Tracking Satyrs

frontThe Tracking Satyrs is a substantial fragment of a satyr play by Sophocles, discovered at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt in 1907. We have some 400 lines of a play that was probably about 800 lines long. The plot is the same as that of the Homeric Hymn to Hermes: Apollo’s cows have been stolen, and the culprit turns out to be his newborn brother Hermes. This translation is adapted from The Ichneutae of Sophocles, Richard Johnson Walker, London: 1919. Walker established his own text for the fragment, filling in many of the gap reason="lost"s. I have occasionally adopted his supplements, but have basically translated the text of the first publication of the play, Oxyrhynchus Papyri 9, no. 1174, ed. Arthur S. Hunt, London: 1912. Who’s Who in the Play Apollo, son of Zeus and god of prophecy Silenus, father of the satyrs Cyllene, a nymph Hermes, newborn son of Zeus†Chorus of satyrs

1I, Apollo, proclaim to all gods and all mortal men:†I shall give a golden basin to whoever can bring back my cattle from far away.

10It is quite unpleasant to me that they are gone, all of them: cows, calves, heifers. They are all gone, and I look in vain for their tracks, while they wander far from their own mangers. I never thought that any of the gods or of men, whose lives are like a single day, would dare do such a thing. Since I found out about this, shocked as I was, I have been seeking them, and I have proclaimed the deed

20so that no god or mortal men could be unaware of it. I am beside myself. I have gone to visit the whole nation of the Locrians, those who inhabit Opus, those in Ozolis, those in Knemis by the Cephisus. I have gone to Aetolia and to Acarnanian Argos. From there I came to the grove of Zeus at Dodona, shaded by leaves of prophecy. I then hastened to the fruitful plains of Thessaly

30and the wealthy cities of Boeotia. And then I came to Attica, to holy Athens, but I see my cows nowhere. Then I came to Dorian Argos and the nearby hill. From there I came, in one leap, to the Stymphalian Lake and Mount Cyllene, hard to climb. I speak to the forest: if any shepherd or any rustic or any charcoal-burner is here,

40or any saytr from the mountains, child of the river-nymphs, I announce these things to one and all. Whoever can capture the one who stole the cattle of Apollo Paean, his is the reward that stands here.

45As soon as I heard you shouting your proclamation, I came as fast as an old man can, because I want to help you out, Phoebus Apollo,

50and perhaps I can hunt up your cattle. Then a messenger will announce my golden reward. I will tell my children to look carefully, if you really do mean to do what you’ve promised.

55I will indeed; only confirm your promise.

56I will bring you back your cattle; but you confirm the reward.

57Whoever finds them will have it; it is ready at hand.

58seek

59

60

61

62What? What are you saying?

63I say that you, and all the race of your children, will be free.

64Come, come here, see if you can find the footprints of the lost cattle. Apapapay!†Oh, oh, listen, I tell you! Get the thief! underground

70finish the job my old father. How can we find out the secret thefts in the night? if I did meet free life for my father. So may the dear god bring an end to my labors, as he has shown us the extraordinary excellence of his gold.

79Oh gods, Fortune and the god who leads in the straight way, grant me success as I race out to seek out the prey, the spoil, and the booty: the cattle stolen from Phoebus. If there is anyone who has seen them, or heard about them, he would become my friend by telling me, and he would help me to help lord Phoebus. But if someone does not tell what he knows, his reward will be the god’s disapproval.

88Hey,,

90, and not

91Does anyone say, or does anyone know, where the cattle are?†It seems that I must begin the search. Come, all of you, track them by their scent, if there is any trace left anywhere. Bent over, crouching to the ground, be guided by the scent. Carry out your search this way and bring it to a worthy fulfilment.

100Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god: aha! We seem to have it. Stand still, don’t move.

102There they are: the marks of the cattle.

103Quiet! Some god is taking them to a new home.

104What should we do, my friend? Do we have to get them out?

105Why? Do you think they’re in here?

105bDefinitely. All the signs say so clearly.

107Look! Here’s the same hoof mark again.

109Look at that!

110They measure out to exactly the same size.

111Make way, and if you hear any sound from the cattle.

114I don’t yet hear their voices clearly. But these tracks and footprints are obviously those of the cattle.

117Hey! As Zeus is my witness, the tracks turn around and go backward. Look at them.

120Why is that? Why would their line wheel around? The front is turned to the back, and they’re all tangled up together. The cowherd must have been awfully confused.

