Demus's Regret, State Reforms, and the Banishing of Cleon — Aristophanes, Knights, lines 1332–1409, Greek & English

1332

οὐ χοιρινῶν¹ ὄζων ἀλλὰ σπονδῶν, σμύρνῃ κατάλειπτος.

(Agoracritus) Smelling not of voting-shells, but of peace-offerings, and anointed with myrrh.

χαῖρʼ ὦ βασιλεῦ τῶν Ἑλλήνων· καί σοι ξυγχαίρομεν ἡμεῖς.

(Chorus) Hail, o king of the Hellenes! And we rejoice together with you.

τῆς γὰρ πόλεως ἄξια πράττεις καὶ τοῦ ʼν Μαραθῶνι τροπαίου.

For you act in a way worthy of the city and of the trophy at Marathon.

1335

ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐλθὲ δεῦρʼ Ἀγοράκριτε.

(Demus) O dearest of men, come hither, Agoracritus.

ὅσα με δέδρακας ἀγάθʼ ἀφεψήσας.

How many good things you have done for me by boiling me down!

ἐγώ;

(Agoracritus) I?

ἀλλʼ ὦ μέλʼ οὐκ οἶσθʼ οἷος ἦσθʼ αὐτὸς πάρος,

But, my dear friend, you do not know what sort of person you yourself were before,

οὐδʼ οἷʼ ἔδρας· ἐμὲ γὰρ νομίζοις ἂν² θεόν.

nor what things you used to do; otherwise you would regard me as a god.

τί δʼ ἔδρων, κάτειπέ μοι, πρὸ τοῦ; ποῖός τις ἦ;

(Demus) And what was I doing before this, tell me? What sort of person was I?

1340

πρῶτον μέν, ὁπότʼ εἴποι τις ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ,

(Agoracritus) First of all, whenever anyone said in the assembly:

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐραστής εἰμι σὸς φιλῶ τέ σε

”O Demus, I am your lover and I love you,

καὶ κήδομαί σου καὶ προβουλεύω μόνος,

and I care for you, and I alone plan ahead for you,”

τούτοις ὁπότε χρήσαιτό τις προοιμίοις,

whenever anyone used these introductions,

ἀνωρτάλιζες κἀκερουτίας.

you would flap your wings and toss your horns.

ἐγώ;

(Demus) I?

1345

εἶτʼ ἐξαπατήσας σʼ ἀντὶ τούτων ᾤχετο.

(Agoracritus) And then, having deceived you, they would go off in exchange for these things.

τί φῄς;

(Demus) What do you say?

ταυτί μʼ ἔδρων, ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ᾐσθόμην;

Was I doing these things, and I did not notice it?

τὰ δʼ ὦτά γʼ ἄν σου νὴ Δίʼ ἐξεπετάννυτο

(Agoracritus) Yes, by Zeus, and your ears would open out,

ὥσπερ σκιάδειον καὶ πάλιν ξυνήγετο.

like a parasol, and then fold back together again.

οὕτως ἀνόητος ἐγεγενήμην καὶ γέρων;

(Demus) Had I become so senseless and old?

1350

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εἴ γε δύο λεγοίτην ῥήτορε,

(Agoracritus) And by Zeus, if indeed two orators were speaking,

ὁ μὲν ποιεῖσθαι ναῦς μακρὰς ὁ δʼ ἕτερος αὖ

one saying that long ships should be built, and the other,

καταμισθοφορῆσαι τοῦθʼ, ὁ τὸν μισθὸν λέγων

to spend this on payments, the one speaking for payments

τὸν τὰς τριήρεις παραδραμὼν ἂν ᾤχετο.³

would run past the triremes and be gone.

οὗτος τί κύπτεις; οὐχὶ κατὰ χώραν μενεῖς;

You there, why do you hang your head? Will you not remain in your place?

1355

αἰσχύνομαί τοι ταῖς πρότερον ἁμαρτίαις.

(Demus) I am indeed ashamed of my former errors.

ἀλλʼ οὐ σὺ τούτων αἴτιος, μὴ φροντίσῃς,

(Agoracritus) But you are not the cause of these things, do not worry,

ἀλλʼ οἵ σε ταῦτʼ ἐξηπάτων. νυνδὶ φράσον·

but those who deceived you in this way. Now tell me:

ἐάν τις εἴπῃ βωμολόχος ξυνήγορος·

If some sycophantic advocate says:

οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν τοῖς δικασταῖς ἄλφιτα,

”There shall be no barley-meal for you judges,

1360

εἰ μὴ καταγνώσεσθε ταύτην τὴν δίκην·

unless you condemn in this trial.”

