Chelidonium and Drosis
CHELIDONIUM
Has young Clinias given up visiting you, Drosis? It’s a long time since I’ve seen him at your house.
Has young Clinias given up visiting you, Drosis? It’s a long time since I’ve seen him at your house.
DROSIS
Yes, Chelidonium. His tutor has stopped him from coming to see me any more.
Yes, Chelidonium. His tutor has stopped him from coming to see me any more.
CHELIDONIUM
Who’s he? Surely not Diotimus, the gymnastics master? He’s a friend of mine.
Who’s he? Surely not Diotimus, the gymnastics master? He’s a friend of mine.
DROSIS
No, but that most accursed of Philosophers, Aristaenetus.
No, but that most accursed of Philosophers, Aristaenetus.
CHELIDONIUM
Do you mean the grim-looking fellow, with the shaggy hair and bushy beard, who’s always walking with his boys in the Painted Porch?
Do you mean the grim-looking fellow, with the shaggy hair and bushy beard, who’s always walking with his boys in the Painted Porch?
DROSIS
That’s the hypocrite I mean. I’d like to see him come to a bad end, with the hangman dragging him along by that beard.
That’s the hypocrite I mean. I’d like to see him come to a bad end, with the hangman dragging him along by that beard.
CHELIDONIUM
Why ever did he induce Clinias to act like this?
Why ever did he induce Clinias to act like this?
DROSIS
I don’t know, Chelidonium. But, although he’d never missed a night with me, since he’d started going with women, and I was his first woman, for three days running now he’s not even come near our street. Since I was upset, as somehow I’d become rather fond of him, I sent Nebris to have a look at him, while he was in the Agora or the Painted Porch. She said she saw him walking around with Aristaenetus, and nodded to him from a distance, but he went red, kept his eyes down and didn’t look in her direction again. Then they walked together to the Academy. She followed as far as the Dipylon Gate, but since he’d never even turned in her direction, she came back without any definite information. You can imagine what it’s been like for me since that, as I can’t think what’s come over my boy! “I can’t have annoyed him in any way?” I kept asking myself. “Or has he fallen in love with some other woman, and hates me now? Has his father prevented his visiting me?” Many thoughts like that kept coming into my poor head, but, when it was already late in the afternoon, Dromo came with this note from him. Take it and read it, Chelidonium, for I believe you can read.
I don’t know, Chelidonium. But, although he’d never missed a night with me, since he’d started going with women, and I was his first woman, for three days running now he’s not even come near our street. Since I was upset, as somehow I’d become rather fond of him, I sent Nebris to have a look at him, while he was in the Agora or the Painted Porch. She said she saw him walking around with Aristaenetus, and nodded to him from a distance, but he went red, kept his eyes down and didn’t look in her direction again. Then they walked together to the Academy. She followed as far as the Dipylon Gate, but since he’d never even turned in her direction, she came back without any definite information. You can imagine what it’s been like for me since that, as I can’t think what’s come over my boy! “I can’t have annoyed him in any way?” I kept asking myself. “Or has he fallen in love with some other woman, and hates me now? Has his father prevented his visiting me?” Many thoughts like that kept coming into my poor head, but, when it was already late in the afternoon, Dromo came with this note from him. Take it and read it, Chelidonium, for I believe you can read.
CHELIDONIUM
Let us see. The writing’s not very clear; it’s so slapdash that the writer was obviously in a hurry. He says, “Heaven knows how much I loved you, Drosis.”
Let us see. The writing’s not very clear; it’s so slapdash that the writer was obviously in a hurry. He says, “Heaven knows how much I loved you, Drosis.”
DROSIS
Alas, poor me! He didn’t even start by wishing me well.
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Alas, poor me! He didn’t even start by wishing me well.
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CHELIDONIUM
“And now I’m leaving you not because I hate you, but because I’m forced to do so. My father has handed me over to Aristaenetus to study philosophy under him, and Aristaenetus, finding out all about us, gave me a good telling-off, saying it was not at all the thing for a son of Architeles and Erasiclia to associate with a courtesan, for it was much better to prefer virtue to pleasure.”
“And now I’m leaving you not because I hate you, but because I’m forced to do so. My father has handed me over to Aristaenetus to study philosophy under him, and Aristaenetus, finding out all about us, gave me a good telling-off, saying it was not at all the thing for a son of Architeles and Erasiclia to associate with a courtesan, for it was much better to prefer virtue to pleasure.”
DROSIS
Curse that old driveller for teaching the lad such things!
Curse that old driveller for teaching the lad such things!
CHELIDONIUM
“So that I must obey him. He follows me everywhere, and keeps a close eye on me. In fact, I’m not allowed even to look at anyone but him. If I live a sober life, and obey him in everything, he promises me I’ll be completely happy, and shall become virtuous through my training in endurance. I’ve had the greatest difficulty in slipping away to write this to you. I pray that you may prosper, my dear, and never forget Clinias.”
“So that I must obey him. He follows me everywhere, and keeps a close eye on me. In fact, I’m not allowed even to look at anyone but him. If I live a sober life, and obey him in everything, he promises me I’ll be completely happy, and shall become virtuous through my training in endurance. I’ve had the greatest difficulty in slipping away to write this to you. I pray that you may prosper, my dear, and never forget Clinias.”
DROSIS
What do you think of the letter, Chelidonium?
What do you think of the letter, Chelidonium?
CHELIDONIUM
The rest of it might have come from a Scythian,
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but the part about never forgetting Clinias shows there’s still some hope.
The rest of it might have come from a Scythian,
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but the part about never forgetting Clinias shows there’s still some hope.
DROSIS
Just what I thought. In any case I’m dying of love. But Dromo said that Aristaenetus is the sort who’s fond of boys, and, by pretending to teach them, keeps company with the handsomest youths, and has now got Clinias on his own, and spins him tales, promising of all things that he will make him like a god. Besides that, he’s reading with him amorous discourses addressed by the old Philosophers to their pupils, and is all wrapped up in the lad. Dromo threatened he’d tell Clinias’ father as well.
Just what I thought. In any case I’m dying of love. But Dromo said that Aristaenetus is the sort who’s fond of boys, and, by pretending to teach them, keeps company with the handsomest youths, and has now got Clinias on his own, and spins him tales, promising of all things that he will make him like a god. Besides that, he’s reading with him amorous discourses addressed by the old Philosophers to their pupils, and is all wrapped up in the lad. Dromo threatened he’d tell Clinias’ father as well.
CHELIDONIUM
I hope, Drosis, you gave Dromo a good feed.
I hope, Drosis, you gave Dromo a good feed.
DROSIS
That I did, though he’ll do anything for me, even without that; he’s another who is desperate for the love of Nebris.
That I did, though he’ll do anything for me, even without that; he’s another who is desperate for the love of Nebris.
CHELIDONIUM
Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. I think I’ll write up on the wall in the Ceramicus, where Architeles often takes a walk, “Aristaenetus is corrupting Clinias”, so that we can charge
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to the swift support of Dromo’s charge.
Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. I think I’ll write up on the wall in the Ceramicus, where Architeles often takes a walk, “Aristaenetus is corrupting Clinias”, so that we can charge
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to the swift support of Dromo’s charge.
DROSIS
How can you write it up without being seen?
How can you write it up without being seen?
CHELIDONIUM
By night, my dear. I’ll get a bit of charcoal somewhere.
By night, my dear. I’ll get a bit of charcoal somewhere.
DROSIS
Capital, Chelidonium. If only you can help me fight that old impostor Aristaenetus!
Capital, Chelidonium. If only you can help me fight that old impostor Aristaenetus!
Dialogi meretricii. 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.