124What kind of a way to hunt is that, bent over and leaning down to the ground? Where are you going? I don’t understand. You’re lying there like a hedgehog fallen on the ground, or an ape sticking his head forward and having a temper tantrum. What’s this? Where on earth did you learn this, and how?

130Tell me, because I certainly don’t understand what you’re doing.

131Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!

132What are you ooh-ooh-ing for? What are you afraid of? What do you see? What frightful thing are you looking at? Why are you carrying on like bacchantes? Is there a hawk nearby? From offstage, we hear a lyre being tuned. Since the player is in fact Hermes, it sounds divine, but no mortal has ever heard this instrument before, and the satyrs are terrified. They abruptly stop squealing. Do you want to know what it was? Why are you so quiet, when you were just now babbling away?

136Be quiet!

137What is it over there that you’re trying to get away from?

138Listen!

139I’ll listen. He pauses for a moment, listening. But I don’t hear any sound.

140Do what I say!

141No one is helping me with this hunt.

142Listen just a moment, will you? When we went over there we were assaulted by a noise like no one ever heard before.

145Why are you running away, afraid of a noise? You wretched beasts, with your filthy bodies all smeared with wax, seeing terrors in every shadow, scared of everything! You’re gutless, and careless,

150and servile. You’re nothing but body and tongue and voice. You trust to words and flee from actions. Worst of animals, how did you ever come to have a father like me? There are lots of monuments to my courage, when I was young, songs sung at every household’s wedding feast. I was never put to flight, never afraid, and I didn’t quiver at noises made by animals up on the mountains. Instead, I accomplished great things with my spear. That brilliant spear is now besmirched by you,

160because some new sound from the shepherds has frightened you, like the babies you are, and you’ve given up on the golden wealth that Phoebus said he was offering to you, to say nothing of freedom, which he also offered to you and to me. You’ve put all that away and gone to sleep. Unless you get back to work tracking those cows and their cowherd, wherever they are, you’ll be making noises of your own for your cowardice.

169Father, walk beside me,

170so you’ll know whether I’m really a coward. If you’re here, you’ll know first hand, not through rumors.

172I will approach this sound with you, and I will call out and whistle as I’d call a dog. You, line up three by three, and I will go beside you and get you straightened out again.

176Perhaps separate satyrs sing the various lines of this song. With Silenus, they approach the cave, upstage, jostling, confused, and squabbling. The lyre-noises resume. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ssh, ssh, aah, aah! Say what you’re working on. Why did you shout and scream? It’s pointless. And why were you suspicious of me? Who’s holding back in our first task?

180You are. He came, he came. You are mine; lead the way. This way, ho! Who is the? The dragon, the wrinkled one Goddess of fair winds, you were beside me, drunk Whatever bring set on top of it the way which warlike

190Follow me, this way! To the cows, to the task so he doesn’t drop the saffron You see something beautiful and the good lawful Follow me Oppopopoy! Hey, filthy polluted one! As soon as you get away from here, you’ll be set free and

200But don’t get lost Come on, straight ahead, this way. Now we’ve got the crook.

203Father, why are you quiet? Isn’t what we’re saying true? Aren’t you listening? Or are you deafened by the noise?

205Shush! What is it?

205bI’m getting out of here!

205cStay, if you can.

206No way. But you go ahead: you keep looking and track down the cows, any way you want to, and take the gold unless the biggest time.

210No, I won’t leave you, nor sneak away from the work, before we know for sure what’s going on in there.

213Addressing the source of the noise Hey! You in there! voice reward you will be happy at home. To Silenus He’s not coming out. To the noise-maker again. But I’ll force you out, making the ground rumble with my swift leaps and kicks,

220so you’ll listen, even if you’re altogether deaf.

221Satyrs, why have you rushed up here making all this noise, on this mountain covered with green woods full of animals? Have you got yourselves a new job? You used to bring joy to your master, who would put on a fawn skin and carry a thyrsus in his hands. You would dance around the god shouting Evoe, along with the nymphs, who are his family, and a crowd of children. But now I don’t know what you’re doing. Where is this whirlwind

230of new craziness taking you? I heard something odd: first, nearby, orders like you’d give to hunting dogs when they get near a wild animal’s den in a thicket; then, at the same time, stretched out from the mouth to the thief. Then announcement. After that they went away, feet stomping, and a confused sound came from nearby. It would be different if

240So I heard the sounds of wrong notes you sick you did to a nymph that had nothing to do with it?

