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Aristophanes · Peace §1027-1103

Hierocles Disrupts the Sacrifice and Trygaios's Rebuttal

Passage 13 of 16 · Greek

Summary

While Trygaios and his slave prepare the sacrifice to Peace, Hierocles, an oracle-monger from Oreus, arrives to disrupt them. Hierocles uses bogus oracles to object to the peace, but Trygaios ridicules his greed and counters him by quoting Homer.

§1027πῶς δʼ οὐχί;
How could it be otherwise?
τί γάρ σε πέφευγʼ §1028ὅσα χρὴ σοφὸν ἄνδρα;
For what of all that a wise man must know has escaped you?
τί δʼ οὐ §1029σὺ φρονεῖς ὁπόσα χρεών ἐστιν §1030τόν γε σοφῇ δόκιμον §1031φρενὶ πορίμῳ τε τόλμῃ;
And what do you not grasp, as many things as are fitting for one approved for his wise mind and resourceful daring?
§1032ἡ σχίζα γοῦν ἐνημμένη τὸν Στιλβίδην πιέζει, §1033καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν οἴσομαι, καὶ παιδὸς οὐ δεήσει.
At any rate, the burning firewood presses hard upon Stilbides, and I will bring the table, and there will be no need of a servant.
§1034τίς οὖν ἂν οὐκ ἐπαινέσειεν §1035ἄνδρα τοιοῦτον, ὅστις §1035aπόλλʼ ἀνατλὰς ἔσωσε §1036τὴν ἱερὰν πόλιν;
Who then would not praise such a man, who having endured many things saved the sacred city?
§1037ὥστʼ οὐχὶ μὴ παύσῃ ποτʼ ὢν §1038ζηλωτὸς ἅπασιν.
So that you will never indeed cease to be envied by all.
§1039ταυτὶ δέδραται.
This has been done.
τίθεσο τὼ μηρὼ λαβών.
Take the two thigh-bones and place them.
§1040ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ σπλάγχνʼ εἶμι καὶ θυλήματα.
And I will go for the entrails and the offering-cakes.
§1041ἐμοὶ μελήσει ταῦτά γʼ· ἀλλʼ ἥκειν ἐχρῆν.
These things indeed shall be my care; but you ought to be back.
§1042ἰδοὺ πάρειμι.
Look, I am here.
μῶν ἐπισχεῖν σοι δοκῶ;
Do I seem to you to delay?
§1043ὄπτα καλῶς νυν αὐτά· καὶ γὰρ οὑτοσὶ §1044προσέρχεται δάφνῃ τις ἐστεφανωμένος.
Roast them well now; for indeed here approaches someone crowned with laurel.
§1045τίς ἄρα ποτʼ ἐστίν;
Who on earth is he?
§1045bὡς ἀλαζὼν φαίνεται·
How like an impostor he appears!
§1046μάντις τίς ἐστιν.
He is some seer.
§1046bοὐ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ Ἱεροκλέης §1047οὗτός γέ πού ʼσθʼ ὁ χρησμολόγος οὑξ Ὠρεοῦ.
No, by Zeus, but indeed this is Hierocles, I suppose, the oracle-monger from Oreus.
§1048τί ποτʼ ἄρα λέξει;
What indeed will he say?
§1048bδῆλός ἐσθʼ οὗτός γʼ ὅτι §1049ἐναντιώσεταί τι ταῖς διαλλαγαῖς.
It is clear indeed that he will oppose the reconciliation in some way.
§1050οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν κνῖσαν εἰσελήλυθεν.
No, but he has entered because of the smell of the fat.
§1051μή νυν ὁρᾶν δοκῶμεν αὐτόν.
Let's pretend not to see him then.
§1051bεὖ λέγεις.
Well said.
§1052τίς ἡ θυσία ποθʼ αὑτηὶ καὶ τῷ θεῶν;
What is this sacrifice here and to which of the gods?
§1053ὀπτα σὺ σιγῇ κἄπαγʼ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος.
You, roast in silence and keep away from the loin.
§1054ὅτῳ δὲ θύετʼ οὐ φράσεθʼ;
Won't you say to whom you are sacrificing?
§1054bἡ κέρκος ποιεῖ
Is the tail doing well?
§1055καλῶς; §1055bκαλῶς δῆτʼ ὦ πότνιʼ Εἰρήνη φίλη.
Very well indeed, O dear queen Peace.
§1056ἄγε νυν ἀπάρχου κᾆτα δὸς τἀπάργματα.
Come now, make the first offering, and then give the firstfruits.
§1057ὀπτᾶν ἄμεινον πρῶτον.
It's better to roast first.
§1057bἀλλὰ ταυταγὶ §1058ἤδη ʼστὶν ὀπτά.
But these indeed are already roasted.
§1058bπολλὰ πράττεις, ὅστις εἶ.
You are meddling, whoever you are.
§1059κατάτεμνε.
Cut it up.
ποῦ τράπεζα;
Where is the table?
τὴν σπονδὴν φέρε.
Bring the libation.
§1060ἡ γλῶττα χωρὶς τέμνεται.
The tongue is cut separately.
§1060bμεμνήμεθα.
We remember.
§1061ἀλλʼ οἶσθʼ ὃ δρᾶσον;
But do you know what you should do?
§1061bἢν φράσῃς.
If you tell us.
§1061cμὴ διαλέγου §1062νῷν μηδέν· Εἰρήνῃ γὰρ ἱερὰ θύομεν.
Don't speak to us at all; for we are sacrificing holy things to Peace.
§1063ὦ μέλεοι θνητοὶ καὶ νήπιοι, §1063bἐς κεφαλὴν σοί.
O wretched mortals and foolish, Upon your own head!
§1064οἵτινες ἀφραδίῃσι θεῶν νόον οὐκ ἀίοντες §1065συνθήκας πεποίησθʼ ἄνδρες χαροποῖσι πιθήκοις, §1066αἰβοιβοῖ.
who in your folly, not understanding the mind of the gods, have made a treaty, you men, with fierce-eyed apes, Ha, ha!
§1066bτί γελᾷς;
Why do you laugh?
§1066cἥσθην χαροποῖσι πιθήκοις.
