Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Acharnians §695-777

Plight of Elderly in Court and Megarian's Piglets

Passage 9 of 14 · Greek

Summary

The chorus laments the plight of old men like Thucydides being mistreated in court by young orators and proposes separate trials for the old and young. Meanwhile, Dicaeopolis opens his free market, where a starving Megarian arrives attempting to sell his daughters disguised as piglets.

§695πολλὰ δὴ ξυμπονήσαντα καὶ θερμὸν ἀπο- §696μορξάμενον ἀνδρικὸν ἱδρῶτα δὴ καὶ πολύν, §697ἄνδρʼ ἀγαθὸν ὄντα Μαραθῶνι περὶ τὴν πόλιν;
who has labored much together with you and wiped off much hot, manly sweat, being a brave man for the city at Marathon?
§698εἶτα Μαραθῶνι μὲν ὅτʼ ἦμεν ἐδιώκομεν, §700νῦν δʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν πονηρῶν σφόδρα διωκόμεθα, κᾆτα προσαλισκόμεθα.
Then, when we were at Marathon, we were the pursuers, but now we are pursued indeed by wretched men, and then we are captured besides.
§702πρὸς τάδε τίς ἀντερεῖ Μαρψίας;
To these things, what Marpsias will speak against?
§703τῷ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἄνδρα κυφὸν ἡλίκον Θουκυδίδην §704ἐξολέσθαι συμπλακέντα τῇ Σκυθῶν ἐρημίᾳ, §705τῷδε τῷ Κηφισοδήμῳ τῷ λάλῳ ξυνηγόρῳ;
For how is it reasonable for a bent old man, such as Thucydides, to be ruined, entangled in the Scythian wilderness, by this Kephisodemus, the talkative advocate?
§706ὥστʼ ἐγὼ μὲν ἠλέησα κἀπεμορξάμην ἰδὼν §707ἄνδρα πρεσβύτην ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς τοξότου κυκώμενον, §708ὃς μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἐκεῖνος ἡνίκʼ ἦν Θουκυδίδης, §709οὐδʼ ἂν αὐτὴν τὴν Ἀχαίαν ῥᾳδίως ἠνέσχετο, §710ἀλλὰ κατεπάλαισε μέντἂν πρῶτον Εὐάθλους δέκα, §711κατεβόησε δʼ ἂν κεκραγὼς τοξότας τρισχιλίους, §712περιετόξευσεν δʼ ἂν αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς ξυγγενεῖς.
So that I pitied and wiped away my tears, seeing an elderly man thrown into confusion by an archer, who, by Demeter, when he was that Thucydides, would not easily have tolerated even Achaea herself, but indeed he would have wrestled down ten Evathluses first, and would have shouted down three thousand archers with his cries, and would have shot down his father's kinsmen.
§713ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τοὺς γέροντας οὐκ ἐᾶθʼ ὕπνου τυχεῖν, §714ψηφίσασθε χωρὶς εἶναι τὰς γραφάς, ὅπως ἂν ᾖ §715τῷ γέροντι μὲν γέρων καὶ νωδὸς ὁ ξυνήγορος, §716τοῖς νέοισι δʼ εὐρύπρωκτος καὶ λάλος χὠ Κλεινίου.
But since you do not allow the old to obtain sleep, vote for the lawsuits to be separate, so that for the old man, the advocate may be old and toothless, and for the young, the wide-arsed, talkative son of Cleinias.
§717κἀξελαύνειν χρὴ τὸ λοιπόν, κἂν φύγῃ τις ζημιοῦν, §718τὸν γέροντα τῷ γέροντι, τὸν νέον δὲ τῷ νέῳ.
And for the future, you must banish and, if anyone flees, fine the old by the old, and the young by the young.
§719ὅροι μὲν ἀγορᾶς εἰσιν οἵδε τῆς ἐμῆς.
These indeed are the boundaries of my market.
§720ἐνταῦθʼ ἀγοράζειν πᾶσι Πελοποννησίοις §721ἔξεστι καὶ Μεγαρεῦσι καὶ Βοιωτίοις, §722ἐφʼ ᾧτε πωλεῖν πρὸς ἐμέ, Λαμάχῳ δὲ μή.
