§11Ἰδὼν γάρ με σκυθρωπόν, ἐπὶ συννοίας βαδίζοντα, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἦν θεόν, ἔγνω αὐτίκα τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς λύπης τίς ἐστί μοι, καὶ ὡς τὴν πενίαν δυσχεραίνοιμι οὐ κατὰ τὴν ὥραν μονοχίτων· καὶ γὰρ κρύος καὶ βορρᾶς πολὺς καὶ κρύσταλλοι καὶ χιών· ἐγὼ δὲ ἥκιστα ἐπεφράγμην πρὸς αὐτά· ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς πάνυ πλησιαζούσης ἑώρων τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους παρασκευαζομένους ὅπως θύσωσι καὶ εὐωχήσωνται, ἐμαυτῷ δὲ οὐ πάνυ ἑορτάσιμα ὄντα.
For seeing me gloomy, walking in deep thought—as was natural for a god—he immediately knew what the cause of my grief was, and how I was vexed by my poverty, wearing only a single tunic out of season; for indeed there was cold and a strong north wind, ice and snow, and I was least protected against them; but also because, with the festival very near, I saw others preparing to sacrifice and feast, while for myself there was nothing at all festive.
καὶ δὴ προσελθὼν ὄπισθε καὶ τοῦ ὠτός μου λαβόμενος καὶ διασείσας, ὥσπερ μοι προσπελάζειν εἴωθε, Τί ταῦτα, ἔφη, ὦ Κρονοσόλων, ἀνιωμένῳ ἔοικας; Οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον, ἔφην, ὦ δέσποτα, ὅταν καταράτους μὲν καὶ μιαροὺς ἀνθρώπους ὑπερπλουτοῦντας καὶ μόνους τρυφῶντας ὁρῶν, αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι συχνοὶ τῶν πεπαιδευμένων ἀπορίᾳ καὶ ἀμηχανίᾳ σύνεσμεν;
And indeed coming up behind and taking hold of my ear and shaking it, as he is accustomed to approach me, he said, "What is this, Cronosolon? You seem to be grieved." "Is it not indeed fitting, master," I said, "when I see accursed and polluted men exceedingly rich and alone living delicately, while I myself and many others of the educated dwell in poverty and helplessness?
ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ σύ, ὦ δέσποτα, θέλεις παῦσαι ταῦτα καὶ μετακοσμῆσαι πρὸς τὸ ἰσόμοιρον. Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα, ἔφη, οὐ ῥάδιον ἀλλάττειν ὁπόσα ἐκ Κλωθοῦς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Μοιρῶν πάσχετε, ἃ δέ ἐστι τῆς ἑορτῆς, ἐπανορθώσομαι ὑμῖν τὴν πενίαν.
Will you not indeed, master, stop these things and reorder them toward an equal share?" "The other things," he said, "which you suffer from Clotho and the other Fates are not easy to change, but as for the things of the festival, I will remedy your poverty.
ἡ δὲ ἐπανόρθωσις ἥδε ἔστω· ἴθι, ὦ Κρονοσόλων, καὶ γράψον μοι νόμους τινάς, ἃ χρὴ πράττειν ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, ὡς μὴ καθ’ αὑτοὺς οἱ πλούσιοι ἑορτάζοιεν, κοινωνοῖεν δὲ ὑμῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδα, ἔφην.
And let the remedy be this: go, Cronosolon, and write down some laws for me, what must be done during the festival, so that the rich may not celebrate the festival by themselves, but may share their goods with you." "But I do not know how," I said.
Ἐγώ, ἦ δ’ ὅς, διδάξομαί σε· κᾆτα ἀρξάμενος ἐδίδασκεν.
"I," he said, "will teach you"; and then, having begun, he taught me.
§12εἶτα ἐπειδὴ πάντα ἠπιστάμήν, Καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς, ἔφη, ὅτι ἢν μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶσι, μὴ μάτην ἐγὼ τὴν ἅρπην ταύτην ὀξεῖαν περιφέρω, ἢ γελοῖος ἂν εἴην τὸν μὲν πατέρα ἐκτομίαν πεποιηκὼς τὸν Οὐρανόν, τοὺς δὲ πλουσίους μὴ εὐνουχίζων, ὁπόσοι ἂν παρανομήσωσιν, ὡς ἀγείροιεν τῇ μητρὶ σὺν αὐλοῖς καὶ τυμπάνοις βάκηλοι γενόμενοι. ταῦτα ἠπείλησεν.