I am delighted by "fierce-eyed apes".
§1067καὶ κέπφοι τρήρωνες ἀλωπεκιδεῦσι πέπεισθε, §1068ὧν δόλιαι ψυχαί, δόλιαι φρένες.
and you, timid sea-birds, have trusted fox-cubs, whose souls are treacherous, whose minds are treacherous.
§1068bεἴθε σου εἶναι §1069ὤφελεν ὦλαζὼν οὑτωσὶ θερμὸς ὁ πλεύμων.
I wish, you impostor, your lung were as hot as this!
§1070εἰ γὰρ μὴ νύμφαι γε θεαὶ Βάκιν ἐξαπάτασκον, §1071μηδὲ Βάκις θνητούς, μηδʼ αὖ νύμφαι Βάκιν αὐτὸν— §1072ἐξώλης ἀπόλοιʼ, εἰ μὴ παύσαιο βακίζων.
For if the divine nymphs did not deceive Bakis, nor Bakis mortals, nor again the nymphs Bakis himself— May you perish utterly, if you don't stop "Bakis-ing"!
§1073οὔπω θέσφατον ἦν Εἰρήνης δέσμʼ ἀναλῦσαι, §1074ἀλλὰ τόδε πρότερον— §1074bτοῖσδʼ ἁλσί γε παστέα ταυτί.
It was not yet fated to loosen the chain of Peace, but first this— These must be sprinkled with salt.
§1075οὐ γάρ πω τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ φίλον μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν, §1076φυλόπιδος λῆξαι, πρίν κεν λύκος οἶν ὑμεναιοῖ.
For this is not yet pleasing to the blessed gods, to cease from strife, until the wolf marries the sheep.
§1077καὶ πῶς ὦ κατάρατε λύκος ποτʼ ἂν οἶν ὑμεναιοῖ;
And how, you accursed one, could a wolf ever marry a sheep?
§1078ὡς ἡ σφονδύλη φεύγουσα πονηρότατον βδεῖ, §1078a†χἠ κώδων† ἀκαλανθὶς ἐπειγομένη τυφλὰ τίκτει, §1079τουτάκις οὔπω χρῆν τὴν εἰρήνην πεποιῆσθαι.
As the beetle fleeing smells most foully, and the finch in its haste gives birth to blind young, until then it was not yet right for peace to be made.
§1080ἀλλὰ τί χρῆν ἡμᾶς;
But what should we have done?
οὐ παύσασθαι πολεμοῦντας, §1081ἢ διακαυνιάσαι πότεροι κλαυσούμεθα μεῖζον, §1082ἐξὸν σπεισαμένοις κοινῇ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἄρχειν;
Not cease from fighting, or draw lots to see which of us would weep more, when we could make peace and rule Greece together?
§1083οὔποτε ποιήσεις τὸν καρκίνον ὀρθὰ βαδίζειν.
You will never make the crab walk straight.
§1084οὔποτε δειπνήσεις ἔτι τοῦ λοιποῦ νʼ πρυτανείῳ, §1085οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τῷ πραχθέντι ποιήσεις ὕστερον οὐδέν.
You will never dine again for the future in the Prytaneum, nor after this deed will you achieve anything else.
§1086οὐδέποτʼ ἂν θείης λεῖον τὸν τραχὺν ἐχῖνον.
You could never make the rough urchin smooth.
§1087ἆρα φενακίζων ποτʼ Ἀθηναίους ἔτι παύσει;
Will you ever indeed stop deceiving the Athenians?
§1088ποῖον γὰρ κατὰ χρησμὸν ἐκαύσατε μῆρα θεοῖσιν;
According to what oracle did you burn the thigh-bones for the gods?
§1089ὅνπερ κάλλιστον δήπου πεποίηκεν Ὅμηρος· §1090ὣς οἱ μὲν νέφος ἐχθρὸν ἀπωσάμενοι πολέμοιο §1091Εἰρήνην εἵλοντο καὶ ἱδρύσανθʼ ἱερείῳ.
According to the very best one, which Homer indeed composed: "Thus they, having driven away the hateful cloud of war, chose Peace and established her with a sacrifice.
§1092αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρʼ ἐκάη καὶ σπλάγχνʼ ἐπάσαντο, §1093ἔσπενδον δεπάεσσιν· ἐγὼ δʼ ὁδὸν ἡγεμόνευον· §1094χρησμολόγῳ δʼ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου κώθωνα φαεινόν. §1095οὐ μετέχω τούτων· οὐ γὰρ ταῦτʼ εἶπε Σίβυλλα.
But when the thigh-bones were burnt down and they tasted the inner parts, they made libations with cups; and I led the way; but to the oracle-monger no one gave a shining cup." I have no part in these; for Sibyl did not say this.
§1096ἀλλʼ ὁ σοφός τοι νὴ Δίʼ Ὅμηρος δεξιὸν εἶπεν· §1097ἀφρήτωρ ἀθέμιστος ἀνέστιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος, §1098ὃς πολέμου ἔραται ἐπιδημίου ὀκρυόεντος. §1099φράζεο δὴ μή πώς σε δόλῳ φρένας ἐξαπατήσας §1100ἰκτῖνος μάρψῃ.
But the wise Homer indeed, by Zeus, spoke well: "Clanless, lawless, hearthless is that man who loves domestic, chilling war." Take heed now lest by some trick, having deceived your mind, a kite snatch it.
§1100bτουτὶ μέντοι σὺ φυλάττου, §1101ὡς οὗτος φοβερὸς τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἐστὶν ὁ χρησμός.
You indeed watch out for this, for this oracle is fearsome for the entrails.
§1102ἔγχει δὴ σπονδὴν καὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων φέρε δευρί.
Pour the libation and bring here some of the entrails.
§1103ἀλλʼ εἰ ταῦτα δοκεῖ, κἀγὼ ʼμαυτῷ βαλανεύσω.
But if this is decided, I too will serve myself.

