namely, that the Megarians must remain neither on land, nor in the market, nor on the sea, nor in the heavens.
§535ἐντεῦθεν οἱ Μεγαρῆς, ὅτε δὴ ʼπείνων βάδην, §536Λακεδαιμονίων ἐδέοντο τὸ ψήφισμʼ ὅπως §537μεταστραφείη τὸ διὰ τὰς λαικαστρίας· §538κοὐκ ἠθέλομεν ἡμεῖς δεομένων πολλάκις.
From then on the Megarians, when indeed they were starving by degrees, begged the Lacedaemonians that the decree, the one on account of the three whores, might be turned around; and we were not willing, though they begged many times.
§539κἀντεῦθεν ἤδη πάταγος ἦν τῶν ἀσπίδων.
And from then on there was already the clashing of shields.
§540ἐρεῖ τις, οὐ χρῆν· ἀλλὰ τί ἐχρῆν, εἴπατε.
Someone will say, 'It was not necessary'; but what was necessary, tell me.
§541φέρʼ εἰ Λακεδαιμονίων τις ἐκπλεύσας σκάφει §542ἀπέδοτο φήνας κυνίδιον Σεριφίων, §543καθῆσθʼ ἂν ἐν δόμοισιν;
Come, if some one of the Lacedaemonians, having sailed out in a boat, had denounced and sold a puppy of the Seriphians, would you have sat still at home?
ἦ πολλοῦ γε δεῖ·
Far from it!
§544καὶ κάρτα μέντἂν εὐθέως καθείλκετε §545τριακοσίας ναῦς, ἦν δʼ ἂν ἡ πόλις πλέα §546θορύβου στρατιωτῶν, περὶ τριηράρχου βοῆς, §547μισθοῦ διδομένου, παλλαδίων χρυσουμένων, §548στοᾶς στεναχούσης, σιτίων μετρουμένων, §549ἀσκῶν, τροπωτήρων, κάδους ὠνουμένων, §550σκορόδων, ἐλαῶν, κρομμύων ἐν δικτύοις, §551στεφάνων, τριχίδων, αὐλητρίδων, ὑπωπίων· §552τὸ νεώριον δʼ αὖ κωπέων πλατουμένων, §553τύλων ψοφούντων, θαλαμιῶν τροπουμένων, §554αὐλῶν, κελευστῶν, νιγλάρων, συριγμάτων.
Indeed, you would have most certainly straightway launched three hundred ships, and the city would have been full of the clamor of soldiers, of shouting about the trierarch, of pay being distributed, of Palladia being gilded, of the colonnade groaning, of rations being measured out, of wineskins, of oarloops, of people buying jars, of garlic, of olives, of onions in nets, of garlands, of sprats, of flute-girls, of black eyes; and the dockyard, on the other hand, would have been full of oars being planed, of pegs rattling, of oarport-sleeves being fitted with leather, of flutes, of boatswains, of trills, of whistling.
I know that you would have done these things; but as for Telephus, do we think he would not?
νοῦς ἄρʼ ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔνι.
Then indeed there is no sense in us.
§557ἄληθες ὦπίτριπτε καί μιαρώτατε;
Hemi-Chorus A: Is it true, you scoundrel and most abominable man?
Do you dare to say these things to us, being a beggar, and if there was any informer, did you reproach us?
Hemi-Chorus B: Yes, by Poseidon, and he speaks indeed what he speaks, all just things, and he lies in none of them.
§562εἶτʼ εἰ δίκαια, τοῦτον εἰπεῖν αὔτʼ ἐχρῆν;
Hemi-Chorus A: Then even if they are just, was it necessary for him to say them?
§563ἀλλʼ οὔτι χαίρων ταῦτα τολμήσει λέγειν.
But you shall not rejoice in daring to say these things.
§564οὗτος σὺ ποῖ θεῖς;
Hey you, where are you running?
οὐ μενεῖς;
Will you not stay?
ὡς εἰ θενεῖς §565τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, αὐτὸς ἀρθήσει τάχα.
For if you strike this man, you yourself will soon be lifted up.
Hemi-Chorus A: O Lamachus, looking lightnings, help us, appearing with your terrible crest, O Lamachus, friend and fellow-tribesman!
Whether there is any taxiarches or general or wall-storming man, let him help quickly.
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔχομαι μέσος.
For I am held around the waist.
§572πόθεν βοῆς ἤκουσα πολεμιστηρίας;
Lamachus: From where did I hear a warlike shout?
§573ποῖ χρὴ βοηθεῖν;
Where is it necessary to bring help?
ποῖ κυδοιμὸν ἐμβαλεῖν;
Where to throw confusion?
§574τίς Γοργόνʼ ἐξήγειρεν ἐκ τοῦ σάγματος;
Who has aroused the Gorgon from her shield-case?
§575ὦ Λάμαχʼ ἥρως, τῶν λόφων καὶ τῶν λόχων.
Dicaeopolis: O hero Lamachus, man of crests and cohorts!
