Texte grec :
| [33,35] εἰ δή τις ὑπῆρχε τοιαύτη πόλις, ὥστε ἀεὶ θρηνούντων ἐν αὐτῇ ἀκούειν
καὶ μηδένα δύνασθαι δίχα τῆς δυσφημίας ταύτης προελθεῖν μηδὲ ἐπ´
ὀλίγον, πρὸς τοῦ Διὸς ἔστιν ὅστις ἂν ἡδέως ἐπεδήμησεν; καίτοι
τὸ μὲν θρηνεῖν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, ἀτυχίας ἐστὶ σημεῖον, τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον
ἀναισχυντίας, ἀσελγείας τῆς ἐσχάτης. οὐκοῦν εἰκὸς ἐν δυστυχέσι
μᾶλλον ἀνθρώποις ἐθέλειν διατρίβειν ἢ ἀκολάστοις. ἐγὼ
μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἑλοίμην ἀκούειν οὐδὲ αὐλούντων διηνεκῶς· ἀλλ´
εἴ τις ἔστι τοιοῦτος τόπος, ἐν ᾧ συνεχής ἐστιν ἦχος εἴτε αὐλῶν
εἴτε ᾠδῆς εἴτε κιθάρας, οἷον δή φασι τὸν τῶν Σειρήνων εἶναι
σκόπελον ἀεὶ μελῳδούμενον, οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην ἐκεῖσε ἐλθὼν διάγειν.
(36) τὸν δέ γε ἄγριον τοῦτον καὶ χαλεπὸν ἦχον τίς ἂν μέτριος ἄνθρωπος
ὑπομείνειεν; ἀλλ´ ἐὰν μέν τις οἴκημα παριὼν ἀκούσῃ τοῦ
τοιούτου, δῆλον ὅτι φήσει χαμαιτυπεῖον αὐτὸ εἶναι. τὴν δὲ πόλιν
τί φήσουσιν, ἐν ᾗ πανταχοῦ σχεδὸν εἷς ἐπικρατεῖ φθόγγος, καὶ
οὔτε καιρὸν οὔτε ἡμέραν οὔτε τόπον ἐξαίρετον οὐδένα ποιοῦνται,
ἀλλ´ ἐν στενωποῖς, ἐν οἰκίαις, ἐν ἀγοραῖς, παρὰ τὸ θέατρον, ἐν τῷ
γυμνασίῳ δυναστεύει τὸ πρᾶγμα; καὶ αὐλοῦντος μὲν ἕωθεν οὐδενὸς
ἀκήκοα ἐγὼ μέχρι νῦν ἐν τῇ πόλει, τοῦτο δὲ τὸ θαυμαστὸν μέλος
(37) εὐθὺς ἅμα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ κινεῖται. καίτοι με οὐ λέληθεν ὅτι ἴσως
τινὲς ληρεῖν με νομίζουσι τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξετάζοντα, καὶ μηδὲν εἶναι
παρὰ τοῦτο, μόνον ἂν τὰ λάχανα ἁμάξαις εἰσφέρητε καὶ πολλοὺς
ἄρτους θεωρῆτε ἐν τῷ μέσῳ καὶ τὸ τάριχος ᾖ καὶ τὰ κρέα. σκοπούντων
δὲ ὅμως αὐτοὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὕτως. εἴ τις αὐτῶν παραγένοιτο
εἰς πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ πάντες ὅ,τι ἂν δεικνύωσι τῷ μέσῳ δακτύλῳ
δεικνύουσι, κἂν δεξιὰν ἐμβάλλῃ τις, οὕτως ἐνέβαλε, κἂν προτείνῃ
τὴν χεῖρα οὕτως, κἂν ὁ δῆμος χειροτονῶσι, κἂν οἱ δικασταὶ τὴν
ψῆφον φέρωσι, ποίαν τινὰ ἡγήσονται τὴν πόλιν ταύτην; ἐὰν δὲ
(38) ἀνασυράμενοι πάντες βαδίζωσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν λίμνῃ; {ἆρα ἀγνοεῖτε
ὅτι ταῦτ´ ἐστὶ τὰ καθ´ ὑμῶν ἀφορμὴν δεδωκότα βλασφημίας, ὥστε
δημοσίᾳ κατὰ τῆς πόλεως ἔχειν ὅ,τι λέγωσι τοὺς ἀπεχθῶς ὑμῖν
διακειμένους; ἀλλὰ πόθεν τὰς κερκίδας ὑμῖν ἐπιβοῶσιν; καίτοι οὔ
φασι δεῖν διαφέρειν οὔθ´ ὑμῖν οὔτε τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπὲρ ὧν ἕτεροι
λέγουσιν, ἀλλ´ ὑπὲρ ὧν αὐτοὶ ποιεῖτε.} φέρε, ἂν καταλάβῃ τοιοῦτον
πάθος δημοσίᾳ τινάς, ὥστε γυναικῶν λαβεῖν φωνὴν ἅπαντας
καὶ μηδένα δύνασθαι μήτε νέον μήτε πρεσβύτερον ἀνδριστὶ μηδὲν
εἰπεῖν· οὐ δόξει χαλεπὸν εἶναι καὶ παντὸς οἶμαι λοιμοῦ βαρύτερον;
{οὐ γὰρ τὸ πυρέττειν αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲ τὸ ἀποθνῄσκειν·} ὥστε
πέμποιεν ἂν εἰς θεοῦ καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον πολλὰ ἱλάσκοιντο. καίτοι
τὸ μὲν γυναικῶν ἀφιέναι φωνὴν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ φωνὴν ἀφιέναι,
(39) καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀκούων γυναικὸς δυσχεράνειεν. ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος ἦχος
τίνων ἐστίν; οὐχὶ τῶν ἀνδρογύνων; οὐχὶ τῶν τὰ αἰδοῖα ἀποκεκομμένων;
οὐδὲ τούτων ἀεὶ καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας, ἀλλὰ ἴδιον αὐτῶν ὥσπερ
ξύμβολον. φέρε δ´ εἰ κατεζωσμένοι πάντες ἐβαδίζετε ἢ τυμπανίζοντες,
{καὶ} μηδὲν ὑμῖν ἐδόκει τοῦτ´ εἶναι χαλεπόν; εἰ συνέβαινεν
ὑμᾶς ὑψηλήν τινα ἔχειν ἄκραν ἢ νὴ Δία ὄρος ὑπερκείμενον,
ὥσπερ ἕτεραι πόλεις, ὅπου τις ἀνελθὼν ἕκαστον μὲν σαφῶς ἀκούειν
μὴ δύναιτο, τὸν δὲ ξύμπαντα θροῦν, ποῖος ἦχος ὑμῖν ἂν ἀνενεχθῆναι
δοκεῖ; ἢ δῆλον ὅτι τοῦ πλείονος ὥσπερ ἐν ἁρμονίᾳ κρατοῦντος;
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Traduction française :
| [30,35] Now, if there existed any city in which you were
continually hearing persons making lament, and in
which no one could walk even a short distance without
encountering that ill-omened sound, is there
