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is held by a double tablet lying on the bed. The tablet, like a small [boat?], ferries her love to the one desired. 18 For this little torch of Eros warms Phaedra, and he himself dissolves the rhythm of her body and forces her mind to bear things that are not fitting. For what will Eros do to her? [He...] and leaps, borne up through the air on his wings, and with his right hand and with one finger of it, he points to Hippolytus, high up in the colours. With the other hand he lights his torch, at the same time touching the very middle of her heart with the sight. [And] of Hippolytus' chest in the painting, the colours are sufficient parts for the need; for these things know how to stir up love even more. [So the] hunter reveals this with his spear; and he shows as much of his cloak as of his body. 19 And a certain Eros, lying in wait and standing with his feet crossed, prepares the black substance for the letters, as many as, when written, will announce her love to Hippolytus. And holding this in his left hand, with the other he has placed the stylus in it, intending to give it to Phaedra. And she, taking it, will write: "Until when will you be chaste, Hippolytus? Phaedra desires you and wants you." 20 And a certain tragic old woman will serve the need, the very depth of gray hair, a nurse, as it seems, not sparing Phaedra in her time of need. And experienced in the passions of women, she knows to what she is attending and has flown up high and is wholly of love; and knowing the passion, she nevertheless asks something and teaches, indicating these things with her fingers and seems to say: "What have you suffered, my child? Why are you so perplexed? Write and be brave and accept me as a servant for this need." Having spoken, she persuades Phaedra and is gone. Or rather, see her, while she is still present, dressed as an old woman. Her clothing is grey, as befits old age, and perhaps also her mistress's passion. And stooping she speaks, like those who speak secretly, lest Theseus, pretending to be asleep, might chance to perceive her words. She stoops, leaning her left hand on her hip, lest she should fall forward unawares, forced by her old age. She bares nothing of her body except her face and a hand emerging from the middle of her forearm from her wrap. And her gray hairs protrude with a slipping from the loose binding of her head. 21 And so let us send this woman to Hippolytus, since she wishes it; and let us observe the handmaidens beside her. One of them, not knowing her mistress, at what indeed she is gaping, quietly asks the one standing by, joining face to face and touching cheek to cheek. For she seems to whisper, lest she get into some trouble, while inquiring into the sufferings of her mistress. But the other, having long ago grasped the matter in her mind, risks something out of good will