§629ταῖσι γυναιξὶ πρὶν ἂν τοῖς αἰσχροῖς καὶ τοῖς μικροῖς χαρίσωνται.
for women to sleep with them, until they have granted their favors to the ugly and the short men.
§630ἡ Λυσικράτους ἄρα νυνὶ ῥὶς ἴσα τοῖσι καλοῖσι φρονήσει.
So Lysicrates' nose will now think as highly of itself as the handsome ones.
§631νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ δημοτική γʼ ἡ γνώμη καὶ καταχήνη §632τῶν σεμνοτέρων ἔσται πολλὴ καὶ τῶν σφραγῖδας ἐχόντων, §633ὅταν ἐμβάδʼ ἔχων εἴπῃ πρότερος,
παραχώρει κᾆτʼ ἐπιτήρει, §634ὅταν ἤδη ʼγὼ διαπραξάμενος παραδῶ σοι δευτεριάζειν. §635πῶς οὖν οὕτω ζώντων ἡμῶν τοὺς αὑτοῦ παῖδας ἕκαστος §636ἔσται δυνατὸς διαγιγνώσκειν;
By Apollo, the plan is indeed democratic, and it will be a great mockery of the more solemn men and those who wear signet rings, when a man wearing cheap slippers says first: 'Step aside and then watch, when I, having already finished, hand her over to you to take the second turn.' How then, if we live this way, will each person be able to recognize his own children?
§636bτί δὲ δεῖ;
What need is there?
πατέρας γὰρ ἅπαντας §637τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους αὑτῶν εἶναι τοῖσι χρόνοισιν νομιοῦσιν.
For they will consider all those older than themselves in years to be their fathers.
§638οὐκοῦν ἄγξουσʼ εὖ καὶ χρηστῶς ἑξῆς τὸν πάντα γέροντα §639διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν γιγνώσκοντες πατέρʼ ὄντα §640ἄγχουσι.
Won't they then throttle well and properly every old man in turn due to ignorance, since even now, knowing someone is their father, they throttle him?
τί δῆθʼ ὅταν ἀγνὼς ᾖ;
What then when he is unknown?
πῶς οὐ τότε κἀπιχεσοῦνται;
How will they not then also shit upon him?
§641ἀλλʼ ὁ παρεστὼς οὐκ ἐπιτρέψει·
But the one standing by will not permit it.
τότε δʼ αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἔμελʼ οὐδὲν §642τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ὅστις τύπτοι· νῦν δʼ ἢν πληγέντος ἀκούσῃ, §643μὴ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τύπτῃ δεδιὼς τοῖς δρῶσιν τοῦτο μαχεῖται.
In those days, they did not care at all if anyone struck a stranger; but now, if one hears of someone being struck, fearing lest they are striking that very man, he will fight those doing this.
§644τὰ μὲν ἄλλα λέγεις οὐδὲν σκαιῶς· εἰ δὲ προσελθὼν Ἐπίκουρος §645ἢ Λευκολόφας πάππαν με καλεῖ, τοῦτʼ ἤδη δεινὸν ἀκοῦσαι.
In other respects you speak not at all foolishly; but if Epicurus or Leucolophas comes up and calls me 'daddy', that is already terrible to hear.
§646πολὺ μέντοι δεινότερον τούτου τοῦ πράγματός ἐστι,
Yet there is something much more terrible than this.
§646bτὸ ποῖον;
What sort of thing?
§647εἴ σε φιλήσειεν Ἀρίστυλλος φάσκων αὑτοῦ πατέρʼ εἶναι.
If Aristyllus should kiss you, claiming that you are his father.
§648οἰμώζοι γʼ ἂν καὶ κωκύοι.
He would wail and howl!
§648bσὺ δέ γʼ ὄζοις ἂν καλαμίνθης,
And you would smell of calamint.
§649ἀλλʼ οὗτος μὲν πρότερον γέγονεν πρὶν τὸ ψήφισμα γενέσθαι,
But he was born before the decree was made, so there is no fear of him kissing you.
I would indeed have suffered something terrible.
§651τὴν γῆν δὲ τίς ἔσθʼ ὁ γεωργήσων;
And who is the one who will cultivate the land?
§651bοἱ δοῦλοι.
The slaves.
σοὶ δὲ μελήσει, §652ὅταν ᾖ δεκάπουν τὸ στοιχεῖον, λιπαρὸν χωρεῖν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον.
Your concern will be, when the shadow of the sundial is ten feet long, to go sleek to dinner.
§653περὶ δʼ ἱματίων τίς πόρος ἔσται;
And what provision will there be for clothes?
καὶ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἐρέσθαι.
For this too is worth asking.
§654τὰ μὲν ὄνθʼ ὑμῖν πρῶτον ὑπάρξει, τὰ δὲ λοίφʼ ἡμεῖς ὑφανοῦμεν.
Those you have now will first be available, and the rest we shall weave.
One thing more I seek: what if someone loses a lawsuit to someone before the magistrates, from where will he pay it off?
