§1257ἐμοὶ δέ γʼ ὅ τι σοι τοὔνομʼ εἴπʼ.
Demus: But tell me indeed what your name is.
§1257bἈγοράκριτος·
Agoracritus: Agoracritus.
§1258ἐν τἀγορᾷ γὰρ κρινόμενος ἐβοσκόμην.
For I was nourished and grew up by being judged in the marketplace.
Demus: Then I entrust myself to Agoracritus, and deliver this Paphlagonian over to you.
§1261καὶ μὴν ἐγώ σʼ ὦ Δῆμε θεραπεύσω καλῶς, §1262ὥσθʼ ὁμολογεῖν σε μηδένʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοῦ §1263ἰδεῖν ἀμείνω τῇ Κεχηναίων πόλει.
Agoracritus: And indeed, Demus, I will serve you well, so that you will confess that you have seen no man better than me to look after the city of the Gapers.
§1264τί κάλλιον ἀρχομένοισιν §1265ἢ καταπαυομένοισιν §1266ἢ θοᾶν ἵππων ἐλατῆρας ἀείδειν, †μηδὲν ἐσ† Λυσίστρατον, §1267μηδὲ Θούμαντιν τὸν ἀνέστιον αὖ λυπεῖν ἑκούσῃ καρδίᾳ;
Chorus: What is more beautiful for those who begin or for those who make an end than to sing of the drivers of swift horses, without touching at all upon Lysistratus, nor again vexing the hearthless Thoumantis with willing heart?
§1268καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ὦ φίλʼ Ἄπολλον ἀεὶ πεινῇ, θαλεροῖς δακρύοις §1273σᾶς ἁπτόμενος φαρέτρας Πυθῶνι δίᾳ μὴ κακῶς πένεσθαι.
For indeed he, o dear Apollo, is always starving, and with warm tears touching your quiver at divine Pytho, praying that he may not be miserably poor.
§1274λοιδορῆσαι τοὺς πονηροὺς οὐδέν ἐστʼ ἐπίφθονον, §1275ἀλλὰ τιμὴ τοῖσι χρηστοῖς, ὅστις εὖ λογίζεται.
To abuse the wicked is not at all a matter for envy, but an honor to the good, for anyone who reasons well.
§1276εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄνθρωπος, ὃν δεῖ πόλλʼ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ κακά, §1277αὐτὸς ἦν ἔνδηλος, οὐκ ἂν ἀνδρὸς ἐμνήσθην φίλου.
If, then, the man who deserves to hear many bad things were well-known himself, I would not have mentioned a friendly man.
§1278νῦν δʼ Ἀρίγνωτον γὰρ οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἐπίσταται, §1279ὅστις ἢ τὸ λευκὸν οἶδεν ἢ τὸν ὄρθιον νόμον.
But now, there is no one who does not know Arignotus, whoever knows either white from black or the upright musical mode.
Now he has a brother who is not akin to him in character, the wicked Ariphrades.
ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν καὶ βούλεται· §1282ἔστι δʼ οὐ μόνον πονηρός, οὐ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἂν ᾐσθόμην, §1283οὐδὲ παμπόνηρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσεξηύρηκέ τι.
But indeed he even wishes for this; for he is not only wicked (for then I would not even have noticed it), nor merely utterly wicked, but he has also invented something extra.
§1284τὴν γὰρ αὑτοῦ γλῶτταν αἰσχραῖς ἡδοναῖς λυμαίνεται, §1285ἐν κασωρείοισι λείχων τὴν ἀπόπτυστον δρόσον, §1286καὶ μολύνων τὴν ὑπήνην καὶ κυκῶν τὰς ἐσχάρας, §1287καὶ Πολυμνήστεια ποιῶν καὶ ξυνὼν Οἰωνίχῳ.
For he defiles his own tongue with shameful pleasures, licking the detestable fluid in brothels, and polluting his beard and defiling the female parts, and performing Polymnestan acts and associating with Oeonichus.
§1288ὅστις οὖν τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα μὴ σφόδρα βδελύττεται, §1289οὔ ποτʼ ἐκ ταὐτοῦ μεθʼ ἡμῶν πίεται ποτηρίου.
Whoever, then, does not extremely loathe such a man, shall never drink from the same cup with us.
§1290ἦ πολλάκις ἐννυχίαισι §1291φροντίσι συγγεγένημαι, §1294καὶ διεζήτηχʼ ὁπόθεν ποτὲ φαύλως ἐσθίει Κλεώνυμος.
Indeed, often in nightly meditations have I been, and have searched out from where on earth Cleonymus eats so greedily.
§1295φασὶ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐρεπτόμενον τὰ τῶν ἐχόντων ἀνέρων §1296οὐκ ἂν ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς σιπύης· τοὺς δʼ ἀντιβολεῖν ἂν ὅμως· §1297ἴθʼ ὦ ἄνα πρὸς γονάτων, ἔξελθε καὶ σύγγνωθι τῇ τραπέζῃ. §1300φασὶν ἀλλήλαις ξυνελθεῖν τὰς τριήρεις ἐς λόγον, §1301καὶ μίαν λέξαι τινʼ αὐτῶν ἥτις ἦν γεραιτέρα·
For they say that when he was grazing on the food of rich men, he would not come away from the bread-bin; and they would nevertheless entreat him: "Go, o master, by your knees, get out and spare the table!" They say that the triremes met together for a discussion, and one of them, which was older, said: "Do you not even hear of these things, o maidens in the city?