for the one asking, and with a hidden hand, pointing with an outstretched finger, she directed the other's gaze straight toward the picture. And she, showing the ornament on her bare arms, placing her right hand on a nearby †, is brought with her fingertips to the tip of her chin, and having lifted her head, she watches the picture expectantly and perhaps, unknown to her mistress, shares her love. 22 And beside them a more delicate maiden, and to speak poetically, golden-haired, brings Phaedra's finery lying in some casket, and holds it with her left hand, while with the other she wishes to lift out the golden ornaments piece by piece. For her mistress is wearing only so much ornament as befits her life indoors, headbands and bracelets; and necklaces are about her neck and spirals in her ears, and a golden band binding her head is enclosed by a succession of Indian stones. Her feet are supported on some stool, shining forth with their naked beauty; and the surrounding ornament of gold almost overshadowed her whiteness, of which the natural beauty bore a kind of victory over every acquired thing. 23 But if it seems good now, my friend, let us go forth from the palace with Hippolytus and hunt, not, by Zeus, a hare or a deer or perhaps even a lion. For the painting refrains from them, being concerned with chastity. Here are mountains and plains and much woodland and hunters and flocks. Hippolytus and Daphne of the

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πινακίῳ διπλῷ κατὰ τῆς κλίνης κειμένῳ συνέχεται. τὸ δὲ πινάκιον μικρῷ ἐοικὸς ὑ[.....] διαπορθμεύει τῷ ποθουμένῳ τὸν ἔρωτα. 18 Τὴν γὰρ δὴ Φαίδραν τουτὶ τὸ λαμπάδιον ὑποθάλπει τοῦ Ἔρω̣τ̣ο̣ς̣ καὶ τὸν ῥυθμὸν αὐτὸς διαλύει τοῦ σώματος καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς ἃ μὴ πρέπει βιάζεται φέρειν. τί γὰρ αὐτῇ καὶ δράσει Ἔρως [·······]αται καὶ σκιρτᾷ κατ' ἀέρος τοῖς πτεροῖς ἀνεχόμενος δεξιᾷ τε χειρὶ ἑνί τε ταύτης δακτύλῳ δείκνυσι μετέωρον ἐν χρώμασι τὸν Ἱππόλυτον. θατέρᾳ δὲ τὸν πυρσὸν ἀνάπτει, ὁμοῦ τῇ θέᾳ τῆς καρδίας ἁπτόμενος μέσης. Ἱππολύτο̣υ̣ [δὲ] τῶν στέρνων ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος τὰ χρώματα ἀρκοῦντα μέρη τῇ χρείᾳ· ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ μᾶλλον παρασκευάζειν οἶδε τὸν ἔρωτα. ὁ [μὲν οὖν φι]λόθηρος ἐμφαίνει τοῦτο τῷ δόρατι· τοσοῦτον δὲ φαίνει τῆς χλανίδος, ὅσον τοῦ σώματος. 19 Ὁ δέ τις Ἔρως ὑφεδρεύων καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν ἐνηλλαγμένως ἱστάμενος παρασκευάζει τὴν ἐκ μέλανος ὕλην τοῖς γράμμασιν, ὅσα δὴ γραφέντα μηνῦσαι μέλλει τῷ Ἱππολύτῳ τὸν ἔρωτα. καὶ τῇ λαιᾷ ταύτην ἀνέχων, θατέρᾳ ταύτῃ τὴν γραφίδα φέρων ἐνέθηκε, μέλλων ἐπιδοῦναι τῇ Φαίδρᾳ. ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα γράψει· "Μέχρι δὴ τίνος σωφρονήσεις, Ἱππόλυτε; Φαίδρα δὲ ποθεῖ σε καὶ βούλεται". 