Menander

by Menander, Athens; Bovie, Palmer; D'Atri, Sheila; Elman, Richard; Slavitt, David R.; Slavitt, David R.

• ISBN13: 9780812216523
• ISBN10: 0812216520
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-06-01
• Publisher: Univ of Pennsylvania Pr

Summary

The Penn Greek Drama Series presents original literary translations of the entire corpus of classical Greek drama: tragedies, comedies, and satyr plays. It is the only contemporary series of all the surviving work of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. The translations in this volume are by Sheila D'Atri, Palmer Bovie, and Richard Elman.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Grouch (Dyskolos)	p. 1
Desperately Seeking Justice (Epitrepontes)	p. 69
Closely Cropped Locks (Perikeiromene)	p. 127
The Girl from Samos (Samia)	p. 171
The Shield (Aspis)	p. 235
About the Translators	p. 277
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Chapter One

The Grouch (Dyskolos)

Translated by

Sheila D'Atri

Cast

PAN, the god, prologue speaker

SOSTRATOS, young man who has fallen in love

CHAIREAS, parasite, friend of Sostratos

PYRRHIAS, slave belonging to the family of Sostratos

KNEMON, the "dyskolos," the dyspeptic grouch

YOUNG GIRL, unmarried daughter of Knemon (no name given

in the papyrus)

DAOS, slave belonging to Gorgias

GORGIAS, farmer, half-brother of Knemon's daughter by the

same mother

SIKON, cook

GETAS, slave belonging to Sostratos' family

SOSTRATOS' MOTHER

SIMICHE, an old woman, Knemon's slave and nurse to his

daughter

KALLIPPIDES, Sostratos' father

CHORUS of revelers

NONSPEAKING

Plangon, Sostratos' sister

Parthenis, a female piper

Donax and Syrus, slaves

Myrrhine, Knemon's wife and mother of Gorgias and the

daughter

Another piper

(The action takes place in Phyle, a village about thirteen miles from

Athens that was famous for a shrine to Pan and the Nymphs.

The actual shrine was on the side of a steep cliff; in the theater it

is represented by the opening to a cave in the center of the stage.

On the left is a farmhouse belonging to Knemon, the dyspeptic

misanthrope; on the right is another farmhouse belonging to

Gorgias and his mother. The spring of the Nymphs, where the

sacrifices take place, is inside the shrine. The audience cannot see

inside, so these actions will be reported. Next to one of the doors,

along the country lane that goes by the houses, is an altar to

Apollo Agyieus, Apollo as the god of streets and roads. The

audience cannot see the well and dung-heap situated behind

Knemon's house or the lands farmed by Knemon and Gorgias,

but will imagine them as they are pointed out. The ridge where

Knemon is first seen picking wild pears is just off stage to the left.

Farther away, on the right, is the large farm owned by

Kallipides, Sostratos' father. The place has an air of desolation; it

is hilly, rocky, very difficult to farm, and mostly good for

hunting.)

ACT I

(In the early morning, the god Pan comes out of his shrine to deliver

the explanatory prologue to the audience.)

PAN

Let your imaginative forces work

to make this place appear as Phyle--

an Attic village where the celebrated shrine

from which I come belongs to those

who have the strength to farm the rocks.

The field here on my right belongs to Knemon,

a human lacking in humanity,

bilious toward everyone, detesting crowds.

"Crowds" do I say? He's lived a lengthy time

and hardly ever said a gracious word

to anyone. He's never first to say "hello,"

with one exception, and that's me,

his neighbor, Pan. He doesn't like it,

but he must. (I'm dangerous when crossed.)

This Knemon once was married to a widow

whose husband had just died and left her

with a tiny son. Yoked in one harness,

they lived by fighting through the days

and taking up the greater part of night

existing wretchedly. And then a daughter came,

and things got worse. When misery

was all there was, and life was harsh

and full of toil, she left and joined her son.

Here, in this neighborhood, he owned a little place,

where now he is his mother's sole support

(with barely enough). One loyal slave,

long in the family, is all the help they have.

This boy's quite grown by now.

His mind's advanced beyond his years.

Experience in living brought him up.

