§7.1ΜΗΤΗΡ
Ἄν δ’ ἔτι τοιοῦτον ἐραστὴν εὕρωμεν, ὦ Μουσάριον, οἷος ὁ Χαιρέας ἐστί, θῦσαι μὲν τῇ πανδήμῳ δεήσει λευκὴν μηκάδα, τῇ οὐρανίᾳ δὲ τῇ ἐν κήποις δάμαλιν, στεφανῶσαι δὲ καὶ τὴν πλουτοδότειραν, καὶ ὅλως μακάριαι καὶ τρισευδαίμονες ἐσόμεθα.
MOTHER If we should find another such lover, Musarion, as Chaereas is, we shall have to sacrifice a white nanny-goat to the Aphrodite of the People, and a heifer to the Heavenly Aphrodite in the Gardens, and crown the Giver of Wealth as well, and we shall be altogether blessed and thrice-happy.
νῦν ὁρᾷς παρὰ τοῦ νεανίσκου ἡλίκα λαμβάνομεν, ὃς ὀβολὸν μὲν οὐδέποτε σοι δέδωκεν, οὐκ ἐσθῆτα, οὐχ ὑποδήματα, οὐ μύρον, ἀλλὰ προφάσεις ἀεὶ καὶ ὑποσχέσεις καὶ μακραὶ ἐλπίδες καὶ πολὺ τό, ἐὰν ὁ πατὴρ. . . , καὶ κύριος γένωμαι τῶν πατρῴων, καὶ πάντα σά. σὺ δὲ καὶ ὀμωμοκέναι αὐτὸν φῂς ὅτι νόμῳ γαμετὴν ποιήσεταί σε.
As it is, you see how much we receive from this youth, who has never given you an obol, nor clothing, nor shoes, nor perfume, but only excuses always and promises and far-off hopes, and plenty of "if my father... and when I become master of my father's property, everything will be yours." And yet you claim that he has even sworn that he will make you his lawful wife.
ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Ὤμοσε γάρ, ὦ μῆτερ, κατὰ ταῖν θεοῖν καὶ τῆς Πολιάδος.
CORINNA For he did swear, Mother, by the two goddesses and by Polias.
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Καὶ πιστεύεις δηλαδή· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρῴην οὐκ ἔχοντι αὐτῷ καταθεῖναι συμβολὴν τὸν δακτύλιον δέδωκας ἀγνοούσης ἐμοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἀποδόμενος κατέπιε, καὶ πάλιν τὰ δύο περιδέραια τὰ Ἰωνικά, ἕλκοντα ἑκάτερον δύο δαρεικούς, ἅ σοι ὁ Χῖος Πραξίας ὁ ναύκληρος ἐκόμισε ποιησάμενος ἐν Ἐφέσῳ·
MOTHER And you believe it, of course; and because of this, the other day when he had no money to pay his contribution, you gave him your ring without my knowledge, which he sold and drank away; and again, the two Ionian necklaces, each weighing two darics, which Praxias the Chian shipmaster brought you, having had them made in Ephesus—for Chaereas needed to pay a club-share to his fellow youths.
ἐδεῖτο γὰρ Χαιρέας ἔρανον συνεφήβοις ἀπενεγκεῖν. ὀθόνας γὰρ καὶ χιτωνίσκους τί ἂν λέγοιμι;
As for the linens and tunics, why should I speak of them?
καὶ ὅλως ἕρμαιόν τι ἡμῖν καὶ μέγα ὄφελος ἐμπέπτωκεν οὗτος.
In short, a wonderful windfall and a great benefit has fallen upon us in this man.
§7.2ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Ἀλλὰ καλὸς καὶ ἀγένειος, καὶ φησὶν ἐρᾶν καὶ δακρύει καὶ Δεινομάχης καὶ Λάχητος υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Ἀρεοπαγίτου καὶ φησὶν ἡμᾶς γαμήσειν καὶ μεγάλας ἐλπίδας ἔχομεν παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἢν ὁ γέρων μόνον καταμύσῃ.