τοῦτον τί δράσεις, εἰπέ, τὸν ξυνήγορον;

What will you do to this advocate? Tell me.

ἄρας μετέωρον ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβαλῶ,

(Demus) I will lift him high and cast him into the pit,

ἐκ τοῦ λάρυγγος ἐκκρεμάσας Ὑπέρβολον.

having hung Hyperbolus from his throat.

τουτὶ μὲν ὀρθῶς καὶ φρονίμως ἤδη λέγεις·

(Agoracritus) Now you speak indeed correctly and wisely;

1365

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα, φέρʼ ἴδω, πῶς πολιτεύσει φράσον.

but tell me, let me see, how will you govern in other matters?

πρῶτον μὲν ὁπόσοι ναῦς ἐλαύνουσιν μακράς,

(Demus) First, to as many as row the long ships,

καταγομένοις τὸν μισθὸν ἀποδώσω ʼντελῆ.

I will pay their wage in full when they come to port.

πολλοῖς γʼ ὑπολίσφοις πυγιδίοισιν⁴ ἐχαρίσω.

(Agoracritus) You have indeed gratified many worn-out little backsides.

ἔπειθʼ ὁπλίτης ἐντεθεὶς ἐν καταλόγῳ

(Demus) Next, no hoplite enrolled in the muster-roll

1370

οὐδεὶς κατὰ σπουδὰς μετεγγραφήσεται,

shall be transferred through influence,

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἦν τὸ πρῶτον ἐγγεγράψεται.

but shall remain enrolled just as he was at first.

τοῦτʼ ἔδακε τὸν πόρπακα τὸν Κλεωνύμου.

(Agoracritus) This has bitten the shield-strap of Cleonymus.

οὐδʼ ἀγοράσει γʼ ἀγένειος οὐδεὶς ἐν ἀγορᾷ.

(Demus) Nor shall any beardless youth trade in the marketplace.

ποῦ δῆτα Κλεισθένης ἀγοράσει καὶ Στράτων;

(Agoracritus) Where then will Cleisthenes and Straton trade?

1375

τὰ μειράκια ταυτὶ λέγω τἀν τῷ μύρῳ,

(Demus) I mean these striplings in the perfume shops,

ἃ στωμυλεῖται τοιαδὶ καθήμενα·

who sit there and chatter in this fashion:

σοφός γʼ ὁ Φαίαξ δεξιῶς τʼ οὐκ ἀπέθανεν.

”Clever indeed is Phaeax, and dexterously did he escape death.

συνερτικὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ περαντικός,

For he is synthesis-minded and conclusion-forcing,

καὶ γνωμοτυπικὸς καὶ σαφὴς καὶ κρουστικός,

and opinion-striking and clear and knock-down,

1380

καταληπτικός τʼ ἄριστα τοῦ θορυβητικοῦ.

and best at seizing upon the clamorous.”

οὔκουν καταδακτυλικὸς σὺ τοῦ λαλητικοῦ;

(Agoracritus) Are you not then finger-snapping at the talkative?

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἀναγκάσω κυνηγετεῖν ἐγὼ

(Demus) No, by Zeus, but I will force them all

τούτους ἅπαντας, παυσαμένους ψηφισμάτων.

to go hunting, having ceased from making decrees.

ἔχε νυν ἐπὶ τούτοις τουτονὶ τὸν ὀκλαδίαν,

(Agoracritus) Take then upon these terms this folding-stool here,

1385

καὶ παῖδʼ ἐνόρχην, ὅσπερ οἴσει τόνδε σοι·

and a well-hung boy, who shall carry this for you;

κἄν που δοκῇ σοι, τοῦτον ὀκλαδίαν ποίει.

and if you see fit, make this boy your folding-stool.

μακάριος ἐς τἀρχαῖα δὴ καθίσταμαι.

(Demus) Blessed indeed am I restored to the ancient state.

φήσεις γʼ, ἐπειδὰν τὰς τριακοντούτιδας

(Agoracritus) You will indeed say so, when I hand over the thirty-year

σπονδὰς παραδῶ σοι. δεῦρʼ ἴθʼ αἱ Σπονδαὶ ταχύ.

peace-treaties to you. Come hither quickly, o Treaties.

