The previous post in this series may be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/lucian-of-samosata-concerning-sacrifices-2/

It was like this, I suppose, for Chryses – so holy and so advanced and so wise concerning divine things – after he leaves Agamemnon, without the win. Chryses pleads a return for all the bribes he had given to Apollo. He has absolutely no shame in saying,

“O Great Apollo! How often I have dressed your unadorned temples, and burned thousands of bulls and goats on your altars. But you ignore my sufferings: the ‘Benefactor’ counts these as nothing.”

So by these words he shames Apollo, who grabs some arrows, drops himself in the harbor and rains plague upon the Achaeans and on their donkeys and dogs.

Greek Text & Notes 

[3] ταῦτά γε, οἶμαι, καὶ ὁ Χρύσης ἐπιστάμενος ἅτε ἱερεὺς ὢν καὶ γέρων καὶ τὰ θεῖα σοφός, ἐπειδὴ ἄπρακτος ἀπῄει παρὰ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος, ὡς ἂν καὶ προδανείσας τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τὴν χάριν δικαιολογεῖται καὶ ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν καὶ μόνον οὐκ ὀνειδίζει λέγων, ‘ὦ βέλτιστε Ἄπολλον, ἐγὼ μέν σου τὸν νεὼν τέως ἀστεφάνωτον ὄντα πολλάκις ἐστεφάνωσα, καὶ τοσαῦτά σοι μηρία ταύρων τε καὶ αἰγῶν ἔκαυσα ἐπὶ τῶν βωμῶν, σὺ δὲ ἀμελεῖς μου τοιαῦτα πεπονθότος καὶ παρʼ οὐδὲν τίθεσαι ʼτὸν εὐεργέτην.’ τοιγαροῦν οὕτω κατεδυσώπησεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν λόγων, ὥστε ἁρπασάμενος τὰ τόξα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ναυστάθμου καθίσας ἑαυτὸν κατετόξευσε τῷ λοιμῷ τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς αὐταῖς ἡμιόνοις καὶ κυσίν.

 

ταῦτά γε, οἶμαι,

So these things, I suppose

 

καὶ ὁ Χρύσης ἐπιστάμενος ἅτε

And Chryses understanding [being] inasmuch

The priest to Apollo insulted by Agamennon in the first scene from the Illiad.

 

 

ἱερεὺς ὢν καὶ γέρων καὶ τὰ θεῖα σοφός,

a priest being and aged and [concerning] divine things wise

 

Ta theia sophos: the accusative: concerning

 

 

ἐπειδὴ ἄπρακτος ἀπῄει παρὰ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος

since/when unsuccesful absenting/leaving from Agamennon

 

The article: the famous Agamennon

 

ὡς ἂν καὶ προδανείσας τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τὴν χάριν δικαιολογεῖται

has if also having lent to Apollo the grace/gift he pleads

 

Charis: grace, gift, something not earned. Since he expects a return, it’s a bribe.

 

δι^καιο-λογέομαι , fut.

A.“-ήσομαι” Plb.4.3.12: aor. “ἐδικαιολογησάμην” Luc.Prom.4, or Pass. “ἐδικαιολογήθην” Plb.31.12.8: —plead one’s cause before the judge, come to issue with a person, abs., Aeschin.2.21; “περί τινος” Lys.Fr.34; “πρός τινα” Hyp.Eux.20, Plb.4.3.12, D.Chr.48.10: metaph., Iamb.Myst.3.19.

2. remonstrate, Luc. Alex.55.
3. later in Act., “δ. ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως” Inscr.Prien.111.126 (i B. C.), cf. 108.105; “οἱ δικαιολογοῦντες” advocates, Luc.Tim.11, cf. Apol.12.

 

 

καὶ ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν καὶ μόνον οὐκ ὀνειδίζει λέγων,

and he demands/request back the recompense and alone does not despise/reproach saying

 

The participle completes the act of reproach

 

‘ὦ βέλτιστε Ἄπολλον,

O greatest Apollo!

 

ἐγὼ μέν σου τὸν νεὼν τέως ἀστεφάνωτον ὄντα πολλάκις ἐστεφάνωσα

I (on one hand) to you the temple for a long time uncrowned being – but now how often and crowned

 

τὸν νεὼν= naos, the temple: not the young man!