Then when I understood everything, "And tell them," he said, "that if they do not do this, I do not carry this sharp sickle in vain; otherwise I should be ridiculous, having castrated my father Uranus, if I did not eunuchize the rich, as many as transgress the law, so that they might become begging priests collecting alms for the Mother with flutes and tympana." These things he threatened.
ὥστε καλῶς ἔχει ὑμῖν μὴ παραβαίνειν τοὺς θεσμούς.
So it is well for you not to transgress the ordinances.
§131.
1.
ΝΟΜΟΙ ΠΡΩΤΟΙ
Μηδένα μηδὲν μήτε ἀγοραῖον μήτε ἴδιον πράττειν ἐντὸς τῆς ἑορτῆς ἢ ὅσα ἐς παιδιὰν καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ θυμηδίαν· ὀψοποιοὶ μόνοι καὶ πεμματουργοὶ ἐνεργοὶ ἔστωσαν.
FIRST LAWS No one shall do any business, either public or private, during the festival, except what pertains to play, luxury, and delight; let only cooks and pastry-makers be active.
Ἰσοτιμία πᾶσιν ἔστω καὶ δούλοις καὶ ἐλευθέροις καὶ πένησι καὶ πλουσίοις.
Let there be equal status for all, both slaves and free, poor and rich.
Ὀργίζεσθαι ἢ ἀγανακτεῖν ἢ ἀπειλεῖν μηδενὶ ἐξέστω.
Let it not be permitted for anyone to be angry, or to be indignant, or to threaten.
Λογισμοὺς παρὰ τῶν ἐπιμελουμένων Κρονίοις λαμβάνειν μηδὲ τοῦτο ἐξέστω.
Let it not be permitted either to demand accounts from those managing the Cronian festival.
Μηδεὶς τὸν ἄργυρον ἢ τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἐξεταζέτω μηδὲ ἀναγραφέτω ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ μηδὲ γυμναζέσθω Κρονίοις μηδὲ λόγους ἀσκεῖν ἢ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, πλὴν εἴ τινες ἀστεῖοι καὶ φαιδροὶ σκῶμμα καὶ παιδιὰν ἐμφαίνοντες.
Let no one examine or record money or clothing during the festival, nor let anyone practice athletic exercises during the Cronian festival, nor practice or display speeches, unless they are witty and cheerful, showing jest and play.
§142.
2.
ΝΟΜΟΙ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΙ
Πρὸ πολλοῦ τῆς ἑορτῆς οἱ πλούσιοι γραφόντων μὲν ἐς πινάκιον ἑκάστου τῶν φίλων τοὔνομα, ἐχόντων δὲ καὶ ἀργύριον ἕτοιμον ὅσον τῶν κατ’ ἔτος προσιόντων τὸ δέκατον καὶ ἐσθῆτα τῆς οὔσης τὴν περιττὴν καὶ ὅση παχυτέρα ἢ κατ’ αὐτοὺς κατασκευή, καὶ τῶν ἀργυρῶν οὐκ ὀλίγα.
SECOND LAWS Long before the festival, let the rich write down the name of each of their friends in a tablet, and let them also have ready money amounting to one-tenth of their annual income, and excess clothing of what they have, of a thicker quality than is according to their own standard, and not a few silver vessels.
ταῦτα μὲν πρόχειρα ἔστω.
Let these be ready at hand.
Τῇ δὲ πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς καθάρσιον μέν τι περιφερέσθω καὶ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ἐξελαυνέσθω ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μικρολογία καὶ φιλαργυρία καὶ φιλοκερδία καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα ἄλλα σύνοικα τοῖς πλείστοις αὐτῶν.
On the day before the festival, let a certain purification be carried around, and let meanness, love of money, greed, and all other such things that cohabit with most of them be driven out of the house by them.
Ἐπειδὰν δὲ καθαρὰν τὴν οἰκίαν ἐξεργάσωνται, θυόντων Διὶ πλουτοδότῃ καὶ Ἑρμῇ δώτορι καὶ Ἀπόλλωνι μεγαλοδώρῳ.
And when they have made the house clean, let them sacrifice to Zeus the giver of wealth, Hermes the giver, and Apollo the generous giver.
Εἶτα περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἀναγινωσκέσθω μὲν σφίσι τὸ φιλικὸν ἐκεῖνο πινάκιον.
Then around late afternoon, let that friendly tablet be read to them.