§25ἄλλως τε ὁ μὲν Ἡρακλῆς, εἴπερ ἄρα καὶ ἐτόλμησέν τι τοιοῦτο, ὑπὸ νόσου αὐτὸ ἔδρασεν, ὑπὸ τοῦ Κενταυρείου αἵματος, ὥς φησιν ἡ τραγῳδία, κατεσθιόμενος· οὗτος δὲ τίνος αἰτίας ἕνεκεν ἐμβάλλει φέρων ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ πῦρ;
Moreover, Heracles, if indeed he did dare any such thing, did it because of sickness, being consumed by the Centaur's blood, as the tragedy says; but for what reason does this man cast himself into the fire?
νὴ Δίʼ, ὅπως τὴν καρτερίαν ἐπιδείξηται καθάπερ οἱ Βραχμᾶνες·
By Zeus, so that he may display his endurance like the Brahmans!
ἐκείνοις γὰρ αὐτὸν ἠξίου Θεαγένης εἰκάζειν, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐνὸν καὶ ἐν Ἰνδοῖς εἶναί τινας μωροὺς καὶ κενοδόξους ἀνθρώπους.
For Theagenes thought it fit to compare him to them, as if it were not possible for there to be some foolish and vain-glorious men even among the Indians.
ὅμως δʼ οὖν κἂν ἐκείνους μιμείσθω·
But anyway, let him at least emulate them.
ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐκ ἐμπηδῶσιν ἐς τὸ πῦρ, ὡς Ὀνησίκριτος ὁ Ἀλεξάνδρου κυβερνήτης ἰδὼν Κάλανον καόμενόν φησιν, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὰν νήσωσι, πλησίον παραστάντες ἀκίνητοι ἀνέχονται παροπτώμενοι, εἶτʼ ἐπιβάντες κατὰ σχῆμα καίονται, οὐδʼ ὅσον ὀλίγον ἐντρέψαντες τῆς κατακλίσεως.
For they do not leap into the fire, as Onesicritus, the pilot of Alexander, says who saw Calanus burning, but when they have built the pyre, standing near it motionless, they endure being roasted, and then ascending it in an orderly manner, they are burned, without altering their reclining posture even the slightest bit.
οὗτος δὲ τί μέγα εἰ ἐμπεσὼν τεθνήξεται συναρπασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός;
But what is great if this man, having fallen in, shall die, snatched up by the fire?
οὐκ ἀπʼ ἐλπίδος μὴ ἀναπηδήσασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἡμίφλεκτον, εἰ μή, ὅπερ φασί, μηχανήσεται βαθεῖαν γενέσθαι καὶ ἐν βόθρῳ τὴν πυράν.
It is not beyond expectation that he might leap out, even half-burnt, unless, as they say, he devises that the pyre be deep and in a pit.
§26εἰσὶ δʼ οἳ καὶ μεταβαλέσθαι φασιν αὐτὸν καί τινα ὀνείρατα διηγεῖσθαι, ὡς τοῦ Διὸς οὐκ ἐῶντος μιαίνειν ἱερὸν χωρίον.
There are some who even say that he has changed his mind and relates certain dreams, to the effect that Zeus does not allow him to defile a sacred place.
ἀλλὰ θαρρείτω τούτου γε ἕνεκα· ἐγὼ γὰρ διομοσαίμην ἂν ἦ μὴν μηδένα τῶν θεῶν ἀγανακτήσειν, εἰ Περεγρῖνος κακῶς ἀποθάνοι.
But let him be of good courage as far as this is concerned; for I would swear that indeed none of the gods will be angry if Peregrinus dies a miserable death.
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ ἔτʼ ἀναδῦναι· οἱ γὰρ συνόντες κύνες παρορμῶσιν καὶ συνωθοῦσιν ἐς τὸ πῦρ καὶ ὑπεκκάουσι τὴν γνώμην, οὐκ ἐῶντες ἀποδειλιᾶν·
Nevertheless, it is no longer easy for him to back out; for the dogs that accompany him urge him on and push him into the fire, and kindle his resolution, not allowing him to play the coward.
ὧν εἰ δύο συγκατασπάσας ἐμπέσοι εἰς τὴν πυράν, τοῦτο μόνον χάριεν ἂν ἐργάσαιτο.
If he should fall into the pyre dragging down two of them along with him, he would perform the only gratifying deed.
§27ἤκουον δὲ ὡς οὐδὲ Πρωτεὺς ἔτι καλεῖσθαι ἀξιοῖ, ἀλλὰ Φοίνικα μετωνόμασεν ἑαυτόν, ὅτι καὶ φοῖνιξ, τὸ Ἰνδικὸν ὄρνεον, ἐπιβαίνειν πυρᾶς λέγεται πορρωτάτω γήρως προβεβηκώς.
And I heard that he no longer deigns to be called Proteus, but has renamed himself Phoenix, because the phoenix, the Indian bird, is said to mount a pyre when it has advanced to the extreme of old age.
ἀλλὰ καὶ λογοποιεῖ καὶ χρησμούς τινας διέξεισιν παλαιοὺς δή, ὡς χρεὼν εἴη δαίμονα νυκτοφύλακα γενέσθαι αὐτόν, καὶ δῆλός ἐστι βωμῶν ἤδη ἐπιθυμῶν καὶ χρυσοῦς ἀναστήσεσθαι ἐλπίζων.
Moreover, he invents stories and recites certain prophecies, ancient indeed, to the effect that it is ordained for him to become a night-watching guardian spirit; and it is clear that he is already desiring altars and hoping that golden statues will be erected to him.