20 ∆ιακονήσει δὲ τῇ χρείᾳ τραγική τις γραῦς, αὐτὸ τῆς πολιᾶς τὸ βαθύτατον, τίτθη τις, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ φειδομένη τῆς Φαίδρας. τοῖς δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν ἐντριβεῖσα παθήμασιν, οἶδεν οἷς προσέχει καὶ προσανέπτη μετέωρος καὶ ἔστιν ὅλη τοῦ ἔρωτος· καὶ τὸ πάθος ἐπισταμένη, ὅμως ἐρωτᾷ τι καὶ διδάσκει τοῖς δακτύλοις ταῦτα ὑποσημαίνουσα καὶ λέγειν ἔοικε· "Τί πέπονθας, ὦ τέκνον; τί δὲ τοσοῦτον ἠπόρησαι; γράφε καὶ θάρρει καὶ δέχου με τῇ χρείᾳ διάκονον". πείθει τὴν Φαίδραν εἰποῦσα καὶ οἴχεται. μᾶλλον δὲ ταύτην, ἐν ὅσῳ καὶ πάρεστιν, ὅρα δὴ πρεσβυτικῶς ἐσταλμένην. φαιὰ μὲν ἐσθὴς ὡς ἐπὶ γήρᾳ, τάχα δὲ καὶ πάθει δεσποίνης. συγκύψασα δὲ διαλέγεται, ὥσπερ οἱ λάθρᾳ φθεγγόμενοι, μὴ καὶ λάθῃ Θησεὺς ἐν προσποιήσει καθεύδοντος τῶν ῥημάτων αἰσθόμενος. συγκύπτει δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἰξὺν χεῖρα λαιὰν ἐπερείσασα, μὴ καὶ πέσῃ πρηνὴς λαθοῦσα βιαζομέ νου τοῦ γήρως. γυμνοῖ δὲ τοῦ σώματος οὐδὲν ὅτι μὴ πρόσωπόν τε καὶ χεῖρα τῆς ἀναβολῆς ἐκ μέσου προελθοῦσαν τοῦ πήχεως. καὶ πολιαὶ ταύτῃ χαλαρῷ δεσμῷ τῆς κεφαλῆς προκύπτουσιν ὀλισθήματι. 21 Καὶ ταύτην μέν, ἐπεί γε θέλει, πρὸς Ἱππόλυτον πέμψωμεν· τὰς δὲ παρ' αὐτὴν θεραπαίνας σκοπήσωμεν. ὧν ἡ μὲν ἀγνοοῦσα τὴν κεκτημένην, πρὸς ὅ τι δήπου καὶ κέχηνε, τῆς παρισταμένης ἠρέμα πυνθάνεται, προσώπῳ συνάψασα πρόσωπον καὶ παρειᾷ παρειὰν ἐπιψαύουσα. ψιθυρίζειν γὰρ ἔοικε, μὴ κακόν τι λάβῃ, τὰ τῆς δεσποίνης φιλοπευστοῦσα παθήματα. ἡ δὲ τῷ νῷ πάλαι συλλαβοῦσα τὸ πρᾶγμα παρακινδυνεύει τι τῆς ἐρωτώσης πρὸς εὔνοιαν καὶ λανθανούσῃ χειρὶ δεικνύντα τείνασα δάκτυλον τῆς ἑτέρας τὸ βλέμμα κατ' εὐθὺ τῆς εἰκόνος ἀνέτεινεν. ἡ δὲ γυμνοῖς βραχίοσι τὸν ἐνόντα κόσμον ἐμφαίνουσα, ὑποκειμένῃ † πλησίον τῇ δεξιᾷ καθιδρύσασα, ἄκροις δακτύλοις πρὸς ἄκραν γένυν ἀνάγεται καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀνασπάσασα καραδοκεῖ τὴν εἰκόνα καὶ συνερᾷ τάχα τῇ δεσποίνῃ λανθάνουσα. 22 Παρ' αὐτὰς δέ τις ἁβροτέρα κόρη καὶ ποιητικῶς εἰπεῖν ξανθοκάρηνος τὸν Φαίδρας ἄγει κόσμον ἐν κοιτίδι που κείμενον καὶ τῇ λαιᾷ ταύτην ἀνέχει, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ τὰ χρυσία κατὰ μέρος ἀνάγειν ἐθέλουσα. τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἡ κεκτημένη περίκειται κόσμον, ὅσον τῇ κατ' οἶκον ἁρμόσει διαίτῃ, ἀμφιδέτας τε καὶ περιβραχιόνια· ὅρμοι τε περὶ τῇ δέρῃ καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἑλικτῆρες καὶ χρυσῆ ταινία τὴν κεφαλὴν περισφίγγουσα Ἰνδικῶν λίθων διαδοχῇ περικλείεται. οἱ δὲ πόδες ἐπί τινος ἀνέχονται δίφρου γυμνῷ τῷ κάλλει προλάμποντες· καὶ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ χρυσοῦ περιὼν κόσμος μικροῦ τὸ λευκὸν ἐπεσκίαζεν, οὗ ἦν τὸ φυσικὸν κάλλος κατὰ παντὸς ἐπικτήτου φέρον τινὰ νικητήρια. 23 Ἀλλ' εἰ δοκεῖ νῦν, ὦ φιλότης, τῶν βασιλείων προελθόντες σὺν Ἱππολύτῳ θηράσωμεν, οὐ μὰ ∆ία λαγὼν ἢ ἔλαφον ἤ τινα τάχα καὶ λέοντα. ἀργεῖ γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἡ γραφὴ πρὸς σωφροσύνην ἠσχολημένη. ὄρη ταυτὶ καὶ πεδία ὕλη τε πολλὴ καὶ κυνηγέται καὶ ποίμνια. Ἱππόλυτος καὶ ∆άφνη τῶν