- 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-grc2:967-1044
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The Stronger Argument details the strict, modest, and healthy education system of ancient Athens, lamenting the decay of modern youth. In response, the Chorus praises his speech and urges the Weaker Argument to offer an equally formidable counterargument.
ἢ Παλλάδα περσέπολιν1 δεινὰν ἢ τηλέπορόν τι βόαμα,ἐντειναμένους τὴν ἁρμονίαν, ἣν οἱ πατέρες παρέδωκαν.
Stronger Argument: “Either ‘Pallas, sacker of cities, dread goddess,’ or ‘a far-sounding cry,’ singing with tension the harmony which our fathers handed down.”
εἰ δέ τις αὐτῶν βωμολοχεύσαιτʼ ἢ κάμψειέν τινα καμπήν,
”And if any of them should play the buffoon or bend any turn,
οἵας οἱ νῦν τὰς κατὰ Φρῦνιν ταύτας τὰς δυσκολοκάμπτους,
such as those modern difficult-to-bend turns of Phrynis,
ἐπετρίβετο τυπτόμενος πολλὰς2 ὡς τὰς Μούσας ἀφανίζων.
he was soundly beaten with many blows as destroying the Muses.”
ἐν παιδοτρίβου δὲ καθίζοντας τὸν μηρὸν ἔδει προβαλέσθαι
”And at the gymnastic trainer’s, the boys had to sit extending their thighs forward,
τοὺς παῖδας, ὅπως τοῖς ἔξωθεν μηδὲν δείξειαν ἀπηνές·
so that they would show nothing indecent to those outside.
εἶτʼ αὖ πάλιν αὖθις ἀνιστάμενον συμψῆσαι, καὶ προνοεῖσθαι
Then again, when rising, to smooth the sand again, and to take precaution
εἴδωλον τοῖσιν ἐρασταῖσιν τῆς ἥβης μὴ καταλείπειν.
not to leave an image of youth for their lovers.”
ἠλείψατο δʼ ἂν τοὐμφαλοῦ3 οὐδεὶς παῖς ὑπένερθεν τότʼ ἄν, ὥστε
”And no boy then would rub below the navel, so that
τοῖς αἰδοίοισι δρόσος καὶ χνοῦς ὥσπερ μήλοισιν ἐπήνθει·
dew and down flourished on their private parts like on apples.
οὐδʼ ἂν μαλακὴν φυρασάμενος τὴν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν ἐραστὴν
Nor would he walk making his voice soft to his lover,
αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν προαγωγεύων τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐβάδιζεν,
acting as his own procurer with his eyes.”
οὐδʼ ἀνελέσθαι δειπνοῦντʼ ἐξῆν καὶ κεφάλαιον ῥαφανῖδος,
”Nor was it permitted to snatch the head of a radish when dining,
οὐδʼ ἄννηθον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἁρπάζειν οὐδὲ σέλινον,
nor to grab dill or celery from the elders,
οὐδʼ ὀψοφαγεῖν οὐδὲ κιχλίζειν οὐδʼ ἴσχειν τὼ πόδʼ ἐναλλάξ.
nor to eat fish greedily, nor to giggle, nor to cross one’s feet.”
ἀρχαῖά γε καὶ Διιπολιώδη καὶ τεττίγων ἀνάμεστα
Weaker Argument: “Old-fashioned indeed, and full of Diipolia-like notions, and of cicadas,
καὶ Κηκείδου καὶ Βουφονίων.
and of Keikeides, and of Bufonia!”
ἀλλʼ οὖν ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνα,
Stronger Argument: “But nevertheless, these are those very things
ἐξ ὧν ἄνδρας Μαραθωνομάχας ἡμὴ παίδευσις ἔθρεψεν.
from which my education reared the Marathon-fighters.”
σὺ δὲ τοὺς νῦν εὐθὺς ἐν ἱματίοισι διδάσκεις ἐντετυλίχθαι·
”But you teach the modern youth to be wrapped up in cloaks immediately from the start;
ὥστε μʼ ἀπάγχεσθʼ, ὅταν ὀρχεῖσθαι Παναθηναίοις δέον αὐτοὺς
so that I am choked when, when they must dance at the Panathenaia,
τὴν ἀσπίδα τῆς κωλῆς προέχων ἀμελῇ τῆς Τριτογενείας.
holding the shield in front of his thigh, he neglects Tritogeneia.”
