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Aristophanes · Lysistrata §1124-1211

Lysistrata's Mediation and the Agreement on Peace

Passage 15 of 16 · Greek

Summary

Lysistrata reproaches both the Athenians and Spartans by reminding them of their mutual historical favors, leading to a bawdy negotiation over the anatomical parts of the personified Reconciliation (symbolizing territories) and inviting them to a feast in the Acropolis to seal the peace.

§1124ἐγὼ γυνὴ μέν εἰμι, νοῦς δʼ ἔνεστί μοι, §1125αὐτὴ δʼ ἐμαυτῆς οὐ κακῶς γνώμης ἔχω, §1126τοὺς δʼ ἐκ πατρός τε καὶ γεραιτέρων λόγους §1127πολλοὺς ἀκούσασʼ οὐ μεμούσωμαι κακῶς.
[Lysistrata] I am a woman, but reason is in me, and I myself am not badly off in respect of my own judgment, and having heard many words from my father and elders, I am not badly educated.
§1128λαβοῦσα δʼ ὑμᾶς λοιδορῆσαι βούλομαι §1129κοινῇ δικαίως, οἳ μιᾶς ἐκ χέρνιβος §1130βωμοὺς περιρραίνοντες ὥσπερ ξυγγενεῖς §1131Ὀλυμπίασιν, ἐν Πύλαις, Πυθοῖ πόσους
And taking you, I wish to reproach you in common, justly, who from one lustral water sprinkling the altars like kinsmen at Olympia, at Pylae, at Pytho—how many others could I mention, if it were necessary for me to speak at length?
§1132εἴποιμʼ ἂν ἄλλους, εἴ με μηκύνειν δέοι; §1133ἐχθρῶν παρόντων βαρβάρων στρατεύματι §1134Ἕλληνας ἄνδρας καὶ πόλεις ἀπόλλυτε.
While enemies are present with a barbarian army, you destroy Greek men and cities.
§1135εἷς μὲν λόγος μοι δεῦρʼ ἀεὶ περαίνεται.
One part of my argument is thus always completed.
§1136ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπόλλυμαί γʼ ἀπεψωλημένος.
[Athenian] But I am dying, being stripped of my prepuce.
§1137εἶτʼ ὦ Λάκωνες, πρὸς γὰρ ὑμᾶς τρέψομαι, §1138οὐκ ἴσθʼ ὅτʼ ἐλθὼν δεῦρο Περικλείδας ποτὲ §1139ὁ Λάκων Ἀθηναίων ἱκέτης καθέζετο §1140ἐπὶ τοῖσι βωμοῖς ὠχρὸς ἐν φοινικίδι §1141στρατιὰν προσαιτῶν;
[Lysistrata] Next, Spartans—for I shall turn to you— do you not know when once Pericleidas the Spartan came here and sat as a suppliant of the Athenians upon the altars, pale in his red cloak, asking for an army?
ἡ δὲ Μεσσήνη τότε §1142ὑμῖν ἐπέκειτο χὠ θεὸς σείων ἅμα.
And Messene then was pressing hard on you, and the god shaking the earth at the same time.
§1143ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν ὁπλίταισι τετρακισχιλίοις §1144Κίμων ὅλην ἔσωσε τὴν Λακεδαίμονα.
And Kimon, coming with four thousand hoplites, saved the whole of Lacedaemon.
§1145ταυτὶ παθόντες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὕπο §1146δῃοῦτε χώραν, ἧς ὑπʼ εὖ πεπόνθατε;
Having suffered this from the Athenians, do you ravage the country by which you have been well treated?
§1147ἀδικοῦσιν οὗτοι νὴ Δίʼ ὦ Λυσιστράτη.
[Athenian] They are in the wrong, by Zeus, Lysistrata!
§1148ἀδικίομες· ἀλλʼ ὁ πρωκτὸς ἄφατον ὡς καλός.
[Spartan] We are in the wrong; but her buttocks are unspeakably beautiful.
§1149ὑμᾶς δʼ ἀφήσειν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους μʼ οἴει;
[Lysistrata] And do you think, Athenians, that I will let you off?
§1150οὐκ ἴσθʼ ὅθʼ ὑμᾶς οἱ Λάκωνες αὖθις αὖ §1151κατωνάκας φοροῦντας ἐλθόντες δορὶ §1152πολλοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας Θετταλῶν ἀπώλεσαν, §1153πολλοὺς δʼ ἑταίρους Ἱππίου καὶ ξυμμάχους, §1154ξυνεκμαχοῦντες τῇ τόθʼ ἡμέρᾳ μόνοι, §1155κἠλευθέρωσαν κἀντὶ τῆς κατωνάκης §1156τὸν δῆμον ὑμῶν χλαῖναν ἠμπέσχον πάλιν;
