Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Lysistrata §880-955

Myrrhine's Teasing of Cinesias and Escape

Passage 12 of 16 · Greek

Summary

Myrrhine teases Cinesias by repeatedly delaying their intimacy under the pretext of bringing out various items like a bed, a mat, a pillow, and perfume. After urging him to vote for peace, she leaves him completely unsatisfied and runs back to the Acropolis.

§880αὕτη τί πάσχεις;
[Cinesias] You there, what is wrong with you?
οὐδʼ ἐλεεῖς τὸ παιδίον §881ἄλουτον ὂν κἄθηλον ἕκτην ἡμέραν;
Do you not even pity the child, being unwashed and unbreastfed for six days?
§882ἔγωγʼ ἐλεῶ δῆτʼ· ἀλλʼ ἀμελὴς αὐτῷ πατὴρ
[Myrrhine] I indeed pity him; but his father is careless of him.
§883ἔστιν. §883bκατάβηθʼ ὦ δαιμονία τῷ παιδίῳ.
[Cinesias] Come down, O foolish woman, for the sake of the child.
§884οἷον τὸ τεκεῖν·
[Myrrhine] What a thing it is to be a mother!
καταβατέον.
I must go down.
τί γὰρ πάθω;
For what else can I do?
§885ἐμοὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ νεωτέρα δοκεῖ
[Cinesias] (To himself) For she seems to me to have become even younger by far, and to look more sweetly.
§886πολλῷ γεγενῆσθαι κἀγανώτερον βλέπειν· §887χἂ δυσκολαίνει πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ βρενθύεται, §888ταῦτʼ αὐτὰ δή ʼσθʼ ἃ κἄμʼ ἐπιτρίβει τῷ πόθῳ.
And even what she behaves crossly towards me and puts on airs, these very things are indeed what wear me out with desire.
§889ὦ γλυκύτατον σὺ τεκνίδιον κακοῦ πατρός, §890φέρε σε φιλήσω γλυκύτατον τῇ μαμμίᾳ.
[Myrrhine] (Coming down) Oh you sweetest little baby of a bad father, come, let me kiss you, sweetest one to your mommy.
§891τί ὦ πονήρα ταῦτα ποιεῖς χἀτέραις §892πείθει γυναιξί, κἀμέ τʼ ἄχθεσθαι ποιεῖς §893αὐτή τε λυπεῖ;
[Cinesias] Why, O wicked woman, do you do these things and follow other women, and make me suffer, and grieve yourself?
§893bμὴ πρόσαγε τὴν χεῖρά μοι.
[Myrrhine] Don't put your hand on me.
§894τὰ δʼ ἔνδον ὄντα τἀμὰ καὶ σὰ χρήματα §895χεῖρον διατίθης.
[Cinesias] And our property inside, both mine and yours, you are letting go to ruin.
§895bὀλίγον αὐτῶν μοι μέλει.
[Myrrhine] I care little for them.
§896ὀλίγον μέλει σοι τῆς κρόκης φορουμένης §897ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων;
[Cinesias] You care little that your wool is being carried off by the chickens?
§897bἔμοιγε νὴ Δία.
[Myrrhine] Indeed I don't, by Zeus.
§898τὰ δὲ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἱέρʼ ἀνοργίαστά σοι §899χρόνον τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν.
[Cinesias] And the sacred rites of Aphrodite have been uncelebrated by you for so long a time.
οὐ βαδιεῖ πάλιν;
Will you not go back?
§900μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ἔγωγʼ, ἢν μὴ διαλλαχθῆτέ γε §901καὶ τοῦ πολέμου παύσησθε.
[Myrrhine] No indeed, by Zeus, unless you make peace indeed and stop the war.
§901bτοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, §902ποιήσομεν καὶ ταῦτα.
[Cinesias] Well then, if it seems good, we will do even this.
§902bτοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, §903κἄγωγʼ ἄπειμʼ ἐκεῖσε· νῦν δʼ ἀπομώμοκα.
[Myrrhine] Well then, if it seems good, I too will go back there; but for now I have sworn an oath.
§904σὺ δʼ ἀλλὰ κατακλίνηθι μετʼ ἐμοῦ διὰ χρόνου.
[Cinesias] But at least lie down with me after this long time.
§905οὐ δῆτα· καίτοι σʼ οὐκ ἐρῶ γʼ ὡς οὐ φιλῶ.
[Myrrhine] No indeed; although I will not say that I do not love you.
§906φιλεῖς;
[Cinesias] You love me?
τί οὖν οὐ κατεκλίνης ὦ Μύρριον;
Why then do you not lie down, my little Myrrhine?
§907ὦ καταγέλαστʼ ἐναντίον τοῦ παιδίου;
[Myrrhine] O ridiculous man, in front of the child?
§908μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γʼ οἴκαδʼ ὦ Μανῆ φέρε.
[Cinesias] By Zeus, no; but, Mane, carry this child home.
§909ἰδοὺ τὸ μέν σοι παιδίον καὶ δὴ ʼκποδών, §910σὺ δʼ οὐ κατακλίνει.
Look, the child indeed is out of the way, but you do not lie down.
§910bποῦ γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ τάλαν §911δράσειε τοῦθʼ;
[Myrrhine] But where indeed, wretched man, could one do this?
§911bὅπου;
[Cinesias] Where?
τὸ τοῦ Πανὸς καλόν.
The cave of Pan is fine.
§912καὶ πῶς ἔθʼ ἁγνὴ δῆτʼ ἂν ἔλθοιμʼ ἐς πόλιν;
[Myrrhine] And how indeed could I still go back to the Acropolis purified?
§913κάλλιστα δήπου λουσαμένη τῇ Κλεψύδρᾳ.
[Cinesias] Very easily, surely, having washed in the Clepsydra.
§914ἔπειτʼ ὀμόσασα δῆτʼ ἐπιορκήσω τάλαν;
[Myrrhine] And then, having sworn, shall I commit perjury, wretched man?
§915εἰς ἐμὲ τράποιτο· μηδὲν ὅρκου φροντίσῃς.
[Cinesias] Let it fall on me; do not care at all about the oath.
§916φέρε νυν ἐνέγκω κλινίδιον νῷν.
[Myrrhine] Well then, let me bring a little bed for us.
§916bμηδαμῶς.
[Cinesias] By no means.
§917ἀρκεῖ χαμαὶ νῷν.
It is enough for us on the ground.
§917bμὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μή σʼ ἐγὼ §918καίπερ τοιοῦτον ὄντα κατακλινῶ χαμαί.