1390

ὦ Ζεῦ πολυτίμηθʼ ὡς καλαί· πρὸς τῶν θεῶν,

(Demus) O highly honored Zeus, how beautiful they are! By the gods,

ἔξεστιν αὐτῶν κατατριακοντουτίσαι;⁵

is it permitted to enjoy thirty-year relations with them?

πῶς ἔλαβες αὐτὰς ἐτέον;

How on earth did you get them?

οὐ γὰρ ὁ Παφλαγὼν

(Agoracritus) For did not the Paphlagonian

ἀπέκρυπτε ταύτας ἔνδον, ἵνα σὺ μὴ λάβῃς;

hide them inside, so that you might not get them?

νῦν οὖν ἐγώ σοι παραδίδωμʼ ἐς τοὺς ἀγροὺς

Now therefore I deliver them to you to go

1395

αὐτὰς ἰέναι λαβόντα.

to the fields, taking them along.

τὸν δὲ Παφλαγόνα,

(Demus) But as for the Paphlagonian

ὃς ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν, εἴφʼ ὅ τι ποιήσεις κακόν.

who did these things, tell me what evil you will do to him.

οὐδὲν μέγʼ ἀλλʼ ἢ τὴν ἐμὴν ἕξει τέχνην·

(Agoracritus) Nothing great, except that he shall have my trade:

ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαις ἀλλαντοπωλήσει μόνος,

he shall sell sausages alone at the gates,

τὰ κύνεια μιγνὺς τοῖς ὀνείοις πράγμασιν,

mixing dog-meat with donkey-meat,

1400

μεθύων τε ταῖς πόρναισι λοιδορήσεται,

and drunk, he shall abuse the prostitutes,

κἀκ τῶν βαλανείων πίεται τὸ λούτριον.

and drink the dirty bath-water from the public baths.

εὖ γʼ ἐπενόησας οὗπέρ ἐστιν ἄξιος,

(Demus) You have planned indeed well; he is worthy

πόρναισι καὶ βαλανεῦσι διακεκραγέναι,

to scream and fight with prostitutes and bath-attendants.

καί σʼ ἀντὶ τούτων ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον καλῶ

And in return for this I invite you to the Prytaneum,

1405

ἐς τὴν ἕδραν θʼ, ἵνʼ ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ φαρμακός.⁶

to the seat where that scapegoat used to sit.

ἕπου δὲ ταυτηνὶ λαβὼν τὴν βατραχίδα·

Follow me, having taken this frog-colored cloak;

κἀκεῖνον ἐκφερέτω τις ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν τέχνην,

and let someone carry him out to his trade,

ἵνʼ ἴδωσιν αὐτὸν οἷς ἐλωβᾶθʼ οἱ ξένοι.

so that the foreigners whom he used to outrage may see him.

Syntax notes6 items

1332χοιρινῶν
The genitive χοιρινῶν is governed by the participle of smelling ὄζων. It plays on a double meaning between χοῖρος (pig/piglet) and χοιρίνη (the small sea-shell used for voting in Athenian courts), symbolizing Demus's recovery from his courtroom obsession.
1338νομίζοις ἂν
The present optative νομίζοις with ἄν expresses a potential conclusion or a counterfactual result in the present ("you would regard"). The conditional clause is omitted but is logically supplied from the context of the preceding line ("you do not know what you were like before").
1353παραδράμων ἂν ᾤχετο
The imperfect ᾤχετο (from οἴχομαι, 'to go off') combined with the aorist participle παраδράμων ('having run past') and the iterative/habitual particle ἄν expresses a past habitual or repeated action ("he would run past... and be gone").
1368ὑπολίσφοις πυγιδίοισιν
Dative plural of interest/advantage serving as the object of the verb ἐχαρίσω ('you have gratified'). It is a highly comic, caricatured reference to the naval rowers whose backsides were worn smooth on the rowing benches.
1391κατατριακοντουτίσαι
An aorist active infinitive acting as the subject of the impersonal verb ἔξεστιν ('is it possible?'). It is a comic coinage by Aristophanes, meaning 'to make/enjoy a thirty-year love affair/treaty,' punning on the word σπονδαί (treaties / treaty-girls).
1405ἵνʼ ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ φαρμακός
The relative adverb ἵνα does not introduce a purpose clause ('in order that') but acts here in a local sense ('where'), introducing a relative clause modifying the antecedent τὴν ἕδραν ('the seat'). The imperfect ἦν denotes past continuous state.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1332-1409