The Sausage-Seller Exposes Cleon's Exploitation — Aristophanes, Knights, lines 785–848, Greek & English

785

κᾆτα καθίζου μαλακῶς, ἵνα μὴ τρίβῃς τὴν ἐν Σαλαμῖνι.¹

Sausage-Seller: And then sit down softly, so that you do not rub the thing at Salamis.

ἄνθρωπε τίς εἶ; μῶν ἔκγονος εἶ τῶν Ἁρμοδίου τις ἐκείνων;

Demus: Man, who are you? Are you perchance some descendant of those famous of Harmodius?

τοῦτό γέ τοί σου τοὔργον ἀληθῶς γενναῖον καὶ φιλόδημον.

This deed of yours is indeed truly noble and friendly to the people.

ὡς ἀπὸ μικρῶν εὔνους αὐτῷ θωπευματίων γεγένησαι.

Cleon: How you have become well-disposed to him from such small flatteries!

καὶ σὺ γὰρ αὐτὸν πολὺ μικροτέροις τούτων δελεάσμασιν εἷλες.

Sausage-Seller: For you too caught him with baits much smaller than these.

790

καὶ μὴν εἴ πού τις ἀνὴρ ἐφάνη τῷ δήμῳ μᾶλλον ἀμύνων

Cleon: And indeed, if anywhere any man has appeared more defensive of the Demus

ἢ μᾶλλον ἐμοῦ σε φιλῶν, ἐθέλω περὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς περιδόσθαι.

or loving you more than I, I am willing to wager my head.

καὶ πῶς σὺ φιλεῖς, ὃς τοῦτον ὁρῶν οἰκοῦντʼ ἐν ταῖς φιδάκναισι

Sausage-Seller: And how do you love him, who seeing him living in casks

καὶ γυπαρίοις καὶ πυργιδίοις ἔτος ὄγδοον οὐκ ἐλεαίρεις,

and little nests and turrets for eight years now, do not pity him,

ἀλλὰ καθείρξας αὐτὸν βλίττεις; Ἀρχεπτολέμου δὲ φέροντος

but having shut him up, you squeeze his honey? And when Archeptolemus was bringing

795

τὴν εἰρήνην ἐξεσκέδασας, τὰς πρεσβείας τʼ ἀπελαύνεις

peace, you scattered it, and you drove away the embassies

ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ῥαθαπυγίζων, αἳ τὰς σπονδὰς προκαλοῦνται.

from the city with a kick in the rump, which were proposing treaties,

ἵνα γʼ Ἑλλήνων ἄρξῃ πάντων. ἔστι γὰρ ἐν τοῖς λογίοισιν

so that you indeed might rule over all the Greeks. For it is in the oracles

ὡς τοῦτον δεῖ ποτʼ ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ πεντώβολον ἡλιάσασθαι,

that he must one day in Arcadia receive five obols as a juryman,

ἢν ἀναμείνῃ· πάντως δʼ αὐτὸν θρέψω γʼὼ καὶ θεραπεύσω,

if he waits. In any case, I will nourish him and tend him,

800

ἐξευρίσκων εὖ καὶ μιαρῶς ὁπόθεν τὸ τριώβολον ἕξει.

finding out, well or foully, whence he shall have his three obols.

οὐχ ἵνα γʼ ἄρξῃ μὰ Δίʼ Ἀρκαδίας προνοούμενος, ἀλλʼ ἵνα μᾶλλον

Sausage-Seller: Not by Zeus because you are caring that he should rule Arcadia, but rather

σὺ μὲν ἁρπάζῃς καὶ δωροδοκῇς παρὰ τῶν πόλεων, ὁ δὲ δῆμος

so that you indeed may snatch and take bribes from the cities, while the Demus,

ὑπὸ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῆς ὁμίχλης ἃ πανουργεῖς μὴ καθορᾷ σου,

because of the war and the mist, does not perceive what villainies you do,

ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης ἅμα καὶ χρείας καὶ μισθοῦ πρός σε κεχήνῃ.

but by necessity and at the same time need and pay, gapes toward you.

