§486καὶ μὴν αὐτῶν τοῦτʼ ἐπιθυμῶ νὴ τὸν Δία πρῶτα πυθέσθαι, §487ὅ τι βουλόμεναι τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἀπεκλῄσατε τοῖσι μοχλοῖσιν.
Magistrate: Well, by Zeus, I desire to learn this from them first, what they wanted when they locked up our city with the crowbars.
§488ἵνα τἀργύριον σῶν παρέχοιμεν καὶ μὴ πολεμοῖτε διʼ αὐτό.
Lysistrata: So that we might keep the money safe, and you wouldn't wage war on account of it.
§489διὰ τἀργύριον πολεμοῦμεν γάρ;
Magistrate: For do we wage war on account of the money?
§489bκαὶ τἄλλα γε πάντʼ ἐκυκήθη.
Lysistrata: Yes, and all other things too were thrown into confusion because of it.
For so that Peisander might have a way to steal, and those who hold office, they were always stirring up some turmoil.
οἱ δʼ οὖν τοῦδʼ οὕνεκα δρώντων §492ὅ τι βούλονται· τὸ γὰρ ἀργύριον τοῦτʼ οὐκέτι μὴ καθέλωσιν.
So let them do what they want on account of this; for they shall no longer carry off this money.
§493ἀλλὰ τί δράσεις;
Magistrate: But what will you do?
§493bτοῦτό μʼ ἐρωτᾷς;
Lysistrata: You ask me this?
ἡμεῖς ταμιεύσομεν αὐτό.
We will manage it.
§494ὑμεῖς ταμιεύσετε τἀργύριον;
Magistrate: You will manage the money?
§494bτί δὲ δεινὸν τοῦτο νομίζεις;
Lysistrata: Why do you think this is so terrible?
§495οὐ καὶ τἄνδον χρήματα πάντως ἡμεῖς ταμιεύομεν ὑμῖν;
Do we not also manage all the household money for you in every way?
§496ἀλλʼ οὐ ταὐτόν.
Magistrate: But it is not the same.
§496bπῶς οὐ ταὐτόν;
Lysistrata: How is it not the same?
§496cπολεμητέον ἔστʼ ἀπὸ τούτου.
Magistrate: War must be waged from this.
§497ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν δεῖ πρῶτον πολεμεῖν.
Lysistrata: But there is no need to wage war in the first place.
§497bπῶς γὰρ σωθησόμεθʼ ἄλλως;
Magistrate: For how else shall we be saved?
§498ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς σώσομεν.
Lysistrata: We will save you.
§498bὑμεῖς;
Magistrate: You?
§498cἡμεῖς μέντοι.
Lysistrata: Yes, indeed, we.
§498dσχέτλιόν γε.
Magistrate: How monstrous!
§499ὡς σωθήσει, κἂν μὴ βούλῃ.
Lysistrata: You will be saved, even if you do not wish it.
§499bδεινόν γε λέγεις.
Magistrate: You speak of something terrible.
§499cἀγανακτεῖς.
Lysistrata: You are angry.
§500ἀλλὰ ποιητέα ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ὅμως.
But nevertheless, this must be done.
§500bνὴ τὴν Δήμητρʼ ἄδικόν γε.
Magistrate: By Demeter, it is unjust!
§501σωστέον ὦ τᾶν.
Lysistrata: You must be saved, my good sir.
§501bκεἰ μὴ δέομαι;
Magistrate: Even if I do not need it?
§501cτοῦδʼ οὕνεκα καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον.
Lysistrata: For this very reason, all the more.
§502ὑμῖν δὲ πόθεν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου τῆς τʼ εἰρήνης ἐμέλησεν;
Magistrate: But whence did concern for war and peace come to you?
§503ἡμεῖς φράσομεν.
Lysistrata: We will tell you.
§503bλέγε δὴ ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ κλάῃς,
Magistrate: Tell me quickly then, so you won't suffer for it.
Lysistrata: Listen then, and try to keep your hands back.
Magistrate: But I cannot; for it is difficult to hold them back because of anger.
§505bκλαύσει τοίνυν πολὺ μᾶλλον.
First Woman: Then you will suffer all the more.
§506τοῦτο μὲν ὦ γραῦ σαυτῇ κρώξαις·
Magistrate: Keep that croaking for yourself, you old hag!
σὺ δέ μοι λέγε.
But you, tell me.
§506bταῦτα ποιήσω.
Lysistrata: I will do so.
§507ἡμεῖς τὸν μὲν πρότερον πόλεμον † καὶ τὸν χρόνον ἠνεσχόμεθα † §508ὑπὸ σωφροσύνης τῆς ἡμετέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἅττʼ ἐποιεῖτε.
Lysistrata: During the former war, we endured because of our modesty, whatever things you men were doing.
§509οὐ γὰρ γρύζειν εἰᾶθʼ ἡμᾶς.
For you did not allow us to utter a peep.
καίτοὐκ ἠρέσκετέ γʼ ἡμᾶς.
And yet you were not pleasing us.
§510ἀλλʼ ᾐσθανόμεσθα καλῶς ὑμῶν, καὶ πολλάκις ἔνδον ἂν οὖσαι §511ἠκούσαμεν ἄν τι κακῶς ὑμᾶς βουλευσαμένους μέγα πρᾶγμα·
But we perceived you well, and often while we were inside, we would hear that you had made some bad decision on a great matter.