MUSARION But he is handsome and beardless, and he says he loves me and he weeps, and he is the son of Dinomache and Laches the Areopagite, and he says he will marry us, and we have great hopes from him, if only the old man would close his eyes.
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Οὐκοῦν, ὦ Μουσάριον, ἐὰν ὑποδήσασθαι δέῃ, καὶ ὁ σκυτοτόμος αἰτῇ τὸ δίδραχμον, ἐροῦμεν πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἀργύριον μὲν οὐκ ἔχομεν, σὺ δὲ τῶν ἐλπίδων ὀλίγας παρ' ἡμῶν λαβέ·
MOTHER Then, Musarion, if you need to put on shoes and the shoemaker demands his two drachmas, shall we say to him, "We have no money, but take a few of our hopes"?
καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀλφιτοπώλην τὰ αὐτά·
And to the barley-seller the same?
καὶ ἢν τὸ ἐνοίκιον αἰτώμεθα, Περίμεινον, φήσομεν, ἔστ' ἂν Λάχης ὁ Κολυττεὺς ἀποθάνῃ· ἀποδώσω γάρ σοι μετὰ τοὺς γάμους.
And if we are asked for the rent, shall we say, "Wait until Laches of Collytus dies; for I will pay you after the wedding"?
οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ μόνη τῶν ἑταιρῶν οὐκ ἐλλόβιον οὐχ ὅρμον οὐ ταραντινίδιον ἔχουσα;
Are you not ashamed, alone of the hetaerae, to have neither an earring, nor a necklace, nor a Tarantinesque dress?
§7.3ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Τί οὖν, ὦ μῆτερ;
MUSARION What then, Mother?
ἐκεῖναι εὐτυχέστεραί μου καὶ καλλίους εἰσίν;
Are those women luckier and more beautiful than I am?
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ συνετώτεραι καὶ ἴσασιν ἑταιρίζειν, οὐδὲ πιστεύουσι ῥηματίοις καὶ νεανίσκοις ἐπ' ἄκρου τοῦ χείλους τοὺς ὅρκους ἔχουσι· σὺ δὲ ἡ πιστὴ καὶ φίλανδρος οὐδὲ προσίῃ ἄλλον τινὰ ὅτι μὴ μόνον Χαιρέαν·
MOTHER No, but they are wiser and know how to ply their trade, nor do they trust pretty words and young men who have oaths on the tips of their lips; but you, faithful and devoted to your man, do not even admit anyone else except only Chaereas.
καὶ πρῴην μὲν ὅτε ὁ γεωργὸς ὁ Ἀχαρνεὺς ἧκε δύο μνᾶς κομίζων, ἀγένειος καὶ αὐτός—οἴνου δὲ τιμὴν ἀπειλήφει τοῦ πατρὸς πέμψαντος—σὺ δὲ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἀπεμύκτισας, καθεύδεις δὲ μετὰ τοῦ Ἀδώνιδος Χαιρέου.
And the other day, when the Acharnian farmer came bringing two minae, being himself beardless too—and he had received the price of wine sent by his father—you sneered at him, and you sleep with Adonis-Chaereas.
ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Τί οὖν;
MUSARION What then?
ἐχρῆν Χαιρέαν καταλείψασαν παραδέξασθαι τὸν ἐργάτην ἐκεῖνον κινάβρας ἀπόζοντα;
Was I to abandon Chaereas and welcome that laborer who smells of goatish stench?
λεῖός μοι, φασί, Χαιρέας καὶ χοιρίσκος Ἁχαρνεύς. ΜΗΤΗΡ
Ἔστω· ἐκεῖνος ἀγροῖκος καὶ πονηρὸν ἀποπνεῖ.
