- 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-grc2:385-445
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Socrates explains the natural causes of thunder and lightning using bodily analogies of digestion and trapped wind to Strepsiades. The Chorus of Clouds then appears, and Strepsiades, seeking the cunning to escape his debts, completely surrenders his body as a disciple.
φέρε τουτὶ τῷ χρὴ πιστεύειν;1
”Come, why should I believe this?”
ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ ʼγώ σε διδάξω.
”I will teach you from your own experience.
ἤδη ζωμοῦ Παναθηναίοις ἐμπλησθεὶς2 εἶτʼ ἐταράχθης
Have you ever been filled with meat soup at the Panathenaia, and then had your stomach
τὴν γαστέρα,3 καὶ κλόνος ἐξαίφνης αὐτὴν διεκορκορύγησεν;
upset, and a sudden rumbling made a noise inside it?”
νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ δεινὰ ποιεῖ γʼ εὐθύς μοι, καὶ τετάρακται
”By Apollo, yes! It immediately does terrible things to me, and my stomach is upset,
χὤσπερ βροντὴ τὸ ζωμίδιον παταγεῖ καὶ δεινὰ κέκραγεν·
and the little soup rumbles just like thunder and makes a terrible din:
ἀτρέμας πρῶτον παππὰξ παππάξ, κἄπειτʼ ἐπάγει παπαπαππάξ,
first quietly ‘pappax pappax’, and then it adds ‘papapappax’,
χὤταν χέζω, κομιδῇ βροντᾷ παπαπαππὰξ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖναι.
and when I crap, it thunders outright ‘papapappax’ just like those clouds.”
σκέψαι τοίνυν ἀπὸ γαστριδίου τυννουτουὶ οἷα πέπορδας·
”Consider then, from such a tiny little belly, what kind of farts you let loose.
τὸν δʼ Ἀέρα τόνδʼ ὄντʼ ἀπέραντον πῶς οὐκ εἰκὸς μέγα βροντᾶν;
Then is it not reasonable that this Air, being boundless, should thunder mightily?”
ταῦτʼ ἄρα καὶ τὠνόματʼ ἀλλήλοιν βροντὴ καὶ πορδὴ ὁμοίω.
”So that was why the two names, thunder and fart, are so similar to each other!”
ἀλλʼ ὁ κεραυνὸς πόθεν αὖ φέρεται λάμπων πυρί, τοῦτο δίδαξον,
”But where does the lightning bolt come from, flashing with fire, tell me this,
καὶ καταφρύγει βάλλων ἡμᾶς, τοὺς δὲ ζῶντας περιφλύει;
and burns us up, or singes those who survive?
τοῦτον γὰρ δὴ φανερῶς ὁ Ζεὺς ἵησʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιόρκους.
For surely Zeus openly hurls this against the perjurers.”
καὶ πῶς ὦ μῶρε σὺ καὶ Κρονίων ὄζων καὶ βεκκεσέληνε,
”How foolish you are, smelling of Kronos and old-fashioned nonsense!
εἴπερ βάλλει τοὺς ἐπιόρκους, δῆτʼ οὐχὶ Σίμωνʼ ἐνέπρησεν
If indeed he strikes the perjurers, why then did he not burn up Simon,
οὐδὲ Κλεώνυμον οὐδὲ Θέωρον; καίτοι σφόδρα γʼ εἴσʼ ἐπίορκοι·
nor Cleonymus, nor Theorus? And yet they are very much perjurers.
ἀλλὰ τὸν αὑτοῦ γε νεὼν βάλλει καὶ Σούνιον ἄκρον Ἀθηνέων
Instead, he strikes his own temple and Sunium, the headland of Athens,
καὶ τὰς δρῦς τὰς μεγάλας· τί μαθών;4 οὐ γὰρ δὴ δρῦς γʼ ἐπιορκεῖ.
and the great oaks. Why? For surely an oak does not commit perjury.”
οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἀτὰρ εὖ σὺ λέγειν φαίνει. τί γάρ ἐστιν δῆθʼ ὁ κεραυνός;
”I don’t know; but you seem to speak well. What on earth, then, is the lightning?”
