Friday, April 15, 2022
Super Powers
Menander, Dyskolos 153-159 (tr. Maurice Balme):
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Now Perseus, wasn't he a lucky man
In two respects? He could take wings on high
And never meet the men who walked on earth.
And then he had this gift with which he turned
All people who annoyed him into stone.
I wish I had that gift! Then there would be
No shortage of stone statues everywhere!
εἶτ' οὐ μακάριος ἦν ὁ Περσεὺς κατὰ δύο
τρόπους ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι πετηνὸς ἐγένετο
κοὐδενὶ συνήντα τῶν βαδιζόντων χαμαί, 155
εἶθ' ὅτι τοιοῦτο κτῆμ' ἐκέκτηθ' ᾧ λίθους
ἅπαντας ἐπόει τοὺς ἐνοχλοῦντας; ὅπερ ἐμοὶ
νυνὶ γένοιτ'· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀφθονώτερον
λιθίνων γένοιτ' ἂν ἀνδριάντων πανταχοῦ.