- 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.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:248-325
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
While War plans to crush the Greek cities in his giant mortar, it is revealed that the leading figures of Athens and Sparta (referred to as pestles) have died, stalling his work. Seizing this opportunity, Trygaeus rallies Greeks of all trades to unite and rescue the goddess Peace from her cave, as the Chorus rejoices in ecstatic dance.
βαβαὶ βαβαιὰξ ὡς μεγάλα καὶ δριμέατοῖσι Μεγαρεῦσιν ἐνέβαλεν τὰ κλαύματα.
Oh, oh! How great and sharp are the weepings he has cast upon the Megarians.
ἰὼ Σικελία καὶ σὺ δʼ ὡς ἀπόλλυσαι.
O Sicily, and you too, how you are being destroyed!
οἵα πόλις τάλαινα διακναισθήσεται.
What a wretched city will be ground to pieces!
φέρʼ ἐπιχέω καὶ τὸ μέλι τουτὶ τἀττικόν.
Come, let me pour in this Attic honey too.
οὗτος παραινῶ σοι μέλιτι χρῆσθἀτέρῳ.
Hey you, I advise you to use some other honey.
τετρώβολον τοῦτʼ ἐστί· φείδου τἀττικοῦ.
This costs four obols; spare the Attic.
παῖ παῖ Κυδοιμέ.
Slave, slave, Kydoimos!
τί με καλεῖς;
Why are you calling me?
κλαύσει μακρά.
You shall weep bitterly.
ἕστηκας ἀργός; οὑτοσί σοι κόνδυλος.
Are you standing there idle? Here is a blow of the fist for you.
ὡς δριμύς. οἴμοι μοι τάλας ὦ δέσποτα.
How sharp! Ah, wretched me, O master!
μῶν τῶν σκορόδων1 ἐνέβαλες ἐς τὸν κόνδυλον;
Did you perhaps mix some garlic into the blow?
οἴσεις ἀλετρίβανον τρέχων;
Run and bring me a pestle!
ἀλλʼ ὦ μέλε
But, good master,
οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν· ἐχθὲς εἰσῳκίσμεθα.
we don’t have one; we only moved in yesterday.
οὔκουν παρʼ Ἀθηναίων μεταθρέξει ταχὺ πάνυ;
Then won’t you run very quickly to the Athenians and get one?
ἔγωγε νὴ Δίʼ· εἰ δὲ μή γε, κλαύσομαι.
By Zeus, I will; otherwise, I shall weep.
ἄγε δὴ τί δρῶμεν ὦ πόνηρʼ ἀνθρώπια;
Come now, what are we to do, O wretched little men?
ὁρᾶτε τὸν κίνδυνον ἡμῖν ὡς μέγας·
You see how great the danger is for us;
εἴπερ γὰρ ἥξει τὸν ἀλετρίβανον φέρων,
for if he comes back bringing the pestle,
τούτῳ ταράξει τὰς πόλεις καθήμενος.
he will sit down and stir up the cities with it.
ἀλλʼ ὦ Διόνυσʼ ἀπόλοιτο καὶ μὴ ʼλθοι φέρων.
But, O Dionysus, may he perish and not come back with it!
οὗτος.
Hey.
τί ἔστιν;
What is it?
οὐ φέρεις;
Aren’t you bringing it?
τὸ δεῖνα2 γὰρ
Well, the thing is,
ἀπόλωλʼ Ἀθηναίοισιν ἁλετρίβανος,
the Athenians’ pestle is destroyed,
ὁ βυρσοπώλης, ὃς ἐκύκα τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
that leather-seller who was stirring up Greece.
εὖ γʼ ὦ πότνια δέσποινʼ Ἀθηναία ποιῶν
Well done, O sovereign Lady Athena!
ἀπόλωλʼ ἐκεῖνος κἀν δέοντι τῇ πόλει,
He has perished indeed at a most opportune moment for the city,
ἢ πρίν γε τὸν μυττωτὸν ἡμῖν ἐγχέαι.
before he could pour that garlic-sauce over us.
οὔκουν ἕτερον δῆτʼ ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος μέτει
Won’t you then go quickly and fetch another from Lacedaemon?
ἀνύσας τι;b ταῦτʼ ὦ δέσποθʼ.
Right away, master.
ἧκέ νυν ταχύ.
Come back quickly then.
ὦνδρες τί πεισόμεσθα; νῦν ἀγὼν μέγας.
Citizens, what will become of us? Now is the great struggle.
ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ὑμῶν ἐν Σαμοθρᾴκῃ τυγχάνει
But if any of you happen to be initiated
μεμυημένος, νῦν ἐστιν εὔξασθαι καλὸν
in Samothrace, now is a good time to pray
ἀποστραφῆναι τοῦ μετιόντος τὼ πόδε.3
that the feet of the one who is going to fetch it may be turned back.
οἴμοι τάλας, οἴμοι γε κἄτʼ οἴμοι μάλα.
Oh, wretched me, oh indeed, and oh again!
τί ἔστι; μῶν οὐκ αὖ φέρεις;
What is it? Are you not bringing it again?
ἀπόλωλε γὰρ
Well, it is destroyed too,
καὶ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοισιν ἁλετρίβανος.
the Lacedaemonians’ pestle as well.
πῶς ὦ πανοῦργʼ;
How so, you rascal?
ἐς τἀπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία
In the regions of Thrace,
χρήσαντες ἑτέροις αὐτὸν εἶτʼ ἀπώλεσαν.
they lent him to others and then lost him.
εὖ γʼ εὖ γε ποιήσαντες ὦ Διοσκόρω.
Well done, well done, O Dioscuri!
ἴσως ἂν εὖ γένοιτο· θαρρεῖτʼ ὦ βροτοί.
Perhaps things will turn out well. Take heart, O mortals!
ἀπόφερε τὰ σκεύη λαβὼν ταυτὶ πάλιν·
Take these utensils and carry them back inside;
ἐγὼ δὲ δοίδυκʼ εἰσιὼν ποιήσομαι.
and I will go inside and make a pestle myself.
νῦν τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἥκει τὸ Δάτιδος μέλος,
Now has come that famous song of Datis,
ὃ δεφόμενός ποτʼ ᾖδε τῆς μεσημβρίας,
which he used to sing at midday while masturbating:
ὡς ἥδομαι καὶ χαίρομαι κεὐφραίνομαι.
”How I am pleased, and rejoiced, and delighted!”
νῦν ἐστιν ἡμῖν ὦνδρες Ἕλληνες καλὸν
Now, O Greek men, is a good time for us,
ἀπαλλαγεῖσι πραγμάτων τε καὶ μαχῶν
having got rid of troubles and battles,
ἐξελκύσαι τὴν πᾶσιν Εἰρήνην φίλην,
to drag out Peace, dear to all,
πρὶν ἕτερον αὖ δοίδυκα κωλῦσαί τινα.
before some other pestle prevents us again.
ἀλλʼ ὦ γεωργοὶ κἄμποροι καὶ τέκτονες
Come, farmers, merchants, carpenters,
καὶ δημιουργοὶ καὶ μέτοικοι καὶ ξένοι
craftsmen, resident aliens, strangers,
καὶ νησιῶται, δεῦρʼ ἴτʼ ὦ πάντες λεῴ,
and islanders, come hither, all you peoples!
ὡς τάχιστʼ ἄμας λαβόντες καὶ μοχλοὺς καὶ σχοινία·
As quickly as possible, taking shovels, levers, and ropes;
νῦν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἁρπάσαι πάρεστιν ἀγαθοῦ δαίμονος.4
for now we may snatch the cup of the Good Daemon.
δεῦρο πᾶς χώρει προθύμως εὐθὺ τῆς σωτηρίας.
Come hither, everyone, eagerly straight towards salvation!
ὦ Πανέλληνες βοηθήσωμεν, εἴπερ πώποτε,
O Panhellenes, let us help, if ever before,
τάξεων ἀπαλλαγέντες καὶ κακῶν φοινικικῶν·
having rid ourselves of ranks and scarlet evils;
ἡμέρα γὰρ ἐξέλαμψεν ἥδε μισολάμαχος.
for this day, which hates battle, has shone forth.
πρὸς τάδʼ ἡμῖν, εἴ τι χρὴ δρᾶν, φράζε κἀρχιτεκτόνει·
To this end, tell us if we must do anything, and be our architect;
οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ἀπειπεῖν ἂν δοκῶ μοι τήμερον,
for there is no way I think I would give up today,
πρὶν μοχλοῖς καὶ μηχαναῖσιν ἐς τὸ φῶς ἀνελκύσαι
until with levers and machines we drag up into the light
τὴν θεῶν πασῶν μεγίστην καὶ φιλαμπελωτάτην.
the greatest of all goddesses, and the one who loves vineyards most.
