§1ΙΕΡΕΥΣ
Ὦ Κρόνε, σὺ γὰρ ἔοικας ἄρχειν τό γε νῦν εἶναι καὶ σοὶ τέθυται καὶ κεκαλλιέρηται παρ’ ἡμῶν, τί ἂν μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν αἰτήσας λάβοιμι παρὰ σοῦ;
PRIEST O Cronus, for you seem to rule, at least as things now stand, and sacrifice has been made and auspicious offerings offered to you by us, what might I receive from you by asking especially upon these sacrifices?
ΚΡΟΝΟΣ
Τοῦτο μὲν αὐτόν σε καλῶς ἔχει ἐσκέφθαι ὅ τι σοι εὐκτέον, εἰ μὴ καὶ μάντιν ἅμα ἐθέλεις εἶναι τὸν ἄρχοντα, εἰδέναι τί σοι ἥδιον αἰτεῖν.
CRONUS This indeed it is well for you yourself to have considered, what you should pray for, unless you also wish the ruler to be a diviner at the same time, so as to know what is more pleasant for you to ask.
ἐγὼ δὲ τά γε δυνατὰ οὐκ ἀνανεύσω πρὸς τὴν εὐχήν.
But I, for my part, will not refuse your prayer as far as possible things are concerned.
ΙΕΡΕΥΣ
Ἀλλὰ πάλαι ἔσκεμμαι.
PRIEST But I have long since considered.
ἐρῶ γὰρ τὰ κοινὰ ταυτὶ καὶ πρόχειρα—πλοῦτον καὶ χρυσὸν πολὺν καὶ ἀγρῶν δεσπότην εἶναι καὶ ἀνδράποδα πολλὰ κεκτῆσθαι καὶ ἐσθῆτας εὐανθεῖς καὶ μαλακὰς καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ ἐλέφαντα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα τίμια.
For I shall speak of these common and obvious things—wealth and much gold, and to be master of fields, and to possess many slaves, and bright and soft garments, and silver and ivory, and all other things that are prized.
τούτων οὖν, ὦ ἄριστε Κρόνε, δίδου μοι, ὥς τι καὶ αὐτὸν ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς σῆς ἀρχῆς μηδὲ ἄμοιρον εἶναι μόνον αὐτὸν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου.
Give me, therefore, O best Cronus, some of these, so that I myself too may enjoy your rule in some way, and not be the only one without a share through my whole life.
§2ΚΡΟΝΟΣ
Ὁρᾷς;
CRONUS Do you see?
οὐ κατ’ ἐμὲ τοῦτο ᾔτησας.
You have asked this not in accordance with my power.
οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν διανέμειν τὰ τοιαῦτα.
For it is not mine to distribute such things.
ὥστε μὴ ἄχθου, εἰ ἀτυχήσειας αὐτῶν, ἀλλ’ αἴτει παρὰ τοῦ Διός, ὁπόταν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἡ ἀρχὴ περιέλθῃ μετ’ ὀλίγον.
So do not be vexed if you should fail to obtain them, but ask from Zeus, whenever the rule passes over to him in a little while.
ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς παραλαμβάνω τὴν δυναστείαν.
For I receive the sovereignty on specified terms.
ἑπτὰ μὲν ἡμερῶν ἡ πᾶσα βασιλεία, καὶ ἢν ἐκπρόθεσμος τούτων γένωμαι, ἰδιώτης εὐθύς εἰμι καί που τοῦ πολλοῦ δήμου εἷς.
My whole reign is of seven days, and if I go beyond the term of these, I am immediately a private citizen and just one of the great multitude.
ἐν αὐταῖς δὲ ταῖς ἑπτὰ σπουδαῖον μὲν οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἀγοραῖον διοικήσασθαί μοι συγκεχώρηται, πίνειν δὲ καὶ μεθύειν καὶ βοᾶν καὶ παίζειν καὶ κυβεύειν καὶ ἄρχοντας καθιστάναι καὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας εὐωχεῖν καὶ γυμνὸν ᾄδειν καὶ κροτεῖν ὑποτρέμοντα, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ἐς ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὠθεῖσθαι ἀσβόλῳ κεχρισμένον τὸ πρόσωπον, ταῦτα ἐφεῖταί μοι ποιεῖν.
And during these seven days, it is not permitted to me to administer anything serious or public, but to drink and be drunk, and shout and play, and play at dice, and appoint rulers, and feast the servants, and sing naked, and clap hands while trembling slightly, and sometimes even to be pushed headlong into cold water, with one's face smeared with soot—these things are permitted to me to do.
τὰ μεγάλα δὲ ἐκεῖνα, τὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ὁ Ζεὺς διαδίδωσιν οἷς ἂν ἐθέλῃ.
But those great things, wealth and gold, Zeus distributes to whomever he wishes.
§3ΙΕΡΕΥΣ
Ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνος, ὦ Κρόνε, ῥᾳδίως καὶ προχείρως.
PRIEST But not even he, O Cronus, gives them easily and readily.
ἐγὼ γ’ οὖν ἤδη ἀπηγόρευκα αἰτῶν μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, ὁ δ’ οὐκ ἐπαΐει τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αἰγίδα ἐπισείων καὶ τὸν κεραυνὸν ἐπανατεινόμενος δριμὺ ἐνορῶν ἐκπλήττει τοὺς ἐνοχλοῦντας.
