A philosophical inquiry into ghosts and apparitions, featuring the famous haunted house of Athens.
C. Plīnius Surae suō s.
THE present recess from business we are now enjoying affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. I am extremely desirous therefore to know whether you believe in the existence of ghosts, and that they have a real form, and are a sort of divinities, or only the visionary impressions of a terrified imagination.
Et mihi discendī et tibi docendī facultātem ōtium praebet. Igitur perquam velim scīre, esse phantasmata et habēre propriam figūram nūmenque aliquod putēs an inānia et vāna ex metū nostrō imāginem accipere.
What particularly inclines me to believe in their existence is a story which I heard of Curtius Rufus. When he was in low circumstances and unknown in the world, he attended the governor of Africa into that province.
Ego ut esse crēdam in prīmīs eō dūcor, quod audiō accidisse Curtiō Rūfō. Tenuis adhūc et obscūrus, obtinentī Āfricam comes haeserat. Inclīnātō diē spatiābātur in porticū; offertur eī mulieris figūra hūmānā grandior pulchriorque. Perterritō Āfricam sē futūrōrum praenūntiam dīxit: itūrum enim Rōmam honōrēsque gestūrum, atque etiam cum summō imperiō in eandem prōvinciam reversūrum, ibique moritūrum.
One evening, as he was walking in the public portico, there appeared to him the figure of a woman, of unusual size and of beauty more than human. And as he stood there, terrified and astonished, she told him she was the tutelary power that presided over Africa, and was come to inform him of the future events of his life: that he should go back to Rome, to enjoy high honours there, and return to that province invested with the pro-consular dignity, and there should die. Every circumstance of this prediction actually came to pass.
Facta sunt omnia. Praetereā accēdentī Carthāginem ēgredientīque nāve eadem figūra in lītore occurrisse narrātur. Ipse certē implicitus morbō, futūra praeteritīs adversa secundīs augurātus, spem salūtis nūllō suōrum dēspērante prōiēcit.
It is said farther that upon his arrival at Carthage, as he was coming out of the ship, the same figure met him upon the shore. It is certain, at least, that being seized with a fit of illness, though there were no symptoms in his case that led those about him to despair, he instantly gave up all hope of recovery; judging, apparently, of the truth of the future part of the prediction by what had already been fulfilled, and of the approaching misfortune from his former prosperity.
Iam illud nōnne et magis terribile et nōn minus mīrum est quod expōnam ut accēpī?
Now the following story, which I am going to tell you just as I heard it, is it not more terrible than the former, while quite as wonderful? There was at Athens a large and roomy house, which had a bad name, so that no one could live there. In the dead of the night a noise, resembling the clashing of iron, was frequently heard, which, if you listened more attentively, sounded like the rattling of chains, distant at first, but approaching nearer by degrees: immediately afterwards a spectre appeared in the form of an old man, of extremely emaciated and squalid appearance, with a long beard and dishevelled hair, rattling the chains on his feet and hands.
Erat Athēnīs spatiōsa et capāx domus sed īnfāmis et pestilēns. Per silentium noctis sonus ferrī, et sī attenderēs ācrius, strepitus vinculōrum longius prīmō, deinde ē proximō reddēbātur: mox appārēbat īdōlon, senex maciē et squālōre cōnfectus, prōmissā barbā horrentī capillō; crūribus compedēs, manibus catēnās gerēbat quatiēbatque.
The distressed occupants meanwhile passed their wakeful nights under the most dreadful terrors imaginable. This, as it broke their rest, ruined their health, and brought on distempers, their terror grew upon them, and death ensued.
Inde inhabitantibus trīstēs dīraeque noctēs per metum vigilābantur; vigiliam morbus, et crēscente formīdine mors sequēbātur. Nam interdiū quoque, quamquam abscesserat imāgō, memoria imāginis oculīs inerrābat, longiorque causīs timōris timor erat. Dēserta inde et damnāta sōlitūdine domus tōtaque illī mōnstrō relicta; prōscrībēbātur tamen, seu quis emere seu quis condūcere ignārus tantī malī vellet.
Even in the day time, though the spirit did not appear, yet the impression remained so strong upon their imaginations that it still seemed before their eyes, and kept them in perpetual alarm, Consequently the house was at length deserted, as being deemed absolutely uninhabitab1e; so that it was now entirely abandoned to the ghost. However, in hopes that some tenant might be found who was ignorant of this very alarming circumstance, a bill was put up, giving notice that it was either to be let or sold. It happened that Athenodorus120 the philosopher came to Athens at this time, and, reading the bill, enquired the price.
Venit Athēnās philosophus Athēnodōrus, legit titulum audītōque pretiō, quia suspecta vīlitās, percunctātus omnia docētur ac nihilō minus, immō tantō magis condūcit. Ubi coepit advesperāscere, iubet sternī sibi in prīmā domūs parte, poscit pugillārēs stilum lūmen, suōs omnēs in interiōra dīmittit; ipse ad scrībendum animum oculōs manum intendit, nē vacua mēns audīta simulācra et inānēs sibi metūs fingeret.
The extraordinary cheapness raised his suspicion; nevertheless, when he heard the whole story, be was so far from being discouraged that he was more strongly inclined to hire it, and, in short, actually did so. When it grew towards evening, he ordered a couch to be prepared for him in the front part of the house, and, after calling for a light, together with his pencil and tablets, directed all his people to retire.
