DIMARATOS
The subject, the character of Dimaratos,
that Porfyry suggested in a conversation,
was expressed this way by the young sophist
(having in mind to develop it rhetorically later).
“First he was a courtier to King Dareios
and afterwards to King Xerxes;
now with Xerxes and his army,
Dimaratos will finally be vindicated.
“A major injustice was committed against him.
He was the son of Ariston. His enemies had
shamelessly bribed the oracle.
And it wasn’t enough for them that they deprived him
of his kingship, but when he finally submitted,
and decided to live with resignation as a private citizen,
they had to insult him in front of the people, too,
they had to humiliate him publicly at the festival.
“This is the reason he serves Xerxes with such zeal.
With the great Persian army,
he too will return to Sparta;
and as a king like before, how he will
cast out at once, how he’ll humiliate
that scheming Leotihidis.
“And his days go by full of care;
how to give advice to the Persians, explaining
what to do to conquer Greece.
“Too many worries, too much thought and this
is why Dimaratos’s days are so boring;
too many cares, too much thought and because of this
Dimaratos has not even a moment’s joy;
because what he feels is not joy
(it isn’t; yet he will not admit it;
how can he call it joy? His misery is at its peak)
now that events show him clearly
the Greeks will be victorious.”
Libros Libertad 