Here it is permitted for all Peloponnesians, and Megarians, and Boeotians to trade, on the condition that they sell to me, but not to Lamachus.
§723ἀγορανόμους δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς καθίσταμαι §724τρεῖς τοὺς λαχόντας τούσδʼ ἱμάντας ἐκ Λεπρῶν.
And I establish as market-inspectors of this market these three leather thongs chosen by lot from Leproi.
§725ἐνταῦθα μήτε συκοφάντης εἰσίτω §726μήτʼ ἄλλος ὅστις Φασιανός ἐστʼ ἀνήρ.
Here let no sycophant enter, nor any other man who is a Phasian.
§727ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν στήλην καθʼ ἣν ἐσπεισάμην §728μέτειμʼ, ἵνα στήσω φανερὰν ἐν τἀγορᾷ.
And I will go for the stone tablet according to which I made peace, so that I may set it up in plain sight in the market.
§729ἀγορὰ νʼ Ἀθάναις χαῖρε Μεγαρεῦσιν φίλα.
Hail, market of Athens, dear to Megarians!
§730ἐπόθουν τυ ναὶ τὸν φίλιον ᾇπερ ματέρα.
I have longed for you, by the god of friendship, just as for a mother.
§731ἀλλʼ ὦ πόνηρα κώριʼ ἀθλίω πατρός, §732ἄμβατε ποττὰν μᾶδδαν, αἴ χʼ εὕρητέ πᾶ.
But, O wretched daughters of a miserable father, go up to the barley-cake, if you can find it anywhere.
§733ἀκούετε δή, ποτέχετʼ ἐμὶν τὰν γαστέρα· §734πότερα πεπρᾶσθαι χρῄδδετʼ ἢ πεινῆν κακῶς;
Hear indeed, pay attention with your belly to me: do you wish to be sold, or to starve miserably?
§735πεπρᾶσθαι πεπρᾶσθαι.
To be sold, to be sold!
§736ἐγώνγα καὐτός φαμι.
I indeed say so too.
τίς δʼ οὕτως ἄνους §737ὃς ὑμέ κα πρίαιτο φανερὰν ζαμίαν;
But who would be so foolish as to buy you, an obvious loss?
§738ἀλλʼ ἔστι γάρ μοι Μεγαρικά τις μαχανά, §739χοίρως γὰρ ὑμὲ σκευάσας φασῶ φέρειν.
But indeed I have a certain Megarian trick, for I will disguise you as piglets and say I am bringing you.
§740περίθεσθε τάσδε τὰς ὁπλὰς τῶν χοιρίων.
Put on these hoofs of piglets.
§741ὅπως δὲ δοξεῖτʼ εἶμεν ἐξ ἀγαθᾶς ὑός· §742ὡς ναὶ τὸν Ἑρμᾶν, αἴπερ ἱξεῖτʼ οἴκαδις §743ἄπρατα, πειρασεῖσθε τᾶς λιμῶ κακῶς.
And make sure you seem to be from a good sow; for by Hermes, if you go back home unsold, you will experience terrible hunger.
§744ἀλλʼ ἀμφίθεσθε καὶ ταδὶ τὰ ῥυγχία, §745κἤπειτεν ἐς τὸυ σάκκον ὧδʼ ἐσβαίνετε.
But put on these snouts also, and then enter into the sack thus.
§746ὅπως δὲ γρυλλιξεῖτε καὶ κοΐξετε §747χἠσεῖτε φωνὰν χοιρίων μυστηρικῶν.
And make sure you grunt and squeak, and utter the voice of piglets for the mysteries.
§748ἐγὼν δὲ καρυξῶ Δικαιόπολιν ὅπᾳ· §749Δικαιόπολι, ἦ λῇς πρίασθαι χοιρία;
And I will call out for Dicaeopolis, where he is: "Dicaeopolis!
§750τί; ἀνὴρ Μεγαρικός;
Do you want to buy piglets?" "What?
§750bἀγορασοῦντες ἵκομες. §751πῶς ἔχετε; §751bδιαπεινᾶμες ἀεὶ ποττὸ πῦρ. §752ἀλλʼ ἡδύ τοι νὴ τὸν Δίʼ, ἢν αὐλὸς παρῇ.
A Megarian?" "We have come to buy and sell." "How are you doing?" "We are always starving by the fire." "But that indeed is pleasant, by Zeus, if a flute is present.
§753τί δʼ ἄλλο πράττεθʼ οἱ Μεγαρῆς νῦν; §753bοἷα δή. §754ὅκα μὲν ἐγὼν τηνῶθεν ἐμπορευόμαν, §755ἄνδρες πρόβουλοι τοῦτʼ ἔπραττον τᾷ πόλει, §756ὅπως τάχιστα καὶ κάκιστʼ ἀπολοίμεθα.
What else are you Megarians doing now?" "Such as indeed it is." When I indeed was traveling from there, the commissioners were doing this for the city, so that we might perish as quickly and as miserably as possible.
