- 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-grc2:82b-163
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Strepsiades tries to persuade his son to enter Socrates' 'Thinkery' to escape his debts, but upon his refusal, decides to go himself. There, a disciple reveals to him some of Socrates' bizarre scientific and philosophical investigations.
εἰπέ μοι, φιλεῖς ἐμέ;
Strepsiades: Tell me, do you love me?
νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τουτονὶ τὸν ἵππιον.
Pheidippides: Yes, by this Poseidon of the horses.
μὴ ʼμοί γε τοῦτον μηδαμῶς τὸν ἵππιον·
Strepsiades: No, by no means name this “Equestrian” to me!
οὗτος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς αἴτιός μοι τῶν κακῶν.
For this god is the cause of my troubles.
ἀλλʼ εἴπερ ἐκ τῆς καρδίας μʼ ὄντως φιλεῖς,
But if indeed you love me from your heart,
ὦ παῖ πιθοῦ.
my boy, obey me.
τί οὖν πίθωμαι1 δῆτά σοι;
Pheidippides: What then should I obey you in?
ἔκστρεψον ὡς τάχιστα τοὺς σαυτοῦ τρόπους,
Strepsiades: Change your ways as quickly as possible,
καὶ μάνθανʼ ἐλθὼν ἃν ἐγὼ παραινέσω.
and go learn what I shall advise.
λέγε δή, τί κελεύεις;
Pheidippides: Say then, what do you command?
καί τι πείσει;
Strepsiades: And will you obey?
πείσομαι
Pheidippides: I will obey,
νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον.
by Dionysus.
δεῦρό νυν ἀπόβλεπε.
Strepsiades: Look over here now.
ὁρᾷς τὸ θύριον τοῦτο καὶ τᾠκίδιον;
Do you see this little door and this little house?
ὁρῶ. τί οὖν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐτεὸν ὦ πάτερ;
Pheidippides: I see it. But what indeed is this, father?
ψυχῶν σοφῶν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ φροντιστήριον.
Strepsiades: This is the “Thinkery” of wise souls.
ἐνταῦθʼ ἐνοικοῦσʼ ἄνδρες, οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν
In there dwell men who, by speaking,
λέγοντες ἀναπείθουσιν ὡς ἔστιν πνιγεύς,
persuade us that the heaven is an oven,
κἄστιν περὶ ἡμᾶς οὗτος, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἄνθρακες.
and that it is around us, and we are coals.
οὗτοι διδάσκουσʼ, ἀργύριον ἤν τις διδῷ,
These men teach, if anyone gives them money,
λέγοντα νικᾶν καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα.
how to win by speaking both just and unjust causes.
εἰσὶν δὲ τίνες;
Pheidippides: And who are they?
οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀκριβῶς τοὔνομα·
Strepsiades: I don’t know the exact name,
μεριμνοφροντισταὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.
they are subtle thinkers, gentlemen.
αἰβοῖ πονηροί γʼ, οἶδα. τοὺς ἀλαζόνας
Pheidippides: Ugh! Villains, I know them. You mean those braggarts,
τοὺς ὠχριῶντας τοὺς ἀνυποδήτους λέγεις,
those pale-faced ones, those barefoot fellows,
ὧν ὁ κακοδαίμων Σωκράτης καὶ Χαιρεφῶν.
among whom are the wretched Socrates and Chaerephon.
ἢ ἢ σιώπα· μηδὲν εἴπῃς νήπιον.
Strepsiades: Shh! Be quiet! Don’t say anything foolish.
ἀλλʼ εἴ τι κήδει τῶν πατρῴων ἀλφίτων,
But if you care at all for your father’s barley,
τούτων γενοῦ μοι σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν.2
give up horsemanship and become one of them for me.
οὐκ ἂν μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον, εἰ δοίης γέ μοι
Pheidippides: I wouldn’t do it, by Dionysus, not even if you gave me
τοὺς φασιανοὺς οὓς τρέφει Λεωγόρας.
the pheasants that Leogoras breeds.
ἴθʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ
Strepsiades: Go, I entreat you, O dearest of men to me,
ἐλθὼν διδάσκου.
go and be taught.
καὶ τί σοι μαθήσομαι;
Pheidippides: And what shall I learn for you?
