Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Knights §1016-1086

Cleon and the Sausage-Seller Compete over Oracles

Passage 14 of 18 · Greek

Summary

Cleon and the Sausage-Seller present and interpret various oracles regarding dogs, lions, and naval forces, engaging in a fierce battle of wits to win the favor of Demus.

§1016ἴαχεν ἐξ ἀδύτοιο διὰ τριπόδων ἐριτίμων.
it cried from the sacred sanctuary through the precious tripods.
§1017σῴζεσθαί σʼ ἐκέλευσʼ ἱερὸν κύνα καρχαρόδοντα, §1018ὃς πρὸ σέθεν λάσκων καὶ ὑπὲρ σοῦ δεινὰ κεκραγὼς §1019σοὶ μισθὸν ποριεῖ, κἂν μὴ δρᾷ ταῦτʼ ἀπολεῖται.
He ordered you to protect the sacred sharp-toothed dog, who, barking in front of you and crying out terribly on your behalf, will provide you with pay; and if he does not do this, he will perish.
§1020πολλοὶ γὰρ μίσει σφε κατακρώζουσι κολοιοί.
For many jackdaws, in hatred, croak at him.
§1021ταυτὶ μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι λέγει.
Demus: By Demeter, I don't know what this says.
§1022τί γάρ ἐστʼ Ἐρεχθεῖ καὶ κολοιοῖς καὶ κυνί;
For what has Erechtheus to do with jackdaws and a dog?
§1023ἐγὼ μέν εἰμʼ ὁ κύων· πρὸ σοῦ γὰρ ἀπύω·
Cleon: I am the dog; for I bark in front of you.
§1024σοὶ δʼ εἶπε σῴζεσθαί μʼ ὁ Φοῖβος τὸν κύνα.
And Phoebus told you to protect me, the dog.
§1025οὐ τοῦτό φησʼ ὁ χρησμός, ἀλλʼ ὁ κύων ὁδὶ §1026ὥσπερ θύρας σοῦ τῶν λογίων παρεσθίει.
Sausage-Seller: That's not what the oracle says, but this dog here nibbles away at your oracles, just like gnawing at doors.
§1027ἐμοὶ γάρ ἐστʼ ὀρθῶς περὶ τούτου τοῦ κυνός.
For I have an oracle correctly about this dog.
§1028λέγε νυν· ἐγὼ δὲ πρῶτα λήψομαι λίθον, §1029ἵνα μή μʼ ὁ χρησμὸς τὸ πέος οὑτοσὶ δάκῃ.
Demus: Read it then; and first I will take a stone, lest this oracle—or rather this dog here, bite my penis.
§1030φράζευ Ἐρεχθεΐδη κύνα Κέρβερον ἀνδραποδιστήν, §1031ὃς κέρκῴ σαίνων σʼ ὁπόταν δειπνῇς ἐπιτηρῶν §1032ἐξέδεταί σου τοὔψον, ὅταν σύ ποι ἄλλοσε χάσκῃς· §1033ἐσφοιτῶν τʼ ἐς τοὐπτάνιον λήσει σε κυνηδὸν §1034νύκτωρ τὰς λοπάδας καὶ τὰς νήσους διαλείχων. §1035νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ πολύ γʼ ἄμεινον ὦ Γλάνι.
Sausage-Seller: "Mark well, son of Erechtheus, the dog Cerberus, the kidnapper, who, fawning with his tail, watching you when you dine, will eat up your food when you gape somewhere else; and slipping into the kitchen like a dog, he will secretly lick by night the dishes and the islands." Demus: By Poseidon, much better indeed, O Glanis!
§1036ὦ τᾶν ἄκουσον, εἶτα διάκρινον τόδε.
Cleon: My good friend, listen, and then judge this.
§1037ἔστι γυνή, τέξει δὲ λέονθʼ ἱεραῖς ἐν Ἀθήναις, §1038ὃς περὶ τοῦ δήμου πολλοῖς κώνωψι μαχεῖται §1039ὥστε περὶ σκύμνοισι βεβηκώς· τὸν σὺ φυλάξαι, §1040τεῖχος ποιήσας ξύλινον πύργους τε σιδηροῦς.
"There is a woman, and she shall bear a lion in sacred Athens, who on behalf of the people shall fight with many gnats, as if defending his cubs; guard him, making a wooden wall and iron towers." Do you know what this says?
§1041ταῦτʼ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι λέγει; §1041bμὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω ʼγὼ μὲν οὔ.
Demus: By Apollo, I do not.
§1042ἔφραζεν ὁ θεός σοι σαφῶς σῴζειν ἐμέ· §1043ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀντὶ τοῦ λέοντός εἰμί σοι.
Cleon: The god was telling you clearly to protect me; for I am a lion in place of the lion for you.
§1044καὶ πῶς μʼ ἐλελήθης Ἀντιλέων γεγενημένος;
Demus: And how did I fail to notice that you have become a lion-substitute?
§1045ἓν οὐκ ἀναδιδάσκει σε τῶν λογίων ἑκών, §1046ὃ μόνον σιδηροῦν ἐστι τεῖχος καὶ ξύλον, §1047ἐν ᾧ σε σῴζειν τόνδʼ ἐκέλευσʼ ὁ Λοξίας.
Sausage-Seller: One thing of the oracles he intentionally does not teach you, which alone is the iron wall and wood, in which Loxias ordered you to protect this man.
§1048πῶς δῆτα τοῦτʼ ἔφραζεν ὁ θεός;
Demus: How indeed did the god mean this?
§1048bτουτονὶ §1049δῆσαί σʼ ἐκέλευʼ ἐν πεντεσυρίγγῳ ξύλῳ.
Sausage-Seller: This man here he ordered you to bind in the five-holed wooden stock.
