A day in the life of an ancient Athenian - Robert Garland

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

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

Godina je 427 p.n.e.

i najgori unutrašnji konflikt koji je ikad zadesio antički grčki svet

in the ancient Greek world is in its fourth year.

traje već četvrtu godinu.

The Peloponnesian War is being fought

Peloponeski rat je vođen

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

između gradova-država, Atine i Sparte, kao i njihovih saveznika.

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

Atinjani nisu u rangu strašne spartanske vojske na kopnu.

So they’ve abandoned the countryside

Stoga su napustili sela

and moved inside the walls surrounding their city and port,

i preselili se unutar zidina koji su opasavali njihov grad i luku,

now provisioned by a superior fleet and extensive maritime empire.

koju je sada štitila superiorna flota i veliko morsko carstvo.

The cramped conditions have taken a toll

Teskobni uslovi su počeli da uzimaju danak

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

i nedavna kuga je izbrisala trećinu stanovništva.

But city life goes on.

Međutim, gradski život se nastavlja.

Archias and Dexileia live in the center of Athens.

Arkije i Deksileja žive u centru Atine.

As a painter of high-class pottery,

Kao slikar visokokvalitetne grnčarije,

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

Arkije živi relativno dobro i veoma ga zanimaju gradska pitanja.

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

Deksileja, s druge strane, ne može da učestvuje u politici

niti da poseduje nekretnine.

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

Par je zahvalan bogovima što je troje od njihovo četvoro dece,

a son and two daughters,

sin i dve kćerke,

have survived past infancy.

preživelo rano detinjstvo.

Many parents see daughters as a liability

Mnogi roditelji vide kćerke kao obavezu

since they require dowries to find husbands.

pošto im je neophodan miraz kako bi našle muževe.

But Archias is confident that his wealth

Međutim, Arkije je ubeđen da će njegovo bogatstvo

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

da mu omogući da pronađe dobre muževe za njih, a da pri tom ne bankrotira.

Like many Athenians, the family owns slaves.

Kao i većina Atinjana, porodica poseduje robove.

Originally from Thrace, they were captured in war.

Poreklom iz Trakije, bivši su ratni zarobljenici.

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

Trata obavlja veći deo posla po kući i pomaže u podizanju dece.

Philon is a paidagôgos,

Filon je pedagogos

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

koji nadgleda dečakovo obrazovanje, a uči ga da čita i piše.

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

Arkije je rano ustao zbog sastanka u Ekleziji,

the assembly of citizens,

veću građana,

taking place at dawn.

koji se dešava u zoru.

Before setting out, he burns incense

Pre nego što krene, pali tamjan

and pours a libation at the small shrine in the courtyard

i prosipa vino na mali pokrov u dvorištu

on behalf of his entire household.

u ime svog celokupnog domaćinstva.

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

Deksileja će ostati kod kuće celi dan, podučavajući kćerke veštinama za domaćice.

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

Kasnije će se povući u unutrašnje dvorište da udahne svež vazduh.

When Archias arrives at the agora,

Kada Arkije stigne na agoru,

the civic and commercial heart of the city,

građansko i trgovinsko središte grada,

he finds the square swarming with his fellow citizens,

zatiče trg kako vrvi od njegovih sugrađana,

native-born adult males who have completed military training.

domaćih odraslih muškaraca koji su prošli vojnu obuku.

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

Za centralni spomenik je zakačena tabla sa dnevnim redom sastanka.

Today, there’s only one item of discussion:

Danas se raspravlja samo o jednoj temi:

what to do with the people of Mytilene,

šta da urade sa stanovništvom Mitilene,

a city on the island of Lesbos

grada na ostrvu Lezbos

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

gde je upravo ugušena pobuna protiv atinske vlasti.

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

Sastanak se održava na brdu zapadno od akropolja poznatom pod imenom Pniks.

The word means “tightly packed,"

Reč znači „gusto zbijeni“,

and the crowd of 5,000 citizens makes it clear why.

a gomila od 5 000 građana opravdava naziv.

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

Starešine pročišćavaju brdo kropeći njegove ivice svinjskom krvlju

and call for order.

i pozivaju na mir.

As everyone sits on benches facing the platform,

Dok svi sedaju na klupe okrenute ka platformi,

the presiding officer opens the meeting with the words:

predsedavajući činovnik otvara sastanak rečima:

“Tis agoreuein bouleutai?”

„Tis agoreuein bouleutai?“

“Who wishes to address the assembly?”

„Ko želi da se obrati veću?“

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

Jedan po jedan, građani govore; neki savetuju milost, drugi naginju osveti.

A motion is proposed to execute all the Mytileneans

Predloženo je da se zapovedi pogubljenje svih Mitilenjana

and enslave their women and children

i da se njihove žene i deca porobe

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

jer su izdali svoje atinske saveznike u ratu.

A majority raises their right hands in favor.

Većina podiže desnu ruku u znak odobravanja.

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

Čim se sastanak završi, Arkije hita nazad na agoru da kupi hranu i vino.

Hundreds have gathered there to discuss the results,

Stotine ljudi je tu okupljeno i raspravljaju o ishodu,

a mnogi nisu zadovoljni odlukom.

many unhappy with the decision.

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

Kada se Arkije vrati kući, priča Deksileji o debati.

She thinks that killing the innocent as well as the guilty

Ona smatra kako je ubijanje nevinih, jednako kao i krivih,

is harsh and counterproductive,

okrutno i kontraproduktivno,

and tells him as much.

i to mu i govori.

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

Oko sumraka, Arkije ide do prijateljeve kuće na simpozijum.

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

Devet muškaraca pije vino i raspravljaju o sastanku do kasno u noć.

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

Arkije iznosi stav supruge, tražeći milost,

i njegovi prijatelji se na kraju slažu s tim.

Pre zore, dešava se nešto izvanredno.

Before dawn, something unprecedented happens.

Heralds circulate throughout Athens

Glasnici kruže Atinom,

announcing the council has called another meeting.

najavljujući da je savet sazvao novi sastanak.

The second debate is equally heated,

Druga debata je jednako užarena,

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

ali nova odluka, da se pogube samo vođe pobune,

narrowly passes.

za dlaku biva usvojena.

Ipak, postoji problem -

Yet there’s a problem –

a ship with orders to carry out the first resolution

brod sa naređenjem da se izvrši prva odluka

was dispatched the previous day.

je isplovio prethodnog dana.

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

Tako drugi brod brzo otplovljava kako bi se poništilo naređenje -

a race of democracy against time.

trka demokratije s vremenom.