(1.793-833) "Stranger, why stay ye so long outside our towers? for the city is not inhabited by the men, but they, as sojourners, plough the wheat-bearing fields of the Thracian mainland. And I will tell out truly all our evil plight, that ye yourselves too may know it well. When my father Thoas reigned over the citizens, then our folk starting from their homes used to plunder from their ships the dwellings of the Thracians who live opposite, and they brought back hither measureless booty and maidens too. But the counsel of the baneful goddess Cypris was working out its accomplishment, who brought upon them soul destroying infatuation. For they hated their lawful wives, and, yielding to their own mad folly, drove them from their homes; and they took to their beds the captives of their spear, cruel ones. Long in truth we endured it, if haply again, though late, they might change their purpose, but ever the bitter woe grew, twofold. And the lawful children were being dishonoured in their halls, and a bastard race was rising. And thus unmarried maidens and widowed mothers too wandered uncared for through the city; no father heeded his daughter ever so little even though he should see her done to death before his eyes at the hands of an insolent step-dame, nor did sons, as before, defend their mother against unseemly outrage; nor did brothers care at heart for their sister. But in their homes, in the dance, in the assembly and the banquet all their thought was only for their captive maidens; until some god put desperate courage in our hearts no more to receive our lords on their return from Thrace within our towers so that they might either heed the right or might depart and begone elsewhither, they and their captives. So they begged of us all the male children that were left in the city and went back to where even now they dwell on the snowy tilths of Thrace. Do ye therefore stay and settle with us; and shouldst thou desire to dwell here, and this finds favour with thee, assuredly thou shalt have the prerogative of my father Thoas; and I deem that thou wilt not scorn our land at all; for it is deepsoiled beyond all other islands that lie in the Aegaean sea. But come now, return to the ship and relate my words to thy comrades, and stay not outside our city."
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793 "Ξεῖνε, τίη μίμνοντες ἐπὶ χρόνον ἔκτοθι πύργων
794 ἧσθ' αὔτως; ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ὑπ' ἀνδράσι ναίεται ἄστυ,
795 ἀλλὰ Θρηικίης ἐπινάστιοι ἠπείροιο
796 πυροφόρους ἀρόωσι γύας. κακότητα δὲ πᾶσαν
797 ἐξερέω νημερτές, ἵν' εὖ γνοίητε καὶ αὐτοί.
798 εὖτε Θόας ἀστοῖσι πατὴρ ἐμὸς ἐμβασίλευεν,
799 τηνίκα Θρηικίην, οἵ τ' ἀντία ναιετάουσιν,
800 δήμου ἀπορνύμενοι λαοὶ πέρθεσκον ἐπαύλους
801 ἐκ νηῶν, αὐτῇσι δ' ἀπείρονα ληίδα κούραις
802 δεῦρ' ἄγον: οὐλομένης δὲ θεᾶς πορσύνετο μῆτις
803 Κύπριδος, ἥ τέ σφιν θυμοφθόρον ἔμβαλεν ἄτην.
804 δὴ γὰρ κουριδίας μὲν ἀπέστυγον, ἐκ δὲ μελάθρων,
805 ᾗ ματίῃ εἴξαντες, ἀπεσσεύοντο γυναῖκας:
806 αὐτὰρ ληιάδεσσι δορικτήταις παρίαυον,
807 σχέτλιοι. ἦ μὲν δηρὸν ἐτέτλαμεν, εἴ κέ ποτ' αὖτις
808 ὀψὲ μεταστρέψωσι νόον: τὸ δὲ διπλόον αἰεὶ
809 πῆμα κακὸν προύβαινεν. ἀτιμάζοντο δὲ τέκνα
810 γνήσι' ἐνὶ μεγάροις, σκοτίη δ' ἀνέτελλε γενέθλη.
811 αὔτως δ' ἀδμῆτές τε κόραι, χῆραί τ' ἐπὶ τῇσιν
812 μητέρες ἂμ πτολίεθρον ἀτημελέες ἀλάληντο.
813 οὐδὲ πατὴρ ὀλίγον περ ἑῆς ἀλέγιζε θυγατρός,
814 εἰ καὶ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσι δαϊζομένην ὁρόῳτο
815 μητρυιῆς ὑπὸ χερσὶν ἀτασθάλου: οὐδ' ἀπὸ μητρὸς
816 λώβην, ὡς τὸ πάροιθεν, ἀεικέα παῖδες ἄμυνον:
817 οὐδὲ κασιγνήτοισι κασιγνήτη μελε θυμῷ.
818 ἀλλ' οἶαι κοῦραι ληίτιδες ἔν τε δόμοισιν
819 ἔν τε χοροῖς ἀγορῇ τε καὶ εἰλαπίνῃσι μέλοντο:
820 εἰσόκε τις θεὸς ἄμμιν ὑπέρβιον ἔμβαλε θάρσος,
821 ἂψ ἀναερχομένους Θρῃκῶν ἄπο μηκέτι πύργοις
822 δέχθαι, ἵν' ἢ φρονέοιεν ἅπερ θέμις, ἠέ πῃ ἄλλῃ
823 αὐταῖς ληιάδεσσιν ἀφορμηθέντες ἵκοιντο.
824 οἱ δ' ἄρα θεσσάμενοι παίδων γένος, ὅσσον ἔλειπτο
825 ἄρσεν ἀνὰ πτολίεθρον, ἔβαν πάλιν, ἔνθ' ἔτι νῦν περ
826 Θρηικίης ἄροσιν χιονώδεα ναιετάουσιν.
827 τῶ ὑμεῖς στρωφᾶσθ' ἐπιδήμιοι: εἰ δέ κεν αὖθι
828 ναιετάειν ἐθέλοις, καί τοι ἅδοι, ἦ τ' ἂν ἔπειτα
829 πατρὸς ἐμεῖο Θόαντος ἔχοις γέρας: οὐδέ τί σ' οἴω
830 γαῖαν ὀνόσσεσθαι: περὶ γὰρ βαθυλήιος ἄλλων
831 νήσων, Αἰγαίῃ ὅσαι εἰν ἁλὶ ναιετάουσιν.
832 ἀλλ' ἄγε νῦν ἐπὶ νῆα κιὼν ἑτάροισιν ἐνίσπες
833 μύθους ἡμετέρους, μηδ' ἔκτοθι μίμνε πόληος."
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