- 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-grc2:869-966
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
After Strepsiades entreats Socrates to educate his son, the Stronger Argument and the Weaker Argument appear in personified forms and engage in a fierce verbal battle over who is fit to teach Pheidippides, marking the beginning of the contest between old and new education.
καὶ τῶν κρεμαθρῶν οὔπω τρίβων τῶν ἐνθάδε.
Socrates: And he is not yet experienced in the hanging baskets here.
αὐτὸς τρίβων1 εἴης ἄν, εἰ κρέμαιό γε.
Pheidippides: You yourself would be a worn-out cloak, if you were to hang at least.
οὐκ ἐς κόρακας; καταρᾷ σὺ τῷ διδασκάλῳ;
Strepsiades: Go to the crows! Do you curse your teacher?
ἰδοὺ κρέμαιʼ, ὡς ἠλίθιον ἐφθέγξατο
Socrates: Look at that, ‘if you were to hang’, how foolishly he spoke,
καὶ τοῖσι χείλεσιν διερρυηκόσιν.
and with those lips parted wide and dripping.
πῶς ἂν μάθοι ποθʼ οὗτος ἀπόφυξιν δίκης
How could this man ever learn an acquittal from a lawsuit,
ἢ κλῆσιν ἢ χαύνωσιν ἀναπειστηρίαν;
or a summons, or the persuasive puffing-up that bamboozles?
καίτοι γε ταλάντου τοῦτʼ ἔμαθεν Ὑπέρβολος.
And yet Hyperbolos learned this at the cost of a talent.
ἀμέλει δίδασκε· θυμόσοφός ἐστιν φύσει·
Strepsiades: Never mind, teach him; he is naturally wise in his mind.
εὐθύς γέ τοι παιδάριον ὄν τυννουτονὶ
At any rate, immediately when he was a little child of this size,
ἔπλαττεν ἔνδον οἰκίας ναῦς τʼ ἔγλυφεν,
he used to mold figures inside the house and carve ships,
ἁμαξίδας τε σκυτίνας ἠργάζετο,
and make little leather carts,
κἀκ τῶν σιδίων βατράχους ἐποίει πῶς δοκεῖς.2
and make frogs out of pomegranate rinds, you can’t imagine how!
ὅπως δʼ ἐκείνω τὼ λόγω μαθήσεται,
But see that he learns those two arguments,
τὸν κρείττονʼ ὅστις ἐστὶ καὶ τὸν ἥττονα,
the stronger one, whichever it is, and the weaker,
ὃς τἄδικα λέγων ἀνατρέπει τὸν κρείττονα·
which, by speaking unjust things, subverts the stronger.
ἐὰν δὲ μή, τὸν γοῦν ἄδικον πάσῃ τέχνῃ.
And if not both, at least the unjust one by all means.
αὐτὸς μαθήσεται παρʼ αὐτοῖν τοῖν λόγοιν.
Socrates: He will learn it himself from the two arguments themselves.
ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπέσομαι.
And I will be absent.
τοῦτό νυν μέμνησʼ, ὅπως
Strepsiades: Remember this now, that
πρὸς πάντα τὰ δίκαιʼ ἀντιλέγειν δυνήσεται.
he will be able to speak against all just things.
χώρει δευρί, δεῖξον σαυτὸν
Stronger Argument: Come here, show yourself
τοῖσι θεαταῖς, καίπερ θρασὺς ὤν.
to the spectators, insolent though you are.
ἴθʼ ὅποι χρῄζεις. πολὺ γὰρ μᾶλλόν ʼς
Weaker Argument: Go wherever you please. For I will much more destroy you
ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖσι λέγων ἀπολῶ.
speaking among the multitude.
ἀπολεῖς σύ; τίς ὤν;
Stronger Argument: You will destroy me? Who are you?
λόγος.
Weaker Argument: An argument.
ἥττων γʼ ὤν.
Stronger Argument: The weaker one, yes.
ἀλλά σε νικῶ τὸν ἐμοῦ κρείττω
Weaker Argument: But I conquer you, who claim to be
φάσκοντʼ εἶναι.
my superior.
τί σοφὸν ποιῶν;
Stronger Argument: By doing what wise thing?
γνώμας καινὰς ἐξευρίσκων.
Weaker Argument: By inventing novel ideas.
ταῦτα γὰρ ἀνθεῖ διὰ τουτουσὶ
Stronger Argument: For these things flourish through these
τοὺς ἀνοήτους.
foolish men here.
οὔκ, ἀλλὰ σοφούς.
Weaker Argument: No, rather wise ones.
ἀπολῶ σε κακῶς.
Stronger Argument: I will destroy you miserably.
εἰπὲ τί ποιῶν;
Weaker Argument: Tell me, by doing what?
τὰ δίκαια λέγων.
Stronger Argument: By speaking what is just.
