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Aristophanes · Women at the Thesmophoria §949-1057

Chorus's Sacred Dance and Parody of Andromeda

Passage 13 of 15 · Greek

Summary

While the women's chorus performs the solemn ritual dances and songs praising various deities, the Relative remains bound to the plank under the comical watch of the Scythian archer. Recognizing a signal from Euripides who flew past as Perseus, the Relative begins to sing a parody of Euripides' tragedy 'Andromeda'.

§949Παύσων σέβεται καὶ νηστεύει, §950πολλάκις αὐτοῖν ἐκ τῶν ὡρῶν §951ἐς τὰς ὥρας ξυνεπευχόμενος §952τοιαῦτα μέλειν θάμʼ ἑαυτῷ.
Pauson pays respect and fasts, praying along with them from season to season to the two goddesses that such circumstances of hunger may often be his concern.
§953ὅρμα χώρει·
Go forward, march!
§954κοῦφα ποσὶν ἄγʼ ἐς κύκλον, §955χειρὶ σύναπτε χεῖρα, §955aῥυθμὸν χορείας ὕπαγε πᾶσα·
Guide your light feet into a circle, join hand with hand, and let everyone keep the rhythm of the dance.
§956βαῖνε καρπαλίμοιν ποδοῖν.
Step with swift feet.
§957ἐπισκοπεῖν δὲ πανταχῇ §958κυκλοῦσαν ὄμμα χρὴ χοροῦ κατάστασιν.
One must watch on every side, turning one's eye upon the setup of the circular dance.
§959ἅμα δὲ καὶ §960γένος Ὀλυμπίων θεῶν §961μέλπε καὶ γέραιρε φωνῇ πᾶσα χορομανεῖ τρόπῳ.
At the same time, sing of and honor the race of Olympian gods with your voice, everyone in a dance-frenzied manner.
§962εἰ δέ τις §963προσδοκᾷ κακῶς ἐρεῖν §964ἐν ἱερῷ γυναῖκά μʼ οὖσαν ἄνδρας, οὐκ ὀρθῶς φρονεῖ.
But if anyone expects that I, being a woman, am going to speak ill of men in the sacred precinct, he does not think rightly.
§966ἀλλὰ χρῆν §967ὥσπερ ἔργον αὖ τι καινὸν §968πρῶτον εὐκύκλου χορείας εὐφυᾶ στῆσαι βάσιν.
Rather, we must, as if starting some new task, first establish the graceful step of our well-rounded dance.
§969πρόβαινε ποσὶ τὸν εὐλύραν §970μέλπουσα καὶ τὴν τοξοφόρον §971Ἄρτεμιν ἄνασσαν ἁγνήν.
March forward, singing of the god of the beautiful lyre and the bow-bearing pure queen Artemis.
§972χαῖρʼ ὦ ἑκάεργε, §973ὄπαζε δὲ νίκην·
Hail, Far-Shooter, and grant us victory!
§974Ἥραν δὲ τὴν τελείαν §974aμέλψωμεν ὥσπερ εἰκός, §975ἣ πᾶσι τοῖς χοροῖσιν ἐμπαίζει τε καὶ §976κλῇδας γάμου φυλάττει.
And let us sing of Hera the Fulfiller, as is fitting, she who joins in play with all the dances and guards the keys of marriage.
§977Ἑρμῆν τε νόμιον ἄντομαι §978καὶ Πᾶνα καὶ Νύμφας φίλας §979ἐπιγελάσαι προθύμως §980ταῖς ἡμετέραισι §981χαρέντα χορείαις.
And I entreat Hermes, protector of flocks, and Pan and the dear Nymphs, to smile favorably upon our dances, rejoicing in them.
§982ἔξαιρε δὴ προθύμως §982aδιπλῆν χάριν χορείας.
Lift up then with zeal the double grace of the dance.
§983παίσωμεν ὦ γυναῖκες οἷάπερ νόμος, §984νηστεύωμεν δὲ πάντως.
Let us play, O women, as is our custom, and let us fast by all means.
§985ἀλλʼ εἶα πάλλʼ ἀνάστρεφʼ εὐρύθμῳ ποδί, §986τόρευε πᾶσαν ᾠδήν·
Come, leap and turn about with rhythmic foot, ring out every song!
§986aἡγοῦ δέ γʼ ὧδʼ αὐτὸς σὺ §987κισσοφόρε Βάκχειε §988δέσποτʼ· ἐγὼ δὲ κώμοις §989σὲ φιλοχόροισι μέλψω.
Lead us yourself in this way, O ivy-crowned Bacchus, Lord; and I, in dances that love the revels, will sing of you.
§990εὔιον ὦ Διόνυσε §991Βρόμιε καὶ Σεμέλας παῖ, §992χοροῖς τερπόμενος §993κατʼ ὄρεα νυμφᾶν †ἐρατοῖσ† ἐν ὕμνοις, §993aεὔιον εὔιον εὐοῖ §994ἀναχορεύων.
O Euian Dionysus, Bromius, child of Semele, delighting in dances among the lovely hymns of the nymphs upon the mountains, crying "Euion, Euion, Euoi" while dancing.
§995ἀμφὶ δὲ σοὶ κτυπεῖται §996Κιθαιρώνιος ἠχώ, §997μελάμφυλλά τʼ ὄρη §998δάσκια καὶ νάπαι πετρώδεις βρέμονται· §999κύκλῳ δὲ περὶ σὲ κισσὸς §1000εὐπέταλος ἕλικι θάλλει.
And around you resounds the echo of Cithaeron, and the dark-leaved shady mountains and rocky glens roar; and around you the ivy with beautiful foliage flourishes with its tendrils.
§1001ἐνταῦτα νῦν οἰμῶξι πρὸς τὴν αἰτρίαν.
Relative: Here now, I must lament to the open air!
§1002ὦ τοξόθʼ ἱκετεύω σε.
O archer, I beg you.
§1002bμή μʼ ἰκετεῦσι σύ.
Archer: You no beg me.
§1003χάλασον τὸν ἧλον.
Relative: Loosen the nail.
