Sorry to do this two days in a row, but yesterday a read through another short Penguin titled “Two Satyr Plays”, one by Euripides and one by Sophocles. I didn’t know what a “satyr play” was (other than I figured it must involve satyrs), and was told that these were short plays that were performed in Greek theaters when tragedies were performed, and they were meant to be light and humorous. Very few remain extant. These are two that do.

The Euripides play “Cyclops” was a retelling of Homer’s story of Odysseus and the Cyclops, and it was fun to read. But the Sophocles play, which suffers by the unpronounceable name of “Ichneutai” (which probably explains why none of us have ever heard of it) is something else. Given a verse translation by Roger Lancelyn Green, it begins with a speech by the god Apollo as follows:

“I am Apollo! Hearken, all below,

To what a god proclaims! For you must know,

And gods above, what great Apollo vows:

A rich reward to him who finds my cows!

My heart is racked with pain: I’ve lost them all!

There’s not one single heifer in my stall,

Nor cow, nor smallest calf. Where they can be

Is more than this all-seeing god can see!

I really did not think that god or man

Would dare such treason, such stealthy plan

To steal my cattle, not leave a trace!

I have been hurrying from place to place

Since first I heard the news, and I proclaim

My loss to gods and men. All are to blame,

And here I give them warning clear and fair,

Those who pretend that they are unaware

That I have lost my cows: they tempt their fate

Who would deceive me – I do not prate!

For I’m Apollo, I would have you know

Where in the world did my poor cattle go?

(Now how much of this is Sophocles and how much Green?

The answer to me of this – unseen.)