οὐ σιωπήσεσθʼ, ὅπως μὴ5 περιχαρεῖς τῷ πράγματι
Will you not be silent, lest in your great joy at this matter
τὸν Πόλεμον ἐκζωπυρήσετʼ ἔνδοθεν κεκραγότες;
you rekindle War from within by shouting?
ἀλλʼ ἀκούσαντες τοιούτου χαίρομεν κηρύγματος.
But we rejoice at hearing such a proclamation.
οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἔχοντας ἥκειν σιτίʼ ἡμερῶν τριῶν.
For it was not a command to come carrying three days’ rations.
εὐλαβεῖσθέ νυν ἐκεῖνον τὸν κάτωθεν Κέρβερον,
Take care then of that Cerberus below,
μὴ παφλάζων καὶ κεκραγὼς ὥσπερ ἡνίκʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἦν,
lest, foaming and shouting as when he was here,
ἐμποδὼν ἡμῖν γένηται τὴν θεὸν μὴ ʼξελκύσαι.
he get in our way and prevent us from dragging out the goddess.
οὔτι καὶ νῦν ἔστιν αὐτὴν ὅστις ἐξαιρήσεται,
There is no one who shall snatch her away now,
ἢν ἅπαξ ἐς χεῖρας ἔλθῃ τὰς ἐμάς. ἰοῦ ἰοῦ.
if once she comes into my hands. Io, io!
ἐξολεῖτέ μʼ ὦνδρες, εἰ μὴ τῆς βοῆς ἀνήσετε·
You will destroy me, men, unless you cease from your shouting;
ἐκδραμὼν γὰρ πάντα ταυτὶ συνταράξει τοῖν ποδοῖν.
for he will run out and stir up all this with his two feet.
ὡς κυκάτω καὶ πατείτω πάντα καὶ ταραττέτω,
Let him stir up and trample everything and throw it into confusion!
οὐ γὰρ ἂν χαίροντες ἡμεῖς τήμερον παυσαίμεθʼ ἄν.
For we would not cease from rejoicing today.
τί τὸ κακόν; τί πάσχετʼ ὦνδρες; μηδαμῶς πρὸς τῶν θεῶν
What is the trouble? What is the matter with you, men? By the gods,
πρᾶγμα κάλλιστον διαφθείρητε διὰ τὰ σχήματα.
do not ruin a most beautiful enterprise because of your postures.
ἀλλʼ ἔγωγʼ οὐ σχηματίζειν βούλομʼ, ἀλλʼ ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς
But I do not wish to strike postures, but out of joy,
οὐκ ἐμοῦ κινοῦντος6 αὐτὼ τὼ σκέλει χορεύετον.
though I am not moving them, my two legs are dancing.
- 258μῶν τῶν σκορόδων
Garlic (σκορόδων) is a famous product of Megara. This plays on the double meaning of δριμύς (sharp, pungent) applied both to War's blow and the garlic, referring to the preceding threat of Megara being crushed.
- 268dτὸ δεῖνα
A colloquial idiom used when a speaker hesitates, forgets a word, or introduces awkward news (meaning 'what-d'you-call-it' or 'you know'). Here, Kydoimos hesitates before delivering the bad news.
- 278–279εὔξασθαι καλὸν / ἀποστραφῆναι τοῦ μετιόντος τὼ πόδε
The phrase εὔξασθαι καλὸν ('it is a good time to pray') is followed by an infinitive clause representing the prayer's content: ἀποστραφῆναι ('to be turned back') with τὼ πόδε ('two feet', dual) as its subject accusative, modified by the genitive τοῦ μετιόντος ('of the one going to fetch').
- 300ἀγαθοῦ δαίμονος
Genitive of the 'Good Daemon' (ἀγαθὸς δαίμων). It refers to the custom of drinking a cup of unmixed wine to the Good Daemon at the end of meals, here metaphorically meaning to seize a stroke of good fortune.
- 309–310οὐ σιωπήσεσθʼ, ὅπως μή...
A strong command expressed by οὐ + future indicative (οὐ σιωπήσεσθε, 'Will you not be silent?'), followed by a caution clause introduced by ὅπως μή + future indicative (ἐκζωπυρήσετε, 'lest you rekindle').
- 325οὐκ ἐμοῦ κινοῦντος
A genitive absolute clause (οὐκ ἐμοῦ κινοῦντος) meaning 'though I am not moving them.' While the main subject is the dual noun αὐτὼ τὼ σκέλει ('my two legs') with the dual verb χορεύετον ('they dance'), this participle phrase expresses that the movement occurs involuntarily.