Lucian of Samosata, Cataplus, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 9

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MEGAPENTHES

Listen, Clotho, to something that I have to say to you in private, with nobody else listening. (Yo the others.) You people stand aside a moment. (Yo ctoruo) If you let me run away, I promise to give you a thousand talents of coined gold to-day.

CLOTHO

What, you ridiculous creature, have you gold and talents still on the brain?

MEGAPENTHES

And I'll give you also, if you wish, the two winebowls that I got when I put Cleocritus to death; they are of refined gold and weigh a hundred talents each.

CLOTHO

Hale him off: it seems that he won’t go aboard willingly.

MEGAPENTHES

I call you all to witness, the town wall and the docks remain unfinished. I could have finished them if I had lived only five days longer.

CLOTHO

Never mind; someone else will build the wall.

MEGAPENTHES

But this request at all events is reasonable.

CLOTHO

What request?

MEGAPENTHES

To live only long enough to subdue the Pisidians and subject the Lydians to tribute, and to build myself a huge mausoleum and inscribe on it all the great military exploits of my life.

CLOTHO

Why, man, you are no longer asking for this one day, but for a stay of nearly twenty years!

Cataplus. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Downward Journey, or the Tyrant (English) (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.)

Editions (1)

Κατάπλους ἢ Τύραννος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 9 focus

Μεγαπένθης

ἄκουσον, ὦ Κλωθοῖ, ἅ σοι ἰδίᾳ μηδενὸς ἀκούοντος εἰπεῖν βούλομαι· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀπόστητε πρὸς ὀλίγον. ἄν με ἀφῇς ἀποδρᾶναι, χίλιά σοι τάλαντα χρυσίου ἐπισήμου δώσειν ὑπισχνοῦμαι τήμερον.

Κλωθώ

ἔτι γὰρ χρυσόν, ὦ γελοῖε, καὶ τάλαντα διὰ μνήμης ἔχεις;

Μεγαπένθης

καὶ τοὺς δύο δὲ κρατῆρας, εἰ βούλει, προσθήσω οὓς ἔλαβον ἀποκτείνας Κλεόκριτον, ἕλκοντας ἑκάτερον χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου τάλαντα ἑκατόν.

Κλωθώ

ἕλκετε αὐτόν· ἔοικε γὰρ οὐκ ἐπεμβήσεσθαι ἡμῖν ἑκών.

Μεγαπένθης

μαρτύρομαι ὑμᾶς, ἀτελὲς μένει τὸ τεῖχος καὶ τὰ νεώρια· ἐξετέλεσα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὰ ἐπιβιοὺς πέντε μόνας ἡμέρας.

Κλωθώ

Ἀμέλησον· ἄλλος τειχιεῖ.

Μεγαπένθης

καὶ μὴν τοῦτό γε πάντως εὔγνωμον αἰτῶ.

Κλωθώ

τὸ ποῖον;

Μεγαπένθης

εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐπιβιῶναι, μέχρι ἂν ὑπαγάγωμαι Πισίδας¹ καὶ Λυδοῖς ἐπιθῶ τοὺς φόρους καὶ μνῆμα ἑαυτῷ παμμέγεθες ἀναστήσας ἐπιγράψω ὁπόσα ἔπραξα μεγάλα καὶ στρατηγικὰ παρὰ τὸν βίον.

Κλωθώ

οὗτος, οὐκέτι μίαν ἡμέραν ταύτην αἰτεῖς, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν διατριβήν.

Translations (2)

Voyage To the Lower World Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 9 focus

Megapenthes.

A word in your ear, madam; no one else must hear this.—Sirs, withdraw for a space.—Clotho, if you will let me escape, I pledge myself to give you a quarter of a million sterling this very day.

Clotho

Ha, ha! So your millions are still running in your head?

Megapenthes.

Shall I throw in the two mixing-bowls that I got by the murder of Cleocritus? They weigh a couple of tons apiece; refined gold!

Clotho

Drag him up. We shall never get him to come on board by himself.

Megapenthes.

I call you all to witness! My city-wall, my docks, remain unfinished. I only wanted five days more to complete them.

Clotho

Never mind. It will be another’s work now.

Megapenthes.

Stay! One request I can make with a clear conscience.

Clotho

Well?

Megapenthes.

Suffer me only to complete the conquest of Persia; and to impose tribute on Lydia; ... and erect a colossal monument to myself, ... and inscribe thereon the military achievements of my life. Then let me die.

Clotho

Creature, this is no single day’s reprieve: you would want something like twenty years.

The Ferry Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York; Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 9 focus

Megapenthes

Listen, Klotho. There is something I should like to say to you in private without witnesses. You others step aside a moment. If you will give me a chance to run away I promise to give you this day a million dollars in coin of the realm.

