§16Πολύστρατος
οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πάντων καλῶν παιδείαν ἡγεῖσθαι ἀνάγκη, καὶ μάλιστα τούτων ὁπόσα μελετητά, φέρε καὶ ταύτην ἤδη συστησώμεθα, ποικίλην μέντοι καὶ πολύμορφον, ὡς μηδὲ κατὰ τοῦτο ἀπολιποίμεθα τῆς σῆς πλαστικῆς.
Polystratus: Therefore, since it is necessary for education to be the guide in all beautiful things, and especially in those which can be acquired by practice, come, let us now model this one too—multifarious indeed and multiform, so that even in this we may not fall short of your art of sculpture.
καὶ δὴ γεγράφθω πάντα συλλήβδην τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλικῶνος ἀγαθὰ ἔχουσα, οὐχ ὥσπερ ἡ Κλειὼ καὶ ἡ Πολύμνια καὶ ἡ Καλλιόπη καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι ἕν τι ἑκάστη ἐπισταμένη, ἀλλὰ τὰ πασῶν καὶ προσέτι τὰ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος.
And indeed, let it have been painted containing all the blessings from Helicon together, not like Clio, Polyhymnia, Calliope, and the others, each knowing some one thing, but knowing the skills of them all, and in addition those of Hermes and Apollo.
ὁπόσα γὰρ ἢ ποιηταὶ μέτροις διακοσμήσαντες ἢ ῥήτορες δεινότητι κρατύναντες ἐξενηνόχασιν ἢ συγγραφεῖς ἱστορήκασιν ἢ φιλόσοφοι παρῃνέκασι, πᾶσι τούτοις ἡ εἰκὼν κεκοσμήσθω, οὐκ ἄχρι τοῦ ἐπικεχρῶσθαι μόνον, ἀλλʼ εἰς βάθος δευσοποιοῖς τισι φαρμάκοις εἰς κόρον καταβαφεῖσα.
For with all things that poets have adorned with meters, or rhetoricians have strengthened with eloquence and brought forth, or historians have recorded, or philosophers have advised, with all these let our portrait be adorned, not merely to the extent of being colored on the surface, but dyed deep to saturation with some fast-dyeing pigments.
καὶ συγγνώμη, εἰ μηδὲν ἀρχέτυπον ἐπιδεῖξαι ταύτης δυναίμην τῆς γραφῆς· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅ τι τοιοῦτον ἐν τοῖς πάλαι παιδείας πέρι μνημονεύεται.
And forgive me if I should not be able to point out any archetype of this painting; for there is nothing of this kind remembered among the ancients concerning education.
πλὴν ἀλλά, εἴ γε δοκεῖ, ἀνακείσθω καὶ αὕτη· οὐ μεμπτὴ γάρ, ὡς ἐμοὶ φαίνεται.
Nevertheless, if it seems good, let this too be dedicated; for it is not to be blamed, as it seems to me.
Λυκῖνος
καλλίστη μὲν οὖν, ὦ Πολύστρατε, καὶ πάσαις ταῖς γραμμαῖς ἀπηκριβωμένη.
Lycinus: Nay, it is most beautiful, Polystratus, and finished with extreme precision in all its lines.
§17Πολύστρατος
μετὰ δὲ ταύτην ἡ τῆς σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως εἰκὼν γραπτέα.
Polystratus: And after this, the portrait of wisdom and understanding must be painted.
δεήσει δὲ ἡμῖν ἐνταῦθα πολλῶν τῶν παραδειγμάτων, ἀρχαίων τῶν πλείστων, ἑνὸς μὲν καὶ αὐτοῦ Ἰωνικοῦ· γραφεῖς δὲ καὶ δημιουργοὶ αὐτοῦ Αἰσχίνης Σωκράτους ἑταῖρος καὶ αὐτὸς Σωκράτης, μιμηλότατοι τεχνιτῶν ἁπάντων, ὅσῳ καὶ μετʼ ἔρωτος ἔγραφον.
Here we shall need many models, mostly ancient, and one of them Ionic; its painters and creators being Aeschines, the companion of Socrates, and Socrates himself, the most imitative of all artists, inasmuch as they painted with love.
τὴν δὲ ἐκ τῆς Μιλήτου ἐκείνην Ἀσπασίαν, ᾗ καὶ ὁ Ὀλύμπιος θαυμασιώτατος αὐτὸς συνῆν, οὐ φαῦλον συνέσεως παράδειγμα προθέμενοι, ὁπόσον ἐμπειρίας πραγμάτων καὶ ὀξύτητος εἰς τὰ πολιτικὰ καὶ ἀγχινοίας καὶ δριμύτητος ἐκείνῃ προσῆν, τοῦτο πᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν εἰκόνα μεταγάγωμεν ἀκριβεῖ τῇ στάθμῃ· πλὴν ὅσον ἐκείνη μὲν ἐν μικρῷ πινακίῳ ἐγέγραπτο, αὕτη δὲ κολοσσιαία τὸ μέγεθός ἐστιν.
