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Doris And Thetis

DORIS

Why are you crying, Thetis?

THETIS

Oh, Doris, I’ve just seen a lovely girl ¹ put into a box by her father along with her newborn baby. ² He told his sailors to take the box and, when well away from land, to drop it into the sea, so that the mother should be killed, poor thing, herself and her baby.

DORIS

Why, sister? Please tell me, if you have any definite information.

THETIS

I have the whole story. Because she was ever so beautiful, her father Acrisius locked her up in a brazen room to keep her away from lovers. Then—I can’t say whether it’s true but it’s what they say—Zeus turned himself into gold and came pouring through the roof at her, and she received the god in her bosom as he came showering down, and became pregnant. When her father found out, the cruel, jealous old creature flew into a temper and, thinking she’d had a lover, threw her into the box just after her baby was born.

DORIS

And what did she do, Thetis, when they were putting her there?

THETIS

She kept quiet about herself, submitting to her sentence, but she kept pleading for her child’s life, weeping and showing it to its grandad, for it was a lovely baby. And it, unaware of its troubles, was looking at the sea with a smile on its face. Remembering them brings tears again to my eyes.

DORIS

You’ve made me weep, too. But are they dead now?

THETIS

Oh, no! The box is still floating round Seriphos, and keeping them alive and safe.

DORIS

Well, why don’t we save them by bringing them into the nets of these fishermen here from Seriphos? They’ll be sure to pull them up and save them.

THETIS

A good idea, let’s do that. I wouldn’t like the mother to die, or the baby either. It’s so pretty.

Dialogi Marini. Lucian of Samosata. Matthew Donald Macleod (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Dialogues of the Gods (English) (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).)

Editions (2)

Ἐνάλιοι Διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 12 focus

Δωρίδος καὶ Θέτιδος

Δῶρις

τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

Θέτις

καλλίστην, ὦ Δωρί, κόρην εἶδον ἐς κιβωτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐμβληθεῖσαν, αὐτήν τε καὶ βρέφος αὐτῆς ἀρτιγέννητον· ἐκέλευσε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ τοὺς ναύτας ἀναλαβόντας 319 τὸ κιβώτιον, ἐπειδὰν πολὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀποσπάσωσιν, ἀφεῖναι ἐς τὴν θάλατταν, ὡς ἀπόλοιτο ἡ ἀθλία, καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ βρέφος.

Δῶρις

τίνος δὲ ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα.

Θέτις

ὁ Ἀκρίσιος ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς καλλίστην οὖσαν ἐπαρθένευεν ἐς χαλκοῦν τινα θάλαμον ἐμβαλών· εἶτα, εἰ μὲν ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, φασὶ δʼ οὖν τὸν Δία χρυσὸν γενόμενον ῥυῆναι διὰ τοῦ ὀρόφου ἐπʼ αὐτήν, δεξαμένην δὲ ἐκείνην ἐς τὸν κόλπον καταρρέοντα τὸν θεὸν ἐγκύμονα γενέσθαι. τοῦτο αἰσθόμενος ὁ πατήρ, ἄγριός τις καὶ ζηλότυπος γέρων, ἠγανάκτησε καὶ ὑπό τινος μεμοιχεῦσθαι οἰηθεὶς αὐτὴν ἐμβάλλει ἐς τὴν κιβωτὸν ἄρτι τετοκυῖαν.

Δῶρις

ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

Θέτις

ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μὲν ἐσίγα, ὦ Δωρί, καὶ ἔφερε τὴν καταδίκην, τὸ βρέφος δὲ παρῃτεῖτο μὴ ἀποθανεῖν δακρύουσα καὶ τῷ πάππῳ δεικνύουσα αὐτό, κάλλιστον ὄν· τὸ δὲ ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας τῶν κακῶν ὑπεμειδία πρὸς τὴν θάλατταν. ὑποπίμπλαμαι αὖθις τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς δακρύων 320 μνημονεύουσα αὐτῶν.

