A day in the life of an ancient Athenian

古代雅典人生活中的一天

来源视频

It’s 427 BCE and the worst internal  conflict ever to occur

in the ancient Greek world  is in its fourth year.

The Peloponnesian War is being fought

between the city-states of Athens and Sparta, as well as their allies.

The Athenians can’t match the formidable  Spartan army on land.

So they’ve abandoned the countryside

and moved inside the walls surrounding  their city and port,

now provisioned by a superior fleet  and extensive maritime empire.

The cramped conditions have taken a toll

and a recent plague wiped out  a third of the population.

But city life goes on.

公元前 427 年，古希腊帝国 最严重的内战已经到了第四个年头。

这场伯罗奔尼撒战争

在雅典和斯巴达及其盟国之间展开。

雅典人无法在陆地作战中 对抗强大的斯巴达军队，

于是他们放弃了乡村地区，

转移到高墙环绕的城市和港口，

由一支高级舰队和 广阔的海军帝国提供保障。

有限的条件带来了恶果，

一场近期爆发的瘟疫 夺去了雅典三分之一的人口。

但城市生活仍在继续。

Archias and Dexileia live  in the center of Athens.

As a painter of high-class pottery,

Archias is relatively well-off and takes  great interest in the city’s affairs.

Dexileia, on the other hand, can't participate in politics or own property.

The couple are grateful to the gods that  three of their four children,

a son and two daughters,

have survived past infancy.

阿奇亚斯和迪克西莉亚 住在雅典市中心。

阿奇亚斯是高档陶器的漆匠，

他比较富裕， 对城市事务很感兴趣。

迪克西莉亚却无法 参与政治或拥有财产

夫妇感激神明， 让他们四个孩子中的三个，

一个男孩和两个女孩，

都平安长大。

Many parents see daughters as a liability

since they require dowries  to find husbands.

But Archias is confident that his wealth

will allow him to make good matches for them without going bankrupt.

Like many Athenians,  the family owns slaves.

Originally from Thrace, they were captured in war.

许多父母将女儿视为拖累，

因为女儿结婚需要嫁妆。

但是阿奇亚斯对自己的 财富状况很有自信，

相信自己不用破产 也能为女儿找到如意郎君。

和很多雅典人一样， 这个家庭也拥有奴隶。

这些奴隶都来自色雷斯， 在战争中被抓获。

Thratta does most of the housework  and helps raise the children.

Philon is a paidagôgos,

who supervises the son’s education,  teaching him reading and writing.

Archias is up early because there’s  a meeting of the Ekklêsia,

the assembly of citizens,

taking place at dawn.

色雷斯人承担绝大多数的家务， 并帮助抚养孩子。

菲伦是一个 paidagôgos， 即家庭教师，

他监督家中男孩的教育， 教他读书写作。

阿奇亚斯起得很早， 因为在黎明时分

教会有一场会议，

众市民将进行集会。

Before setting out, he burns incense

and pours a libation at the small shrine  in the courtyard

on behalf of his entire household.

Dexileia will remain at home all day,  teaching her daughters domestic skills.

Later, she’ll retire to the inner  courtyard for some fresh air.

出发前，他点燃一支香，

代表全家人在小花园里

的神龛中倾倒奠酒。

迪克西莉亚全天都待在家中 教女儿家务技能。

之后，她到内院稍作休息透透气。

When Archias arrives at the agora,

the civic and commercial heart  of the city,

he finds the square swarming  with his fellow citizens,

native-born adult males who  have completed military training.

Attached to the central monument is  a noticeboard with the meeting’s agenda.

Today, there’s only one item  of discussion:

what to do with the people of Mytilene,

a city on the island of Lesbos

where a revolt against Athenian rule  has just been put down.

集会的广场是

城市的市政和商业中心

当阿奇亚斯到达这里时， 他发现广场挤满了市民

都是已经完成 军事训练的本国成年男性。

中央纪念碑上 的一个记事板写有会议议程。

今天讨论的事项只有一个：

如何处置米蒂利尼人？

米蒂利尼是莱斯沃斯岛上 的一个城市，

该城对雅典统治的反抗刚遭到镇压。

The meeting takes place on a hill west  of the acropolis known as the Pnyx.

The word means “tightly packed,"

and the crowd of , citizens  makes it clear why.

The heralds purify the hill by sprinkling  its boundary with pig’s blood

and call for order.

As everyone sits on benches  facing the platform,

the presiding officer opens the meeting  with the words:

“Tis agoreuein bouleutai?”

“Who wishes to address the assembly?”

会议地点是在 雅典卫城西边的一座山上，

该山名为普尼克斯，意思是紧凑的，

 民众拥挤在此， 这名字的含义就不言而喻了。

传信官用猪血 划出边界以净化此山，

要求在场人员安静。

每个人都坐在面向平台的长椅上，

会议主席宣布会议开始。

他说：“Tis agoreuein bouleutai?”

意思是“谁希望发表演讲？”

One by one, citizens speak, some advising  mercy, others bent on vengeance.

A motion is proposed to execute  all the Mytileneans

and enslave their women and children

because they betrayed their Athenian  allies during a time of war.

A majority raises their right hands  in favor.

Once the meeting’s over, Archias heads  back to the agora to buy food and wine.

Hundreds have gathered there  to discuss the results,

many unhappy with the decision.

市民轮番发表意见。一些人 提倡宽容，另一些则诉诸报复。

提议之一是 处决所有米蒂利尼男人，

将女人和孩子贬为奴隶，

因为他们在战争时期 背叛了雅典一方的盟国。

大多数人举起右手表示赞同。

会议一结束，阿奇亚斯 会到雅典卫城买食物和酒。

上百人已经聚集在此讨论会议结果，

许多人对此决议并不开心。

When Archias returns home,  he tells Dexileia about the debate.

She thinks that killing the innocent  as well as the guilty

is harsh and counterproductive,

and tells him as much.

Around dusk, Archias goes to  a friend’s house for a symposium.

The nine men drink wine and discuss the meeting well into the night.

Archias shares his wife’s opinion urging  mercy, and his friends eventually agree.

阿奇亚斯回到家后， 将辩论告诉迪克西莉亚。

迪克西莉亚认为， 杀害无辜和杀害有罪之人

二者一样残酷， 并且结果适得其反。

她把自己的想法告诉了丈夫。

黄昏时分，阿奇亚斯 去朋友家参加讨论。

九个男人一边喝酒， 一边讨论会议内容，直至深夜。

阿奇亚斯分享了妻子要求仁慈 的意见，朋友最终也表示同意。

Before dawn, something  unprecedented happens.

Heralds circulate throughout Athens

announcing the council  has called another meeting.

The second debate is equally heated,

but a new resolution,  to execute only the leaders of the revolt,

narrowly passes.

Yet there’s a problem –

a ship with orders to carry out  the first resolution

was dispatched the previous day.

And so another ship quickly sets sail  to countermand the order –

a race of democracy against time.

黎明之前， 意想不到的事情发生了。

传信官环绕雅典城，

宣布议会已经召集了另一场会议。

第二次辩论同样激烈，

但是产生了一项新的决议： 只处决反叛的主谋，

这项新决议惊险通过。

但是，仍然有一个问题——

带着执行第一次决议的船只

已经在前一天出发。

另一艘船立刻出航 前往解除命令——

这是一场民主和时间的赛跑。