§44ΤΙΜΟΛΑΟΣ
καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἔχειν μὴ ὀλιγοχρόνιον ὄντα μηδὲ κατὰ μέτρον ζῶντα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης βιοτῆς, ἀλλ’ ἔτη χίλια νέον ἐκ νέου γιγνόμενον διαβιῶναι ἀμφὶ τὰ ἑπτακαίδεκα ἔτη ἀεὶ ἀποδυόμενον τὸ γῆρας ὥσπερ οἱ ὄφεις.
TIMOLAUS "And to have all this not for a short time, nor living within the measure of human life, but to live through a thousand years, becoming young again and again, always around seventeen years of age, stripping off old age like snakes.
οὐδὲν γὰρ δεήσει με ταῦτα ἔχοντα· πάντα γὰρ ἐμὰ ἦν ἂν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐς ὅσον ἀνοίγειν τε τὰς θύρας ἐδυνάμην καὶ κοιμίζειν τοὺς φύλακας καὶ ἀθέατος εἶναι εἰσιών.
For I shall need nothing if I have these; for all the belongings of others would be mine, as long as I could open doors, put guards to sleep, and enter unseen.
εἰ δέ τι ἐν Ἰνδοῖς ἢ Ὑπερβορέοις θέαμα παράδοξον ἢ κτῆμα τίμιον ἢ ὅσα ἐμφαγεῖν ἢ πιεῖν ἡδέα, οὐ μεταστειλάμενος, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ἐπιπετόμενος ἀπέλαυον ἁπάντων ἐς κόρον.
And if there were any extraordinary sight in India or among the Hyperboreans, or any precious possession, or whatever is sweet to eat or drink, I would not send for it, but flying there myself, I would enjoy everything to satiety.
καὶ ἐπεὶ γρὺψ ὑπόπτερον θηρίον ἢ φοῖνιξ ὄρνεον ἐν Ἰνδοῖς ἀθέατον τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἑώρων ἄν, καὶ τὰς πηγὰς δὲ τὰς Νείλου μόνος ἂν ἠπιστάμην καὶ ὅσον τῆς γῆς ἀοίκητον, καὶ εἴ τινες ἀντίποδες ἡμῖν οἰκοῦσι τὸ νότιον τῆς γῆς ἡμίτομον ἔχοντες.
And since the griffin is a winged beast and the phoenix a bird unseen by others in India, I would also see this, and I alone would know the sources of the Nile, and how much of the earth is uninhabited, and if any antipodes dwell opposite to us, having the southern half of the earth.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀστέρων φύσιν καὶ σελήνης καὶ αὐτοῦ ἡλίου ῥᾳδίως ἔγνων ἂν ἀπαθὴς ὢν τῷ πυρί, καὶ τὸ πάντων ἥδιστον, αὐθημερὸν ἀγγεῖλαι ἐς Βαβυλῶνα, τίς ἐνίκησεν Ὀλύμπια, καὶ ἀριστήσαντα, εἰ τύχοι, ἐν Συρίᾳ δειπνῆσαι ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ.
Furthermore, I would easily learn the nature of the stars, of the moon, and of the sun itself, being invulnerable to their fire; and, sweetest of all, to announce on the very same day to Babylon who won at Olympia, and, having had lunch, if it should happen, in Syria, to dine in Italy.
εἰ δέ τις ἐχθρὸς εἴη, ἀμύνασθαι καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς πέτρον ἐμβαλόντα τῇ κεφαλῇ, ὡς ἐπιτετρῖφθαι τὸ κρανίον, τούς τε αὖ φίλους εὖ ποιεῖν ἐπιχέαντα κοιμωμένοις αὐτοῖς τὸ χρυσίον.
And if there were any enemy, to avenge myself on him too from invisibility by throwing a stone at his head so that his skull is crushed; and on the other hand, to do good to my friends by pouring gold over them while they sleep.
καὶ μὴν εἴ τις ὑπερόπτης εἴη ἢ τύραννος πλούσιος ὑβριστής, ἀράμενος αὐτὸν ὅσον ἐπὶ σταδίους εἴκοσιν ἀφῆκα φέρεσθαι κατὰ τῶν κρημνῶν.
And indeed, if there were any haughty man or rich, insolent tyrant, raising him up as much as twenty stades, I would let him be carried down the cliffs.
