§635Βερέσχεθοί τε καὶ Κόβαλοι καὶ Μόθων, §636ἀγορά τʼ ἐν ᾗ παῖς ὢν ἐπαιδεύθην ἐγώ, §637νῦν μοι φράσος καὶ γλῶτταν εὔπορον δότε §638φωνήν τʼ ἀναιδῆ.
O Bereschetoi and Kobaloi and Mothon, and the Agora in which I was educated when a boy, now give me boldness, and a ready tongue, and a shameless voice.
ταῦτα φροντίζοντί μοι §639ἐκ δεξιᾶς ἀπέπαρδε καταπύγων ἀνήρ.
As I was thinking on these things, on the right a lewd man broke wind.
§640κἀγὼ προσέκυσα· κᾆτα τῷ πρωκτῷ θενὼν §641τὴν κιγκλίδʼ ἐξήραξα κἀναχανὼν μέγα §642ἀνέκραγον· ὦ βουλὴ λόγους ἀγαθοὺς φέρων §643εὐαγγελίσασθαι πρῶτον ὑμῖν βούλομαι· §644ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ πόλεμος κατερράγη, §645οὐπώποτʼ ἀφύας εἶδον ἀξιωτέρας.
And I did obeisance; and then, striking with my buttocks, I shattered the latticed gate, and opening my mouth wide, I shouted: "O Council, bringing good news, I wish first to announce glad tidings to you; for since the war broke out upon us, never yet have I seen anchovies more valuable (cheaper)." And straightway their faces cleared.
§646τῶν δʼ εὐθέως τὰ πρόσωπα διεγαλήνισεν· §647εἶτʼ ἐστεφάνουν μʼ εὐαγγέλια· κἀγὼ φρασα §648αὐτοῖς ἀπόρρητον ποιησάμενος ταχύ, §649ἵνα τὰς ἀφύας ὠνοῖντο πολλὰς τοὐβολοῦ, §650τῶν δημιουργῶν ξυλλαβεῖν τὰ τρύβλια.
Then they were crowning me for the good news; and I, having quickly told them to make it a secret, so that they might buy many anchovies for an obol, advised them to seize all the dishes of the potters.
§651οἱ δʼ ἀνεκρότησαν καὶ πρὸς ἔμʼ ἐκεχήνεσαν.
And they applauded and gaped at me.
§652ὁ δʼ ὑπονοήσας ὁ Παφλαγών, εἰδὼς ἄρα §653οἶς ἥδεθʼ ἡ βουλὴ μάλιστα ῥήμασιν, §654γνώμην ἔλεξεν· ἄνδρες, ἤδη μοι δοκεῖ §655ἐπὶ συμφοραῖς ἀγαθαῖσιν εἰσηγγελμέναις §656εὐαγγέλια θύειν ἑκατὸν βοῦς τῇ θεῷ. §657ἐπένευσεν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἡ βουλὴ πάλιν.
But the Paphlagonian, having suspected this, and knowing indeed with what words this Council is most pleased, spoke his opinion: "Gentlemen, it seems to me now, upon these good tidings that have been announced, we should sacrifice a hundred oxen to the Goddess as a thank-offering." The Council nodded back toward him again.
§658κἄγωγʼ ὅτε δὴ γʼνων τοῖς βολίτοις ἡττημένος, §659διακοσίαισι βουσὶν ὑπερηκόντισα, §660τῇ δʼ Ἀγροτέρᾳ κατὰ χιλιῶν παρῄνεσα §661εὐχὴν ποιήσασθαι χιμάρων εἰς αὔριον, §662αἱ τριχίδες εἰ γενοίαθʼ ἑκατὸν τοὐβολοῦ.
And I, when indeed I knew I was being defeated by the dung, outshot him with two hundred oxen, and advised to make a vow to Agrotera of a thousand goats for tomorrow, if anchovies should become a hundred for an obol.
§663ἐκαραδόκησεν εἰς ἔμʼ ἡ βουλὴ πάλιν.
The Council looked back toward me again.
§664ὁ δὲ ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας ἐκπλαγεὶς ἐφληνάφα.
And he, hearing this, was struck with dismay and talked nonsense.
§665κᾆθʼ εἷλκον αὐτὸν οἱ πρυτάνεις χοἰ τοξόται.
And then the prytaneis and the archers dragged him away.
§666οἱ δʼ ἐθορύβουν περὶ τῶν ἀφύων ἑστηκότες· §667ὁ δʼ ἠντεβόλει γʼ αὐτοὺς ὀλίγον μεῖναι χρόνον, §668ἵνʼ ἅτθʼ ὁ κῆρυξ οὑκ Λακεδαίμονος λέγει §669πύθησθʼ, ἀφῖκται γὰρ περὶ σπονδῶν,
λέγων.
And they, standing up, made a tumult about the anchovies; but he entreated them to wait a little while, so that they might hear what the herald from Lacedaemon says, "for he has arrived about a treaty," he said.
But they all shouted out with one voice: "Now about a treaty?
ἐπειδή γʼ ὦ μέλε §672ᾔσθοντο τὰς ἀφύας παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀξίας.