The old man and his daughter live alone

with an old female servant. Carrying wood,

digging, he works all the time.

Beginning with his wife and the neighbors

all the way to Cholargos, down there,

he hates every one of them. The girl

is innocent in all her ways--

not one thing ugly about her.

With pious care she tends the Nymphs

who share my shrine, and as she honors us

so are we moved to care for her.

There's a boy whose father farms a wealthy place,

worth many talents, right in this vicinity.

The city's where he lives, but now he's here

to hunt, and just by chance he's in this place

with his companion in the chase.

I've inspired him, made him mad for the girl:

That's the essence. If you want the rest,

watch if you wish--and you ought to wish it!

That youth I told you of is coming near,

intent on telling to his friend

these matters that we all might hear.

(Pan goes back to his shrine. Sostratos and a hunting companion, named

Chaireas and called a parasite in the list of

personae in the papyrus, come on stage from the

farm belonging to Sostratos' father.)

CHAIREAS

What are you saying? You saw a free-born girl

putting garlands on the local Nymphs--

and right away you're in love?

SOSTRATOS

Right away.

CHAIREAS

That's fast. When you started out today

did you plan to fall in love?

SOSTRATOS

You're mocking me,

but I am really wretched, Chaireas.

CHAIREAS

It's not that I don't believe you.

SOSTRATOS

That's why I'm taking you into my heart.

I also think of you as practical.

CHAIREAS

That's the way I am, Sostratos.

Suppose a hetaira has captured a friend.

Right away I grab her, get drunk,

burn down the house! Don't listen to reason!

Before you discover who she is,

you've got to try your luck.

Slow-going makes you burn for a girl,

and a quick start means a quick finish.

But if you mean marriage with a free-born female,

then I'm a different sort of friend.

I make inquiries about her family,

finances and style. It's permanent

arrangements that we're talking here.

I leave a future record for my friend.

SOSTRATOS

That's well and good,

but not very pleasing.

CHAIREAS

But even in your case we should

give the facts a thorough hearing.

SOSTRATOS

At dawn I sent out Pyrrhias

from home, but not to hunt--

CHAIREAS

To whom?

SOSTRATOS

To her father. To meet with

the person in charge, whoever he is.

CHAIREAS

Heracles! What are you saying?

SOSTRATOS

I made a mistake. Missions like these

Aren't for slaves. It isn't easy

to know what succeeds, when someone's in love.

It's been quite some time since he's been gone,

and I've been wondering--I said to him--

"Get right back home, and tell me here,

where I am waiting, what I want to know."

(They are suddenly interrupted by a terrified Pyrrhias dashing onto the

stage from the left. He is out of breath and dazed

as if he has just encountered a malevolent spirit

of superhuman force.)

PYRRHIAS

Make room! Watch out! Get off the road!

A crazy man is chasing me--he's mad!

SOSTRATOS

What's this all about, my lad?

PYRRHIAS

Save yourselves!

SOSTRATOS

What's this?

PYRRHIAS

I'm pelted with clods, with sod, with stones.

I'm dead.

SOSTRATOS

Pelted? Where to now, you miserable wretch?

PYRRHIAS (trying to escape across to the right)

Is he still coming after me?

SOSTRATOS (holding him back)

By Zeus, he's not!

PYRRHIAS

He was, I thought.

SOSTRATOS

What are you saying?

PYRRHIAS

Let's clear out of here, I'm begging!

SOSTRATOS

Where?

PYRRHIAS

Away from his door, as far as we're able.

Some son of Distress, a man possessed

by blackness of bile and dreadful demons

lives there. You sent me to a man

who is big trouble. I've broken my toes

falling over all those rocks.

SOSTRATOS

Has he been drinking, coming here like this?

CHAIREAS

His wits are wandering, that's clear.

PYRRHIAS

By Zeus, I swear it, Sostratos,

I'd rather die! Watch out somehow.

I can't go on; I'm out of breath.

I knocked on the door and asked for the master,

A beaten-down old woman came--

she stood right here, where I am now

and showed me where he was

up on the hill collecting sour pears.

(Pyrrhias is frantic. His encounter with the old man has made him

sound like an incompetent fool. Chaireas and

Sostratos find the story hard to believe since they

have not yet seen Knemon.)

