Achilles Tatius
Translated by Anthony Hodges, 1638
Achilles Tatius was a Greek novelist of the second century AD from Alexandria in Egypt. His tale of Leucippe and Clitophon, of unknown date, shares many similarities with Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe. The young lovers have eloped only to run into trouble. When they are shipwrecked they attempt to make their way to Alexandria. Some Egyptian bandits – or ‘theeves’, in Anthony Hodges’s dramatic seventeenth-century translation – set upon them and kidnap Leucippe with the intention of offering her as a human sacrifice. Cue the highly theatrical series of events in this extract from the novel.
… these theeves had built an altar of clay, and digged a sepulchre, two of them led a virgin bound toward the altar, whom because they were in armour I knew not, but the virgin I discerned to bee Leucippe; they poured oyle on her head, and omitted not any ceremony; while an Aegyptian Priest sung an hymne, for so I ghest by his making of faces and wry mouthes: immediately a watch-word was given, and each man stood a pretty distance from the altar, then one of those which led her made her fast to a stake (like Marsyas whom the potters frame in clay bound to a tree) who stabbing her in the breast ript her downewards till hee came to the paunch, so that her entrailes started out, which they snatching up, speedily threw upon the altar, and when they had boiled them, cut them in peeces, and eate them up, dividing to each man a share.
When the souldiers and Captaine saw this, they could not chuse but cry out at the horridnesse of the fact, but I was amazed and astonisht at it, for the unusuall greatnesse of the wickednesse had quite bereft me of sense, which made me give more credit to that tale of Niobe, who conceiving some extraordinary griefe for the death of her children, gave occasion to the fable. After this part of the tragedy was acted (as it seemed to me to be) having laid her in the sepulchre, and covered her with earth, they pull’d downe the altar, and departed, never looking backe againe on the place.
About the evening the trench betwixt them and us was filled up, so our souldiers went over and pight their tents on the other side, this being done we went to supper. Charmides perceiving mee much grieved in minde, sought by all meanes possible to comfort mee, but prevailed not, for about the first watch of the night, finding them all asleep, I tooke my sword and went to the sepulchre, intending to slay my self theron, which when I had drawne out, thus I spake: O wretched Leucippe, and the unhappiest of all women, I grieve not so much that thou diedst so farre from thine owne countrey a violent death, or that those salvage villaines made such a May-game of thy murther; but this it is augments my misery, that thou shouldst bee made an expiation for such polluted slaves that they should rippe thee up alive, that their unhallowed hands should violate thy chaste wombe, that they should erect thee an altar, and digge thee a grave, wherein ‘tis true, thy carcasse lyes, but where are thy bowels? had they beene consumed with fire, the calamity had beene the lesse, but when in stead of a sepulchre, they shall lye buried in those paunches of these lewd miscreants, what patience is equall for so great a burthen of sorrow! a strange and unheard of banquet was it, could the gods see it & not blush? But to pacifie thy ghost, O Leucippe, I will offer my self a sacrifice to the infernall gods: Having said thus, I set the sword to my breast, when suddenly I espied two poasting towards mee in all haste, (for the moone shone) wherfore thinking them to bee theeves, and therefore the more willing to bee slaine by them, I held my hand, when they came neare they shouted to me; now who doe you thinke these two men were but Satyrus and Menelaus? whom with all the rest of my friends I had given over for dead, yet though they came so unexpectedly, I was so far from imbracing them, that I tooke no comfort me thought at the sight of them, the bitternesse of my griefe had so dejected me. They went to take my sword out of my hand; but I replyed, by all the gods you shall not envy me not the glory of so rare a death, nor detaine from mee that which is the only medicine of all my sorrowes; though you should compell mee to live, I cannot, Leucippe being dead; what though you take my sword from me by violence, yet there is a sting of griefe within mee which will torment me, would you have me still wounded and never die? If this bee all the cause why you would lay violent hands on your selfe (quoth Menelaus) I sweare by Hercules you may forbeare; for Leucippe is still alive, and shall straightway appeare unto you: at that fixing mine eyes very wishfully upon him, Is it not enough said I that I am in this distresse, but must I also bee derided and mocked? this is against the laws of all Hospitality: Then Menelaus beating on the sepulchre with his foote, bad Leucippe testifie whether shee were alive or not, when hee had smote the urne two or three times, I heard a very still voice, whereat looking steadfastly on Menelaus, I supposed him to bee some Magician, but he uncovered the urne and straightway came Leucippe forth, a most gastly creature, for shee was unbowelled from top to bottome, shee casting her selfe upon mee imbrac’t me, and I her also, at which sudden meeting wee both swoun’d.
