Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 1.5.6 · 1.5.6

Seers and priests for Anthia

Ἐν ὁμοίῳ δὲ φόβῳ καὶ ὁ Μεγαμήδης καὶ ⟨ἡ⟩ Εὐίππη περὶ τῆς Ἀνθείας καθειστήκεσαν, ὁρῶντες αὐτῆς τὸ μὲν κάλλος μαραινόμενον, τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν οὐ φαινομένην τῆς συμφορᾶς. Τέλος ⟨δ’⟩ εἰσάγουσι παρὰ τὴν Ἄνθειαν μάντεις καὶ ἱερέας, ὡς εὑρήσοντας λύσιν τοῦ δεινοῦ.

Megamedes and Euippe were in the same fear for Anthia. They saw her beauty wasting away, while the cause of her misfortune did not show itself. In the end they brought seers and priests to Anthia, to find a release from the trouble.

Word by word

ἘνEninὁμοίῳhomoíōithe sameδὲdèandφόβῳphóbōifearκαὶkaìbothὁho—ΜεγαμήδηςMegamḗdēsMegamedesκαὶkaìand⟨ἡ⟩⟨hē⟩—ΕὐίππηEuíppēEuippeπερὶperìforτῆςtês—ἈνθείαςAntheíasAnthiaκαθειστήκεσανkatheistḗkesanwere,ὁρῶντεςhorôntesseeingαὐτῆςautêsherτὸtò—μὲνmèn—κάλλοςkállosbeautyμαραινόμενονmarainómenonwasting away,τὴνtḕntheδὲdèbutαἰτίανaitíancauseοὐounotφαινομένηνphainoménēnshowing itselfτῆςtêsof herσυμφορᾶςsymphorâsmisfortune.ΤέλοςTélosin the end⟨δ’⟩⟨d’⟩andεἰσάγουσιeiságousithey bring inπαρὰparàtoτὴνtḕn—ἌνθειανÁntheianAnthiaμάντειςmánteisseersκαὶkaìandἱερέαςhieréaspriests,ὡςhōstoεὑρήσονταςheurḗsontasfindλύσινlýsina releaseτοῦtoûfrom theδεινοῦdeinoûtrouble.

The setting

Book 1, chapter 5. Megamedes and Euippe are Anthia's parents (1.2.5).

A note on this passage

Megamedes and Euippe look for the αἰτία, the "cause," and none appears. A Hippocratic writer says that people call a disease divine when they cannot understand it, out of inexperience and wonder (On the Sacred Disease 1). So they send for seers and priests. The reader already knows the cause is Eros (1.2.1, 1.3.1).

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