Do you not know when the Spartans in turn, when you were wearing slave-smocks, came with the spear and slew many men of the Thessalians, and many companions and allies of Hippias, fighting as sole allies on that day, and liberated you, and instead of the slave-smock clothed your democracy again with a cloak of citizens?
§1157οὔπα γυναῖκʼ ὄπωπα χαϊωτεραν.
[Spartan] I have never seen a nobler woman.
§1158ἐγὼ δὲ κύσθον γʼ οὐδέπω καλλίονα.
[Athenian] And I have never seen a more beautiful vagina.
§1159τί δῆθʼ υπηργμένων γε πολλῶν κἀγαθῶν §1160μάχεσθε κοὐ παύεσθε τῆς μοχθηρίας;
[Lysistrata] Why then, when many good deeds have been done beforehand, do you fight and not cease from your wickedness?
§1161τί δʼ οὐ διηλλάγητε;
Why are you not reconciled?
φέρε τί τοὐμποδών;
Come, what is in the way?
§1162ἁμές γε λῶμες, αἴ τις ἁμὶν τὤγκυκλον §1163λῇ τοῦτʼ ἀποδόμεν.
[Spartan] We indeed wish, if someone wishes to give back to us this round thing.
§1163bποῖον ὦ τᾶν;
[Athenian] What kind of thing, my friend?
§1163cτὰν Πύλον, §1164ἇσπερ πάλαι δεόμεθα καὶ βλιμάττομες.
[Spartan] Pylos, which we have been longing for and groping for a long time.
§1165μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τοῦτο μέν γʼ οὐ δράσετε.
[Athenian] By Poseidon, you shall not do this!
§1166ἄφετʼ ὦγάθʼ αὐτοῖς.
[Lysistrata] Let it go, my good sir, to them.
§1166bκᾆτα τίνα κινήσομεν;
[Athenian] And then what shall we move?
§1167ἕτερόν γʼ ἀπαιτεῖτʼ ἀντὶ τούτου χωρίον.
[Lysistrata] Ask for another place instead of this.
§1168τὸ δεῖνα τοίνυν παράδοθʼ ἡμῖν τουτονὶ §1169πρώτιστα τὸν Ἐχινοῦντα καὶ τὸν Μηλιᾶ §1170κόλπον τὸν ὄπισθεν καὶ τὰ Μεγαρικὰ σκέλη.
[Athenian] Well then, hand over to us this thing here, first of all Echinus, and the Malian Gulf behind, and the Megarian legs.
§1171οὐ τὼ σιὼ οὐχὶ πάντα γʼ ὦ λισσάνιε.
[Spartan] By the twin gods, not all of them, you smooth-talker!
§1172ἐᾶτε, μηδὲν διαφέρου περὶ σκελοῖν.
[Lysistrata] Let it be, do not dispute about legs.
§1173ἤδη γεωργεῖν γυμνὸς ἀποδὺς βούλομαι.
[Athenian] Now indeed I want to strip naked and plow.
§1174ἐγὼ δὲ κοπραγωγεῖν γα †πρῶτα† ναὶ τὼ σιώ.
[Spartan] And I want to manure first, by the twin gods!
§1175ἐπὴν διαλλαγῆτε, ταῦτα δράσετε.
[Lysistrata] When you are reconciled, you shall do these things.
§1176ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα, βουλεύσασθε καὶ §1177τοῖς ξυμμάχοις ἐλθόντες ἀνακοινώσατε.
But if it seems good to do this, deliberate, and go and communicate it to your allies.
§1178ποίοισιν ὦ τᾶν ξυμμάχοις;
[Athenian] What allies, my friend?
ἐστύκαμεν.
We are erect.
§1179οὐ ταὐτὰ δόξει τοῖσι συμμάχοισι νῷν §1180βινεῖν ἅπασιν;
Won't all the allies think the same as us— to fuck?
§1180bτοῖσι γῶν ναὶ τὼ σιὼ §1181ἁμοῖσι.
[Spartan] At least our allies will, by the twin gods.
§1181bκαὶ γὰρ ναὶ μὰ Δία Καρυστίοις.
[Athenian] And indeed, by Zeus, the Carystians too.
§1182καλῶς λέγετε.
[Lysistrata] You speak well.
νῦν οὖν ὅπως ἁγνεύσετε, §1183ὅπως ἂν αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμᾶς ἐν πόλει §1184ξενίσωμεν ὧν ἐν ταῖσι κίσταις εἴχομεν.
Now then, make yourselves pure, so that we women may entertain you in the Acropolis with what we have in our chests.
§1185ὅρκους δʼ ἐκεῖ καὶ πίστιν ἀλλήλοις δότε.
And give oaths and pledges there to one another.
