Strepsiades Burning Down the Thinking-Shop — Aristophanes, Clouds, lines 1432–1511, Greek & English

1432

οὐ ταὐτὸν ὦ τᾶν ἐστίν, οὐδʼ ἂν Σωκράτει δοκοίη.

It is not the same, my good sir, nor would it seem so even to Socrates.

πρὸς ταῦτα μὴ τύπτʼ· εἰ δὲ μή, σαυτόν ποτʼ αἰτιάσει.

Therefore do not beat me; otherwise, you will one day blame yourself.

καὶ πῶς;

And how so?

ἐπεὶ σὲ μὲν δίκαιός εἰμʼ ἐγὼ κολάζειν,¹

Since it is just for me to chastise you,

1435

σὺ δʼ, ἢν γένηταί σοι, τὸν υἱόν.

and for you to chastise your son, if one is born to you.

ἢν δὲ μὴ γένηται,

But if none is born,

μάτην ἐμοὶ κεκλαύσεται,² σὺ δʼ ἐγχανὼν τεθνήξεις.

I shall have wept in vain, and you will die laughing at me.

ἐμοὶ μὲν ὦνδρες ἥλικες δοκεῖ λέγειν δίκαια·

To me, men of my age, he seems to speak justly;

κἄμοιγε συγχωρεῖν δοκεῖ τούτοισι τἀπιεικῆ.

and to me it seems right to concede what is reasonable to them.

κλάειν γὰρ ἡμᾶς εἰκός ἐστʼ, ἢν μὴ δίκαια δρῶμεν.

For it is reasonable that we should weep, if we do not act justly.

1440

σκέψαι δὲ χἀτέραν ἔτι γνώμην.

But consider still another thought.

ἀπὸ γὰρ

For...

καὶ μὴν ἴσως γʼ οὐκ ἀχθέσει παθὼν ἃ νῦν πέπονθας.

Indeed, perhaps you will not be vexed at having suffered what you have just suffered.

πῶς δή; δίδαξον γὰρ τί μʼ ἐκ τούτων ἐπωφελήσεις.

How so? Tell me, for what benefit will you bring me from this?

τὴν μητέρʼ ὥσπερ καὶ σὲ τυπτήσω.

I will beat mother just as I beat you.

τί φῄς, τί φῂς σύ;

What are you saying? What are you saying?

τοῦθʼ ἕτερον αὖ μεῖζον κακόν.

This is another, even greater evil!

τί δʼ ἢν ἔχων τὸν ἥττω

And what if I, having the weaker

1445

λόγον σε νικήσω λέγων

argument, defeat you by arguing

τὴν μητέρʼ ὡς τύπτειν χρεών;

that one ought to beat one’s mother?

τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢν ταυτὶ ποιῇς,

What else, indeed, if you do this,

οὐδέν σε κωλύσει σεαυτὸν

but nothing will prevent you

ἐμβαλεῖν ἐς τὸ βάραθρον

from throwing yourself into the pit

1450

μετὰ Σωκράτους

along with Socrates

καὶ τὸν λόγον τὸν ἥττω.

and the weaker argument!

ταυτὶ διʼ ὑμᾶς ὦ Νεφέλαι πέπονθʼ ἐγώ,

These things I have suffered because of you, O Clouds,

ὑμῖν ἀναθεὶς ἅπαντα τἀμὰ πράγματα.

having entrusted all my affairs to you.

αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν σαυτῷ σὺ τούτων αἴτιος,

Nay, you yourself are the cause of these things to yourself,

1455

στρέψας σεαυτὸν ἐς πονηρὰ πράγματα.

having turned yourself to evil courses.

τί δῆτα ταῦτʼ οὔ μοι τότʼ ἠγορεύετε,

Why then did you not tell me these things at that time,

ἀλλʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄγροικον καὶ γέροντʼ ἐπῄρετε;

but instead egged on a rustic and old man?

ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν ταῦθʼ ἑκάστοθʼ ὅταν τινὰ

We do these things every time, whenever we recognize

γνῶμεν πονηρῶν ὄντʼ ἐραστὴν πραγμάτων,

someone to be a lover of evil deeds,

1460

ἕως ἂν αὐτὸν ἐμβάλωμεν ἐς κακόν,

until we cast him into misfortune,

ὅπως ἂν εἰδῇ τοὺς θεοὺς δεδοικέναι.

so that he may learn to fear the gods.

ὤμοι πονηρά γʼ ὦ Νεφέλαι, δίκαια δέ.

Ah me, O Clouds! Harsh indeed, but just.

οὐ γάρ μʼ ἐχρῆν τὰ χρήμαθʼ ἁδανεισάμην

For I ought not to have defrauded them

ἀποστερεῖν. νῦν οὖν ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε

of the money which I borrowed. Now then, my dearest boy,

1465

τὸν Χαιρεφῶντα τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ Σωκράτη

see to it that you destroy the vile Chaerephon and Socrates

ἀπολεῖς μετʼ ἐμοῦ ʼλθών, οἳ σὲ κἄμʼ ἐξηπάτων.

along with me, coming with me, who deceived both you and me.

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀδικήσαιμι τοὺς διδασκάλους.

But I would not wrong my teachers.

ναὶ ναὶ καταιδέσθητι πατρῷον Δία.

Yes, yes! Have respect for paternal Zeus.

ἰδού γε Δία πατρῷον· ὡς ἀρχαῖος εἶ.

Look at that, ‘paternal Zeus’! How old-fashioned you are!

1470

Ζεὺς γάρ τις ἔστιν;

For is there any Zeus?

ἔστιν.

There is.

