Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Wasps §801-882

Setting Up the Domestic Court and Preparing the Dog's Trial

Passage 12 of 20 · Greek

Summary

Bdelycleon sets up an improvised courtroom at home, bringing out various tools such as a chamber-pot, a rooster, and a shrine, and prepares to try the dog Labes for stealing cheese as the first case, while offering a prayer to Apollo.

§801δικάσοιεν ἐπὶ ταῖς οἰκίαισι τὰς δίκας, §802κἀν τοῖς προθύροις ἐνοικοδομήσοι πᾶς ἀνὴρ §803αὑτῷ δικαστηρίδιον μικρὸν πάνυ, §804ὥσπερ Ἑκάταιον, πανταχοῦ πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν.
they would judge lawsuits at their houses, and that every man would build in his vestibule for himself a very small courtroom, like a shrine of Hecate, everywhere in front of the doors.
§805ἰδού, τί ἔτʼ ἐρεῖς;
Look! What will you say now?
ὡς ἅπαντʼ ἐγὼ φέρω §806ὅσαπερ ἔφασκον, κἄτι πολλῷ πλείονα.
Since I bring everything exactly as many as I said, and even many more.
§807ἀμὶς μέν, ἢν οὐρητιάσῃς, αὑτηὶ §808παρά σοι κρεμήσετʼ ἐγγὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ παττάλου.
Here is a chamber-pot, if you want to pee, this very one will hang near you on the peg.
§809σοφόν γε τουτὶ καὶ γέροντι πρόσφορον §810ἐξηῦρες ἀτεχνῶς φάρμακον στραγγουρίας.
This is indeed clever and suitable for an old man, you have simply found a remedy for strangury.
§811καὶ πῦρ γε τουτί· καὶ προσέστηκεν φακῆ §812ῥοφεῖν, ἐὰν δέῃ τι.
And here is fire; and some lentil soup stands near to sip, if there is any need.
§812bτοῦτʼ αὖ δεξιόν· §813κἂν γὰρ πυρέττω, τόν γε μισθὸν λήψομαι.
This in turn is clever; for even if I have a fever, I shall get my pay.
§814αὐτοῦ μένων γὰρ τὴν φακῆν ῥοφήσομαι.
For remaining here, I will sip my lentil soup.
§815ἀτὰρ τί τὸν ὄρνιν ὡς ἔμʼ ἐξηνέγκατε;
But why did you bring out the bird to me?
§816ἵνα γʼ, ἢν καθεύδῃς ἀπολογουμένου τινός, §817ᾄδων ἄνωθεν ἐξεγείρῃ σʼ οὑτοσί.
So that, if you fall asleep while someone is making his defense, this one here, crowing from above, may wake you up.
§818ἓν ἔτι ποθῶ, τὰ δʼ ἄλλʼ ἀρέσκει μοι.
I still desire one thing, but the other things please me.
§818bτὸ τί;
What is that?
§819θἠρῷον εἴ πως ἐκκομίσαις τὸ τοῦ Λύκου.
If only you could somehow bring out the shrine of Lycus.
§820πάρεστι τουτί, καὐτὸς ἅναξ οὑτοσί.
Here it is, and here is the lord himself.
§821ὦ δέσποθʼ ἥρως ὡς χαλεπὸς ἄρʼ ἦσθʼ ἰδεῖν.
O master hero, how harsh you were to look upon, as it turns out!
§822οἷόσπερ ἡμῖν φαίνεται Κλεώνυμος.
Just like Cleonymus appears to us.
§823οὔκουν ἔχει γʼ οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ἥρως ὢν ὅπλα.
At any rate, he too, though being a hero, has no weapons.
§824εἰ θᾶττον ἐκαθίζου σύ, θᾶττον ἂν δίκην §825ἐκάλουν.
If you had sat down more quickly, I would more quickly have called the case.
§825bκάλει νυν, ὡς κάθημαι ʼγὼ πάλαι.
Call it now, for I have been sitting for a long time.
§826φέρε νυν τίνʼ αὐτῷ πρῶτον εἰσαγάγω δίκην;
Come now, what case shall I bring in first for him?
§827τί τίς κακὸν δέδρακε τῶν ἐν τᾠκίᾳ;
Who of those in the house has done what wrong?
§828ἡ Θρᾷττα προσκαύσασα πρώην τὴν χύτραν — §829ἐπίσχες οὗτος·
The Thracian maid, having recently burned the pot — Stop there, you!
