§1027νικᾶν ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀντιπάλους, κοσμήσας ἔργον ἄριστον.
(AESCHYLUS)...to always defeat their rivals, having adorned a most noble work.
§1028ἐχάρην γοῦν, †ἡνίκʼ ἤκουσα περὶ Δαρείου τεθνεῶτος,† §1029ὁ χορὸς δʼ εὐθὺς τὼ χεῖρʼ ὡδὶ συγκρούσας εἶπεν
ἰαυοῖ. §1030ταῦτα γὰρ ἄνδρας χρὴ ποιητὰς ἀσκεῖν.
(DIONYSUS) At any rate, I was delighted †when I heard about the deceased Darius,† and the chorus immediately clapped their hands like this and cried, "Iavoi!" (AESCHYLUS) For such are the things that poets ought to practice.
σκέψαι γὰρ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς §1031ὡς ὠφέλιμοι τῶν ποιητῶν οἱ γενναῖοι γεγένηνται.
Consider from the beginning how beneficial the noble among the poets have been.
§1032Ὀρφεὺς μὲν γὰρ τελετάς θʼ ἡμῖν κατέδειξε φόνων τʼ ἀπέχεσθαι, §1033Μουσαῖος δʼ ἐξακέσεις τε νόσων καὶ χρησμούς, Ἡσίοδος δὲ §1034γῆς ἐργασίας, καρπῶν ὥρας, ἀρότους· ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ὅμηρος §1035ἀπὸ τοῦ τιμὴν καὶ κλέος ἔσχεν πλὴν τοῦδʼ ὅτι χρήστʼ ἐδίδαξεν, §1036τάξεις ἀρετὰς ὁπλίσεις ἀνδρῶν;
Orpheus revealed to us mystic rites and to abstain from slaughter, and Musaeus the healing of diseases and oracles, and Hesiod the cultivation of the soil, the seasons of fruits, and ploughing; and divine Homer, from what did he gain honor and glory, except for the fact that he taught useful things, tactical arrays, virtues, and the arming of men?
§1036bκαὶ μὴν οὐ Παντακλέα γε §1037ἐδίδαξεν ὅμως τὸν σκαιότατον· πρώην γοῦν, ἡνίκʼ ἔπεμπεν, §1038τὸ κράνος πρῶτον περιδησάμενος τὸν λόφον ἤμελλʼ ἐπιδήσειν.
(DIONYSUS) And yet, he certainly didn't teach Pantacles, the most clumsy fellow of all; at any rate, recently when he was leading the procession, he tied the helmet on first and only then was about to fasten the crest.
§1039ἀλλʼ ἄλλους τοι πολλοὺς ἀγαθούς, ὧν ἦν καὶ Λάμαχος ἥρως· §1040ὅθεν ἡμὴ φρὴν ἀπομαξαμένη πολλὰς ἀρετὰς ἐποίησεν, §1041Πατρόκλων, Τεύκρων θυμολεόντων, ἵνʼ ἐπαίροιμʼ ἄνδρα πολίτην §1042ἀντεκτείνειν αὑτὸν τούτοις, ὁπόταν σάλπιγγος ἀκούσῃ.
(AESCHYLUS) But he did teach many other noble men, of whom was also the hero Lamachus; from whom my own mind, having taken an impression, fashioned many acts of valor, of Patrocluses and lion-hearted Teucers, so that I might inspire the citizen to stretch himself to match these, whenever he hears the trumpet.
§1043ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰ Δίʼ οὐ Φαίδρας ἐποίουν πόρνας οὐδὲ Σθενεβοίας, §1044οὐδʼ οἶδʼ οὐδεὶς ἥντινʼ ἐρῶσαν πώποτʼ ἐποίησα γυναῖκα.
But, by Zeus, I did not depict whorish Phaedras or Stheneboeas, nor does anyone know of any woman in love whom I have ever portrayed.
§1045μὰ Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι. μηδέ γʼ ἐπείη.
(EURIPIDES) By Zeus, that's because there was nothing of Aphrodite in you. (AESCHYLUS) And may there never be!
§1046ἀλλʼ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ʼπικαθῆτο, §1047ὥστε γε καὐτόν σε κατʼ οὖν ἔβαλεν.
But upon you and your plays she sat heavy and with great force, so that she even struck you down yourself.
§1047bνὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή.
(DIONYSUS) By Zeus, that is certainly true.
§1048ἃ γὰρ ἐς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.
For the very things you composed against other men's wives, you yourself were struck by.
§1049καὶ τί βλάπτουσʼ ὦ σχέτλιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;
(EURIPIDES) And how, O most stubborn of men, do my Stheneboeas harm the city?
§1050ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας §1051κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.
(AESCHYLUS) Because you persuaded noble wives of noble husbands to drink hemlock, out of shame caused by your Bellerophons.
§1052πότερον δʼ οὐκ ὄντα λόγον τοῦτον περὶ τῆς Φαίδρας ξυνέθηκα;
(EURIPIDES) But did I compose a story about Phaedra that was not true?
§1053μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ὄντʼ·
(AESCHYLUS) By Zeus, it is true!
ἀλλʼ ἀποκρύπτειν χρὴ τὸ πονηρὸν τόν γε ποιητήν, §1054καὶ μὴ παράγειν μηδὲ διδάσκειν.
But the poet ought to hide what is wicked, and not bring it forward or teach it.
τοῖς μὲν γὰρ παιδαρίοισιν §1055ἔστι διδάσκαλος ὅστις φράζει, τοῖσιν δʼ ἡβῶσι ποιηταί.
For to young children there is a schoolmaster who explains things, but for youth, it is the poets.
