Latin set text - Apuleius: Sagae Thessalae

iuvenis ego Mileto profectus ad spectaculum Olympicum, cum haec etiam loca provinciae clarae visitare cuperem, peragrata tota Thessalia Larissam perveni.

As a young man, I set out from Miletus for the Olympic games, then, since I desired to visit these parts of your famous province as well, having travelled through the whole of Thessaly, I reached Larissa.

ac dum urbem pererrans tenuato viatico paupertati meae fomenta quaero, medio in foro senem conspicio.

And while I was wandering through the city, with my travelling allowance diminished, I was looking for remedies for my poverty, in the middle of the forum I caught sight of an old man.

insistebat lapidem magnaque voce praedicabat, si quis mortuum custodire vellet, magnum praemium accepturum esse.

He was standing on a stone and in a loud voice was proclaiming that if anyone were willing to guard a dead person, he would receive a great reward.

et cuidam praetereunti "quid hoc" inquam "audio? hic mortui solent aufugere?"

And to someone passing by, I said "What's this I hear? Are dead people here in the habit of running away?"

"tace," respondit ille.

"Be quiet," that man replied.

"nam puer et satis peregrinus es, meritoque nescis in Thessalia te esse, ubi sagae ora mortuorum semper demorsicant, quae sunt illis artis magicae supplementa."

"For you are a boy and a mere foreigner, and naturally you do not know you are in Thessaly, where witches are always biting pieces out of dead people's faces, which are the extra ingredients of their magic art."

contra ego "quali custodela" inquam "opus est?"

In reply I said "What sort of protection is needed?"

"iam primum" respondit ille "totam noctem eximie vigilandum est apertis et inconivis oculis semper in cadaver intentis, nec acies usquam devertenda est, cum illae pessimae sagae latenter arrepant, forma in quodvis animal conversa.

"To begin with," that man replied, "one must stay fully awake for the whole night with opening and unclosing eyes always directed at the corpse, and one's gaze must not be turned away anywhere, since those thoroughly bad witches creep up secretly, with their shape turned into any animal.

nam et aves et canes et mures, immo vero etiam muscas, induunt.'

For they take the form of birds and dogs and mice, and indeed, even flies."

his cognitis animum meum commasculo et statim accedens senem "clamare" inquam "iam desine. adest custos paratus."

When I have found out these things, I strengthened my resolve and immediately approaching the old man I said "Now, stop shouting. Here is a guard all ready."

vix finieram et statim me perducit ad domum quandam, ubi demonstrat matronam flebilem fuscis vestimentis contectam.

I had scarcely finished when he immediately conducted me to a certain house, where he pointed out a weeping woman, shrouded in dark clothes.

illa surrexit et ad cubiculum me induxit.

She got up and led me into a bedroom.

ibi corpus splendentibus linteis coopertum manu revelavit.

There with her hand she uncovered a body wrapped in shining white sheets.

ubi singula anxie demonstravit, exiit.

When she had anxiously pointed out individual features, she went out.

sic desolatus ad cadaveris solacium, perfrictis oculis et paratis ad vigiliam, dum animum meum permulcebam cantationibus, usque ad mediam noctem pervigilabam.

Thus left alone with the corpse for comfort, with my eyes rubbed and ready for guard duty, while I was soothing my mind with songs, I stayed awake right up until midnight.

tum autem mihi formido cumulatior cum repente introrepens mustela contra me constitit oculosque in me fixit.

Then, however, my fear was even more increased when suddenly, creeping in, a weasel halted in front of me and fixed its eyes on me.

tanta fiducia in tantulo animali mihi turbavit animum.

Such great self-confidence in so tiny an animal disturbed my mind.

denique sic illi 'abi' inquam 'scelesta bestia, antequam meam vim celeriter experiaris! abi!'

At last I said the following to it "Go away you wicked beast before you quickly experience my strength! Go away!"

mustela terga vertit et e cubiculo protinus exit.

The weasel turned (HP) its back and immediately went out of (HP) the bedroom.

sine more somnus tam profundus me repente demergit, ut ne deus quidem Delphicus ipse facile discernere posset ex duobus nobis iacentibus, quis esset magis mortuus.

Without delay, a sleep so deep suddenly overwhelmed (HP) me that not even the god of Delphi (Apollo) could easily decide, out of the two of us lying down, which was more dead.

tandem prima luce expergitus et magno pavore perterritus cadaver accurro, et admoto lumine revelatoque eius vultu, omnia diligenter inspicio: nihil deest.

At last at dawn having been awakened and terrified with great panic, I dashed over to the corpse, and, having brought a lamp near and uncovered its face, I examined (HP) everything carefully: nothing was (HP) missing.

ecce uxor misera flens introrumpit: cadavere inspecto reddit sine mora praemium.

Lo and behold! The wretched wife burst in (HP) weeping: having examined the corpse she paid (HP) the reward without delay.

"per fidem vestram" inquit "cives per peitatem publicam, perempto civi subsistite et extremum facinus istius feminae nefariae scelestaeque serveriter vindicate.

"For the sake of your honour, citizens," he said, "for the sake of public duty, help a murdered citizen and punish severely the vilest deed of that wicked and villainous woman.

haec enim nec ullus alius miserum iuvenem, sororis meae filium, in adulteri gratiam et ob praedam hereditariam exstinxit veneno."