Klotho

You are absurd. Can you not get gold and dollars out of your head yet?

Megapenthes

I will throw in the two bowls, if you like, that I got when I killed Kleakritos. kam They weigh a hundred talents of unalloyed gold apiece.

Klotho

Drag him in, for apparently he will not embark of his own will.

Megapenthes

I call you people to witness that my wall and my dockyards are unfinished. I could have completed them if I had lived five days longer.

Klotho

Never mind. Some one else will build them.

Megapenthes

Anyhow, this one thing it is perfectly reasonable to ask for.

Klotho

What is that?

Megapenthes

To come to life long enough to subdue the Persians, and impose taxes on the Lydians, and raise a huge monument to myself, inscribing on it how many great and warlike deeds I did in my lifetime.

Klotho

My man, this is not asking for a single day any longer, but to spend about twenty years.

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MEGAPENTHES Listen, Clotho, to something that I have to say to you in private, with nobody else listening. (Yo the others.) You people stand aside a moment. (Yo ctoruo) If you let me run away, I promise to give you a thousand talents of coined gold to-day.

CLOTHO What, you ridiculous creature, have you gold and talents still on the brain?

MEGAPENTHES And I'll give you also, if you wish, the two winebowls that I got when I put Cleocritus to death; they are of refined gold and weigh a hundred talents each.

CLOTHO Hale him off: it seems that he won’t go aboard willingly.

MEGAPENTHES I call you all to witness, the town wall and the docks remain unfinished. I could have finished them if I had lived only five days longer.

CLOTHO Never mind; someone else will build the wall.

MEGAPENTHES But this request at all events is reasonable.

CLOTHO What request?

MEGAPENTHES To live only long enough to subdue the Pisidians and subject the Lydians to tribute, and to build myself a huge mausoleum and inscribe on it all the great military exploits of my life.

CLOTHO Why, man, you are no longer asking for this one day, but for a stay of nearly twenty years!

Current edition Perseus

Κλωθώ ἔτι γὰρ χρυσόν, ὦ γελοῖε, καὶ τάλαντα διὰ μνήμης ἔχεις;

Μεγαπένθης καὶ τοὺς δύο δὲ κρατῆρας, εἰ βούλει, προσθήσω οὓς ἔλαβον ἀποκτείνας Κλεόκριτον, ἕλκοντας ἑκάτερον χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου τάλαντα ἑκατόν.

Κλωθώ ἕλκετε αὐτόν· ἔοικε γὰρ οὐκ ἐπεμβήσεσθαι ἡμῖν ἑκών.

Μεγαπένθης μαρτύρομαι ὑμᾶς, ἀτελὲς μένει τὸ τεῖχος καὶ τὰ νεώρια· ἐξετέλεσα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὰ ἐπιβιοὺς πέντε μόνας ἡμέρας.

Κλωθώ Ἀμέλησον· ἄλλος τειχιεῖ.

Μεγαπένθης καὶ μὴν τοῦτό γε πάντως εὔγνωμον αἰτῶ.

Κλωθώ τὸ ποῖον;

Κλωθώ οὗτος, οὐκέτι μίαν ἡμέραν ταύτην αἰτεῖς, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν διατριβήν.

Megapenthes. A word in your ear, madam; no one else must hear this.—Sirs, withdraw for a space.—Clotho, if you will let me escape, I pledge myself to give you a quarter of a million sterling this very day.

Clotho Ha, ha! So your millions are still running in your head?

Megapenthes. Shall I throw in the two mixing-bowls that I got by the murder of Cleocritus? They weigh a couple of tons apiece; refined gold!

Clotho Drag him up. We shall never get him to come on board by himself.

Megapenthes. I call you all to witness! My city-wall, my docks, remain unfinished. I only wanted five days more to complete them.

Clotho Never mind. It will be another’s work now.

Megapenthes. Stay! One request I can make with a clear conscience.

Clotho Well?

Megapenthes. Suffer me only to complete the conquest of Persia; and to impose tribute on Lydia; ... and erect a colossal monument to myself, ... and inscribe thereon the military achievements of my life. Then let me die.

Clotho Creature, this is no single day’s reprieve: you would want something like twenty years.

Megapenthes Listen, Klotho. There is something I should like to say to you in private without witnesses. You others step aside a moment. If you will give me a chance to run away I promise to give you this day a million dollars in coin of the realm.

Klotho You are absurd. Can you not get gold and dollars out of your head yet?

Megapenthes I will throw in the two bowls, if you like, that I got when I killed Kleakritos. kam They weigh a hundred talents of unalloyed gold apiece.

Klotho Drag him in, for apparently he will not embark of his own will.

Megapenthes I call you people to witness that my wall and my dockyards are unfinished. I could have completed them if I had lived five days longer.

Klotho Never mind. Some one else will build them.

