Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Peace §1187-1267

Gifts from Sickle-Makers and Mockery of Arms Traders

Passage 15 of 16 · Greek

Summary

While Trygaios prepares for his wedding feast, agricultural merchants enriched by peace bring him gifts. Conversely, weapon merchants ruined by the peace arrive to sell their useless gear, only for Trygaios to mock them by suggesting absurd domestic reuses for their armor and weapons.

§1187ὧν ἔτʼ εὐθύνας ἐμοὶ δώσουσιν, ἢν θεὸς θέλῃ.
Chorus: If the god wills, they shall yet render me an account for these things.
§1188πολλὰ γὰρ δή μʼ ἠδίκησαν, §1189ὄντες οἴκοι μὲν λέοντες §1190ἐν μάχῃ δʼ ἀλώπεκες.
Chorus: For indeed they wronged me in many ways, Chorus: being lions when at home, Chorus: but foxes in battle.
§1191ἰοὺ ἰού.
Trygaios: Oh, my goodness!
§1192ὅσον τὸ χρῆμʼ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἦλθʼ ἐς τοὺς γάμους.
Trygaios: What a huge amount of stuff has come for the wedding feast!
§1193ἔχʼ ἀποκάθαιρε τὰς τραπέζας ταυτῃί·
Trygaios: Here, wipe the tables clean with this.
§1194πάντως γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄφελός ἐστʼ αὐτῆς ἔτι.
Trygaios: For at any rate there is no longer any use for it.
§1195ἔπειτʼ ἐπιφόρει τοὺς ἀμύλους καὶ τὰς κίχλας §1196καὶ τῶν λαγῴων πολλὰ καὶ τοὺς κολλάβους.
Trygaios: Then bring on the wheat cakes and the thrushes, Trygaios: and plenty of hare's meat, and the rolls.
§1197ποῦ ποῦ Τρυγαῖός ἐστιν;
Sickle-maker: Where, oh where is Trygaios?
§1197bἀναβράττω κίχλας.
Trygaios: I am roasting thrushes.
§1198ὦ φίλτατʼ ὦ Τρυγαἶ ὅσʼ ἡμᾶς τἀγαθὰ §1199δέδρακας εἰρήνην ποιήσας·
Sickle-maker: O dearest Trygaios, what great blessings you have brought us Sickle-maker: by making peace!
ὡς πρὸ τοῦ §1200οὐδεὶς ἐπρίατʼ ἂν δρέπανον οὐδὲ κολλύβου, §1201νυνὶ δὲ πεντήκοντα δραχμῶν ἐμπολῶ·
For before this, Sickle-maker: no one would buy a sickle even for a small coin, Sickle-maker: but now I sell them for fifty drachmas.
§1202ὁδὶ δὲ τριδράχμους τοὺς κάδους ἐς τοὺς ἀγρούς.
Sickle-maker: And this man here sells his field jars for three drachmas.
§1203ἀλλʼ ὦ Τρυγαῖε τῶν δρεπάνων τε λάμβανε §1204καὶ τῶνδʼ ὅ τι βούλει προῖκα· καὶ ταυτὶ δέχου·
Sickle-maker: Come, Trygaios, take of these sickles Sickle-maker: and of these jars whatever you wish for free; and accept these too.
§1205ἀφʼ ὧν γὰρ ἀπεδόμεσθα κἀκερδήναμεν §1206τὰ δῶρα ταυτί σοι φέρομεν ἐς τοὺς γάμους.
Sickle-maker: For from what we sold and profited, Sickle-maker: we bring these gifts to you for your wedding.
§1207ἴθι νυν καταθέμενοι παρʼ ἐμοὶ ταῦτʼ εἴσιτε §1208ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ὡς τάχιστα·
Trygaios: Come then, put them down at my place and go inside Trygaios: to dinner as quickly as possible.
καὶ γὰρ οὑτοσὶ §1209ὅπλων κάπηλος ἀχθόμενος προσέρχεται.
For indeed this Trygaios: arms-seller is approaching looking very disgruntled.
§1210οἴμʼ ὡς προθέλυμνόν μʼ ὦ Τρυγαἶ ἀπώλεσας.
Arms-seller: Oh, Trygaios, how utterly you have ruined me!
§1211τί δʼ ἔστιν ὦ κακόδαιμον;
Trygaios: What's the matter, you miserable wretch?
οὔτι που λοφᾷς;
Are you suffering from a crest-fever?
§1212ἀπώλεσάς μου τὴν τέχνην καὶ τὸν βίον, §1213καὶ τουτουὶ καὶ τοῦ δορυξοῦ ʼκεινονί.
Arms-seller: You have ruined my trade and my livelihood, Arms-seller: both mine here, and that of the spear-maker over there.
§1214τί δῆτα τουτοινὶ καταθῶ σοι τοῖν λόφοιν;
Arms-seller: Then what will you give me for these two crests?
§1215αὐτὸς σὺ τί δίδως;
Trygaios: What do you ask for them yourself?
§1215bὅ τι δίδωμʼ;
