§23Ζεύς
εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Ἄπολλον.
Zeus: "You speak well, Apollo.
ἀλλὰ καὶ σύ, ὦ Ἡράκλεις, ἅμα καὶ τὴν Φιλοσοφίαν αὐτὴν ἔχοντες ἄπιτε ὡς τάχιστα εἰς τὸν βίον.
But you too, Heracles, go as quickly as possible into the world of men, taking Philosophy herself with you.
τρισκαιδέκατον γοῦν ἆθλον οἴου τοῦτον οὐ σμικρὸν ἐκτελέσειν, ἢν ἐκκόψῃς μιαρὰ οὕτω καὶ ἀναίσχυντα θηρία. Ἡρακλῆς
καὶ μὴν ἄμεινον ἦν, ὦ πάτερ, τὴν κόπρον ἐκκαθᾶραι αὖθις τὴν Αὐγέου ἢ τούτοις συμπλέκεσθαι.
Consider this no small thirteenth labor to perform, if you cut off these filthy and shameless beasts." Heracles: "Indeed, Father, it would have been better to clean the stable of Augeas again than to grapple with these fellows.
ἀπίωμεν δʼ ὅμως. Φιλοσοφία
ἄκουσα μέν, ἀκολουθητέον δὲ κατὰ τὰ δόξαντα τῷ πατρί.
Nevertheless, let us go." Philosophy: "Unwilling though I am, I must follow according to what seemed best to my father." Hermes: "Let us go down, so that we may destroy at least a few of them today.
§24Ἑρμῆς
Κατίωμεν, ὡς κἂν ὀλίγους αὐτῶν ἐπιτρίψωμεν σήμερον. ποίαν δὲ χρὴ τραπέσθαι, ὦ Φιλοσοφία;
But which way should we turn, Philosophy?
σὺ γὰρ οἶσθα ὅπου εἰσίν.
For you know where they are.
ἢ πρόδηλον ὅτι ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι; Φιλοσοφία
οὐδαμῶς, ἢ πάνυ ὀλίγοι, ὅσοι ὀρθῶς φιλοσοφοῦσιν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ.
Or is it obvious that they are in Greece?" Philosophy: "Not at all, or very few, as many as philosophize rightly, Hermes.
οὗτοι δὲ οὐδὲν Ἀττικῆς πενίας δέονται, ἀλλʼ ἔνθα πολὺς χρυσὸς ἢ ἄργυρος ὀρύττεται, ἐκεῖ που ζητητέοι εἰσὶν ἡμῖν. Ἑρμῆς
οὐκοῦν εὐθὺ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἀπιτέον. Ἡρακλῆς
εὖ λέγεις, καὶ ἡγήσομαί γε ὑμῖν τῆς ὁδοῦ.
These men have no need of Attic poverty; but where much gold or silver is mined, somewhere there we must look for them." Hermes: "Then we must go straight to Thrace." Heracles: "You speak well, and I will indeed lead the way for you.
οἶδα γὰρ τὰ Θρᾳκῶν ἅπαντα, συχνάκις ἐπελθών.
For I know all the affairs of the Thracians, having visited them often.
καί μοι τήνδε ἤδη τραπώμεθα. Ἑρμῆς
ποίαν λέγεις; §25Ἡρακλῆς
ὁρᾶτε, ὦ Ἑρμῆ καὶ Φιλοσοφία, δύο μὲν ὄρη μέγιστα καὶ κάλλιστα ὀρῶν ἁπάντων (Αἷμός ἐστιν τὸ μεῖζον, ἡ καταντικρὺ δὲ Ῥοδόπη) πεδίον δὲ ὑποπεπταμένον πάμφορον, ἀπὸ τῶν προπόδων ἑκατέρων εὐθὺς ἀρξάμενον, καί τινας λόφους τρεῖς πάνυ καλοὺς ἀνεστηκότας, οὐκ ἀμόρφους τὴν τραχύτητα, οἷον ἀκροπόλεις πολλὰς τῆς ὑποκειμένης πόλεως.
Come, let us turn this way now." Hermes: "Which way do you mean?" Heracles: "Do you see, Hermes and Philosophy, two very great mountains, the most beautiful of all mountains (Haemus is the larger, and Rhodope is opposite), and a very fertile plain lying below, beginning straight from the foot of each, and three very beautiful hills standing up, not shapeless in their roughness, like so many acropolises of the city lying beneath?
καὶ ἡ πόλις γὰρ ἤδη φαίνεται. Ἑρμῆς
νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ Ἡράκλεις, μεγίστη καὶ καλλίστη ἁπασῶν· πόρρωθεν γοῦν ἀπολάμπει τὸ κάλλος.
Indeed, the city is already visible." Hermes: "By Zeus, Heracles, it is very large and the most beautiful of all; at least, its beauty shines out from afar.
καί τις καὶ ποταμὸς μέγιστος παραμείβεται, πάνυ ἐν χρῷ ψαύων αὐτῆς. Ἡρακλῆς
Ἕβρος μὲν οὗτος, ἡ δὲ πόλις ἔργον Φιλίππου ἐκείνου.
And a very great river also flows past, touching its very edge." Heracles: "This is the Hebrus, and the city is the work of that Philip.
καὶ ἡμεῖς ἤδη πρόσγειοι καὶ ὑπονέφελοι· ὥστε ἐπιβαίνωμεν ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ. §26Ἑρμῆς
οὕτω γινέσθω.
And we are already close to the ground and under the clouds; so let us land with good fortune." Hermes: "So let it be.
τί δʼ οὖν χρὴ ποιεῖν, ἢ πῶς τὰ θηρία ἐξιχνευτέον; Ἡρακλῆς
τοῦτο μὲν σὸν ἤδη ἔργον, ὦ Ἑρμῆ· κῆρυξ γὰρ εἶ, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις κηρύττων.
