§9Λυκῖνος
τοῦ δὲ οὐ σωματικὴν λέγοντος εἶναι τὴν κρίσιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἐξέτασιν δεῖν γίγνεσθαι καὶ τῆς τῶν δογμάτων ἐπιστήμης.
Lycinus But the other argued that the judgment is not physical, but that there ought to be an examination of the soul and the mind, and of the knowledge of doctrines.
εἶθʼ ὁ Ἀριστοτέλης ἐκαλεῖτο μάρτυς τοῦ λόγου, εἰς ὑπερβολὴν θαυμάσας Ἑρμείαν τὸν εὐνοῦχον τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Ἀταρνέως τύραννον ἄχρι τοῦ καὶ θύειν αὐτῷ κατὰ ταὐτὰ τοῖς θεοῖς.
And then Aristotle was called as a witness for the argument, since he had admired Hermeias the eunuch, the tyrant of Atarneus, to excess, even to the point of sacrificing to him in the same manner as to the gods.
καί τι καὶ ἐτόλμα προστιθέναι ὁ Βαγώας τοιοῦτον, ὡς πολὺ ἐπιτηδειότερος τοῖς νέοις εὐνοῦχος διδάσκαλος οὐδὲ διαβολήν τινα πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐνδέξασθαι δυνάμενος οὐδὲ τὸ τοῦ Σωκράτους ἐκεῖνο ἔγκλημα παθεῖν ἂν ὡς διαφθείρων τὰ μειράκια.
And Bagoas even dared to add something of this sort: that a eunuch teacher is much more suitable for the youth, being unable to receive any slander in relation to them, nor would he suffer that famous accusation of Socrates, of corrupting the young men.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγένειον μάλιστα ἐσκώφθη, χαριέντως τοῦτο, ὡς γοῦν ᾤετο, προσέρριψεν· εἰ γὰρ ἀπὸ πώγωνος,
ἔφη,
βαθέος κρίνεσθαι δέοι τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας, τὸν τράγον ἂν δικαιότερον προκριθῆναι πάντων. §10Λυκῖνος
ἐν τούτῳ τρίτος ἄλλος παρεστώς — τὸ δὲ ὄνομα ἐν ἀφανεῖ κείσθω —
καὶ μήν
ἔφη,
ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὑτοσὶ ὁ τὰς γνάθους λεῖος καὶ τὸ φώνημα γυναικεῖος καὶ τὰ ἄλλα εὐνούχῳ ἐοικὼς εἰ ἀποδύσαιτο, πάνυ ἀνδρεῖος ὑμῖν φανεῖται·
But when he was also mocked especially for being beardless, he threw this in, gracefully as he at least thought: "For if," he said, "philosophers were to be judged by a deep beard, the he-goat would more justly be preferred above all." Lycinus At this point, a third person standing by—let his name remain in obscurity—said: "Indeed," he said, "gentlemen of the jury, this man with smooth cheeks and a feminine voice, who in other respects resembles a eunuch, if he were to strip, will appear to you as completely a man; and if those who speak about him do not lie, he was once even caught as an adulterer, as the law-table says, 'having limbs within limbs'.
εἰ δὲ μὴ ψεύδονται οἱ περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες, καὶ μοιχὸς ἑάλω ποτέ, ὡς ὁ ἄξων φησίν, ἄρθρα ἐν ἄρθροις ἔχων. ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἐς τὸν εὐνοῦχον ἀναφυγὼν καὶ τοῦτο κρησφύγετον εὑρόμενος ἀφείθη, ἀπιστησάντων τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τῶν τότε δικαστῶν ἀπό γε τῆς φανερᾶς ὄψεως· νῦν δὲ κἂν παλινῳδῆσαί μοι δοκεῖ τοῦ προκειμένου μισθοῦ ἕνεκα. §11Λυκῖνος
τούτων δὴ λεγομένων παρὰ πάντων μὲν γέλως ἐγίγνετο, ὡς τὸ εἰκός.
But at that time, by taking refuge in being a eunuch and finding this hiding place, he was released, since the judges of that time, at least from his visible appearance, disbelieved the accusation; but now he seems to me even ready to sing a palinode for the sake of the prize lying before him." Lycinus Indeed, when these things were said, laughter arose from everyone, as was natural.
Βαγώας δὲ μᾶλλον ἐταράττετο καὶ παντοῖος ἦν, ἐς μυρία τρεπόμενος χρώματα καὶ ψυχρῷ τῷ ἱδρῶτι ῥεόμενος, καὶ οὔτε συγκατατίθεσθαι τῷ περὶ τῆς μοιχείας ἐγκλήματι καλῶς ἔχειν ᾤετο οὔτε ἀχρεῖον αὑτῷ τὴν κατηγορίαν ταύτην ἐς τὸν παρόντα ἀγῶνα ἡγεῖτο εἶναι.