Δῶρις

κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλʼ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

Θέτις

οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

Δῶρις

τί οὖν οὐχὶ σώζομεν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

Θέτις

εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

Θεῶν διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).) — 12 focus

ΔΩΡΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΤΙΔΟΣ

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Καλλίστην, ὦ Δωρί, κόρην εἶδον ἐς κιβωτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐμβληθεῖσαν, αὐτήν τε καὶ βρέφος αὐτῆς ἀρτιγέννητον· ἐκέλευσεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ τοὺς 319 ναύτας ἀναλαβόντας τὸ κιβώτιον, ἐπειδὰν πολὺ τῆς γῆς ἀποσπάσωσιν, ἀφεῖναι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὡς ἀπόλοιτο ἡ ἀθλία, καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ βρέφος.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τίνος ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ¹ ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς.

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Ἅπαντα. ὁ γὰρ ² Ἀκρίσιος ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς καλλίστην οὖσαν ἐπαρθένευεν ἐς χαλκοῦν τινα θάλαμον ἐμβαλών· εἶτα, εἰ μὲν ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, φασὶ δ’ οὖν τὸν Δία χρυσὸν ³ γενόμενον ῥυῆναι διὰ τοῦ ὀρόφου ἐπ' αὐτήν, δεξαμένην δὲ ἐκείνην ἐς τὸν κόλπον καταρρέοντα τὸν θεὸν ἐγκύμονα γενέσθαι. τοῦτο αἰσθόμενος ὁ πατήρ, ἄγριός τις καὶ ζηλότυπος γέρων, ἠγανάκτησε καὶ ὑπό τινος μεμοιχεῦσθαι οἰηθεὶς αὐτὴν ἐμβάλλει εἰς τὴν κιβωτὸν ἄρτι τετοκυῖαν.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μὲν ἐσίγα, ὦ Δωρί, καὶ ἔφερε τὴν καταδίκην. τὸ βρέφος δὲ παρῃτεῖτο μὴ ἀποθανεῖν δακρύουσα καὶ τῷ πάππῳ ⁴ δεικνύουσα αὐτό, κάλλιστον ὄν· τὸ δὲ ὑπ' ἀγνοίας τῶν κακῶν ὑπεμειδία πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν. 320 ὑποπίμπλαμαι αὖθις τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς δακρύων μνημονεύσασα αὐτῶν.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλ’ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τί οὖν οὐχὶ σῴζομεν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

Translations (1)

Dialogues of the Sea-gods: Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 12 focus

XII

Doris

Thetis

Doris

Crying, dear?

Thetis

Oh, Doris, I have just seen a lovely girl thrown into a chest by her father, and her little baby with her; and he gave the chest to some sailors, and told them, as soon as they were far enough from the shore, to drop it into the water; he meant them to be drowned, poor things.

Doris

Oh, sister, but why? What was it all about? Did you hear?

Thetis

Her father, Acrisius, wanted to keep her from marrying. And, as she was so pretty, he shut her up in an iron room. And I don’t know whether it’s true—but they say that Zeus turned himself into gold, and came showering down through the roof, and she caught the gold in her lap,—and it was Zeus all the time. And then her father found out about it—he is a horrid, jealous old man—and he was furious, and thought she had been receiving a lover; and he put her into the chest, the moment the child was born.

Doris

And what did she do then?

Thetis

She never said a word against her own sentence; she was ready to submit: but she pleaded hard for the child’s life, and cried, and held him up for his grandfather to see; and there was the sweet babe, that thought no harm, smiling at the waves. I am beginning again, at the mere remembrance of it.

Doris

You make me cry, too. And is it all over?

Thetis

No; the chest has carried them safely so far; it is by Seriphus.

Doris

Then why should we not save them? We can put the chest into those fishermen’s nets, look; and then of course they will be hauled in, and come safe to shore.

Thetis

The very thing. She shall not die; nor the child, sweet treasure!

Francis George Fowler

Notes on the current edition

Dialogues of the Gods

1. Danae, daughter of Acrisius.

2. Perseus.

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Doris And Thetis

DORIS Why are you crying, Thetis?