εἶναι παρʼ αὐτοῖς φασιν ἄμφω τὼ λόγω,
Strepsiades: They say that both arguments are with them,
τὸν κρείττονʼ, ὅστις ἐστί, καὶ τὸν ἥττονα.
the stronger, whatever it is, and the weaker.
τούτοιν τὸν ἕτερον τοῖν λόγοιν, τὸν ἥττονα,
Of these two arguments, the weaker,
νικᾶν λέγοντά φασι τἀδικώτερα.
they say, wins though speaking the more unjust things.
ἢν οὖν μάθῃς μοι τὸν ἄδικον τοῦτον λόγον,
If then you learn this unjust argument for me,
ἃ νῦν ὀφείλω διὰ σέ, τούτων τῶν χρεῶν
of those debts which I now owe because of you,
οὐκ ἂν ἀποδοίην3 οὐδʼ ἂν ὀβολὸν οὐδενί.
I would not pay back even an obol to anyone.
οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην ἰδεῖν
Pheidippides: I cannot obey; for I would not dare to look upon
τοὺς ἱππέας τὸ χρῶμα διακεκναισμένος.
the knights, with my complexion completely ruined.
οὐκ ἄρα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα τῶν γʼ ἐμῶν ἔδει,
Strepsiades: Then, by Demeter, you shall not eat of my goods,
οὔτʼ αὐτὸς οὔθʼ ὁ ζύγιος οὔθʼ ὁ σαμφόρας·
neither you, nor your yoke-horse, nor your branded horse;
ἀλλʼ ἐξελῶ σʼ ἐς κόρακας ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας.
but I will drive you out of the house to the crows.
ἀλλʼ οὐ περιόψεταί μʼ ὁ θεῖος Μεγακλέης
Pheidippides: Well, my uncle Megacles will not look on and see me
ἄνιππον. ἀλλʼ εἴσειμι, σοῦ δʼ οὐ φροντιῶ.
horse-less. I am going in, and I will pay no heed to you.
ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐγὼ μέντοι πεσών γε κείσομαι,
Strepsiades: But I certainly will not lie down having fallen;
ἀλλʼ εὐξάμενος τοῖσιν θεοῖς διδάξομαι
but having prayed to the gods, I will be taught
αὐτὸς βαδίζων ἐς τὸ φροντιστήριον.
by going myself to the Thinkery.
πῶς οὖν γέρων ὢν κἀπιλήσμων καὶ βραδὺς
How then, being an old man, forgetful and slow,
λόγων ἀκριβῶν σχινδαλάμους μαθήσομαι;
shall I learn the splinters of precise arguments?
ἰτητέον. τί ταῦτʼ ἔχων στραγγεύομαι,4
I must go. Why do I linger and delay,
ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ κόπτω τὴν θύραν; παῖ παιδίον.
instead of knocking on the door? Boy! Slave!
βάλλʼ ἐς κόρακας· τίς ἐσθʼ ὁ κόψας τὴν θύραν;
Disciple: Go to the crows! Who is it that knocked on the door?
Φείδωνος υἱὸς Στρεψιάδης Κικυννόθεν.
Strepsiades: Strepsiades, son of Pheidon, from Cicynna.
ἀμαθής γε νὴ Δίʼ ὅστις οὑτωσὶ σφόδρα
Disciple: Ignorant indeed, by Zeus, who has so violently
ἀπεριμερίμνως τὴν θύραν λελάκτικας
and thoughtlessly kicked the door,
καὶ φροντίδʼ ἐξήμβλωκας ἐξηυρημένην.
and caused a discovered thought to miscarry.
σύγγνωθί μοι· τηλοῦ γὰρ οἰκῶ τῶν ἀγρῶν.
Strepsiades: Forgive me; for I live far away in the country.
ἀλλʼ εἰπέ μοι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοὐξημβλωμένον.
But tell me the matter that was miscarried.
ἀλλʼ οὐ θέμις πλὴν τοῖς μαθηταῖσιν λέγειν.
Disciple: But it is not lawful to tell except to disciples.
λέγε νυν ἐμοὶ θαρρῶν· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὑτοσὶ
Strepsiades: Tell me then with confidence; for I here
ἥκω μαθητὴς ἐς τὸ φροντιστήριον.
have come as a disciple to the Thinkery.
