§1Λυκῖνος
ἀλλʼ ἦ τοιοῦτόν τι ἔπασχον οἱ τὴν Γοργὼ ἰδόντες οἷον ἐγὼ ἔναγχος ἔπαθον, ὦ Πολύστρατε, παγκάλην τινὰ γυναῖκα ἰδών·
Lycinus Did those who saw the Gorgon experience something like what I recently experienced, Polystratus, when I saw an incredibly beautiful woman?
αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ τοῦ μύθου ἐκεῖνο, μικροῦ δέω λίθος ἐξ ἀνθρώπου σοι γεγονέναι πεπηγὼς ὑπὸ τοῦ θαύματος.
For, to use that very expression from the myth, I was within a hair's breadth of turning from a man into stone for you, petrified by wonder.
Πολύστρατος
Ἡράκλεις, ὑπερφυές τι τὸ θέαμα φὴς καὶ δεινῶς βίαιον, εἴ γε καὶ Λυκῖνον ἐξέπληξε γυνή τις οὖσα·
Polystratus Heracles! You speak of an extraordinary sight, and terribly violent, if indeed a woman, being only what she is, has astounded even Lycinus.
σὺ γὰρ ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν μειρακίων καὶ πάνυ ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸ πάσχεις, ὥστε θᾶττον ἄν τις ὅλον τὸν Σίπυλον μετακινήσειεν ἢ σὲ τῶν καλῶν ἀπάγοι μὴ οὐχὶ παρεστάναι αὐτοῖς κεχηνότα καὶ ἐπιδακρύοντά γε πολλάκις ὥσπερ ἐκείνην αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ Ταντάλου.
For you suffer this very easily under the influence of handsome youths, so that one could move the whole of Mount Sipylus sooner than lead you away from beautiful people so as not to stand by them agape, and often weeping just like that very daughter of Tantalus.
ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι, τίς ἡ λιθοποιὸς αὕτη Μέδουσα ἡμῖν ἐστιν καὶ πόθεν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἴδοιμεν·
But tell me, who is this petrifying Medusa of ours and where does she come from, so that we too may see her?
οὐ γάρ, οἶμαι, φθονήσεις ἡμῖν τῆς θέας οὐδὲ ζηλοτυπήσεις, εἰ μέλλοιμεν πλησίον που καὶ αὐτοὶ παραπεπηγέναι σοι ἰδόντες.
For I do not think you will grudge us the sight or be jealous, if we too, having seen her, should happen to be petrified somewhere near you.
Λυκῖνος
καὶ μὴν εὖ εἰδέναι χρή σε, ὡς κἂν ἐκ περιωπῆς μόνον ἀπίδῃς εἰς αὐτήν, ἀχανῆ σε καὶ τῶν ἀνδριάντων ἀκινητότερον ἀποφανεῖ.
Lycinus And indeed, you should well know that even if you only catch a glimpse of her from a lookout point, she will render you speechless and more motionless than statues.
καίτοι τοῦτο μὲν ἴσως εἰρηνικώτερόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ τραῦμα ἧττον καίριον, εἰ αὐτὸς ἴδοις·
And yet, this is perhaps more peaceful and the wound less fatal, if you should only look yourself.
εἰ δὲ κἀκείνη προσβλέψειέ σε, τίς ἔσται μηχανὴ ἀποστῆναι αὐτῆς;
But if she too should look at you, what means will there be to tear yourself away from her?
ἀπάξει γάρ σε ἀναδησαμένη ἔνθα ἂν ἐθέλῃ, ὅπερ καὶ ἡ λίθος ἡ Ἡρακλεία δρᾷ τὸν σίδηρον.
For she will bind you and lead you away wherever she wishes, just as the Heraclean stone does to iron.
§2Πολύστρατος
παύου, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τεράστιόν τι κάλλος ἀναπλάττων, ἀλλʼ εἰπέ, τίς ἡ γυνή ἐστιν.
Polystratus Stop, Lycinus, shaping some monstrous beauty in your words, but tell me, who is the woman?
Λυκῖνος
οἴει γάρ με ὑπερβαλέσθαι τῷ λόγῳ, ὃς δέδια μή σοι ἰδόντι ἀσθενής τις ἐπαινέσαι δόξω, παρὰ τοσοῦτον ἀμείνων φανεῖται;
Lycinus Do you think I am exaggerating in my description? I, who fear that when you see her, I shall seem to you to have praised her but weakly, by so much better will she appear!
πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἥτις μέν, οὐκ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοιμι, θεραπεία δὲ πολλὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη περὶ αὐτὴν παρασκευὴ λαμπρὰ καὶ εὐνούχων τι πλῆθος καὶ ἅβραι πάνυ πολλαί, καὶ ὅλως μεῖζόν γε ἢ κατὰ ἰδιωτικὴν τύχην ἐδόκει τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι.