THETIS Oh, Doris, I’ve just seen a lovely girl 1 put into a box by her father along with her newborn baby. 2 He told his sailors to take the box and, when well away from land, to drop it into the sea, so that the mother should be killed, poor thing, herself and her baby.

DORIS Why, sister? Please tell me, if you have any definite information.

DORIS And what did she do, Thetis, when they were putting her there?

DORIS You’ve made me weep, too. But are they dead now?

THETIS Oh, no! The box is still floating round Seriphos, and keeping them alive and safe.

DORIS Well, why don’t we save them by bringing them into the nets of these fishermen here from Seriphos? They’ll be sure to pull them up and save them.

THETIS A good idea, let’s do that. I wouldn’t like the mother to die, or the baby either. It’s so pretty.

Current edition Perseus

Δωρίδος καὶ Θέτιδος

Δῶρις τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

Δῶρις τίνος δὲ ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα.

Δῶρις ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

Δῶρις κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλʼ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

Θέτις οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

Δῶρις τί οὖν οὐχὶ σώζομεν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

Θέτις εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

ΔΩΡΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΤΙΔΟΣ

ΔΩΡΙΣ Τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

ΔΩΡΙΣ Τίνος ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι 1 ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς.

ΔΩΡΙΣ Ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

ΔΩΡΙΣ Κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλ’ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

ΘΕΤΙΣ Οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

ΔΩΡΙΣ Τί οὖν οὐχὶ σῴζομεν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

ΘΕΤΙΣ Εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

XII

Doris

Thetis

Doris Crying, dear?

Thetis Oh, Doris, I have just seen a lovely girl thrown into a chest by her father, and her little baby with her; and he gave the chest to some sailors, and told them, as soon as they were far enough from the shore, to drop it into the water; he meant them to be drowned, poor things.

Doris Oh, sister, but why? What was it all about? Did you hear?

Doris And what did she do then?

Doris You make me cry, too. And is it all over?

Thetis No; the chest has carried them safely so far; it is by Seriphus.

Doris Then why should we not save them? We can put the chest into those fishermen’s nets, look; and then of course they will be hauled in, and come safe to shore.

Thetis The very thing. She shall not die; nor the child, sweet treasure!

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

DORIS

Why are you crying, Thetis?

THETIS

Oh, Doris, I’ve just seen a lovely girl ¹ put into a box by her father along with her newborn baby. ² He told his sailors to take the box and, when well away from land, to drop it into the sea, so that the mother should be killed, poor thing, herself and her baby.

DORIS

Why, sister? Please tell me, if you have any definite information.

DORIS

And what did she do, Thetis, when they were putting her there?

DORIS

You’ve made me weep, too. But are they dead now?

THETIS

Oh, no! The box is still floating round Seriphos, and keeping them alive and safe.

DORIS

Well, why don’t we save them by bringing them into the nets of these fishermen here from Seriphos? They’ll be sure to pull them up and save them.

THETIS

A good idea, let’s do that. I wouldn’t like the mother to die, or the baby either. It’s so pretty.

Δῶρις

τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

Δῶρις

τίνος δὲ ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα.

Δῶρις

ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

Δῶρις

κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλʼ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

Θέτις

οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

Δῶρις

τί οὖν οὐχὶ σώζομεν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

Θέτις

εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τίνος ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ¹ ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλ’ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.

ΔΩΡΙΣ

Τί οὖν οὐχὶ σῴζομεν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.

ΘΕΤΙΣ

Εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.

Doris

Crying, dear?

Thetis

Oh, Doris, I have just seen a lovely girl thrown into a chest by her father, and her little baby with her; and he gave the chest to some sailors, and told them, as soon as they were far enough from the shore, to drop it into the water; he meant them to be drowned, poor things.

Doris

Oh, sister, but why? What was it all about? Did you hear?

Doris

And what did she do then?

Doris

You make me cry, too. And is it all over?

Thetis

No; the chest has carried them safely so far; it is by Seriphus.

Doris

Then why should we not save them? We can put the chest into those fishermen’s nets, look; and then of course they will be hauled in, and come safe to shore.

Thetis

The very thing. She shall not die; nor the child, sweet treasure!