1–2
PANNYCHIS
You shouldn’t have asked that right away, but said, “Thanks be to all the gods for your safe return, and thanks most of all to Zeus, Protector of the Stranger, and to Athene, Goddess of War. My mistress was always asking what you were doing and where you were.” And it would have been a lot better if you’d added that she was always crying and talking of Polemo.
DORCAS
I did start with all those preliminaries, but I wouldn’t have mentioned them to you; I wanted to tell you what I’d heard. My first words to Parmeno were, “Well, Parmeno, were your ears burning? My mistress was always talking of you and weeping; particularly at times when someone had returned from battle and there were said to be a lot of fatal casualties, would she tear her hair, beat her breast, and grieve at every message.”
PANNYCHIS
Well done, Dorcas! That was just right.
DORCAS
Then a little later I asked the questions I’ve told you of, and he told me they’d returned in style.
PANNYCHIS
What! Nothing first from him either about Polemo talking about me or missing me or praying he’d find me alive on his return?
