§258ἄλλος Ποδάρκης Θεσσαλῶν ἦν ἡγεμών, §259ὅς, ἐπείπερ ἔπεσε Πρωτεσίλαος ἐν μάχῃ, §260ὅμως ποδαγρὸς ὢν καὶ πονῶν ἦρχε στόλου· §261Ἰθάκης ἄνακτα Λαρτιάδην Ὀδυσσέα §262ἐγὼ κατέπεφνον.
Another Podarkes was the leader of Thessalians, who, when Protesilaos fell in battle, nevertheless being gouty and suffering ruled the fleet; the lord of Ithaca, Lartian Odysseus, I struck down.
οὐκ ἄκανθα τρυγόνος.
Not the sting of the stingray.
So that by no means rejoicing, O ill-fated ones, suffer equal punishment for what you have done.
§265Σύροι μέν ἐσμεν, ἐκ Δαμασκοῦ τῷ γένει, §266λιμῷ δὲ πολλῷ καὶ πενίᾳ κρατούμενοι §267γὴν καὶ θάλασσαν ἐφέπομεν πλανώμενοι· §268ἔχομεν δὲ χρῖσμα πατροδώρητον τόδε, §269ἐν ᾧ παρηγοροῦμεν ἀλγούντων πόνους. §270Τί δὴ τὸ χρῖσμα καὶ τίς ἡ σκευή;
"We are Syrians, from Damascus by race, and being overcome by great hunger and poverty we travel over land and sea, wandering; but we have this ointment given by our father, with which we soothe the pains of those suffering." "What indeed is the ointment and what is its preparation?
φράσον. §271Μύστης με σιγᾶν ὅρκος οὐκ ἐᾷ φράσαι.
Tell me." "The initiate oath does not permit me to speak, but bids me keep silent.
§272καὶ λοισθία θνήσκοντος ἐντολὴ πατρός, §273ὃς ἔταξε κεύθειν φαρμάκου μέγα σθένος, §274ὃ καὶ σὲ παύειν οἶδεν ἠγριωμένην. §275Εἶτ’ ὦ κατάρατοι καὶ κακῶς ὀλούμενοι, §276ἔστιν τις ἐν γῇ φαρμάκου δρᾶσις τόση, §277ὃ χρισθὲν οἶδε τὴν ἐμὴν παῦσαι βίαν;
And the last command of my dying father, who ordered me to hide the great power of the drug, which knows how to stop even you when you are enraged." "Then, O cursed ones and those who will perish miserably, is there any such action of a drug on earth, which when applied knows how to stop my violence?
§278ἀλλ’ εἶα.
But come.
τήνδε σύμβασιν συνθώμεθα, §279καὶ πειράσωμεν εἴτε φαρμάκου σθένος §280ὑπέρτερον πέφυκεν εἴτ’ ἐμαὶ φλόγες.
Let us make this agreement, and let us try whether the power of the drug is superior, or my flames.
§281δεῦτ’, ὦ σκυθρωπαί, πάντοθεν ποτώμεναι §282βάσανοι, πάρεδροι τῶν ἐμῶν βακχευμάτων, §283πελάζετ’ ἆσσον· καὶ σὺ μὲν ποδῶν ἄκρους §284φλέγμαινε ταρσοὺς δακτύλων ποδῶν ἄχρι, §285σὺ δὲ σφυροῖς ἔμβαινε, σὺ δὲ μηρῶν ἄπο §286ἐς γόνατα λεῖβε πικρὸν ἰχώρων βάθος, §287ὑμεῖς δὲ χειρῶν δακτύλους λυγίζετε. §288Ἴδ’, ὡς ἔταξας πάντα σοι δεδράκαμεν· §289κεῖνται βοῶντες οἱ ταλαίπωροι μέγα, §290ἅπαντα γυῖα προσβολῇ στρεβλούμενοι. §291Φέρετ’, ὦ ξένοι, μάθωμεν ἀτρεκέστατον, §292εἰ χρισθὲν ὑμᾶς φάρμακον τόδ’ ὠφελεῖ.
Come here, O gloomy tortures, flying from all sides, assessors of my revelries, approach nearer; and you, inflame the tips of their feet even the soles of their feet up to their toes, and you, enter their ankles, and you, from their thighs pour down into their knees the bitter depth of humors, and you, twist the fingers of their hands." "See, as you commanded, we have done everything for you; the wretched men lie crying aloud, being tortured in all their limbs by the attack." "Come, O strangers, let us learn most truly, if this drug when applied helps you.
