just as people pour out the wash-water in the evening, "Everyone, get out of the way!" their friends advised them.
§618ὦ δημοκρατία ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνασχετά;
O democracy, are these things indeed to be tolerated?
§619οὐ δῆτʼ ἐὰν μὴ μισθοφορῇ γε Λάμαχος.
Not indeed, unless Lamachus receives pay.
§620ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν πᾶσι Πελοποννησίοις §621ἀεὶ πολεμήσω καὶ ταράξω πανταχῇ §622καὶ ναυσὶ καὶ πεζοῖσι κατὰ τὸ καρτερόν.
But anyway, I indeed will always fight and throw them into confusion everywhere, both with ships and with infantry, to the utmost of my strength.
§623ἐγὼ δὲ κηρύττω γε Πελοποννησίοις §624ἅπασι καὶ Μεγαρεῦσι καὶ Βοιωτίοις §625πωλεῖν ἀγοράζειν πρὸς ἐμέ, Λαμάχῳ δὲ μή.
But I, on the other hand, proclaim to all Peloponnesians, and Megarians, and Boeotians, to buy and sell with me, but not with Lamachus.
The man wins by his words, and persuades the people to change their minds concerning the peace.
ἀλλʼ ἀποδύντες τοῖς ἀναπαίστοις ἐπίωμεν.
But let us strip and advance to the anapaests.
§628ἐξ οὗ γε χοροῖσιν ἐφέστηκεν τρυγικοῖς ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν, §629οὔπω παρέβη πρὸς τὸ θέατρον λέξων ὡς δεξιός ἐστιν· §630διαβαλλόμενος δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐν Ἀθηναίοις ταχυβούλοις, §631ὡς κωμῳδεῖ τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν δῆμον καθυβρίζει, §632ἀποκρίνασθαι δεῖται νυνὶ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους μεταβούλους.
Ever since our teacher has been in charge of comic choruses, he has never yet come forward to the theater to say that he is clever; but being slandered by his enemies among the quick-deciding Athenians, that he makes comedy of our city and insults the people, he now needs to reply to the changeful Athenians.
§633φησὶν δʼ εἶναι πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἄξιος ὑμῖν ὁ ποιητής, §634παύσας ὑμᾶς ξενικοῖσι λόγοις μὴ λίαν ἐξαπατᾶσθαι, §635μήθʼ ἥδεσθαι θωπευομένους, μήτʼ εἶναι χαυνοπολίτας.
And the poet says he is worthy of many good things for you, having stopped you from being too much deceived by foreign words, and from rejoicing when flattered, and from being gullible citizens.
§636πρότερον δʼ ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων οἱ πρέσβεις ἐξαπατῶντες §637πρῶτον μὲν ἰοστεφάνους ἐκάλουν· κἀπειδὴ τοῦτό τις εἴποι, §638εὐθὺς διὰ τοὺς στεφάνους ἐπʼ ἄκρων τῶν πυγιδίων ἐκάθησθε.
For formerly the envoys from the cities, trying to deceive you, first called you "violet-crowned"; and whenever anyone said this, straightway because of the "crowns" you would sit on the tips of your buttocks.
§639εἰ δέ τις ὑμᾶς ὑποθωπεύσας λιπαρὰς καλέσειεν Ἀθήνας, §640ηὕρετο πᾶν ἂν διὰ τὰς λιπαράς, ἀφύων τιμὴν περιάψας.
And if someone, flattering you, called you "shining Athens," he would obtain everything because of the "shining," attaching to you the value of anchovies.
§641ταῦτα ποιήσας πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν αἴτιος ὑμῖν γεγένηται, §642καὶ τοὺς δήμους ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν δείξας ὡς δημοκρατοῦνται.
By doing these things, he has been the cause of many good things for you, and by having shown how the democracies in the cities are governed.
§643τοιγάρτοι νῦν ἐκ τῶν πόλεων τὸν φόρον ὑμῖν ἀπάγοντες §644ἥξουσιν ἰδεῖν ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὸν ποιητὴν τὸν ἄριστον, §645ὅστις παρεκινδύνευσʼ εἰπεῖν ἐν Ἀθηναίοις τὰ δίκαια.
Therefore now, those bringing the tribute to you from the cities will come desiring to see the best poet, who risked speaking what is just among the Athenians.
§646οὕτω δʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς τόλμης ἤδη πόρρω κλέος ἥκει, §647ὅτε καὶ βασιλεὺς Λακεδαιμονίων τὴν πρεσβείαν βασανίζων §648ἠρώτησεν πρῶτα μὲν αὐτοὺς πότεροι ταῖς ναυσὶ κρατοῦσιν, §649εἶτα δὲ τοῦτον τὸν ποιητὴν ποτέρους εἴποι κακὰ πολλά· §650τούτους γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πολὺ βελτίους γεγενῆσθαι §651καὶ τῷ πολέμῳ πολὺ νικήσειν τοῦτον ξύμβουλον ἔχοντας.
And so far has the fame of his daring already reached, that even the Great King, questioning the embassy of the Lacedaemonians, asked them first which of the two sides ruled the sea, and next, which of the two this poet spoke many bad things of; for he said that those men had become much better, and would win by far in the war, having this man as an advisor.
§652διὰ ταῦθʼ ὑμᾶς Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὴν εἰρήνην προκαλοῦνται §653καὶ τὴν Αἴγιναν ἀπαιτοῦσιν· καὶ τῆς νήσου μὲν ἐκείνης §654οὐ φροντίζουσʼ, ἀλλʼ ἵνα τοῦτον τὸν ποιητὴν ἀφέλωνται.
For this reason the Lacedaemonians propose peace to you, and demand Aegina; and for that island indeed they do not care, but they want to take away this poet.
§655ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς τοι μή ποτʼ ἀφῆσθʼ· ὡς κωμῳδήσει τὰ δίκαια· §656φησὶν δʼ ὑμᾶς πολλὰ διδάξειν ἀγάθʼ, ὥστʼ εὐδαίμονας εἶναι, §657οὐ θωπεύων οὐδʼ ὑποτείνων μισθοὺς οὐδʼ ἐξαπατύλλων, §658οὐδὲ πανουργῶν οὐδὲ κατάρδων, ἀλλὰ τὰ βέλτιστα διδάσκων.
But do not ever let him go; for he will make comedy of what is just; and he says he will teach you many good things, so that you are happy, not by flattering, nor by offering bribes, nor by deceiving, nor by playing the knave, nor by drenching with praise, but by teaching what is best.
Therefore let Cleon plot, and let him contrive everything against me.
§661τὸ γὰρ εὖ μετʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ δίκαιον §662ξύμμαχον ἔσται, κοὐ μή ποθʼ ἁλῶ §663περὶ τὴν πόλιν ὢν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος §664δειλὸς καὶ λακαταπύγων.
For the good and the just will be my ally, and I shall never be caught, being concerning the city like him, a coward and a scoundrel.
§665δεῦρο Μοῦσʼ ἐλθὲ φλεγυρὰ πυρὸς ἔχουσα μένος ἔντονος Ἀχαρνική.
Come hither, O Acharnian Muse, having the fiery strength of fire, intense.
§668οἷον ἐξ ἀνθράκων πρινίνων φέψαλος ἀνήλατʼ ἐρεθιζόμενος οὐρίᾳ ῥιπίδι, §670ἡνίκʼ ἂν ἐπανθρακίδες ὦσι παρακείμεναι, §673οἱ δὲ Θασίαν ἀνακυκῶσι λιπαράμπυκα, §674οἱ δὲ μάττωσιν, οὕτω σοβαρὸν ἐλθὲ μέλος ἔντονον ἀγροικότερον §675ὡς ἐμὲ λαβοῦσα τὸν δημότην.
Just as a spark leaps up from holm-oak embers, excited by a favorable fan, whenever small fish are lying nearby to be broiled, and some stir up the shining Thasian sauce, and others knead the dough; so come, a vigorous, intense, rustic song, taking me, your fellow demesman.
§676οἱ γέροντες οἱ παλαιοὶ μεμφόμεσθα τῇ πόλει· §677οὐ γὰρ ἀξίως ἐκείνων ὧν ἐναυμαχήσαμεν §678γηροβοσκούμεσθʼ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ δεινὰ πάσχομεν, §679οἵτινες γέροντας ἄνδρας ἐμβαλόντες ἐς γραφὰς §680ὑπὸ νεανίσκων ἐᾶτε καταγελᾶσθαι ῥητόρων, §681οὐδὲν ὄντας, ἀλλὰ κωφοὺς καὶ παρεξηυλημένους, §682οἷς Ποσειδῶν ἀσφάλειός ἐστιν ἡ βακτηρία·
We old men of ancient times find fault with the city; for not worthily of those sea-fights which we fought are we cared for in our old age by you, but we suffer terrible things, who, throwing old men into lawsuits, allow them to be mocked by young orators, being nothing, but deaf and worn out like old flutes, whose protecting Poseidon is their walking-stick.
Muttering with old age, we stand at the stone of the court, seeing nothing except the darkness of the trial.
§685ὁ δέ, νεανίας ἑαυτῷ σπουδάσας ξυνηγορεῖν, §686ἐς τάχος παίει ξυνάπτων στρογγύλοις τοῖς ῥήμασιν· §687κᾆτʼ ἀνελκύσας ἐρωτᾷ σκανδάληθρʼ ἱστὰς ἐπῶν §688ἄνδρα Τιθωνὸν σπαράττων καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶν.
But he, the young man, eager to advocate for himself, strikes quickly, joining together rounded phrases; and then dragging him up, he questions, setting traps of words, tearing, troubling, and confusing a Tithonus-like man.
§689ὁ δʼ ὑπὸ γήρως μασταρύζει, κᾆτʼ ὀφλὼν ἀπέρχεται, §690εἶτα λύζει καὶ δακρύει καὶ λέγει πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, §691οὗ μʼ ἐχρῆν σορὸν πρίασθαι τοῦτʼ ὀφλὼν ἀπέρχομαι. §692ταῦτα πῶς εἰκότα, γέροντʼ ἀπολέσαι πολιὸν ἄνδρα περὶ κλεψύδραν,
And he, because of old age, mumbles, and then departs having lost his suit, then sobs and weeps, and says to his friends: "I depart having been fined that with which I ought to have bought a coffin." How are these things reasonable, to ruin a grey-haired old man at the water-clock?