§21Μίκυλλος
οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἀλεκτρυών, ἐπειδὴ ἁπάντων σχεδὸν ἤδη τῶν βίων ἐπειράθης καὶ πάντα οἶσθα, λέγοις ἂν ἤδη σαφῶς ἰδίᾳ μὲν τὰ τῶν πλουσίων ὅπως βιοῦσιν, ἰδίᾳ δὲ τὰ πτωχικά, ὡς μάθω εἰ ἀληθῆ ταῦτα φὴς εὐδαιμονέστερον ἀποφαίνων με τῶν πλουσίων.
Micyllus Then, O cock, since you have already experienced almost all kinds of lives and know everything, tell me now clearly, distinguishing on one hand how the rich live, and on the other hand the life of the poor, so that I may learn whether you speak the truth in declaring me happier than the rich.
Ἀλεκτρυών
ἰδοὺ δὴ οὕτως ἐπίσκεψαι, ὦ Μίκυλλε· σοὶ μὲν οὔτε πολέμου πολὺς λόγος, ἢν λέγηται ὡς οἱ πολέμιοι προσελαύνουσιν, οὐδὲ φροντίζεις μὴ τὸν ἀγρὸν τέμωσιν ἐμβαλόντες ἢ τὸν παράδεισον συμπατήσωσιν ἢ τὰς ἀμπέλους δῃώσωσιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς σάλπιγγος ἀκούων μόνον, εἴπερ ἄρα, περιβλέπεις τὸ κατὰ σεαυτόν, οἷ τραπόμενον χρὴ σωθῆναι καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον διαφυγεῖν·
Cock Look at it in this way, Micyllus: you have little concern for war, even if it is said that the enemies are advancing, nor do you worry lest they invade and cut down your field or trample your garden or ravage your vines; but hearing only the trumpet, if indeed at all, you look around at your own situation, where you must turn to be saved and escape the danger.
οἱ δʼ εὐλαβοῦνται μὲν καὶ ἀμφʼ αὑτοῖς, ἀνιῶνται δὲ ὁρῶντες ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἀγόμενα καὶ φερόμενα ὅσα εἶχον ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς.
But they are not only anxious about themselves, but are also distressed as they watch from the walls all that they had in the fields being plundered and carried away.
καὶ ἤν τε εἰσφέρειν δέῃ, μόνοι καλοῦνται, ἤν τε ἐπεξιέναι, προκινδυνεύουσι στρατηγοῦντες ἢ ἱππαρχοῦντες·
And if there is a need to pay war-taxes, they alone are called upon; and if they must march out, they face the danger in front, serving as generals or cavalry commanders.
σὺ δὲ οἰσυΐνην ἀσπίδα ἔχων, εὐσταλὴς καὶ κοῦφος εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἕτοιμος ἑστιᾶσθαι τὰ ἐπινίκια, ἐπειδὰν θύῃ ὁ στρατηγὸς νενικηκώς.
But you, having a wicker shield, well-equipped and light for escape, are ready to feast on the victory-celebrations whenever the victorious general offers sacrifice.
§22Ἀλεκτρυών
ἐν εἰρήνῃ τε αὖ σὺ μὲν τοῦ δήμου ὢν ἀναβὰς εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τυραννεῖς τῶν πλουσίων, οἱ δὲ φρίττουσι καὶ ὑποπτήσσουσι καὶ διανομαῖς ἱλάσκονταί σε.
Cock In peace, moreover, you, being of the common people, go up to the assembly and lord it over the rich, while they shudder and cower, and propitiate you with distributions.
λουτρὰ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἔχοις καὶ θεάματα καὶ τἆλλα διαρκῆ ἅπαντα, ἐκεῖνοι πονοῦσι, σὺ δὲ ἐξεταστὴς καὶ δοκιμαστὴς πικρὸς ὥσπερ δεσπότης, οὐδὲ λόγου μεταδιδοὺς ἐνίοτε, κἄν σοι δοκῇ κατεχαλάζησας αὐτῶν ἀφθόνους τοὺς λίθους ἢ τὰς οὐσίας αὐτῶν ἐδήμευσας·
For so that you may have baths and spectacles and all other sufficient things, they toil, while you are a harsh examiner and scrutinizer like a master, sometimes not even giving them a word to speak; and if it seems good to you, you rain down unsparing stones upon them or confiscate their property.
οὔτε δὲ συκοφάντην δέδιας αὐτὸς οὔτε λῃστὴν μὴ ὑφέληται τὸ χρυσίον ὑπερβὰς τὸ θριγκίον ἢ διορύξας τὸν τοῖχον, οὔτε πράγματα ἔχεις λογιζόμενος ἢ ἀπαιτῶν ἢ τοῖς καταράτοις οἰκονόμοις διαπυκτεύων καὶ πρὸς τοσαύτας φροντίδας μεριζόμενος, ἀλλὰ κρηπῖδα συντελέσας ἑπτὰ ὀβολοὺς τὸν μισθὸν ἔχων, ἀπαναστὰς περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν λουσάμενος, ἢν δοκῇ, σαπέρδην τινὰ ἢ μαινίδας ἢ κρομμύων κεφαλίδας ὀλίγας πριάμενος εὐφραίνεις σεαυτὸν ᾄδων τὰ πολλὰ καὶ τῇ βελτίστῃ Πενίᾳ προσφιλοσοφῶν.