οὐκ ἔστʼ, οὔκ, ἐπεὶ

No, there is not, no, since

Δῖνος βασιλεύει τὸν Δίʼ ἐξεληλακώς.

Vortex (Dinos) rules, having driven out Zeus.

οὐκ ἐξελήλακʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τοῦτʼ ᾠόμην

He has not driven him out, but I thought so,

διὰ τουτονὶ τὸν δῖνον. οἴμοι δείλαιος

because of this cup (dinos) here. Ah, wretched me,

ὅτε καὶ σὲ χυτρεοῦν ὄντα θεὸν ἡγησάμην.

when I even thought you, being made of clay, were a god!

1475

ἐνταῦθα σαυτῷ παραφρόνει καὶ φληνάφα.

Rave and talk nonsense there by yourself.

οἴμοι παρανοίας· ὡς ἐμαινόμην ἄρα,

Ah, my madness! How crazy I was indeed,

ὅτʼ ἐξέβαλλον τοὺς θεοὺς διὰ Σωκράτη.

when I cast out the gods because of Socrates!

ἀλλʼ ὦ φίλʼ Ἑρμῆ μηδαμῶς θύμαινέ μοι

But, dear Hermes, do not be angry with me at all,

μηδέ μʼ ἐπιτρίψῃς, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε

nor crush me, but have forgiveness

1480

ἐμοῦ παρανοήσαντος ἀδολεσχίᾳ·

for having lost my mind through idle chatter.

καί μοι γενοῦ ξύμβουλος, εἴτʼ αὐτοὺς γραφὴν

And be my counselor, whether I should prosecute them

διωκάθω³ γραψάμενος εἴθʼ ὅ τι σοι δοκεῖ.

by writing an indictment, or whatever seems best to you.

ὀρθῶς παραινεῖς οὐκ ἐῶν δικορραφεῖν,

You advise rightly, not permitting me to stitch up lawsuits,

ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ ἐμπιμπράναι τὴν οἰκίαν

but to burn down as quickly as possible the house

1485

τῶν ἀδολεσχῶν. δεῦρο δεῦρʼ ὦ Ξανθία,

of the babblers. Come here, come here, Xanthias!

κλίμακα λαβὼν ἔξελθε καὶ σμινύην φέρων,

Come out taking a ladder and bringing a hoe,

κἄπειτʼ ἐπαναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸ φροντιστήριον

and then, having climbed up onto the thinking-shop,

τὸ τέγος κατάσκαπτʼ, εἰ φιλεῖς τὸν δεσπότην,

dig down the roof, if you love your master,

ἕως ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐμβάλῃς τὴν οἰκίαν·

until you throw down the house upon them.

1490

ἐμοὶ δὲ δᾷδʼ ἐνεγκάτω τις ἡμμένην,

And let someone bring me a lighted torch,

κἀγώ τινʼ αὐτῶν τήμερον δοῦναι δίκην

and I will make some of them pay the penalty today,

ἐμοὶ ποιήσω, κεἰ σφόδρʼ εἴσʼ ἀλαζόνες.

even if they are exceedingly braggarts.

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Oh! Oh!

σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.

It is your task, O torch, to send forth a great flame.

1495

ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς;

Man, what are you doing?

ὅ τι ποιῶ; τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ

What am I doing? What else indeed but

διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

I am holding a subtle dispute with the beams of the house!

οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;

Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?

ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.

The one whose cloak you took.

ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.

You will destroy us, you will destroy us!

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι,

For that is the very thing I want,

1500

ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας,

unless my hoe betrays my hopes,

ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.

or I somehow break my neck by falling first.

οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;

You there, what are you really doing on the roof?

ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.

I am walking on air and contemplating the sun.

οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.

Ah, miserable me! I shall be choked to death!

1505

ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι.

And I, wretched one, shall be burned to ashes!

τί γὰρ μαθόντες⁴ τοὺς θεοὺς ὑβρίζετε,

For what possessed you to insult the gods,

καὶ τῆς σελήνης ἐσκοπεῖσθε τὴν ἕδραν;

and investigate the seat of the moon?

δίωκε βάλλε παῖε, πολλῶν οὕνεκα,

Pursue, strike, beat, for many reasons,

μάλιστα δʼ εἰδὼς τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς ἠδίκουν.

but most of all, knowing how they wronged the gods.

1510

ἡγεῖσθʼ ἔξω· κεχόρευται γὰρ

Lead the way out; for our dancing

μετρίως τό γε τήμερον ἡμῖν.

has been performed in moderation for today.

Syntax notes4 items

1434bδίκαιός εἰμʼ ἐγὼ κολάζειν
The personal construction of δίκαιος with the infinitive: literally, 'I am just to chastise,' meaning 'it is just for me to chastise.' It is equivalent to the impersonal δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐμὲ κολάζειν, but emphasizes the subject.
1436ἐμοὶ κεκλαύσεται
The future perfect passive (impersonal third-person singular) of κλαίω ('to weep') with the dative of agent ἐμοί. Literally, 'it will have been wept by me,' meaning 'I shall have wept in vain' (expressing a definitive future disadvantage).
1482διωκάθω
First-person singular present subjunctive of διωκάθω (an intensive form of διώκω, 'to pursue, prosecute'). Used within the indirect question introduced by εἴτε... εἴτε..., it functions as a deliberative subjunctive reflecting the speaker's self-consultation.
1506τί γὰρ μαθόντες
The plural form of the idiomatic expression τί μαθών; (literally 'having learned what?', meaning 'what possessed you to...?' or 'with what intent did you...?'), used to express strong indignation and rebuke against someone's foolish or impious behavior.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:1432-1511