Gifts from Sickle-Makers and Mockery of Arms Traders — Aristophanes, Peace, lines 1187–1267, Greek & English

1187

ὧν¹ ἔτʼ εὐθύνας ἐμοὶ δώσουσιν, ἢν θεὸς θέλῃ.

Chorus: If the god wills, they shall yet render me an account for these things.

πολλὰ γὰρ δή μʼ ἠδίκησαν,

Chorus: For indeed they wronged me in many ways,

ὄντες οἴκοι μὲν λέοντες

Chorus: being lions when at home,

1190

ἐν μάχῃ δʼ ἀλώπεκες.

Chorus: but foxes in battle.

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Trygaeus: Oh, my goodness!

ὅσον τὸ χρῆμʼ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἦλθʼ ἐς τοὺς γάμους.

Trygaeus: What a huge amount of stuff has come for the wedding feast!

ἔχʼ ἀποκάθαιρε τὰς τραπέζας ταυτῃί·²

Trygaeus: Here, wipe the tables clean with this.

πάντως γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄφελός ἐστʼ αὐτῆς ἔτι.

Trygaeus: For at any rate there is no longer any use for it.

1195

ἔπειτʼ ἐπιφόρει τοὺς ἀμύλους καὶ τὰς κίχλας

Trygaeus: Then bring on the wheat cakes and the thrushes,

καὶ τῶν λαγῴων πολλὰ καὶ τοὺς κολλάβους.

Trygaeus: and plenty of hare’s meat, and the rolls.

ποῦ ποῦ Τρυγαῖός ἐστιν;

Sickle-maker: Where, oh where is Trygaios?

ἀναβράττω κίχλας.

Trygaeus: I am roasting thrushes.

ὦ φίλτατʼ ὦ Τρυγαἶ ὅσʼ ἡμᾶς τἀγαθὰ

Sickle-maker: O dearest Trygaios, what great blessings you have brought us

δέδρακας εἰρήνην ποιήσας· ὡς πρὸ τοῦ

Sickle-maker: by making peace! For before this,

1200

οὐδεὶς ἐπρίατʼ ἂν δρέπανον οὐδὲ κολλύβου,

Sickle-maker: no one would buy a sickle even for a small coin,

νυνὶ δὲ πεντήκοντα δραχμῶν ἐμπολῶ·

Sickle-maker: but now I sell them for fifty drachmas.

ὁδὶ δὲ τριδράχμους τοὺς κάδους ἐς τοὺς ἀγρούς.

Sickle-maker: And this man here sells his field jars for three drachmas.

ἀλλʼ ὦ Τρυγαῖε τῶν δρεπάνων τε λάμβανε

Sickle-maker: Come, Trygaios, take of these sickles

καὶ τῶνδʼ ὅ τι βούλει προῖκα· καὶ ταυτὶ δέχου·

Sickle-maker: and of these jars whatever you wish for free; and accept these too.

1205

ἀφʼ ὧν γὰρ ἀπεδόμεσθα κἀκερδήναμεν

Sickle-maker: For from what we sold and profited,

τὰ δῶρα ταυτί σοι φέρομεν ἐς τοὺς γάμους.

Sickle-maker: we bring these gifts to you for your wedding.

ἴθι νυν καταθέμενοι παρʼ ἐμοὶ ταῦτʼ εἴσιτε

Trygaeus: Come then, put them down at my place and go inside

ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ὡς τάχιστα· καὶ γὰρ οὑτοσὶ

Trygaeus: to dinner as quickly as possible. For indeed this

ὅπλων κάπηλος ἀχθόμενος προσέρχεται.

Trygaeus: arms-seller is approaching looking very disgruntled.

1210

οἴμʼ ὡς προθέλυμνόν μʼ ὦ Τρυγαἶ ἀπώλεσας.

Arms-seller: Oh, Trygaios, how utterly you have ruined me!

τί δʼ ἔστιν ὦ κακόδαιμον; οὔτι που λοφᾷς;³

Trygaeus: What’s the matter, you miserable wretch? Are you suffering from a crest-fever?

ἀπώλεσάς μου τὴν τέχνην καὶ τὸν βίον,

Arms-seller: You have ruined my trade and my livelihood,

καὶ τουτουὶ καὶ τοῦ δορυξοῦ ʼκεινονί.

Arms-seller: both mine here, and that of the spear-maker over there.

τί δῆτα τουτοινὶ καταθῶ σοι τοῖν λόφοιν;

Arms-seller: Then what will you give me for these two crests?

1215

αὐτὸς σὺ τί δίδως;

Trygaeus: What do you ask for them yourself?

ὅ τι δίδωμʼ; αἰσχύνομαι.

Arms-seller: What do I ask? I am ashamed to say.