243Deep-girdled nymph, don’t be angry. No one’s starting a war with you, nor has any unfriendly or trifling word touched my tongue. Please don’t threaten me, but graciously tell me what I need: who is it

250who seems to speak in a wonderful, inspired voice from below the earth?

251That’s better: you sound gentler now. You would learn more by hunting rather than from a coward’s great deeds or a nymph’s ordeal. I won’t put up with your loud, quarrelsome words. But calm down and tell me what it is you need.

258Mighty Cyllene, lady of this land, I’ll tell you in a moment why I’ve come.

260But first tell us about that scraping noise and who’s making it.

262First of all, understand this: if you say one word of what I’m about to tell you, you’ll be in trouble. This business is a secret even among the gods, so that no news of it may come to Hera. You see, Zeus came secretly to Atlas’s house

270to the deep-girdled goddess†and in a cave begot a single son. I am bringing him up myself, for his mother’s strength is shaken by sickness as if by a storm. So I stay by his crib and take care of his food and drink and rest, all day and all night. He grows, day by day, in a very unusual way, and I’m astounded and afraid. It’s not even six days since he was born,

280and he already stands as tall as a young man. His growth spurt hasn’t wasted any time coming. That’s the kind of child that’s in my treasure-house. His father has ensured he would be difficult to find. He has a hidden machine that makes the sound you’re asking about, that so surprised you. It’s a box full of pleasure that he made in just one day from a dead animal he found, and he’s down there shaking it.

290unspeakable child of a cow amazed prey speaking voice to make such sounds from a dead animal.

298Don’t be so skeptical: for a goddess is speaking trusty words to you.†

300How should I believe that a dead animal’s voice can roar like that?

301Believe it: it speaks now it’s dead, though it had no voice when it was alive.

302What did it look like? Long, curved, short?

303Short, like a pitcher, and covered with a colorful hide.

304Was it like a cat, or rather a leopard?

305In between, really: it’s round with short legs.

306Closer to a ferret, then, or a crab?

307No, that’s not it; try something else.

308Is it like one of the horned beetles that live on Aetna?

309Now you’re getting closer to the beast

310And which part makes the sound, the inside or the outside?

311first cousin to a potsherd.

312What name do you call it? Tell me, if you know any more.

313The boy calls the animal a tortoise and the instrument a lyre.

314property†

314band this is his only consolation or cure for sorrow. He enjoys idly singing along; he coaxes Aeolian tunes from the lyre. Thus the boy made himself a voice from a dead animal.

329A loud voice extends over the place,

330flitting around like a bee over the flowers. As for the other matter, I am getting closer. Know this, goddess: whoever contrived this is none other than the thief. But don’t be angry or upset that I say this.

338What delusion has come over you? Who are you blaming as a thief?

339Not you, by Zeus; I don’t want to upset you, my lady.

340Surely you’re not calling the son of Zeus a thief?

341this very theft.

342if what you say is true.

343I speak truth. stolen the cattle it fits cut†

352I understand finally laughing at my foolishness nothing, delight for the child. You can be reassured about me from now on, and laugh at me if you get some joy or profit from it. But do not mock the son of Zeus, making childish remarks about the child.

360For he did not inherit a thief’s nature from his father, nor does thievery hold sway in his mother’s family. If there is any theft here, look for a poor man as your thief; but this boy’s house is hardly poor. Consider his family, and fit bad deeds to bad men; it’s hardly appropriate to him. But you are always a child, even though you’re a young man and your beard grows on your face like a goat’s. Stop stretching up your smooth bald head for caresses. I tell you this: if you think the gods are foolish or laughable,

370you will soon be crying.

371Turn and twist the words however you want, to find a clever story. You won’t convince me that the sewn-together hides are any others than the ones from the stolen cows of Loxias†. Don’t try to turn me aside.

378Because Zeus

380The child is no thief.

381If he does bad things, then he is bad.

382I don’t like to hear bad things about Zeus’s son.

383But if it’s the truth, then I have to say it.

384Don’t say†

395Where are the cattle pastured?

396Most of them now

397Who has them, wretch? Who

398The boy has closed them up inside.

399Stop saying bad things about Zeus’s son!

400I would stop, if someone would bring out the cattle.

401You’re choking me, you and those cows of yours.

402left drive them out†

404Hey! Oh! what she said he didn’t

407Hey!

409Oh Loxias, of the cows

412cows reward free†