L'OLIMPIADE -- Metastasio -- Erodoto

Speranza

EROTODO writes

"Afterwards, in the generation which followed, Clisthenes, king of Sicyon, raised the family to still greater eminence among the Greeks than even that to which it had attained before."

"For this Clisthenes, who was the son of Aristonymus, the grandson of Myron, and the great-grandson of Andreas, had a daughter, called Agarista [ARISTEA in Metastasio's libretto], whom he wished to marry to the best husband that he could find in the whole of Greece."

At the Olympic Games, therefore, having gained the prize in the chariot race, he caused public proclamation to be made to the following effect "Whoever among the Greeks deems himself
worthy to become the son-in-law of Clisthenes, let him come, sixty days hence, or, if he will, sooner, to Sicyon; for within a year's time, counting from the end of the sixty days, Clisthenes will decide on the man to whom he shall contract his daughter."

So all the Greeks who were proud of their own merit or of their country flocked to Sicyon as suitors.

And Clisthenes had a foot-course and a wrestling-ground made ready, to try their powers.

From Italy there came Smindyrides, the son of Hippocrates, a native of Sybaris, which city about that time was at the very height of its prosperity.

Sybaris was a man who in luxuriousness of living exceeded all other persons.

Likewise there came Damasus, the son of Amyris, surnamed the Wise, a native of Siris.

These two were the only suitors from Italy.

From the Ionian Gulf appeared Amphimnestus, the son of Epistrophus, an Epidamnian.

From Aetolia, Males, the brother of that Titormus who excelled all the Greeks in strength, and who wishing to avoid his fellow-men, withdrew himself into the remotest parts of the Aetolian territory.

From the Peloponnese came several: Leocedes, son of that Pheidon, king of the Argives, who established weights and measures throughout the Peloponnese, and was the most insolent of all the Grecians, the same who drove out the Elean directors of the Games, and himself presided over the contests at Olympia.

Leocedes, I say, appeared, this Pheidon's son; and likewise Amiantus, son of Lycurgus, an Arcadian of the city of Trapezus; Laphanes, an Azenian of Paeus, whose father, Euphorion, as the story goes in Arcadia, entertained the Dioscuri at his residence, and thenceforth kept open house for all comers; and lastly, Onomastus, the son of Agaeus, a native of Elis.

These four came from the Peloponnese.

From Athens there arrived MEGACLES, the son of that Alcmaeon who visited Croesus, and Tisander's son, Hippoclides, the wealthiest and handsomest of the Athenians.

There was likewise one Euboean, Lysanias, who came from Eretria, then a flourishing city.

From Thessaly came Diactorides, a Cranonian, of the race of the Scopadae; and Alcon arrived from the Molossians.

This was the list of the suitors.

Now when they were all come, and the day appointed had arrived, Clisthenes first of all inquired of each concerning his country and his family; after which he kept them with him a year, and made trial of their manly bearing, their temper, their accomplishments, and their disposition, sometimes
drawing them apart for converse, sometimes bringing them all together.

Such as were still youths he took with him from time to time to the gymnasia.

But the greatest trial of all was at the banquet table.

During the whole period of their stay he lived with them as I have said; and, further, from
first to last he entertained them sumptuously.

Somehow or other the suitors who came from Athens pleased him the best of all; and of these Hippoclides, Tisander's son, was specially in favour, partly on account of his manly bearing, and partly also because his ancestors were of kin to the Corinthian Cypselids.

When at length the day arrived which had been fixed for the espousals, and Clisthenes had to speak out and declare his choice, he first of all made a sacrifice of a hundred oxen, and held a banquet, whereat he entertained all the suitors and the whole people of Sicyon.

After the feast was ended, the suitors vied with each other in music and in speaking on a given subject.

Presently, as the drinking advanced, Hippoclides, who quite dumbfoundered the rest, called aloud to the flute-player, and bade him strike up a dance; which the man did, and Hippoclides danced to it.

And he fancied that he was dancing excellently well.

But Clisthenes, who was observing him, began to misdoubt the whole business.

Then Hippoclides, after a pause, told an attendant to bring in a table.

And when it was brought, he mounted upon it and danced first of all some Laconian figures, then some Attic ones; after which he stood on his head upon the table, and began to toss his legs
about.

Clisthenes, notwithstanding that he now loathed Hippoclides for a son-in-law, by reason of his dancing and his shamelessness, still, as he wished to avoid an outbreak, had restrained himself during the first and likewise during the second dance; when, however, he saw him tossing his
legs in the air, he could no longer contain himself, but cried out,

"Son of Tisander, thou hast danced thy wife away!"

What does Hippoclides care?

was the other's answer.

And hence the proverb arose.

Then Clisthenes commanded silence, and spake thus before the assembled
company:

"Suitors of my daughter, well pleased am I with you all."

"And right
willingly, if it were possible, would I content you all, and not by making
choice of one appear to put a slight upon the rest."

"But as it is out of my
power, seeing that I have but one daughter, to grant to all their wishes, I
will present to each of you whom I must needs dismiss a talent of silver,
for the honour that you have done me in seeking to ally yourselves with my
house, and for your long absence from your homes."

"But my daughter, Agarista [AGISTEA], I betroth to MEGACLES, the son of Alcmaeon, to be his wife, according to the usage and wont of Athens."

Then Megacles expressed his readiness; and Clisthenes had the marriage solemnised.

Thus ended the affair of the suitors; and thus the Alcmaeonidae came to be famous throughout the whole of Greece.