But Bagoas was more troubled and became all sorts of things, turning into ten thousand colors and flowing with cold sweat; and he did not think it was good to agree to the charge of adultery, nor did he think this accusation was useless to him for the present contest.
Πάμφιλος
γελοῖα, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς ἀληθῶς ταῦτα καὶ ἔοικεν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ὑμῖν διατριβὴν παρεσχῆσθαι.
Pamphilus Truly ridiculous, Lycinus, these things are, and it seems they provided you with no ordinary pastime.
τὸ δʼ οὖν τέλος τί ἐγένετο καὶ πῶς ἔγνωσαν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οἱ δικασταί;
But what was the end, and how did the judges decide concerning them?
§12Λυκῖνος
οὐχ ὁμόψηφοι πάντες ἦσαν, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἠξίουν ἀποδύσαντας αὐτὸν ὥσπερ τοὺς ἀργυρωνήτους ἐπισκοπεῖν εἰ δύναται φιλοσοφεῖν τά γε πρὸς τῶν ὄρχεων· οἱ δὲ ἔτι γελοιότερον μεταστειλαμένους τινὰς τῶν ἐξ οἰκήματος γυναικῶν κελεύειν αὐτὸν συνεῖναι καὶ ὀπυίειν, καί τινα τῶν δικαστῶν τὸν πρεσβύτατόν τε καὶ πιστότατον ἐφεστῶτα ὁρᾶν εἰ φιλοσοφεῖ.
Lycinus They were not all of the same opinion, but some demanded that, stripping him like purchased slaves, they should inspect whether he is able to practice philosophy at least as far as his testicles are concerned; while others, even more ridiculously, suggested that, sending for some women from a brothel, they should order him to have intercourse with them, and that one of the judges, the oldest and most trustworthy, should stand over them and see if he is practicing philosophy.
μετὰ δὲ ἐπεὶ πάντας ὁ γέλως κατεῖχε καὶ οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ τὴν γαστέρα ἤλγει βρασσόμενος ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἔγνωσαν ἀναπόμπιμον ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐκπέμψαι τὴν δίκην.
But afterward, when laughter possessed everyone and there was no one who did not pain in his stomach from being shaken by it, they decided to refer the case to Italy.
§13Λυκῖνος
καὶ νῦν ἅτερος μὲν πρὸς τὴν τῶν λόγων ἐπίδειξιν, ὥς φασιν, γυμνάζεται καὶ παρασκευάζεται καὶ κατηγορίαν συγκροτεῖ καὶ τὸ τῆς μοιχείας ἔγκλημα ὑποκινεῖ, ἐναντιώτατον αὑτῷ καὶ οὗτος κατὰ τοὺς φαύλους τῶν ῥητόρων τοῦτο ποιῶν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἄνδρας τὸν ἀντίδικον ἐκ τοῦ ἐγκλήματος καταλέγων· τῷ Βαγώᾳ δὲ ἕτερα, ὥς φασι, μέλει καὶ ἀνδρίζεται τὰ πολλὰ καὶ διὰ χειρὸς ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ τέλος κρατήσειν ἐλπίζει ἢν ἐπιδείξῃ ὡς οὐδὲν χείρων ἐστὶν τῶν τὰς ἵππους ἀναβαινόντων ὄνων.
Lycinus And now, one of them, as they say, is training and preparing for the display of speeches, and is drawing up an accusation, and stirring up the charge of adultery—doing in this what is most contrary to himself, just like poor rhetoricians, and by his accusation enrolling his opponent among the men; while Bagoas, as they say, has other concerns, behaves manly for the most part, has the matter in hand, and hopes in the end to win if he can demonstrate that he is not at all inferior to asses that mount mares.
αὕτη γάρ, ὦ ἑταῖρε, φιλοσοφίας ἀρίστη κρίσις ἔοικεν εἶναι καὶ ἀπόδειξις ἀναντίλεκτος.
For this, my friend, seems to be the best judgment of philosophy and an indisputable proof.
ὥστε καὶ τὸν υἱὸν — ἔτι δέ μοι κομιδῇ νέος ἐστίν — εὐξαίμην ἂν οὐ τὴν γνώμην οὐδὲ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀλλὰ τὸ αἰδοῖον ἕτοιμον ἐς φιλοσοφίαν ἔχειν.
So that I would pray that my son too—and he is still quite young—might have not his mind nor his tongue, but his member ready for philosophy.