ὡς ὀλίγου μʼ ἀπώλεσας.
How you nearly destroyed me!
§830ἄνευ δρυφάκτου τὴν δίκην μέλλεις καλεῖν, §831ὃ πρῶτον ἡμῖν τῶν ἱερῶν ἐφαίνετο;
Are you going to call the case without a railing, which was the very first of our sacred things?
§832μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πάρεστιν.
By Zeus, it is not present.
§832bἀλλʼ ἐγὼ δραμὼν §833αὐτὸς κομιοῦμαι τό γε παραυτίκʼ ἔνδοθεν.
But I, running, myself will fetch at least something for the moment from inside.
§834τί ποτε τὸ χρῆμʼ;
What on earth is this thing?
ὡς δεινὸν ἡ φιλοχωρία.
How terrible is this attachment to the place!
§835βάλλʼ ἐς κόρακας.
Go to the crows!
τοιουτονὶ τρέφειν κύνα.
To breed such a dog!
§836τί δʼ ἔστιν ἐτεόν;
But what is it, really?
§836bοὐ γὰρ ὁ Λάβης ἀρτίως §837ὁ κύων παρᾴξας ἐς τὸν ἰπνὸν ὑφαρπάσας §838τροφαλίδα τυροῦ Σικελικὴν κατεδήδοκεν;
For didn't Labes just now, the dog, rushing into the kitchen, snatching away and devouring a Sicilian cheese-round?
§839τοῦτʼ ἆρα πρῶτον τἀδίκημα τῷ πατρὶ §840εἰσακτέον μοι· σὺ δὲ κατηγόρει παρών.
This, then, must be the first crime for my father that I must bring in; and you, being present, accuse him.
§841μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ἔγωγʼ·
By Zeus, not I!
ἀλλʼ ἅτερός φησιν κύων §842κατηγορήσειν, ἤν τις εἰσάγῃ γραφήν.
But the other dog says he will accuse, if someone brings in an indictment.
§843ἴθι νυν ἄγʼ αὐτὼ δεῦρο.
Go now, bring them both here.
§843bταῦτα χρὴ ποιεῖν.
That is what must be done.
§844τουτὶ τί ἔστι;
What is this?
§844bχοιροκομεῖον Ἑστίας.
A pigpen of Hestia.
§845εἶθʼ ἱεροσυλήσας φέρεις;
Then you bring it after committing sacrilege?
§845bοὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἵνα §846ἀφʼ Ἑστίας ἀρχόμενος ἐπιτρίψω τινά.
No, but so that beginning from Hestia, I may ruin someone.
§847ἀλλʼ εἴσαγʼ ἀνύσας·
But bring it in, hurry up!
ὡς ἐγὼ τιμᾶν βλέπω.
For I am looking to condemn.
§848φέρε νυν ἐνέγκω τὰς σανίδας καὶ τὰς γραφάς.
Come now, let me bring the tablets and the indictments.
§849οἴμοι διατρίβεις κἀπολεῖς τριψημερῶν· §850ἐγὼ δʼ ἀλοκίζειν ἐδεόμην τὸ χωρίον.
Alas, you are wasting time and will kill me with these three-day delays; for I wanted to plow the field.
§851ἰδού.
Here they are.
§851bκάλει νυν.
Call them now.
§851cταῦτα δή.
Right then.
τίς οὑτοσὶ §852ὁ πρῶτός ἐστιν;
Who is this first one?
§852bἐς κόρακας, ὡς ἄχθομαι §853ὁτιὴ ʼπελαθόμην τοὺς καδίσκους ἐκφέρειν.
Go to the crows, how vexed I am because I forgot to bring out the voting-urns!
§854οὗτος σὺ ποῖ θεῖς;
You there, where are you running?
§854bἐπὶ καδίσκους.
For the voting-urns.
§854cμη δαμῶς.
By no means.
§855ἐγὼ γὰρ εἶχον τούσδε τοὺς ἀρυστίχους.
For I have these cups.
§856κάλλιστα τοίνυν·
Excellent then!
πάντα γὰρ πάρεστι νῷν §857ὅσων δεόμεθα, πλήν γε δὴ τῆς κλεψύδρας.
For everything is present for us that we need, except indeed the water-clock.
§858ἡδὶ δὲ δὴ τίς ἐστιν;
But what is this here?
οὐχὶ κλεψύδρα;
Is it not a water-clock?
§859εὖ γʼ ἐκπορίζεις αὐτὰ κἀπιχωρίως.
You provide them well and in the local fashion.
§860ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστα πῦρ τις ἐξενεγκάτω §861καὶ μυρρίνας καὶ τὸν λιβανωτὸν ἔνδοθεν, §862ὅπως ἂν εὐξώμεσθα πρῶτα τοῖς θεοῖς.