§757αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ ἀπαλλάξεσθε πραγμάτων. §757bσά μάν; §758τί δʼ ἄλλο Μεγαροῖ;
"Then you will soon be rid of your troubles." "How indeed?" "What else in Megara?
πῶς ὁ σῖτος ὤνιος; §759παρʼ ἁμὶ πολυτίματος ᾇπερ τοὶ θεοί. §760ἅλας οὖν φέρεις; §760bοὐχ ὑμὲς αὐτῶν ἄρχετε; §761οὐδὲ σκόροδα; §761bποῖα σκόροδʼ;
How is grain to be bought?" "With us, highly prized, just like the gods." "Do you bring salt, then?" "Do you not rule over it?" "Nor garlic either?" "What garlic?
ὑμὲς τῶν ἀεί, §762ὅκκʼ ἐσβάλητε, τὼς ἀρωραῖοι μύες §763πάσσακι τὰς ἄγλιθας ἐξορύσσετε. §764τί δαὶ φέρεις; §764bχοίρως ἐγώνγα μυστικάς. §765καλῶς λέγεις· ἐπίδειξον. §765bἀλλὰ μὰν καλαί.
You people always, whenever you invade, like field-mice, dig out the cloves with stakes." "What then do you bring?" "I bring piglets for the mysteries." "You speak well; show them to me." "Indeed, they are beautiful.
§766ἄντεινον αἰ λῇς· ὡς παχεῖα καὶ καλά. §767τουτὶ τί ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα; §767bχοῖρος ναὶ Δία. §768τί λέγεις σύ;
Lift them up, if you wish; how fat and beautiful!" "What in the world is this thing?" "A piglet, by Zeus!" "What do you say?
ποδαπὴ δή ʼστι χοῖρος; §768bΜεγαρικά. §769ἢ οὐ χοῖρός ἐσθʼ ἅδʼ; §769bοὐκ ἔμοιγε φαίνεται. §770οὐ δεινά;
From where is this piglet?" "From Megara." "Is this indeed not a piglet?" "It does not seem so to me." "Is it not terrible?
θᾶσθε τῶδε τὰς ἀπιστίας·
Look at this man's disbelief!
§771οὔ φατι τάνδε χοῖρον εἶμεν.
He says this is not a piglet.
ἀλλὰ μάν, §772αἰ λῇς, περίδου μοι περὶ θυμιτιδᾶν ἁλῶν, §773αἰ μή ʼστιν οὗτος χοῖρος Ἑλλάνων νόμῳ. §774ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπου γε. §774bναὶ τὸν Διοκλέα §775ἐμά γα.
Well indeed, if you wish, wager me some thyme-salted salt, if this is not a piglet by the custom of the Greeks." "But it is indeed a human's!" "Yes, by Diocles, mine indeed!
τὺ δέ νιν εἴμεναι τίνος δοκεῖς;
Whose indeed did you think it was?
§776ἦ λῇς ἀκοῦσαι φθεγγομένας; §776bνὴ τοὺς θεοὺς §777ἔγωγε.
Do you wish to hear it squeak?" "By the gods, I indeed do!"

Notes

  1. 704συμπλακέντα τῇ Σκυθῶν ἐρημίᾳ — The "Scythian wilderness" (Σκυθῶν ἐρημίᾳ) metaphorically represents the helpless, isolated state of the old man in court, while simultaneously making a double entendre that mockingly associates his opponent Kephisodemus with the Athenian public slaves (Scythian archers).
  2. 710κατεπάλαισε μέντἂν — The combination of the particle ἄν with the aorist indicative verb (κατεπάλαισε) expresses the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence. The protasis is implied in the preceding clause ηνίκʼ ἦν Θουκυδίδης ("when he was that Thucydides").
  3. 732ἄμβατε ποττὰν μᾶδδαν — A line in the Megarian dialect, which corresponds to ἀνάβητε πρὸς τὴν μᾶζαν in Attic Greek. Here, ἄμβατε represents ἀνάβητε ("go up / step up"), ποττὰν represents πρὸς τήν, and μᾶδδαν represents μᾶζαν ("barley-cake").

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Acharnians §695-777. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:695-777

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