I, at any rate, have already grown weary of asking with a loud voice, but he does not listen at all, but shaking his aegis and brandishing his thunderbolt, looking fiercely, he terrifies those who trouble him.
ἢν δέ ποτε καὶ ἐπινεύσῃ τινὶ καὶ πλούσιον ποιῇ, πολὺ τὸ ἄκριτον ἐνταῦθα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἐνίοτε καὶ συνετοὺς ἀφεὶς ὁ δὲ παμπονήροις τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ἀνδράσι περιχεῖ τὸν πλοῦτον, μαστιγίαις ἢ ἀνδρογύνοις τοῖς πλείστοις αὐτῶν.
And if ever he does nod assent to someone and make him rich, there is much lack of discernment there, and sometimes passing by the good and sensible men, he pours wealth over utterly wicked and foolish men, scourged slaves or effeminates, for the most part.
πλὴν τά γε σοὶ δυνατὰ ἐθέλω εἰδέναι τίνα ταῦτά ἐστιν.
However, I wish to know what those things are that are possible for you.
§4ΚΡΟΝΟΣ
Οὐ μικρὰ ὅλως οὐδὲ παντάπασιν εὐκαταφρόνητα ὡς πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν ἐξετάζεσθαι τῆς συμπάσης ἀρχῆς—εἰ μή σοί γε μικρὸν δοκεῖ τὸ νικᾶν κυβεύοντα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐς τὴν μονάδα κυλιομένου τοῦ κύβου σοὶ τὴν ἑξάδα ὑπεράνω ἀεὶ φαίνεσθαι.
CRONUS Not small at all, nor altogether contemptible, if they are examined in relation to the power of my whole reign—unless indeed it seems a small thing to you to win when playing at dice and, while the die rolls to the ace for others, for you the six always appears on top.
πολλοὶ γοῦν ἐς κόρον ἀπὸ τοῦ τοιούτου ἐπεσιτίσαντο, οἷς ἵλεως καὶ φορὸς ὁ κύβος ἐπινεύσει· οἱ δὲ ἔμπαλιν γυμνοὶ ἐξενήξαντο συντριβέντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ σκάφους περὶ οὕτω μικρῷ ἕρματι τῷ κύβῳ.
Many, at least, have provisioned themselves to satiety from such a thing, to whom the die, gracious and favorable, nods assent; while others on the contrary have swum out naked, their vessel shattered for them upon such a small reef as the die.
καὶ μὴν καὶ πιεῖν ἐς τὸ ἥδιστον καὶ ᾠδικώτερον ἄλλου δόξαι ᾆσαι ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ καὶ διακονουμένων τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἐς τὸ ὕδωρ ἐμπεσεῖν—τοῦτο γὰρ τοὐπιτίμιον τῆς ἀδεξίου διακονίας—σὲ δὲ ἀνακηρυχθῆναι καλλίνικον καὶ τἆθλα φέρεσθαι τὸν ἀλλᾶντα—ὁρᾷς ἡλίκον τὸ ἀγαθόν;
And furthermore, to drink to the highest pleasure, and to be thought to sing more musically than anyone else at the banquet, and when they are being served, that the others indeed fall into the water—for this is the penalty of clumsy service—but you are proclaimed victorious and carry off the sausage as a prize—do you see how great a good that is?
ἔτι καὶ βασιλέα μόνον ἐφ’ ἁπάντων γενέσθαι τῷ ἀστραγάλῳ κρατήσαντα, ὡς μήτε ἐπιταχθείης γελοῖα ἐπιτάγματα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιτάττειν ἔχοις, τῷ μὲν αἰσχρόν τι περὶ αὑτοῦ ἀναβοῆσαι, τῷ δὲ γυμνὸν ὀρχήσασθαι καὶ ἀράμενον τὴν αὐλητρίδα τρὶς τὴν οἰκίαν περιελθεῖν—πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ ταῦτα δείγματα μεγαλοδωρίας τῆς ἐμῆς;
Furthermore, also to become sole king over everyone by winning with the knucklebones, so that you would neither be commanded ridiculous commands, and you yourself would be able to command, to one to shout out something shameful about himself, to another to dance naked and, lifting up the flute-girl, to carry her three times around the house—how are these too not proofs of my munificence?
εἰ δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀληθῆ μηδὲ βέβαιον γίγνεσθαι τὴν τοιαύτην βασιλείαν αἰτιάσει, ἄγνωμον ποιήσεις ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ἐμὲ τὸν ταῦτα διανέμοντα ὀλιγοχρόνιον τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα.
And if you object that such a kingship is not real or lasting, you will act unfairly, seeing that I myself, who distribute these things, hold my rule for a short time.
τούτων δ’ οὖν ἅ μοι δυνατὰ δοῦναι, τῶν πεττῶν, τοῦ ἄρχειν, τοῦ ᾄδειν καὶ τῶν ἃ κατηριθμησάμην, θαρρῶν αἴτει, ὡς ἐμοῦ πρὸς οὐδὲν δεδιξομένου σε τῇ αἰγίδι καὶ τῷ κεραυνῷ.
Therefore, of these things which are possible for me to give—dice-playing, ruling, singing, and the things I have enumerated—ask with confidence, knowing that I will in no way terrify you with the aegis and the thunderbolt.