Reader

CROBYLEWell, Corinna, now you know that it’s by no means as terrible as you thought for a maiden to become a woman. You’ve been with a handsome lad, and you’ve earned for your first fee a mina A coin of considerable value, equivalent to 100 drachmae. , out of which presently I’ll buy you a necklace. CORINNAYes, mummy darling. I’d like it to have bright red beads like the one Philaenis has. CROBYLESo it shall. Let me give you the rest of my instructions about what to do and how to behave with the men; for we have no other means of livelihood, daughter, and you must realise what a miserable life we’ve had these two years since your father died, God rest his soul. But, while he lived, we had plenty of everything; for he was a smith with a great name in the Piraeus, and you can hear anyone swear there never will be another smith to follow Philinus. After his death, first of all I sold his tongs, his anvil and his hammer for two minae, and that kept us for seven months; since then I’ve barely provided a starvation diet, now by weaving, now by spinning thread for woof or warp. I’ve fed you and waited for my hopes to be realised.

CORINNADo you mean the mina? CROBYLENo, but I worked out that when you were as old as you are now, it would be easy for you both to keep me and provide yourself with clothes, that you would be rich, and have purple dresses and maids. CORINNAHow so? What do you mean by that, mother? CROBYLEBy associating with young men, drinking and sleeping with them for money. CORINNALike Daphnis’ daughter, Lyra? CROBYLEYes. CORINNABut she’s a courtesan. CROBYLEThere’s nothing terrible in that. You too will be rich just like her, and have many lovers. Why do you weep, Corinna? Don’t you see how many courtesans there are, how much they are in demand, and what money they earn? Dear lady Adrastia, Ἀδράστεια (perhaps from ἀ—διδράσκω = She whom none can escape) is another name for Nemesis, the goddess who watches after fair shares (i.e. from νέμω) for all, and punishes excessive good fortune in mortals, particularly when it is accompanied by pride. Perhaps Crobyle may be hoping that the mention of Nemesis’ name may save a prosperous friend from punishment by that goddess; a less likely alternative is that Crobyle is jealous of Lyra, and bringing her prosperity to the vengeful notice of Nemesis. See following note. She may, again, be hoping that Nemesis, as the goddess of fair shares, will bring her riches to compensate for her present poverty, just as she has done for Lyra and Daphnis. I certainly know that Daphnis’ daughter wore rags before she grew up, but you can see what a figure she cuts now, when she goes out with her gold, her gay dresses and her four maids.

CORINNAHow did Lyra get all that? CROBYLEIn the first place, she dresses attractively and looks neat; she’s gay with all the men, without being so ready to cackle as you are, but smiles in a sweet bewitching way; later on, she’s very clever when they’re together, never cheats a visitor or an escort, and never throws herself at the men. If ever she takes a fee for going out to dinner, she doesn’t drink too much—that’s ridiculous, and men hate women who do—she doesn’t gorge herself—that’s ill-bred, my dear—but picks up the food with her finger-tips, eating quietly and not stuffing both cheeks full, and, when she drinks, she doesn’t gulp, but sips slowly from time to time. CORINNAEven if she’s thirsty, mother? CORBYLEThen most of all, Corinna. Also, she doesn’t talk too much or make fun of any of the company, and has eyes only for her customer. These are the things that make her popular with the men. Again, when it’s time for bed, she’ll never do anything coarse or slovenly, but her only aim is to attract the man and make him love her; these are the things they all praise in her. If you can learn all this, we’ll be just as prosperous as she is. For, in all else, compared with her, you’re a long way—but, good Nemesis, The aposiopesis occurs because Crobyle realises that too proud boasts about her daughter may incur the jealous wrath of Nemesis. On such occasions the Greeks preferred to pray to Nemesis (cf. Aeschylus, P. V. 936, Plato Rep. 451a and Sophocles Phil. 776) so as to avoid her wrath. I won’t mention that, but only pray for long life for you.

CORINNATell me, mother, are all the customers like Eucritus, with whom I slept last night? CROBYLENot all of them; some are better. Some are already men; some again are not at all good-looking. CORINNAAnd must I sleep with men like that? CROBYLECertainly, daughter. They pay more, let me tell you, while the handsome wish only to be handsome by way of payment. You too must always think of the bigger fee, if you want all the women soon to point you out and say, “See how very rich Corinna, Crobyle’s daughter, is, and how she’s made her mother prosperous three times over!” What do you say? Will you do it? I know you will, and you’ll easily beat all the others. Now go and take a bath, in case your boy Eucritus comes again today. He promised he would.