⸻ · ⸻
The story, told to the Moon
2.63
The Sorceress 2.63 · Alone, she begins her story2.63Alone, she begins her story
Lines 63–68. Thestylis goes. Alone, Simaetha begins to tell the Moon how her love began.
· · ·
ἶυγξ1
îynx
Magic wheelwryneck
, τὺ2
tỳ
you
ἕλκε3
hélke
drawdrag
τῆνον4
tênon
that
τὸν5
tòn
—
ἄνδρα6
ándra
man
ποτὶ7
potì
to
ἐμὸν8
emòn
my
δῶμα9
dôma
house
. νῦν10
nŷn
Now
δὴ11
dḕ
—
ἐοῖσα12
eoîsa
that I ambeing
μώνα13
mṓna
alone
, πόθεν14
póthen
from where
δακρύσω15
dakrýsō
shall I weep for
τὸν16
tòn
my
ἔρωτα17
érōta
love
? ἐκ18
ek
Withfrom
τίνος19
tínos
what
ἄρξωμαι20
árxōmai
shall I begin
? τίς21
tís
Who
ἄγαγε22
ágage
broughtled
τοῦτο23
toûto
this
κακὸν24
kakòn
evilharm
μοι25
moi
on me
? Ἀναξὼ26
Anaxṑ
Anaxo
, ἁ27
ha
the
daughter
τῶὐβούλοιο28
tôuboúloio
of Eubulus
, ἦνθʼ29
ênth’
wentcame
κανηφόρος30
kanēphóros
as basket-bearerbasket-carrier
, ἄμμιν31
ámmin
to my sorrowfor us
, ἐς32
es
to
ἄλσος33
álsos
the grovesacred grove
Ἀρτέμιδος34
Artémidos
of Artemis
, τᾷ35
tâi
in whose honorfor whom
δὴ36
dḕ
—
τόκα37
tóka
that daythen
πολλὰ38
pollà
many
μὲν39
mèn
—
ἄλλα40
álla
other
θηρία41
thēría
wild beasts
πομπεύεσκε42
pompeúeske
were led in processionmarched in procession
περισταδόν43
peristadón
all aroundstanding round
, δὲ44
dè
and
ἐν45
en
among themin
λέαινα46
léaina
a lioness
. Magic wheel, draw that man to my house. Now that I am alone, where shall I start weeping for my love? What shall I begin with? Who brought this evil on me? Anaxo, the daughter of Eubulus, went as basket-bearer, to my sorrow, to the grove of Artemis, where in her honor that day many other wild beasts were led round in procession, and among them a lioness.
Magic wheel, draw that man to my house. Now that I am alone, where shall I start weeping for my love? What shall I begin with? Who brought this evil on me? Anaxo, the daughter of Eubulus, went as basket-bearer, to my sorrow, to the grove of Artemis, where in her honor that day many other wild beasts were led round in procession, and among them a lioness.
Interpretation
Magic wheel, draw that man to my house. Now that I am alone, where shall I start weeping for my love? What shall I begin with? Who brought this trouble on me? Eubulus' daughter Anaxo went, to my sorrow, as basket-bearer to the grove of Artemis, and that day many wild beasts were led round in procession in the goddess's honor, a lioness among them.
Thestylis goes, and Simaetha, alone, starts to tell the Moon how it began. The refrain changes after this stanza: ten times the magic wheel, now twelve times the Moon.
It began at a festival of Artemis. Anaxo carried the sacred basket in the procession, an honor given to unmarried girls, and wild animals were led along with it. Cholmeley's addenda note that the lioness was one of Hecate's animals: Porphyry says Hecate answers more readily when she is called "bull, dog, lioness" (On Abstinence 3.17).
2.69
The Sorceress 2.69 · The neighbor's nurse2.69The neighbor's nurse
Lines 69–74. The Moon refrain begins. A neighbor's old nurse talks Simaetha into going to see the procession.
· · ·
See, lady Moon, where my love came from. And Theucharidas' Thracian nurse, now at rest, who lived next door, begged and pleaded with me to watch the procession. And I went along with her, poor fool that I was, trailing a lovely linen gown and wrapped in Clearista's robe.