Handing Over Theoria and Choosing a Sacrifice for Peace — Aristophanes, Peace, lines 846–930b, Greek & English

846

ἐγὼ δʼ ἀποδώσω τήνδε τῇ βουλῇ τέως.

I will deliver this Theoria to the Senate for the time being.

πόθεν δʼ ἔλαβες ταύτας;

But where did you get these women?

ὁπόθεν; ἐκ τοὐρανοῦ.

Where? From heaven.

οὐκ ἂν ἔτι δοίην τῶν θεῶν τριώβολον,

I wouldn’t give even three obols for the gods anymore,

εἰ πορνοβοσκοῦσʼ ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς οἱ βροτοί.

if they keep brothels just like us mortals.

850

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖ ζῶσιν ἀπὸ τούτων τινές.

No, but even there some of them live off these things.

ἄγε νυν ἴωμεν.

Come now, let us go.

εἰπέ μοι, δῶ καταφαγεῖν¹

Tell me, should I give her

ταύτῃ τι;

something to eat?

μηδέν· οὐ γὰρ ἐθελήσει θαγεῖν

Nothing; for she will not wish to eat

οὔτʼ ἄρτον οὔτε μᾶζαν, εἰωθυῖʼ ἀεὶ

either bread or barley cake, being accustomed always

παρὰ τοῖς θεοῖσιν ἀμβροσίαν λείχειν ἄνω.

to lick ambrosia up there with the gods.

855

λείχειν ἄρʼ αὐτῇ κἀνθάδε σκευαστέον.

Then we must prepare something for her to lick here too.

εὐδαιμονικῶς γʼ ὁ πρεσβύτης,

Truly the old man, prosperously,

ὅσα γʼ ὧδʼ ἰδεῖν,

as far as one can see here,

τὰ νῦν τάδε πράττει.

is managing his current affairs.

τί δῆτʼ ἐπειδὰν νυμφίον μʼ ὁρᾶτε λαμπρὸν ὄντα;

What indeed when you see me as a splendid bridegroom?

860

ζηλωτὸς ἔσει, γέρον,

You will be envied, old man,

αὖθις νέος ὢν πάλιν,

being young again once more,

μύρῳ κατάλειπτος.

and anointed with perfume.

οἶμαι. τί δῆθʼ ὅταν ξυνὼν τῶν τιτθίων ἔχωμαι;

I think so. What indeed when, being with her, I hold her breasts?

εὐδαιμονέστερος φανεῖ τῶν Καρκίνου στροβίλων.

You will appear happier than the spinning tops of Carcinus.

865

οὔκουν δικαίως; ὅστις² εἰς

And is it not justly? Since I,

ὄχημα κανθάρου ʼπιβὰς

mounted on the chariot of a dung-beetle,

ἔσωσα τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὥστʼ

saved the Greeks, so that

ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖσιν αὐτοὺς

they all

ἅπαντας ὄντας ἀσφαλῶς

in the countryside, being in safety,

βινεῖν τε καὶ καθεύδειν.

can make love and sleep.

ἡ παῖς λέλουται καὶ τὰ τῆς πυγῆς καλά·

The girl is washed and her buttocks are beautiful;

ὁ πλακοῦς πέπεπται, σησαμῆ ξυμπλάττεται.

the cake is baked, the sesame cake is kneaded.

870

καὶ τἄλλʼ ἁπαξάπαντα· τοῦ πέους δὲ δεῖ.

And all other things too; but we need the member.

ἴθι νυν ἀποδῶμεν τήνδε τὴν Θεωρίαν

Come then, let us deliver this Theoria

ἀνύσαντε τῇ βουλῇ.

as quickly as possible to the Senate.

τίς αὑτηί;

Who is this?

τί φῄς;

What do you say?

αὕτη Θεωρία ʼστίν.

This is Theoria.

ἣν ἡμεῖς ποτε

Whom we once,

ἐπαίομεν Βραυρωνάδʼ ὑποπεπωκότες;

when slightly drunk, used to take to Brauron?

