The Offering Contest and Demus Pretended Gullibility — Aristophanes, Knights, lines 1087–1180, Greek & English

1087

αἰετὸς ὡς γίγνει καὶ πάσης γῆς βασιλεύεις.

how you become an eagle and rule over all the earth.

καὶ γὰρ ἐμοί· καὶ γῆς καὶ τῆς ἐρυθρᾶς γε θαλάσσης,

And indeed mine says: over the earth and the Red Sea too,

χὤτι γʼ ἐν Ἐκβατάνοις δικάσεις, λείχων ἐπίπαστα.

and that you will judge in Ecbatana, licking sweets.

1090

ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ εἶδον ὄναρ, καί μοὐδόκει ἡ θεὸς αὐτὴ

But I saw a dream, and it seemed to me that the Goddess herself

τοῦ δήμου καταχεῖν ἀρυταίνῃ πλουθυγίειαν.

poured wealth-and-health over the people with a ladle.

νὴ Δία καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ· καί μοὐδόκει ἡ θεὸς αὐτὴ

By Zeus, so did I! And it seemed to me that the Goddess herself

ἐκ πόλεως ἐλθεῖν καὶ γλαῦξ αὐτῇ ʼπικαθῆσθαι·

came down from the Acropolis, and an owl was perched on her;

εἶτα κατασπένδειν κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀρυβάλλῳ

and then she poured from an aryballos over your head

1095

ἀμβροσίαν κατὰ σοῦ, κατὰ τούτου δὲ σκοροδάλμην.

ambrosia over you, but garlic-sauce over this fellow.

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Hurrah, hurrah!

οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὐδεὶς τοῦ Γλάνιδος σοφώτερος.

There was indeed no one wiser than Glanis.

καὶ νῦν ἐμαυτὸν ἐπιτρέπω σοι τουτονὶ

And now I entrust myself to you, this man here,

γερονταγωγεῖν¹ κἀναπαιδεύειν πάλιν.

to guide my old age and re-educate me again.

1100

μήπω γʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀνάμεινον, ὡς ἐγὼ

Cleon: Not yet, I beg you, but wait, so that I

κριθὰς ποριῶ σοι καὶ βίον καθʼ ἡμέραν.

will provide you barley and daily livelihood.

οὐκ ἀνέχομαι κριθῶν ἀκούων· πολλάκις

Demus: I cannot bear hearing of barley; many times

ἐξηπατήθην ὑπό τε σοῦ καὶ Θουφάνους.

I was deceived by both you and Thuphanes.

ἀλλʼ ἄλφιτʼ ἤδη σοι ποριῶ ʼσκευασμένα.

Cleon: But I will provide you barley-meal already prepared.

1105

ἐγὼ δὲ μαζίσκας γε διαμεμαγμένας

Sausage-Seller: And I, barley-cakes nicely kneaded

καὶ τοὔψον ὀπτόν· μηδὲν ἄλλʼ εἰ μὴ ʼσθιε.

and hot relish; do nothing else but eat!

ἀνύσατέ νυν ὅ τι περ ποιήσεθʼ· ὡς ἐγώ,

Demus: Hurry up then, whatever you are going to do; as for me,

ὁπότερος ἂν σφῷν νῦν με μᾶλλον εὖ ποιῇ,

whichever of you two treats me better now,

τούτῳ παραδώσω τῆς πυκνὸς τὰς ἡνίας.

to him I will hand over the reins of the Pnyx.

1110

τρέχοιμʼ ἂν εἴσω πρότερος.

Cleon: I would run inside first!

οὐ δῆτʼ ἀλλʼ ἐγώ.

Sausage-Seller: Certainly not, but I!

ὦ Δῆμε καλήν γʼ ἔχεις

Chorus: O Demus, you have a beautiful

ἀρχήν, ὅτε πάντες ἄνθρωποι

rule, since all men

δεδίασί σʼ ὥσπερ

fear you like

ἄνδρα τύραννον.

a tyrant ruler.

1115

ἀλλʼ εὐπαράγωγος εἶ,

But you are easily led astray,

θωπευόμενός τε χαίρεις

and you rejoice in being flattered

κἀξαπατώμενος,

and deceived,

πρὸς τόν τε λέγοντʼ ἀεὶ

and to whoever is speaking at the moment

κέχηνας· ὁ νοῦς δέ σου

you gape; and your mind,

1120

παρὼν ἀποδημεῖ.

though present, is abroad.