ἀλλʼ ἀνατρέψω γʼ αὔτʼ ἀντιλέγων·
Weaker Argument: But I will overturn them by speaking against them;
οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶναι πάνυ φημὶ δίκην.
for I declare that justice does not exist at all.
οὐκ εἶναι φῄς;
Stronger Argument: You say it does not exist?
φέρε γὰρ ποῦ ʼστιν;
Weaker Argument: Yes, for where is it?
παρὰ τοῖσι θεοῖς.
Stronger Argument: With the gods.
πῶς δῆτα δίκης οὔσης3 ὁ Ζεὺς
Weaker Argument: How indeed, if justice exists, has Zeus
οὐκ ἀπόλωλεν τὸν πατέρʼ αὑτοῦδήσας;
not perished, having bound his own father?
αἰβοῖ τουτὶ καὶ δὴ
Stronger Argument: Bah! This evil indeed is already
χωρεῖ τὸ κακόν· δότε μοι λεκάνην.
coming on; give me a basin.
τυφογέρων εἶ κἀνάρμοστος.
Weaker Argument: You are a doting old man and out of tune.
καταπύγων εἶ κἀναίσχυντος.
Stronger Argument: You are a pathic and shameless.
ῥόδα μʼ εἴρηκας.
Weaker Argument: You have spoken roses of me.
καὶ βωμολόχος.
Stronger Argument: And a scurrilous buffoon.
κρίνεσι στεφανοῖς.
Weaker Argument: You crown me with lilies.
καὶ πατραλοίας.
Stronger Argument: And a parricide.
χρυσῷ πάττων μʼ οὐ γιγνώσκεις.
Weaker Argument: You sprinkle me with gold and do not know it.
οὐ δῆτα πρὸ τοῦ γʼ, ἀλλὰ μολύβδῳ.
Stronger Argument: Certainly not in former times, but with lead.
νῦν δέ γε κόσμος τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐμοί.
Weaker Argument: But now indeed this is an ornament for me.
θρασὺς εἶ πολλοῦ.
Stronger Argument: You are very impudent.
σὺ δέ γʼ ἀρχαῖος.
Weaker Argument: And you are old-fashioned.
διὰ σὲ δὲ φοιτᾶν
Stronger Argument: And because of you, none of the youths
οὐδεὶς ἐθέλει τῶν μειρακίων·
wants to go to school;
καὶ γνωσθήσει ποτʼ Ἀθηναίοις
and some day you will be known to the Athenians,
οἶα διδάσκεις τοὺς ἀνοήτους.
what sort of things you teach the foolish.
αὐχμεῖς αἰσχρῶς.
Weaker Argument: You are shamefully squalid.
σὺ δέ γʼ εὖ πράττεις.
Stronger Argument: But you, on the contrary, are doing well.
καίτοι πρότερόν γʼ ἐπτώχευες,
And yet formerly indeed you were a beggar,
Τήλεφος εἶναι Μυσὸς φάσκων,
claiming to be the Mysian Telephus,
ἐκ πηριδίου
from a little bag
γνώμας τρώγων Πανδελετείους.
nibbling Pandeletean opinions.
ὤμοι σοφίας —
Weaker Argument: Alas, what wisdom—
ὤμοι μανίας —
Stronger Argument: Alas, what madness—
ἧς ἐμνήσθης —
Weaker Argument: which you have mentioned—
τῆς σῆς, πόλεώς θʼ ἥτις σε τρέφει
Stronger Argument: yours, and that of the city which feeds you,
λυμαινόμενον τοῖς μειρακίοις.
damaging the youths.
οὐχὶ διδάξεις τοῦτον Κρόνος ὤν.
Weaker Argument: You shall not teach this youth, being a Kronos.
εἴπερ γʼ αὐτὸν σωθῆναι χρὴ
Stronger Argument: If indeed he must be saved
καὶ μὴ λαλιὰν μόνον ἀσκῆσαι.
and not merely practice chatter.
δεῦρʼ ἴθι, τοῦτον δʼ ἔα μαίνεσθαι.
Weaker Argument: Come this way, and let this one rave.
κλαύσει, τὴν χεῖρʼ ἢν ἐπιβάλλῃς.
Stronger Argument: You shall weep, if you lay a hand on him.
παύσασθε μάχης καὶ λοιδορίας.
Chorus: Cease from fighting and abuse.
ἀλλʼ ἐπίδειξαι σύ τε τοὺς προτέρους
But do you show, both you what you used to teach
ἅττʼ ἐδίδασκες, σύ τε τὴν καινὴν
the men of old, and you the new
παίδευσιν, ὅπως ἂν ἀκούσας σφῷν
education, so that having heard you both
ἀντιλεγόντοιν4 κρίνας φοιτᾷ.
disputing, he may judge and go to school.
δρᾶν ταῦτʼ ἐθέλω.
Stronger Argument: I am willing to do this.