§1056πάνυ δὴ δεῖ χρηστὰ λέγειν ἡμᾶς.
Most assuredly we must speak of what is useful.
§1056bἢν οὖν σὺ λέγῃς Λυκαβηττοὺς §1057καὶ Παρνασσῶν ἡμῖν μεγέθη, τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ χρηστὰ διδάσκειν, §1058ὃν χρῆν φράζειν ἀνθρωπείως;
(EURIPIDES) If, then, you speak of Lycabettuses and the grand sizes of Parnassuses, is this teaching what is useful, when you ought to speak in human terms?
(AESCHYLUS) But, you wretched man, it is necessary that for great thoughts and ideas we produce words equal to them.
§1060κἄλλως εἰκὸς τοὺς ἡμιθέους τοῖς ῥήμασι μείζοσι χρῆσθαι· §1061καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἱματίοις ἡμῶν χρῶνται πολὺ σεμνοτέροισιν.
And besides, it is natural for demigods to use grander words; for they also wear clothes that are much more majestic than ours.
§1062ἁμοῦ χρηστῶς καταδείξαντος διελυμήνω σύ.
What I introduced so nobly, you ruined.
§1062bτί δράσας;
(EURIPIDES) By doing what?
(AESCHYLUS) First, by dressing reigning kings in rags, so that they might appear pitiable to people.
§1064bτοῦτʼ οὖν ἔβλαψά τι δράσας;
(EURIPIDES) Did I do any harm by doing that?
§1065οὔκουν ἐθέλει γε τριηραρχεῖν πλουτῶν οὐδεὶς διὰ ταῦτα, §1066ἀλλὰ ῥακίοις περιειλάμενος κλάει καὶ φησὶ πένεσθαι.
(AESCHYLUS) Certainly, because of this, no rich man is willing to fund a trireme, but wrapping himself in rags, he weeps and claims to be poor.
§1067νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα χιτῶνά γʼ ἔχων οὔλων ἐρίων ὑπένερθεν.
(DIONYSUS) By Demeter, even though he wears a tunic of fine wool underneath!
§1068κἂν ταῦτα λέγων ἐξαπατήσῃ, παρὰ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἀνέκυψεν.
And if he deceives them with these words, he pops up again at the fish market.
§1069εἶτʼ αὖ λαλιὰν ἐπιτηδεῦσαι καὶ στωμυλίαν ἐδίδαξας, §1070ἣ ʼξεκένωσεν τάς τε παλαίστρας καὶ τὰς πυγὰς ἐνέτριψεν §1071τῶν μειρακίων στωμυλλομένων, καὶ τοὺς Παράλους ἀνέπεισεν §1072ἀνταγορεύειν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν.
(AESCHYLUS) Then again, you taught them to practice chatter and babble, which emptied out the palaestras and wore away the buttocks of the youths who kept chattering, and persuaded the crew of the Paralus to talk back to their commanders.
καίτοι τότε γʼ ἡνίκʼ ἐγὼ ʼζων, §1073οὐκ ἠπίσταντʼ ἀλλʼ ἢ μᾶζαν καλέσαι καὶ
ῥυππαπαῖ
εἰπεῖν.
And yet in my day, when I was alive, they knew nothing except to ask for barley-cake and to shout "Rhyppapae!" (DIONYSUS) By Apollo, yes!
§1074νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, καὶ προσπαρδεῖν γʼ ἐς τὸ στόμα τῷ θαλάμακι, §1075καὶ μινθῶσαι τὸν ξύσσιτον κἀκβάς τινα λωποδυτῆσαι·
And to fart into the mouth of the bottom-rower, and to cover their messmate with dung, and on going ashore, to rob someone of his cloak.
§1076νῦν δʼ ἀντιλέγει κοὐκέτʼ ἐλαύνων πλεῖ δευρὶ καὖθις ἐκεῖσε.
But now he argues, and no longer rowing, he sails this way and that.
§1078ποίων δὲ κακῶν οὐκ αἴτιός ἐστʼ;
(AESCHYLUS) And of what evils is he not the cause?
§1079οὐ προαγωγοὺς κατέδειξʼ οὗτος, §1080καὶ τικτούσας ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς, §1081καὶ μιγνυμένας τοῖσιν ἀδελφοῖς, §1082καὶ φασκούσας οὐ ζῆν τὸ ζῆν;
Did he not introduce procurers, and women giving birth in temples, and having intercourse with their brothers, and claiming that to live is not to live?
§1083κᾆτʼ ἐκ τούτων ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν §1084ὑπογραμματέων ἀνεμεστώθη §1085καὶ βωμολόχων δημοπιθήκων §1086ἐξαπατώντων τὸν δῆμον ἀεί, §1087λαμπάδα δʼ οὐδεὶς οἷός τε φέρειν §1088ὑπʼ ἀγυμνασίας ἔτι νυνί.
And then, as a result of these things, our city has been filled with under-clerks and buffoonish demagogues who are always deceiving the people, while no one is able to carry a torch anymore because of lack of exercise.
§1089μὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆθʼ, ὥστʼ ἐπαφαυάνθην
(DIONYSUS) By Zeus, no indeed!
§1090Παναθηναίοισι γελῶν, ὅτε δὴ §1091βραδὺς ἄνθρωπός τις ἔθει κύψας §1092λευκὸς πίων ὑπολειπόμενος §1093καὶ δεινὰ ποιῶν· κᾆθʼ οἱ Κεραμῆς
So much so that I was withered laughing at the Panathenaia, when a certain slow fellow was running, bent over, pale, fat, lagging behind, and making a terrible fuss; and then the people of Ceramicus...