I was scarce come to my selfe, but straightway I turn’d to Menelaus, and asked him why he would detaine the truth of this matter from me? is not shee which I hold by the hand, and heare speake, mine owne Leucippe? What did I then see yesterday, either this or that was a dreame, and yet me thinkes againe this is a true and lively kisse, such a one as I use to have of my Leucippe: what say you, quoth Menelaus, if I finde her bowels againe, and heale this great wound without leaving any scar behinde? cover your face, for I must invoke the aide of Proserpina to the effecting of it, (whereat beleeving that hee was able to performe what hee promised) I did so, and while he utter’d some strange bombast words, hee tooke away that device which they had put before her breast to delude the theeves, and Leucippe was as whole as ever shee was; then hee bid mee looke backe, which I would scarce doe, fearing that Proserpina was there indeed, at length I turned about and uncovered my face, and saw Leucippe sound: At which wondring more and more, I told Menelaus if hee were some god he should tell us, then Leucippe intreated him that hee should hold mee no longer in suspence, but relate unto mee the whole carriage of the matter; so hee began.
If you be remembred Clitophon at our first acquaintance in the ship, I told you I was an Aegyptian; now the greatest part of my possessions and lands lye neare to this Citie; the chief governours whereof are my friends: What time wee then suffered shipwracke, I was cast on the Aegyptain shore, where Satyrus and I were taken by the Pirats of this Citie, but some of them which knew me, led mee to their governour, by whom I was freed from my bonds, kindely intreated, and desired to bee an assistant to them in such enterprizes as they should undertake; finding so much favour at their hands I begged Satyrus freedome also, but they replyed unto me ere they granted mee that, I was to performe some noble exploite, wherein I might give sufficient testimony of my valour. At that time they had a strict command from the Oracle to offer up a Virgin, as an expiation for the Citie which they inhabited, and that they should eat part of the liver of the sacrifice, then bury the body, afterwards depart; and all this was to keepe the enemie back from assaulting them, what followed I pray will you tell Satyrus. So thus hee continued the story. When first I came to the Campe (Master) understanding what was like to befall Leucippe, I wept, and desired Menelaus to thinke on some meanes to free her; in which businesse I know not what god was propitious to us, for the very day before the sacrifice was to be don, we were both by the sea side, very pensive, thinking upon some way to deliver her: while we were in these dumps, the thieves espying a ship, which not knowing those coasts, had lost its way, set upon it; they who were in it seeing they were assaulted by Pirats, indevour’d to flie, which course failing them, they fought it out: In that ship was one who used to recite Homers Poems in the theatre, attir’d in the same manner as he used to be at recitation; he with the rest of his company gave them a shrewd onset, but the theeves having a fresh supply of gallies, and other long boats, quickly slew all the men, and brake the ship; a piece whereof did swim toward us, and in it a little cabinet, which had escaped the hands of those which ransackt the ship: this Menelaus tooke up, and going aside opened it, wherein I thought there had beene no smal treasure, but in it we found nothing but a short cloake and a knife, the handle whereof was foure handfulls long, but the blade not above three fingers; while Menelaus handled this knife, hee pulled unawares a great part of the blade out of the handle, wherein as in a sheath it was hid, so we straightway supposing that this was the weapon which that juggling fellow made people beleeve he stabd himselfe withall; wherefore turning me to Menelaus, I said, Now beat thy braines a little, and wee doubt not by the gods assistance but wee shall free the virgin, and the theeves never discover our device: wee will sow a very thinne sheepskinne in the forme of a wallet, about the bignesse of a mans belly, and filling it with the bloud and entrailes of some beast, put it before her, so when she hath her long garment on, and is adorned with garlands and flowers, our device cannot bee discovered, in which matter wee are much furthered by the Oracle, which gave strict charge that she being cloathed in a long robe, should bee led to the altar, there to be cut up; besides, this knife is made so, that the beholders will thinke it runs into her body when it runnes into the handle; so there is but just enough to cut the counterfeit belly, which neverthelesse when it is drawne out, you would thinke had beene sheathed in her body; if we doe this, the theeves can never detect us, for the skin shall be covered, and the entrailes at the first stroke shal start forth, which we presently snatching up wil fling on the altar – nor shall the standers by bee suffered to come neare the body, which we will prevent, by burying it. The meanes how wee shall come to have the chiefe care of the sacrifice is this: The King, if you be remembred, not long since enjoyned you some exploit, ere you could obtaine my enfranchisement, wherefore goe straight to him, and tell him you are ready for this enterprise.
Having thus said, I conjured him by Iuppiter the hospitable, and by our familiarity, and the shipwracke we suffered together.