οὐ γὰρ τῶν κοινῶν γʼ ἐστὶ δίκαιον.
For it is surely not right to pay it from the common funds.
§657ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ δίκαι πρῶτον ἔσονται.
But first of all, there won't even be any lawsuits.
§657bτουτὶ τοὔπος σʼ ἐπιτρίψει.
This statement will ruin you.
§658κἀγὼ ταύτην γνώμην ἐθέμην· τοῦ γὰρ τάλαν οὕνεκʼ ἔσονται;
I too hold this view: for what on earth, you wretch, will there be lawsuits?
§659πολλῶν οὕνεκα νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω·
For many reasons, by Apollo!
πρῶτον δʼ ἑνὸς οὕνεκα δήπου, §660ἤν τις ὀφείλων ἐξαρνῆται.
And first of all for one, surely: if someone who owes denies it.
How then did the lender lend it in the first place, when everything is in common?
κλέπτων δήπουʼ στʼ ἐπίδηλος.
He is surely clearly a thief!
§662νὴ τὴν Δήμητρʼ εὖ γε διδάσκεις.
By Demeter, you instruct well!
τουτὶ τοίνυν φρασάτω μοι, §663τῆς αἰκείας οἱ τύπτοντες πόθεν ἐκτείσουσιν, ἐπειδὰν §664εὐωχηθέντες ὑβρίζωσιν;
Let her then tell me this: where will those who commit assault pay the damages from, when, having feasted, they behave insolently?
τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαί σʼ ἀπορήσειν.
For I think you will be at a loss here.
§665ἀπὸ τῆς μάζης ἧς σιτεῖται·
From the barley cake he eats!
ταύτης γὰρ ὅταν τις ἀφαιρῇ, §666οὐχ ὑβριεῖται φαύλως οὕτως αὖθις τῇ γαστρὶ κολασθείς.
For when one deprives him of this, he will not behave insolently so easily again, having been punished in his stomach.
§667οὐδʼ αὖ κλέπτης οὐδεὶς ἔσται;
And again, there will be no thief?
§667bπῶς γὰρ κλέψει μετὸν αὐτῷ;
For how will he steal, when he has a share in it?
§668οὐδʼ ἀποδύσουσʼ ἄρα τῶν νυκτῶν;
So they won't strip people of their clothes at night?
Not if you sleep at home, nor even if you go outside as before; for livelihood will be provided for all.
§670ἢν δʼ ἀποδύῃ γʼ, αὐτὸς δώσει.
And if someone does strip him, he will give it willingly.
τί γὰρ αὐτῷ πρᾶγμα μάχεσθαι;
For what business of his is it to fight?
§671ἔτερον γὰρ ἰὼν ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ κρεῖττον ἐκείνου κομιεῖται.
He will go and get another, better than that one, from the common store.
§672οὐδὲ κυβεύσουσʼ ἆρʼ ἄνθρωποι;
So men won't gamble either?
§672bπερὶ τοῦ γὰρ τοῦτο ποιήσει;
For about what will he do this?
§673τὴν δὲ δίαιταν τίνα ποιήσεις;
And what kind of dwelling will you make?
§673bκοινὴν πᾶσιν.
Common to all.
For I say I will make the city into a single dwelling, breaking down everything into one, so that they can walk to one another.
§675bτὸ δὲ δεῖπνον ποῦ παραθήσεις;
And where will you serve the dinner?
§676τὰ δικαστήρια καὶ τὰς στοιὰς ἀνδρῶνας πάντα ποιήσω.
I will make the law courts and the porticoes all into dining halls.
§677τὸ δὲ βῆμα τί σοι χρήσιμον ἔσται;
And what use will the speaker's platform be to you?
§677bτοὺς κρατῆρας καταθήσω §679καὶ τὰς ὑδρίας, καὶ ῥαψῳδεῖν ἔσται τοῖς παιδαρίοισιν §680τοὺς ἀνδρείους ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, κεἴ τις δειλὸς γεγένηται, §681ἵνα μὴ δειπνῶσʼ αἰσχυνόμενοι.
I will place mixing bowls and water jars on it, and it will be for small boys to recite rhapsodies about those brave in war, and if anyone was a coward, so that they won't dine out of shame.
§681bνὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω χάριέν γε.
By Apollo, very charming indeed.
§682τὰ δὲ κληρωτήρια ποῖ τρέψεις;
And where will you turn the allotment machines?
§682bεἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καταθήσω·
I will set them up in the marketplace.
§683κᾆτα στήσασα παρʼ Ἁρμοδίῳ κληρώσω πάντας, ἕως ἂν §684εἰδὼς ὁ λαχὼν ἀπίῃ χαίρων ἐν ὁποίῳ γράμματι δειπνεῖ· §684aκαι κηρύξει τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ βῆτʼ ἐπὶ τὴν στοιὰν ἀκολουθεῖν
And then, having set them up next to Harmodius, I will allot everyone, until each one who won his lot goes away happy, knowing under which letter he is to dine; and the herald will proclaim that those of Beta must follow to the portico.