§14## Κνήμων Καλλιππίδῃ.
## Cnemon to Callippides.
ἔδει μὲν μηδὲν ἀποκρίνασθαι· ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶ περίεργος καὶ βιάζῃ με ἄκοντά σοι προδιαλέγεσθαι, τοῦτο γοῦν κεκέρδαγκα τὸ διʼ ἀγγέλων σοι λαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ πρὸς αὐτόν σε.
I ought to have made no reply; but since you are a busybody and force me to converse with you against my will, I have at least gained this: to speak to you through messengers, and not to your face.
ἔστω σοι τοίνυν ἡ ἀπὸ Σκυθῶν λεγομένη ἀπόκρισις αὕτη.
Let this, then, be for you what is called the "Scythian reply".
ἐγὼ μαίνομαι καὶ φονῶ καὶ μισῶ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος.
I am mad, I am bloodthirsty, and I hate the human race.
ἔνθεν τοι βάλλω τοὺς ἐσφοιτῶντας ἐς τὸ χωρίον καὶ βώλοις καὶ λίθοις.
That is why, you see, I pelt those who trespass on my land with both clods and stones.
μακάριον δὲ ἥγημαι τὸν Περσέα κατὰ δύο τρόπους ἐκεῖνον, ὅτι τε πτηνὸς ἦν καὶ οὐδενὶ συνήντα, ὑπεράνω τε ἦν τοῦ προσαγορεύειν τινὰ καὶ ἀσπάζεσθαι.
And I count that famous Perseus blessed for two reasons: because he was winged and met no one, and because he was above addressing or greeting anyone.
ζηλῶ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ κτήματος ἐκείνου εὖ μάλα, ᾧ τοὺς συναντῶντας ἐποίει λίθους· οὗπερ οὖν εἴ μοί τις εὐμοιρία κατατυχεῖν ἐγένετο, οὐδὲν ἂν ἀφθονώτερον λιθίνων ἀνδριάντων, καὶ σὲ δʼ ἂν εἰργασάμην τοῦτο πρῶτον.
And I envy him very much indeed for that possession of his, with which he turned those who met him into stones; and if only some good fortune had allowed me to obtain it, nothing would be more abundant than stone statues, and I would have made you into this first.
τί γὰρ παθὼν ῥυθμίζεις με καὶ πρᾶον ἀποφῆναι γλίχῃ οὕτως ἐχθρὰ πᾶσι νοοῦντα;
For what has possessed you to try to reform me and long to make me gentle, when I feel so hostile to everyone?
ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τοῦ χωρίου τὸ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀργὸν εἴασα καὶ τοῦτό μοι τῆς γῆς χῆρόν ἐστι καρπῶν.
That is why, you see, I have left uncultivated even that part of my land which is by the road, and this part of my land is destitute of crops.
σὺ δὲ ἕνα σεαυτὸν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀποφαίνεις, καὶ σπεύδεις με φίλον ἔχειν μηδὲ ἐμαυτοῦ φίλον ὄντα.
But you show yourself to be one of those who force themselves on others, and you hasten to have me as a friend, though I am not even a friend to myself.
τί γὰρ καὶ μαθὼν εἰμὶ ἄνθωπος;
For what possessed me to be a human being?
§15## Καλλιππίδης Κνήμωνι.
## Callippides to Cnemon.
σὺ μὲν τῶν ἀποφράδων διαφέρεις οὐδὲν οὕτως ἄγριος ὢν καὶ μονήρης τὸν τρόπον, δεῖ δέ σε ὅμως καὶ μὴ βουλόμενον ἥμερον ἡμῖν γενέσθαι αἰδοῖ καὶ ταῦτα γειτνιάσεως καὶ θεῶν ὁρίων τιμῇ, οἵπερ οὖν εἰσι κοινοί.
You differ in no way from the ill-omened days, being so wild and solitary in your character, but you must nevertheless, even against your will, become gentle towards us, out of respect, especially, for neighborliness and for the gods of boundaries, who indeed are common to us.
θύω τοίνυν τῷ Πανὶ καὶ Φυλασίων τοὺς μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείους ἐς τὴν ἱερουργίαν παρακαλῶ.
I am therefore sacrificing to Pan, and inviting those of the Phylasians who are most suitable to the sacred rite.
ἐν δὴ τούτοις καὶ σὲ ἀφικέσθαι βουλοίμην ἄν· σὺ δὲ καὶ ἐμπιὼν καὶ κοινωνήσας σπονδῶν ἔσῃ τι καὶ πραότερος.
And among these, I would wish you also to arrive; for by drinking and sharing in the libations, you will become somewhat gentler.
ὁ γάρ τοι Διόνυσος φιλεῖ τὰς μὲν ὀργὰς μαραίνειν τε καὶ κατακοιμίζειν, τὰς δὲ εὐφροσύνας ἐγείρειν· ἔσται δέ σοι ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος θεὸς καὶ Παιών, καὶ ἀπολύσει σε τῆς ἀκράτου χολῆς, οἴνῳ σβέσας τὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ ὑπέκκαυμα.