But as to who she is, I cannot say; however, there was a large retinue and her other surroundings were splendid, a multitude of eunuchs and very many maids, and in general the whole affair seemed to be greater than fits a private station.
Πολύστρατος
οὐδὲ τοὔνομα ἐπύθου σύ γε ἥτις καλοῖτο;
Polystratus Did you not even ask her name, what she was called?
Λυκῖνος
οὐδαμῶς, ἢ τοῦτο μόνον, τῆς Ἰωνίας ἐστίν·
Lycinus Not at all, except only this, that she is from Ionia.
τῶν θεατῶν γάρ τις ἀπιδὼν εἰς τὸν πλησίον, ἐπεὶ παρῆλθεν,
τοιαῦτα μέντοι,
ἔφη,
τὰ Σμυρναϊκὰ κάλλη·
For one of the spectators, looking at his neighbor after she passed by, said, "Such, indeed, is Smyrnaean beauty!
καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν, εἰ ἡ καλλίστη τῶν Ἰωνικῶν πόλεων τὴν καλλίστην γυναῖκα ἤνεγκεν. ἐδόκει δέ μοι Σμυρναῖος καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ λέγων εἶναι, οὕτως ἐσεμνύνετο ἐπʼ αὐτῇ.
And no wonder, if the most beautiful of Ionian cities has produced the most beautiful woman." And he who said this seemed to me to be a Smyrnaean himself, he was so proud of her.
§3Πολύστρατος
οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ λίθου τοῦτό γε ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐποίησας οὔτε παρακολουθήσας οὔτε τὸν Σμυρναῖον ἐκεῖνον ἐρόμενος, ὅστις ἦν, κἂν τὸ εἶδος ὡς οἷόν τε ὑπόδειξον τῷ λόγῳ· τάχα γὰρ ἂν οὕτως γνωρίσαιμι.
Polystratus Well then, since in this you acted truly like a stone, neither following her nor asking that Smyrnaean who she was, at least describe her appearance as best you can in words; for perhaps in this way I might recognize her.
Λυκῖνος
ὁρᾷς ἡλίκον τοῦτο ᾔτησας;
Lycinus Do you see how great a thing you have asked?
οὐ κατὰ λόγων δύναμιν, καὶ μάλιστά γε τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐμφανίσαι θαυμασίαν οὕτως εἰκόνα, πρὸς ἣν μόλις ἂν ἢ Ἀπελλῆς ἢ Ζεῦξις ἢ Παρράσιος ἱκανοὶ ἔδοξαν, ἢ εἴ τις Φειδίας ἢ Ἀλκαμένης·
It is not within the power of words, and least of all mine, to display so wonderful an image, for which Apelles or Zeuxis or Parrhasius would scarcely have seemed sufficient, or some Phidias or Alcamenes.
ἐγὼ δὲ λυμανοῦμαι τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἀσθενείᾳ τῆς τέχνης.
As for me, I shall only ruin the archetype by the weakness of my art.
Πολύστρατος
ὅμως, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ποία τις τὴν ὄψιν;
Polystratus Nevertheless, Lycinus, what was she like in appearance?
οὐ γὰρ ἐπισφαλὲς τὸ τόλμημα, εἰ φίλῳ ἀνδρὶ ἐπιδείξαις τὴν εἰκόνα, ὅπως ἂν τῆς γραμμῆς ἔχῃ.
For the venture is not risky if you should show the image to a friendly man, however the outline may be.
Λυκῖνος
καὶ μὴν ἀσφαλέστερον αὐτὸς ποιήσειν μοι δοκῶ τῶν παλαιῶν τινας ἐκείνων τεχνιτῶν παρακαλέσας ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον, ὡς ἀναπλάσειάν μοι τὴν γυναῖκα.
Lycinus Well then, I think I shall make it safer for myself if I summon some of those ancient artists to the task, so that they may shape the woman for me.
Πολύστρατος
πῶς τοῦτο φής;
Polystratus How do you mean?
ἢ πῶς ἂν ἀφίκοιντό σοι πρὸ τοσούτων ἐτῶν ἀποθανόντες;
Or how could they come to you, having died so many years ago?
Λυκῖνος
ῥᾳδίως, ἤνπερ σὺ μὴ ὀκνήσῃς ἀποκρίνασθαί τί μοι.
Lycinus Easily, if only you do not hesitate to answer me something.
Πολύστρατος
ἐρώτα μόνον.
Polystratus Just ask.