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Ξάνθου καὶ Θαλάττης

Ξάνθος

δέξαι με, ὦ θάλασσα, δεινὰ πεπονθότα καὶ κατάσβεσόν μου τὰ τραύματα.

Θάλασσα

τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ξάνθε; τίς σε κατέκαυσεν;

Ξάνθος

ὁ Ἥφαιστος. ἀλλʼ ἀπηνθράκωμαι ὅλος ὁ κακοδαίμων καὶ ζέω.

Θάλασσα

διὰ τί δαί σοι καὶ ἐνέβαλε τὸ πῦρ;

317

Ξάνθος

διὰ τὸν ταύτης υἱὸν τῆς Θέτιδος· ἐπεὶ γὰρ φονεύοντα τοὺς Φρύγας ἱκετεύσας οὐκ ἔπαυσα τῆς ὀργῆς, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ἐνέφραττέ μοι τὸν ῥοῦν, ἐλεήσας τοὺς ἀθλίους ἐπῆλθον ἐπικλύσαι ἐθέλων, ὡς φοβηθεὶς ἀπόσχοιτο τῶν ἀνδρῶν.

Ξάνθος

ἐνταῦθα ὁ Ἥφαιστος — ἔτυχε γὰρ πλησίον που ὤν — πᾶν ὅσον, οἶμαι, πῦρ εἶχε καὶ ὅσον ἐν τῇ Αἴτνῃ καὶ εἴ ποθι ἄλλοθι, φέρων ἐπῆλθέ μοι, καὶ ἔκαυσε μὲν τὰς πτελέας καὶ μυρίκας, ὤπτησε δὲ καὶ τοὺς κακοδαίμονας ἰχθῦς καὶ τὰς ἐγχέλεις, αὐτὸν δὲ ἐμὲ ὑπερκαχλάσαι ποιήσας μικροῦ δεῖν ὅλον ξηρὸν εἴργασται. ὁρᾷς γοῦν, ὅπως διάκειμαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγκαυμάτων.

318

Θάλασσα

θολερός, ὦ Ξάνθε, καὶ θερμός, ὡς εἰκός, τὸ αἷμα μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἡ θέρμη δέ, ὡς φής, ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρός· καὶ εἰκότως, ὦ Ξάνθε, ὃς ἐπὶ τὸν ἐμὸν υἱωνὸν ὥρμησας οὐκ αἰδεσθεὶς ὅτι Νηρηίδος υἱὸς ἦν.

Ξάνθος

οὐκ ἔδει οὖν ἐλεῆσαι γείτονας ὄντας τοὺς Φρύγας;

Θάλασσα

τὸν Ἥφαιστον δὲ οὐκ ἔδει ἐλεῆσαι Θέτιδος υἱὸν ὄντα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα.

Dialogi Marini. Lucian. ed. Karl Jacobitz. Leipzig. 1909.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Google Digital Humanities Awards Program.

Current edition Perseus

Ἐνάλιοι Διάλογοι (Greek) (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.)

Editions (1)

Θεῶν διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).) — 11 focus

ΝΟΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΖΕΦΥΡΟΥ

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Ταύτην, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν δάμαλιν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ πελάγους εἰς Αἴγυπτον ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἄγει, ὁ Ζεὺς διεκόρησεν ¹ ἁλοὺς ἔρωτι;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Ναί, ὦ Νότε· οὐ δάμαλις δὲ τότε, ἀλλὰ παῖς ἦν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἰνάχου· νῦν δὲ ἡ Ἥρα τοιαύτην ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν ζηλοτυπήσασα, ὅτι πάνυ ἑώρα ἐρῶντα τὸν Δία.

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Νῦν δὲ ἔτι ἐρᾷ τῆς βοός;

306

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Καὶ μάλα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἔπεμψεν καὶ ἡμῖν προσέταξε μὴ κυμαίνειν τὴν θάλασσαν ἔστ' ἂν διανήξεται, ² ὡς ἀποτεκοῦσα ἐκεῖ—κυεῖ δὲ ἤδη—θεὸς γένοιτο καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ τεχθέν.

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Ἡ δάμαλις θεός;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Καὶ μάλα, ὦ Νότε· ἄρξει τε, ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἔφη, τῶν πλεόντων καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται δέσποινα, ὅντινα ἂν ἡμῶν ἐθέλῃ ἐκπέμψαι ἢ κωλῦσαι ἐπιπνεῖν.