For Dionysus is accustomed to wither and put to sleep anger, but to awaken merriment; and this same god will be a Healer for you too, and will release you from your unmixed gall, having quenched the kindling-wood of your anger with wine.
καὶ αὐλητρίδος δὲ ἀκούσας ἴσως, ὦ Κνήμων, καὶ ἐς ᾠδὴν ἐμπεσὼν καὶ ἐς μέλος ὑπολισθὼν ἕξεις τι καὶ γαληνὸν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ· οὐ χεῖρον δʼ ἂν εἴη οἰνωμένον σε καὶ μασχάλην ἆραι.
And by listening perhaps to a flute-girl, Cnemon, and falling into song, and sliding into a melody, you will have something of a calm in your soul; and it would be no bad thing for you, when warmed with wine, to lift your armpit.
εἰ δέ που καὶ μεθύων κόρῃ περιπέσοις ἅβραν ἀνακαλούσῃ ἢ τὴν τίτθην ὑπολειφθεῖσαν εὑρεῖν πειρωμένῃ, τάχα πού τι καὶ θερμὸν δράσεις καὶ νεανικὸν ἔργον.
And if, perhaps, while drunk, you should run into a girl calling for her maid, or trying to find her nurse who had been left behind, perhaps you might even do some hot and youthful deed.
οὐδὲν ἂν ἀπεοικὸς εἴη καὶ τοιοῦτό τι πραχθῆναι ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πανὸς θυσίᾳ· καὶ γάρ τοι κἀκεῖνος ἐρωτικὸς εὖ μάλα καὶ οἷος ἐπανίστασθαι παρθένοις.
It would be in no way out of place for such a thing to be done during the sacrifice to Pan; for he too is very amorous indeed, and of such a character as to leap upon maidens.
λῦσον δὲ καὶ τὴν ὀφρύν, καὶ τὸ σκυθρωπὸν τοῦτο καὶ σύννεφες χάλασον εὐθυμίᾳ.
Unbend your brow too, and relax this sullen and clouded look with good cheer.
φίλου ταῦτα παραίνεσις νοοῦντός σοι ἀγαθά.
These are the counsels of a friend who wishes you well.
§16## Κνήμων Καλλιππίδῃ.
## Cnemon to Callippides.
ἵνα σοι καὶ λοιδορήσωμαι ταῦτʼ ἀντεπιστέλλω καὶ ἀφῶ τι τῆς ὀργῆς ἐς σέ· μάλιστα γὰρ ἐδεόμην παρόντος, ἵνα σου καὶ αὐτόχειρ γένωμαι.
I write this back to you in order that I may also abuse you, and vent some of my anger upon you; for I wanted you present most of all, so that I might even lay hands on you myself.
τί γάρ με διαφθεῖραι γλίχῃ, τί δὲ σπεύδεις ἀπολέσαι με ἐς ἑστίασιν καὶ θοίνην παρακαλῶν;
For why do you long to ruin me, and why do you hasten to destroy me by inviting me to a feast and a banquet?
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὸ πολλοὺς ὁρᾶν καὶ συνεῖναι πολλοῖς δεινῶς πέφρικα· φεύγω δὲ κοινὴν θυσίαν ὡς οἱ δειλοὶ τοὺς πολεμίους· ὑφορῶμαι δὲ καὶ τὸν οἶνον ὡς ἐπιβουλεῦσαι καὶ ἐπιθέσθαι γνώμῃ δεινῶς καρτερόν, τοὺς δὲ θεοὺς τούς τε ἄλλους καὶ τὸν Πᾶνα ἀσπάζομαί τε καὶ προσαγορεύω παριὼν μόνον, θύω δὲ οὐδέν, οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐνοχλεῖν ἐθέλω.
For first, I terribly shudder at seeing many people and being with many; and I flee a common sacrifice as cowards flee the enemy; and I suspect also wine, as being terribly powerful to plot against and attack my mind; and as for the gods, both the others and Pan, I greet and address them only in passing, but I sacrifice nothing, for I do not wish to annoy even them.
σὺ δέ μοι καὶ αὐλητρίδας προσείεις καὶ ᾠδάς, ὦ καταγέλαστε.
But you wave flute-girls and songs in my face, you ridiculous man!
ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ τούτοις καινῶς οὐχ ἁψαίμην σου· καλὰ δέ σου κἀκεῖνα, ὀρχήσασθαι καὶ ὁμιλῆσαι κόρῃ θερμότατα.
Indeed, for these suggestions I would not touch you in a novel way; and those suggestions of yours are fine too: to dance and to associate with a girl in the warmest fashion!
σὺ μέν μοι δοκεῖς κἂν ἐς πῦρ ἅλασθαι κἂν ἐς μαχαίρας κυβιστῆσαι, ἐμοὶ δὲ μήτε θύων εἴης φίλος μήτε ἄλλως.
You seem to me to be ready even to leap into fire or to somersault onto swords, but as for me, may you be a friend to me neither when sacrificing nor in any other way.