ὅμως δʼ ὅτι τὸ σφήκωμʼ ἔχει πόνον πολύν,

Trygaeus: But since the clasp shows much hard work,

δοίην ἂν αὐτοῖν ἰσχάδων τρεῖς χοίνικας.

Trygaeus: I would give three choenixes of dried figs for the pair,

ἵνʼ ἀποκαθαίρω τὴν τράπεζαν τουτῳί.

Trygaeus: so that I can wipe the table with them.

ἔνεγκε τοίνυν εἰσιὼν τὰς ἰσχάδας·

Arms-seller: Well then, go inside and bring the dried figs;

1220

κρεῖττον γὰρ ὦ τᾶν ἐστιν ἢ μηδὲν λαβεῖν.

Arms-seller: for it is better, my friend, than getting nothing at all.

ἀπόφερʼ ἀπόφερʼ ἐς κόρακας ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας.

Trygaeus: Take them away, take them away from my house to the crows!

τριχορρυεῖτον, οὐδέν ἐστον τὼ λόφω.

Trygaeus: They are shedding hair; these two crests are worthless.

οὐκ ἂν πριαίμην οὐδʼ ἂν ἰσχάδος μιᾶς.

Trygaeus: I wouldn’t buy them even for a single dried fig.

τί δαὶ δεκάμνῳ τῷδε θώρηκος κύτει

Arms-seller: What then of this breastplate-hollow, worth ten minae,

1225

ἐνημμένῳ κάλλιστα χρήσομαι τάλας;

Arms-seller: so beautifully fitted? How shall I use it, wretched that I am?

οὗτος μὲν οὐ μή σοι ποιήσει ζημίαν.

Trygaeus: This indeed will bring you no loss.

ἀλλʼ αἶρέ μοι τοῦτόν γε τῆς ἰσωνίας·

Trygaeus: Come, let me take this off your hands for its cost price;

ἐναποπατεῖν γάρ ἐστʼ ἐπιτήδειος πάνυ—

Trygaeus: for it is extremely suitable to defecate into—

παῦσαί μʼ ὑβρίζων τοῖς ἐμοῖσι χρήμασιν.

Arms-seller: Stop insulting my property!

1230

ὡδὶ παραθέντι τρεῖς λίθους. οὐ δεξιῶς;

Trygaeus: placing three stones beside it like this. Isn’t that clever?

ποίᾳ δʼ ἀποψήσει ποτʼ ὦμαθέστατε;

Arms-seller: And how will you wipe yourself, you utter ignoramus?

τῃδὶ διεὶς τὴν χεῖρα διὰ τῆς θαλαμιᾶς

Trygaeus: By putting my hand through this port-hole here,

καὶ τῇδʼ.

Trygaeus: and through this one here.

ἅμʼ ἀμφοῖν δῆτʼ;

Arms-seller: What, with both hands at once?

ἔγωγε νὴ Δία,

Trygaeus: I would, by Zeus,

ἵνα μή γʼ ἁλῶ τρύπημα κλέπτων τῆς νεώς.⁴

Trygaeus: so that I don’t get caught stealing the ship’s port-hole.

1235

ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ δεκάμνῳ χεσεῖ καθήμενος;

Arms-seller: Then you’ll sit and shit on a ten-minae vessel?

ἔγωγε νὴ Δίʼ ὦπίτριπτʼ. οἴει γὰρ ἂν

Trygaeus: Indeed I would, by Zeus, you scoundrel. Do you think

τὸν πρωκτὸν ἀποδόσθαι με χιλιῶν δραχμῶν;

Trygaeus: I would sell my backside for less than a thousand drachmas?

ἴθι δὴ ʼξένεγκε τἀργύριον.

Arms-seller: Come on then, bring out the money.

ἀλλʼ ὦγαθὲ

Trygaeus: But, my good fellow,

θλίβει τὸν ὄρρον. ἀπόφερʼ, οὐκ ὠνήσομαι.

Trygaeus: it pinches my rump. Take it away, I won’t buy it.

1240

τί δʼ ἆρα τῇ σάλπιγγι τῇδε χρήσομαι,

Arms-seller: Then what shall I do with this trumpet,

ἣν ἐπριάμην δραχμῶν ποθʼ ἑξήκοντʼ ἐγώ;

Arms-seller: sixty drachmas for which I paid?

μόλυβδον ἐς τουτὶ τὸ κοῖλον ἐγχέας

Trygaeus: By pouring lead into this hollow part,

ἔπειτʼ ἄνωθεν ῥάβδον ἐνθεὶς ὑπόμακρον,

Trygaeus: and then inserting a rather long rod from above,

γενήσεταί σοι τῶν κατακτῶν κοττάβων.

