§25Λυκῖνος
ἐπὶ μέν γε τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος ὅρα ὅσην αὐτὸς φειδὼ ἐποιήσατο τῶν θεῶν καὶ ὡς ἐταμιεύσατο τὰς εἰκόνας εἰς τὸ σύμμετρον· ὡς ὄμματα μέν φησιν καὶ κεφαλὴν ἴκελον αὐτὸν εἶναι τῷ Διί, τῷ Ἄρεϊ δὲ τὴν ζώνην, στέρνον δὲ τῷ Ποσειδῶνι, διαιρῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατὰ μέλη πρὸς τοσούτων θεῶν εἰκόνας· καὶ αὖ πάλιν βροτολοιγῷ Ἄρεΐ φησίν τινʼ ὅμοιον εἶναι καὶ ἄλλον ἄλλῳ, θεοειδῆ τὸν Φρύγα τὸν τοῦ Πριάμου, καὶ θεοείκελον πολλάκις τὸν Πηλέως. ἀλλὰ ἐπάνειμι αὖθις ἐπὶ τὰ γυναικεῖα τῶν παραδειγμάτων· ἀκούεις γὰρ δή που αὐτοῦ λέγοντος
"Ἀρτέμιδι ἰκέλη ἠὲ χρυσέῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ. "
καὶ
"οἵη δʼ Ἄρτεμις εἶσι κατʼ οὔρεος. "
Lycinus Take the case of Agamemnon, and see how much restraint he himself exercised regarding the gods and how economically he portioned out the likenesses to keep them in due proportion: as he says that his eyes and head were like Zeus, his waist like Ares, and his breast like Poseidon, dividing the man by his limbs to compare them to the likenesses of so many gods; and again, he says that someone is like "Ares, the bane of mortals," and another like some other god, calling the Phrygian, the son of Priam, "godlike in form," and the son of Peleus often "like unto a god." But let me return once more to the female examples; for you surely hear him saying: "Like unto Artemis or golden Aphrodite," and: "Even as Artemis goes along the mountains." Lycinus And he not only compares the humans themselves to gods, but he also compared the hair of Euphorbus to the Graces, and that too when it was drenched in blood.
§26Λυκῖνος
οὐ μόνον δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους αὐτοὺς θεοῖς ἀπεικάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Εὐφόρβου κόμην ταῖς Χάρισιν ἀπείκασε, καὶ ταῦτα αἵματι δεδευμένην. καὶ ὅλως τοσαῦτά ἐστιν τὰ τοιαῦτα ὡς μηδὲν εἶναι μέρος τῆς ποιήσεως ὃ μὴ ταῖς θείαις εἰκόσιν διακεκόσμηται.
And in general, such instances are so numerous that there is no part of his poetry which has not been adorned with divine images.
ὥστε ἢ κἀκεῖνα ἐξαληλίφθω, ἢ καὶ ἡμῖν τὰ ὅμοια τολμᾶν ἐφείσθω.
Therefore, either let those passages be wiped out, or let it be permitted to us also to venture similar things.
οὕτω δὲ τὸ κατὰ τὰς εἰκόνας καὶ τὰς ὁμοιώσεις ἀνεύθυνόν ἐστιν ὥστε Ὅμηρος καὶ τὰς θεὰς αὐτὰς οὐκ ὤκνησεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἐπαινέσαι· τοὺς γοῦν τῆς Ἥρας ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῖς τῶν βοῶν εἴκασεν· ἕτερος δέ τις ἰοβλέφαρον τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἔφη. τὴν μὲν γὰρ ῥοδοδάκτυλον τίς ἀγνοεῖ τῶν κἂν ἐπʼ ἐλάχιστον τῇ Ὁμήρου ποιήσει ὡμιληκότων;
Moreover, the practice regarding likenesses and comparisons is so free from liability that Homer did not hesitate to praise even the goddesses themselves by means of lesser things; at least he compared Hera's eyes to those of oxen, and another poet called Aphrodite "violet-lidded." For as to "rose-fingered," who is ignorant of it among those who have associated even in the slightest degree with Homer's poetry?
§27Λυκῖνος
Καίτοι τὰ μὲν τῆς μορφῆς ἔτι μετριώτερα, εἰ τις θεῷ ἐοικέναι λέγεται· ἀλλὰ τὰς προσηγορίας αὐτὰς πόσοι ἐμιμήσαντο τὰς τῶν θεῶν, Διονύσιοι καὶ Ἡφαιστίωνες καὶ Ζήνωνες καὶ Ποσειδώνιοι καὶ Ἑρμαῖ προσαγορευόμενοι;
Lycinus And yet, matters of physical appearance are still more moderate, if someone is said to resemble a god; but as to the very names of the gods, how many have imitated them, being addressed as Dionysii, Hephaestiones, Zenones, Poseidonii, and Hermae?
