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Aristophanes · Lysistrata §1-79

Lysistrata's Summons and the Gathering of Women

Passage 1 of 16 · Greek

Summary

Lysistrata waits impatiently for the women of Greece to gather for her crucial peace plan. As Kalonike and other women slowly arrive, they discuss the difficulties women face in leaving their homes and the potential power of their feminine adornments.

§1ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐς Βακχεῖον αὐτὰς ἐκάλεσεν, §2ἢ ʼς Πανὸς ἢ ʼπὶ Κωλιάδʼ ἢ ʼς Γενετυλλίδος, §3οὐδʼ ἂν διελθεῖν ἦν ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν τυμπάνων.
Lysistrata: But if someone had called them to a Bacchic temple, or to Pan's, or to the Cape of Colias, or Genetyllis's, one couldn't have passed through because of the drums.
§4νῦν δʼ οὐδεμία πάρεστιν ἐνταυθοῖ γυνή· §5πλὴν ἥ γʼ ἐμὴ κωμῆτις ἥδʼ ἐξέρχεται.
But now, not a single woman is present here; except this neighbor of mine, who is coming out.
§6χαῖρʼ ὦ Καλονίκη.
Hello, Kalonike.
§6bκαὶ σύ γʼ ὦ Λυσιστράτη.
Kalonike: And you too, Lysistrata.
§7τί συντετάραξαι;
Why are you so troubled?
μὴ σκυθρώπαζʼ ὦ τέκνον.
Don't look so gloomy, child.
§8οὐ γὰρ πρέπει σοι τοξοποιεῖν τὰς ὀφρῦς.
It doesn't become you to knit your brows.
§9ἀλλʼ ὦ Καλονίκη κάομαι τὴν καρδίαν, §10καὶ πόλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ἄχθομαι, §11ὁτιὴ παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν νενομίσμεθα §12εἶναι πανοῦργοι— §12bκαὶ γάρ ἐσμεν νὴ Δία.
Lysistrata: But, Kalonike, my heart is burning, and I am deeply vexed for us women, because we are considered by men to be ready for any mischief— Kalonike: And indeed we are, by Zeus!
§13εἰρημένον δʼ αὐταῖς ἀπαντᾶν ἐνθάδε §14βουλευσομέναισιν οὐ περὶ φαύλου πράγματος, §15εὕδουσι κοὐχ ἥκουσιν.
Lysistrata: —yet, when they were told to meet here to deliberate on no small matter, they sleep and have not come.
§15bἀλλʼ ὦ φιλτάτη §16ἥξουσι· χαλεπή τοι γυναικῶν ἔξοδος.
Kalonike: But, my dearest, they will come; for women's exit is difficult.
§17ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν περὶ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐκύπτασεν, §18ἡ δʼ οἰκέτην ἤγειρεν, ἡ δὲ παιδίον §19κατέκλινεν, ἡ δʼ ἔλουσεν, ἡ δʼ ἐψώμισεν.
One of us is busy with her husband, another is waking the servant, another is putting her child to bed, another washing it, and another feeding it.
§20ἀλλʼ ἕτερά τἄρʼ ἦν τῶνδε προὐργιαίτερα §21αὐταῖς.
But indeed, other things were more urgent for them than these.
§21bτί δʼ ἐστὶν ὦ φίλη Λυσιστράτη, §22ἐφʼ ὅ τι ποθʼ ἡμᾶς τὰς γυναῖκας συγκαλεῖς;
But what is it, dear Lysistrata, for which you summon us women?
§23τί τὸ πρᾶγμα;
What is the matter?
πηλίκον τι;
How big is it?
§23bμέγα.
Lysistrata: Big.
§23cμῶν καὶ παχύ;
Kalonike: Is it also thick?
§24καὶ νὴ Δία παχύ.
Lysistrata: Yes, by Zeus, thick indeed.
§24bκᾆτα πῶς οὐχ ἥκομεν;
Kalonike: Then how is it we haven't come?
§25οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος· ταχὺ γὰρ ἂν ξυνήλθομεν.
Lysistrata: That is not the way; for otherwise we would have met quickly.
§26ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πρᾶγμʼ ἀνεζητημένον §27πολλαῖσί τʼ ἀγρυπνίαισιν ἐρριπτασμένον.
Rather, it is a matter investigated by me and tossed about during many sleepless nights.
