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Aristophanes · Assemblywomen §86-165

Preparations for the Assembly and Speech Rehearsals

Passage 2 of 15 · Greek

Summary

Praxagora and the women begin their preparation and speech rehearsal to infiltrate the assembly, but the women repeatedly make mistakes that threaten to expose their disguise, such as trying to card wool and using female-specific oaths and addresses.

§86νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὥστε δεῖ σε καταλαβεῖν ἕδρας §87ὑπὸ τῷ λίθῳ τῶν πρυτάνεων καταντικρύ.
By Zeus, therefore you must occupy the seats opposite the stone of the prytaneis underneath.
§88ταυτί γέ τοι νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ἐφερόμην, ἵνα §89πληρουμένης ξαίνοιμι τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
By Zeus, at any rate I brought these things along, so that I might card wool while the assembly is filling up.
§90πληρουμένης τάλαινα;
While filling up, you wretched woman?
§90bνὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν §91ἔγωγε.
By Artemis, I indeed will.
τί γὰρ ἂν χεῖρον ἀκροῴμην ἄρα
For what worse would I listen, pray, while carding?
§92ξαίνουσα; γυμνὰ δʼ ἐστί μου τὰ παιδία.
And my children are naked.
§93ἰδού γέ σε ξαίνουσαν, ἣν τοῦ σώματος §94οὐδὲν παραφῆναι τοῖς καθημένοις ἔδει.
Look at you carding! You who ought to have shown no part of your body to those sitting down.
§95οὐκοῦν καλά γʼ ἂν πάθοιμεν, εἰ πλήρης τύχοι §96ὁ δῆμος ὢν κἄπειθʼ ὑπερβαίνουσά τις §97ἀναβαλλομένη δείξειε τὸν Φορμίσιον.
So wouldn't we suffer nicely, if the assembly happened to be full, and then someone stepping over, wrapping herself up, should show her Phormisios?
§98ἢν δʼ ἐγκαθεζώμεσθα πρότεραι, λήσομεν §99ξυστειλάμεναι θαἰμάτια· τὸν πώγωνά τε §100ὅταν καθῶμεν ὃν περιδησόμεσθʼ ἐκεῖ, §101τίς οὐκ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἄνδρας ἡγήσαιθʼ ὁρῶν;
But if we sit down beforehand, we shall escape notice drawing our cloaks tight; and when we let down the beard which we shall tie on there, who would not think us men when seeing us?
§102Ἀγύρριος γοῦν τὸν Προνόμου πώγωνʼ ἔχων §103λέληθε· καίτοι πρότερον ἦν οὗτος γυνή· §104νυνὶ δʼ, ὁρᾷς, πράττει τὰ μέγιστʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει.
Agyrrhius, at any rate, having Pronomus' beard, has escaped notice; and yet formerly this man was a woman; but now, you see, he transacts the greatest affairs in the city.
§105τούτου γε τοίνυν τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν §106τόλμημα τολμῶμεν τοσοῦτον οὕνεκα, §107ἤν πως παραλαβεῖν τῆς πόλεως τὰ πράγματα §108δυνώμεθʼ, ὥστʼ ἀγαθόν τι πρᾶξαι τὴν πόλιν· §109νῦν μὲν γὰρ οὔτε θέομεν οὔτʼ ἐλαύνομεν.
Therefore indeed, for the sake of this, on the coming day we dare so great a daring, if somehow we might be able to take over the affairs of the city, so as to do some good for the city; for now we neither run nor row.
§110καὶ πῶς γυναικῶν θηλύφρων ξυνουσία §111δημηγορήσει;
But how will a female-minded gathering of women address the people?
§111bπολὺ μὲν οὖν ἄριστά που.
Nay, much the best, indeed.
§112λέγουσι γὰρ καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων ὅσοι §113πλεῖστα σποδοῦνται, δεινοτάτους εἶναι λέγειν· §114ἡμῖν δʼ ὑπάρχει τοῦτο κατὰ τύχην τινά.
For they say that those of the young men who are most flogged are the cleverest at speaking; and this belongs to us by some chance.
§115οὐκ οἶδα· δεινὸν δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ μὴ ʼμπειρία.
I do not know; but lack of experience is a terrible thing.
§116οὐκοῦν ἐπίτηδες ξυνελέγημεν ἐνθάδε, §117ὅπως προμελετήσωμεν ἁκεῖ δεῖ λέγειν.
For this very reason, then, we assembled here, that we might practice beforehand what we must say there.
§118οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις τὸ γένειον ἂν περιδουμένη §119ἄλλαι θʼ ὅσαι λαλεῖν μεμελετήκασί που.
You cannot be too quick in tying on your beard, and the others as many as have practiced speaking, I suppose.
§120τίς δʼ ὦ μέλʼ ἡμῶν οὐ λαλεῖν ἐπίσταται;
But who of us, my dear, does not know how to prattle?
§121ἴθι δὴ σὺ περιδοῦ καὶ ταχέως ἀνὴρ γενοῦ· §122ἐγὼ δὲ θεῖσα τοὺς στεφάνους περιδήσομαι §123καὐτὴ μεθʼ ὑμῶν, ἤν τί μοι δόξῃ λέγειν.
Come then, tie it on and quickly become a man; and I, having put down the wreaths, will tie mine on myself with you, if it seems good to me to say anything.
§124δεῦρʼ ὦ γλυκυτάτη Πραξαγόρα, σκέψαι τάλαν §125ὡς καὶ καταγέλαστον τὸ πρᾶγμα φαίνεται.