§1050ταυτὶ τελεῖσθαι τὰ λόγιʼ ἤδη μοι δοκεῖ.
Demus: Already these oracles seem to me to be fulfilled.
§1051μὴ πείθου· φθονεραὶ γὰρ ἐπικρώζουσι κορῶναι.
Cleon: Do not believe him; for envious crows are croaking.
§1052ἀλλʼ ἱέρακα φίλει μεμνημένος ἐν φρεσὶν ὅς σοι §1053ἤγαγε συνδήσας Λακεδαιμονίων κορακίνους.
But love the hawk, remembering in your mind, who for you brought the Lacedaemonian crows bound.
§1054τοῦτό γέ τοι Παφλαγὼν παρεκινδύνευσε μεθυσθείς.
Sausage-Seller: At least the Paphlagonian ran this risk when drunk.
§1055Κεκροπίδη κακόβουλε τί τοῦθʼ ἡγεῖ μέγα τοὔργον;
But, ill-advised son of Cecrops, why do you think this a great deed?
§1056καί κε γυνὴ φέροι ἄχθος, ἐπεί κεν ἀνὴρ ἀναθείη· §1057ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν μαχέσαιτο· χέσαιτο γάρ, εἰ μαχέσαιτο.
Even a woman might carry a burden, if a man should put it on her; but she would not fight; for she would crap herself if she fought.
§1058ἀλλὰ τόδε φράσσαι, πρὸ Πύλου Πύλον ἥν σοι ἔφραζεν.
Cleon: But mark this, the Pylos before Pylos which he told you of.
§1059ἔστι Πύλος πρὸ Πύλοιο— §1059bτί τοῦτο λέγει, πρὸ Πύλοιο;
"There is a Pylos before Pylos—" Demus: What does this mean, "before Pylos"?
§1060τὰς πυέλους φησὶν καταλήψεσθʼ ἐν βαλανείῳ.
Sausage-Seller: He says you will seize the tubs in the bath-house.
§1061ἐγὼ δʼ ἄλουτος τήμερον γενήσομαι;
Demus: And am I to go unwashed today?
§1062οὗτος γὰρ ἡμῶν τὰς πυέλους ἀφήρπασεν.
For this man has snatched away our tubs.
§1063ἀλλʼ οὑτοσὶ γάρ ἐστι περὶ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ §1064ὁ χρησμός, ᾧ σε δεῖ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν πάνυ.
Cleon: But this one indeed is about the navy, the oracle, to which you must pay close attention.
§1065προσέχω· σὺ δʼ ἀναγίγνωσκε, τοῖς ναύταισί μου §1066ὅπως ὁ μισθὸς πρῶτον ἀποδοθήσεται.
Demus: I am paying attention; read it, and see that for my sailors their pay is first delivered.
§1067Αἰγεΐδη φράσσαι κυναλώπεκα, μή σε δολώσῃ, §1068λαίθαργον ταχύπουν, δολίαν κερδὼ πολύιδριν. §1069οἶσθʼ ὅ τι ἐστὶν τοῦτο;
Cleon: "Son of Aegeus, beware of the dog-fox, lest it deceive you, the biting-by-stealth, swift-footed, crafty, cunning, very-knowing fox." Do you know what this is?
§1069bΦιλόστρατος ἡ κυναλώπηξ.
Sausage-Seller: Philostratus, the dog-fox.
§1070οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ ναῦς ἑκάστοτε §1071αἰτεῖ ταχείας ἀργυρολόγους οὑτοσί· §1072ταύτας ἀπαυδᾷ μὴ διδόναι σʼ ὁ Λοξίας.
Cleon: It doesn't mean that, but this man is always asking for swift, money-collecting ships; Loxias forbids you to give these.
§1073πῶς δὴ τριήρης ἐστὶ κυναλώπηξ;
Demus: How indeed is a trireme a dog-fox?
§1073bὅπως;
Cleon: How?
§1074ὅτι ἡ τριήρης ἐστὶ χὠ κύων ταχύ.
Because both the trireme and a dog are swift.
§1075πῶς οὖν ἀλώπηξ προσετέθη πρὸς τῷ κυνί;
Demus: Why then was "fox" added to "dog"?
§1076ἀλωπεκίοισι τοὺς στρατιώτας ᾔκασεν, §1077ὁτιὴ βότρυς τρώγουσιν ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις.
Cleon: He likened the soldiers to little foxes, because they eat grapes in the fields.
§1078εἶεν· §1078aτούτοις ὁ μισθὸς τοῖς ἀλωπεκίοισι ποῦ;
Demus: Well then; where is the pay for these little foxes?
§1079ἐγὼ ποριῶ, καὶ τοῦτον ἡμερῶν τριῶν.
Cleon: I will provide it, and that within three days.
§1080ἀλλʼ ἔτι τόνδʼ ἐπάκουσον, ὃν εἶπέ σοι ἐξαλέασθαι §1081χρησμὸν Λητοΐδης, Κυλλήνην, μή σε δολώσῃ.
But listen further to this oracle, which the son of Leto told you to avoid, Cyllene, lest she deceive you.
§1082ποίαν Κυλλήνην;
Demus: What Cyllene?
§1082bτὴν τούτου χεῖρʼ ἐποίησεν §1083Κυλλήνην ὀρθῶς, ὁτιή φησʼ, ἔμβαλε κυλλῇ. §1084οὐκ ὀρθῶς φράζει· τὴν Κυλλήνην γὰρ ὁ Φοῖβος §1085ἐς τὴν χεῖρʼ ὀρθῶς ᾐνίξατο τὴν Διοπείθους.
Cleon: He made this man's hand Cyllene correctly, because he says, "put it into the bent hand." Sausage-Seller: He doesn't explain correctly; for Phoebus rightly hinted at Cyllene with reference to the hand of Diopeithes.
§1086ἀλλὰ γάρ ἐστιν ἐμοὶ χρησμὸς περὶ σοῦ πτερυγωτός,
But indeed I have a winged oracle about you,