§293εἰ γὰρ σαφῶς τόδ’ ἐστὶν ἀντίξουν ἐιιοί, §294λείπουσα γαῖαν εἰς μυχοὺς εἶμι χθονός, §295ἄϊστος, ἀφανής, πύματα Ταρτάρου βαθη. §296Ἰδού, κέχρισται, κοὐ χαλᾷ φλογμὸν πόνων. §297Οἴμοι, παπαῖ γε, τείρομαι, διόλλυμαι, §298ἅπαν πέπαρμαι γυῖον ἀσκόπῳ κακῷ· §299οὐ Ζεὺς κεραυνοῦ τοῖον αἰωρεῖ βέλος, §300οὐδεὶς θαλάσσης τοῖα μαίνεται κλύδων, §301οὐδὲ στροβητὴ λαίλαπος τόσση βία.
For if this is clearly contrary to me, leaving the earth, I will go into the recesses of the ground, unseen, invisible, to the lowermost depths of Tartarus." "Behold, it has been applied, and it does not relax the flame of pain." "Alas, oh dear, I am worn out, I am perishing, my whole body is pierced by an unforeseen evil; not Zeus wields such a bolt of lightning, no wave of the sea rages in such a way, nor is the violence of a whirling tempest so great.
§302μὴ κάρχαρον πορθεῖ με δῆγμα Κερβέρου;
Is the sharp bite of Cerberus destroying me?
Is some poison of an echidna feeding upon me, or the robe drenched with the Centaur's humor?
§305ἐλέαιρ’, ἄνασσα, φάρμακον γὰρ οὔτ’ ἐμὸν §306οὔτ’ ἄλλο δύναται σὸν ἀναχαιτίσαι δρόμον, §307ψήφοις δὲ πάσαις πᾶν ἔθνος νικᾶς βροτῶν. §308Παύσασθε. βάσανοι,καὶπόνους μειώσατε
Pity me, queen, for neither my drug nor any other is able to check your course, and by all votes you conquer the entire race of mortals." "Cease, tortures, and lessen the pains of those who repent of having come into conflict with me.
§309τῶν μετανοούντων εἰς ἐμὴν ἔριν μολεῖν. §310γινωσκέτω δὲ πᾶς τις ὡς μόνη θεῶν §311ἄτεγχτος οὖσα φαρμάκοις οὐ πείθομαι. §312Οὔτε Διὸς βρονταῖς Σαλμωνέος ἤρισε βία, §313ἀλλ’ ἔθανε ψολόεντι δαμεῖσα θεοῦ φρένα βέλει, §314οὐκ ἐρίσας ἐχάρη Φοίβῳ σάτυρος Μαρσύας, §315ἀλλὰ λιγὺ ψαίρει κείνου περὶ δέρμα πίτυϊ.
And let everyone know that I alone of the gods, being unyielding, do not submit to drugs." Not even the force of Salmoneus contended with the thunders of Zeus, but he died, his spirit subdued by the burning bolt of the god, nor did the satyr Marsyas rejoice after contending with Phoebus, but his skin hangs, whistling shrilly on that pine tree.
Niobe had ever-memorable grief because of her contention, and still mourning, she pours down many tears on Sipylus.
§318Μαιονία δ’ Ἀράχνη Τριτωνίδος ἦλθεν ἐς ἔριν, §319ἀλλ’ ὀλέσασα τύπον καὶ νῦν ἔτι νήματα πλέκει· §320οὐ γὰρ ἴσον μακάρων ὀργαῖς θράσος ἐστὶ μερόπων, §321ὡς Διός, ὡς Δητοῦς, ὡς Παλλάδος, ὡς Πυθίου.
And Maeonian Arachne came into contention with Tritonis, but having lost her form, even now she still weaves threads; for the boldness of mortals is not equal to the wraths of the blessed gods, as of Zeus, of Leto, of Pallas, of the Pythian.
§322ἤπιον. ὦ πάνδημε, φέροις ἄλγημα, Ποδάγρα, §323κοῦφον, ἐλαφρόν, ἄδριμυ, βραχυβλαβές, ἀνώδυνον, §324εὔφορον, εὔληκτον, ὀλιγοδρανές, εὐπερίπατον.
Gently, O common to all, may you bring the pain, Podagra, light, easy, mild, short-harming, painless, easily borne, easily ending, weak, easily walked with.
§325Πολλαὶ μορφαὶ τῶν ἀτυχούντων, §326μελέται δὲ πόνων καὶ τὸ σύνηθες §327τοὺς ποδαγρῶντας παραμυθείσθω.
Many are the forms of those who are unfortunate, and let the care of pains and custom comfort those suffering from gout.