Initiō, quāle ubīque, silentium noctis; dein concutī ferrum, vincula movērī. Ille nōn tollere oculōs, nōn remittere stilum, sed offirmāre animum auribusque praetendere. Tum crēbrēscere fragor, adventāre et iam ut in līmine, iam ut intrā līmen audīrī. Respicit, videt agnōscitque narrātam sibi effigiem.
But that his mind might not, for want of employment, be open to the vain terrors of imaginary noises and spirits, he applied himself to writing with the utmost attention. The first part of the night passed in entire silence, as usual; at length a clanking of iron and rattling of chains was heard: however, he neither lifted up his eyes nor laid down his pen, but in order to keep calm and collected tried to pass the sounds off to himself as something else. The noise increased and advanced nearer, till it seemed at the door, and at last in the chamber.
Stābat innuēbatque digitō similis vocantī. Hic contrā ut paulum exspectāret manū significat rūrsusque cērīs et stilō incumbit. Illa scrībentis capitī catēnīs īnsonābat. Respicit rūrsus idem quod prius innuentem, nec morātus tollit lūmen et sequitur.
He looked up, saw, and recognized the ghost exactly as it had been described to him: it stood before him, beckoning with the finger, like a person who calls another. Athenodorus in reply made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and threw his eyes again upon his papers; the ghost then rattled its chains over the head of the philosopher, who looked up upon this, and seeing it beckoning as before, immediately arose, and, light in hand, followed it.
Ībat illa lentō gradū quasi gravis vinculīs. Postquam dēflexit in āream domūs, repente dīlāpsa dēserit comitem. Dēsertus herbās et folia concerpta signum locō pōnit.
The ghost slowly stalked along, as if encumbered with its chains, and, turning into the area of the house, suddenly vanished. Athenodorus, being thus deserted, made a mark with some grass and leaves on the spot where the spirit left him. The next day he gave information to the magistrates, and advised them to order that spot to be dug up.
Posterō diē adit magistrātūs, monet ut illum locum effodī iubeant. Inveniuntur ossa īnserta catēnīs et implicita, quae corpus aevō terrāque putrefactum nūda et exēsa relīquerat vinculīs; collēcta pūblicē sepeliuntur. Domus posteā rīte conditīs mānibus caruit.
This was accordingly done, and the skeleton of a man in chains was found there; for the body, having lain a considerable time in the ground, was putrefied and mouldered away from the fetters. The bones being collected together were publicly buried, and thus after the ghost was appeased by the proper ceremonies, the house was haunted no more.
Et haec quidem affirmantibus crēdō; illud affirmāre aliīs possum. Est lībertus mihi nōn illitterātus. Cum hōc minor frāter eōdem lectō quiēscēbat. Is vīsus est sibi cernere quendam in torō residentem, admoventemque capitī suō cultrōs, atque etiam ex ipsō vertice amputantem capillōs. Ubi illūxit, ipse circā verticem tōnsus, capillī iacentēs reperiuntur.
This story I believe upon the credit of others; what I am going to mention, I give you upon my own. I have a freedman named Marcus, who is by no means illiterate. One night, as he and his younger brother were lying together, he fancied he saw somebody upon his bed, who took out a pair of scissors, and cut off the hair from the top part of his own head, and in the morning, it appeared his hair was actually cut, and the clippings lay scattered about the floor.
Exiguum temporis medium, et rūrsus simile aliud priōrī fidem fēcit. Puer in paedagōgiō mixtus plūribus dormiēbat. Vēnērunt per fenestrās—ita narrat—in tunicīs albīs duo cubantemque dētondērunt et quā vēnerant recessērunt. Hunc quoque tōnsum sparsōsque circā capillōs diēs ostendit.
A short time after this, an event of a similar nature contributed to give credit to the former story. A young lad of my family was sleeping in his apartment with the rest of his companions, when two persons clad in white came in, as he says, through the windows, cut off his hair as he lay, and then returned the same way they entered.
Nihil notābile secūtum, nisi forte quod nōn fuī reus, futūrus, sī Domitiānus sub quō haec accidērunt diūtius vīxisset. Nam in scrīniō eius datus ā Cārō dē mē libellus inventus est; ex quō coniectārī potest, quia reīs mōris est submittere capillum, recīsōs meōrum capillōs dēpulsī quod imminēbat perīculī signum fuisse.
The next morning it was found that this boy had been served just as the other, and there was the hair again, spread about the room. Nothing remarkable indeed followed these events, unless perhaps that I escaped a prosecution, in which, if Domitian (during whose reign this happened) had lived some time longer, I should certainly have been involved. For after the death of that emperor, articles of impeachment against me were found in his scrutore, which had been exhibited by Carus.
Proinde rogō, ērudītiōnem tuam intendās. Digna rēs est quam diū multumque cōnsīderēs; nē ego quidem indignus, cui cōpiam scientiae tuae faciās.
It may therefore be conjectured, since it is customary for persons under any public accusation to let their hair grow, this cutting off the hair of my servants was a sign I should escape the imminent danger that threatened me. Let me desire you then to give this question your mature consideration.
Licet etiam utramque in partem—ut solēs—disputēs, ex alterā tamen fortius, nē mē suspēnsum incertumque dīmittās, cum mihi cōnsulendī causa fuerit, ut dubitāre dēsinerem. Valē.
The subject deserves your examination; as, I trust, I am not myself altogether unworthy a participation in the abundance of your superior knowledge. And though you should, as usual, balance between two opinions, yet I hope you will lean more on one side than on the other, lest, whilst I consult you in order to have my doubt settled, you should dismiss me in the same suspense and indecision that occasioned you the present application. Farewell.