Notes

  1. 1026ὥσπερ θύρας σοῦ τῶν λογίων παρεσθίει — The phrase presents a simile where θύρας (accusative) is the direct object of παρεσθίει, while τῶν λογίων (genitive) functions as a partitive genitive ("eating away some of/from the oracles"), comparing Cleon's exploitation of oracles to a dog gnawing on doors.
  2. 1044Ἀντιλέων — While functioning as the proper name "Antileon," this word also plays on the literal meaning "instead of a lion" (ἀντί + λέων) in response to the previous verse. Demus humorously remarks on his failure to notice that Cleon was merely a "lion-substitute" rather than a real lion.
  3. 1053Λακεδαιμονίων κορακίνους — The word κορακῖνος (a species of small fish) is used here as a pun blending with κόραξ (crow/raven), echoing the "crows" (κορῶναι) of the previous line. It refers to the Lacedaemonian captives taken at Sphacteria.
  4. 1083ἔμβαλε κυλλῇ — A pun playing on the phonetic similarity between the dative adjective κυλλῇ ("with a bent/crippled hand") and the place-name Cyllene (Κυλλήνη). Cleon interprets the oracle as referring to a bent hand waiting for a bribe, which the Sausage-Seller refutes in the following lines.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Knights §1016-1086. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1016-1086

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