Texte grec :
| [4,110] προΐτω γε μὴν νὴ Δία τρυφῶν τε καὶ μύρου καὶ οἴνου
ἀποπνέων ἐν κροκωτῷ μετὰ πολλοῦ καὶ ἀτάκτου γέλωτος, μεθύοντι
προσεοικὼς κωμάζοντι μεθ´ ἡμέραν ἀσελγῆ κῶμον, στεφάνους τινὰς
ἐστεφανωμένος ἑώλους τήν τε κεφαλὴν καὶ περὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ, καὶ
πλάγιος φερόμενος, ὀρχούμενός τε καὶ ᾄδων θῆλυ καὶ ἄμουσον
(111) μέλος. ἀγέσθω δὲ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν ἀναισχύντων καὶ ἀκολάστων,
{ἐπιθυμιῶν τινων λεγομένων} ἄλλων ἐπ´ ἄλλα ἑλκουσῶν, μηδεμίαν
αὐτῶν ἀπωθούμενος μηδὲ ἀντιλέγων, ἀλλὰ ἑτοίμως δὴ καὶ προθύμως
(112) συνεπόμενος. αἱ δὲ μετὰ πολλοῦ πατάγου κυμβάλων τε καὶ
αὐλῶν φέρουσαι μαινόμενον αὐτὸν σπουδῇ προΐτωσαν. ὁ δ´ ἐκ
μέσων ἀναβοάτω τῶν γυναικῶν ὀξύτερον καὶ ἀκρατέστερον, λευκὸς
ἰδεῖν καὶ τρυφερός, αἰθρίας καὶ πόνων ἄπειρος, ἀποκλίνων τὸν
τράχηλον, ὑγροῖς τοῖς ὄμμασι μάχλον ὑποβλέπων, ἀεί ποτε τὸ
σῶμα καταθεώμενος, τῇ ψυχῇ δὲ οὐδὲν προσέχων οὐδὲ τοῖς ὑπ´
(113) αὐτῆς προσταττομένοις. τοῦτον ἀγαλματοποιὸς ἢ γραφεὺς ἀναγκαζόμενος
εἰκάζειν οὐκ ἂν ὁμοιότερον ἄλλῳ ἐργάσαιτο ἢ τῷ Σύρων
βασιλεῖ μετ´ εὐνούχων καὶ παλλακῶν ἔνδον διαβιοῦντι, στρατοπέδου
(114) δὲ καὶ πολέμου καὶ ἀγορᾶς ἀθεάτῳ τὸ παράπαν. προηγείσθω
δὲ καὶ τούτου ἀπάτη, πάνυ ὡραία καὶ πιθανή, κεκοσμημένη κόσμοις
πορνικοῖς, μειδιῶσα καὶ ὑπισχνουμένη πλῆθος ἀγαθῶν, ὡς ἐπ´
αὐτὴν ἄγουσα τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν, ἕως ἂν εἰς τὸ βάραθρον καταβάλῃ
λαθοῦσα, εἰς πολύν τε καὶ ῥυπαρὸν βόρβορον, ἔπειτα ἐάσῃ κυλινδεῖσθαι
μετὰ τῶν στεφάνων καὶ τοῦ κροκωτοῦ.
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Traduction française :
| [4,110] So, by heavens, let him step forth luxurious,
breathing of myrrh and wine, in a saffron robe, with much
inordinate laughter, resembling a drunken reveller in a wanton
midday riot and wearing faded garlands on his head
and about his neck, reeling in his gait, dancing and
singing an effeminate and tuneless song. Let him
be led by brazen, dissolute women, known as certain
of the sensual lusts, each pulling him her own way,
and he rebuffs none of them nor says her nay, but
follows readily and eagerly enough. And let them,
with a great din of cymbals and flutes, come eagerly
forth, escorting the frenzied fellow. And from the
midst of the women let him utter shriller and more
passionate cries than they ; he is pale and effeminate
in appearance, unacquainted with heaven's air or
honest toil, lets his head droop, and leers lasciviously,
with his watery eyes ever studying his fleshy self,
but heedless of the soul and her mandates. Were a
statuary or a painter compelled to represent this man,
he could create no better likeness of him than that of
the Syrian king, who spent his life in his harem with
eunuchs and concubines without ever a sight of army
or war or assembly at all. Let his steps also be guided
by Delusion, a very beautiful and enticing maid,
decked out in harlot's finery, smiling and promising
a wealth of good things and making him believe that
she is leading him to the very embrace of happiness,
till unexpectedly she drops him into the pit, into a
morass of foul mud, and then leaves him to flounder
about in his garlands and saffron robe.
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