τοῖς παιδικοῖς δὲ ὁμιλεῖν ἀκωλύτως ἂν ἐξῆν εἰσιόντα ἀθέατον κοιμίσαντα ἅπαντας ἄνευ ἐκείνων μόνων.
And it would be permitted to associate with my boy-loves without hindrance, entering unseen and putting everyone to sleep except them alone.
οἷον δὲ κἀκεῖνο ἦν, τοὺς πολεμοῦντας ἐπισκοπεῖν ἔξω βέλους ὑπεραιωρούμενον;
And what a thing that would also be, to look down upon those waging war, hovering above them out of range of missiles!
καὶ εἰ δόξειέ μοι, προσθέμενος ἂν τοῖς ἡττημένοις κοιμίσας τοὺς κρατοῦντας νικᾶν παρεῖχον τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἀναστρέψασιν ἀπὸ τῆς τροπῆς.
And if it should please me, joining the defeated and putting the victors to sleep, I would enable those who were fleeing to turn back from their flight and win.
καὶ τὸ ὅλον, παιδιὰν ἐποιούμην ἂν τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον καὶ πάντα ἐμὰ ἦν καὶ θεὸς ἐδόκουν τοῖς ἄλλοις.
And on the whole, I would make an amusement of human life, and everything would be mine, and I would be thought a god by others.
τοῦτο ἡ ἄκρα εὐδαιμονία ἐστὶ μήτε ἀπολέσθαι μήτε ἐπιβουλευθῆναι δυναμένη, καὶ μάλιστα μεθ' ὑγιείας ἐν μακρῷ τῷ βίῳ. §45ΤΙΜΟΛΑΟΣ
τί ἂν αἰτιάσαιο, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τῆς εὐχῆς;
This is the supreme happiness, capable of being neither lost nor plotted against, and especially with health in a long life." TIMOLAUS "What could you find fault with, Lycinus, in this wish?" LYCINUS "Nothing, Timolaus.
ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Οὐδέν, ὦ Τιμόλαε.
For indeed it is not safe to oppose a winged man who is stronger than ten thousand.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀσφαλὲς ἐναντιοῦσθαι ἀνδρὶ πτηνῷ καὶ ὑπὲρ μυρίους τὴν ἰσχύν, πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνο ἐρήσομαί σε, εἴ τινα ἄλλον εἶδες ἐν τοσούτοις ἔθνεσιν, ὅσα ὑπερέπτης, γέροντα ἤδη ἄνδρα οὕτω παρακεκινηκότα τὴν γνώμην, ἐπὶ δακτυλίου μικροῦ ὀχούμενον, ὄρη ὅλα κινεῖν ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ δυνάμενον, ἐπέραστον πᾶσι, καὶ ταῦτα φαλακρὸν ὄντα καὶ τὴν ῥῖνα σιμόν;
But nonetheless I will ask you this: have you seen any other man among so many nations, as many as you flew over, already an old man, so deranged in his mind, riding on a tiny ring, able to move whole mountains with the tip of his finger, beloved by all, and that too though he is bald and flat-nosed?
ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι καὶ τόδε, τί δή ποτε οὐχ εἶς δακτύλιος ἅπαντα ταῦτα δύναταί σοι, ἀλλὰ τοσούτους περιημμένος βαδιῇ τὴν ἀριστερὰν πεφορτισμένος κατὰ δάκτυλον ἕνα;
But tell me this also: why on earth can one ring not do all this for you, but you will walk about with so many put on, with your left hand burdened on every single finger?
μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπερπαίει ὁ ἀριθμός, καὶ δεήσει καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν συνεπιλαβεῖν.
Or rather, the number overflows, and you will have to make use of your right hand as well.
καίτοι ἑνὸς τοῦ ἀναγκαιοτάτου προσδεῖ, ὃς περιθέμενόν σε παύσει μωραίνοντα τὴν πολλὴν ταύτην κόρυζαν ἀποξύσας.
And yet, you lack the single most necessary ring, which, when put on, will stop you playing the fool by wiping away all this thick mucus.
