§1Ἀνάχαρσις
ταῦτα δὲ ὑμῖν, ὦ Σόλων, τίνος ἕνεκα οἱ νέοι ποιοῦσιν;
Anacharsis: "Solon, for what purpose are your young men doing these things?
οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν περιπλεκόμενοι ἀλλήλους ὑποσκελίζουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄγχουσι καὶ λυγίζουσι καὶ ἐν τῷ πηλῷ συναναφύρονται κυλινδούμενοι ὥσπερ σύες.
Some of them, entangling each other, trip one another up, while others choke and twist each other, and wallow together rolling in the mud like pigs.
καίτοι κατʼ ἀρχὰς εὐθὺς ἀποδυσάμενοι — ἑώρων γάρ — λίπα τε ἠλείψαντο καὶ κατέψησε μάλα εἰρηνικῶς ἅτερος τὸν ἕτερον ἐν τῷ μέρει.
And yet, right at the beginning, as soon as they had stripped—for I was watching—they anointed themselves with oil and, very peacefully, rubbed each other down in turn.
μετὰ δὲ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι παθόντες ὠθοῦσί τε ἀλλήλους συννενευκότες καὶ τὰ μέτωπα συναράττουσιν ὥσπερ οἱ κριοί.
But after that, I don't know what possessed them, they put down their heads and push each other, and batter their foreheads together like rams.
καὶ ἢν ἰδοὺ ἀράμενος ἐκεινοσὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἐκ τοῖν σκελοῖν ἀφῆκεν εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, εἶτʼ ἐπικαταπεσὼν ἀνακύπτειν οὐκ ἐᾷ, συνωθῶν κάτω εἰς τὸν πηλόν· τέλος δὲ ἤδη περιπλέξας αὐτῷ τὰ σκέλη κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα τὸν πῆχυν ὑποβαλὼν τῷ λαιμῷ ἄγχει ἄθλιον, ὁ δὲ παρακροτεῖ εἰς τὸν ὦμον, ἱκετεύων οἶμαι, ὡς μὴ τέλεον ἀποπνιγείη.
And look, that fellow over there, having lifted the other by his two legs, has thrown him down to the ground, then, falling down upon him, does not allow him to rise, pressing him down into the mud; and finally, now having twined his legs around his belly and slipped his forearm under his throat, he chokes the poor wretch, while the other taps him on the shoulder, begging him, I suppose, so that he might not be completely strangled.
καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦ ἐλαίου ἕνεκα φείδονται μὴ μολύνεσθαι, ἀλλʼ ἀφανίσαντες τὸ χρῖσμα καὶ τοῦ βορβόρου ἀναπλησθέντες ἐν ἱδρῶτι ἅμα πολλῷ γέλωτα ἐμοὶ γοῦν παρέχουσιν ὥσπερ αἱ ἐγχέλυες ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν διολισθαίνοντες.
And they do not even spare themselves from being defiled for the sake of the oil, but having wiped away the ointment and filled themselves with filth, along with much sweat, they afford laughter, at least to me, slipping through hands like eels.
§2Ἀνάχαρσις
ἕτεροι δὲ ἐν τῷ αἰθρίῳ τῆς αὐλῆς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δρῶσιν, οὐκ ἐν πηλῷ οὗτοί γε, ἀλλὰ ψάμμον ταύτην βαθεῖαν ὑποβαλόμενοι ἐν τῷ ὀρύγματι πάττουσίν τε ἀλλήλους καὶ αὐτοὶ ἑκόντες ἐπαμῶνται τὴν κόνιν ἀλεκτρυόνων δίκην, ὡς ἀφυκτότεροι εἶεν ἐν ταῖς συμπλοκαῖς, οἶμαι, τῆς ψάμμου τὸν ὄλισθον ἀφαιρούσης καὶ βεβαιοτέραν ἐν ξηρῷ παρεχούσης τὴν ἀντίληψιν.
Anacharsis: And others in the open air of the courtyard are doing this very same thing, not indeed in mud, but having spread this deep sand in a trench, they sprinkle each other and willingly heap up the dust on themselves like cocks, so that, I suppose, they might be more inescapable in their clinches, the sand removing the slipperiness and providing a firmer grip on a dry surface.
§3Ἀνάχαρσις
οἱ δὲ ὀρθοστάδην κεκονιμένοι καὶ αὐτοὶ παίουσιν ἀλλήλους προσπεσόντες καὶ λακτίζουσιν.
Anacharsis: Others, standing upright and also covered with dust, attack and strike and kick each other.
οὑτοσὶ γοῦν καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔοικεν ἀποπτύσειν ὁ κακοδαίμων, οὕτως αἵματος αὐτῷ καὶ ψάμμου ἀναπέπλησται τὸ στόμα, πύξ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, παταχθέντος εἰς τὴν γνάθον.
This unlucky fellow here, at any rate, seems about to spit out his teeth, so full of blood and sand is his mouth, having been struck in the jaw with the fist, as you see.
ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ὁ ἄρχων οὑτοσὶ διίστησιν αὐτοὺς καὶ λύει τὴν μάχην — τεκμαίρομαι γὰρ τῇ πορφυρίδι τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὰ τοῦτον εἶναι — ὁ δὲ καὶ ἐποτρύνει καὶ τὸν πατάξαντα ἐπαινεῖ.
Yet not even this official here parts them and breaks up the fight—for I infer from his purple robe that he is one of the officials—but he even eggs them on and praises the one who struck.
§4Ἀνάχαρσις
ἄλλοι δὲ ἀλλαχόθι πάντες ἐγκονοῦσι καὶ ἀναπηδῶσιν ὥσπερ θέοντες ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μένοντες καὶ εἰς τὸ ἄνω συναλλόμενοι λακτίζουσιν τὸν ἀέρα.
Anacharsis: And others elsewhere are all busying themselves and leaping up as if running while staying in the same place, and jumping up into the air, they kick the wind.
§5Ἀνάχαρσις
ταῦτα οὖν ἐθέλω εἰδέναι τίνος ἀγαθοῦ ἂν εἴη ποιεῖν· ὡς ἔμοιγε μανίᾳ μᾶλλον ἐοικέναι δοκεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις ἂν ῥᾳδίως μεταπείσειέ με ὡς οὐ παραπαίουσιν οἱ ταῦτα δρῶντες.
Anacharsis: Therefore, I wish to know for the sake of what good it would be to do these things; for to me, at least, the matter seems to resemble madness rather, and there is no one who could easily persuade me that those who do these things are not out of their minds.
§6Σόλων
καὶ εἰκότως, ὦ Ἀνάχαρσι, τοιαῦτά σοι τὰ γιγνόμενα φαίνεται, ξένα γε ὄντα καὶ πάμπολυ τῶν Σκυθικῶν ἐθῶν ἀπᾴδοντα, καθάπερ καὶ ὑμῖν πολλὰ εἰκὸς εἶναι μαθήματα καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματα τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἡμῖν ἀλλόκοτα εἶναι δόξαντα ἄν, εἴ τις ἡμῶν ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν ἐπισταίη αὐτοῖς.
Solon: And naturally, Anacharsis, these things that are happening appear so to you, since they are strange and depart very far from Scythian customs, just as it is likely that many of your institutions and practices would seem strange to us Greeks, if any of us should look upon them as you do now.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ θάρρει, ὦγαθέ· οὐ γὰρ μανία τὰ γιγνόμενά ἐστιν οὐδʼ ἐφʼ ὕβρει οὗτοι παίουσιν ἀλλήλους καὶ κυλίουσιν ἐν τῷ πηλῷ ἢ ἐπιπάττουσιν τὴν κόνιν, ἀλλʼ ἔχει τινὰ χρείαν οὐκ ἀτερπῆ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ἀκμὴν οὐ μικρὰν ἐπάγει τοῖς σώμασιν·
Nevertheless, take heart, my good man; for what is happening is not madness, nor do they strike each other and roll in the mud or sprinkle dust out of violence, but the thing has a certain utility that is not unpleasant and brings no small vigor to their bodies.
ἢν γοῦν ἐνδιατρίψῃς, ὥσπερ οἶμαί σε ποιήσειν, τῇ Ἑλλάδι, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν εἷς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσῃ τῶν πεπηλωμένων ἢ κεκονιμένων· οὕτω σοι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἡδύ τε ἅμα καὶ λυσιτελὲς εἶναι δόξει.
At all events, if you linger in Greece, as I think you will, before long you yourself will be one of those covered in mud or dust; so pleasant and at the same time profitable will the thing seem to you.
Ἀνάχαρσις
ἄπαγε, ὦ Σόλων, ὑμῖν ταῦτα γένοιτο τὰ ὠφέλιμα καὶ τερπνά, ἐμὲ δὲ εἴ τις ὑμῶν τοιοῦτό τι διαθείη, εἴσεται ὡς οὐ μάτην παρεζώσμεθα τὸν ἀκινάκην.
Anacharsis: Heaven forbid, Solon! May these profitable and pleasant things happen to you, but if any of you should treat me in such a way, he will know that we do not wear our short swords in vain.
§7Ἀνάχαρσις
ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι, τί ὄνομα ἔθεσθε τοῖς γιγνομένοις, ἢ τί φῶμεν ποιεῖν αὐτούς;
Anacharsis: But tell me, what name have you given to these doings, or what are we to say they are doing?
Σόλων
ὁ μὲν χῶρος αὐτός, ὦ Ἀνάχαρσι, γυμνάσιον ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ὀνομάζεται καὶ ἔστιν ἱερὸν Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Λυκείου.
Solon: The place itself, Anacharsis, is called by us a gymnasium, and is sacred to Apollo Lyceus.
καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁρᾷς, τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ στήλῃ κεκλιμένον, τῇ ἀριστερᾷ μὲν τὸ τόξον ἔχοντα, ἡ δεξιὰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀνακεκλασμένη ὥσπερ ἐκ καμάτου μακροῦ ἀναπαυόμενον δείκνυσι τὸν θεόν.
And you see his statue, the one leaning against the pillar, holding the bow in his left hand, while the right hand, bent back over his head, shows the god as if resting from long fatigue.