Come here, my sweetest Praxagora, look, you wretched one, how ridiculous the thing also appears.
§126πῶς καταγέλαστον;
How ridiculous?
§126bὥσπερ εἴ τις σηπίαις §127πώγωνα περιδήσειεν ἐσταθευμέναις.
Just as if someone should tie a beard on singed cuttlefish.
§128ὁ περιστίαρχος, περιφέρειν χρὴ τὴν γαλῆν.
Purifier, you must carry the weasel around.
§129πάριτʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν.
Pass forward.
Ἀρίφραδες παῦσαι λαλῶν.
Ariphrades, stop babbling.
§130κάθιζε παριών.
Come forward and sit down.
τίς ἀγορεύειν βούλεται;
Who wishes to speak?
§131ἐγώ.
I do.
§131bπερίθου δὴ τὸν στέφανον τύχἀγαθῇ.
Tie on the wreath then, with good fortune.
§132ἰδού.
There.
§132bλέγοις ἄν.
You may speak.
§132cεἶτα πρὶν πιεῖν λέγω;
Then, do I speak before drinking?
§133ἰδοὺ πιεῖν.
Look at "drinking"!
§133bτί γὰρ ὦ μέλʼ ἐστεφανωσάμην;
Why then, my dear, did I put on the wreath?
§134ἄπιθʼ ἐκποδών· τοιαῦτʼ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἠργάσω §135κἀκεῖ.
Go away, out of the way; you would have done such things to us also there.
§135bτί δʼ;
What then?
οὐ πίνουσι κἀν τἠκκλησίᾳ;
Do they not drink also in the assembly?
§136ἰδού γε σοὶ πίνουσι.
Look at them drinking!
§136bνὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν §137καὶ ταῦτα γʼ εὔζωρον.
By Artemis, indeed they do, and that too unmixed wine.
τὰ γοῦν βουλεύματα §138αὐτῶν ὅσʼ ἂν πράξωσιν ἐνθυμουμένοις §139ὥσπερ μεθυόντων ἐστὶ παραπεπληγμένα.
At any rate, the decrees of theirs, whenever they pass them, to those who consider them are just like the crazy actions of drunken men.
§140καὶ νὴ Δία σπένδουσί γʼ· ἢ τίνος χάριν §141τοσαῦτʼ ἂν ηὔχοντʼ, εἴπερ οἶνος μὴ παρῆν;
And by Zeus, they make libations; or for the sake of what would they pray so much, if wine were not present?
§142καὶ λοιδοροῦνταί γʼ ὥσπερ ἐμπεπωκότες, §143καὶ τὸν παροινοῦντʼ ἐκφέρουσʼ οἱ τοξόται,
And indeed they abuse each other like men who have drunk too much, and the archers carry out the one playing the drunkard.
§144σὺ μὲν βάδιζε καὶ κάθησʼ· οὐδὲν γὰρ εἶ.
You, go away and sit down; for you are nothing.
§145νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ἦ μοι μὴ γενειᾶν κρεῖττον ἦν·
By Zeus, indeed would it not have been better for me not to grow a beard?
§146δίψῃ γάρ, ὡς ἔοικʼ, ἀφαυανθήσομαι.
For by thirst, as it seems, I shall be parched.
§147ἔσθʼ ἥτις ἑτέρα βούλεται λέγειν;
Is there any other woman who wishes to speak?
§147bἐγώ.
I do.
§148ἴθι δὴ στεφανοῦ· καὶ γὰρ τὸ χρῆμʼ ἐργάζεται.
Come then, put on the wreath; for indeed the business is working.
§149ἄγε νυν ὅπως ἀνδριστὶ καὶ καλῶς ἐρεῖς §150διερεισαμένη τὸ σχῆμα τῇ βακτηρίᾳ.
Come now, see that you speak in a manly and noble way, leaning your posture firmly upon the staff.
§151ἐβουλόμην μὲν ἂν ἕτερον τῶν ἠθάδων §152λέγειν τὰ βέλτισθʼ, ἵνʼ ἐκαθήμην ἥσυχος· §153νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἐάσω κατά γε τὴν ἐμὴν μίαν §154ἐν τοῖς καπηλείοισι λάκκους ἐμποιεῖν §155ὕδατος.
I would indeed have wished some other of those accustomed to it to speak the best things, so that I might sit quiet; but now I will not permit, as far as my single self is concerned, to make pits of water in the taverns.
ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ δοκεῖ μὰ τὼ θεώ.
For my part, it does not seem good, by the two goddesses.
§156μὰ τὼ θεώ;
By the two goddesses?
τάλαινα ποῦ τὸν νοῦν ἔχεις;
You wretched woman, where do you have your mind?
§157τί δʼ ἔστιν;
What is it?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ πιεῖν γʼ ᾔτησά σε.
For indeed I did not ask you for a drink.
§158μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἀνὴρ ὢν τὼ θεὼ κατώμοσας, §159καίτοι τά γʼ ἄλλʼ εἰποῦσα δεξιώτατα.
By Zeus, but being a man you swore by the two goddesses, and yet saying the other things most cleverly.
§160ὢ νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω.
Oh, by Apollo!
§160bπαῦε τοίνυν, ὡς ἐγὼ §161ἐκκλησιάσουσʼ οὐκ ἂν προβαίην τὸν πόδα §162τὸν ἕτερον, εἰ μὴ ταῦτʼ ἀκριβωθήσεται.
Stop then, for I would not advance my other foot to the assembly unless these things shall be made precise.
§163φέρε τὸν στέφανον· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὖ λέξω πάλιν.
Bring the wreath; for I will speak again in turn.
§164οἶμαι γὰρ ἤδη μεμελετηκέναι καλῶς.
For I think I have already practiced well.
§165ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὦ γυναῖκες αἱ καθήμεναι—
For to me, O women who are sitting here—