Arms-seller: What do I ask?
αἰσχύνομαι.
I am ashamed to say.
§1216ὅμως δʼ ὅτι τὸ σφήκωμʼ ἔχει πόνον πολύν, §1217δοίην ἂν αὐτοῖν ἰσχάδων τρεῖς χοίνικας. §1218ἵνʼ ἀποκαθαίρω τὴν τράπεζαν τουτῳί.
Trygaios: But since the clasp shows much hard work, Trygaios: I would give three choenixes of dried figs for the pair, Trygaios: so that I can wipe the table with them.
§1219ἔνεγκε τοίνυν εἰσιὼν τὰς ἰσχάδας· §1220κρεῖττον γὰρ ὦ τᾶν ἐστιν ἢ μηδὲν λαβεῖν.
Arms-seller: Well then, go inside and bring the dried figs; Arms-seller: for it is better, my friend, than getting nothing at all.
§1221ἀπόφερʼ ἀπόφερʼ ἐς κόρακας ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας.
Trygaios: Take them away, take them away from my house to the crows!
§1222τριχορρυεῖτον, οὐδέν ἐστον τὼ λόφω.
Trygaios: They are shedding hair; these two crests are worthless.
§1223οὐκ ἂν πριαίμην οὐδʼ ἂν ἰσχάδος μιᾶς.
Trygaios: I wouldn't buy them even for a single dried fig.
§1224τί δαὶ δεκάμνῳ τῷδε θώρηκος κύτει
Arms-seller: What then of this breastplate-hollow, worth ten minae, Arms-seller: so beautifully fitted?
§1225ἐνημμένῳ κάλλιστα χρήσομαι τάλας;
How shall I use it, wretched that I am?
§1226οὗτος μὲν οὐ μή σοι ποιήσει ζημίαν.
Trygaios: This indeed will bring you no loss.
§1227ἀλλʼ αἶρέ μοι τοῦτόν γε τῆς ἰσωνίας· §1228ἐναποπατεῖν γάρ ἐστʼ ἐπιτήδειος πάνυ— §1229παῦσαί μʼ ὑβρίζων τοῖς ἐμοῖσι χρήμασιν.
Trygaios: Come, let me take this off your hands for its cost price; Trygaios: for it is extremely suitable to defecate into— Arms-seller: Stop insulting my property!
§1230ὡδὶ παραθέντι τρεῖς λίθους.
Trygaios: placing three stones beside it like this.
οὐ δεξιῶς;
Isn't that clever?
§1231ποίᾳ δʼ ἀποψήσει ποτʼ ὦμαθέστατε;
Arms-seller: And how will you wipe yourself, you utter ignoramus?
§1232τῃδὶ διεὶς τὴν χεῖρα διὰ τῆς θαλαμιᾶς §1233καὶ τῇδʼ.
Trygaios: By putting my hand through this port-hole here, Trygaios: and through this one here.
§1233bἅμʼ ἀμφοῖν δῆτʼ;
Arms-seller: What, with both hands at once?
§1233cἔγωγε νὴ Δία, §1234ἵνα μή γʼ ἁλῶ τρύπημα κλέπτων τῆς νεώς.
Trygaios: I would, by Zeus, Trygaios: so that I don't get caught stealing the ship's port-hole.
§1235ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ δεκάμνῳ χεσεῖ καθήμενος;
Arms-seller: Then you'll sit and shit on a ten-minae vessel?
§1236ἔγωγε νὴ Δίʼ ὦπίτριπτʼ.
Trygaios: Indeed I would, by Zeus, you scoundrel.
οἴει γὰρ ἂν §1237τὸν πρωκτὸν ἀποδόσθαι με χιλιῶν δραχμῶν;
Do you think Trygaios: I would sell my backside for less than a thousand drachmas?
§1238ἴθι δὴ ʼξένεγκε τἀργύριον.
Arms-seller: Come on then, bring out the money.
§1238bἀλλʼ ὦγαθὲ §1239θλίβει τὸν ὄρρον.
Trygaios: But, my good fellow, Trygaios: it pinches my rump.
ἀπόφερʼ, οὐκ ὠνήσομαι.
Take it away, I won't buy it.
§1240τί δʼ ἆρα τῇ σάλπιγγι τῇδε χρήσομαι, §1241ἣν ἐπριάμην δραχμῶν ποθʼ ἑξήκοντʼ ἐγώ;
Arms-seller: Then what shall I do with this trumpet, Arms-seller: sixty drachmas for which I paid?
§1242μόλυβδον ἐς τουτὶ τὸ κοῖλον ἐγχέας §1243ἔπειτʼ ἄνωθεν ῥάβδον ἐνθεὶς ὑπόμακρον, §1244γενήσεταί σοι τῶν κατακτῶν κοττάβων.
Trygaios: By pouring lead into this hollow part, Trygaios: and then inserting a rather long rod from above, Trygaios: you will have a device for playing the hanging kottabos.
§1245οἴμοι καταγελᾷς.
Arms-seller: Alas, you are mocking me.
§1245bἀλλʼ ἕτερον παραινέσω.
Trygaios: No, I will give you another suggestion.
§1246τὸν μὲν μόλυβδον, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ἔγχεον, §1247ἐντευθενὶ δὲ σπαρτίοις ἠρτημένην §1248πλάστιγγα πρόσθες, καὐτό σοι γενήσεται §1249τὰ σῦκʼ ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῖς οἰκέταισιν ἱστάναι.
