§2.16Κράδης ῥαγείσης: κράδη νῦν οὐχ ὁ σύκινος κλάδος, ἀλλ’ ἡ ἀγκυρὶς, ἀφ’ ἧς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἐν ταῖς τραγικαῖς σκηναῖς ἐξαρτῶνται, θεοῦ μιμούμενοι ἐπιφάνειαν, ζωστῆρσι καὶ ταινίαις κατειλημμένοι.
Κράδης ῥαγείσης: "When the branch breaks": "krade" here is not the fig branch, but the hook from which the actors in tragic scenes are suspended, imitating the appearance of a god, secured by belts and bands.
ἐπὶ τῶν προςφανέντων αἰφνιδίως καὶ ἀσχημονούντων.
Said of those who appear suddenly and make an unseemly appearance.
§2.17Εἶτ’ ἐφ’ ὕδωρ κακόν: ἐπὶ τῶν δυςκληρούντων.
Εἶτ’ ἐφ’ ὕδωρ κακόν: "Then to the bad water": said of the unfortunate.
ἐν γὰρ τοῖς δικαστηρίοις τὸ φαυλότατον τῶν ἔργων ἦν ὕδωρ διαμετρεῖν τοῖς δικαζομένοις.
For in the courts, the meanest of tasks was to measure out water for the litigants.
ἐγίνετο δὲ οὗτος ἀπὸ κλήρου.
And this person was chosen by lot.
§2.18Ἠλιθιώτερος τοῦ Πραξίλλας Ἀδώνιδος: Πράξιλλα Σικυωνία μελοποιός· αὕτη τὸν Ἄδωνιν ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν εἰςάγει ἐρωτώμενον ὑπὸ τῶν κάτω, τί κάλλιστον καταλιπὼν ἥκοι, ἀποκρίνασθαι, ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ σικύους καὶ μῆλα. ἠλιθίου γὰρ παραβάλλειν τῷ ἡλίῳ τοὺς σικύους.
Ἠλιθιώτερος τοῦ Πραξίλλας Ἀδώνιδος: "More foolish than Praxilla's Adonis": Praxilla was a lyric poetess of Sicyon; in her poems she introduces Adonis, when asked by those below what most beautiful thing he had left behind when he came, as replying: "the sun, the moon, cucumbers, and apples." For it is the mark of a fool to compare cucumbers to the sun.
§2.19Ἀμελὴς γωνία: χωρίον ἐστὶ περὶ τὴν Αιβύην καλούμενον Ἀμελὴς γωνία.
Ἀμελὴς γωνία: "Neglected Corner": there is a place around Libya called Neglected Corner.
§2.20Ἀσπένδιος κιθαριστής: ἐπὶ τῶν φιλοχρημάτων.
Ἀσπένδιος κιθαριστής: "An Aspendian cithara-player": said of the greedy.
οἱ γὰρ Ἀσπένδιοι τῶν κιθαριστῶν οὐδεμίαν φορὰν ἔξω φέρουσι, πάσας δ’ ἐντὸς ὀργάνων.
For the cithara-players of Aspendus bring no stroke outwards, but all inwards on their instruments.
οὕτω καὶ ὁ φιλοχρήματος οὐδὲν τῶν πέλας ἕνεκα οἰκονομεῖ, ἕλκει δὲ ἐφ’ ἑαυτόν.
In this way, the greedy person also administers nothing for the sake of his neighbors, but drags everything to himself.
§2.21† Εἴ τις περὶ πόλιν αἰγὶς λέγεται: τοὺς ἀνέδην περιϊόντος καὶ πλανωμένους ἐπέσκωπτον,
† Εἴ τις περὶ πόλιν αἰγὶς λέγεται: "If any aegis is spoken of around the city": they used to mock those who went about freely and wandered.
§2.22Εὐρυκλῆς: ἐπὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῖς τινα καταμαντευομένων.
Εὐρυκλῆς: "Eurycles": said of those who prophesy from within themselves.
Εὐρυκλῆς γάρ τις ἐγένετο μάντις ἐγγαστρίμυθος.
For there was a certain Eurycles, a ventriloquist prophet.
§2.23Φώκου ἔρανος: κατὰ τῶν εὐωχίαν συναγόντων ἐπὶ τῷ ἑαυτῶν κακῷ.
Φώκου ἔρανος: "Phocus's feast": against those who gather a banquet to their own hurt.
Φῶκος γὰρ τὴν θυγατέρα ἔχων ἐπίγαμον, πολλῶν αὐτὴν μνηστευομένων, ἐράνους συνῆγεν ἑστιῶν τοὺς μνηστῆρας, καὶ ἀνεβάλλετο τὸν γάμον.
For Phocus, having a daughter of marriageable age, since many were wooing her, gathered feasts, entertaining the suitors, and kept postponing the marriage.