Hemi-Chorus A: Lamachus, is it not indeed that this man has for a long time been abusing our whole city?
§577οὗτος σὺ τολμᾷς πτωχὸς ὢν λέγειν τάδε;
Lamachus: Do you dare, being a beggar, to say these things?
Dicaeopolis: O hero Lamachus, but have indulgence, if, being a beggar, I said something and babbled.
§580τί δʼ εἶπας ἡμᾶς;
Lamachus: What did you say of us?
οὐκ ἐρεῖς;
Will you not speak?
Dicaeopolis: I do not yet know; for because of the fear of your armor I am dizzy.
§582ἀλλʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ἀπένεγκέ μου τὴν μορμόνα.
But I entreat you, take away that bugbear from me.
§583ἰδού.
Lamachus: There.
§583bπαράθες νυν ὑπτίαν αὐτὴν ἐμοί.
Dicaeopolis: Now lay it flat for me.
§584κεῖται.
Lamachus: It lies there.
§584bφέρε νυν ἀπὸ τοῦ κράνους μοι τὸ πτερόν.
Dicaeopolis: Now bring me the feather from your helmet.
§585τουτὶ πτίλον σοι.
Lamachus: Here is a feather for you.
Dicaeopolis: Now hold my head, so that I may vomit; for I am disgusted by the crests.
§587οὗτος τί δράσεις;
Lamachus: You there, what will you do?
τῷ πτίλῳ μέλλεις ἐμεῖν;
Are you going to vomit with the feather?
Dicaeopolis: Is it a feather?— Tell me, of what bird is it?
ἆρα κομπολακύθου;
Is it of a brag-cock?
§590οἴμʼ ὡς τεθνήξεις.
Lamachus: Ah, you shall die!
Dicaeopolis: By no means, O Lamachus; for this is not a matter of strength; but if you are strong, why didn't you strip me?
εὔοπλος γὰρ εἶ.
For you are well-armed.
§593ταυτὶ λέγεις σὺ τὸν στρατηγὸν πτωχὸς ὤν;
Lamachus: Do you say these things to the general, being a beggar?
§594ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι πτωχός;
Dicaeopolis: Am I indeed a beggar?
§594bἀλλὰ τίς γὰρ εἶ;
Lamachus: But who then are you?
§595ὅστις;
Dicaeopolis: Who?
πολίτης χρηστός, οὐ σπουδαρχίδης, §596ἀλλʼ ἐξ ὅτου περ ὁ πόλεμος, στρατωνίδης, §597σὺ δʼ ἐξ ὅτου περ ὁ πόλεμος, μισθαρχίδης.
A good citizen, not an office-seeker, but, since the war began, a soldier, but you, since the war began, a pay-seeker.
Lamachus: For they elected me— Dicaeopolis: Yes, three cuckoos.
§599ταῦτʼ οὖν ἐγὼ βδελυττόμενος ἐσπεισάμην, §600ὁρῶν πολιοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας ἐν ταῖς τάξεσιν, §601νεανίας δʼ οἵους σὺ διαδεδρακότας, §602τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης μισθοφοροῦντας τρεῖς δραχμάς, §603Τεισαμενοφαινίππους Πανουργιππαρχίδας, §604ἑτέρους δὲ παρὰ Χάρητι τοὺς δʼ ἐν Χάοσιν, §605Γερητοθεοδώρους Διομειαλαζόνας, §606τοὺς δʼ ἐν Καμαρίνῃ κἀν Γέλα κἀν Καταγέλᾳ.
It is because I am disgusted by these things that I made peace, seeing grey-haired men indeed in the ranks, but young men such as you having run away, some receiving three drachmas as pay in Thrace, Teisamenophenippuses and Panurgipparchidases, others with Chares, and others among the Chaonians, Geretotheodoruses and Diomeialazones, and others in Camarina and Gela and in 'Katagela'.
§607ἐχειροτονήθησαν γάρ.
Lamachus: For they were elected.
Dicaeopolis: But what is the reason that you indeed always receive pay somehow or other, but none of these?
ἐτεὸν ὦ Μαριλάδη §610ἤδη πεπρέσβευκας σὺ πολιὸς ὢν † ἓν ἢ; †
Tell me truly, O Marilades, have you ever served as an envoy, grey-haired as you are?
§611ἀνένευσε· καίτοι γʼ ἐστὶ σώφρων κἀργάτης.
He shook his head; and yet he is prudent and industrious.
§612τί δαὶ Δράκυλλος ἢ Εὐφορίδης ἢ Πρινίδης;
What about Dracyllus or Euphorides or Prinides?
§613εἶδέν τις ὑμῶν τἀκβάτανʼ ἢ τοὺς Χάονας;
Has any of you seen Ecbatana or the Chaonians?
§614οὔ φασιν.
They say no.
ἀλλʼ ὁ Κοισύρας καὶ Λάμαχος, §615οἷς ὑπʼ ἐράνου τε καὶ χρεῶν πρώην ποτέ,
But the son of Coesyra and Lamachus do, to whom, because of club-debts and debts the day before yesterday,