Notes

  1. §89πληρουμένης — A present participle in the genitive absolute construction, expressing a temporal relation: "while the assembly is filling up (as people are gathering)."
  2. §95καλά γʼ ἂν πάθοιμεν — An ironic expression. Literally "we would experience good things," but actually serving as the apodosis of a counterfactual condition expressing a disastrous result: "we would suffer a great disaster" or "make a fool of ourselves."
  3. §106οὕνεκα — An example of anastrophe, where the preposition οὕνεκα ("for the sake of") is placed after its object (here, the demonstrative pronoun τούτου).
  4. §118οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις — An idiomatic construction of οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις with a participle (περιδουμένη), expressing a strong exhortation or command: "make haste and tie on..." or "you cannot be too quick in tying on..."
  5. §134τοιαῦτʼ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἠργάσω — The apodosis of a past counterfactual condition (ἂν + indicative aorist), expressing a reproach: "you would have done such things to us there as well (though in fact you did not)."
  6. §151ἐβουλόμην μὲν ἂν — An imperfect indicative with ἂν expressing a polite or unfulfilled wish: "I should have wished (but it is not possible)."
  7. §155μὰ τὼ θεώ — An oath using the dual form (τὼ θεώ) referring to the two goddesses (Demeter and Persephone) in Attic Greek. Since this oath was used exclusively by women, it marks a comical slip-up by the disguised speaker.
  8. §165ὦ γυναῖκες αἱ καθήμεναι — The beginning of the assembly speech by the disguised Praxagora. Instead of addressing the audience as "men" (ὦ ἄνδρες), she habitually addresses them as "women" (ὦ γυναῖκες), marking the start of a dramatic blunder.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Assemblywomen §86-165. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg010.humanitext-grc2:86-165

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