§512εἶτʼ ἀλγοῦσαι τἄνδοθεν ὑμᾶς ἐπανηρόμεθʼ ἂν γελάσασαι, §513τί βεβούλευται περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἐν τῇ στήλῃ παραγράψαι §514ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τήμερονὑμῖν; τίδὲ σοὶ ταῦτʼ; ἦ δʼ ὃς ἂν ἁνήρ.
Then, though grieving inside, we would ask you with a smile: "What was decided today in the assembly for you to write beside the treaty on the pillar?" "What is that to you?" the husband would say.
§515οὐ σιγήσει; κἀγὼ ἐσίγων.
"Will you not be silent?" And I would be silent.
§515bἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ ποτʼ ἐσίγων.
First Woman: But I would never have been silent.
§516κἂν ᾤμωζές γʼ, εἰ μὴ ʼσίγας.
Magistrate: And you would have wailed if you hadn't been silent.
§516bτοιγὰρ ἔγωγʼ ἔνδον ἐσίγων.
Lysistrata: Therefore, I indeed was silent inside.
§517ἔτερόν τι πονηρότερον βούλευμʼ ἐπεπύσμεθʼ ἂν ὑμῶν·
Then we would learn of some other more wicked decision of yours.
§518εἶτʼ ἠρόμεθʼ ἄν· πῶς ταῦτʼ ὦνερ διαπράττεσθʼ ὧδʼ ἀνοήτως; §519ὁ δέ μʼ εὐθὺς ὑποβλέψας ἂν ἔφασκʼ, εἰ μὴ τὸν στήμονα νήσω, §520ὀτοτύξεσθαι μακρὰ τὴν κεφαλήν· πόλεμος δʼ ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει. §521ὀρθῶς γε λέγων νὴ Δίʼ ἐκεῖνος.
Then we would ask: "Husband, how is it that you carry out these things so foolishly?" And he would immediately look askance at me and say that if I didn't spin my warp, my head would wail for a long time; "and war shall be the business of men." Magistrate: By Zeus, he was speaking rightly!
Lysistrata: How rightly, you miserable man, if it was not permitted for us to advise you even when you were deciding badly?
§523ὅτε δὴ δʼ ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖσιν ὁδοῖς φανερῶς ἠκούομεν ἤδη, §524οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ; μὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ,
εἶφʼ ἕτερός τις· §525μετὰ ταῦθʼ ἡμῖν εὐθὺς ἔδοξεν σῶσαι τὴν Ἑλλάδα κοινῇ §526ταῖσι γυναιξὶν συλλεχθείσαις. ποῖ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν ἀναμεῖναι;
But when indeed we already heard you openly on the streets: "Is there no man in the land?" "No, by Zeus, none," another would say; immediately after this, we resolved to save Greece in common, for why was it necessary to wait further?
§527ἢν οὖν ἡμῶν χρηστὰ λεγουσῶν ἐθελήσητʼ ἀντακροᾶσθαι §528κἀντισιωπᾶθʼ ὥσπερ χἠμεῖς, ἐπανορθώσαιμεν ἂν ὑμᾶς.
If, therefore, you are willing to listen in turn to us speaking useful things, and keep silent in turn as we also did, we would set you right.
§529ὑμεῖς ἡμᾶς;
Magistrate: You set us right?
δεινόν γε λέγεις κοὐ τλητὸν ἔμοιγε.
You speak of something terrible and intolerable to me!
§529bσιώπα.
Lysistrata: Silence!
Magistrate: Should I be silent for you, you accursed woman, and that too when you wear a veil around your head?
μή νυν ζῴην.
May I no longer live!
§531bἀλλʼ εἰ τοῦτʼ ἐμπόδιόν σοι, §532παρʼ ἐμοῦ τουτὶ τὸ κάλυμμα λαβὼν §533ἔχε καὶ περίθου περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, §534κᾆτα σιώπα §535καὶ τοῦτον τὸν καλαθίσκον.
Lysistrata: But if this is an obstacle to you, take this veil from me and put it around your head, and then keep silent; and this little basket too.
§536κᾆτα ξαίνειν ξυζωσάμενος §537κυάμους τρώγων· §538πόλεμος δὲ γυναιξὶ μελήσει. §539αἰρώμεθʼ ὦ γυναῖκες ἀπὸ τῶν καλπίδων, ὅπως ἂν §540ἐν τῷ μέρει χἠμεῖς τι ταῖς φίλαισι συλλάβωμεν.
And then, girt up, card wool, chewing beans; "and war shall be the business of women!" Leader of Women: Let us lift the pitchers from the ground, O women, so that we too in our turn may help our friends.
For I indeed would never grow weary of dancing, nor would wearisome fatigue seize my knees.
§543ἐθέλω δʼ ἐπὶ πᾶν ἰέναι §544μετὰ τῶνδʼ ἀρετῆς ἕνεχʼ, αἷς §545ἔνι φύσις, ἔνι χάρις, ἔνι θράσος, §546ἔνι δὲ σοφόν, ἔνι δὲ φιλόπολις §547ἀρετὴ φρόνιμος.
And I am willing to go to any length on account of their virtue, in whom there is natural grace, and charm, and boldness, and there is wisdom, and there is public-spirited, prudent virtue.