And setting before ourselves that famous Aspasia of Miletus, with whom the most wonderful 'Olympian' himself associated, as no mean model of understanding, how much experience in affairs, and sharpness in political matters, and quickness of mind and sagacity belonged to her, all this let us transfer to our portrait by an exact measure; except that she was painted on a small tablet, while this one is colossal in size.
Λυκῖνος
πῶς τοῦτο φής;
Lycinus: How do you mean this?
Πολύστρατος
ὅτι, ὦ Λυκῖνε, οὐκ ἰσομεγέθεις εἶναί φημι τὰς εἰκόνας ὁμοίας οὔσας· οὐ γὰρ ἴσον οὐδὲ ἐγγὺς Ἀθηναίων ἡ τότε πολιτεία καὶ ἡ παροῦσα τῶν Ῥωμαίων δύναμις.
Polystratus: Because, Lycinus, I say that the portraits, though similar, are not of equal size; for the Athenian constitution of that time and the present power of the Romans are not equal, nor even close.
ὥστε εἰ καὶ τῇ ὁμοιότητι ἡ αὐτή, ἀλλὰ τῷ μεγέθει γε ἀμείνων αὕτη ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ πλατυτάτου πίνακος καταγεγραμμένη.
So that even if it is the same in resemblance, yet in size this one is superior, as if painted upon a very wide canvas.
§18Πολύστρατος
δεύτερον δὲ καὶ τρίτον παράδειγμα Θεανώ τε ἐκείνη καὶ ἡ Λεσβία μελοποιός, καὶ Διοτίμα ἐπὶ ταύταις, ἡ μὲν τὸ μεγαλόνουν ἡ Θεανὼ συμβαλλομένη εἰς τὴν γραφήν, ἡ Σαπφὼ δὲ τὸ γλαφυρὸν τῆς προαιρέσεως· τῇ Διοτίμᾳ δὲ οὐχ ἃ Σωκράτης ἐπῄνεσεν αὐτὴν ἐοικυῖα ἔσται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην σύνεσίν τε καὶ συμβουλίαν.
Polystratus: And the second and third models are the famous Theano and the Lesbian lyric poet, and Diotima besides these; Theano contributing the high-mindedness to the painting, and Sappho the elegance of her character; and as for Diotima, she will not only be like her in those things for which Socrates praised her, but also in her other understanding and counsel.
τοιαύτη σοι καὶ αὕτη, Λυκῖνε, ἀνακείσθω ἡ εἰκών.
Let this portrait also, Lycinus, be dedicated for you as such.
§19Λυκῖνος
νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ Πολύστρατε, θαυμάσιος οὖσα.
Lycinus: By Zeus, Polystratus, it is wonderful.
σὺ δὲ ἄλλας γράφου.
But do you paint the others.
Πολύστρατος
τὰς τῆς χρηστότητος, ὦ ἑταῖρε, καὶ φιλανθρωπίας, ἣ τὸ ἥμερον ἐμφανιεῖ τοῦ τρόπου καὶ πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους προσηνές;
Polystratus: Those of kindness, my friend, and philanthropy, which will show the gentleness of her character and her affability toward those in need?
εἰκάσθω οὖν καὶ αὐτὴ Θεανοῖ τε ἐκείνῃ τῇ Ἀντήνορος καὶ Ἀρήτῃ καὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ αὐτῆς τῇ Ναυσικάᾳ, καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλη ἐν μεγέθει πραγμάτων ἐσωφρόνησε πρὸς τὴν τύχην.
Let it, then, be likened both to that famous Theano, the wife of Antenor, and to Arete and her daughter Nausicaa, and if any other woman in great fortune showed moderation toward fate.
§20Πολύστρατος
ἑξῆς δὲ μετὰ ταύτην ἡ τῆς σωφροσύνης αὐτῆς γεγράφθω καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν συνόντα εὐνοίας, ὡς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἰκαρίου μάλιστα εἶναι τὴν σαόφρονα καὶ τὴν περίφρονα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου γεγραμμένην — τοιαύτην γὰρ τὴν τῆς Πηνελόπης εἰκόνα ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν — ἢ καὶ νὴ Δία κατὰ τὴν ὁμώνυμον αὐτῆς τὴν τοῦ Ἀβραδάτα, ἧς μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἐμνημονεύσαμεν.
Polystratus: And next after this, let the portrait of her moderation itself and of her devotion toward her companion be painted, so as to be especially according to the wise and prudent daughter of Icarius as painted by Homer—for he painted the portrait of Penelope as such—or, by Zeus, according to her namesake, the wife of Abradatas, whom we mentioned a little while ago.
Λυκῖνος
παγκάλην καὶ ταύτην, ὦ Πολύστρατε, ἀπειργάσω, καὶ σχεδὸν ἤδη τέλος σοι ἔχουσιν αἱ εἰκόνες· ἅπασαν γὰρ ἐπελήλυθας τὴν ψυχὴν κατὰ μέρη ἐπαινῶν.
Lycinus: A most beautiful one, Polystratus, you have finished this too, and your portraits are now nearly at an end; for you have gone through the whole soul, praising it part by part.