- Source
- Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1016-1086
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Cleon and the Sausage-Seller present and interpret various oracles regarding dogs, lions, and naval forces, engaging in a fierce battle of wits to win the favor of Demus.
ἴαχεν ἐξ ἀδύτοιο διὰ τριπόδων ἐριτίμων.
it cried from the sacred sanctuary through the precious tripods.
σῴζεσθαί σʼ ἐκέλευσʼ ἱερὸν κύνα καρχαρόδοντα,
He ordered you to protect the sacred sharp-toothed dog,
ὃς πρὸ σέθεν λάσκων καὶ ὑπὲρ σοῦ δεινὰ κεκραγὼς
who, barking in front of you and crying out terribly on your behalf,
σοὶ μισθὸν ποριεῖ, κἂν μὴ δρᾷ ταῦτʼ ἀπολεῖται.
will provide you with pay; and if he does not do this, he will perish.
πολλοὶ γὰρ μίσει σφε κατακρώζουσι κολοιοί.
For many jackdaws, in hatred, croak at him.
ταυτὶ μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι λέγει.
Demus: By Demeter, I don’t know what this says.
τί γάρ ἐστʼ Ἐρεχθεῖ καὶ κολοιοῖς καὶ κυνί;
For what has Erechtheus to do with jackdaws and a dog?
ἐγὼ μέν εἰμʼ ὁ κύων· πρὸ σοῦ γὰρ ἀπύω·
Cleon: I am the dog; for I bark in front of you.
σοὶ δʼ εἶπε σῴζεσθαί μʼ ὁ Φοῖβος τὸν κύνα.
And Phoebus told you to protect me, the dog.
οὐ τοῦτό φησʼ ὁ χρησμός, ἀλλʼ ὁ κύων ὁδὶ
Sausage-Seller: That’s not what the oracle says, but this dog here
ὥσπερ θύρας σοῦ τῶν λογίων παρεσθίει.1
nibbles away at your oracles, just like gnawing at doors.
ἐμοὶ γάρ ἐστʼ ὀρθῶς περὶ τούτου τοῦ κυνός.
For I have an oracle correctly about this dog.
λέγε νυν· ἐγὼ δὲ πρῶτα λήψομαι λίθον,
Demus: Read it then; and first I will take a stone,
ἵνα μή μʼ ὁ χρησμὸς τὸ πέος οὑτοσὶ δάκῃ.
lest this oracle—or rather this dog here, bite my penis.
φράζευ Ἐρεχθεΐδη κύνα Κέρβερον ἀνδραποδιστήν,
Sausage-Seller: “Mark well, son of Erechtheus, the dog Cerberus, the kidnapper,
ὃς κέρκῴ σαίνων σʼ ὁπόταν δειπνῇς ἐπιτηρῶν
who, fawning with his tail, watching you when you dine,
ἐξέδεταί σου τοὔψον, ὅταν σύ ποι ἄλλοσε χάσκῃς·
will eat up your food when you gape somewhere else;
ἐσφοιτῶν τʼ ἐς τοὐπτάνιον λήσει σε κυνηδὸν
and slipping into the kitchen like a dog, he will secretly lick
νύκτωρ τὰς λοπάδας καὶ τὰς νήσους διαλείχων.
by night the dishes and the islands.”
νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ πολύ γʼ ἄμεινον ὦ Γλάνι.
Demus: By Poseidon, much better indeed, O Glanis!
ὦ τᾶν ἄκουσον, εἶτα διάκρινον τόδε.
Cleon: My good friend, listen, and then judge this.
ἔστι γυνή, τέξει δὲ λέονθʼ ἱεραῖς ἐν Ἀθήναις,
”There is a woman, and she shall bear a lion in sacred Athens,
ὃς περὶ τοῦ δήμου πολλοῖς κώνωψι μαχεῖται
who on behalf of the people shall fight with many gnats,
ὥστε περὶ σκύμνοισι βεβηκώς· τὸν σὺ φυλάξαι,
as if defending his cubs; guard him,
τεῖχος ποιήσας ξύλινον πύργους τε σιδηροῦς.
making a wooden wall and iron towers.”
ταῦτʼ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι λέγει;
Do you know what this says?
μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω ʼγὼ μὲν οὔ.
Demus: By Apollo, I do not.
ἔφραζεν ὁ θεός σοι σαφῶς σῴζειν ἐμέ·
Cleon: The god was telling you clearly to protect me;
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀντὶ τοῦ λέοντός εἰμί σοι.
for I am a lion in place of the lion for you.
καὶ πῶς μʼ ἐλελήθης Ἀντιλέων2 γεγενημένος;
Demus: And how did I fail to notice that you have become a lion-substitute?
ἓν οὐκ ἀναδιδάσκει σε τῶν λογίων ἑκών,
Sausage-Seller: One thing of the oracles he intentionally does not teach you,
ὃ μόνον σιδηροῦν ἐστι τεῖχος καὶ ξύλον,
which alone is the iron wall and wood,
ἐν ᾧ σε σῴζειν τόνδʼ ἐκέλευσʼ ὁ Λοξίας.
in which Loxias ordered you to protect this man.
πῶς δῆτα τοῦτʼ ἔφραζεν ὁ θεός;
Demus: How indeed did the god mean this?
τουτονὶ
Sausage-Seller: This man here
δῆσαί σʼ ἐκέλευʼ ἐν πεντεσυρίγγῳ ξύλῳ.
he ordered you to bind in the five-holed wooden stock.
ταυτὶ τελεῖσθαι τὰ λόγιʼ ἤδη μοι δοκεῖ.
Demus: Already these oracles seem to me to be fulfilled.
μὴ πείθου· φθονεραὶ γὰρ ἐπικρώζουσι κορῶναι.
Cleon: Do not believe him; for envious crows are croaking.
ἀλλʼ ἱέρακα φίλει μεμνημένος ἐν φρεσὶν ὅς σοι
But love the hawk, remembering in your mind, who for you
ἤγαγε συνδήσας Λακεδαιμονίων κορακίνους.3
brought the Lacedaemonian crows bound.
τοῦτό γέ τοι Παφλαγὼν παρεκινδύνευσε μεθυσθείς.
Sausage-Seller: At least the Paphlagonian ran this risk when drunk.
Κεκροπίδη κακόβουλε τί τοῦθʼ ἡγεῖ μέγα τοὔργον;
But, ill-advised son of Cecrops, why do you think this a great deed?
καί κε γυνὴ φέροι ἄχθος, ἐπεί κεν ἀνὴρ ἀναθείη·
Even a woman might carry a burden, if a man should put it on her;
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν μαχέσαιτο· χέσαιτο γάρ, εἰ μαχέσαιτο.
but she would not fight; for she would crap herself if she fought.
ἀλλὰ τόδε φράσσαι, πρὸ Πύλου Πύλον ἥν σοι ἔφραζεν.
Cleon: But mark this, the Pylos before Pylos which he told you of.
ἔστι Πύλος πρὸ Πύλοιο—
”There is a Pylos before Pylos—“
τί τοῦτο λέγει, πρὸ Πύλοιο;
Demus: What does this mean, “before Pylos”?
τὰς πυέλους φησὶν καταλήψεσθʼ ἐν βαλανείῳ.
Sausage-Seller: He says you will seize the tubs in the bath-house.
ἐγὼ δʼ ἄλουτος τήμερον γενήσομαι;
Demus: And am I to go unwashed today?
οὗτος γὰρ ἡμῶν τὰς πυέλους ἀφήρπασεν.
For this man has snatched away our tubs.
ἀλλʼ οὑτοσὶ γάρ ἐστι περὶ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ
Cleon: But this one indeed is about the navy,
ὁ χρησμός, ᾧ σε δεῖ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν πάνυ.
the oracle, to which you must pay close attention.
προσέχω· σὺ δʼ ἀναγίγνωσκε, τοῖς ναύταισί μου
Demus: I am paying attention; read it, and see that for my sailors
ὅπως ὁ μισθὸς πρῶτον ἀποδοθήσεται.
their pay is first delivered.
Αἰγεΐδη φράσσαι κυναλώπεκα, μή σε δολώσῃ,
Cleon: “Son of Aegeus, beware of the dog-fox, lest it deceive you,
λαίθαργον ταχύπουν, δολίαν κερδὼ πολύιδριν.
the biting-by-stealth, swift-footed, crafty, cunning, very-knowing fox.”