λέξω. νομίσαι δὲ ταῦτα χρὴ μυστήρια.
Disciple: I will speak. But you must consider these things as mysteries.
ἀνήρετʼ ἄρτι Χαιρεφῶντα Σωκράτης
Just now Socrates asked Chaerephon
ψύλλαν ὁπόσους ἅλλοιτο τοὺς αὑτῆς πόδας·
how many of its own feet a flea could jump;
δακοῦσα γὰρ τοῦ Χαιρεφῶντος τὴν ὀφρῦν
for, having bitten Chaerephon’s eyebrow,
ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τὴν Σωκράτους ἀφήλατο.
it leaped onto the head of Socrates.
πῶς δῆτα διεμέτρησε;
Strepsiades: How indeed did he measure it?
δεξιώτατα.
Disciple: Most cleverly.
κηρὸν διατήξας, εἶτα τὴν ψύλλαν λαβὼν
Having melted wax, then taking the flea,
ἐνέβαψεν ἐς τὸν κηρὸν αὐτῆς τὼ πόδε,
he dipped its two feet into the wax,
κᾆτα ψυχείσῃ περιέφυσαν Περσικαί.
and then, when it cooled, Persian slippers grew around them.
ταύτας ὑπολύσας ἀνεμέτρει τὸ χωρίον.
Unfitting these, he measured the distance.
ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τῆς λεπτότητος τῶν φρενῶν.
Strepsiades: Great Zeus, what subtlety of mind!
τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἕτερον εἰ πύθοιο Σωκράτους
Disciple: What indeed would you say if you heard another thought
φρόντισμα;
of Socrates?
ποῖον; ἀντιβολῶ κάτειπέ μοι.
Strepsiades: What kind of thought? I entreat you, tell me.
ἀνήρετʼ αὐτὸν Χαιρεφῶν ὁ Σφήττιος
Disciple: Chaerephon of Sphettus asked him
ὁπότερα τὴν γνώμην ἔχοι, τὰς ἐμπίδας
which opinion he held, that gnats
κατὰ τὸ στόμʼ ᾄδειν ἢ κατὰ τοὐρροπύγιον.
sing through the mouth or through the rump.
τί δῆτʼ ἐκεῖνος εἶπε περὶ τῆς ἐμπίδος;
Strepsiades: What indeed did he say about the gnat?
ἔφασκεν εἶναι τοὔντερον τῆς ἐμπίδος
Disciple: He said that the intestine of the gnat
στενόν· διὰ λεπτοῦ δʼ ὄντος αὐτοῦ τὴν πνοὴν
is narrow; and that because of its being narrow, the breath
βίᾳ βαδίζειν εὐθὺ τοὐρροπυγίου·
goes with force straight to the rump;
ἔπειτα κοῖλον πρὸς στενῷ προσκείμενον5
then, a hollow part joined to the narrow part—
- 87bπίθωμαι
Deliberative subjunctive. Used to ask 'What should I obey?' or to prompt instructions from the interlocutor.
- 107σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν
The aorist middle participle σχασάμενος (from σχάζω, meaning 'to slacken' or 'let go') taking τὴν ἱππικήν as a direct object, meaning 'having given up horsemanship'. The middle voice denotes an action affecting oneself.
- 118οὐκ ἂν ἀποδοίην
Potential optative formed by the negative οὐκ with ἄν and the aorist optative ἀποδοίην. It functions as the apodosis of a conditional clause, expressing strong certainty: 'I would not pay back even an obol'.
- 131τί ταῦτʼ ἔχων στραγγεύομαι
An idiomatic expression combining the interrogative τί with the present participle ἔχων. It carries a nuance of annoyance or self-reproach: 'Why do I keep lingering like this?' or 'Why do I waste time?'
- 163κοῖλον πρὸς στενῷ προσκείμενον
The neuter adjective κοῖλον (hollow part) stands in apposition to the anatomical path (implied with the intestine), accompanied by the prepositional phrase πρὸς στενῷ (next to the narrow part) and the participle προσκείμενον (joined to). Although the sentence breaks off at line 163, it structurally serves to explain the transition of the gnat's inner breath from the narrow passage to the wider extremity.