CHAIREAS (sarcastically)

What excitement!

PYRRHIAS

What's that, you lucky dog? But as for me,

I took some steps upon his bit of land,

and while a good way off, in friendly fashion,

Put out my hand in greeting as I spoke.

"I've come on business, sir," I said.

"On your behalf, I've hurried here."

Right away, he says, "Damn you, are you

spying on my place?" Then he

picked up some sod and threw it in my face.

CHAIREAS (incredulously)

Go to hell!

PYRRHIAS

While this was going on, I shut my eyes,

and said, "I hope Poseidon gets you,"

when next he grabbed a pointed pole

and really cleaned me up with it.

He said, "What business could there be,"

of some concern to you and me?"

"Can't you find a public road?" he screamed.

CHAIREAS

Without a doubt, you're describing

a farmer who's out of his mind.

PYRRHIAS

Here's how it ends: I ran away

and he chased me, first around the hill,

at least two miles, and then below

into these bushes, throwing clods and stones

and then the pears when nothing else was there.

A rotten business, an absolutely

damned old man. I beg you, find another place.

SOSTRATOS

That's the way that cowards talk.

PYRRHIAS

You've no idea what path you walk.

He'll gobble us up.

CHAIREAS

Perhaps at this moment he's suffering.

It seems to me now, Sostratos, that we

can wait awhile. For you should know,

in business, it's more practical

to wait until the moment's opportune.

PYRRHIAS

Very sensible.

CHAIREAS

Poor farmers are prickly, He's not alone;

It's all of them. At dawn, tomorrow,

since I know the house, I'll go alone.

And now it's best you wait at home.

That's the way to play it.

(Having decided to his own satisfaction what would be best, Chaireas

departs without waiting for an answer. Sostratos

then turns his attention to his slave after deciding

that Chaireas is of no use to him.)

PYRRHIAS (happy to have Chaireas take care of things)

That's what we should do.

SOSTRATOS (thinking Chaireas has failed him)

That's an excuse he's gladly seized upon.

It was immediately clear

he didn't want to come with me,

and didn't approve of my marriage plans.

(turning furiously to Pyrrhias)

And as for you, you lowest of the low,

I hope the gods destroy you.

PYRRHIAS (innocently)

How have I injured you, Sostratos?

SOSTRATOS

It's clear you've caused some damage to his place,

or stole--

PYRRHIAS

I stole?

SOSTRATOS

Why would someone beat you if you did nothing wrong?

PYRRHIAS

He's here, that man himself! O best of masters,

now I'll take me off, and you can talk to him.

(Pyrrhias makes his escape. Sostratos on stage alone starts his monologue.

As he is speaking, he notices Knemon appear at the

left, coming from the ridge. By the time his speech

is finished, Sostratos has moved as far away as

he can from Knemon's house, while Knemon is

standing in the middle of the stage, ready to begin

his comments to the spectators.)

SOSTRATOS (to himself and answering the absent Pyrrhias)

I can't! I never can persuade a soul

no matter what I talk about.

And how can I address a man like him?

That's no philanthropist I'm looking at.

By Zeus, he's serious! I'll slip aside

a little from the door. That's better.

How he shouts, while walking all alone!

He must be mad, it seems to me--

I'm frightened, by Apollo and the gods.

(Shouldn't a person tell the truth?)

KNEMON

Well, didn't Perseus have double-luck?

First, the wings--he never had to meet

with people walking on the ground.

And then he had some sort of property

which turned the mob of nuisances to stone.

That's what I want! They'd be plentiful

everywhere--human statues made of stone.

By Asclepius, my life is now

unlivable. They're talking,

trespassing, crossing my land.

I suppose, by Zeus, I waste my time

standing by the side of the road!

I don't work that bit of field:

those people coming by have chased me off,

and now they follow me up to the hill-tops.

A multi-multitudinous mob!

Good grief! Another one of them

is standing right beside our door!

SOSTRATOS (aside)

Will he really strike at me?

KNEMON (aside)

A quiet place is nowhere to be found.

You can't even plan to hang yourself in peace.

SOSTRATOS (aside)

Can it be me enraging him?

