Alciphron
Liber III
ΑΛΚΙΦΡΟΝΟΣ ΡΗΤΟΡΟΣ
ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΑΙ ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΩΝ1
1 [iii. 4]
Τρεχέδειπνος Λοπαδεκθάμβῳ2
Ὁ γνώμων οὔπω σκιάζει τὴν ἕκτην, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποσκλῆναι3 κινδυνεύω τῷ λιμῷ κεντούμενος. εἶεν, ὥρα σοι βουλεύματος, Λοπαδέκθαμβε,4 μᾶλλον δὲ 2μοχλοῦ καὶ καλῳδίου ἀπάγξασθαι5· εἰ γὰρ καὶ6 ὅλην καταβαλοῦμεν τὴν κίονα τὴν τὸ πικρὸν7 τοῦτο ὡρολόγιον ἀνέχουσαν, ἢ τὸν γνώμονα τρέψομεν ἐκεῖσε νεύειν οὗ τάχιον δυνήσεται τὰς ὥρας ἀποσημαίνειν,8 ἔσται τὸ βούλευμα Παλαμήδειον· ὡς νῦν ἐγώ σοι αὖος ὑπὸ λιμοῦ καὶ αὐχμηρός. Θεοχάρης9 δὲ οὐ πρότερον καταλαμβάνει τὴν στιβάδα πρὶν
- 1Ἀλκίφρονος ῥήτορος ἐπιστολαὶ παρασίτων Ν, Ἀλκίφρονος ῥήτορος ἐπιστολαὶ παρασίτων α΄-λη΄ Ven., ἐπιστολαὶ παρασίτων Neap.a, τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολαὶ παρασιτικαί Γ. Title lacking in Harl. Vat.1.
- 2Τρεχέδειπνος Λοπαδεχθάμβῳ N x1, title lacking in x Neap.a.
- 3ἀπεσκληκέναι x Near.a.
- 4Λοπαδέχθαμβε Ν x1.
- 5ἀπάγξασθαι deleted by Herel.
- 6καὶ om. x Neap.a.
- 7μιαρὸν Stanger.
- 8x Neap.a insert καὶ.
- 9Θεοχάρις Neap.a, Θεόχαρις x1.
III. Letters of Parasites
Book III
Alciphron the rhetor’s
Letters of Parasites
Letter 1 [iii. 4]
Trechedeipnus to Lopadecthambusa
The pointer doesn’t mark the sixth hourb yet, and I am in danger of withering away, so goaded am I by hunger. So now, Lopadecthambus, it’s time for you to produce a scheme, or better still a crowbar and a rope to hang ourselves with. For if we throw down2 the whole column which supports this hateful sundial, or bend the gnomon this way where it will be able to mark the hours sooner, that will be a scheme worthy of Palamedes!c As matters stand I’m parched, if you please, and dried up from hunger. And Theochares doesn’t take his place on his mattress