12

vegetables destroy. What then might I say about the mole-rats? For the evil is terrible to the farmer and the enemy hard to contend with. Therefore, stand by me and take a share of the labors; and I will repay you again with such deeds. For so also the ants, allying with one another, both outwit their toil and undertake the greatest labors.

60 Antheia to Orion All things are enslaved to the female sex. Diogenes loves Lais, Sostratus the Phrygian. The elegance of philosophy has perished; they have pushed aside their dignified character, they have abandoned their ethereal mindset, they have proved false their lofty profession; all that they had previously practiced for training is gone. It seems to me an unseasonable game for an old man, having venerable gray hair, supercilious in his dignity, to be in love with a young courtesan. But I laugh aloud and cannot bear the laughter, whenever I should meet these old men; for they used to make many accusations against Aphrodite in the past, and said that lovers suffer from a self-chosen madness, defining loves as the desire of an intemperate soul. It is wise to endure all things; but to hope is much more prudent; for time and fortune have had much power.

61 Sostratus to Lysistratus Since, after exhorting you with many wonderful things, we seemed to be weaving the web of Penelope, come now, come, and let us begin with mythical tales; for perhaps what is said might reach your understanding. Among the new-sprouted trees, a cicada, perched in the season of heat, was chirping shrilly, and perceiving its own harmony, it was delighted. But the ant was present with the reapers and had made its haunts around the threshing floor and was storing its own food in the bosom of the earth, since the ant is more provident than the cicada. So then the sun had passed from its northern course, autumn was gone, and winter was visiting the earth; and the sea broke its calm truces. The sailors greeted the harbors as their saviors, the farmer took refuge in his own shelter, and the ant, in the hollows of the earth, had its labors as a suitable feast. The cicada then supplicated the industrious ant to have a share of its treasures; but the ant sent the melodist away from its doors, pouring much laughter upon it for its idleness, and reminding it of its summer songs. Therefore the one had its song for hunger, the other its labors for food. The fable suits you, Lysistratus; for being idle you are more wretched than one with a fever, eating twice as much in vain. Get away then from idleness, O best of men; for you have shamed the gifts of nature, allowing such great strength and robustness of body to be unadorned, not wishing to practice the knowledge of labors.

62 Tettigon to Porphyrion Corydon is a happy man and a friend of fortune, as it seems. The vines are burdened with grapes, the wild pear-trees are heavy and yearn for the harvesters, the olive trees have bent towards the earth and with their abundance weigh down the branches that bore them, the meadows are full of foliage, the threshing floor rivals the furrows of the Nile. But also his little wife, along with the other things, is fruitful for the man; for he has so many children, that he surpasses both Danaus and Aegyptus in his fruitfulness. For one is still at the breast, another has ceased being nursed, and others crawl, not yet having begun to walk upright; some lisp and are changing their teeth, others are entering their prime and have been allotted the state of being big boys; and like a syrinx of pipes the order of their age is arranged. But you advised not to betroth my little daughter to Corydon and you reviled the kinship, as if purifying yourself from the low birth. Woe is me, I, wretched man, have been deceived, and I had a fickle mind. To men, noble birth is useless; for among all there is nothing more glorious than wealth. 63 Chryses to Hephaestion You no longer love Diodote. You have extinguished the wicks of love;

12

τὰ λάχανα ὄλλυσι. τί δῆτα περὶ τῶν ἀσπαλάκων καὶ λέξαιμι; φοβερὸν γὰρ τῷ γεωργῷ τὸ κακὸν καὶ δυσανταγώνιστον τὸ πολέμιον. διό μοι συμπαραστάτει καὶ τῶν πόνων συλλαμβάνου· κἀγὼ δέ σε αὖθις τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἀμείψομαι. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ οἱ μύρμηκες συμμαχοῦντες ἀλλήλοις καὶ τὸν μόχθον σοφίζονται καὶ τῶν μεγίστων πόνων ἐφάπτονται.

60 Ἄνθεια Ὠρίωνι Ἅπαντα τῷ γυναικείῳ φύλῳ δεδούλωται. Λαΐδος ὁ ∆ιογένης ἐρᾷ, Σωστράτης ὁ Φρύγιος. ἡ τῆς φιλοσοφίας κομψότης διόλωλε· τὸ σεμνὸν ἦθος παρώσαντο, τὸ αἰθέριον καταλελοίπασι φρόνημα, τὸ μετάρσιον ἐπάγγελμα διεψεύσαντο· ἅπαντα φροῦδα τὰ πρὶν αὐτοῖς μεμελετημένα πρὸς ἄσκησιν. ἄωρόν μοι παίγνιον εἶναι δοκεῖ ἄνδρα πρεσβύτην, πολιὰν αἰδέσιμον ἔχοντα, ὑπερωφρυωμένον ἐπὶ σεμνότητι, νεάνιδος ἑταίρας ἐρᾶν. ἐγὼ δὲ καγχάζω καὶ τὸν γέλωτα φέρειν οὐ δύναμαι, ὁπηνίκα συναντήσαιμι τοῖς γεροντίοις· πολλὰ γὰρ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης κατηγόρουν τὸ πάλαι, καὶ τοὺς ἐρῶντας μανίαν νοσεῖν αὐθαίρετον ἔφασκον, ἔφεσιν ἀκολάστου ψυχῆς τοὺς ἔρωτας ὁριζόμενοι. ἅπαντα φέρειν σοφόν· τὸ δὲ ἐλπίζειν λίαν ἐστὶν ἐμφρονέστερον· πολλὰ γὰρ χρόνος καὶ τύχη δεδύνηται.