ὀπγισθέντες οὖν ἐκεῖνοι ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ ἀπέκτειναν τὸν Φῶκον.
Therefore, they became angry and killed Phocus at the symposium.
§2.24Τὸ Πέρδικος σκέλος: ὁ Πέρδιξ κάπηλος Ἀθήνησι χωλὸς, καὶ κωμῳδούμενος ἐπὶ χωλότητι.
Τὸ Πέρδικος σκέλος: "Perdix's leg": Perdix was a tavern-keeper in Athens who was lame and was lampooned in comedy for his lameness.
§2.25Οὐχ ἡ Γλαύκου τέχνη: ἐπὶ τῶν εὖ εἰργασμένων καὶ δυςκατανοήτων.
Οὐχ ἡ Γλαύκου τέχνη: "Not the art of Glaucus": said of things well-crafted and difficult to understand.
Γλαῦκος γάρ τις ἐγένετο Σάμιος δημιουργὸς, ὃς πρῶτος σιδήρου κόλλησιν ἐξεῦρεν.
For there was a certain Glaucus, a craftsman of Samos, who first invented the welding of iron.
§2.26Ὡς τῶν Ἀργείων ἀσπίδα καθελὼν σεμνύνεται: λόχον φασὶν εἶναι ἐν Ἄργει ἀσπίδα καλούμενον ἐκ νέων πάνυ ἀκμαζόντων.
Ὡς τῶν Ἀργείων ἀσπίδα καθελὼν σεμνύνεται: "He boasts as if he had taken down the shield of the Argives": they say that there is a cohort in Argos called "Shield," consisting of very vigorous youths.
§2.27Ἀμαλθείας κέρας: ἡ Ῥέα τεκοῦσα τὸν Δία ἔδωκεν Ἀμαλθείᾳ τρέφειν·
Ἀμαλθείας κέρας: "The horn of Amaltheia": Rhea, having given birth to Zeus, gave him to Amaltheia to nurse.
ἡ δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσα γάλα, αἰγὶ ὑπέβαλεν αὐτόν.
She, having no milk, placed him under a goat.
ὅθεν Αἰγίοχος ἐκλήθη.
Hence he was called Aegiochus.
ὁ τοίνυν Ζεὺς τὴν μὲν αἶγα κατηστέρισε· τὸ δὲ ἕτερον τῶν κεράτων αὐτῆς ἀφελὼν παρέσχε τῇ Ἀμαλθείᾳ, παρασκευάσας γίγνεσθαι αὐτῇ ὃ ἂν παρὰ τοῦ κέρατος αἰτήσειε.
Zeus, therefore, placed the goat among the stars; and taking away one of its horns, he gave it to Amaltheia, making it so that whatever she asked of the horn would come to her.
ὅθεν τοὺς εὐδαίμονάς φασιν Ἀμαλθείας κέρας ἔχειν.
Hence they say that fortunate people possess the horn of Amaltheia.
§2.28Ἀφύας πῦρ: ἐπὶ τῶν τέλος ὀξὺ λαμβανόντων.
Ἀφύας πῦρ: "The fire of anchovy": said of things that reach a quick end.
τὴν γὰρ ἀφύαν τάχιστα ἕψεσθαι συμβαίνει.
For it happens that the anchovy boils very quickly.
§2.29Ἀεί τις ἐν Κύδωνος: ἐπὶ τῶν φιλοφρόνως καταδεχομένων τοὺς ξένους.
Ἀεί τις ἐν Κύδωνος: "Always someone is in Cydon's house": said of those who receive guests cordially.
ἀπὸ Κύδωνος Κορινθίου φιλοξένως διατεθέντος.
From Cydon the Corinthian, who was hospitably disposed.
§2.30Τί οὐ γενήσῃ ἰὼν εἰς Ἀρβέλας: Ἀρβέλαι πόλισμα Σικελῶν, εὐεξαπάτητοι δοκοῦντες οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες εἶναι.
Τί οὐ γενήσῃ ἰὼν εἰς Ἀρβέλας: "Why don't you go to Arbela and become something?": Arbela is a town of the Sicels, whose inhabitants are thought to be easily deceived.
§2.31Ἐν Τεμέσῃ ἥρως: ὅτ’ ἀπαιτῶν τις αὐτὸς ὕστερον προςοφείλών εὑρεθῇ, ὁ ἐν Τεμέσῃ γέγονεν ἥρως. Πλουτάρχου παροιμίαι, αἷς Ἀλεξανδρεῖς ἐχρῶντο.
Ἐν Τεμέσῃ ἥρως: "The hero in Temesa": when someone demanding something is himself later found to owe more, he is said to have "become the hero in Temesa." From the Proverbs of Plutarch, which the Alexandrians used.