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Θεραπευτέα τοιγαροῦν, ὦ Ζέφυρε, ἤδη δέσποινά γε οὖσα. εὐνουστέρα γὰρ ἂν οὕτως γένοιτο.

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Ἀλλ' ἤδη γὰρ διεπέρασε καὶ ἐξένευσεν ἐς τὴν γῆν. ὁρᾷς ὅπως οὐκέτι μὲν τετραποδητὶ ³ βαδίζει, ἀνορθώσας δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ Ἑρμῆς γυναῖκα παγκάλην αὖθις ἐποίησεν;

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Παράδοξα γοῦν ταῦτα, ὦ Ζέφυρε· οὐκέτι τὰ 307 κέρατα οὐδὲ οὐρὰ καὶ δίχηλα τὰ σκέλη, ἀλλ’ ἐπέραστος κόρη. ὁ μέντοι Ἑρμῆς τί παθὼν μεταβέβληκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀντὶ νεανίου κυνοπρόσωπος γεγένηται;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Μὴ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἐκεῖνος οἶδε τὸ πρακτέον. ⁴

Translations (2)

Dialogues of the Gods Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).) — 11 focus

South Wind And West Wind

SOUTH WIND

Is it true, Zephyrus, about Zeus and this heifer ¹ that Hermes is escorting by sea to Egypt? Did he fall for her and have his way with her?

WEST WIND

Yes, Notus; only she wasn’t a heifer then, but the daughter of Inachus, the river. But now Hera, in her jealousy, has turned her into this, because she saw Zeus was very much in love with her.

SOUTH WIND

Is he still in love with her now she’s a heifer?

WEST WIND

Very much so, my good fellow. That’s why he’s sent her to Egypt, and told us he doesn’t want any rough seas, until she swims across, so that, when she has her baby there—she’s expecting at the moment—both mother and child ² may become gods.

SOUTH WIND

The heifer a god?

WEST WIND

Indeed she will be. According to Hermes, she’ll have power over those at sea and be our mistress, choosing for herself which of us to send out or to stop from blowing.

SOUTH WIND

In that case we’d better be attentive to her, if she’s now our mistress. Then we’ll be sure of her good-will.

WEST WIND

But look, she’s over now, and has swum ashore. See how she no longer walks on all fours, but has been straightened up by Hermes and changed back again into a most attractive woman.

SOUTH WIND

How very strange, Zephyrus. No horns now, or tail or cloven hooves, but instead a lovely girl. But what’s come over Hermes, that he’s changed himself and given up his own fine face for that of a dog ³ ?

WEST WIND

Let’s not be inquisitive. He knows his business better than we do.

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.) — 11 focus

XI

The Xanthus

The Sea

Xanthus

O Sea, take me to you; see how horribly I have been treated; cool my wounds for me.

Sea

What is this, Xanthus? who has burned you?

Xanthus

Hephaestus. Oh, I am burned to cinders! oh, oh, oh, I boil!

Sea

What made him use his fire upon you?

Xanthus

Why, it was all that son of your Thetis. He was slaughtering the Phrygians; I tried entreaties, but he went raging on, damming my stream with their bodies; I was so sorry for the poor wretches, I poured down to see if I could make a flood and frighten him off them.

Xanthus

But Hephaestus happened to be about, and he must have collected every particle of fire he had in Etna or anywhere else; on he came at me, scorched my elms and tamarisks, baked the poor fishes and eels, made me boil over, and very nearly dried me up altogether. You see what a state I am in with the burns.

Sea

Indeed you are thick and hot, Xanthus, and no wonder; the dead men’s blood accounts for one, and the fire for the other, according to your story. Well, and serve you right; assaulting my grandson, indeed! paying no more respect to the son of a Nereid than that!

Xanthus

Was I not to take compassion on the Phrygians? they are my neighbours.

Sea

And was Hephaestus not to take compassion on Achilles? he is the son of Thetis.

Henry Watson Fowler

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Ξάνθου καὶ Θαλάττης

Ξάνθος δέξαι με, ὦ θάλασσα, δεινὰ πεπονθότα καὶ κατάσβεσόν μου τὰ τραύματα.

