§23ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
εἶτα δεῖπνα ἐπὶ χρυσοῦ—εὐτελὴς γὰρ ὁ ἄργυρος καὶ οὐ κατ' ἐμέ—, τάριχος μὲν ἐξ Ἰβηρίας, οἶνος δὲ ἐξ Ἰταλίας, ἔλαιον δὲ ἐξ Ἰβηρίας καὶ τοῦτο, μέλι δὲ ἡμέτερον τὸ ἄπυρον, καὶ ὄψα πανταχόθεν καὶ σύες καὶ λαγώς, καὶ ὅσα πτηνά, ὄρνις ἐκ Φάσιδος καὶ ταὼς ἐξ Ἰνδίας καὶ ἀλεκτρυὼν ὁ Νομαδικός· οἱ δὲ σκευάζοντες ἕκαστα σοφισταί τινες περὶ πέμματα καὶ χυμοὺς ἔχοντες.
ADEIMANTUS "And then dinners served on gold—for silver is cheap and not suited for me—, salted fish from Iberia, wine from Italy, olive oil from Iberia as well, our own honey processed without fire, and delicacies from everywhere, wild boars, hares, and all kinds of birds, pheasants from Phasis, peacocks from India, and Numidian hens; and those who prepare each of these shall be certain experts in pastries and sauces.
εἰ δέ τινι προπίοιμι σκύφον ἢ φιάλην αἰτήσας, ὁ ἐκπιὼν ἀποφερέτω καὶ τὸ ἔκπωμα. §24ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
οἱ δὲ νῦν πλούσιοι πρὸς ἐμὲ Ἶροι δηλαδὴ ἅπαντες, καὶ οὐκέτι τὸ ἀργυροῦν πινάκιον ἢ τὸν σκύφον ἐπιδείξεται Διόνικος ἐν τῇ πομπῇ, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπειδὰν ὁρᾷ τοὺς οἰκέτας τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀργύρῳ τοσούτῳ χρωμένους.
And if I should drink to anyone, having asked for a cup or a bowl, let the one who drinks it off carry away the cup as well." ADEIMANTUS "The present rich, of course, will all be Iruses compared to me, and Dionycus will no longer show off his silver plate or cup in the procession, especially when he sees my servants using so much silver.
τῇ πόλει δὲ ταῦτα ἐξαίρετα παρ' ἐμοῦ ὑπῆρξεν ἄν, αἱ μὲν διανομαὶ κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστον δραχμαὶ τῷ μὲν ἀστῷ ἑκατόν, τῷ δὲ μετοίκῳ ἥμισυ τούτων, δημοσίᾳ δὲ ὅσα ἐς κάλλος θέατρα καὶ βαλανεῖα, καὶ τὴν θάλατταν ἄχρι πρὸς τὸ Δίπυλον ἥκειν κἀνταῦθά που λιμένα εἶναι ἐπαχθέντος ὀρύγματι μεγάλῳ τοῦ ὕδατος, ὡς τὸ πλοῖόν μου πλησίον ὁρμεῖν καταφανὲς ὂν ἐκ τοῦ Κεραμεικοῦ. §25ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
τοῖς φίλοις δὲ ὑμῖν, Σαμίππῳ μὲν εἴκοσι μεδίμνους ἐπισήμου χρυσίου παραμετρῆσαι τὸν οἰκονόμον ἐκέλευσα ἄν, Τιμολάῳ δὲ πέντε χοίνικας, Λυκίνῳ δὲ χοίνικα, ἀπομεμαγμένην καὶ ταύτην, ὅτι λάλος ἐστὶ καὶ ἐπισκώπτει μου τὴν εὐχήν.
And to the city these extraordinary things would have been provided by me: monthly distributions of a hundred drachmas to every citizen, and half of this to each resident alien, and publicly, beautiful theaters and baths, and the sea reaching all the way to the Dipylon, and a harbor being there, the water having been brought in by a great excavation, so that my ship can anchor close by, being visible from the Ceramicus." ADEIMANTUS "And to you, my friends, I would have ordered the steward to measure out twenty medimnoi of coined gold to Samippus, five choinikes to Timolaus, and to Lycinus one choinix, and that one scraped level, because he is talkative and mocks my wish.
τοῦτον ἐβουλόμην βιῶναι τὸν βίον πλουτῶν ἐς ὑπερβολὴν καὶ τρυφῶν καὶ πάσαις ἡδοναῖς ἀφθόνως χρώμενος.
This is the life I wished to live, being rich to excess, living luxuriously, and enjoying all pleasures without stint.