Notes

  1. 1037οὐχὶ μὴ παύσῃ — The emphatic double negative `οὐχὶ μή` followed by the aorist subjunctive (`παύσῃ`) expresses a strong, definite denial about a future event ('you will never indeed cease...').
  2. 1048bδῆλός ἐσθʼ οὗτός γʼ ὅτι — A proleptic (anticipatory) construction where the subject of the `ὅτι` clause (`οὗτος`) is raised to the main clause as the subject of the personal adjective `δῆλος`. Literally, 'this man is clear that...', meaning 'it is clear that he...'.
  3. 1061οἶσθʼ ὃ δρᾶσον — An idiomatic expression combining the question `οἶσθα` ('do you know?') with a relative clause containing an imperative (`δρᾶσον`). It is colloquially used to mean 'Do you know what you must do?' or 'Listen to what you should do'.
  4. 1068bεἴθε σου εἶναι ὤφελεν — The particle `εἴθε` paired with `ὤφελεν` (past indicative of `ὀφείλω`) and the infinitive `εἶναι` expresses an unattainable wish for the present ('I wish your lung were...').
  5. 1082ἐξὸν — The accusative absolute of the impersonal verb `ἔξεστι` ('it is allowed/possible'). It functions here as a concessive or conditional participle, meaning 'although we could' or 'since it was possible'.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Peace §1027-1103. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1027-1103

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