ὅταν ἐς ταύτας ἄνεμος ξηρὸς μετεωρισθεὶς κατακλῃσθῇ,
”When a dry wind, having risen aloft, is shut up within these clouds,
ἔνδοθεν αὐτὰς ὥσπερ κύστιν φυσᾷ, κἄπειθʼ ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης
it blows them up from inside like a bladder, and then by necessity
ῥήξας αὐτὰς ἔξω φέρεται σοβαρὸς διὰ τὴν πυκνότητα,
bursting them, it rushes outward with a violent force because of its density,
ὑπὸ τοῦ ῥοίβδου καὶ τῆς ῥύμης αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν κατακάων.
burning itself up by its own whizzing sound and rush.”
νὴ Δίʼ ἐγὼ γοῦν ἀτεχνῶς ἔπαθον τουτί ποτε Διασίοισιν
”By Zeus, I at least experienced exactly this once at the Diasia,
ὀπτῶν γαστέρα τοῖς συγγενέσιν, κᾆτʼ οὐκ ἔσχων ἀμελήσας·
roasting a stomach for my relatives, and then I didn’t slice it, having neglected to.
ἡ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐφυσᾶτʼ, εἶτʼ ἐξαίφνης διαλακήσασα πρὸς αὐτὼ
It puffed up indeed, and then suddenly bursting, right into my eyes
τὠφθαλμώ μου προσετίλησεν καὶ κατέκαυσεν τὸ πρόσωπον.
it splattered dung and burned my face.”
ὦ τῆς μεγάλης ἐπιθυμήσας5 σοφίας ἄνθρωπε παρʼ ἡμῶν,
”O man who has desired great wisdom from us,
ὡς εὐδαίμων ἐν Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τοῖς Ἕλλησι γενήσει,
how happy you will become among the Athenians and the Greeks,
εἰ μνήμων εἶ καὶ φροντιστὴς καὶ τὸ ταλαίπωρον ἔνεστιν
if you are mindful and a thinker, and if endurance is
ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ μὴ κάμνεις μήθʼ ἑστὼς μήτε βαδίζων,
in your soul, and you do not tire whether standing or walking,
μήτε ῥιγῶν ἄχθει λίαν μήτʼ ἀριστᾶν ἐπιθυμεῖς,
nor suffer too much from shivering with cold, nor desire to eat breakfast,
οἴνου τʼ ἀπέχει καὶ γυμνασίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνοήτων,
and abstain from wine, gymnastics, and other foolish things,
καὶ βέλτιστον τοῦτο νομίζεις, ὅπερ εἰκὸς δεξιὸν ἄνδρα,
and consider this to be best, which is fitting for a clever man,
νικᾶν πράττων καὶ βουλεύων καὶ τῇ γλώττῃ πολεμίζων.
to conquer by acting, advising, and warring with your tongue.”
ἀλλʼ οὕνεκά γε ψυχῆς στερρᾶς δυσκολοκοίτου τε μερίμνης
”But as far as a stout soul, sleep-disturbing worry,
καὶ φειδωλοῦ καὶ τρυσιβίου γαστρὸς καὶ θυμβρεπιδείπνου,
and a stingy, life-wearing belly that dines on wild herbs are concerned,
ἀμέλει θαρρῶν οὕνεκα τούτων ἐπιχαλκεύειν παρέχοιμʼ ἄν.
do not worry, confidently for these things I would offer myself to be hammered on.”
ἄλλο τι δῆτʼ οὖν νομιεῖς ἤδη θεὸν οὐδένα πλὴν ἅπερ ἡμεῖς,
”Will you then henceforth believe in no other god except those we do,
τὸ Χάος τουτὶ καὶ τὰς Νεφέλας καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν, τρία ταυτί;
this Chaos, and the Clouds, and the Tongue, these three?”
οὐδʼ ἂν διαλεχθείην γʼ ἀτεχνῶς τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐδʼ ἂν ἀπαντῶν·
”I wouldn’t even speak to the others at all, not even if I met them;
οὐδʼ ἂν θύσαιμʼ, οὐδʼ ἂν σπείσαιμʼ, οὐδʼ ἐπιθείην λιβανωτόν.
nor would I sacrifice, nor pour libations, nor offer incense.”