κἄγωγʼ ἐθέλω.
Weaker Argument: And I too am willing.
φέρε δὴ πότερος λέξει πρότερος;
Chorus: Come now, which of the two will speak first?
τούτῳ δώσω·
Stronger Argument: I will yield to him;
κᾆτʼ ἐκ τούτων ὧν ἂν λέξῃ
and then, from these things which he may say,
ῥηματίοισιν καινοῖς αὐτὸν
with novel little words
καὶ διανοίαις κατατοξεύσω.
and thoughts I will shoot him down.
τὸ τελευταῖον δʼ, ἢν ἀναγρύζῃ,
And at last, if he mutters at all,
τὸ πρόσωπον ἅπαν καὶ τὠφθαλμὼ
his whole face and both eyes,
κεντούμενος ὥσπερ ὑπʼ ἀνθρηνῶν
being stung as if by wasps,
ὑπὸ τῶν γνωμῶν ἀπολεῖται.
will be destroyed by my thoughts.
νῦν δείξετον τὼ πισύνω τοῖς περιδεξίοισι
Chorus: Now do you two show, trusting in your dexterous
λόγοισι καὶ φροντίσι καὶ γνωμοτύποις μερίμναις,
arguments and thoughts and maxim-coining cares,
ὁπότερος αὐτοῖν λέγων ἀμείνων φανήσεται.
which of the two will appear better in speaking.
νῦν γὰρ ἅπας ἐνθάδε κίνδυνος ἀνεῖται σοφίας,
For now the whole danger of wisdom is set loose here,
ἧς πέρι τοῖς ἐμοῖς φίλοις ἐστὶν ἀγὼν μέγιστος.
about which the greatest contest is for my friends.
ἀλλʼ ὦ πολλοῖς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ἤθεσι χρηστοῖς στεφανώσας,
Chorus: But, O you who crowned the elders with many good habits,
ῥῆξον φωνὴν ᾗτινι χαίρεις, καὶ τὴν σαυτοῦ φύσιν εἰπέ.
utter a voice in which you delight, and tell your own nature.
λέξω τοίνυν τὴν ἀρχαίαν παιδείαν ὡς διέκειτο,
Stronger Argument: I will therefore tell the old education, how it was situated,
ὅτʼ ἐγὼ τὰ δίκαια λέγων ἤνθουν καὶ σωφροσύνη ʼνενόμιστο.
when I, speaking what is just, flourished, and temperance was the rule.
πρῶτον μὲν ἔδει παιδὸς φωνὴν γρύξαντος μηδὲν ἀκοῦσαι·5
First of all, it was necessary not to hear a child muttering anything;
εἶτα βαδίζειν ἐν ταῖσιν ὁδοῖς εὐτάκτως ἐς κιθαριστοῦ
then, to walk in the streets orderly to the cithara-player’s house,
τοὺς κωμήτας γυμνοὺς ἁθρόους, κεἰ κριμνώδη κατανείφοι.
the boys of the village, without cloaks, in a body, even if it snowed like barley-meal.
εἶτʼ αὖ προμαθεῖν ᾆσμʼ ἐδίδασκεν τὼ μηρὼ μὴ ξυνέχοντας,
then again, he taught them to learn beforehand a song, not keeping their thighs together,
- 870τρίβων
A double meaning between the noun 'worn-out cloak' and the adjective 'experienced, practiced.' Responding to Socrates' use of 'τρίβων' (not yet 'experienced' in the hanging baskets), Pheidippides cynically retorts that Socrates himself would become a 'worn-out cloak' (or a bruised person) if he were to be hung.
- 881πῶς δοκεῖς
Literally 'how do you think?', but here it is not a question but a colloquial parenthesis meaning 'to an unbelievable degree' or 'you can't imagine how much,' used for emphasis.
- 904aδίκης οὔσης
The genitive singular feminine form 'οὔσης' of the participle 'ὤν' agrees with 'δίκης'. This is interpreted as a genitive absolute construction expressing a conditional meaning ('if justice exists').
- 937ἀκούσας σφῷν ἀντιλεγόντοιν
The participle 'ἀκούσας' (having heard) is a nominative singular masculine aorist. The subsequent 'σφῷν ἀντιλεγόντοιν' (you two disputing) is in the genitive dual, governed by the verb of hearing 'ἀκούω,' which takes a genitive of the person whose voice is heard.
- 963ἔδει παιδὸς φωνὴν γρύξαντος μηδὲν ἀκοῦσαι
An infinitive clause subject to the impersonal verb 'ἔδει' (it was necessary). The direct object of the infinitive 'ἀκοῦσαι' (to hear) is the accusative 'φωνὴν' (voice), and 'παιδὸς γρύξαντος' (of a child muttering) in the genitive modifies 'φωνὴν'. Thus the whole structure means 'it was required not to hear any voice of a child muttering.'