Θάλασσα τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ξάνθε; τίς σε κατέκαυσεν;

Ξάνθος ὁ Ἥφαιστος. ἀλλʼ ἀπηνθράκωμαι ὅλος ὁ κακοδαίμων καὶ ζέω.

Θάλασσα διὰ τί δαί σοι καὶ ἐνέβαλε τὸ πῦρ;

Ξάνθος οὐκ ἔδει οὖν ἐλεῆσαι γείτονας ὄντας τοὺς Φρύγας;

Θάλασσα τὸν Ἥφαιστον δὲ οὐκ ἔδει ἐλεῆσαι Θέτιδος υἱὸν ὄντα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα.

Current edition Perseus

ΝΟΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΖΕΦΥΡΟΥ

ΝΟΤΟΣ Ταύτην, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν δάμαλιν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ πελάγους εἰς Αἴγυπτον ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἄγει, ὁ Ζεὺς διεκόρησεν 1 ἁλοὺς ἔρωτι;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ Ναί, ὦ Νότε· οὐ δάμαλις δὲ τότε, ἀλλὰ παῖς ἦν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἰνάχου· νῦν δὲ ἡ Ἥρα τοιαύτην ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν ζηλοτυπήσασα, ὅτι πάνυ ἑώρα ἐρῶντα τὸν Δία.

ΝΟΤΟΣ Νῦν δὲ ἔτι ἐρᾷ τῆς βοός;

ΝΟΤΟΣ Ἡ δάμαλις θεός;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ Καὶ μάλα, ὦ Νότε· ἄρξει τε, ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἔφη, τῶν πλεόντων καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται δέσποινα, ὅντινα ἂν ἡμῶν ἐθέλῃ ἐκπέμψαι ἢ κωλῦσαι ἐπιπνεῖν.

ΝΟΤΟΣ Θεραπευτέα τοιγαροῦν, ὦ Ζέφυρε, ἤδη δέσποινά γε οὖσα. εὐνουστέρα γὰρ ἂν οὕτως γένοιτο.

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ Μὴ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἐκεῖνος οἶδε τὸ πρακτέον. 4

South Wind And West Wind

SOUTH WIND Is it true, Zephyrus, about Zeus and this heifer 1 that Hermes is escorting by sea to Egypt? Did he fall for her and have his way with her?

WEST WIND Yes, Notus; only she wasn’t a heifer then, but the daughter of Inachus, the river. But now Hera, in her jealousy, has turned her into this, because she saw Zeus was very much in love with her.

SOUTH WIND Is he still in love with her now she’s a heifer?

WEST WIND Very much so, my good fellow. That’s why he’s sent her to Egypt, and told us he doesn’t want any rough seas, until she swims across, so that, when she has her baby there—she’s expecting at the moment—both mother and child 2 may become gods.

SOUTH WIND The heifer a god?

WEST WIND Indeed she will be. According to Hermes, she’ll have power over those at sea and be our mistress, choosing for herself which of us to send out or to stop from blowing.

SOUTH WIND In that case we’d better be attentive to her, if she’s now our mistress. Then we’ll be sure of her good-will.

WEST WIND But look, she’s over now, and has swum ashore. See how she no longer walks on all fours, but has been straightened up by Hermes and changed back again into a most attractive woman.

SOUTH WIND How very strange, Zephyrus. No horns now, or tail or cloven hooves, but instead a lovely girl. But what’s come over Hermes, that he’s changed himself and given up his own fine face for that of a dog 3 ?

WEST WIND Let’s not be inquisitive. He knows his business better than we do.

XI

The Xanthus

The Sea

Xanthus O Sea, take me to you; see how horribly I have been treated; cool my wounds for me.

Sea What is this, Xanthus? who has burned you?

Xanthus Hephaestus. Oh, I am burned to cinders! oh, oh, oh, I boil!

Sea What made him use his fire upon you?

Xanthus Why, it was all that son of your Thetis. He was slaughtering the Phrygians; I tried entreaties, but he went raging on, damming my stream with their bodies; I was so sorry for the poor wretches, I poured down to see if I could make a flood and frighten him off them.

Sea Indeed you are thick and hot, Xanthus, and no wonder; the dead men’s blood accounts for one, and the fire for the other, according to your story. Well, and serve you right; assaulting my grandson, indeed! paying no more respect to the son of a Nereid than that!

Xanthus Was I not to take compassion on the Phrygians? they are my neighbours.