λέγε νυν ἡμῖν ὅ τι σοι δρῶμεν θαρρῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἀτυχήσεις
”Tell us then confidently what we should do for you, as you will not fail,
ἡμᾶς τιμῶν καὶ θαυμάζων καὶ ζητῶν δεξιὸς εἶναι.
honoring and admiring us and seeking to be clever.”
ὦ δέσποιναι δέομαι τοίνυν ὑμῶν τουτὶ πάνυ μικρόν,
”O mistresses, I request of you then this very small thing,
τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἶναί με λέγειν ἑκατὸν σταδίοισιν6 ἄριστον.
that I be the best in speaking among the Greeks by a hundred stadia.”
ἀλλʼ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο παρʼ ἡμῶν· ὥστε τὸ λοιπόν γʼ ἀπὸ τουδὶ
”But this shall be granted to you from us; so that henceforth
ἐν τῷ δήμῳ γνώμας οὐδεὶς νικήσει πλείονας ἢ σύ.
no one in the assembly shall win more proposals than you.”
μὴ ʼμοί γε λέγειν γνώμας μεγάλας· οὐ γὰρ τούτων ἐπιθυμῶ,
”Do not speak to me of great proposals; for I do not desire these,
ἀλλʼ ὅσʼ ἐμαυτῷ στρεψοδικῆσαι καὶ τοὺς χρήστας διολισθεῖν.
but only as much as to twist justice for myself and to slip away from my creditors.”
τεύξει τοίνυν ὧν ἱμείρεις· οὐ γὰρ μεγάλων ἐπιθυμεῖς.
”You shall obtain then what you long for; for you do not desire great things.
ἀλλὰ σεαυτὸν θαρρῶν παράδος τοῖς ἡμετέροις προπόλοισιν.
But hand yourself over confidently to our ministers.”
δράσω ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν πιστεύσας· ἡ γὰρ ἀνάγκη με πιέζει
”I will do this, trusting in you; for necessity presses upon me
διὰ τοὺς ἵππους τοὺς κοππατίας καὶ τὸν γάμον ὅς μʼ ἐπέτριψεν.
because of the koppa-branded horses and the marriage which ruined me.
νῦν οὖν ἀτεχνῶς ὅ τι βούλονται
Now therefore, absolutely whatever they want,
τουτὶ τοὐμὸν σῶμʼ αὐτοῖσιν
this body of mine to them
παρέχω, τύπτειν πεινῆν διψῆν
I offer, to beat, to starve, to thirst,
αὐχμεῖν ῥιγῶν ἀσκὸν δείρειν,
to go dirty, to freeze, to flay into a leather bag,
εἴπερ τὰ χρέα διαφευξοῦμαι,
if only I shall escape my debts,
τοῖς τʼ ἀνθρώποις εἶναι δόξω
and to men I shall seem to be
θρασὺς εὔγλωττος τολμηρὸς ἴτης
bold, tongue-gifted, daring, pushy,”
- 385τῷ χρὴ πιστεύειν
τῷ is the contracted form of the interrogative pronoun τίνι (what, by what). The verb πιστεύω (to believe, trust) governs the dative, asking here "on what basis should one believe this?"
- 386ἐμπλησθεὶς
The aorist passive participle of ἐμπίπλημι (to fill). Due to the nature of verbs of filling and plenty, it governs the preceding genitive noun ζωμοῦ (genitive of material/plenty).
- 387τὴν γαστέρα
An accusative of specification (or respect) defining the body part affected by the passive verb ἐταράχθης (were troubled). It means "troubled with respect to your stomach."
- 402τί μαθών
The idiomatic expression τί μαθών; (literally "having learned what?") is used with a tone of surprise, protest, or censure to mean "with what intent?" or "why on earth?"
- 412ἐπιθυμήσας
An attributive aorist participle modifying the vocative phrase ὦ ... ἄνθρωπε ("O man"). Since the verb ἐπιθυμέω (to desire) governs the genitive case, the preceding phrase τῆς μεγάλης ... σοφίας serves as the object of this participle.
- 430ἑκατὸν σταδίοισιν
A dative of measure of difference. It modifies the superlative adjective ἄριστον ("best"), indicating the degree or interval (by a hundred stadia) by which he surpasses others in speaking.