστομίσῃ καὶ τὴν Στοὰν κατασκάψῃ καὶ τὴν Ἀκαδημίαν καταφλέξῃ καὶ παύσῃ τὰς ἐν τοῖς περιπάτοις διατριβάς· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν εἰρήνην ἀγάγοιμι καὶ παυσαίμην ὁσημέραι παρʼ αὐτῶν γεωμετρουμένη. §22Μένιππος
ἔσται ταῦτα,
ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, καὶ ἅμα πρὸς τὸ ἄναντες ἔτεινον τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἔνθα μὲν οὔτε βοῶν οὔτ’ ἀνδρῶν φαίνετο ἔργα·
Remember, therefore, to report these things to Zeus, and to add that it is not possible for me to remain in my place unless he crushes those natural philosophers, muzzles the logicians, razes the Stoa, burns down the Academy, and puts an end to the discussions in the Peripatos; for only thus might I lead a peaceful life and cease being measured geometrically every day by them." Menippus "It shall be done," said I, and at the same time I strained upward toward the steep path to heaven, where neither works of oxen nor of men appeared; for after a little while even the moon was seen by me as small, and I was already obscuring the earth from view.
μετʼ ὀλίγον γὰρ καὶ ἡ σελήνη βραχεῖά μοι καθεωρᾶτο καὶ τὴν γῆν ἤδη ἀπέκρυπτον. λαβὼν δὲ τὸν ἥλιον ἐν δεξιᾷ διὰ τῶν ἀστέρων πετόμενος τριταῖος ἐπλησίασα τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐδόκει μοι ὡς εἶχον εὐθὺς εἴσω παριέναι·
Keeping the sun on my right, flying through the stars, on the third day I approached heaven.
ῥᾳδίως γὰρ ᾤμην διαλαθεῖν ἅτε ἐξ ἡμισείας ὢν ἀετός, τὸν δὲ ἀετὸν ἠπιστάμην ἐκ παλαιοῦ συνήθη τῷ Διί·
And at first I thought of entering straight inside just as I was; for I thought I would easily escape notice since I was half an eagle, and I knew that from of old the eagle was familiar to Zeus.
ὕστερον δὲ ἐλογισάμην ὡς τάχιστα καταφωράσουσί με γυπὸς τὴν ἑτέραν πτέρυγα περικείμενον.
But later I reflected that they would very quickly detect me wearing the other wing of a vulture.
ἄριστον γοῦν κρίνας τὸ μὴ παρακινδυνεύειν ἔκοπτον προσελθὼν τὴν θύραν.
Judging it best, therefore, not to run the risk, I went up and knocked at the door.
ὑπακούσας δὲ ὁ Ἑρμῆς καὶ τοὔνομα ἐκπυθόμενος ἀπῄει κατὰ σπουδὴν φράσων τῷ Διί, καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγον εἰσεκλήθην πάνυ δεδιὼς καὶ τρέμων, καταλαμβάνω τε πάντας ἅμα συγκαθημένους οὐδὲ αὐτοὺς ἀφρόντιδας·
Having answered and inquired my name, Hermes went away in haste to tell Zeus, and after a little I was called in, very afraid and trembling.
ὑπετάραττε γὰρ ἡσυχῇ τὸ παράδοξον μου τῆς ἐπιδημίας, καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀφίξεσθαι προσεδόκων τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπτερωμένους.
And I found them all sitting together, not free from anxiety themselves either; for the unexpectedness of my arrival disturbed them quietly, and they expected that any moment all men would arrive feathered in the same manner.
§23Μένιππος
ὁ δὲ Ζεὺς μάλα φοβερῶς, δριμύ τε καὶ τιτανῶδες εἰς ἐμὲ ἀπιδών, φησί
"Τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν, πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;
Menippus And Zeus, looking at me very terribly, with a sharp and titanic glare, said: "Who and from where among men are you?
"
Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς τοῦτʼ ἤκουσα„ μικροῦ μὲν ἐξέθανον ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους, εἱστήκειν δὲ ὅμως ἀχανὴς καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοφωνίας ἐμβεβροντημένος.
Where is your city and your parents?" And when I heard this, I almost died of fear, but nevertheless I stood gaping and thunderstruck by his loud voice.
χρόνῳ δʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἀναλαβὼν ἅπαντα διηγούμην σαφῶς ἄνωθεν ἀρξάμενος, ὡς ἐπιθυμήσαιμι τὰ μετέωρα ἐκμαθεῖν, ὡς ἔλθοιμι παρὰ τοὺς φιλοσόφους, ὡς τἀναντία λεγόντων ἀκούσαιμι, ὡς ἀπαγορεύσαιμι διασπώμενος ὑπὸ τῶν λόγων, εἶτα ἑξῆς τὴν ἐπίνοιαν καὶ τὰ πτερὰ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα μέχρι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν· ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ προσέθηκα τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς Σελήνης ἐπεσταλμένα.
But recovering myself in time, I narrated everything clearly, starting from the beginning—how I had desired to learn about the things aloft, how I had gone to the philosophers, how I had heard them saying contradictory things, how I had grown exhausted being pulled apart by their arguments, then next my plan and the wings and all the rest up to heaven; and on top of everything I added the messages sent by the Moon.
μειδιάσας δʼ οὖν ὁ Ζεὺς καὶ μικρὸν ἐπανεὶς τῶν ὀφρύων,
τί ἂν λέγοις,
φησίν,
Ὤτου πέρι καὶ Ἐφιάλτου, ὅπου καὶ Μένιππος ἐτόλμησεν ἐς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν;
Smiling then, and relaxing his eyebrows a little, "What would one say," he said, "about Otus and Ephialtes, where even Menippus has dared to ascend to heaven?
ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν ἐπὶ ξένια σε καλοῦμεν, αὔριον δέ,
ἔφη,
περὶ ὧν ἥκεις χρηματίσαντες ἀποπέμψομεν. καὶ ἅμα ἐξαναστὰς ἐβάδιζεν ἐς τὸ ἐπηκοώτατον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· καιρὸς γὰρ ἦν ἐπὶ τῶν εὐχῶν καθέζεσθαι.
But for now we invite you to hospitality, and tomorrow," he said, "having dealt with the matters for which you have come, we shall send you back." And at the same time, rising, he walked to the place of heaven where he could hear best; for it was time to sit for the prayers.