Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 2.4.5 · 2.4.5

Anthia begs him to give in

⟨Καὶ⟩ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἡ δὲ Ἄνθεια ὑπὸ ⟨τῆς⟩ συμφορᾶς ἔκειτο ἀχανής, οὐδὲ φθέγξασθαί τι δυναμένη· ὀψὲ δὲ καὶ μόλις αὑτὴν ἐγείρασα ἔχω μὲν φησίν, Ἁβροκόμη, τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν σὴν καὶ στέργεσθαι διαφερόντως ὑπὸ σοῦ πεπίστευκα· ἀλλὰ δέομαι σοῦ, τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἐμῆς δέσποτα, μὴ προδῷς σεαυτὸν μηδὲ εἰς ὀργὴν ἐμβάλῃς βαρβαρικήν, συγκατάθου δὲ τῇ τῆς δεσποίνης ἐπιθυμίᾳ·

He said this, and Anthia lay speechless under the blow, not even able to utter a word. At last, with difficulty, she roused herself and said: "Habrocomes, I have your devotion, and I am sure that you love me above all others. But I beg you, master of my soul, do not throw yourself away, and do not cast yourself into a barbarian's anger: yield to the desire of your mistress."

Word by word

⟨Καὶ⟩⟨Kaì⟩andὁhoheμὲνmèn—ταῦταtaûtathisἔλεγενélegensaid,ἡhē—δὲdèandἌνθειαÁntheiaAnthiaὑπὸhypòunder⟨τῆς⟩⟨tês⟩theσυμφορᾶςsymphorâsblowἔκειτοékeitolayἀχανήςachanḗsspeechless,οὐδὲoudènot evenφθέγξασθαίphthénxasthaíto utterτιtia wordδυναμένηdynaménēable·ὀψὲopsèat lastδὲdèbutκαὶkaìandμόλιςmóliswith difficultyαὑτὴνhautḕnherselfἐγείρασαegeírasarousingἔχωéchōI haveμὲνmèn—φησίνphēsínshe says,ἉβροκόμηHabrokómēHabrocomes,τὴνtḕn—εὔνοιανeúnoiandevotionτὴνtḕn—σὴνsḕnyourκαὶkaìandστέργεσθαιstérgesthaiI am lovedδιαφερόντωςdiapheróntōsabove all othersὑπὸhypòbyσοῦsoûyouπεπίστευκαpepísteukaI am sure·ἀλλὰallàbutδέομαιdéomaiI begσοῦsoûyou,τῆςtêsofψυχῆςpsychêssoulτῆςtês—ἐμῆςemêsmyδέσποταdéspotamaster,μὴmḕdo notπροδῷςprodôisthrow awayσεαυτὸνseautònyourselfμηδὲmēdènorεἰςeisintoὀργὴνorgḕnangerἐμβάλῃςembálēiscastβαρβαρικήνbarbarikḗna barbarian's,συγκατάθουsynkatáthouyieldδὲdèbutτῇtêito theτῆςtêsof yourδεσποίνηςdespoínēsmistressἐπιθυμίᾳepithymíaidesire·

The setting

Book 2, chapter 4. Anthia has heard the whole exchange.

A note on this passage

Habrocomes has just said that his soul is free (2.4.4). Anthia calls him τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἐμῆς δέσποτα, "master of my soul," with δεσπότης, the word a slave uses for his owner. In the same sentence she calls Manto ἡ δέσποινα, "the mistress," the feminine of that word, and Manto will write to him as "your mistress" (2.5.1). What Anthia asks of him is the one thing his oath forbids (1.11.4), to save his life. The opening καί and the article τῆς are not in the manuscript; the editor supplies them.

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