πρὸς ταῦτʼ ὦ μειράκιον θαρρῶν ἐμὲ τὸν κρείττω λόγον αἱροῦ·
”Therefore, O youth, choose with confidence me, the stronger argument;
κἀπιστήσει μισεῖν ἀγορὰν καὶ βαλανείων ἀπέχεσθαι,
and you will learn to hate the assembly and keep away from baths,
καὶ τοῖς αἰσχροῖς αἰσχύνεσθαι, κἂν σκώπτῃ τίς σε φλέγεσθαι·
and to blush at shameful things, and to burn with shame if anyone mocks you;
καὶ τῶν θάκων τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ὑπανίστασθαι προσιοῦσιν,
and to rise from seats for elders as they approach,
καὶ μὴ περὶ τοὺς σαυτοῦ γονέας σκαιουργεῖν, ἄλλο τε μηδὲν
and not to behave badly toward your own parents, nor to do any other
αἰσχρὸν ποιεῖν, ὅτι4 τῆς αἰδοῦς μέλλεις τἄγαλμʼ ἀναπλάττειν·
shameful thing, because you are about to mold the statue of modesty.”
μηδʼ εἰς ὀρχηστρίδος εἰσᾴττειν, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς ταῦτα κεχηνὼς
”Nor to rush into a dancing-girl’s house, lest while gaping at these things,
μήλῳ βληθεὶς ὑπὸ πορνιδίου τῆς εὐκλείας ἀποθραυσθῇς·
being struck with an apple by a little courtesan, you be broken off from your good reputation.”
μηδʼ ἀντειπεῖν τῷ πατρὶ μηδέν, μηδʼ Ἰαπετὸν καλέσαντα
”Nor to speak back to your father at all, nor, calling him Iapetus,
μνησικακῆσαι τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐξ ἧς ἐνεοττοτροφήθης.
to bear a grudge for the age from which you were nurtured as a nestling.”
εἰ ταῦτʼ ὦ μειράκιον πείσει τούτῳ, νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον
Weaker Argument: “If you obey him in these things, O youth, by Dionysus,
τοῖς Ἱπποκράτους υἱέσιν εἴξεις καὶ σε καλοῦσι βλιτομάμμαν.
you will resemble the sons of Hippocrates and they will call you a simpleton.”
ἀλλʼ οὖν λιπαρός γε καὶ εὐανθὴς ἐν γυμνασίοις διατρίψεις,
Stronger Argument: “But nevertheless, you will spend your time sleek and blooming in the gymnasia,
οὐ στωμύλλων κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν τριβολεκτράπελʼ οἷάπερ οἱ νῦν,
not chattering in the market-place vulgar jokes like the moderns,
οὐδʼ ἑλκόμενος περὶ πραγματίου γλισχραντιλογεξεπιτρίπτου·
nor being dragged along concerning some petty, sticky, disputatious lawsuit.
ἀλλʼ εἰς Ἀκαδήμειαν κατιὼν ὑπὸ ταῖς μορίαις ἀποθρέξει
But going down to the Academy, you will run under the sacred olives
στεφανωσάμενος καλάμῳ λευκῷ μετὰ σώφρονος ἡλικιώτου,
crowned with white reed with a temperate companion of your age,
μίλακος ὄζων καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνης καὶ λεύκης φυλλοβολούσης,
smelling of woodbine, of ease, and of the leaf-shedding white poplar,
ἦρος ἐν ὥρᾳ χαίρων, ὁπόταν πλάτανος πτελέᾳ ψιθυρίζῃ.
rejoicing in the season of spring, when the plane-tree whispers to the elm.”
ἢν ταῦτα ποιῇς ἁγὼ φράζω,
”If you do these things which I tell you,
καὶ πρὸς τούτοις προσέχῃς τὸν νοῦν,
and besides these, apply your mind,
ἕξεις ἀεὶ
you will always have
στῆθος λιπαρόν, χροιὰν λαμπράν,
a sleek chest, a bright complexion,
ὤμους μεγάλους, γλῶτταν βαιάν,
broad shoulders, a small tongue,
πυγὴν μεγάλην, πόσθην μικράν.
a large rump, a small penis.”