§28καὶ μὰ Δία οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς ἐν πολλοῖς τοῖς ἀνοήτοις εὑρεθήσεσθαί τινας τοὺς καὶ τεταρταίων ἀπηλλάχθαι διʼ αὐτοῦ φήσοντας καὶ νύκτωρ ἐντετυχηκέναι τῷ δαίμονι τῷ νυκτοφύλακι.
And by Zeus, it is not at all unlikely that among so many fools some will be found who will claim to have been cured of quartan fevers by him, and to have met the night-watching guardian spirit by night.
οἱ κατάρατοι δὲ οὗτοι μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ χρηστήριον, οἶμαι, καὶ ἄδυτον ἐπὶ τῇ πυρᾷ μηχανήσονται, διότι καὶ Πρωτεὺς ἐκεῖνος ὁ Διός, ὁ προπάτωρ τοῦ ὀνόματος, μαντικὸς ἦν.
And those accursed disciples of his will, I think, contrive an oracle and a shrine upon the pyre, because that famous Proteus, the son of Zeus and the ancestor of the name, was prophetic.
μαρτύρομαι δὲ ἦ μὴν καὶ ἱερέας αὐτοῦ ἀποδειχθήσεσθαι μαστίγων ἢ καυτηρίων ἤ τινος τοιαύτης τερατουργίας, ἢ καὶ νὴ Δία τελετήν τινα ἐπʼ αὐτῷ συστήσεσθαι νυκτέριον καὶ δᾳδουχίαν ἐπὶ τῇ πυρᾷ.
And I testify that indeed his priests will be appointed, for whippings or brandings or some such miraculous trickery, or even, by Zeus, some nocturnal initiation will be established in his honor and a torch-light procession at the pyre.
§29Θεαγένης δὲ ἔναγχος, ὥς μοί τις τῶν ἑταίρων ἀπήγγειλεν, καὶ Σίβυλλαν ἔφη προειρηκέναι περὶ τούτων· καὶ τὰ ἔπη γὰρ ἀπεμνημόνευεν· "
ἀλλʼ ὁπόταν Πρωτεὺς Κυνικῶν ὄχʼ ἄριστος ἁπάντων
Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούπου τέμενος κάτα πῦρ ἀνακαύσας
ἐς φλόγα πηδήσας ἔλθῃ ἐς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,
δὴ τότε πάντας ὁμῶς, οἳ ἀρούρης καρπὸν ἔδουσιν,
νυκτιπόλον τιμᾶν κέλομαι ἥρωα μέγιστον
σύνθρονον Ἡφαίστῳ καὶ Ἡρακλῆϊ ἄνακτι.
And Theagenes recently, as one of my companions reported to me, said that even the Sibyl had foretold these things; for he even recited the verses from memory: "But when Proteus, by far the best of all the Cynics, having kindled a fire in the precinct of loud-thundering Zeus, and having leapt into the flame, shall go to far Olympus, then indeed I bid all alike who eat the fruit of the field to honor the night-walking hero, the greatest of all, seated on the throne with Hephaestus and King Heracles.
" §30ταῦτα μὲν Θεαγένης Σιβύλλης ἀκηκοέναι φησίν.
"These things indeed Theagenes claims to have heard from the Sibyl.
ἐγὼ δὲ Βάκιδος αὐτῷ χρησμὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐρῶ· φησὶν δὲ ὁ Βάκις οὕτω, σφόδρα εὖ ἐπειπών,
"
Ἀλλʼ ὁπόταν Κυνικὸς πολυώνυμος ἐς φλόγα πολλὴν
πηδήσῃ δόξης ὑπʼ ἐρινύι θυμὸν ὀρινθείς,
δὴ τότε τοὺς ἄλλους κυναλώπεκας, οἵ οἱ ἕπονται,
μιμεῖσθαι χρὴ πότμον ἀποιχομένοιο λύκοιο.
But I will tell you a prophecy of Bacis concerning these matters; and Bacis speaks thus, hitting the mark exceedingly well: "But when the many-named Cynic into the great flame shall leap, his mind excited by the Fury of glory, then indeed the other dog-foxes who follow him must emulate the fate of the departed wolf.
ὃς δέ κε δειλὸς ἐὼν φεύγῃ μένος Ἡφαίστοιο,
λάεσσιν βαλέειν τοῦτον τάχα πάντας Ἀχαιούς,
ὡς μὴ ψυχρὸς ἐὼν θερμηγορέειν ἐπιχειρῇ
χρυσῷ σαξάμενος πήρην μάλα πολλὰ δανείζων,
ἐν καλαῖς Πάτραισιν ἔχων τρὶς πέντε τάλαντα.
And whosoever, being a coward, flees the might of Hephaestus, let all the Achaeans quickly pelt him with stones, so that he may not, being cold, attempt to speak hotly, having stuffed his scrip with gold, lending much money, possessing thrice five talents in beautiful Patrae.
"
τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ, ἄνδρες;
"What do you think, men?
ἆρα φαυλότερος χρησμολόγος ὁ Βάκις τῆς Σιβύλλης εἶναι;
Is Bacis a worse oracle-monger than the Sibyl?
ὥστε ὥρα τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς τούτοις ὁμιληταῖς τοῦ Πρωτέως περισκοπεῖν ἔνθα ἑαυτοὺς ἐξαερώσουσιν· τοῦτο γὰρ τὴν καῦσιν καλοῦσιν.
Therefore, it is high time for these wonderful companions of Proteus to look around for a place where they will "vaporize" themselves; for this is what they call their burning.