The Greek Romances of Heliodorus, Longus and Achilles Tatius: Comprising the Ethiopics; or, Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea; The pastoral amours of Daphnis and Chloe; and the loves of Clitopho and LeucippeLongus
General
The Greek Romances of Heliodorus, Longus and Achilles Tatius: Comprising the Ethiopics; or, Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea; The pastoral amours of Daphnis and Chloe; and the loves of Clitopho and Leucippe
Longus
Romance fiction, Greek -- Translations into English
The old man smote his forehead, and wept; and, then after raising
his eyes, and looking round him, he suddenly sprang forward, like
one distracted; and upon coming to the altar, he twisted the end of
his long robe into the form of a halter, threw it over the neck of
Theagenes, and pulled him towards him, crying out--"I have found you,
my enemy! I have found you, man of blood, detested wretch!"--The guards
interposed, and endeavoured to resist and pull him away, but keeping
a firm hold and clinging closely to him, he succeeded in bringing him
before Hydaspes and the council.
"This, Ο king," said he, "is the man who stole away my daughter. This
is he who has rendered my house childless and desolate; who, after
ravishing away my daughter from the midst of Apollo's altar, now sits
as though he were holy beside the altars of the gods."
The assembly was thrown into commotion at what was taking place. They
did not understand what he said, but wondered at what they saw him do;
and Hydaspes commanded him to explain himself more plainly, and say
what he would have; when the old man (it was Charicles), concealing the
true circumstances of the birth and exposure of Chariclea, lest, if
she should have perished in her flight or journey, he might come into
some collision with her real parents, explained briefly such matters as
could produce ηo ill results.
"I had a daughter, Ο king! and had you seen her various and uncommon
perfections, both of mind and person, you would say I have good cause
for speaking as I do. She lived the life of a virgin, a priestess of
Diana, in the temple at Delphi. This noble Thessalian, forsooth, who
was sent by his country to preside over a solemn embassy and sacrifice
to be celebrated in our holy city, stole her away from the very shrine,
I say, of Apollo.
"Justly may he be considered to have insulted you by profaning your
national deity Apollo and his temple, Apollo being identical with the
Sun. His assistant in this impious outrage was a pretended priest of
Memphis. In my pursuit, I came to Thessaly; and the Thessalians offered
to give him up should he be found as one accursed and deserving death.
Thinking it probable that Calasiris might have chosen Memphis as a
place of refuge, I hastened thither. Calasiris, I found, was dead; but
I learnt all particulars concerning my daughter from his son Thyamis,
who told me that she had been sent to Oroondates at Syene. After being
disappointed at not finding the latter at Syene, and having been
myself detained prisoner at Elephantis, I now appear before you as a
suppliant, to seek my child. You will, then, deeply oblige me, a man of
many griefs, and will also gratify your own self, by not disregarding
the Viceroy's intercession." He ceased, and burst into tears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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