Megapenthes Anyhow, this one thing it is perfectly reasonable to ask for.

Klotho What is that?

Megapenthes To come to life long enough to subdue the Persians, and impose taxes on the Lydians, and raise a huge monument to myself, inscribing on it how many great and warlike deeds I did in my lifetime.

Klotho My man, this is not asking for a single day any longer, but to spend about twenty years.

Stable identifiers

MEGAPENTHES

Listen, Clotho, to something that I have to say to you in private, with nobody else listening. (Yo the others.) You people stand aside a moment. (Yo ctoruo) If you let me run away, I promise to give you a thousand talents of coined gold to-day.

CLOTHO

What, you ridiculous creature, have you gold and talents still on the brain?

MEGAPENTHES

And I'll give you also, if you wish, the two winebowls that I got when I put Cleocritus to death; they are of refined gold and weigh a hundred talents each.

CLOTHO

Hale him off: it seems that he won’t go aboard willingly.

MEGAPENTHES

I call you all to witness, the town wall and the docks remain unfinished. I could have finished them if I had lived only five days longer.

CLOTHO

Never mind; someone else will build the wall.

MEGAPENTHES

But this request at all events is reasonable.

CLOTHO

What request?

MEGAPENTHES

To live only long enough to subdue the Pisidians and subject the Lydians to tribute, and to build myself a huge mausoleum and inscribe on it all the great military exploits of my life.

CLOTHO

Why, man, you are no longer asking for this one day, but for a stay of nearly twenty years!

Κλωθώ

ἔτι γὰρ χρυσόν, ὦ γελοῖε, καὶ τάλαντα διὰ μνήμης ἔχεις;

Μεγαπένθης

καὶ τοὺς δύο δὲ κρατῆρας, εἰ βούλει, προσθήσω οὓς ἔλαβον ἀποκτείνας Κλεόκριτον, ἕλκοντας ἑκάτερον χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου τάλαντα ἑκατόν.

Κλωθώ

ἕλκετε αὐτόν· ἔοικε γὰρ οὐκ ἐπεμβήσεσθαι ἡμῖν ἑκών.

Μεγαπένθης

μαρτύρομαι ὑμᾶς, ἀτελὲς μένει τὸ τεῖχος καὶ τὰ νεώρια· ἐξετέλεσα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὰ ἐπιβιοὺς πέντε μόνας ἡμέρας.

Κλωθώ

Ἀμέλησον· ἄλλος τειχιεῖ.

Μεγαπένθης

καὶ μὴν τοῦτό γε πάντως εὔγνωμον αἰτῶ.

Κλωθώ

τὸ ποῖον;

Κλωθώ

οὗτος, οὐκέτι μίαν ἡμέραν ταύτην αἰτεῖς, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν διατριβήν.

Megapenthes.

A word in your ear, madam; no one else must hear this.—Sirs, withdraw for a space.—Clotho, if you will let me escape, I pledge myself to give you a quarter of a million sterling this very day.

Clotho

Ha, ha! So your millions are still running in your head?

Megapenthes.

Shall I throw in the two mixing-bowls that I got by the murder of Cleocritus? They weigh a couple of tons apiece; refined gold!

Clotho

Drag him up. We shall never get him to come on board by himself.

Megapenthes.

I call you all to witness! My city-wall, my docks, remain unfinished. I only wanted five days more to complete them.

Clotho

Never mind. It will be another’s work now.

Megapenthes.

Stay! One request I can make with a clear conscience.

Clotho

Well?

Megapenthes.

Suffer me only to complete the conquest of Persia; and to impose tribute on Lydia; ... and erect a colossal monument to myself, ... and inscribe thereon the military achievements of my life. Then let me die.

Clotho

Creature, this is no single day’s reprieve: you would want something like twenty years.

Megapenthes

Listen, Klotho. There is something I should like to say to you in private without witnesses. You others step aside a moment. If you will give me a chance to run away I promise to give you this day a million dollars in coin of the realm.

Klotho

You are absurd. Can you not get gold and dollars out of your head yet?

Megapenthes

I will throw in the two bowls, if you like, that I got when I killed Kleakritos. kam They weigh a hundred talents of unalloyed gold apiece.

Klotho

Drag him in, for apparently he will not embark of his own will.

Megapenthes

I call you people to witness that my wall and my dockyards are unfinished. I could have completed them if I had lived five days longer.

Klotho

Never mind. Some one else will build them.

Megapenthes

Anyhow, this one thing it is perfectly reasonable to ask for.

Klotho

What is that?

Megapenthes

To come to life long enough to subdue the Persians, and impose taxes on the Lydians, and raise a huge monument to myself, inscribing on it how many great and warlike deeds I did in my lifetime.

Klotho

My man, this is not asking for a single day any longer, but to spend about twenty years.