The Arbitration (Routledge Revivals)

The Epitrepontes of Menander

Gilbert Murray

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781317913399
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Letteratura
• Subtopic: Teatro antico e classico

Gilbert Murray translated and made available to modern readers The Epitrepontes of Menander or The Arbitration for the first time in 1945. The Arbitration is among the most frequently quoted and most famous of Menander's plays and – being less farcical than others - belongs to his mature style. With an interesting and informative introduction, this translation will be of value to any student of Classics and Ancient Greek drama.

Act V

Enter SÎMIAS and CHAERESTRATUS talking.

SÎMIAS We mustn't seem to avoid a friend in trouble.
The child is his. He gave the girl his word
For that before a dozen witnesses.
There's no way out. Well, you must just remain
A good friend to Charisius—Good, remember,
And true! That girl is not a common slave;
In heart and character she's a free woman.
Besides, she's now the mother of his child.
Therefore, Halt! No more ogling of the harpist!

CHAERESTRATUS Why should you think I need all this advice?
I've no desire to ogle anyone,
Nor offer anyone condolences,
Nor yet congratulations. I'd just sooner
Be left alone. You go to him.

SÎMIAS All right.
I'll do my best to find some words of comfort
For poor Charisius and his bonny boy!
Well, here goes! (seeing HABROTONON) Prudence, prudence!
[As he goes into the House, HABROTONON enters and is going towards the House when CHAERESTRATUS speaks.

CHAERESTRATUS (stiffly) Pray allow me,
To offer you my warm congratulations.
I hear you are promised freedom.

HABROTONON Thank you, Sir,
That is so.

CHAERESTRATUS And perhaps still further honours?

HABROTONON What higher honour is there?

CHAERESTRATUS Marriage?

HABROTONON No;
I have not heard of any.

CHAERESTRATUS But that child . . .

HABROTONON Is with his mother. I'm just going to her.

CHAERESTRATUS His mother?

HABROTONON Pamphilê.

CHAERESTRATUS (amazed) Has Pamphile
Bought it, or what? You said the child was yours.

HABROTONON I had my reasons.

CHAERESTRATUS Then that rigmarole
You told . . .

HABROTONON Has served its purpose. Now we know
Not all of it was true.

CHAERESTRATUS A lie to make him
Believe the child was yours!

HABROTONON Yes. Slaves are good
At lying. It's our chief accomplishment.

CHAERESTRATUS You did him a great wrong! Made him confess
The child was his!

HABROTONON It was. The ring proved that.
And when I once knew that, I had the clue
To find its mother.

CHAERESTRATUS But why should you find her?
if she was found you lost all claim upon him.
You were no more the mother of his child;
Why should he set you free?

HABROTONON I took that risk.

CHAERESTRATUS That risk! The risk of being held a slave
For ever!

HABROTONON What a slave I should have been,
And worse, if I had tried to hide the truth?

CHAERESTRATUS I never knew a slave before who felt
in that way.

HABROTONON Why, what else was there to do?
Slave as I am, and hungering to be free,
I have a woman's heart. How could I leave
That child cast out and helpless, a free child
Born of a gentle house? Or how could I
Forget that wronged girl at the midnight feast?
Great liars as we slaves are, we can be honest.

CHAERESTRATUS You had your freedom safe, and took the risk
Of losing it again!

HABROTONON Safe, would you say?
No; any chance might have upset my story
And covered me with shame.
[Enter from House R. with tray.
Are those the tokens?
You're taking them to the mistress? Leave them here.
I'll take them (exit MAID), Think how deadly these would be
Against me! Look, except Charisius' ring,
They are all her things, not mine (looking through them).
I never wore
Gold chains and precious stones . . . though once I had
A silver cup like that. . . rather like that.

CHAERESTRATUS You, as a child?

HABROTONON Oh, I was quite a baby.
It had my name engraved, like Pamphilê's
On this.

CHAERESTRATUS It looks as if there'd been some name
Cut out here; and then Pamphilê's inscribed
Above it.

HABROTONON Oh, of course the cup is hers!
I never meant to claim it. I don't even
Remember properly what mine was like.

CHAERESTRATUS (looking at the cup) There was some name; but not Habrotonon.

HABROTONON Habrotonon! Who'd give a child a name
Like that, a poor hired slave-performer's name,
Like "Pegs-and-strings" or "Catgut"? No; I had
A real name once.

CHAERESTRATUS What was it?

HABROTONON I don't know.
Some grown-up name. They never called me by it. . .
They called me . . . Oh, just silly baby names.

CHAERESTRATUS What was your father's name?

HABROTONON How should I know?
I called him Dadda. I was very little.

CHAERESTRATUS (with the cup) A K I can make out, and perhaps an L;
Kle, Kleo—

HABROTONON Kleo— No; I'm only guessing.
I half thought. . . That's enough! I can quite see
What you expect; you think I'm going to tell you
The usual slave's romance, how I was born
Quite free and rich, but captured in the wars
Or lost at sea. You won't believe a word!
Why should you? I've no shred of proof to back
My fables.

CHAERESTRATUS I believe your every word.
I know you are free at heart, too true, too proud
For tricks that one can pardon in a slave.
But do try to remember. Any detail
Might give us clues . . .

HABROTONON I haven't any clues!
I knew so little. I can just remember
Men fighting in the streets. I lost my doll.
And a man came and took me by the hand
And said: "Come on, my dear. The other children
Are waiting." So he took me to the Gate,
And there there was a crowd, and I was put
Among the smallest girls, and we were sold
Quickly, in bunches, to the slave-dealers.
Then later I was taught to play the harp
And given that stupid name . . . Oh, it's all useless.
I don't know where it was. I don't remember
My father's name. Most likely I never knew it.
I have no proofs.

CHAERESTRATUS What need have I of proofs?
Charisius is your guardian? I propose
To-day to ask him his ward's hand in marriage.

HABROTONON No, no! I need some time to think; to learn
How to be free; to sit and taste my freedom;
Lie on the ground and whisper to the Earth
"Free, Mother, free at last!" No more unclean,
No more a coward! I want to wash my body,
And clean my soul of slavish fears and stains;
And be no more, in my own thoughts, as yours,
That harp-girl who was hired to smile and play,
Be kissed and revel at some drunken feast,
Or else be beaten. I want time to breathe . . .
—I must take in these things to Pamphile.
[She picks up the tray. Enter from House SÎMIAS; behind him ONÊSIMUS, a large drinking cup in his hands, watches with interest. CHAERESTRATUS tries to hold HABROTONON, but she slips by into the House.

CHAERESTRATUS But listen. Stay a moment.

SÎMIAS What's all this?
Chaerestratus, I warned you!

CHAERESTRATUS Yes, you did!
You did! But wasn't that some time ago?
Hasn't there been a change?

SÎMIAS (taken aback) Why, so there has.
I always said that girl ought to be free.
And if she's free . . . But you're so hasty. Come,
Let's talk it over.
[Exeunt together to House B.

ONÊSIMUS There he goes again!
After the harping girl! Well, I don't mind.
That girl's too clever for me. I can never
Quite make her out... I must say she's played fair
About our partnership. I've got full pardon
For everything, and special thanks for finding
That baby. I've not got liberty, like her.
But, Lord, why should ...