Sea And was Hephaestus not to take compassion on Achilles? he is the son of Thetis.

Stable identifiers

Ξάνθος

δέξαι με, ὦ θάλασσα, δεινὰ πεπονθότα καὶ κατάσβεσόν μου τὰ τραύματα.

Θάλασσα

τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ξάνθε; τίς σε κατέκαυσεν;

Ξάνθος

ὁ Ἥφαιστος. ἀλλʼ ἀπηνθράκωμαι ὅλος ὁ κακοδαίμων καὶ ζέω.

Θάλασσα

διὰ τί δαί σοι καὶ ἐνέβαλε τὸ πῦρ;

Ξάνθος

οὐκ ἔδει οὖν ἐλεῆσαι γείτονας ὄντας τοὺς Φρύγας;

Θάλασσα

τὸν Ἥφαιστον δὲ οὐκ ἔδει ἐλεῆσαι Θέτιδος υἱὸν ὄντα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα.

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Ταύτην, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν δάμαλιν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ πελάγους εἰς Αἴγυπτον ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἄγει, ὁ Ζεὺς διεκόρησεν ¹ ἁλοὺς ἔρωτι;

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Νῦν δὲ ἔτι ἐρᾷ τῆς βοός;

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Ἡ δάμαλις θεός;

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Καὶ μάλα, ὦ Νότε· ἄρξει τε, ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἔφη, τῶν πλεόντων καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται δέσποινα, ὅντινα ἂν ἡμῶν ἐθέλῃ ἐκπέμψαι ἢ κωλῦσαι ἐπιπνεῖν.

ΝΟΤΟΣ

Θεραπευτέα τοιγαροῦν, ὦ Ζέφυρε, ἤδη δέσποινά γε οὖσα. εὐνουστέρα γὰρ ἂν οὕτως γένοιτο.

ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ

Μὴ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἐκεῖνος οἶδε τὸ πρακτέον. ⁴

SOUTH WIND

Is it true, Zephyrus, about Zeus and this heifer ¹ that Hermes is escorting by sea to Egypt? Did he fall for her and have his way with her?

WEST WIND

Yes, Notus; only she wasn’t a heifer then, but the daughter of Inachus, the river. But now Hera, in her jealousy, has turned her into this, because she saw Zeus was very much in love with her.

SOUTH WIND

Is he still in love with her now she’s a heifer?

WEST WIND

Very much so, my good fellow. That’s why he’s sent her to Egypt, and told us he doesn’t want any rough seas, until she swims across, so that, when she has her baby there—she’s expecting at the moment—both mother and child ² may become gods.

SOUTH WIND

The heifer a god?

WEST WIND

Indeed she will be. According to Hermes, she’ll have power over those at sea and be our mistress, choosing for herself which of us to send out or to stop from blowing.

SOUTH WIND

In that case we’d better be attentive to her, if she’s now our mistress. Then we’ll be sure of her good-will.

WEST WIND

But look, she’s over now, and has swum ashore. See how she no longer walks on all fours, but has been straightened up by Hermes and changed back again into a most attractive woman.

SOUTH WIND

How very strange, Zephyrus. No horns now, or tail or cloven hooves, but instead a lovely girl. But what’s come over Hermes, that he’s changed himself and given up his own fine face for that of a dog ³ ?

WEST WIND

Let’s not be inquisitive. He knows his business better than we do.

Xanthus

O Sea, take me to you; see how horribly I have been treated; cool my wounds for me.

Sea

What is this, Xanthus? who has burned you?

Xanthus

Hephaestus. Oh, I am burned to cinders! oh, oh, oh, I boil!

Sea

What made him use his fire upon you?

Xanthus

Why, it was all that son of your Thetis. He was slaughtering the Phrygians; I tried entreaties, but he went raging on, damming my stream with their bodies; I was so sorry for the poor wretches, I poured down to see if I could make a flood and frighten him off them.

Sea

Indeed you are thick and hot, Xanthus, and no wonder; the dead men’s blood accounts for one, and the fire for the other, according to your story. Well, and serve you right; assaulting my grandson, indeed! paying no more respect to the son of a Nereid than that!

Xanthus

Was I not to take compassion on the Phrygians? they are my neighbours.

Sea

And was Hephaestus not to take compassion on Achilles? he is the son of Thetis.