[Myrrhine] By Apollo, I will not, although you are in such a state, lay you on the ground.
§919ἥ τοι γυνὴ φιλεῖ με, δήλη ʼστὶν καλῶς.
[Cinesias] (To himself) Indeed the woman loves me, she is clearly well fond of me.
§920ἰδοὺ κατάκεισʼ ἀνύσας τι, κἀγὼ ʼκδύομαι.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with a bed) Look, lie down quickly, and I am undressing.
§921καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, ψίαθός ἐστʼ ἐξοιστέα.
And yet, what do you call it, a mat must be brought out.
§922ποία ψίαθος;
[Cinesias] What mat?
μὴ μοί γε.
Not for me, please!
§922bνὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν, §923αἰσχρὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ τόνου γε.
[Myrrhine] By Artemis, yes, for it is shameful to do it on the bare cords.
§923bδός μοί νυν κύσαι.
[Cinesias] Give me a kiss then.
§924ἰδού.
[Myrrhine] There.
§924bπαπαιάξ·
[Cinesias] Ah!
ἧκέ νυν ταχέως πάνυ.
Come back very quickly now.
§925ἰδοὺ ψίαθος· κατάκεισο, καὶ δὴ ʼκδύομαι.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with a mat) Look, here is the mat; lie down, and indeed I am undressing.
§926καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, προσκεφάλαιον οὐκ ἔχεις.
And yet, what do you call it, you don't have a pillow.
§927ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ δέομʼ ἔγωγε.
[Cinesias] But I indeed don't need one.
§927bνὴ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐγώ.
[Myrrhine] By Zeus, but I do.
§928ἀλλʼ ἢ τὸ πέος τόδʼ Ἡρακλῆς ξενίζεται.
[Cinesias] (To himself) It seems my penis is being entertained like Heracles.
§929ἀνίστασʼ, ἀναπήδησον.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with a pillow) Get up, jump up.
§929bἤδη πάντʼ ἔχω.
[Cinesias] Now I have everything.
§930ἅπαντα δῆτα.
[Myrrhine] Everything indeed.
§930bδεῦρό νυν ὦ χρύσιον.
[Cinesias] Come here then, my golden girl.
§931τὸ στρόφιον ἤδη λύομαι.
[Myrrhine] I am already undoing my breast-band.
μέμνησό νυν· §932μή μʼ ἐξαπατήσῃς τὰ περὶ τῶν διαλλαγῶν.
Remember now: do not deceive me about the reconciliation.
§933νὴ Δίʼ ἀπολοίμην ἆρα.
[Cinesias] By Zeus, may I perish then if I do.
§933bσισύραν οὐκ ἔχεις.
[Myrrhine] You don't have a blanket.
§934μὰ Δίʼ οὐδὲ δέομαί γʼ, ἀλλὰ βινεῖν βούλομαι.
[Cinesias] By Zeus, I don't even need one, but I want to make love!
§935ἀμέλει ποιήσεις τοῦτο· ταχὺ γὰρ ἔρχομαι.
[Myrrhine] Don't worry, you will do this; for I am coming back quickly.
§936ἅνθρωπος ἐπιτρίψει με διὰ τὰ στρώματα.
[Cinesias] (To himself) This woman will wear me out to death with her bedding.
§937ἔπαιρε σαυτόν.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with a blanket) Raise yourself up.
§937bἀλλʼ ἐπῆρται τοῦτό γε.
[Cinesias] But this indeed is raised!
§938βούλει μυρίσω σε;
[Myrrhine] Do you want me to anoint you with perfume?
§938bμὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μὴ μέ γε.
[Cinesias] By Apollo, not me, please!
§939νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.
[Myrrhine] By Aphrodite, yes, whether you want to or not.
§940εἴθʼ ἐκχυθείη τὸ μύρον ὦ Ζεῦ δέσποτα.
[Cinesias] (To himself) May the perfume be spilled, O Lord Zeus!
§941πρότεινέ νυν τὴν χεῖρα κἀλείφου λαβών.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with perfume) Hold out your hand now, and take and rub it on yourself.
§942οὐχ ἡδὺ τὸ μύρον μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτογί, §943εἰ μὴ διατριπτικόν γε κοὐκ ὄζον γάμων.
[Cinesias] This perfume is not sweet, by Apollo; unless it is smelling of delay and not of marriage.
§944τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ τὸ Ῥόδιον ἤνεγκον μύρον.
[Myrrhine] Oh, wretched me, I brought the Rhodian perfume!
§945ἀγαθόν·
[Cinesias] It is fine!
ἔα αὔτʼ ὦ δαιμονία.
Leave it, O foolish woman.
§945bληρεῖς ἔχων.
[Myrrhine] You talk nonsense.
§946κάκιστʼ ἀπόλοιθʼ ὁ πρῶτος ἑψήσας μύρον.
[Cinesias] (To himself) May he perish most miserably, who first boiled perfume.
§947λαβὲ τόνδε τὸν ἀλάβαστον.
[Myrrhine] (Returning with another vial) Take this alabaster flask.
§947bἀλλʼ ἕτερον ἔχω.
[Cinesias] But I have another already.
§948ἀλλʼ ᾠζυρὰ κατάκεισο καὶ μή μοι φέρε §949μηδέν.
But, O wretched woman, lie down and don't bring me nothing!
§949bποιήσω ταῦτα νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν.
[Myrrhine] I will do this, by Artemis.
§950ὑπολύομαι γοῦν.
Indeed, I am taking off my shoes.
ἀλλʼ ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε §951σπονδὰς ποιεῖσθαι ψηφιεῖ.
But mind, O dearest, that you will vote to make peace.
§951bβουλεύσομαι.
[Cinesias] I will consider it.
§952ἀπολώλεκέν με κἀπιτέτριφεν ἡ γυνὴ §953τά τʼ ἄλλα πάντα κἀποδείρασʼ οἴχεται.
[Cinesias] (Myrrhine runs off) The woman has ruined and utterly worn me out, and in everything else, and having flayed me she has gone.
§954οἴμοι τί πάθω;
Alas, what will happen to me?
τίνα βινήσω §955τῆς καλλίστης πασῶν ψευσθείς;
Whom shall I make love to, having been cheated of the most beautiful of all?