875

σάφʼ ἴσθι, κἀλήφθη γε μόλις.

Know well, and she was caught with difficulty.

ὦ δέσποτα

O master,

ὅσην ἔχει τὴν πρωκτοπεντετηρίδα.

what a grand quinquennial festival of a backside she has.

εἶεν, τίς ἐσθʼ ὑμῶν δίκαιος, τίς ποτε;

Well then, who among you is honest, who indeed?

τίς διαφυλάξει τήνδε τῇ βουλῇ λαβών;

Who will take this woman and guard her for the Senate?

οὗτος τί περιγράφεις;

You there, what are you drawing on the ground?

τὸ δεῖνʼ εἰς Ἴσθμια

Nothing, I am occupying a tent for myself

880

σκηνὴν ἐμαυτοῦ τῷ πέει καταλαμβάνω.

at the Isthmian games with my member.

οὔπω λέγεθʼ ὑμεῖς τίς ὁ φυλάξων. δεῦρο σύ·

You still do not say who will guard her. Come here;

καταθήσομαι γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐς μέσους ἄγων.

for I will bring her and deposit her in the midst myself.

ἐκεινοσὶ νεύει.

That man there is nodding.

τίς;

Who?

ὅστις; Ἀριφράδης,

Who? Ariphrades,

ἄγειν παρʼ αὑτὸν ἀντιβολῶν.

entreating to bring her to his place.

ἀλλʼ ὦ μέλε

But, my dear friend,

885

τὸν ζωμὸν αὐτῆς προσπεσὼν ἐκλάψεται.

he will fall upon her and lap up her juice.

ἄγε δὴ σὺ κατάθου πρῶτα τὰ σκεύη χαμαί.

Come now, you first lay down your gear on the ground.

βουλή, πρυτάνεις, ὁρᾶτε τὴν Θεωρίαν.

Senate, Prytaneis, behold Theoria.

σκέψασθʼ ὅσʼ ὑμῖν ἀγαθὰ παραδώσω φέρων,

See how many good things I bring and hand over to you,

ὥστʼ³ εὐθέως ἄραντας ὑμᾶς τὼ σκέλει

so that immediately lifting up your legs,

890

ταύτης μετέωρα καταγαγεῖν ἀνάρρυσιν.

you can perform her elevation.

τουτὶ δʼ ὁρᾶτʼ ὀπτάνιον ἡμῖν ὡς καλόν.

And see what a beautiful kitchen we have here.

διὰ ταῦτα καὶ κεκάπνικʼ ἄρʼ· ἐνταυθοῖ γὰρ οὖν

For this reason indeed it is smoky; for here

πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τὰ λάσανα τῇ βουλῇ ποτʼ ἦν.

before the war, the Senate once had its gridiron.

ἔπειτʼ ἀγῶνά γʼ εὐθὺς ἐξέσται ποιεῖν

Then immediately it will be possible to hold games,

895

ταύτην ἔχουσιν αὔριον καλὸν πάνυ,

having her tomorrow, a very fine one,

ἐπὶ γῆς παλαίειν, τετραποδηδὸν ἑστάναι,

to wrestle on the ground, to stand on all fours,

πλαγίαν καταβάλλειν, ἐς γόνατα κύβδʼ ἑστάναι,

to throw her on her side, to stand kneeling face down,

καὶ παγκράτιόν γʼ ὑπαλειψαμένοις νεανικῶς

and to play the pancratium, having anointed yourselves vigorously,

παίειν ὀρύττειν πὺξ ὁμοῦ καὶ τῷ πέει·

to strike and gouge both with fists and with the member;

900

τρίτῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦθʼ ἱπποδρομίαν ἄξετε,

and on the third day after this you will hold the horse-race,

ἵνα δὴ κέλης κέλητα παρακελητιεῖ,

where indeed mount will ride upon mount,

ἅρματα δʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἀνατετραμμένα

and chariots overturned upon one another,

φυσῶντα καὶ πνέοντα προσκινήσεται·

puffing and blowing, will clash together;

ἕτεροι δὲ κείσονταί γʼ ἀπεψωλημένοι

and other charioteers will lie with members bared,

905

περὶ ταῖσι καμπαῖς ἡνίοχοι πεπτωκότες.

having fallen around the turns.

