Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Knights §1087-1180

The Offering Contest and Demus Pretended Gullibility

Passage 15 of 18 · Greek

Summary

Persuaded by the Sausage-Seller's favorable interpretation of the oracles, Demus decides to entrust himself to him, prompting a race of offerings between the two rivals. Through a lyrical dialogue with the Chorus, Demus reveals that his apparent gullibility is actually a calculated strategy to fatten corrupt politicians before punishing them.

§1087αἰετὸς ὡς γίγνει καὶ πάσης γῆς βασιλεύεις. §1088καὶ γὰρ ἐμοί· καὶ γῆς καὶ τῆς ἐρυθρᾶς γε θαλάσσης, §1089χὤτι γʼ ἐν Ἐκβατάνοις δικάσεις, λείχων ἐπίπαστα. §1090ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ εἶδον ὄναρ, καί μοὐδόκει ἡ θεὸς αὐτὴ §1091τοῦ δήμου καταχεῖν ἀρυταίνῃ πλουθυγίειαν.
you become an eagle and rule over all the earth. indeed mine says: over the earth and the Red Sea too, that you will judge in Ecbatana, licking sweets. I saw a dream, and it seemed to me that the Goddess herself wealth-and-health over the people with a ladle. Zeus, so did I!
§1092νὴ Δία καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ· καί μοὐδόκει ἡ θεὸς αὐτὴ §1093ἐκ πόλεως ἐλθεῖν καὶ γλαῦξ αὐτῇ ʼπικαθῆσθαι· §1094εἶτα κατασπένδειν κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀρυβάλλῳ §1095ἀμβροσίαν κατὰ σοῦ, κατὰ τούτου δὲ σκοροδάλμην. §1096ἰοὺ ἰού. §1097οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὐδεὶς τοῦ Γλάνιδος σοφώτερος. §1098καὶ νῦν ἐμαυτὸν ἐπιτρέπω σοι τουτονὶ §1099γερονταγωγεῖν κἀναπαιδεύειν πάλιν. §1100μήπω γʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀνάμεινον, ὡς ἐγὼ §1101κριθὰς ποριῶ σοι καὶ βίον καθʼ ἡμέραν. §1102οὐκ ἀνέχομαι κριθῶν ἀκούων· πολλάκις §1103ἐξηπατήθην ὑπό τε σοῦ καὶ Θουφάνους. §1104ἀλλʼ ἄλφιτʼ ἤδη σοι ποριῶ ʼσκευασμένα. §1105ἐγὼ δὲ μαζίσκας γε διαμεμαγμένας §1106καὶ τοὔψον ὀπτόν· μηδὲν ἄλλʼ εἰ μὴ ʼσθιε. §1107ἀνύσατέ νυν ὅ τι περ ποιήσεθʼ· ὡς ἐγώ, §1108ὁπότερος ἂν σφῷν νῦν με μᾶλλον εὖ ποιῇ, §1109τούτῳ παραδώσω τῆς πυκνὸς τὰς ἡνίας. §1110τρέχοιμʼ ἂν εἴσω πρότερος. §1110bοὐ δῆτʼ ἀλλʼ ἐγώ. §1111ὦ Δῆμε καλήν γʼ ἔχεις §1112ἀρχήν, ὅτε πάντες ἄνθρωποι §1113δεδίασί σʼ ὥσπερ §1114ἄνδρα τύραννον. §1115ἀλλʼ εὐπαράγωγος εἶ, §1116θωπευόμενός τε χαίρεις §1117κἀξαπατώμενος, §1118πρὸς τόν τε λέγοντʼ ἀεὶ §1119κέχηνας· ὁ νοῦς δέ σου §1120παρὼν ἀποδημεῖ. §1121νοῦς οὐκ ἔνι ταῖς κόμαις §1122ὑμῶν, ὅτε μʼ οὐ φρονεῖν §1123νομίζετʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ ἑκὼν §1124ταῦτʼ ἠλιθιάζω. §1125αὐτός τε γὰρ ἥδομαι §1126βρύλλων τὸ καθʼ ἡμέραν, §1127κλέπτοντά τε βούλομαι §1128τρέφειν ἕνα προστάτην· §1129τοῦτον δʼ, ὅταν ᾖ πλέως, §1130ἄρας ἐπάταξα. §1131χοὔτω μὲν ἂν εὖ ποιοῖς, §1132εἴ σοι πυκνότης ἔνεστʼ §1133ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ, ὡς λέγεις, §1134τούτῳ πάνυ πολλή, §1135εἰ τούσδʼ ἐπίτηδες ὥσπερ §1136δημοσίους τρέφεις §1137ἐν τῇ πυκνί, κᾆθʼ ὅταν §1138μή σοι τύχῃ ὄψον ὄν, §1139τούτων ὃς ἂν ᾖ παχύς, §1140θύσας ἐπιδειπνεῖς. §1141σκέψασθε δέ μʼ, εἰ σοφῶς §1142αὐτοὺς περιέρχομαι §1143τοὺς οἰομένους φρονεῖν §1144κἄμʼ ἐξαπατύλλειν. §1145τηρῶ γὰρ ἑκάστοτʼ αὐτοὺς §1146οὐδὲ δοκῶν ὁρᾶν §1147κλέπτοντας· ἔπειτʼ ἀναγκάζω §1148πάλιν ἐξεμεῖν §1149ἅττʼ ἂν κεκλόφωσί μου, §1150κημὸν καταμηλῶν. §1151ἄπαγʼ ἐς μακαρίαν ἐκποδών. §1151bσύ γʼ ὦ φθόρε. §1152ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐγὼ μέντοι παρεσκευασμένος §1153τρίπαλαι κάθημαι βουλόμενός σʼ εὐεργετεῖν. §1154ἐγὼ δὲ δεκάπαλαί γε καὶ δωδεκάπαλαι §1155καὶ χιλιόπαλαι καὶ προπαλαιπαλαίπαλαι. §1156ἐγὼ δὲ προσδοκῶν γε τρισμυριόπαλαι §1157βδελύττομαί σφω καὶ προπαλαιπαλαίπαλαι. §1158οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον; §1158bεἰ δὲ μή, φράσεις γε σύ. §1159ἄφες ἀπὸ βαλβίδων ἐμέ τε καὶ τουτονί, §1160ἵνα σʼ εὖ ποιῶμεν ἐξ ἴσου. §1160bδρᾶν ταῦτα χρή. §1161ἄπιτον. §1161bἰδού. §1161cθέοιτʼ ἄν. §1161dὑποθεῖν οὐκ ἐῶ. §1162ἀλλʼ ἢ μεγάλως εὐδαιμονήσω τήμερον §1163ὑπὸ τῶν ἐραστῶν νὴ Δίʼ ἢ ʼγὼ θρύψομαι. §1164ὁρᾷς; ἐγώ σοι πρότερος ἐκφέρω δίφρον. §1165ἀλλʼ οὐ τράπεζαν, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ προτεραίτερος. §1166ἰδοὺ φέρω σοι τήνδε μαζίσκην ἐγὼ §1167ἐκ τῶν ὀλῶν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου μεμαγμένην. §1168ἐγὼ δὲ μυστίλας μεμυστιλημένας §1169ὑπὸ τῆς θεοῦ τῇ χειρὶ τἠλεφαντίνῃ. §1170ὡς μέγαν ἄρʼ εἶχες ὦ πότνια τὸν δάκτυλον. §1171ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτνος γε πίσινον εὔχρων καὶ καλόν· §1172ἐτόρυνε δʼ αὔθʼ ἡ Παλλὰς ἡ Πυλαιμάχος. §1173ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐναργῶς ἡ θεός σʼ ἐπισκοπεῖ, §1174καὶ νῦν ὑπερέχει σου χύτραν ζωμοῦ πλέαν. §1175οἴει γὰρ οἰκεῖσθʼ ἂν ἔτι τήνδε τὴν πόλιν, §1176εἰ μὴ φανερῶς ἡμῶν ὑπερεῖχε τὴν χύτραν; §1177τουτὶ τέμαχός σοὔδωκεν ἡ Φοβεσιστράτη. §1178ἡ δʼ Ὀβριμοπάτρα γʼ ἑφθὸν ἐκ ζωμοῦ κρέας §1179καὶ χόλικος ἠνύστρου τε καὶ γαστρὸς τόμον. §1180καλῶς γʼ ἐποίησε τοῦ πέπλου μεμνημένη.
And it seemed to me that the Goddess herself down from the Acropolis, and an owl was perched on her; then she poured from an aryballos over your head over you, but garlic-sauce over this fellow., hurrah! was indeed no one wiser than Glanis. now I entrust myself to you, this man here, guide my old age and re-educate me again.: Not yet, I beg you, but wait, so that I provide you barley and daily livelihood.: I cannot bear hearing of barley; many times was deceived by both you and Thuphanes.: But I will provide you barley-meal already prepared.: And I, barley-cakes nicely kneaded hot relish; do nothing else but eat!: Hurry up then, whatever you are going to do; as for me, of you two treats me better now, him I will hand over the reins of the Pnyx.: I would run inside first!: Certainly not, but I!: O Demus, you have a beautiful, since all men you like tyrant ruler. you are easily led astray, you rejoice in being flattered deceived, to whoever is speaking at the moment gape; and your mind, present, is abroad.: There is no mind in your long hair people, when you think I have no sense; I voluntarily the fool like this. I myself enjoy every day, I want to keep leader who steals; when he is full, lift him up and smash him.: And in this way you would do well, there is shrewdness in you your character, as you say, much of it indeed, you intentionally feed these men like victims the Pnyx, and then whenever happen to have no meat, of them is fat, sacrifice and feast on him.: And look at me, how wisely outwit them, who think they are clever are deceiving me. I watch them each time, not even to see stealing; then I force them vomit back up they have stolen from me, pushing down the probe.: Go to hell out of my way!: You go, you pest!: O Demus, indeed I have been sitting here prepared a long time, wishing to benefit you.: And I for ten times as long, and twelve times, a thousand times, and long, long, long ago!: And I, waiting for thirty thousand times as long, you both, and did so long, long, long ago! you know then what you should do?: If not, you will tell me. me and this man start from the starting lines, that we may treat you well on equal terms.: That is what we must do. then! and Sausage-Seller: Ready!: Run!: I won't let you trip me up!: Either I shall be greatly happy today my lovers, by Zeus, or I shall be extremely spoiled.: Do you see? I am bringing out a stool for you first.: But not a table! I am even earlier with that.: Look, I bring you this barley-cake, from the barley-groats from Pylos.: And I, hollowed-out bread-spoons spooned out the Goddess with her ivory hand.: How big a finger you indeed had, O mistress!: And I, a pea-soup, beautiful and of good color; the Gate-fighter stirred it herself.: O Demus, the Goddess clearly watches over you, now she holds over you a pot full of broth.: Do you think indeed this city would still be inhabited, she did not openly hold her pot over us?: This slice of fish Phobesistrate gave you.: And Obrimopatra boiled meat from broth a slice of tripe, abomasum, and belly.: She did well indeed, remembering her robe.