You yourself fear neither a sycophant nor a robber lest he carry off your gold, having climbed over your wall or dug through the partition. Nor do you have troubles from calculating or demanding payment or boxing with those cursed stewards and being distracted by so many cares. Rather, having finished a shoe and holding seven obols as your wage, rising up late in the evening and having bathed if you please, and having bought some salted fish or sprats or a few heads of onions, you make yourself merry, singing for the most part and philosophizing alongside the most excellent Poverty.
§23Ἀλεκτρυών
ὥστε διὰ ταῦτα ὑγιαίνεις τε καὶ ἔρρωσαι τὸ σῶμα καὶ διακαρτερεῖς πρὸς τὸ κρύος· οἱ πόνοι γάρ σε παραθήγοντες οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἀνταγωνιστὴν ἀποφαίνουσι πρὸς τὰ δοκοῦντα τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄμαχα εἶναι.
Cock Consequently, because of these things, you are healthy and strong in body, and you endure the cold; for your labors, sharpening you, make you no contemptible opponent against what seems to others to be invincible.
ἀμέλει οὐδέν σοι τῶν χαλεπῶν τούτων νοσημάτων πρόσεισιν, ἀλλʼ ἤν ποτε κοῦφος πυρετὸς ἐπιλάβηται, πρὸς ὀλίγον ὑπηρετήσας αὐτῷ ἀνεπήδησας εὐθὺς ἀποσεισάμενος τὴν ἄσην, ὁ δὲ φεύγει αὐτίκα φοβηθείς, ψυχροῦ σε ὁρῶν ἐμφορούμενον καὶ μακρὰ οἰμώζειν λέγοντα ταῖς ἰατρικαῖς περιόδοις·
Indeed, none of these troublesome diseases comes near you, but if ever a light fever seizes you, having served it for a little while, you immediately jump up, shaking off the distress, and it flees at once in fear when it sees you pouring in cold water and telling the medical rounds to go hang themselves.
οἱ δὲ ὑπʼ ἀκρασίας ἄθλιοι τί τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἔχουσι, ποδάγρας καὶ φθόας καὶ περιπλευμονίας καὶ ὑδέρους;
But those wretched men, because of their incontinence, what evils do they not have—gout, consumptions, pneumonias, and dropsies?
αὗται γὰρ τῶν πολυτελῶν ἐκείνων δείπνων ἀπόγονοι.
For these are the offspring of those expensive banquets.
τοιγαροῦν οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ὥσπερ ὁ Ἴκαρος ἐπὶ πολὺ ἄραντες αὑτοὺς καὶ πλησιάσαντες τῷ ἡλίῳ οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι κηρῷ ἥρμοστο αὐτοῖς ἡ πτέρωσις, μέγαν ἐνίοτε τὸν πάταγον ἐποίησαν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἐς πέλαγος ἐμπεσόντες·
Therefore, some of them, like Icarus, having raised themselves high and approached the sun, not knowing that their plumage had been fitted with wax, sometimes make a great crash as they fall headlong into the sea.
ὅσοι δὲ κατὰ τὸν Δαίδαλον μὴ πάνυ μετέωρα μηδὲ ὑψηλὰ ἐφρόνησαν ἀλλὰ πρόσγεια, ὡς νοτίζεσθαι ἐνίοτε τῇ ἅλμῃ τὸν κηρόν, ὡς τὸ πολὺ οὗτοι ἀσφαλῶς διέπτησαν.
But those who, like Daedalus, did not think of too high or lofty things but of things close to the earth, so that the wax was sometimes moistened by the brine, these for the most part fly through safely.
Μίκυλλος
ἐπιεικεῖς τινας καὶ συνετοὺς λέγεις.
Micyllus You speak of some reasonable and sensible men.
Ἀλεκτρυών
τῶν μέντοι γε ἄλλων, ὦ Μίκυλλε, τὰς ναυαγίας αἰσχρὰς ἴδοις ἄν, ὅταν ὁ Κροῖσος περιτετιλμένος τὰ πτερὰ γέλωτα παρέχῃ Πέρσαις ἀναβαίνων ἐπὶ τὴν πυρὰν ἢ Διονύσιος καταλυθεὶς τῆς τυραννίδος ἐν Κορίνθῳ γραμματιστὴς βλέπηται, μετὰ τηλικαύτην ἀρχὴν παιδία συλλαβίζειν διδάσκων.
Cock Yet of the others, Micyllus, you would see disgraceful shipwrecks, when Croesus, having had his wings plucked, affords laughter to the Persians as he mounts the pyre, or Dionysius, having been deposed from his tyranny, is seen in Corinth as a schoolmaster, teaching children to spell after such great power.