But let someone bring out fire as quickly as possible and myrtles and incense from inside, so that we may first pray to the gods.
§863καὶ μὴν ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς σπονδαῖς §864καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς §865φήμην ἀγαθὴν λέξομεν ὑμῖν, §866ὅτι γενναίως ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου §867καὶ τοῦ νείκους ξυνεβήτην.
And indeed we, at the libations and the prayers, will speak good words to you, because nobly from the war and the strife you two have come to terms.
§868εὐφημία μὲν πρῶτα νῦν ὑπαρχέτω.
Let there first be holy silence now.
§869ὦ Φοῖβʼ Ἄπολλον Πύθιʼ ἐπʼ ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ §870τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ὃ μηχανᾶται §871ἔμπροσθεν οὗτος τῶν θυρῶν, §872ἅπασιν ἡμῖν ἁρμόσαι §873παυσαμένοις πλάνων.
O Pythian Phoebus Apollo, with good fortune may the matter which he is engineering this man in front of the doors, be fitting for all of us, having ceased from our wanderings.
§874ἰήιε Παιάν.
Ieie Paian!
§875ὦ δέσποτʼ ἄναξ γεῖτον ἀγυιεῦ προθύρου προπύλαιε, §876δέξαι τελετὴν καινὴν ὦναξ, ἣν τῷ πατρὶ καινοτομοῦμεν, §877παῦσόν τʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο τὸ λίαν στρυφνὸν καὶ πρίνινον ἦθος, §878ἀντὶ σιραίου μέλιτος μικρὸν τῷ θυμιδίῳ παραμείξας· §879ἤδη δʼ εἶναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις §879aἤπιον αὐτόν, §880τοὺς φεύγοντάς τʼ ἐλεεῖν μᾶλλον §881τῶν γραψαμένων §882κἀπιδακρύειν ἀντιβολούντων,
O master, king, neighbor Agyieus, of the vestibule and gateway, accept this new rite, o king, which we are innovating for my father, and stop this too harsh and oak-like disposition of his, mixing a little honey into his dear little heart instead of boiled wine; and that he may now be to men gentle himself, and pity the defendants more than the prosecutors and weep over them when they entreat,

Notes

  1. 801δικάσοιεν... ἐνοικοδομήσοι — These are future optatives in indirect discourse introduced by ἠκηκόη ὡς in §800. The optatives replace the original future indicatives because the main verb is in a secondary tense (pluperfect).
  2. 819εἴ πως ἐκκομίσαις — An independent optative introduced by εἴ πως (if somehow), functioning as a potential wish ("If only you could somehow bring out...").
  3. 824εἰ θᾶττον ἐκαθίζου σύ, θᾶττον ἂν δίκην ἐκάλουν — A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence in the present, using the imperfect indicative in both protasis and apodosis (with ἄν). "If you had sat down more quickly, I would have called the case more quickly."
  4. 846ἀφʼ Ἑστίας ἀρχόμενος — A proverbial expression meaning "beginning from Hestia" (i.e., starting from the very beginning/hearth, or from the most sacred place). It creates a double meaning with the pigpen-grating of Hestia (χοιροκομεῖον Ἑστίας) that Bdelycleon has just brought out.
  5. 872ἁρμόσαι — An infinitive used for expressing a wish or command (infinitivus pro imperativo) in a prayer, or it can be construed as dependent on an omitted verb of praying like εὔχομαι.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Wasps §801-882. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:801-882

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