νοῦς οὐκ ἔνι ταῖς κόμαις

Demus: There is no mind in your long hair

ὑμῶν,² ὅτε μʼ οὐ φρονεῖν

you people, when you think I have no sense;

νομίζετʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ ἑκὼν

but I voluntarily

ταῦτʼ ἠλιθιάζω.

play the fool like this.

1125

αὐτός τε γὰρ ἥδομαι

For I myself enjoy

βρύλλων τὸ καθʼ ἡμέραν,

guzzling every day,

κλέπτοντά τε βούλομαι

and I want to keep

τρέφειν ἕνα προστάτην·

one leader who steals;

τοῦτον δʼ, ὅταν ᾖ πλέως,

and when he is full,

1130

ἄρας ἐπάταξα.

I lift him up and smash him.

χοὔτω μὲν ἂν εὖ ποιοῖς,

Chorus: And in this way you would do well,

εἴ σοι πυκνότης ἔνεστʼ

if there is shrewdness in you

ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ, ὡς λέγεις,

in your character, as you say,

τούτῳ πάνυ πολλή,

very much of it indeed,

1135

εἰ τούσδʼ ἐπίτηδες ὥσπερ

if you intentionally feed these men like

δημοσίους τρέφεις

public victims

ἐν τῇ πυκνί, κᾆθʼ ὅταν

in the Pnyx, and then whenever

μή σοι τύχῃ ὄψον ὄν,

you happen to have no meat,

τούτων ὃς ἂν ᾖ παχύς,

whichever of them is fat,

1140

θύσας ἐπιδειπνεῖς.

you sacrifice and feast on him.

σκέψασθε δέ μʼ, εἰ σοφῶς

Demus: And look at me, how wisely

αὐτοὺς περιέρχομαι

I outwit them,

τοὺς οἰομένους φρονεῖν

those who think they are clever

κἄμʼ ἐξαπατύλλειν.

and are deceiving me.

1145

τηρῶ γὰρ ἑκάστοτʼ αὐτοὺς

For I watch them each time,

οὐδὲ δοκῶν ὁρᾶν

pretending not even to see

κλέπτοντας· ἔπειτʼ ἀναγκάζω

them stealing; then I force them

πάλιν ἐξεμεῖν

to vomit back up

ἅττʼ ἂν κεκλόφωσί μου,

whatever they have stolen from me,

1150

κημὸν καταμηλῶν.³

by pushing down the probe.

ἄπαγʼ ἐς μακαρίαν ἐκποδών.

Cleon: Go to hell out of my way!

σύ γʼ ὦ φθόρε.

Sausage-Seller: You go, you pest!

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐγὼ μέντοι παρεσκευασμένος

Cleon: O Demus, indeed I have been sitting here prepared

τρίπαλαι κάθημαι βουλόμενός σʼ εὐεργετεῖν.

for a long time, wishing to benefit you.

ἐγὼ δὲ δεκάπαλαί γε καὶ δωδεκάπαλαι

Sausage-Seller: And I for ten times as long, and twelve times,

1155

καὶ χιλιόπαλαι καὶ προπαλαιπαλαίπαλαι.

and a thousand times, and long, long, long ago!

ἐγὼ δὲ προσδοκῶν γε τρισμυριόπαλαι

Demus: And I, waiting for thirty thousand times as long,

βδελύττομαί σφω καὶ προπαλαιπαλαίπαλαι.

loathe you both, and did so long, long, long ago!

οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον;⁴

Do you know then what you should do?

εἰ δὲ μή, φράσεις γε σύ.

Cleon: If not, you will tell me.

ἄφες ἀπὸ βαλβίδων ἐμέ τε καὶ τουτονί,

Let me and this man start from the starting lines,

1160

ἵνα σʼ εὖ ποιῶμεν ἐξ ἴσου.

so that we may treat you well on equal terms.

δρᾶν ταῦτα χρή.

Demus: That is what we must do.

ἄπιτον.

Go then!

ἰδού.

Cleon and Sausage-Seller: Ready!

θέοιτʼ ἄν.