ἀλλʼ ὦ πρυτάνεις δέχεσθε τὴν Θεωρίαν.

But, O Prytaneis, receive Theoria.

θέασʼ ὡς προθύμως ὁ πρύτανις παρεδέξατο.

See how eagerly the prytanis received her.

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴ τι προῖκα προσαγαγεῖν σʼ ἔδει,

But you would not have done so if you had to bring some dowry,

ἀλλʼ ηὗρον ἄν σʼ ὑπέχοντα τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν.

but I would have found you holding out your hand for the truce.

910

ἦ χρηστὸς ἀνὴρ πολίτης

Truly he is a good citizen

ἐστὶν ἅπασιν ὅστις

to everyone, whoever

γʼ ἐστὶ τοιοῦτος.

is such a man.

ὅταν τρυγᾶτʼ, εἴσεσθε πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἷός εἰμι.

When you harvest, you will know much better what sort of man I am.

καὶ νῦν σύ γε δῆλος εἶ·

Even now you are clear;

σωτὴρ γὰρ ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις

for you have become a savior

915

γεγένησαι.

to all mankind.

φήσεις ἐπειδὰν ἐκπίῃς οἴνου νέου λεπαστήν.

You will say so when you drink a large cup of new wine.

καὶ πλήν γε τῶν θεῶν ἀεί σʼ ἡγησόμεσθα πρῶτον.

And except for the gods, we will always consider you first.

πολλῶν γὰρ ὑμῖν ἄξιος

For indeed I, Trygaeus of Athmonon,

Τρυγαῖος ἁθμονεὺς ἐγώ,

am worth many things to you,

920

δεινῶν ἀπαλλάξας πόνων

having delivered the common people

τὸν δημότην ὅμιλον,

from terrible labors,

καὶ τὸν γεωργικὸν λεὼν

and the agricultural folk,

Ὑπέρβολόν τε παύσας.

and having put an end to Hyperbolus.

ἄγε δὴ τί νῷν ἐντευθενὶ ποιητέον;

Come then, what must the two of us do next?

τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ ταύτην χύτραις ἱδρυτέον;

What else indeed than to consecrate her with pots?

χύτραισιν, ὥσπερ μεμφόμενον Ἑρμῄδιον;

With pots, like a grumbling little statue of Hermes?

925

τί δαὶ δοκεῖ; βούλεσθε λαρινῷ βοΐ;

What then do you think? Would you like a fat ox?

βοΐ; μηδαμῶς, ἵνα μὴ βοηθεῖν ποι δέῃ.

An ox? By no means, lest we should have to render help somewhere.

ἀλλʼ ὑὶ παχείᾳ καὶ μεγάλῃ;

Then with a fat and large sow?

μὴ μή.

No, no.

τιή;

Why?

ἵνα μὴ γένηται Θεογένους ὑηνία.

Lest there be a swinishness of Theogenes.

τῷ δὴ δοκεῖ σοι δῆτα τῶν λοιπῶν;

With what indeed of the rest does it seem good to you?

ὀί.

With a sheep.

930

ὀί;

A sheep?

ναὶ μὰ Δίʼ.

Yes, by Zeus.

Syntax notes3 items

851bδῶ καταφαγεῖν
The subjunctive δῶ is a deliberative/volitive subjunctive ('should I give?'). The following infinitive καταφαγεῖν expresses purpose, qualifying what is to be given.
865ὅστις
The relative pronoun ὅστις refers to an implied first-person antecedent (Trygaeus himself), which is why the verb within the relative clause is in the first-person singular (ἔσωσα).
889ὥστʼ
The conjunction ὥστε introduces a clause of result. The accusative ὑμᾶς acts as the subject of the infinitive καταγαγεῖν, and the participle ἄραντας agrees in gender, number, and case with this accusative subject.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:846-930b