- 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.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:1045-1117
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The contest between the Stronger and Weaker Arguments reaches its climax as they debate warm baths, public speaking, and the value of temperance. The Weaker Argument wins a decisive victory by pointing out that politicians, actors, and the audience are overwhelmingly passive homosexuals, causing the Stronger Argument to surrender. Strepsiades then consigns his son to the Weaker Argument's tutelage, and the Chorus begins its address to the judges, warning the father of future regrets.
καίτοι τίνα γνώμην ἔχων ψέγεις τὰ θερμὰ λουτρά;
Weaker Argument: And yet, with what idea do you censure warm baths?
ὁτιὴ κάκιστόν ἐστι καὶ δειλὸν ποιεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα.
Stronger Argument: Because it is very bad and makes a man cowardly.
ἐπίσχες· εὐθὺς γάρ σʼ ἔχω μέσον λαβὼν ἄφυκτον.1
Weaker Argument: Hold on; for I have immediately caught you in an inescapable grip.
καί μοι φράσον, τῶν τοῦ Διὸς παίδων τίνʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄριστον
And tell me, of the sons of Zeus, whom do you think to be the best man in soul,
ψυχὴν νομίζεις, εἰπέ, καὶ πλείστους πόνους πονῆσαι.
tell me, and to have endured the most labors?
ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδένʼ Ἡρακλέους βελτίονʼ ἄνδρα κρίνω.
Stronger Argument: I judge no man to be better than Heracles.
ποῦ ψυχρὰ δῆτα πώποτʼ εἶδες Ἡράκλεια λουτρά;
Weaker Argument: Where indeed did you ever see cold baths of Heracles?
καίτοι τίς ἀνδρειότερος ἦν;
And yet who was more courageous?
ταῦτʼ ἐστὶ ταῦτʼ ἐκεῖνα,
Stronger Argument: This is indeed that very thing,
ἃ τῶν νεανίσκων ἀεὶ διʼ ἡμέρας λαλούντων
which, while the young men chatter all day long,
πλῆρες τὸ βαλανεῖον ποιεῖ, κενὰς δὲ τὰς παλαίστρας.
makes the bath-house full, but the wrestling-schools empty.
εἶτʼ ἐν ἀγορᾷ τὴν διατριβὴν ψέγεις· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπαινῶ.
Weaker Argument: Then you censure spending time in the marketplace; but I praise it.
εἰ γὰρ πονηρὸν ἦν, Ὅμηρος οὐδέποτʼ ἂν ἐποίει
For if it were bad, Homer would never have made
τὸν Νέστορʼ ἀγορητὴν ἂν οὐδὲ τοὺς σοφοὺς ἅπαντας.
Nestor, nor all the wise men, speakers in the assembly.
ἄνειμι δῆτʼ ἐντεῦθεν ἐς τὴν γλῶτταν, ἣν ὁδὶ μὲν
I will go up then from here to the tongue, which this man indeed
οὔ φησι χρῆναι τοὺς νέους ἀσκεῖν, ἐγὼ δέ φημι.
says the youth must not practice, but I say they must.
καὶ σωφρονεῖν αὖ φησι χρῆναι· δύο κακὼ μεγίστω.
And again he says they must be temperate; two of the greatest evils.
ἐπεὶ σὺ διὰ τὸ σωφρονεῖν τῷ πώποτʼ εἶδες ἤδη
For since, on account of being temperate, whom have you ever seen
ἀγαθάν τι γενόμενον, φράσον, καί μʼ ἐξέλεγξον εἰπών.
any good come to, tell me, and refute me by speaking.
πολλοῖς. ὁ γοῦν Πηλεὺς ἔλαβε διὰ τοῦτο τὴν μάχαιραν.
Stronger Argument: To many. Peleus, at any rate, received his sword because of this.
μάχαιραν; ἀστεῖόν γε κέρδος ἔλαβεν ὁ κακοδαίμων.
Weaker Argument: A sword? What an elegant profit the miserable wretch received!
Ὑπέρβολος δʼ οὑκ τῶν λύχνων πλεῖν ἢ τάλαντα πολλὰ
But Hyperbolus, the lamp-maker, received more than
εἴληφε διὰ πονηρίαν, ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰ Δίʼ οὐ μάχαιραν.
many talents through wickedness, but by Zeus, not a sword.