Trygaios: Pour in the lead, just as I said, Trygaios: and attach a scale-pan suspended by cords from here, Trygaios: and you will have a balance Trygaios: to weigh out figs for the servants in the field.
§1250ὦ δυσκάθαρτε δαῖμον ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας, §1251ὅτʼ ἀντέδωκά γʼ ἀντὶ τῶνδε μνᾶν ποτέ·
Arms-seller: O wretched spirit, how you have ruined me, Arms-seller: when I once paid a mina in exchange for these!
§1252καὶ νῦν τί δράσω;
Arms-seller: And now what shall I do?
τίς γὰρ αὔτʼ ὠνήσεται;
Who will buy them?
§1253πώλει βαδίζων αὐτὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις· §1254ἔστιν γὰρ ἐπιτήδεια συρμαίαν μετρεῖν.
Trygaios: Go and sell them to the Egyptians; Trygaios: they are very convenient for measuring out their purgative juice.
§1255οἴμʼ ὦ κρανοποίʼ ὡς ἀθλίως πεπράγαμεν.
Arms-seller: Oh, helmet-maker, how miserably we have fared!
§1256οὗτος μὲν οὐ πέπονθεν οὐδέν.
Trygaios: This man has suffered nothing.
§1256bἀλλὰ τί §1257ἔτʼ ἐστὶ τοῖσι κράνεσιν ὅ τι τις χρήσεται;
Helmet-seller: But what Helmet-seller: is there left for anyone to do with these helmets?
§1258ἐὰν τοιαυτασὶ μάθῃ λαβὰς ποιεῖν, §1259ἄμεινον ἢ νῦν αὔτʼ ἀποδώσεται πολύ.
Trygaios: If you learn to make handles like these on them, Trygaios: you will sell them for much more than you do now.
§1260ἀπίωμεν ὦ δορυξέ.
Helmet-seller: Let's go, spear-maker.
§1260bμηδαμῶς γʼ, ἐπεὶ §1261τούτῳ γʼ ἐγὼ τὰ δόρατα ταῦτʼ ὠνήσομαι.
Trygaios: No, by no means, since Trygaios: I will buy these spears from him.
§1262πόσον δίδως δῆτʼ;
Spear-seller: How much will you give then?
§1262bεἰ διαπρισθεῖεν δίχα, §1263λάβοιμʼ ἂν αὔτʼ ἐς χάρακας ἑκατὸν τῆς δραχμῆς.
Trygaios: If they were sawn in two, Trygaios: I would take them as vine-props at a drachma for a hundred.
§1264ὑβριζόμεθα.
Spear-seller: We are being insulted!
χωρῶμεν ὦ τᾶν ἐκποδών.
Let's get out of the way, my friend.
§1265νὴ τὸν Δίʼ, ὡς τὰ παιδίʼ ἤδη ʼξέρχεται §1266οὐρησόμενα τὰ τῶν ἐπικλήτων δεῦρʼ, ἵνα §1267ἅττʼ ᾄσεται προαναβάληταί μοι δοκεῖ.
Trygaios: By Zeus, yes, for the children of the guests are already coming out Trygaios: here to relieve themselves, so that they can, Trygaios: I believe, rehearse beforehand what they are going to sing.

Notes

  1. §1187ὧν — The relative pronoun ὧν is a neuter plural genitive referring back to the unjust actions of the military officers (such as the arbitrary manipulation of the muster-rolls) described in §1180-1186.
  2. §1193ταυτῃί — Feminine dative singular of the demonstrative αὑτηί (with the deictic suffix -i). It refers to some object Trygaios is holding on stage (likely a useless piece of military gear, implied by a feminine noun) which he instructs to be used as a rag for wiping the tables.
  3. §1211λοφᾷς — Second-person singular present of the verb λοφάω, meaning 'to wear a crest.' It parodies verbs ending in -άω associated with diseases (like 'to have a fever,' πυρετάω), humorously suggesting that the merchant is suffering from a 'crest-fever' or 'crest-disease.'
  4. §1234τρύπημα κλέπτων τῆς νεώς — Literally 'stealing the hole of the ship.' This refers to a vulgar nautical slang or pun popular among Athenian rowers, hinting at cheating or illicit peering through the lowest oar-ports (θαλαμιά) on a trireme.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Peace §1187-1267. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1187-1267

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