805

ἢν δέ ποτʼ εἰς ἀγρὸν οὗτος ἀπελθὼν εἰρηναῖος διατρίψῃ,

But if ever he goes away to the country and spends his time in peace,

καὶ χῖδρα φαγὼν ἀναθαρρήσῃ καὶ στεμφύλῳ ἐς λόγον ἔλθῃ,

and having eaten parched grains recovers his courage, and comes to talk with olive-cake,

γνώσεται οἵων ἀγαθῶν αὐτὸν τῇ μισθοφορᾷ παρεκόπτου·

he will know of what good things you were robbing him by your payment;

εἶθʼ ἥξει σοι δριμὺς ἄγροικος κατὰ σοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἰχνεύων.

then he will come to you, a sharp countryman, tracking down his vote against you.

ἃ σὺ γιγνώσκων τόνδʼ ἐξαπατᾷς καὶ ὀνειροπολεῖς περὶ σαυτοῦ.

Knowing which things, you deceive him and dream dreams about yourself.

810

οὔκουν δεινὸν ταυτί σε λέγειν δῆτʼ ἔστʼ ἐμὲ καὶ διαβάλλειν

Cleon: Is it not indeed terrible for you to say these things of me and slander me

πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ τὸν δῆμον, πεποιηκότα πλείονα χρηστὰ

to the Athenians and the Demus, who have done more good things,

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα Θεμιστοκλέους πολλῷ περὶ τὴν πόλιν ἤδη;

by Demeter, for the city already by far than Themistocles?

ὦ πόλις Ἄργους² κλύεθʼ οἷα λέγει. σὺ Θεμιστοκλεῖ ἀντιφερίζεις;

Sausage-Seller: O city of Argos, hear what he says! Do you compare yourself with Themistocles?

ὃς ἐποίησεν τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν μεστὴν εὑρὼν ἐπιχειλῆ,

Who made our city full, having found it lip-full,

815

καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀριστώσῃ τὸν Πειραιᾶ προσέμαξεν,³

and in addition to this, kneaded the Peiraeus to it while it was dining,

ἀφελών τʼ οὐδὲν τῶν ἀρχαίων ἰχθῦς καινοὺς παρέθηκεν·

and taking away nothing of the old, served up new fish;

σὺ δʼ Ἀθηναίους ἐζήτησας μικροπολίτας ἀποφῆναι

but you sought to make the Athenians small citizens,

διατειχίζων καὶ χρησμῳδῶν, ὁ Θεμιστοκλεῖ ἀντιφερίζων.

building partition walls and chanting oracles, you who compare yourself with Themistocles!

κἀκεῖνος μὲν φεύγει τὴν γῆν σὺ δʼ Ἀχιλλείων ἀπομάττει.

And he indeed flees the land, while you wipe your hands with Achillean loaves.

820

οὔκουν ταυτὶ δεινὸν ἀκούειν ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐστίν μʼ ὑπὸ τούτου,

Cleon: Is it not indeed terrible to hear these things, O Demus, from this man,

ὁτιή σε φιλῶ;

because I love you?

παὖ ὦ οὗτος, καὶ μὴ σκέρβολλε πονηρά.

Demus: Stop, you there, and do not utter wicked insults.

πολλοῦ δὲ πολύν με χρόνον καὶ νῦν ἐλελήθης ἐγκρυφιάζων.⁴

And for a long time indeed, you had escaped my notice, secretly snatching from me even now.

μιαρώτατος, ὦ Δημακίδιον, καὶ πλεῖστα πανοῦργα δεδρακώς,

Sausage-Seller: Most filthy, O dear little Demus, and having done the most villainous deeds,

ὁπόταν χασμᾷ, καὶ τοὺς καυλοὺς

whenever you gape, he even the stalks

825

τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἐκκαυλίζων

of the accounts, stripping them,

καταβροχθίζει, κἀμφοῖν χειροῖν

swallows down, and with both hands

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

sups up the public money.

οὐ χαιρήσεις, ἀλλά σε κλέπτονθʼ

Cleon: You shall not rejoice, but stealing

αἱρήσω γʼὼ τρεῖς μυριάδας.