ἢν δʼ ἅπερ οἱ νῦν ἐπιτηδεύῃς,
”But if you practice what the moderns do,
πρῶτα μὲν ἕξεις
first of all you will have
χροιὰν ὠχράν, ὤμους μικρούς,
a pale complexion, narrow shoulders,
στῆθος λεπτόν, γλῶτταν μεγάλην,
a thin chest, a large tongue,
πυγὴν μικράν, κωλῆν μεγάλην,ψήφισμα μακρόν, καὶ σʼ ἀναπείσει
a small rump, a large penis,
τὸ μὲν αἰσχρὸν ἅπαν καλὸν ἡγεῖσθαι,
long decree; and it will persuade you to consider everything shameful to be beautiful,
+ extra markers: 1020a (translation introduced markers absent in the source; merged into this section)
τὸ καλὸν δʼ αἰσχρόν·
and the beautiful to be shameful;
καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τῆς Ἀντιμάχου
and besides these, it will fill you with the pathic lifestyle
καταπυγοσύνης ἀναπλήσει.
of Antimachus.”
ὦ καλλίπυργον σοφίαν κλεινοτάτην ἐπασκῶν,
Chorus: “O you who practice most glorious, tower-building wisdom,
ὡς ἡδύ σου τοῖσι λόγοις σῶφρον ἔπεστιν ἄνθος.
how sweet is the temperate bloom upon your words!
†εὐδαίμονες δʼ ἦσαν ἄρʼ οἱ ζῶντες τότʼ ἐπὶ
Blessed indeed were those living then in the time of
τῶν προτέρων†· πρὸς τάδε σʼ ὦ κομψοπρεπῆ μοῦσαν ἔχων,
the former men! In response to this, O you who have an elegant Muse,
δεῖ σε λέγειν τι καινόν, ὡς ηὐδοκίμηκεν ἁνήρ.
it is necessary for you to say something new, since the man has flourished so well.”
δεινῶν δέ σοι βουλευμάτων ἔοικε δεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν,
”And you seem to need terrible schemes against him,
εἴπερ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ὑπερβαλεῖ καὶ μὴ γέλωτʼ ὀφλήσεις.
if indeed you will surpass the man and not incur laughter.”
καὶ μὴν πάλαι γʼ ἐπνιγόμην τὰ σπλάγχνα κἀπεθύμουν
Weaker Argument: “Indeed, I was choking for a long time in my vitals and desiring
ἅπαντα ταῦτʼ ἐναντίαις γνώμαισι συνταράξαι.
to throw all these things into confusion with contrary opinions.”
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἥττων μὲν λόγος διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ5 ἐκλήθην
”For I was called the weaker argument among the thinkers
ἐν τοῖσι φροντισταῖσιν, ὅτι πρώτιστος ἐπενόησα
for this very reason, because I was the very first to devise
τοῖσιν νόμοις καὶ ταῖς δίκαις τἀναντίʼ ἀντιλέξαι.
how to speak contrary to the laws and justice.”
καὶ τοῦτο πλεῖν ἢ μυρίων ἔστʼ ἄξιον στατήρων,
”And this is worth more than ten thousand staters,
αἱρούμενον τοὺς ἥττονας λόγους ἔπειτα νικᾶν.
choosing the weaker arguments and then winning.”
σκέψαι δὲ τὴν παίδευσιν ᾗ πέποιθεν ὡς ἐλέγξω,
”But observe how I will refute the education in which he trusts,
ὅστις σε θερμῷ φησι λοῦσθαι πρῶτον οὐκ ἐάσειν.
who says he will not first permit you to bathe with warm water.”
- 967Παλλάδα περσέπολιν
These accusative phrases function as the direct objects of the verb "taught to learn beforehand a song" (ᾆσμʼ ἐδίδασκεν) in the previous line (§966), indicating the titles or opening lines of patriotic songs the boys learned.
- 971πολλάς
The feminine plural accusative adjective modified an implied noun such as "blows" (πληγάς), serving as an adverbial accusative of measure with the passive expression "was soundly beaten" (ἐπετρίβετο τυπτόμενος).
- 977τοὐμφαλοῦ
The genitive "τοὐμφαλοῦ" (a crasis of "τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ") is governed by the postpositive preposition or adverb "ὑπένερθεν" (below), meaning "below the navel."
- 995ὅτι
The conjunction "ὅτι" introduces a causal clause ("because"), explaining the reason why the youth must avoid shameful acts: they are expected to build up their own character as an image of modesty (αἰδώς).
- 1038διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ
The prepositional phrase "for this very reason" (διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο) points forward to the causal "ὅτι" clause, which explains the specific reason why the speaker was called "the weaker argument."