THE INCANTATION

Mimes of the Courtesans, by Lucian [1928], at sacred-texts.com

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THE INCANTATION

MELITTA

If you happen to know of a witch, I refer to those Thessalonian women who practice incantations, by which they win love for the most detestable of women, send her to me. I will give all my clothes, all my gold, everything I own, to see Charinos hate Simiche and return to me.

BACCHIS

What is it you're saying? Is he no longer with you? Is it possible that Charinos, is in love with Simiche? He has suffered so many quarrels with his parents on account of you. He has thrown over that rich fiancée of his and her dowry of five talents for Melitta.

MELITTA

Ah, all that belongs to the past. I haven't seen him for the last five days. Charinos has deserted me. He and Simiche are drinking at the house of his friend Ramænes.

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BACCHIS

That is terrible, Melitta. But how did you happen to fall out? Undoubtedly it was not over a trifle.

MELITTA

I have nothing to say about that. The day before yesterday he returned from the Piræus where he went to collect a debt for his father. I ran up to him as he entered my house, but he refused to recognize me. I wanted to embrace him but he repelled me, saying:

"Get away from me! Run along to your armorer Hermotimos! Or rather, see what is written on the Keramic walls; you'll find there both of your names inscribed with a stylus."

"Which Hermotimos?" I asked him in surprise.

But without answering and without tasting a morsel of food, he got into bed and turned his back on me. I did everything I could think of to win his attention. I took him in my arms, I lay on top of him, I kissed him between the shoulders, on the lower section of his back, and put my hand between his legs. It was all in vain. Nothing could soften him, and he said:

"If you continue your maneuvers, I'll leave immediately, dark and late as it is!"

BACCHIS

But you do know Hermotimos, don't you?

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MELITTA

May I become even more miserable than I am at present if I know of an armorer by the name of Hermotimos. Charinos rose at daybreak and left without a word. I remembered what he had said about the Keramic wall and I sent Akis to see what was written. She found nothing more than an inscription, somewhere on the right, as you enter by the dipylos. It went like this: "Melitta loves Hermotimos"; and a little lower: "The armorer Hermotimos loves Melitta."

BACCHIS

What a dirty trick! I understand now. Somebody wrote the words on the wall in order to get even with Charinos, knowing he is very jealous. He believed what he read without asking a question. If I saw him, I'd tell him about it.

MELITTA

But how can you see him? How can anybody see him? He has shut himself up with Simiche. His parents came to my house to see if Charinos was with me. Ah, if only I could find an old witch who would make the right kind of incantation. She'd save my life.

BACCHIS

Don't worry, my dear. I happen to be acquainted with an experienced witch. She is a Syrian, still in the

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prime of her career as a magician. You remember how Phanias left me for no reason at all, just like Charinos now? Well, this Syrian witch worked a reconciliation after four months' time. I was despairing of ever getting him back, and she, by the means of her enchantments, made him return to my bed.

MELITTA

What did the old woman do--if you do not fear telling me?

BACCHIS

Not at all. I'll tell you everything. You don't need to pay her very much, Melitta, only one drachma and a loaf of bread. But you will have to bring along some salt, seven oboles, sulfur and a torch. The witch takes it all, and--oh, yes! You must bring some wine in a krater; the old woman will drink the wine. And you'll need something of the man himself as, for example, an article of clothing, a hair, or some such thing.

MELITTA

I still have his shoes.

BACCHIS

Well, she will hang them on a nail, burn the sulfur underneath and strew salt over the fire while she keeps repeating your name, your own and your lover's. Then she draws a top from between her breasts and spins it,

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reciting at the same time her secret charm. Oh, what secret, barbarian words! It'll make you shudder.

That is what she did for me, and very soon Phanias--in spite of the reproaches of his comrades and the pleading of the false Phoibis--came back to my bed. It was the charm that made him return. It urged him on toward me.

The same witch also taught me the way to make Phoibis perfectly hateful. You watch the print of her feet as she passes by, and then you rub out the footprints by putting your right foot where she has placed her left foot and your left on her right. You do it and say at the same time: "I have trampled on you; I am above you. I am above you. I have trampled on you; I am above you."

I did exactly what she told me, and now Phanias is back in my bed. And he passionately kisses me all over my body, something he always refused to do before.

MELITTA

Not a moment's delay, Bacchis! Find me immediately the Syrian witch. And you, Akis, prepare the bread and the sulfur and everything we shall need for a proper incantation.