Trygaeus: you will have a device for playing the hanging kottabos.

1245

οἴμοι καταγελᾷς.

Arms-seller: Alas, you are mocking me.

ἀλλʼ ἕτερον παραινέσω.

Trygaeus: No, I will give you another suggestion.

τὸν μὲν μόλυβδον, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ἔγχεον,

Trygaeus: Pour in the lead, just as I said,

ἐντευθενὶ δὲ σπαρτίοις ἠρτημένην

Trygaeus: and attach a scale-pan suspended by cords from here,

πλάστιγγα πρόσθες, καὐτό σοι γενήσεται

Trygaeus: and you will have a balance

τὰ σῦκʼ ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῖς οἰκέταισιν ἱστάναι.

Trygaeus: to weigh out figs for the servants in the field.

1250

ὦ δυσκάθαρτε δαῖμον ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας,

Arms-seller: O wretched spirit, how you have ruined me,

ὅτʼ ἀντέδωκά γʼ ἀντὶ τῶνδε μνᾶν ποτέ·

Arms-seller: when I once paid a mina in exchange for these!

καὶ νῦν τί δράσω; τίς γὰρ αὔτʼ ὠνήσεται;

Arms-seller: And now what shall I do? Who will buy them?

πώλει βαδίζων αὐτὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις·

Trygaeus: Go and sell them to the Egyptians;

ἔστιν γὰρ ἐπιτήδεια συρμαίαν μετρεῖν.

Trygaeus: they are very convenient for measuring out their purgative juice.

1255

οἴμʼ ὦ κρανοποίʼ ὡς ἀθλίως πεπράγαμεν.

Arms-seller: Oh, helmet-maker, how miserably we have fared!

οὗτος μὲν οὐ πέπονθεν οὐδέν.

Trygaeus: This man has suffered nothing.

ἀλλὰ τί

Helmet-seller: But what

ἔτʼ ἐστὶ τοῖσι κράνεσιν ὅ τι τις χρήσεται;

Helmet-seller: is there left for anyone to do with these helmets?

ἐὰν τοιαυτασὶ μάθῃ λαβὰς ποιεῖν,

Trygaeus: If you learn to make handles like these on them,

ἄμεινον ἢ νῦν αὔτʼ ἀποδώσεται πολύ.

Trygaeus: you will sell them for much more than you do now.

1260

ἀπίωμεν ὦ δορυξέ.

Helmet-seller: Let’s go, spear-maker.

μηδαμῶς γʼ, ἐπεὶ

Trygaeus: No, by no means, since

τούτῳ γʼ ἐγὼ τὰ δόρατα ταῦτʼ ὠνήσομαι.

Trygaeus: I will buy these spears from him.

πόσον δίδως δῆτʼ;

Spear-seller: How much will you give then?

εἰ διαπρισθεῖεν δίχα,

Trygaeus: If they were sawn in two,

λάβοιμʼ ἂν αὔτʼ ἐς χάρακας ἑκατὸν τῆς δραχμῆς.

Trygaeus: I would take them as vine-props at a drachma for a hundred.

ὑβριζόμεθα. χωρῶμεν ὦ τᾶν ἐκποδών.

Spear-seller: We are being insulted! Let’s get out of the way, my friend.

1265

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ, ὡς τὰ παιδίʼ ἤδη ʼξέρχεται

Trygaeus: By Zeus, yes, for the children of the guests are already coming out

οὐρησόμενα τὰ τῶν ἐπικλήτων δεῦρʼ, ἵνα

Trygaeus: here to relieve themselves, so that they can,

ἅττʼ ᾄσεται προαναβάληταί μοι δοκεῖ.

Trygaeus: I believe, rehearse beforehand what they are going to sing.

Syntax notes4 items

1187ὧν
The relative pronoun ὧν is a neuter plural genitive referring back to the unjust actions of the military officers (such as the arbitrary manipulation of the muster-rolls) described in §1180-1186.
1193ταυτῃί
Feminine dative singular of the demonstrative αὑτηί (with the deictic suffix -i). It refers to some object Trygaios is holding on stage (likely a useless piece of military gear, implied by a feminine noun) which he instructs to be used as a rag for wiping the tables.
1211λοφᾷς
Second-person singular present of the verb λοφάω, meaning 'to wear a crest.' It parodies verbs ending in -άω associated with diseases (like 'to have a fever,' πυρετάω), humorously suggesting that the merchant is suffering from a 'crest-fever' or 'crest-disease.'
1234τρύπημα κλέπτων τῆς νεώς
Literally 'stealing the hole of the ship.' This refers to a vulgar nautical slang or pun popular among Athenian rowers, hinting at cheating or illicit peering through the lowest oar-ports (θαλαμιά) on a trireme.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1187-1267