§1003bἀλλὰ ταῦτα δρᾶσʼ ἐγώ.
Archer: But me do this.
§1004οἴμοι κακοδαίμων, μᾶλλον ἐπικρούεις σύ γε.
Relative: Ah me, wretched! You are driving it in more!
§1005ἔτι μᾶλλο βοῦλις;
Archer: Want even more?
§1005bἀτταταῖ ἰατταταῖ·
Relative: Attatai, iattatai!
§1006κακῶς ἀπόλοιο.
May you perish miserably!
§1006bσῖγα κακοδαίμων γέρον.
Archer: Quiet, wretched old man.
§1007πέρʼ ἐγὼ ʼξινίγκι πορμός, ἴνα πυλάξι σοι.
Me bring mat, so me guard you.
§1008ταυτὶ τὰ βέλτιστʼ ἀπολέλαυκʼ Εὐριπίδου.
Relative: These are the finest benefits I have enjoyed from Euripides!
§1009ἔα·
Ah!
θεοί, Ζεῦ σῶτερ, εἰσὶν ἐλπίδες.
Gods, Savior Zeus, there is hope.
§1010ἁνὴρ ἔοικεν οὐ προδώσειν, ἀλλά μοι §1011σημεῖον ὑπεδήλωσε Περσεὺς ἐκδραμών, §1012ὅτι δεῖ με γίγνεσθʼ Ἀνδρομέδαν· πάντως δέ μοι §1013τὰ δέσμʼ ὑπάρχει.
The man seems determined not to betray me; rather, by flying past as Perseus, he subtly showed me a sign that I must play Andromeda; at any rate, the chains are already provided for me.
δῆλον οὖν τοῦτʼ ἔσθʼ ὅτι §1015ἥξει με σώσων· οὐ γὰρ ἂν παρέπτετο.
It is clear, then, that he will come to save me; for otherwise he would not have flown past.
§1016φίλαι παρθένοι φίλαι, πῶς ἂν οὖν §1017ἐπέλθοιμι καὶ §1018τὸν Σκύθην λάθοιμι;
Dear maidens, dear ones, how then could I escape and escape the notice of the Scythian?
§1019κλύεις;
Do you hear?
ὦ πρὸς αἰδοῦς σὲ τὰν ἐν ἄντροις, §1020κατάνευσον, ἔασον ὡς §1021τὴν γυναῖκά μʼ ἐλθεῖν.
By all that is sacred, you who dwell in caves, nod assent, and allow me, your wife, to approach.
§1022ἄνοικτος ὅς μʼ ἔδησε τὸν §1023πολυστονώτατον βροτῶν· §1024μόλις δὲ γραῖαν ἀποφυγὼν §1025σαπρὰν ἀπωλόμην ὅμως.
Pitiless is he who bound me, the most lamentable of mortals; and though I barely escaped a rotten old woman, I have perished nonetheless.
§1026ὅδε γὰρ ὁ Σκύθης πάλαι μοι φύλαξ §1027ἐφεστὼς ὀλοὸν ἄφιλον ἐκρέμασεν §1028κόραξι δεῖπνον.
For this Scythian here, having long stood as my guard, has hung me up as a ruinous, friendless meal for the crows.
ὁρᾷς;
Do you see?
οὐ §1030χοροῖσιν οὐδʼ ὑφʼ ἡλίκων νεανίδων §1031κημὸν ἕστηκʼ ἔχουσʼ, §1032ἀλλʼ ἐν πυκνοῖς δεσμοῖσιν ἐμπεπλεγμένη §1033κήτει βορὰ Γλαυκέτῃ πρόκειμαι, §1034γαμηλίῳ μὲν οὐ ξὺν §1035παιῶνι δεσμίῳ δὲ
I do not stand in dances nor among young maidens of my age holding a ballot-box, but entangled in thick bonds, I lie exposed as food for a sea-monster, for Glaucetes, not with a marriage song, but with a captive's wail.
§1036γοᾶσθέ μʼ ὦ γυναῖκες, ὡς §1037μέλεα μὲν πέπονθα μέλεος, §1038ὦ τάλας ἐγὼ τάλας, §1039ἀπὸ δὲ συγγόνων τάλανʼ ἄνομα πάθεα, §1040φῶτά τε λιτομέναν, πολυδάκρυτον Ἀίδα §1041γόον †φεύγουσαν† §1042αἰαῖ αἰαῖ ἒ ἒ,
Lament for me, O women, since I, wretched, have suffered wretched things, O miserable me, miserable, having suffered lawless sufferings from my kinsman, and as a suppliant, fleeing the tearful wailing of Hades, alas, alas, eh, eh!
§1043ὃς ἔμʼ ἀπεξύρησε πρῶτον, §1044ὃς ἐμὲ κροκόεντʼ ἐνέδυσεν· §1045ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖσδʼ ἐς τόδʼ ἀνέπεμψεν §1046ἱερόν, ἔνθα γυναῖκες.
He who first shaved me, who dressed me in a saffron robe, and after these things sent me up to this sanctuary, where the women are.
§1047ἰώ μοι μοίρας ἄτεγκτε δαίμων·
Alas, merciless deity of fate!
§1048ὦ κατάρατος ἐγώ·
O accursed me!
§1049τίς ἐμὸν οὐκ ἐπόψεται §1049aπάθος ἀμέγαρτον ἐπὶ κακῶν παρουσίᾳ;
Who will not look upon my unenviable suffering in the presence of these evils?
§1050εἴθε με πυρφόρος αἰθέρος ἀστὴρ— §1051τὸν βάρβαρον ἐξολέσειεν.
Would that the fire-bearing star of heaven— would utterly destroy the barbarian!
§1052οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ ἀθανάταν φλόγα λεύσσειν §1053ἐστὶν ἐμοὶ φίλον, ὡς ἐκρεμάσθην, §1054λαιμότμητʼ ἄχη δαιμόνων αἰόλαν §1055νέκυσιν ἐπὶ πορείαν.
For since I was hung up, to look upon the immortal flame is no longer dear to me, as I go to the path of corpses, with throat-cutting pains, led by the swift demons of the dead.
§1056χαῖρʼ ὦ φίλη παῖ·
Euripides: Hail, dear child!
τὸν δὲ πατέρα Κηφέα §1057ὅς σʼ ἐξέθηκεν ἀπολέσειαν οἱ θεοί.
But may the gods destroy Cepheus, your father who exposed you.