Notes

  1. 884οἷον τὸ τεκεῖν — The articular infinitive τὸ τεκεῖν ('to give birth' or 'bearing children') is used as a noun in an exclamatory construction. Literally 'what a thing is child-bearing,' expressing the irresistible force of maternal affection.
  2. 885ἐμοὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ νεωτέρα δοκεῖ πολλῷ γεγενῆσθαι — The dative of degree πολλῷ ('by far') modifies the comparative adjective νεωτέρα ('younger'). The perfect infinitive γεγενῆσθαι expresses a completed state with present relevance ('to have become'). The subject of the infinitive, αὕτη, is nominative because it is also the subject of the main verb δοκεῖ.
  3. 887χἂ δυσκολαίνει — A crasis (contraction) of καὶ ἅ ('and the things which'). The relative pronoun ἅ is neuter plural accusative, functioning as an accusative of respect ('in what things she is cross') in the relative clause. It is coreferential with the demonstrative ταῦτʼ αὐτὰ ('these very things') in the main clause, setting up the structure: 'and the ways she is cross... these very things are...'
  4. 943κοὐκ ὄζον γάμων — A crasis of καὶ οὐκ ('and not'). The present participle ὄζον ('smelling') governs the genitive γάμων ('of marriage'), as the verb ὄζω takes a genitive of source or smell. It stands in contrast with the adjective διατριπτικόν ('causing delay'), highlighting Cinesias's frustration with the constant stalls.
  5. 953κἀποδείρασʼ οἴχεται — A crasis of καὶ ἀποδείρασα ('and having flayed'). The verb οἴχομαι used with an aorist participle indicates a sudden departure or completed action ('she has gone off after doing...'). The participle ἀποδείρασα (from ἀποδέρω, 'to skin/flay') is used metaphorically to mean 'teasing or fleecing someone mercilessly.'

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Lysistrata §880-955. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg007.humanitext-grc2:880-955

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.