61 Σώστρατος Λυσιστράτῳ Ἐπειδή σοι πολλὰ καὶ θαυμαστὰ παραινέσαντες τὸν Πηνελόπης ἐδόξαμεν ὑφαίνειν ἱστόν, φέρε δῆτα φέρε καὶ μυθικῶν ἀπαρξώμεθα λόγων· ἴσως γὰρ τῆς σῆς διανοίας ἐφίκοιτο δὴ τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἐν τοῖς νεοβλάστοις τῶν δένδρων ὁ τέττιξ ὀχούμενος ὥρᾳ καύματος ἐκελάδει διάτορον, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἁρμονίας αἰσθανόμενος ἐπετέρπετο. ὁ δὲ μύρμηξ παρῆν τοῖς θερίζουσι καὶ περὶ τὴν ἅλω τὰς διατριβὰς ἐπεποίητο καὶ τοῖς κόλποις τῆς γῆς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τροφὴν ἐθησαύριζεν, οἷα προμηθέστερος ὢν ὁ μύρμηξ τοῦ τέττιγος. παρῳχήκει τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν βορείων ὁ ἥλιος, ἀπῆν τὸ μετόπωρον καὶ χειμὼν ἐπεφοίτα τῇ γῇ· ἡ δὲ θάλαττα τὰς γαληναίας σπονδὰς διελύσατο. οἱ πλωτῆρες τοὺς λιμένας ὡς σωτῆρας ὄντας ἠσπάζοντο, ὁ γεωργὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀλέαν κατέφευγε, καὶ ὁ μύρμηξ ἐν ταῖς λαγόσι τῆς γῆς καὶ τοὺς πόνους εἶχεν ἑστίασιν ἐπιτήδειον. ἱκέτευε δὴ ὁ τέττιξ τὸν φιλόπονον μύρμηκα τῶν θησαυρῶν μετασχεῖν· ὁ δὲ τὸν μελῳδὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ θυρῶν ἀπεπέμπετο, πολὺν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀργίας καταχέων τὸν γέλωτα, καὶ τῶν θερινῶν ᾀσμάτων αὐτὸν ἀνεμίμνησκε. διόπερ ὁ μὲν εἶχε λιμὸν τὴν ᾠδήν, ὁ δὲ τοὺς πόνους τροφήν. Ἁρμόττει σοι ὁ μῦθος, Λυσίστρατε· ἀργὸς γὰρ ὢν ἀθλιώτερος εἶ τοῦ πυρέσσοντος, ἐσθίων μάτην διπλάσια. ἄπαγε δῆτα τῆς ἀργίας, ὦ βέλτιστε· τὰ τῆς φύσεως γὰρ δῶρα κατῄσχυνας, τηλικαύτην ῥώμην καὶ εὐρωστίαν τοῦ σώματος ἀκόσμητον παρεῶν, ἐπιστήμην πόνων ἀσκεῖν μὴ βουλόμενος.

62 Τεττίγων Πορφυρίωνι Ὁ Κορύδων εὐδαίμων ἀνὴρ καὶ τῆς τύχης φίλος, ὡς ἔοικε. αἱ ἄμπελοι ταῖς βότρυσιν ἄχθονται, αἱ ἀχράδες βρίθουσι καὶ τῶν τρυγώντων ὀρέγονται, αἱ ἐλαῖαι τῇ γῇ προσνενεύκασι καὶ τῷ πλήθει τοὺς ἐνεγκαμένους κλάδους βιάζονται, οἱ λειμῶνες κατάκομοι, ἡ ἅλως ταῖς Νειλῴαις ἐφάμιλλος αὔλαξιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ γύναιον μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων εὐφορεῖ τῷ ἀνδρί· τοσοῦτοι γὰρ παῖδες αὐτῷ, ὥστε καὶ ∆αναὸν καὶ Αἴγυπτον ταῖς εὐτεκνίαις νικᾶν. ἄλλος μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὑπομάζιος, ἄλλος τῆς γαλουχίας ἐπαύσατο, ἕτεροι δὲ ἕρπουσι μήπω τῆς ὀρθῆς βαδίσεως ἀπαρξάμενοι· ἔνιοι παρατραυλίζουσι καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἀμείβουσιν, ἄλλοι τῆς ἀκμῆς ἐπιβαίνουσι καὶ τὸ βούπαιδες εἶναι κεκλήρωνται· καὶ σύριγγος δίκην αὐλῶν ἡ τῆς ἡλικίας αὐτοῖς τάξις συντέτακται. σὺ δὲ παρῄνεις τὸ θυγάτριον μὴ παρεγγυᾶν τῷ Κορύδωνι καὶ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν ἐκάκιζες, ὥσπερ ἀφοσιούμενος τὴν δυσγένειαν. οἴμοι βεβουκόλημαι ὁ δείλαιος, καὶ κοῦφον ἔσχον τὸ φρόνημα. τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀνόνητον ἡ εὐγένεια· πλούτου γὰρ παρὰ πᾶσιν οὐδὲν ἐνδοξότερον. 63 Χρύσης Ἡφαιστίωνι Οὐκέτι τῆς ∆ιοδότης ἐρᾷς. τὰς ἐρωτικὰς θρυαλλίδας ἀπέσβεσας·