§28ἦ πού τι λεπτόν ἐστι τοὐρριπτασμένον.
Kalonike: Surely this thing tossed about must be something very fine.
§29οὕτω γε λεπτὸν ὥσθʼ ὅλης τῆς Ἑλλάδος §30ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία.
Lysistrata: So fine indeed that the salvation of all Greece depends on the women.
§31ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν;
Kalonike: On the women?
ἐπʼ ὀλίγου γʼ ὠχεῖτʼ ἄρα.
Then it rides on a very small support indeed.
§32ὡς ἔστʼ ἐν ἡμῖν τῆς πόλεως τὰ πράγματα, §33ἢ μηκέτʼ εἶναι μήτε Πελοποννησίους— §34βέλτιστα τοίνυν μηκέτʼ εἶναι νὴ Δία.
Lysistrata: Since the affairs of the state are in our hands, either there will no longer be any Peloponnesians— Kalonike: It would be best indeed, by Zeus, if there were no more.
§35Βοιωτίους τε πάντας ἐξολωλέναι.
Lysistrata: —and all the Boeotians will be utterly destroyed.
§36μὴ δῆτα πάντας γʼ, ἀλλʼ ἄφελε τὰς ἐγχέλεις.
Kalonike: Not all, surely, but spare the eels!
§37περὶ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν δʼ οὐκ ἐπιγλωττήσομαι §38τοιοῦτον οὐδέν· ἀλλʼ ὑπονόησον σύ μοι.
Lysistrata: Regarding Athens, I will say no such ominous thing; but you understand me.
§39ἢν δὲ ξυνέλθωσʼ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐνθάδε §40αἵ τʼ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν αἵ τε Πελοποννησίων §41ἡμεῖς τε, κοινῇ σώσομεν τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
If the women meet here, both those from Boeotia, and those from the Peloponnese, and we ourselves, we shall jointly save Greece.
§42τί δʼ ἂν γυναῖκες φρόνιμον ἐργασαίατο §43ἢ λαμπρόν, αἳ καθήμεθʼ ἐξηνθισμέναι, §44κροκωτοφοροῦσαι καὶ κεκαλλωπισμέναι §45καὶ Κιμμερίκʼ ὀρθοστάδια καὶ περιβαρίδας;
Kalonike: But what wise or brilliant thing could women do, who sit all dolled up, wearing saffron gowns and putting on makeup, with Kimmerian transparent dresses and slippers?
§46ταῦτʼ αὐτὰ γάρ τοι κἄσθʼ ἃ σώσειν προσδοκῶ, §47τὰ κροκωτίδια καὶ τὰ μύρα χαἰ περιβαρίδες §48χἤγχουσα καὶ τὰ διαφανῆ χιτώνια.
Lysistrata: These are the very things which I expect will save us: the saffron robes, the perfumes, the slippers, the rouge, and the transparent tunics.
§49τίνα δὴ τρόπον ποθʼ;
Kalonike: In what way?
§49bὥστε τῶν νῦν μηδένα §50ἀνδρῶν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἄρεσθαι δόρυ— §51κροκωτὸν ἄρα νὴ τὼ θεὼ ʼγὼ βάψομαι.
Lysistrata: So that none of the men of today will lift a spear against each other— Kalonike: By the two goddesses, then, I will dye a saffron robe!
§52μηδʼ ἀσπίδα λαβεῖν— §52bΚιμμερικὸν ἐνδύσομαι.
Lysistrata: —nor take up a shield— Kalonike: I'll put on a Kimmerian dress!
§53μηδὲ ξιφίδιον.
Lysistrata: —nor a dagger.
§53bκτήσομαι περιβαρίδας.
Kalonike: I'll get slippers!
§54ἆρʼ οὐ παρεῖναι τὰς γυναῖκας δῆτʼ ἐχρῆν;
Lysistrata: Shouldn't the women, then, have been present?
§55οὐ γὰρ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ πετομένας ἥκειν πάλαι.
Kalonike: By Zeus, they should have flown and been here long ago.
§56ἀλλʼ ὦ μέλʼ ὄψει τοι σφόδρʼ αὐτὰς Ἀττικάς, §57ἅπαντα δρώσας τοῦ δέοντος ὕστερον.
Lysistrata: But, my dear, you will see that they are thoroughly Attic— doing everything too late.
§58ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ Παράλων οὐδεμία γυνὴ πάρα, §59οὐδʼ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος.