But what must we do, or how must we track the beasts?" Heracles: "This is now your job, Hermes; for you are a herald, so you should lose no time in making a proclamation." Hermes: "This is not at all difficult, but I do not know their names.
Ἑρμῆς
οὐδὲν τοῦτο χαλεπόν, ἀλλὰ τά γε ὀνόματα οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι αὐτῶν. σὺ οὖν, Φιλοσοφία, λέγε οὕστινας ὀνομαστέον, καὶ τὰ σημεῖα προσέτι. Φιλοσοφία
οὐδὲ αὐτὴ μὲν οἶδα τὸ σαφὲς οἵτινες ὀνομάζονται διὰ τὸ μὴ ξυγγεγενῆσθαί ποτε αὐτοῖς· ἀπὸ δʼ οὖν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἣν ἔχουσι περὶ τὰ κτήματα, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις προσκαλῶν Κτήσωνας ἢ Κτησίππους ἢ Κτησικλέας ἢ Εὐκτήμονας ἢ Πολυκτήτους.
So you, Philosophy, tell me whom we must call, and their descriptions as well." Philosophy: "I myself do not know clearly what they are called, because I have never associated with them; but from the desire they have for possessions, you would not go wrong by calling them Cteson, Ctesippus, Ctesicles, Euctemon, or Polyctetus." Hermes: "You speak well.
§27Ἑρμῆς
εὖ λέγεις. ἀλλὰ τίνες οὗτοί εἰσιν ἢ τί περισκοποῦσιν καὶ αὐτοί;
But who are these men, or what are they too looking around for?
μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ προσίασιν καί τι καὶ ἐρέσθαι θέλουσιν. Ἀνήρ
ἆρʼ ἂν ἔχοιτε ἡμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες, εἰπεῖν, ἢ σύ, ὦ βελτίστη, εἴ τινας τρεῖς γόητας ἅμα εἴδετε καί τινα γυναῖκα ἐν χρῷ κεκαρμένην εἰς τὸ Λακωνικόν, ἀρρενωπὴν καὶ κομιδῇ ἀνδρικήν; Φιλοσοφία
παπαῖ, τὰ ἡμέτερα οὗτοι ζητοῦσιν.
Rather, they are even approaching and want to ask something." A Man: "Could you tell us, gentlemen, or you, best of women, if you have seen three charlatans together and a woman shorn to the skin in the Laconian style, masculine and completely manly?" Philosophy: "My goodness, they are looking for our people!" A Man: "How 'your people'?
Ἀνήρ
πῶς τὰ ὑμέτερα; δραπέται γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἅπαντες.
For those fellows are all runaway slaves.
ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν γυναῖκα μάλιστα μέτιμεν ἠνδραποδισμένην πρὸς αὐτῶν. Ἑρμῆς
εἴσεσθε δὴ καθʼ ὅ τι καὶ ζητοῦμεν αὐτούς.
And we are pursuing the woman especially, who has been enslaved by them." Hermes: "You will indeed know why we too are seeking them.
τὸ νῦν δὲ ἅμα κηρύττωμεν. εἴ τις εἶδεν ἀνδράποδον Παφλαγονικὸν τῶν ἀπὸ Σινώπης βαρβάρων, ὄνομα τοιοῦτον οἷον ἀπὸ κτημάτων, ὕπωχρον, ἐν χρῷ κουρίαν, ἐν γενείῳ βαθεῖ, πήραν ἐξημμένον καὶ τριβώνιον ἀμπεχόμενον, ὀργίλον, ἄμουσον, τραχύφωνον, λοίδορον, μηνύειν ἐπὶ ῥητῷ αὐτόν. Δεσπότης α §28ἀνόμοιον, ὦ οὗτος, ὃ κηρύττεις· ὡς ἐκείνῳ γε ὄνομα ἦν παρʼ ἐμοὶ Κάνθαρος, καὶ ἐκόμα δὲ καὶ τὸ γένειον ἐτίλλετο καὶ τέχνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἠπίστατο· ἀπέκειρεν γὰρ ἐν τῷ γναφείῳ καθήμενος ὁπόσον περιττὸν τοῖς ἱματίοις τῶν κροκύδων ἐπανθεῖ. Φιλοσοφία
ἐκεῖνος αὐτός ἐστιν, ὁ οἰκέτης ὁ σός, ἀλλὰ νῦν φιλοσόφῳ ἔοικεν ἀκριβῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐπιγνάψας.
But for now, let us make a joint proclamation: 'If anyone has seen a Paphlagonian slave, one of the barbarians from Sinope, with a name derived from possessions, sallow, shorn close to the skin, with a deep beard, carrying a pouch and wearing a coarse cloak, quick-tempered, uncultured, harsh-voiced, abusive, let him report him for a stated reward.'" First Master: "What you are proclaiming, my friend, is different; for when he was with me, his name was Cantharus, and he used to wear his hair long, and his beard was plucked, and he knew my trade; for he sat in the fuller's shop and sheared off all the superfluous nap that blossoms on garments." Philosophy: "That is the very man, your servant, but now he looks exactly like a philosopher, having finished himself off perfectly." First Master: "Oh, what audacity!
Δεσπότης α
ὢ τῆς τόλμης, ὁ Κάνθαρος φιλοσοφεῖ, φησίν, ἡμῶν δὲ οὐδεὶς λόγος. Δεσπότης
β Ἀμέλει ἅπαντας ἀνευρήσομεν· ξυνίησιν γάρ, ὥς φησιν, αὕτη.
Cantharus is philosophizing, he says, and has no regard for us." Second Master: "Never mind, we shall find them all; for this lady, as she says, understands."