§1302οὐδὲ πυνθάνεσθε ταῦτʼ ὦ παρθένοι τἀν τῇ πόλει; §1303φασὶν αἰτεῖσθαί τινʼ ἡμῶν ἑκατὸν ἐς Καρχηδόνα §1304ἄνδρα μοχθηρὸν πολίτην ὀξίνην Ὑπέρβολον· §1305ταῖς δὲ δόξαι δεινὸν εἶναι τοῦτο κοὐκ ἀνασχετόν, §1306καί τινʼ εἰπεῖν ἥτις ἀνδρῶν ἆσσον οὐκ ἐληλύθει·
They say that a hundred of us are being demanded for Carthage, by that wretched citizen, the sour-wine Hyperbolus." And to them this seemed dreadful and intolerable, and one of them said, which had never gone near men: "Heaven forbid!
§1307ἀποτρόπαἰ οὐ δῆτʼ ἐμοῦ γʼ ἄρξει ποτʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐάν με χρῇ, §1308ὑπὸ τερηδόνων σαπεῖσʼ ἐνταῦθα καταγηράσομαι·
He shall never rule me indeed; but if I must, rotted by shipworms, I will grow old right here.
§1309οὐδὲ Ναυφάντης γε τῆς Ναύσωνος, οὐ δῆτʼ ὦ θεοί, §1310εἴπερ ἐκ πεύκης γε κἀγὼ καὶ ξύλων ἐπηγνύμην.
Nor indeed shall Nauphante, daughter of Nauson, submit—no, by the gods!— if indeed I too was built of pine and timber.
§1311ἢν δʼ ἀρέσκῃ ταῦτʼ Ἀθηναίοις, καθῆσθαί μοι δοκεῖ §1312ἐς τὸ Θησεῖον πλεούσαις ἢ ʼπὶ τῶν σεμνῶν θεῶν.
But if this pleases the Athenians, it seems best to me that we sail to the Theseum or to the temple of the August Goddesses and sit there.
§1313οὐ γὰρ ἡμῶν γε στρατηγῶν ἐγχανεῖται τῇ πόλει·
For he shall not mock our city by commanding us.
§1314ἀλλὰ πλείτω χωρὶς αὐτὸς ἐς κόρακας, εἰ βούλεται, §1315τὰς σκάφας, ἐν αἷς ἐπώλει τοὺς λύχνους, καθελκύσας. §1316εὐφημεῖν χρὴ καὶ στόμα κλῄειν καὶ μαρτυριῶν ἀπέχεσθαι, §1317καὶ τὰ δικαστήρια συγκλῄειν οἷς ἡ πόλις ἥδε γέγηθεν, §1318ἐπὶ καιναῖσιν δʼ εὐτυχίαισιν παιωνίζειν τὸ θέατρον.
But let him sail alone to the crows, if he wants to, having launched the troughs in which he used to sell his lamps." Agoracritus: It is necessary to keep holy silence, and close the mouth, and abstain from testimonies, and close the law-courts in which this city rejoiced, and let the theater sing paeans for the new fortunes.
§1319ὦ ταῖς ἱεραῖς φέγγος Ἀθήναις καὶ ταῖς νήσοις ἐπίκουρε, §1320τίνʼ ἔχων φήμην ἀγαθὴν ἥκεις, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ κνισῶμεν ἀγυιάς;
Chorus: O light to sacred Athens and helper of the islands, with what good news have you come, for which we should fill the streets with sacrificial smoke?
§1321τὸν Δῆμον ἀφεψήσας ὑμῖν καλὸν ἐξ αἰσχροῦ πεποίηκα.
Agoracritus: By boiling down Demus, I have made him beautiful for you instead of ugly.
§1322καὶ ποῦ ʼστιν νῦν ὦ θαυμαστὰς ἐξευρίσκων ἐπινοίας;
Chorus: And where is he now, o discoverer of marvelous inventions?
§1323ἐν ταῖσιν ἰοστεφάνοις οἰκεῖ ταῖς ἀρχαίαισιν Ἀθήναις.
Agoracritus: He dwells in the ancient, violet-crowned Athens.
§1324πῶς ἂν ἴδοιμεν;
Chorus: How might we see him?
ποίαν τινʼ ἔχει σκευήν;
What kind of attire does he wear?
ποῖος γεγένηται;
What has he become?
§1325οἷός περ Ἀριστείδῃ πρότερον καὶ Μιλτιάδῃ ξυνεσίτει.
Agoracritus: Such as he used to dine with Aristides and Miltiades of old.
§1326ὄψεσθε δέ· καὶ γὰρ ἀνοιγνυμένων ψόφος ἤδη τῶν προπυλαίων.
You shall see indeed; for already there is the sound of the Propylaea being opened.
§1327ἀλλʼ ὀλολύξατε φαινομέναισιν ταῖς ἀρχαίαισιν Ἀθήναις §1328καὶ θαυμασταῖς καὶ πολυύμνοις, ἵνʼ ὁ κλεινὸς Δῆμος ἐνοικεῖ.
But raise a joyful shout for the ancient Athens appearing, both marvelous and much-sung, where the glorious Demus dwells.
§1329ὦ ταὶ λιπαραὶ καὶ ἰοστέφανοι καὶ ἀριζήλωτοι Ἀθῆναι, §1330δείξατε τὸν τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὑμῖν καὶ τῆς γῆς τῆσδε μόναρχον.
Chorus: O glittering and violet-crowned and highly-envied Athens, show to us the monarch of Hellas and of this land.
§1331ὅδʼ ἐκεῖνος ὁρᾶν τεττιγοφόρας, ἀρχαίῳ σχήματι λαμπρός,
Agoracritus: There is he himself, wearing the cicada-locust, splendid in ancient attire,