 

τέως: for a long time

 

crowned: garlanded

 

καὶ τοσαῦτά σοι μηρία ταύρων τε καὶ αἰγῶν ἔκαυσα ἐπὶ τῶν βωμῶν,

and so many to you myriads of bulls and also of goats I burnt upon your altars

 

τῶν βωμῶν: article indicates possession

 

σὺ δὲ ἀμελεῖς μου τοιαῦτα πεπονθότος

but you disregardedly my such as sufferings

 

 

καὶ παρʼ οὐδὲν τίθεσαι ʼτὸν εὐεργέτην.’

And for/as nothing to placed/to appointed the benefactor

The benefactors counts these things as nothing.

 

 

τοιγαροῦν οὕτω κατεδυσώπησεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν λόγων,

Therefore, thus, he shames him (Apollo) from the words (by means of)

 

δυ^σωπ-έω , aor.

A.“ἐδυσώπησα” Luc.Asin.38: (ὄψ):—put out of countenance, abash, “τινά” Ph.1.291, Plu.2.418e, Luc. l.c., S.E.P.3.66, etc.; “οὐδὲν αὐτὴν ἐδυσώπει” X.Eph.4.5: c. acc. inf., shame a person with doing a thing, J.BJ1.6.5, al.: esp. of importunate persons, δ. τινὰ δεήσει ib.3.8.6; so, entreat, “ἥκειν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακαλῶ καὶ δ.” Hld.10.2: abs., to be importunate, “αἰσχυνόμενοι ἀντιλέγειν τοῖς ἀγνωμόνως δυσωποῦσιν ὕστερον δυσωποῦνται τοὺς δικαίως ἐγκαλοῦντας” Plu.2.532d:—Pass., θεὸν εἶναι τὴν ἠχὼ δυσωποῦμαι I am constrained to believe that, Jul.Ep.189, cf. Marcellin.Puls.23; to be susceptible to importunity, “τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναισχύντως λιπαρούντων ἧτταν, ἣν ἔνιοι δυσωπεῖσθαι καλοῦσιν” Plu.Brut.6; δυσωπεῖν τὴν ὄψιν to disgust, Id.Lyc. 9; alarm, “πάθος δ. τινά” Procop.Arc.2.

20. in early writers only Pass., impf. “ἐδυσωπούμην” Pl.Phdr.242c:—to be put out of countenance, abs., Id.Plt.285b, etc.; “πρὸς ἀλλήλους” Id.Lg.933a; δ. μή . . Id.Phdr. l.c.; “τινί” Plb.20.12.6; “ἐπί τινι” Ph.1.639; εἰ . . Id.2.423; “περί τινος” Phld.Rh.1.297 S.; of animals, to be shy, timid, X.Mem.2.1.4.
21. c. acc., to be put to shame by, “τὴν ἀρετήν τινος” Plu.Cor.15; “τὴν χάριν” Lib.Decl.37.19: but more freq. fight shy of, “ὄνομα” D.H.Comp.12 (so in Act., look askance at, “δ. καὶ ὑποπτεύω μήποτ᾽ οὐ Λυσίου ὁ λόγος” Id.Lys.11), cf. Phryn.166; “ὑφορᾶν καὶ δ.” Them.Or.26.330b; “διὰ τοὔνομα τὴν μοναρχίαν” Plu.Sol.14; regard with aversion, “ὄψα” Ael.Fr.182; disapprove of, Phld.Hom.p.55 O.: c. inf., to be ashamed to do, . . “εἰπεῖν” D.Chr.32.7, cf. 36.54; also τὴν ἀντίδοσιν δ. feel ashamed to reply, Jul. Ep.184.

III. intr.in Act., to see with difficulty, Luc.Lex.4.

 

 

ὥστε ἁρπασάμενος τὰ τόξα

so grasping the [his] arrows

 

καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ναυστάθμου καθίσας ἑαυτὸν

And at the harbor sitting himself

 

κατετόξευσε τῷ λοιμῷ τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς

shoots down plague upon the Acheans

 

 

αὐταῖς ἡμιόνοις καὶ κυσίν.

Their donkeys and dogs