(to Knemon)

I'm waiting here for someone, sir, it was agreed--

KNEMON (ignoring him)

What did I say? Is this the stoa

or the local shrine for rendezvous?

Whenever there's a man you wish to see,

arrange to meet them all beside my door.

Certainly, construct an assembly-room,

if that's what you have in mind!

Why not a council-chamber? I'm accursed!

The evil is abusive insolence,

as it appears to me.

(Knemon exits, going angrily into his house.)

SOSTRATOS

I can't be casual about this job.

Real effort is required here.

That's clear, but shall I go for Getas,

who's my father's slave? By the gods, I will!

He's hot stuff, with lots of experience

in all sorts of things. He'll beat off his bile.

I don't approve of long delays:

why, even in a single day,

lots could happen. Oh, there's noise at the door!

(Young girl, Knemon's daughter, enters.)

GIRL

Alas, for all my sufferings;

and what shall I do now? My nurse,

while lifting up the jar,

dropped the well-ropes in the well.

SOSTRATOS (aside, thinking only of the appeal of his beloved)

O Father Zeus, Apollo the healer,

beloved Dioscuri--unbeatable beauty!

GIRL

Father gave me orders coming in

to make the water hot.

SOSTRATOS (overwhelmed by her)

Amazing!

GIRL

If he discovers this, he'll treat her

like a criminal. I have no time to talk.

O dearest Nymphs, you've got to take it on.

But I'm ashamed to go inside

if there are people making sacrifice--

SOSTRATOS

Just give it to me and right away

I'll dip the jug and bring it up.

GIRL

Yes, by the gods, and quickly too!

SOSTRATOS (to himself as he goes into the shrine)

She's a natural aristocrat

although her look is countrified.

O gods deserving deepest reverence,

what can save me now?

GIRL

Dear me, who's banging at the door?

Can that be father coming out?

I'll catch some blows if he catches me out.

DAOS (speaking to Gorgias' mother inside as he comes on stage from the other house)

I'm slaving and serving forever here

while he's out there digging alone.

I've got to go and help him out.

O cursed Poverty! How have we happened

on such an intimate relationship?

Why has your constant presence

settled in our house?

SOSTRATOS (returning)

Take the jar.

GIRL (from the door of her house)

Bring it here.

DAOS

Whatever is this man after?

SOSTRATOS

Be well! Take care of your father.

(to himself)

Oh, my! O Sostratos, stop complaining.

It will be all right.

DAOS (aside)

What will be all right?

SOSTRATOS (still to himself)

Don't worry, do as you planned--get Get as--

tell him everything and bring him back.

(He goes offstage.)

DAOS (alone)

Is something ugly going on?

I'm not the least bit pleased.

When a boy is waiting on a girl,

corruption's close. But, Knemon, as for you--

I hope the gods destroy you totally.

You've left that innocent and harmless girl

alone in this deserted place,

with no protection anywhere.

That's why he came by! Finding out,

he slipped away and thought he'd try his luck.

Fast as I can, I'll let her brother know.

We'll watch out on her behalf.

I believe I will start on it now--

for here's a group of followers of Pan.

I see they're looking somewhat drunk,

so I think I'm better off away.

(Chorus of revelers comes on stage, singing a lighthearted paean to Pan

and providing the choral performance sung

between the acts.)

ACT II

(Daos and Gorgias are alone on stage. Gorgias, hearing about

Sostratos' arrival at the farm, criticizes Daos for not dealing

more forcefully with the situation.)

GORGIAS

Was this an insignificant affair

that you could handle carelessly?

DAOS

How is that?

GORGIAS

You should have told him, whoever he was,

as soon as you saw him come forward,

by Zeus, that you'd better never,

ever see him again acting like that.

But you kept off, as if this business

was somebody else's concern.

It isn't possible to run away

from family responsibility.

My sister's our concern, although her father

wishes it were otherwise. Don't imitate

dyspeptic dispositions.

If she falls victim to some shame,

disgrace would also come to me.

From the outside, no one ever knows

who is to blame. They only see results.

(They walk toward Knemon's house.)

Copyright © 1998 University of Pennsylvania Press. All rights reserved.