I will catch you in thirty thousand drachmas.

830

τί θαλαττοκοπεῖς καὶ πλατυγίζεις,

Sausage-Seller: Why do you beat the sea and splash about,

μιαρώτατος ὢν περὶ τὸν δῆμον

being most filthy toward the Demus

τὸν Ἀθηναίων; καί σʼ ἐπιδείξω

of the Athenians? And I will show you,

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἢ μὴ ζῴην,

by Demeter, or may I not live,

δωροδοκήσαντʼ ἐκ Μυτιλήνης

having taken bribes from Mytilene

835

πλεῖν ἢ μνᾶς τετταράκοντα.

of more than forty minae.

ὦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις φανεὶς μέγιστον ὠφέλημα,

Chorus: O you who have appeared as the greatest help to all men,

ζηλῶ σε τῆς εὐγλωττίας. εἰ γὰρ ὧδʼ ἐποίσεις,

I envy you of your eloquence. For if you will press on thus,

μέγιστος Ἑλλήνων ἔσει, καὶ μόνος καθέξεις

you will be the greatest of Greeks, and alone you will hold

τἀν τῇ πόλει τῶν ξυμμάχων τʼ ἄρξεις ἔχων τρίαιναν,

the things in the city, and rule over the allies, having the trident,

840

ᾗ πολλὰ χρήματʼ ἐργάσει σείων τε καὶ ταράττων.

with which you will make much money, shaking and disturbing.

καὶ μὴ μεθῇς τὸν ἄνδρʼ, ἐπειδή σοι λαβὴν⁵ δέδωκεν·

And do not let go of the man, since he has given you a hold;

κατεργάσει γὰρ ῥᾳδίως πλευρὰς ἔχων τοιαύτας.

for you will easily master him, having such ribs.

οὐκ ὦγαθοὶ ταῦτʼ ἐστί πω ταύτῃ μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ.

Cleon: No, my good sirs, this is not yet in this way, by Poseidon!

ἐμοὶ γάρ ἐστʼ εἰργασμένον τοιοῦτον ἔργον ὥστε

For I have accomplished such a deed that

845

ἁπαξάπαντας τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐπιστομίζειν,

will muzzle all my enemies at once,

ἕως ἂν ᾖ τῶν ἀσπίδων τῶν ἐκ Πύλου τι λοιπόν.

as long as there is any of the shields from Pylos left.

ἐπίσχες ἐν ταῖς ἀσπίσιν· λαβὴν γὰρ ἐνδέδωκας.

Sausage-Seller: Hold on at the shields; for you have given a hold.

οὐ γάρ σʼ ἐχρῆν, εἴπερ φιλεῖς τὸν δῆμον, ἐκ προνοίας

For you ought not, if indeed you love the Demus, intentionally...

Syntax notes5 items

785τὴν ἐν Σαλαμῖνι
An ellipsis of the feminine noun τὴν πυγήν (the rump/buttocks). It humorously refers to the chafed buttocks of the oarsmen who fought at the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), reminding Demus of his naval glory and physical hardships.
813ὦ πόλις Ἄργους
A parody of a well-known line from Euripides' tragedy (such as Telephus). The Sausage-Seller uses this tragic exclamation to appeal to the audience in mock horror at Cleon's arrogant comparison of himself to Themistocles.
815ἀριστώσῃ τὸν Πειραιᾶ προσέμαξεν
A culinary metaphor. It describes Themistocles as having 'kneaded and attached' (προσέμαξεν) the Peiraeus to the city of Athens while it was 'dining' (ἀριστώσῃ). The verb προσμάττω (to knead onto) likens the geopolitical expansion to daily bread-making.
822ἐγκρυφιάζων
A participle derived from ἐγκρυφίας (a loaf of bread baked secretly under the ashes). Here it is used metaphorically to mean 'stealing or embezzling secretly' from Demus, as if hiding bread under the ashes.
841λαβήν
A triple meaning: a 'hold' in wrestling, a political 'vantage point' or 'weakness' exposed by an opponent, and the physical 'handle' (strap) of the shields Cleon mentions in the subsequent lines.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:785-848