I once made a journey to Thessaly,
having a matter of business connected with my paternal estate to
arrange there with a man of that
country. A horse carried me and
my luggage, and a single servant accompanied
me. We followed the usual road, and fell in
with other travellers who happened to be going
to Hypata, a town in Thessaly in which they
lived. We joined company, made our provisions
common stock, and in this way achieved that laborious journey. When we were approaching the
town I asked the Thessalians whether they knew
a resident of Hypata named Hipparchos, for I
had a letter of introduction to him from home
and expected to lodge with him. They said they
did, and told me what part of the town he lived
in, and that, although he had plenty of money, his
household consisted solely of one maid-servant
and his wife. "For," said they, "he is a terrible
miser."
When we had come very near the town we saw
a garden with a tolerable cottage in it, and this
was where Hipparchos dwelt. So the others made


 



their adieux and rode on, and I went up to the
door and knocked. After a good deal of difficulty
and delay the woman managed to hear me, and
finally came to the door. I asked whether Hipparchos was at home.
"He is," said she; "but who are you and what
do you want to see him for?"
"I am the bearer of a letter from Dekrianos,
the sophist of Patrai.”
"Wait here," said she, and, closing the door,
she went away.
After a while she came back
and bade us enter. Accordingly, I went into the
house, saluted the master, and presented my letter. It happened that he was just beginning his
dinner, reclining on a narrow couch. His wife
sat near him, and a table stood before them with
nothing on it as yet. As soon as he had cast his
eye over the letter he said: "Dekrianos is my
dearest friend and the noblest Greek of them all.
I take it kindly of him that he sends his own
comrades to me with confidence. You see my
cottage, Loukios; it is small, but it is just the
right size to hold the owner; and you will transform it into a great house, if you will live in it
and put up with it."

Then he called the maid-servant. "Palaistra,
show the gentleman to a bed-chamber, and bring
him thither what luggage he has. And then direct
him to the bath: he has come a long journey."


 

At these words the girl Palaistra led the way
and showed a very pretty little sleeping-room.
"That is your bed," said she; "and for your servant I will set a couch alongside and put a pillow
on it." When she had thus spoken we went off
to bathe, and I gave the girl money to buy a little barley for my horse. She carried in all my
belongings and deposited them in my room.
When we had bathed and come back to the
house we presented ourselves immediately, and
Hipparchos, shaking hands with me, bade me
recline beside him. The dinner was not too
frugal, and the wine was pleasant and old. After
dinner we sat talking over our wine-the usual
way of entertaining a guest. That whole evening we spent in drinking, and so to bed.
Next day Hipparchos asked me whither I purposed going next, or whether I was going to stay
there all the time. "I am going on to Larissa,"
said I, "but probably I shall spend four or five
days here." This, however, was a subterfuge. I
had the greatest desire to remain there and
search out one of the women versed in sorcery,
and see some of their marvellous exhibitions—a
human being with wings, or turned into stone;
and I surrendered myself to my passion for such
a sight, and strolled about the town with no idea
how to begin the search, but strolling nevertheless. While I was thus employed I saw a woman



 



approaching, young still and well to do, as far as
I could judge from a casual meeting. She was
dressed in bright stuffs, had a number of attendants, and displayed an extravagance of gold.
When I came nearer, the lady greeted me and
I returned the salutation.

"My name is Abroia," she said. “You may
have heard your mother speak of me as a friend.
You, her children, are as dear to me as my own.
Why, then, my child, do you not come to me as
my guest?"

"Thank you very much," said I, "but I should
be ashamed to desert a friendly man's house when
I have no fault to find with him. But as far as
my inclination is concerned, dear madam, I would
lodge with you."
"Where do you lodge, then?" she asked.
"With Hipparchos."
"The miser?" cried she.
"Don't call him that, madam," said I. "He
has entertained me brilliantly and generously.
Actually, you might accuse him of extravagance."
But the lady smiled, and, taking me by the
hand, led me apart and said to me: "Pray, be
on your guard in every way against Hipparchos's
wife, for she is a powerful sorceress. She casts
a longing eye on all young men, and if one of
them rejects her advances she revenges herself
on him by her arts. Many a one has she turned


 


into an animal, and many a one destroyed outright. You, my child, are handsome as well as
young, so that you find favor with women at
once ; and you are a stranger, so that there is
no danger in dealing with you."
 
When I heard that what I had been seeking
so long was living in the same house with me, I
paid no more heed to the lady. As soon as I
could take my leave I made off homeward, saying to myself as I went: "Come, now, you who
say you are eager to see this wonderful sight,
wake up and invent some sage plan to come at
what you want. Practise on Palaistra, the maidservant-for the wife of your host and friend is
sacred; wrestling with her, I assure you, you will
easily learn what you want, for servants know
everything about their masters, good and bad."
Talking thus with myself, I entered the house.
I did not find Hipparchos at home or his wife
either; but Palaistra was sitting by the fire preparing the dinner, and I opened my discourse
forthwith.