Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 2.5.6 · 2.5.6
Manto falls at her father's knees
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Καὶ δὴ ἐν τούτῳ ἔρχεται μὲν ἀπὸ Συρίας Ἄψυρτος, ἄγων τινὰ τῇ θυγατρὶ νυμφίον ἐκεῖθεν, Μοῖριν ὄνομα· ὡς δὲ ἀφίκετο, εὐθὺς ἡ Μαντὼ τὴν κατὰ Ἁβροκόμου τέχνην συνετάττετο, καὶ σπαράξασα τὰς κόμας καὶ περιρρηξαμένη τὴν ἐσθῆτα, ὑπαντήσασα τῷ πατρὶ καὶ προσπεσοῦσα πρὸς τὰ γόνατα οἴκτειρον ἔφη, πάτερ, θυγατέρα τὴν σὴν ὑβρισμένην ὑπʼ οἰκέτου·
Just at this moment Apsyrtus came from Syria, bringing with him from there a bridegroom for his daughter, a man named Moeris. As soon as he arrived, Manto at once put together her scheme against Habrocomes. She tore her hair and ripped her clothes, went to meet her father, fell at his knees and said: "Have pity, father, on your daughter, outraged by a slave."
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The setting
Book 2, chapter 5. Apsyrtus, who went to Syria on business (2.3.1), comes home.
A note on this passage
τὴν κατὰ Ἁβροκόμου τέχνην, "her scheme against Habrocomes," repeats the words of 1.2.1, where the angry Eros "looked for a way against the youth," τέχνην κατὰ τοῦ μειρακίου. τέχνη is a craftsman's word, "skill, art," and the torn hair and clothes are part of her craft. Habrocomes tore his clothes with the same verb, σπαράσσω, when love first beat him (1.4.1).
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