καὶ τὴν Θέτιν γʼ ἔγημε διὰ τὸ σωφρονεῖν ὁ Πηλεύς.
Stronger Argument: And indeed Peleus married Thetis because of being temperate.
κᾆτʼ ἀπολιποῦσά γʼ αὐτὸν ᾤχετʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὑβριστὴς
Weaker Argument: And then she left him and went away; for he was not passionate,
οὐδʼ ἡδὺς ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν τὴν νύκτα παννυχίζειν·
nor pleasant to spend the whole night with in the blankets;
γυνὴ δὲ σιναμωρουμένη χαίρει· σὺ δʼ εἶ Κρόνιππος.
and a woman delights in being treated wantonly; but you are a superannuated dotard.
σκέψαι γὰρ ὦ μειράκιον ἐν τῷ σωφρονεῖν ἅπαντα
For consider, O youth, all that is involved in being temperate,
ἅνεστιν, ἡδονῶν θʼ ὅσων μέλλεις ἀποστερεῖσθαι,
and of how many pleasures you are about to be deprived:
παίδων γυναικῶν κοττάβων ὄψων πότων κιχλισμῶν.
of boys, women, cottabus, fine foods, drinks, giggling.
καίτοι τί σοι ζῆν ἄξιον, τούτων ἐὰν στερηθῇς;
And yet what is life worth to you, if you are deprived of these?
εἶεν. πάρειμʼ ἐντεῦθεν ἐς τὰς τῆς φύσεως ἀνάγκας.
Very well. I will pass next from here to the necessities of nature.
ἥμαρτες, ἠράσθης, ἐμοίχευσάς τι, κᾆτʼ ἐλήφθης·
You committed an error, you fell in love, you committed some adultery, and then you were caught.
ἀπόλωλας· ἀδύνατος γὰρ εἶ λέγειν. ἐμοὶ δʼ ὁμιλῶν
You are ruined; for you are unable to speak. But by associating with me,
χρῶ τῇ φύσει, σκίρτα, γέλα, νόμιζε μηδὲν αἰσχρόν.
follow your nature, leap, laugh, consider nothing shameful.
μοιχὸς γὰρ ἢν τύχῃς ἁλούς, τάδʼ ἀντερεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν,
For if you happen to be caught as an adulterer, you will reply to him thus,
ὡς οὐδὲν ἠδίκηκας· εἶτʼ ἐς τὸν Δίʼ ἐπανενεγκεῖν,2
that you have done no wrong; and then refer it to Zeus,
κἀκεῖνος ὡς ἥττων ἔρωτός ἐστι καὶ γυναικῶν·
how even he is inferior to love and women.
καίτοι σὺ θνητὸς ὢν θεοῦ πῶς μεῖζον ἂν δύναιο;
And yet, how could you, being a mortal, be stronger than a god?
τί δʼ ἢν ῥαφανιδωθῇ πιθόμενός σοι τέφρᾳ τε τιλθῇ,
Stronger Argument: But what if, obeying you, he is stuffed with radishes and plucked with hot ash?
ἕξει τινὰ γνώμην λέγειν τὸ μὴ εὐρύπρωκτος εἶναι;
What argument will he have to say that he is not a pathic?
ἢν δʼ εὐρύπρωκτος ᾖ, τί πείσεται κακόν;
Weaker Argument: And if he is a pathic, what harm will he suffer?
τί μὲν οὖν ἂν ἔτι μεῖζον πάθοι τούτου ποτέ;
Stronger Argument: What greater evil indeed could he ever suffer than this?
τί δῆτʼ ἐρεῖς, ἢν τοῦτο νικηθῇς ἐμοῦ;
Weaker Argument: What then will you say, if you are defeated by me in this?
σιγήσομαι. τί δʼ ἄλλο;
Stronger Argument: I will be silent. What else?
φέρε δή μοι φράσον·
Weaker Argument: Come now, tell me:
συνηγοροῦσιν ἐκ τίνων;
from what group do the advocates come?
ἐξ εὐρυπρώκτων.
Stronger Argument: From the pathics.
πείθομαι.
Weaker Argument: I agree.
τί δαί; τραγῳδοῦσʼ ἐκ τίνων;
What then? From what group do the tragic actors come?
ἐξ εὐρυπρώκτων.
Stronger Argument: From the pathics.
εὖ λέγεις.
Weaker Argument: You speak well.