But not a single woman from Paralus is here, nor from Salamis.
§59bἀλλʼ ἐκεῖναί γʼ οἶδʼ ὅτι §60ἐπὶ τῶν κελήτων διαβεβήκασʼ ὄρθριαι.
Kalonike: But those, I know well, have crossed over on their clippers early in the morning.
§61οὐδʼ ἃς προσεδόκων κἀλογιζόμην ἐγὼ §62πρώτας παρέσεσθαι δεῦρο τὰς Ἀχαρνέων §63γυναῖκας, οὐχ ἥκουσιν.
Lysistrata: Nor those whom I expected and reckoned would be here first, the women of Acharnae— they haven't come.
§63bἡ γοῦν Θεογένους §64ὡς δεῦρʼ ἰοῦσα θοὐκάταιον ἤρετο.
Kalonike: The wife of Theogenes, at least, was consulting her Hecate-shrine as if she were coming here.
§65ἀτὰρ αἵδε καὶ δή σοι προσέρχονταί τινες.
Lysistrata: But look, here are some women coming.
§66αἱδί θʼ ἕτεραι χωροῦσί τινες. ἰοὺ ἰού,
And here are others coming.
§67πόθεν εἰσίν;
Ah, where are they from?
§67bἈναγυρουντόθεν.
Kalonike: From Anagyrus.
§67cνὴ τὸν Δία· §68ὁ γοῦν ἀνάγυρός μοι κεκινῆσθαι δοκεῖ.
Lysistrata: Yes, by Zeus; the stinking bean-trefoil indeed seems to have been stirred.
§69μῶν ὕστεραι πάρεσμεν ὦ Λυσιστράτη;
Myrrhine: Are we late, Lysistrata?
§70τί φῄς;
What do you say?
τί σιγᾷς;
Why are you silent?
§70bοὔ σʼ ἐπαινῶ Μυρρίνη §71ἥκουσαν ἄρτι περὶ τοιούτου πράγματος.
Lysistrata: I do not praise you, Myrrhine, for arriving only now for such an important matter.
§72μόλις γὰρ ηὗρον ἐν σκότῳ τὸ ζώνιον.
Myrrhine: I could hardly find my girdle in the dark.
§73ἀλλʼ εἴ τι πάνυ δεῖ, ταῖς παρούσαισιν λέγε.
But if it is so necessary, speak to those who are present.
§74μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐπαναμείνωμεν ὀλίγου γʼ οὕνεκα §75τάς τʼ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν τάς τε Πελοποννησίων §76γυναῖκας ἐλθεῖν.
Lysistrata: By Zeus, no; let us wait a little while for the women from Boeotia and the Peloponnese to arrive.
§76bπολὺ σὺ κάλλιον λέγεις.
Myrrhine: You speak much better.
§77ἡδὶ δὲ καὶ δὴ Λαμπιτὼ προσέρχεται.
Lysistrata: But look, here comes Lampito.
§78ὦ φιλτάτη Λάκαινα χαῖρε Λαμπιτοῖ.
Welcome, dearest Spartan, Lampito.
§79οἷον τὸ κάλλος γλυκυτάτη σου φαίνεται.
How sweet your beauty appears!

Notes

  1. §3οὐδʼ ἂν διελθεῖν ἦν ἂν — The particle ἄν is doubled (οὐδʼ ἂν ... ἦν ἂν) to emphasize the past potentiality or unreal result ("it would not even have been possible to pass through").
  2. §23cπαχύ — Meaning "thick" or "stout," it functions here as a double meaning: on one hand referring to a "grave or serious matter" in Lysistrata's context, and on the other hand implying a male phallus in Kalonike's response.
  3. §60κελήτων — The genitive plural of κέλης ("light horse" or "fast boat"), which simultaneously implies riding on horseback (particularly in a sexual posture, i.e., woman on top), a typical Aristophanic double entendre.
  4. §68ἀνάγυρος — A wordplay on the name of the deme "Anagyrus" and the native plant "anagyris" (stinking bean-trefoil), which emits a foul odor when touched; meaning both "the people of Anagyrus have stirred" and "the stinking plant has been disturbed."

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Lysistrata §1-79. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg007.humanitext-grc2:1-79

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