οἶσθʼ ὅ τι ἐστὶν τοῦτο;
Do you know what this is?
Φιλόστρατος ἡ κυναλώπηξ.
Sausage-Seller: Philostratus, the dog-fox.
οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ ναῦς ἑκάστοτε
Cleon: It doesn’t mean that, but this man is always asking
αἰτεῖ ταχείας ἀργυρολόγους οὑτοσί·
for swift, money-collecting ships;
ταύτας ἀπαυδᾷ μὴ διδόναι σʼ ὁ Λοξίας.
Loxias forbids you to give these.
πῶς δὴ τριήρης ἐστὶ κυναλώπηξ;
Demus: How indeed is a trireme a dog-fox?
ὅπως;
Cleon: How?
ὅτι ἡ τριήρης ἐστὶ χὠ κύων ταχύ.
Because both the trireme and a dog are swift.
πῶς οὖν ἀλώπηξ προσετέθη πρὸς τῷ κυνί;
Demus: Why then was “fox” added to “dog”?
ἀλωπεκίοισι τοὺς στρατιώτας ᾔκασεν,
Cleon: He likened the soldiers to little foxes,
ὁτιὴ βότρυς τρώγουσιν ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις.
because they eat grapes in the fields.
εἶεν·
Demus: Well then;
τούτοις ὁ μισθὸς τοῖς ἀλωπεκίοισι ποῦ;
where is the pay for these little foxes?
ἐγὼ ποριῶ, καὶ τοῦτον ἡμερῶν τριῶν.
Cleon: I will provide it, and that within three days.
ἀλλʼ ἔτι τόνδʼ ἐπάκουσον, ὃν εἶπέ σοι ἐξαλέασθαι
But listen further to this oracle, which the son of Leto told you to avoid,
χρησμὸν Λητοΐδης, Κυλλήνην, μή σε δολώσῃ.
Cyllene, lest she deceive you.
ποίαν Κυλλήνην;
Demus: What Cyllene?
τὴν τούτου χεῖρʼ ἐποίησεν
Cleon: He made this man’s hand
Κυλλήνην ὀρθῶς, ὁτιή φησʼ, ἔμβαλε κυλλῇ.4
Cyllene correctly, because he says, “put it into the bent hand.”
οὐκ ὀρθῶς φράζει· τὴν Κυλλήνην γὰρ ὁ Φοῖβος
Sausage-Seller: He doesn’t explain correctly; for Phoebus rightly hinted at Cyllene
ἐς τὴν χεῖρʼ ὀρθῶς ᾐνίξατο τὴν Διοπείθους.
with reference to the hand of Diopeithes.
ἀλλὰ γάρ ἐστιν ἐμοὶ χρησμὸς περὶ σοῦ πτερυγωτός,
But indeed I have a winged oracle about you,
- 1026ὥσπερ θύρας σοῦ τῶν λογίων παρεσθίει
The phrase presents a simile where θύρας (accusative) is the direct object of παρεσθίει, while τῶν λογίων (genitive) functions as a partitive genitive ("eating away some of/from the oracles"), comparing Cleon's exploitation of oracles to a dog gnawing on doors.
- 1044Ἀντιλέων
While functioning as the proper name "Antileon," this word also plays on the literal meaning "instead of a lion" (ἀντί + λέων) in response to the previous verse. Demus humorously remarks on his failure to notice that Cleon was merely a "lion-substitute" rather than a real lion.
- 1053Λακεδαιμονίων κορακίνους
The word κορακῖνος (a species of small fish) is used here as a pun blending with κόραξ (crow/raven), echoing the "crows" (κορῶναι) of the previous line. It refers to the Lacedaemonian captives taken at Sphacteria.
- 1083ἔμβαλε κυλλῇ
A pun playing on the phonetic similarity between the dative adjective κυλλῇ ("with a bent/crippled hand") and the place-name Cyllene (Κυλλήνη). Cleon interprets the oracle as referring to a bent hand waiting for a bribe, which the Sausage-Seller refutes in the following lines.