Notes

  1. 1099γερονταγωγεῖν — The verb γερονταγωγεῖν (to lead an old man) is a comic coinage modeled after παιδαγωγέω (to lead a child). The infinitives γερονταγωγεῖν and κἀναπαιδεύειν (to re-educate) depend on the main verb ἐπιτρέπω (to entrust), expressing purpose or consequence.
  2. 1121ὑμῶν — The second-person plural genitive ὑμῶν directly refers to the Chorus (the Knights) in response to their preceding strophe. In contrast, the Chorus had addressed Demus in the singular (εἶ, χαίρεις, etc.), showing the symmetrical dialogic structure.
  3. 1150καταμηλῶν — The present participle καταμηλῶν (probing/pushing down a probe) refers to inserting a medical probe (μήλη) into the throat to induce vomiting. It functions here in a participle construction to modify the action of forcing the corrupt politicians to vomit (ἐξεμεῖν) the public funds they stole from Demus.
  4. 1158ὃ δρᾶσον — In the idiomatic phrase "οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον;" (Do you know what you should do?), an aorist imperative (δρᾶσον) is used inside the relative clause introduced by ὅ, instead of an indicative. This is an emphatic colloquial construction common in Greek comedy to urge the listener to perform an action.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Knights §1087-1180. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1087-1180

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