δημηγοροῦσι δʼ ἐκ τίνων;
And from what group do the public speakers come?
ἐξ εὐρυπρώκτων.
Stronger Argument: From the pathics.
ἆρα δῆτʼ
Weaker Argument: Have you then indeed
ἔγνωκας ὡς οὐδὲν λέγεις;
realized that you are speaking nonsense?
καὶ τῶν θεατῶν ὁπότεροι
And look which of the spectators
πλείους σκόπει.
are more numerous.
καὶ δὴ σκοπῶ.
Stronger Argument: Indeed, I am looking.
τί δῆθʼ ὁρᾷς;
Weaker Argument: What then do you see?
πολὺ πλείονας νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς
Stronger Argument: By the gods, much more numerous are the pathics! This one
τοὺς εὐρυπρώκτους· τουτονὶ
at any rate, I know, and that one,
γοῦν οἶδʼ ἐγὼ κἀκεινονὶ
(Included in 1099)
καὶ τὸν κομήτην τουτονί.
and this long-haired one here.
τί δῆτʼ ἐρεῖς;
Weaker Argument: What then will you say?
ἡττήμεθʼ· ὦ κινούμενοι
Stronger Argument: We are defeated! O pathics,
πρὸς τῶν θεῶν δέξασθέ μου
by the gods, receive my
θοἰμάτιον, ὡς
cloak, as
ἐξαυτομολῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
I am deserting to you.
τί δῆτα; πότερα τοῦτον ἀπάγεσθαι λαβὼν
Weaker Argument: What then? Do you wish to take this son of yours away,
βούλει τὸν υἱόν, ἢ διδάσκω σοι λέγειν;
or shall I teach him to speak?
δίδασκε καὶ κόλαζε καὶ μέμνησʼ ὅπως
Strepsiades: Teach him, and punish him, and remember to
εὖ μοι στομώσεις αὐτόν, ἐπὶ μὲν θάτερα
sharpen his tongue well for me; on one side
οἷον δικιδίοις, τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν3 αὐτοῦ γνάθον
like for petty lawsuits, but his other jaw
στόμωσον οἵαν ἐς τὰ μείζω πράγματα.
sharpen for larger matters.
ἀμέλει κομιεῖ τοῦτον σοφιστὴν δεξιόν.
Weaker Argument: Don’t worry, you will receive him as a clever sophist.
ὠχρὸν μὲν οὖν οἶμαί γε καὶ κακοδαίμονα.
Strepsiades: Pale indeed then, I suppose, and miserable.
χωρεῖτέ νυν. οἶμαι δέ σοι ταῦτα μεταμελήσειν.
Chorus: Go now. But I think you will repent of these things.
τοὺς κριτὰς ἃ κερδανοῦσιν, ἤν τι τόνδε τὸν χορὸν
What benefits the judges will gain, if they assist this chorus
ὠφελῶσʼ ἐκ τῶν δικαίων, βουλόμεσθʼ ἡμεῖς φράσαι.
in accordance with justice, we wish to state.
πρῶτα μὲν γάρ, ἢν νεᾶν βούλησθʼ ἐν ὥρᾳ τοὺς ἀγρούς,
For first, if you wish to plow your fields in due season,
- 1047σʼ ἔχω μέσον λαβὼν ἄφυκτον
The combination of the verb ἔχω with the aorist active participle λαβών (from λαμβάνω) forms a periphrastic perfect, indicating the continuation of a completed grasp. The phrase μέσον λαβών ('having caught around the middle') is a metaphor from wrestling, denoting a decisive, inescapable hold on an opponent.
- 1080ἐπανενεγκεῖν
The infinitive ἐπανενεγκεῖν (aorist active infinitive of ἐπαναφέρω) functions semantically as an infinitive of command or exhortation, operating in tandem with the imperatives in line 1078 (χρῶ, σκίρτα, γέλα) or the future indicative ἀντερεῖς in line 1079, prescribing the course of action to be taken when caught in adultery.
- 1108ἐπὶ μὲν θάτερα ... τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν
Using the contrastive μὲν ... δὲ construction as its framework, this passage contrasts how both sides of the boy's jaw (one for minor lawsuits and the other for larger state affairs) should be sharpened. The imperative verb στόμωσον ('sharpen!') from the δὲ clause is implicitly omitted and shared as the governing verb for the μὲν clause.