Demus: Run!

ὑποθεῖν οὐκ ἐῶ.

Sausage-Seller: I won’t let you trip me up!

ἀλλʼ ἢ μεγάλως εὐδαιμονήσω τήμερον

Demus: Either I shall be greatly happy today

ὑπὸ τῶν ἐραστῶν νὴ Δίʼ ἢ ʼγὼ θρύψομαι.

by my lovers, by Zeus, or I shall be extremely spoiled.

ὁρᾷς; ἐγώ σοι πρότερος ἐκφέρω δίφρον.

Cleon: Do you see? I am bringing out a stool for you first.

1165

ἀλλʼ οὐ τράπεζαν, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ προτεραίτερος.

Sausage-Seller: But not a table! I am even earlier with that.

ἰδοὺ φέρω σοι τήνδε μαζίσκην ἐγὼ

Cleon: Look, I bring you this barley-cake,

ἐκ τῶν ὀλῶν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου μεμαγμένην.

kneaded from the barley-groats from Pylos.

ἐγὼ δὲ μυστίλας μεμυστιλημένας

Sausage-Seller: And I, hollowed-out bread-spoons spooned out

ὑπὸ τῆς θεοῦ τῇ χειρὶ τἠλεφαντίνῃ.

by the Goddess with her ivory hand.

1170

ὡς μέγαν ἄρʼ εἶχες ὦ πότνια τὸν δάκτυλον.

Demus: How big a finger you indeed had, O mistress!

ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτνος γε πίσινον εὔχρων καὶ καλόν·

Cleon: And I, a pea-soup, beautiful and of good color;

ἐτόρυνε δʼ αὔθʼ ἡ Παλλὰς ἡ Πυλαιμάχος.

Pallas the Gate-fighter stirred it herself.

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐναργῶς ἡ θεός σʼ ἐπισκοπεῖ,

Sausage-Seller: O Demus, the Goddess clearly watches over you,

καὶ νῦν ὑπερέχει σου χύτραν ζωμοῦ πλέαν.

and now she holds over you a pot full of broth.

1175

οἴει γὰρ οἰκεῖσθʼ ἂν ἔτι τήνδε τὴν πόλιν,

Demus: Do you think indeed this city would still be inhabited,

εἰ μὴ φανερῶς ἡμῶν ὑπερεῖχε τὴν χύτραν;

if she did not openly hold her pot over us?

τουτὶ τέμαχός σοὔδωκεν ἡ Φοβεσιστράτη.

Cleon: This slice of fish Phobesistrate gave you.

ἡ δʼ Ὀβριμοπάτρα γʼ ἑφθὸν ἐκ ζωμοῦ κρέας

Sausage-Seller: And Obrimopatra boiled meat from broth

καὶ χόλικος ἠνύστρου τε καὶ γαστρὸς τόμον.

and a slice of tripe, abomasum, and belly.

1180

καλῶς γʼ ἐποίησε τοῦ πέπλου μεμνημένη.

Demus: She did well indeed, remembering her robe.

Syntax notes4 items

1099γερονταγωγεῖν
The verb γερονταγωγεῖν (to lead an old man) is a comic coinage modeled after παιδαγωγέω (to lead a child). The infinitives γερονταγωγεῖν and κἀναπαιδεύειν (to re-educate) depend on the main verb ἐπιτρέπω (to entrust), expressing purpose or consequence.
1122ὑμῶν
The second-person plural genitive ὑμῶν directly refers to the Chorus (the Knights) in response to their preceding strophe. In contrast, the Chorus had addressed Demus in the singular (εἶ, χαίρεις, etc.), showing the symmetrical dialogic structure.
1150καταμηλῶν
The present participle καταμηλῶν (probing/pushing down a probe) refers to inserting a medical probe (μήλη) into the throat to induce vomiting. It functions here in a participle construction to modify the action of forcing the corrupt politicians to vomit (ἐξεμεῖν) the public funds they stole from Demus.
1158ὃ δρᾶσον
In the idiomatic phrase "οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον;" (Do you know what you should do?), an aorist imperative (δρᾶσον) is used inside the relative clause introduced by ὅ, instead of an indicative. This is an emphatic colloquial construction common in Greek comedy to urge the listener to perform an action.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1087-1180