ἢ τοῦτο μὲν καὶ ὁ ἑλλέβορος ἱκανὸς ποιῆσαι ζωρότερος ποθείς; §46ΤΙΜΟΛΑΟΣ
Ἀλλὰ πάντως, ὦ Λυκῖνε, καὶ αὐτὸς εὔξῃ τι ἤδη ποτέ, ὡς ἂν μάθωμεν οἷα αἰτήσεις ἀνεπίληπτα καὶ ἀνέγκλητα ὁ συκοφαντῶν τοὺς ἄλλους. ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Ἀλλ' οὐ δέομαι εὐχῆς ἐγώ.
Or is even hellebore sufficient to do this, if drunk in a stronger dose?" TIMOLAUS "But by all means, Lycinus, you too must make a wish now at last, so that we may learn what kind of blameless and unexceptionable things you will ask for, you who slander others." LYCINUS "But I have no need of a wish.
ἥκομεν γὰρ δὴ πρὸς τὸ Δίπυλον, καὶ ὁ βέλτιστος οὑτοσὶ Σάμιππος ἀμφὶ Βαβυλῶνα μονομαχῶν, καὶ σύ, ὦ Τιμόλαε, ἀριστῶν μὲν ἐν Συρίᾳ, δειπνῶν δὲ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐμοὶ ἐπιβάλλουσι σταδίοις κατεχρήσασθε καλῶς ποιοῦντες.
For we have already arrived at the Dipylon, and this excellent Samippus fighting in single combat around Babylon, and you, Timolaus, lunching in Syria and dining in Italy, have handily used up the stades that fall to my share, and you did well to do so.
ἄλλως τε οὐκ ἂν δεξαίμην πλουτήσας ἐπ' ὀλίγον ὑπηνέμιόν τινα πλοῦτον ἀνιᾶσθαι μετ' ὀλίγον ψιλὴν τὴν μᾶζαν ἐσθίων, οἷα ὑμεῖς πείσεσθε μετ' ὀλίγον, ἐπειδὰν ἡ εὐδαιμονία μὲν ὑμῖν καὶ ὁ πολὺς πλοῦτος οἴχηται ἀποπτάμενος, αὐτοὶ δὲ καταβάντες ἀπὸ τῶν θησαυρῶν τε καὶ διαδημάτων ὥσπερ ἐξ ἡδίστου ὀνείρατος ἀνεγρόμενοι ἀνόμοια τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας εὑρίσκητε ὥσπερ οἱ τοὺς βασιλεῖς ὑποκρινόμενοι τραγῳδοὶ ἐξελθόντες ἀπὸ τοῦ θεάτρου λιμώττοντες οἱ πολλοί, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸ ὀλίγου Ἀγαμέμνονες ὄντες ἢ Κρέοντες.
In any case, I would not accept to become rich for a short time and then be vexed by some windy wealth shortly after, eating bare barley-cake, such as you will suffer shortly, when your happiness and abundant wealth have flown away and departed, and you yourselves, coming down from your treasures and diadems, waking up as if from the sweetest dream, find things at home quite different—just like the tragic actors who represent kings, who, when they leave the theater, are for the most part starving, and this though they were Agamemnons or Creons shortly before.
λυπήσεσθε οὖν, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, καὶ δυσάρεστοι ἔσεσθε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ μάλιστα σύ, ὦ Τιμόλαε, ὁπόταν δέῃ σε τὸ αὐτὸ παθεῖν τῷ Ἰκάρῳ τῆς πτερώσεως διαλυθείσης καταπεσόντα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ χαμαὶ βαδίζειν ἀπολέσαντα τοὺς δακτυλίους ἐκείνους ἅπαντας ἀπορρυέντας τῶν δακτύλων.
You will be grieved, therefore, as is natural, and you will be discontented with things at home, and especially you, Timolaus, when you must suffer the same fate as Icarus when your wings dissolve, and falling from heaven, walk on the ground, having lost all those rings after they slipped off your fingers.
ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἱκανὸν ἀντὶ πάντων θησαυρῶν καὶ Βαβυλῶνος αὐτῆς τὸ γελάσαι μάλα ἡδέως ἐφ' οἷς ὑμεῖς ᾐτήσατε τοιούτοις οὖσι, καὶ ταῦτα φιλοσοφίαν ἐπαινοῦντες.
But for me, even this is sufficient instead of all treasures and Babylon itself: to laugh very sweetly at these things you have asked for, being such as you are, and that too while praising philosophy."