§1186κἄπειτα τὴν αὑτοῦ γυναῖχʼ ὑμῶν λαβὼν §1187ἄπεισʼ ἕκαστος.
And then, taking his own wife, each of you shall depart.
§1187bἀλλʼ ἴωμεν ὡς τάχος.
[Athenian] But let us go as quickly as possible.
§1188ἄγʼ ὅπᾳ τυ λῇς.
[Spartan] Lead wherever you wish.
§1188bνὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ ἄγε.
[Athenian] By Zeus, lead as quickly as possible.
§1189στρωμάτων δὲ ποικίλων καὶ §1190χλανιδίων καὶ ξυστίδων καὶ §1191χρυσίων, ὅσʼ ἐστί μοι, §1192οὐ φθόνος ἔνεστί μοι πᾶσι παρέχειν φέρειν §1193τοῖς παισίν, ὁπόταν τε θυγάτηρ τινὶ κανηφορῇ.
[Chorus] And of embroidered coverlets, and cloaks, and robes, and golden ornaments, as many as I have, I have no grudge to offer them all for anyone to carry away for their children, and whenever someone's daughter is a basket-bearer.
§1194πᾶσιν ὑμῖν λέγω λαμβάνειν τῶν ἐμῶν §1195χρημάτων νῦν ἔνδοθεν, καὶ §1196μηδὲν οὕτως εὖ σεσημάν- §1197θαι τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ §1198τοὺς ῥύπους ἀνασπάσαι, §1199χἄττʼ ἂν ἔνδον ᾖ φορεῖν.
I tell you all to take from my things now inside, and nothing is so well sealed that you cannot tear off the seals, and carry away whatever is inside.
§1200ὄψεται δʼ οὐδὲν σκοπῶν, εἰ §1201μή τις ὑμῶν §1202ὀξύτερον ἐμοῦ βλέπει.
And you will see nothing though searching, unless some of you see more sharply than I do.
§1203εἰ δέ τῳ μὴ σῖτος ὑμῶν §1204ἔστι, βόσκει δʼ οἰκέτας καὶ §1205σμικρὰ πολλὰ παιδία, §1206ἔστι παρʼ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν πυρίδια λεπτὰ μέν, §1207ὁ δʼ ἄρτος ἀπὸ χοίνικος ἰδεῖν μάλα νεανίας.
And if any of you has no grain, and feeds servants and many small children, there is fine wheat to be had from me, but the loaf of one choenix is very vigorous to look at.
§1208ὅστις οὖν βούλεται τῶν πενήτων ἴτω §1209εἰς ἐμοῦ σάκκους ἔχων καὶ §1210κωρύκους, ὡς λήψεται πυ- §1211ρούς· ὁ Μανῆς δʼ
Whoever then of the poor wishes, let him go to my house, having sacks and bags, so that he will receive wheat; but Manes...

Notes

  1. 1125αὐτὴ δʼ ἐμαυτῆς οὐ κακῶς γνώμης ἔχω — The genitive γνώμης depends on the construction ἔχω + genitive, meaning "to be in a certain state with respect to something." Here, it means "I myself am not badly off in respect of my own judgment."
  2. 1136ἀπεψωλημένος — A perfect passive participle from ἀποψωλόω (to strip back the prepuce), functioning here as a blunt double entendre denoting the extreme physical state of sexual arousal and erection of the characters on stage.
  3. 1164βλιμάττομες — Originally meaning "to squeeze honey from a hive" or "to feel (poultry/udders)," it is used here as a vulgar double entendre, punning on the geographic location of "Pylos" and the sexual act of groping or squeezing female private parts (or breasts).
  4. 1197τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ — Introduced after a negative main verb (or a clause with a negative implication), this double negative construction with the infinitive (ἀνασπάσαι) expresses "so as not to..." or "that one cannot...". It means that nothing is sealed so well that one cannot break the seal and carry things away.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Lysistrata §1124-1211. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg007.humanitext-grc2:1124-1211

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