For this woman and no other person has destroyed with poison a wretched young man, the son of my sister, for the gratification of a lover and for the sake of the profit of an inheritance."

illa, lacrimis effusis quamque sanctissime poterat adiurans cunctos deos, tantum scelus abnuebat.

She, pouring out tears and, as piously as she could, swearing by all the gods, repeatedly denied so great a crime.

ergo senex ille: "veritatis arbitrium in divinam providentiam ponamus.

Therefore that old man [said], "Let us place the judgement of the truth into the hands of divine providence.

Zatchlas adest Aegyptiis propheta notissimus, qui mihi promisit se pro magno praemio spiritum istius cadaveris paulisper ab inferis reducturum esse corpusque animaturum."

Zatchlas is here, a very well known Egyptian prophet, who has promised me that he, in return for a large reward, will lead back the spirit of that corpse for a short time from the dead and bring his body back to life."

immitto me turbae et pone ipsum lectulum lapidem insistens omnia curiosis oculis spectabam.

I pushed (HP) myself into the crowd, and, standing on a stone, behind the bier itself, I continued to watch everything with curious eyes.

iam tumore pectus cadaveris extolli, iam spiritu corpus impleri.

Now the chest of the corpse was being raised by a swelling (HP) \[and\] now the body was being filled with breath.

et surgit cadaver et profatur: ‘cur, oro, me post Lethaea pocula iam Stygiis paludibus innatantem ad momentariae vitae officia reducitis?

The corpse both rose up (HP) and spoke out (HP): “Why, I beg, after I have drunk from the waters of Lethe and am already sailing on the Stygian swamps, are you leading me back to the duties of a short-lived life?

desine iam, precor, desine, ac me in meam quietam permitte.’

Stop now, I pray, stop now and let me go to my rest.”

haec vox de corpore audita est, sed propheta aliquanto commotior ‘quin narras’ inquit ‘populo omnia de morte tua?’ respondet ille de lectulo et imo cum gemitu populum sic adloquitur: ‘malis novae nuptae artibus peremptus et addictus noxio poculo, torum tepentem adultero reddidi.

This voice was heard from the body, but the prophet rather more forcefully said: “Why don’t you tell the people everything about your death?”, that man replied (HP) from his bier and with a deep groan, addressed (HP) the people as follows: “Murdered by the evil arts of my new bride and victim of a poisoned cup, I gave back a warm bed to her lover.

dabo vobis documenta veritatis perlucida, et quod prorsus alius nemo cognoverit vel ominaverit indicabo.’

I shall give you very clear proofs of the truth and, what absolutely no one else has found out or predicted, I shall reveal.”

tunc digito me demonstrans: ‘nam cum corporis mei custos hic sagacissimus exsertam vigiliam mihi teneret, sagae quaedam exuviis meis imminentes forma mutata apparuerant.

Then, pointing me out with his finger (he said) “For while this very keen willed guard of my body was keeping an alert vigil over me, some witches, eager for my remains, appeared with their shape changed.

cum industriam sedulam eius fallere non potuissent, postremo iniecta somni nebula eum in profundam quietem sepeliverunt.

When they could not deceive his determined efforts, finally, after throwing in a cloud of sleep, they buried him in a deep repose.

tum me nomine excitare coeperunt neque prius desierunt quam dum hebetes artus mei et membra frigida ad artis magicae obesquia segniter nituntur.

Then they began to wake me up by name and they did not stop until my sluggish joints and cold limbs slowly struggled (HP) to obey their magic art.

hic autem, qui vivus erat, et tantum sopore mortuus, idem mecum nomen forte habet.

However, this man, who was alive and only dead through sleep, happened to have (HP) the same name as me.

ad suum nomen igitur ignarus exsurgit, et, in exanimis umbrae modum ultro gradiens, ianuam adit.

He, therefore, got up mistakenly in response to his own name and proceeding mechanically in the manner of a lifeless ghost, approached (HP) the door.

quamquam fores cubiculi diligenter occlusae erant, per quoddam foramen prosectis naso prius ac mox auribus lanienam pro me passus est.

Although the doors of the bedroom had been carefully locked, when, through a certain hole first his nose and soon his ears had been cut off. He suffered mutilation instead of me.

tum sagae ceram in modum prosectarum formatam aurium ei applicant nasumque similem prosecto comparant.

Then the witches attached (HP) wax to him shaped in the manner of the ears which had been cut off, and they fitted on (HP) a nose similar to the one which had been cut off.

et nunc stat miser hic, praemium non industriae sed lanienae consecutus,’

And now the wretched man stands here, having earned the reward not for his efforts but for \[having suffered\] mutilation.”

hic dictis perterritus temptare formam incipio.

Terrified by the words, I began (HP) to examine my appearance.

manu nasum prehendo: sequitur; aures pertracto: derunt ac dum turba directis digitis et nutibus me denotat, inter pedes circumstantium frigido sudore defluens effugio.

With my hand I grasped (HP) my nose: it came off (HP); I touched (HP) my ears: they fell off (HP). And while the crowd was pointing me out by directing their fingers and nods, I, dripping with cold sweat, escaped (HP) between the feet of those standing round.

nec postea sic debilis ac sic ridiculus ad patriam redire potui, sed capillis hinc inde deiectus aurium vulnera celavi, nasi vero dedecus linteolo isto decenter obtexi.

And afterwards, maimed like this and ludicrous like this I could not return to my fatherland, but with my hair grown long on both sides I hid the wounds of my ears, and, what is more I concealed the disgrace of my nose with this small cloth for decency’s sake.