anyone, by Zeus, who would like to visit such a place ?
And yet lamentation, one might say, is a sign of
misfortune, whereas the sound of which I am
speaking is a sign of shamelessness and of extreme
licentiousness. Surely it is reasonable that men
should prefer to spend their time among those who
are unfortunate rather than among those who are
licentious. I for my part would not choose to hear
even the pipes constantly ; nay, if there exists a
place in which there is a constant sound of pipes or
song or lyres, as indeed they say is the case with the
'Sirens' crag, which ever resounds with melody, I
could not bring myself to go and live there. But as
for that boorish and distressing sound you make, what
ordinary mortal could endure it ? Why, if a man in
passing by a house hears a sound like that, of course
he will say it's a brothel. But what will men say
of the city in which almost everywhere just one note
prevails, and whose inhabitants make no exception
of season or day or place, but, on the contrary, in
alley-ways, in private houses, at market, at the
theatre, in the gymnasium this snorting is dominant ?
Besides, while I have never up to the present moment
heard anybody play the pipes at sunrise in the city,
this amazing tune of yours starts going at break of day.
(37) However, I am not unaware that some may believe
that I am talking nonsense when I inquire into matters
such as this, and think that this snorting makes no
difference, provided only that you continue to bring
in your vegetables by the wagon-load and to find
bread in abundance for all to buy, and your salt fish
and meats as well. But still let them consider the
matter for themselves in this way : Supposing one of
them came to a city in which everybody always uses
his middle finger in pointing to anything, and, if he
offers his right hand, offers it in that fashion, and,
if he extends his hand for any purpose, either for
voting in assembly or in the casting of his ballot
as a juryman, extends it so, what sort of place
would the newcomer think that city to be ? And
suppose everybody walked with his clothes pulled
up, as if wading in a pool ? Are you not aware
that such conduct has provided occasion for slander
against you, with the result that those who are ill-disposed
toward you are supplied with material
wherewith to defame you as a people ? Well, how
comes it that people shout at you the narre
Cercopes ? And yet men say that it should make
no difference either to you or to anybody else what
others say, but only what you yourselves do. Well
then, supposing certain people should as a community
be so afflicted that all the males got female voices and
that no male, whether young or old, could say anything
man-fashion, would that not seem a grievous
experience and harder to bear, I'll warrant, than any
pestilence, and as a result would they not send to the
sanctuary of the god and try by many gifts to propitiate
the divine power ? And yet to speak with
female voice is to speak with human voice, and nobody
would be vexed at hearing a woman speak.
But who are they who make that sort of sound ?
Are they not the creatures of mixed sex ? Are they
not men who have had their testicles lopped off?
Nay, even they do not always make that sound, nor
to all persons, but it is reserved for themselves, a sort
of password of their own.
Come, suppose you all were accustomed to walk
with clothes girt tight, or playing the tambourine,
and that this practice did not seem to you at all vexatious.
Suppose you happened to possess a lofty rock,
or, by Zeus, an overhanging mountain such as other
cities have, and that a man who made the ascent
could not hear distinctly individual voices but only
the general murmur, what kind of sound do you
think would have been borne aloft to him ? Would it
not, evidently, be the sound made by the majority,
prevailing as if by harmony of tone ?
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