AESCHINUS. Then I’ll try to deserve your love in future all your life, father – I feel so guilty and ashamed of what I’ve done that I can’t look you in the face.

MICIO. I believe you; I know you are honourable at heart. But I worry about you and your heedless ways. What sort of a country do you think you live in? You seduced a girl you should never have touched. That was your first fault, and quite bad enough, though no more than human: honest men have done the same before you. But afterwards, tell me, did you give it a thought? Or did you look ahead at all and think what you should do and how to do it? If you were ashamed to confess to me yourself, how was I to find out? You delayed and did nothing while nine months went by. This was the greatest wrong you could do, to yourself, to that poor girl, and the child. Well: did you think you could leave everything to the gods and go on dreaming? And that she would be brought to you as a bride without your lifting a finger? I trust you are not so thoughtless in all your personal affairs. [Changing his tone, after a pause] Cheer up, you shall marry her.

AESCHINUS. What?

MICIO. I said, Cheer up.

AESCHINUS. Father, for pity’s sake, are you making fun of me now?

MICIO. No, I’m not. Why should I?

AESCHINUS. I don’t know, except that I’m so desperately anxious for this to be true that I’m afraid it isn’t.

MICIO. Go indoors, and pray the gods to help you bring home your wife. Off with you.

AESCHINUS. What? My wife? Will it be soon?

MICIO. Yes.

AESCHINUS. How soon?

MICIO. As soon as possible.

AESCHINUS. [Hugging him] Damn me, father, if I don’t love you more than my own eyes!

MICIO. [Gently disengaging himself] What, more than – her?

AESCHINUS. Well, just as much.

MICIO. [Ironically] Very kind of you.

AESCHINUS. [Suddenly remembering] But where’s that man from Miletus?

MICIO. [Airily] Lost, gone, on board his ship… Now what’s stopping you?

AESCHINUS. Father, you go, you pray to the gods. They’ll be more likely to listen to you, I know; you’re so much better than I.

MICIO. I am going in: there are preparations to be made. You be sensible and do what I say. [He goes into MICIO’s house.]

AESCHINUS. [Coming forward] What do you think of that? Is this what it means to be a father or a son? A brother or a friend couldn’t do more for me. Oh, he’s a man to love and cherish in one’s heart! Wonderful! If he can be so kind I’ll be sure never to be foolish again or do anything he doesn’t like.

PHILOCTETES

Fabulae

Hyginus

Translated by R. Scott Smith and Stephen M. Trzaskoma, 2007