The Downward Journey, or the Tyrant (26-29)

CYNISCUS

On the whole, there is no need of words; you will at once discover what sort of man he is from his marks. But in spite of that I will myself unveil the man to you and show him up more plainly. All

that the cursed scoundrel did while he was a private citizen I intend to pass over; but when he had leagued himself with the boldest men and had got together a bodyguard, and so had set himself over the city and had become tyrant, he not only put to death more than ten thousand people without a hearing but confiscated their properties in each case; and after he had made himself extremely rich, he did not leave a single form of excess untried, but practised every sort of savagery and high-handedness upon his miserable fellow-citizens, ravishing maids, corrupting boys, and running amuck in every way among his subjects. And for his superciliousness, his pride, and his haughtiness toward all he met you never could exact from him a fitting penalty. It would have been less dangerous to look steadily at the sun than at this man. Then, too, in the matter of punishments who could describe his cruel inventiveness? Why, he did not even let his closest kin alone! And that all this is not mere empty calumny against him you will soon find out if you summon up the men he murdered—but no, they are here unsummoned, as you see, and press about him and throttle him. All these men, Rhadamanthus, have met their death at the scoundrel’s hands, some of them entrapped in plots because of pretty wives, others because they were angry on account of sons outrageously kidnapped, others because they were rich, and others because they were honest and decent ind did not like his actions in the least.

RHADAMANTHUS

What have you to say to this, you villain?

MEGAPENTHES

The murders which he speaks of I did commit, but in all the rest of it—the intrigues, the outrages against boys and the injuries to girls—in all that Cyniscus has maligned me.

CYNISCUS

Then for that too, Rhadamanthus, I shall produce you witnesses.

RHADAMANTHUS

Whom do you mean?

CYNISCUS

Hermes, please summon up his lamp and his bed, for they will appear in person and testify to the things that they know he has done.

HERMES

Bed and Lamp of Megapenthes, appear. They have been so good as to comply.

RHADAMANTHUS

Now then, tell us what you know this man Megapenthes to have done. You speak first, Bed.

BED

All that Cyniscus has charged is true. But I am ashamed, Rhadamanthus, my lord, to speak of these matters, such were the deeds he did upon me.

RHADAMANTHUS

Well, you give the clearest of testimony against him by your very reluctance to speak of the facts. Now, Lamp, it is your turn to testify.

LAMP

I did not see what happened by day, for I was not there, and what went on at night I am loth to say; I witnessed many things, however, that were unspeakable and overleaped the bounds of all outrageousness. In fact, I often tried of my own accord to keep my wick from drinking the oil, for I wanted to go out; but he for his part even put me closer to the scene and polluted my light in every way.

RHADAMANTHUS

Enough witnesses! Come, strip off your purple robe that we may see the number of your marks. Well, well! The fellow isall livid and crisscrossed; indeed, he is black and blue with marks. How can he be punished? Shall he be thrown into the River of Burning Fire or turned over to Cerberus?

CYNISCUS

No, no! If you like, I will suggest you a punishment that is new and fits his crime.

RHADAMANTHUS

Speak out; I shall be most grateful to you for it.

CYNISCUS

It is customary, I believe, for all the dead to drink the water of Lethe?

RHADAMANTHUS

Certainly.

CYNISCUS

Then let this man be the only one not to drink it.

RHADAMANTHUS

Why, pray?

CYNISCUS

He will pay a bitter penalty in that way, by remembering what he was and how much power he had in the upper world, and reviewing his life of luxury.

RHADAMANTHUS

Good! Let sentence stand in that form, and let the fellow be taken off and put in fetters near Tantalus, to remember what he did in life.