Yes, indeed, my good man, since they have perceived that anchovies are cheap with us!
§673οὐ δεόμεθα σπονδῶν· ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω. §674ἐκεκράγεσάν τε τοὺς πρυτάνεις ἀφιέναι· §675εἶθʼ ὑπερεπήδων τοὺς δρυφάκτους πανταχῇ.
We don't need a treaty; let the war go on!" And they shouted to the prytaneis to dismiss them; then they leaped over the railings everywhere.
§676ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ κορίαννʼ ἐπριάμην ὑποδραμὼν §677ἅπαντα τά τε γήτεἰ ὅσʼ ἦν ἐν τἀγορᾷ· §678ἔπειτα ταῖς ἀφύαις ἐδίδουν ἡδύσματα §679ἀποροῦσιν αὐτοῖς προῖκα κἀχαριζόμην.
But I, running under, bought up all the coriander and all the leeks that were in the market; then I gave them as seasonings for the anchovies to those who were lacking, for free, and won their favor.
§680οἱ δʼ ὑπερεπῄνουν ὑπερεπύππαζόν τέ με §681ἅπαντες οὕτως ὥστε τὴν βουλὴν ὅλην §682ὀβολοῦ κοριάννοις ἀναλαβὼν ἐλήλυθα.
And they praised me exceedingly and cheered me, all of them, so that having won over the whole Council with an obol's worth of coriander, I have returned.
§683πάντα τοι πέπραγας οἷα χρὴ τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα· §684ηὗρε δʼ ὁ πανοῦργος ἕτερον πολὺ πανουργίαις §685μείζοσι κεκασμένον §686καὶ δόλοισι ποικίλοις §687ῥήμασίν θʼ αἱμύλοις.
Chorus: You have done everything as behooves a lucky man; but the rogue has found another far more accomplished in roguery, distinguished by greater tricks, and by various wiles, and by flattering words.
§688ἀλλʼ ὅπως ἀγωνιεῖ φρόντιζε §689τἀπίλοιπʼ ἄριστα· §690συμμάχους δʼ ἡμᾶς ἔχων εὔνους §690aἐπίστασαι πάλαι.
But see that you fight out the rest in the best way; and that you have us as friendly allies, you have known for a long time.
§691καὶ μὴν ὁ Παφλαγὼν οὑτοσὶ προσέρχεται, §692ὠθῶν κολόκυμα καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶν, §693ὡς δὴ καταπιόμενός με.
Sausage-Seller: And indeed, here comes the Paphlagonian, pushing a swollen wave, disturbing and muddling, as if indeed to swallow me down.
μορμὼ τοῦ θράσους.
A bugbear for his boldness!
Cleon: If I do not destroy you, if any of my usual lies remain in me, may I fall to pieces everywhere.
Sausage-Seller: I am delighted with your threats, I laugh at your smoke-boasts, I dance a mothon-jig, and cuckoo around you.
Cleon: Surely, by Demeter, unless I eat you up out of this land, may I never live!
§700ἣν μὴ κʼφάγῃς;
Sausage-Seller: Unless you eat me?
ἐγὼ δέ γʼ, ἢν μή σʼ ἐκπίω §701κἀπεκροφήσας αὐτὸς ἐπιδιαρραγῶ.
And I indeed, unless I drink you up and gulping you down, burst myself over you!
§702ἀπολῶ σε νὴ τὴν προεδρίαν τὴν ἐκ Πύλου.
Cleon: I will destroy you, by that front-row seat from Pylos!
§703ἰδοὺ προεδρίαν·
Sausage-Seller: Look at his front-row seat!
οἷον ὅψομαί σʼ ἐγὼ §704ἐκ τῆς προεδρίας ἔσχατον θεώμενον.
How I shall see you viewing from the front-row seat as the very last!
§705ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δήσω σε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.
Cleon: I will bind you in the stocks, by heaven!
§706ὡς ὀξύθυμος.
Sausage-Seller: How hot-tempered!
φέρε τί σοι δῶ καταφαγεῖν;
Come, what shall I give you to eat?
§707ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν;
With what would you eat most gladly?
ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;
With a purse?
§708ἐξαρπάσομαί σου τοῖς ὄνυξι τἄντερα.
Cleon: I will tear out your entrails with my nails!
§709ἀπονυχιῶ σου τἀν πρυτανείῳ σιτία.
Sausage-Seller: I will scrape off your free meals in the Prytaneum with my nails!
§710ἕλξω σε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἵνα δῷς μοι δίκην.
Cleon: I will drag you to the Demus, so that you may pay me the penalty!
§711κἀγὼ δέ σʼ ἕλξω καὶ διαβαλῶ πλείονα.
Sausage-Seller: And I indeed will drag you and slander you even more!
Cleon: But, you wretch, no one believes you; but I laugh at him as much as I wish.
§714ὡς σφόδρα σὺ τὸν δῆμον σεαυτοῦ νενόμικας.
Sausage-Seller: How thoroughly you have considered the Demus your own!
§715ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν οἷς ψωμίζεται.
Cleon: For I know with what morsels he is fed.