"To me," they say, "Chaereas is smooth, and the Acharnian is a little pig." MOTHER Be it so; he is a rustic and exhales an evil odor.
τί καὶ Ἀντιφῶντα τὸν Μενεκράτους μνᾶν ὑπισχνούμενον οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἐδέξω;
But why did you not admit even Antiphon, the son of Menecrates, who promised a mina?
οὐ καλὸς ἦν καὶ ἀστικὸς καὶ ἡλικιώτης Χαιρέου;
Was he not handsome and polite, and of the same age as Chaereas?
§7.4ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Ἀλλ' ἠπείλησε Χαιρέας ἀποσφάξειν ἀμφοτέρους, εἰ λάβοι μέ ποτε μετ' αὐτοῦ.
MUSARION But Chaereas threatened to slaughter both of us, if he should ever catch me with him.
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Πόσοι δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι ταῦτα ἀπειλοῦσιν;
MOTHER How many others threaten the same?
οὐκοῦν ἀνέραστος σὺ μενεῖς διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σωφρονήσεις καθάπερ οὐχ ἑταίρα, τῆς δὲ Θεσμοφόρου ἱέρειά τις οὖσα;
Will you then remain loverless because of this and live chastely as if you were not an hetaera, but some priestess of the Thesmophoros?
ἐῶ τἆλλα.
I let the rest pass.
τήμερον Ἁλῶά ἐστι.
Today is Haloa.
τί δέ σοι δέδωκεν ἐς τὴν ἑορτήν;
What has he given you for the festival?
ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Οὐκ ἔχει, ὦ μαννάριον.
MUSARION He has nothing, Mommy.
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Μόνος οὗτος οὐ τέχνην εὕρηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν πατέρα, οὐκ οἰκέτην καθῆκεν ἐξαπατήσοντα, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ᾔτησεν ἀπειλήσας ἀποπλευσεῖσθαι στρατευσόμενος, εἰ μὴ λάβοι, ἀλλὰ κάθηται ἡμᾶς ἐπιτρίβων μήτε αὐτὸς διδοὺς μήτε παρὰ τῶν διδόντων ἐῶν λαμβάνειν;
MOTHER Is he the only one who has not found a trick against his father, nor sent a slave to deceive him, nor asked his mother, threatening that he would sail away to serve as a soldier if he did not get it, but instead sits here ruining us, neither giving anything himself nor letting us take from those who do?
σὺ δὲ οἴει, ὦ Μουσάριον, ὀκτωκαίδεκα ἐτῶν ἀεὶ ἔσεσθαι;
Do you think, Musarion, that you will always be eighteen?
ἢ τὰ αὐτὰ φρονήσειν Χαιρέαν, ὅταν πλουτῇ μὲν αὐτός, ἡ δὲ μήτηρ γάμον πολυτάλαντον ἐξεύρῃ αὐτῷ;
Or that Chaereas will have the same thoughts when he is rich and his mother finds him a marriage with a large dowry?
μνησθήσεται ἔτι, οἴει, τότε τῶν δακρύων ἢ τῶν φιλημάτων ἢ τῶν ὅρκων πέντε ἴσως τάλαντα προικὸς βλέπων;
Will he still remember his tears or kisses or oaths then, do you think, when he looks at a dowry of perhaps five talents?
ΜΟΥΣΑΡΙΟΝ
Μνησθήσεται ἐκεῖνος· δεῖγμα δέ· οὐδὲ νῦν γεγάμηκεν, ἀλλὰ καταναγκαζόμενος καὶ βιαζόμενος ἠρνήσατο.
MUSARION He will remember; and here is the proof: even now he has not married, but though forced and compelled, he refused.
ΜΗΤΗΡ
Γένοιτο μὴ ψεύδεσθαι.
MOTHER May it turn out not to be a lie.
ἀναμνήσω δέ σε, ὦ Μουσάριον, τότε.
But I will remind you, Musarion, when that time comes.