εἴρηκα, καί μοι ὁ Ἑρμῆς τελεσιουργήσειεν αὐτά. §26ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Οἶσθα οὖν, ὦ Ἀδείμαντε, ὡς πάνυ σοι ἀπὸ λεπτῆς κρόκης ὁ πᾶς οὑτοσὶ πλοῦτος ἀπήρτηται, καὶ ἢν ἐκείνη ἀπορραγῇ, πάντα οἴχεται καὶ ἄνθρακές σοι ὁ θησαυρὸς ἔσται; ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟ
Πῶς λέγεις, ὦ Λυκῖνε; ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Ὅτι, ὦ ἄριστε, ἄδηλον ὁπόσον χρόνον βιώσει πλουτῶν.
I have spoken, and may Hermes bring these things to completion for me." LYCINUS "Do you know then, Adeimantus, that this entire wealth of yours is suspended from a very thin thread, and if that breaks, all is gone and your treasure will turn to ashes?" ADEIMANTUS "How do you mean, Lycinus?" LYCINUS "Because, my good friend, it is unclear how long a time you will live in your wealth.
τίς γὰρ οἶδεν εἰ ἔτι παρακειμένης σοι τῆς χρυσῆς τραπέζης, πρὶν ἐπιβαλεῖν τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἀπογεύσασθαι τοῦ ταὼ ἢ τοῦ Νομάδος ἀλεκτρυόνος, ἀποφυσήσας τὸ ψυχίδιον ἄπει γυψὶ καὶ κόραξι πάντα ἐκεῖνα καταλιπών;
For who knows if, while the golden table is still set before you, before you can put your hand to it and taste the peacock or the Numidian hen, you will blow out your little soul and depart to the vultures and crows, leaving all those things behind?
ἢ ἐθέλεις καταριθμήσομαί σοι τοὺς μὲν αὐτίκα πρὶν ἀπολαῦσαι τοῦ πλούτου ἀποθανόντας, ἐνίους δὲ καὶ ζῶντας ἀποστερηθέντας ὧν εἶχον ὑπό τινος βασκάνου πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα δαίμονος;
Or do you want me to list for you those who died immediately before enjoying their wealth, and some who, even while living, were deprived of what they had by some demon hostile to such things?
ἀκούεις γάρ που τὸν Κροῖσον καὶ τὸν Πολυκράτην πολύ σου πλουσιωτέρους γενομένους ἐκπεσόντας ἐν βραχεῖ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων. §27ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
ἵνα δέ σοι καὶ τούτους ἀφῶ, τό γε ὑγιαίνειν ἐχέγγυον οἴει σοι γενήσεσθαι καὶ βέβαιον;
For surely you hear that Croesus and Polycrates, who became far richer than you, fell in a short time from all their blessings." LYCINUS "And even if I let these cases go for you, do you think that being healthy will be guaranteed and secure for you?
ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς πολλοὺς τῶν πλουσίων κακοδαιμόνως διάγοντας ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων, τοὺς μὲν οὐδὲ βαδίζειν δυναμένους, ἐνίους δὲ τυφλοὺς ἢ τῶν ἐντοσθιδίων τι ἀλγοῦντας;
Or do you not see many of the rich living miserably because of pains, some not even able to walk, others blind or suffering from some disease of the internal organs?
ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιο πλουτῶν δὶς τοσοῦτον πλοῦτον ὅμοια πάσχειν Φανομάχῳ τῷ πλουσίῳ καὶ θηλύνεσθαι ὡς ἐκεῖνος εὖ οἶδα, κἂν μὴ εἴπῃς.
For that you would not choose, though possessing twice as much wealth, to suffer the same things as Phanomachus the rich man and to be effeminated like him, I know well, even if you do not say so.
ἐῶ λέγειν ὅσας ἐπιβουλὰς μετὰ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ λῃστὰς καὶ φθόνον καὶ μῖσος παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν.
I refrain from mentioning how many plots come with wealth, and robbers, and envy, and hatred from the many.
ὁρᾷς οἵων σοι πραγμάτων αἴτιος ὁ θησαυρὸς γίγνεται; ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
Ἀεὶ σύ μοι, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὑπεναντίος· ὥστε οὐδὲ τὴν χοίνικα ἔτι λήψῃ ἐς τέλος μου τῆς εὐχῆς ἐπηρεάζων.
Do you see what kind of troubles your treasure is causing for you?" ADEIMANTUS "Always you are contrary to me, Lycinus; so you shall not even receive that choinix anymore, since you insult my wish to the end." LYCINUS "Now indeed, like many of the rich, you back out and recall your promise.
ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Τοῦτο μὲν ἤδη κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν πλουσίων ἀναδύῃ καὶ ἀνακαλεῖς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. ἀλλὰ σὺ ἤδη ὁ Σάμιππος εὔχου.
But Samippus, it is your turn to make a wish."