Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 2.5.1 · 2.5.1

A love letter from Manto

Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἦσαν· ἡ δὲ Μαντὼ χρονιζούσης τῆς Ῥόδης οὐκέτι καρτεροῦσα γράφει γραμματίδιον πρὸς τὸν Ἁβροκόμην· ἦν δὲ τὰ ἐγγεγραμμένα τοιάδε ἉΒΡΟΚΟΜΗι ΤΩι ΚΑΛΩι ΔΕΣΠΟΙΝΑ Η ΣΗ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ. Μαντὼ ἐρῶ σου, μηκέτι φέρειν δυναμένη· ἀπρεπὲς μὲν ἴσως παρθένῳ, ἀναγκαῖον δὲ φιλούσῃ· δέομαι, μή με περιίδῃς μηδὲ ὑβρίσῃς τὴν τὰ σὰ ᾑρημένην.

So they were in this situation. But Manto, since Rhode was taking so long, could hold out no longer, and she wrote a little letter to Habrocomes. This is what it said: "To fair Habrocomes, your mistress sends greeting. I, Manto, love you, and I can bear it no longer. It is perhaps unseemly for a girl, but necessary for one who loves. I beg you, do not abandon me, and do not insult the woman who has chosen your side."

Word by word

ΚαὶKaìsoοἱhoitheyμὲνmèn—ἐνeninτούτοιςtoútoisthis situationἦσανêsanwere·ἡhē—δὲdèbutΜαντὼMantṑMantoχρονιζούσηςchronizoúsēstaking so longτῆςtês—ῬόδηςRhódēsRhodeοὐκέτιoukétino longerκαρτεροῦσαkarteroûsahold outγράφειgrápheiwritesγραμματίδιονgrammatídiona little letterπρὸςpròstoτὸνtòn—ἉβροκόμηνHabrokómēnHabrocomes·ἦνênwereδὲdèandτὰtàthe wordsἐγγεγραμμέναengegramménawritten in itτοιάδεtoiádeas followsἉΒΡΟΚΟΜΗιHaBROKOMĒito HabrocomesΤΩιTŌi—ΚΑΛΩιKALŌifairΔΕΣΠΟΙΝΑDESPOINAmistressΗĒ—ΣΗSĒyourΧΑΙΡΕΙΝChAIREINgreeting.ΜαντὼMantṑMantoἐρῶerôloveσουsouyou,μηκέτιmēkétino longerφέρεινphéreinto bearδυναμένηdynaménēable·ἀπρεπὲςaprepèsunseemlyμὲνmèn—ἴσωςísōsperhapsπαρθένῳparthénōifor a girl,ἀναγκαῖονanankaîonnecessaryδὲdèbutφιλούσῃphiloúsēifor one who loves·δέομαιdéomaiI beg,μήmḗdo notμεmemeπεριίδῃςperiídēisabandonμηδὲmēdènorὑβρίσῃςhybrísēisinsultτὴνtḕnthe womanτὰtà—σὰsàyour sideᾑρημένηνhēirēménēnwho has chosen.

The setting

Book 2, chapter 5. In Tyre the pirate chief's daughter Manto loves Habrocomes, now her father's slave; she has asked Anthia's maid Rhode to help her.

A note on this passage

Manto's heading has the parts of a real Greek letter: the person addressed in the dative, the sender in the nominative, and χαίρειν, "to be glad," for "greetings." A letter in Acts has the same parts, sender first: "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting" (Acts 23:26). Where that letter gives Felix his rank, Manto gives Habrocomes τῷ καλῷ, "the fair," and calls herself "your mistress," what a slave calls the woman of the house. Her plea μή με περιίδῃς, "do not abandon me," is the plea Habrocomes made to Eros (1.4.5). In the capitals, the small ι after Η and Ω is the iota that lower-case Greek writes under the letter: ἉΒΡΟΚΟΜΗι is Ἁβροκόμῃ.

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