Notes

  1. 950ἐκ τῶν ὡρῶν ἐς τὰς ὥρας — An idiomatic expression meaning "from season to season" or "all year round without ceasing." It humorously depicts the poor painter Pauson who is constantly starving and fasting throughout the year.
  2. 1002bμῖ μʼ ἰκετεῦσι — A barbarian solecism spoken by the Scythian archer, corresponding to the correct classical Greek μή μʼ ἱκέτευε ("do not supplicate me"). It demonstrates phonetic confusion, loss of aspiration, and the use of the infinitive as an imperative.
  3. 1008ἀπολέλαυκʼ — A heavily ironic use of the verb ἀπολαύω, which normally means "to enjoy" or "to derive benefit from." Here it means having suffered a disastrous outcome due to Euripides' schemes.
  4. 1019ὦ πρὸς αἰδοῦς σὲ τὰν ἐν ἄντροις — A parody of a lyric from Euripides' lost tragedy 'Andromeda'. The phrase τὰν ἐν ἄντροις ("she in the caves") refers to Echo, who mimicked Andromeda's laments in the original tragedy, though in this comic context it also plays on a prayer to the goddess inside the temple.
  5. 1033κήτει βορὰ Γλαυκέτῃ — While the mythological tragedy expects Andromeda to be "food for the sea-monster (ketos)," the poet replaces it with the name of Glaucetes, a real-life Athenian notorious for his gluttony and love of fish, creating a highly comic intrusion.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Women at the Thesmophoria §949-1057. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:949-1057

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