§21.1ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Τί γελᾷς, ὦ Ἑρμῆ;
APOLLO What are you laughing at, Hermes?
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Ὅτι γελοιότατα, ὦ Ἄπολλον, εἶδον.
HERMES Because, Apollo, I have seen the most ridiculous thing.
ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Εἰπὲ οὖν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκούσας ἔχω ξυγγελᾶν.
APOLLO Tell me then, so that I too, having heard it, may join in the laughter.
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Ἡ Ἀφροδίτη ξυνοῦσα τῷ Ἄρει κατείληπται καὶ ὁ Ἥφαιστος ἔδησεν αὐτοὺς ξυλλαβών.
HERMES Aphrodite has been caught in the act with Ares, and Hephaestus has seized and bound them.
ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Πῶς;
APOLLO How?
ἡδὺ γάρ τι ἐρεῖν ἔοικας.
For you seem about to tell something delightful.
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Ἐκ πολλοῦ, οἶμαι, ταῦτα εἰδὼς ἐθήρευεν αὐτούς, καὶ περὶ τὴν εὐνὴν ἀφανῆ δεσμὰ περιθεὶς εἰργάζετο ἀπελθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν κάμινον·
HERMES For a long time, I think, knowing this, he had been hunting them; and having placed invisible bonds around the bed, he went off to his forge and was working.
εἶτα ὁ μὲν Ἄρης ἐσέρχεται λαθών, ὡς ᾤετο, καθορᾷ δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἥλιος καὶ λέγει πρὸς τὸν Ἥφαιστον.
Then Ares enters, secretly as he thought, but Helius observes him and tells Hephaestus.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέβησαν τοῦ λέχους καὶ ἐν ἔργῳ ἦσαν καὶ ἐντὸς ἐγεγένηντο τῶν ἀρκύων, περιπλέκεται μὲν αὐτοῖς τὰ δεσμά, ἐφίσταται δὲ ὁ Ἥφαιστος.
And when they got onto the bed and were in the middle of the deed, and had got inside the nets, the bonds twisted around them, and Hephaestus stood over them.
ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν—καὶ γὰρ ἔτυχε γυμνὴ οὖσα—οὐκ εἶχεν ὅπως ἐγκαλύψαιτο αἰδουμένη, ὁ δὲ Ἄρης τὰ μὲν πρῶτα διαφυγεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ ἤλπιζε ῥήξειν τὰ δεσμά, ἔπειτα δὲ, συνεὶς ἐν ἀφύκτῳ ἐχόμενον ἑαυτὸν, ἱκέτευεν.
She indeed—for she happened to be naked—had no way to cover herself for shame, while Ares at first tried to escape and hoped to break the bonds, but then, realizing that he was held in an inescapable trap, began to beg.
§21.2ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Τί οὖν;
APOLLO What then?
ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἥφαιστος;
Did Hephaestus release him?
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Οὐδέπω, ἀλλὰ ξυγκαλέσας τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν μοιχείαν αὐτοῖς· οἱ δὲ γυμνοὶ ἀμφότεροι κάτω νενευκότες ξυνδεδεμένοι ἐρυθριῶσι, καὶ τὸ θέαμα ἥδιστον ἐμοὶ ἔδοξε μονονουχὶ αὐτὸ γινόμενον τὸ ἔργον.
HERMES Not yet, but having called the gods together, he is displaying the adultery to them; and they, both naked, with heads bowed, bound together, are blushing, and the sight seemed to me most delightful, almost as if the deed itself were being done.
ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Ὁ δὲ χαλκεὺς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ αἰδεῖται καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιδεικνύμενος τὴν αἰσχύνην τοῦ γάμου;
APOLLO But does not that blacksmith himself feel ashamed, displaying the disgrace of his own marriage?
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Μὰ Δί', ὅς γε καὶ ἐπιγελᾷ ἐφεστὼς αὐτοῖς.
HERMES By Zeus, no, he who even stands over them laughing!
ἐγὼ μέντοι, εἰ χρὴ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ἐφθόνουν τῷ Ἄρει μὴ μόνον μοιχεύσαντι τὴν καλλίστην θεόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεδεμένῳ μετ' αὐτῆς.
Indeed, if I must tell the truth, I envied Ares, not only for committing adultery with the most beautiful goddess, but also for being bound together with her.
ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
Οὐκοῦν καὶ δεδέσθαι ἂν ὑπέμεινας ἐπὶ τούτῳ;
APOLLO Would you then have submitted even to being bound for this?
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἄν, ὦ Ἄπολλον;
HERMES And would you not, Apollo?
ἰδὲ μόνον ἐπελθών·
Just go and see.
ἐπαινέσομαι γάρ σε, ἢν μὴ τὰ ὅμοια καὶ αὐτὸς εὔξῃ ἰδών.
For I will praise you if you yourself do not wish for the same things upon seeing it.