Λητὼ δὲ γυνή τις ἐγένετο Εὐαγόρου τοῦ Κυπρίων βασιλέως, καὶ ὅμως οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν ἡ θεὸς δυναμένη λίθον αὐτὴν ὥσπερ τὴν Νιόβην ἀπεργάσασθαι.
Moreover, Leto was the name of a certain woman, the wife of Evagoras, king of the Cyprians, and yet the goddess was not angry, although she was able to turn her into stone just like Niobe.
ἐῶ γὰρ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους, οἵπερ καὶ δεισιδαιμονέστατοί εἰσιν πάντων, ὅμως τοῖς θείοις ὀνόμασιν εἰς κόρον ἐπιχρωμένους· σχεδὸν γοῦν τὰ πλεῖστα αὐτοῖς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐστιν.
For I pass over the Egyptians, who, although they are the most superstitious of all people, nevertheless make abundant use of divine names to satiety; at least, nearly the majority of their names are derived from heaven.
§28Λυκῖνος
ὥστε οὐ πρός γε σοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον, ψοφοδεῶς διακεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἔπαινον· εἰ γάρ τι ἐν τῷ συγγράμματι πεπλημμέληται εἰς τὸ θεῖον, σὺ μὲν ἀνεύθυνος αὐτοῦ, ἐκτὸς εἰ μή τινα νομίζεις ἀκροάσεως εὔθυναν εἶναι, ἐμὲ δὲ ἀμυνοῦνται οἱ θεοί, ἐπειδὰν πρὸ ἐμοῦ τὸν Ὅμηρον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ποιητὰς ἀμύνωνται.
Lycinus Therefore, it is not like you to be so fearfully disposed towards praise; for if any offense against the divine has been committed in this writing, you indeed are free from liability for it, unless you think there is some accountability for listening; and as for me, the gods will punish me only after they have punished Homer and the other poets before me.
ἀλλʼ οὐδέπω οὐδὲ τὸν ἄριστον τῶν φιλοσόφων ἠμύναντο εἰκόνα θεοῦ τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰπόντα εἶναι.
Yet they have not even yet punished the best of the philosophers for saying that man is an image of God.
πολλὰ ἔτι ἔχων πρὸς σὲ εἰπεῖν Πολυστράτου ἕνεκα τούτου παύσομαι, ἵνα καὶ ἀπομνημονεῦσαι δυνηθῇ τὰ εἰρημένα.
Although I have many things still to say to you, I will stop for the sake of Polystratus here, so that he may be able to remember what has been said.
§29Πολύστρατος
οὐκ οἶδα εἴ μοι τοῦτο δυνατὸν ἔτι, ὦ Λυκῖνε· μακρὰ γὰρ εἴρηταί σοι καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἐκκεχυμένον.
Polystratus I do not know if this is still possible for me, Lycinus; for these things also have been spoken at length by you, and even beyond the water that has been poured out.
πειράσομαι δʼ ὅμως ἐπιμνησθῆναι αὐτῶν.
But nevertheless I will try to remember them.
καὶ ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἤδη ἀποσοβῶ παρʼ αὐτὴν ἐπιβυσάμενος τὰ ὦτα, ὡς μή τι παρεμπεσὸν ἄλλο συγχέῃ τὴν τάξιν αὐτῶν, εἶτά μοι συρίττεσθαι συμβῇ πρὸς τῶν θεατῶν.
And as you see, I am already hurrying away to her, stopping up my ears, so that nothing else falling in may confuse their order, and then it should happen that I am hissed off the stage by the spectators.
Λυκῖνος
αὐτῷ σοι μελήσει, ὦ Πολύστρατε, ὅπως ἄριστα ὑποκρίνῃ.
Lycinus It will be your own concern, Polystratus, how you may perform best.
ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπείπερ ἅπαξ σοι τὸ δρᾶμα παραδέδωκα, νῦν μὲν ἐκποδὼν ἀποστήσομαι· ὁπόταν δὲ τὰς ψήφους ἀνακηρύττωσι τῶν κριτῶν, τότε ἤδη καὶ αὐτὸς παρέσομαι ὀψόμενος ὁποῖόν τι τὸ τέλος τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἔσται.
For my part, since I have once handed over the play to you, I will for now stand out of the way; but when they announce the votes of the judges, then indeed I too will be present to see what kind of end the contest will have.