Aristophanes
Parodos
Χορὸς Γερόντων
χώρει Δράκης, ἡγοῦ βάδην, εἰ καὶ τὸν ὦμον ἀλγεῖς
255 κορμοῦ τοσουτονὶ βάρος χλωρᾶς φέρων ἐλάας.
ἦ πόλλʼ ἄελπτʼ ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ βίῳ φεῦ,
ἐπεὶ τίς ἄν ποτʼ ἤλπισʼ ὦ Στρυμόδωρʼ ἀκοῦσαι
260 γυναῖκας, ἃς ἐβόσκομεν
κατʼ οἶκον ἐμφανὲς κακόν,
κατὰ μὲν ἅγιον ἔχειν βρέτας,
κατὰ δʼ ἀκρόπολιν ἐμὰν λαβεῖν
μοχλοῖς δὲ καὶ κλῄθροισι
265 τὰ προπύλαια πακτοῦν;
ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς πόλιν σπεύσωμεν ὦ Φιλοῦργε,
ὅπως ἄν, αὐταῖς ἐν κύκλῳ θέντες τὰ πρέμνα ταυτί,
ὅσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτʼ ἐνεστήσαντο καὶ μετῆλθον,
μίαν πυρὰν νήσαντες ἐμπρήσωμεν αὐτόχειρες
260–269

in our own homes are truly bad. The sacred statue is in their hands, they’ve seized my own Acropolis and block the doors with bolts and bars.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Come on Philurgus, let’s hurry there as fast as we can go up to the city. We’ll set these logs down in a circle, stack them so we keep them bottled up,

those women who’ve combined to do this. Then with our own hands we’ll set alight a single fire and, as we all agreed in the vote we took, we’ll burn them all, beginning first with Lycon’s wife.

270 πάσας, ὑπὸ ψήφου μιᾶς, πρώτην δὲ τὴν Λύκωνος.
οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ ἐμοῦ ζῶντος ἐγχανοῦνται·
ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ Κλεομένης, ὃς αὐτὴν κατέσχε πρῶτος,
275 ἀπῆθεν ἀψάλακτος, ἀλλʼ
ὅμως Λακωνικὸν πνέων
ᾤχετο θὤπλα παραδοὺς ἐμοί,
σμικρὸν ἔχων πάνυ τριβώνιον,
πινῶν ῥυπῶν ἀπαράτιλτος,
270–279
CHORUS OF OLD MEN

They’ll won’t be making fun of me, by Demeter, not while I’m still alive. That man Cleomenes, who was the first to take our citadel, went back unharmed. Snorting Spartan pride he went away,

once he’d handed me his weapons, wearing a really tiny little cloak, hungry, filthy, with his hairy face. He’d gone six years without a bath.

280 ἓξ ἐτῶν ἄλουτος.
οὕτως ἐπολιόρκησʼ ἐγὼ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐκεῖνον ὠμῶς
ἐφʼ ἑπτακαίδεκʼ ἀσπίδων πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις καθεύδων.
τασδὶ δὲ τὰς Εὐριπίδῃ θεοῖς τε πᾶσιν ἐχθρὰς
ἐγὼ οὐκ ἄρα σχήσω παρὼν τολμήματος τοσούτου;
285 μή νυν ἔτʼ ἐν τῇ τετραπόλει τοὐμὸν τροπαῖον εἴη.
ἀλλʼ αὐτὸ γάρ μοι τῆς ὁδοῦ
λοιπόν ἐστι χωρίον
τὸ πρὸς πόλιν τὸ σιμόν, οἷ σπουδὴν ἔχω·
χὤπως ποτʼ ἐξαμπρεύσομεν
290 τοῦτʼ ἄνευ κανθηλίου.
ὡς ἐμοῦ γε τὼ ξύλω τὸν ὦμον ἐξιπώκατον·
ἀλλʼ ὅμως βαδιστέον,
καὶ τὸ πῦρ φυσητέον,
μή μʼ ἀποσβεσθὲν λάθῃ πρὸς τῇ τελευτῇ τῆς ὁδοῦ.
295 φῦ φῦ.
295 ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ.
ὡς δεινὸν ὦναξ Ἡράκλεις
προσπεσόν μʼ ἐκ τῆς χύτρας
ὥσπερ κύων λυττῶσα τὠφθαλμὼ δάκνει·
κἄστιν γε Λήμνιον τὸ πῦρ
280–299

That’s how I fiercely hemmed him in, our men in ranks of seventeen we even slept before the gates. So with these foes of all the gods and of Euripides, as well, will I not check their insolence?

If I do not, then let my trophies all disappear from Marathon.

The rest of the journey I have to make is uphill to the Acropolis. We must move fast, but how do we haul this wood up there without a donkey? This pair of logs makes my shoulders sore. But still we’ve got to soldier on giving our fire air to breathe. It may go out when I’m not looking

just as I reach my journey’s end.

[They blow on the coals to keep them alight. The smoke comes blowing up in their faces. The Old Men fall back, coughing and rubbing their eyes.]

O the smoke! Lord Hercules, how savagely it jumped out from the pot right in my face and bit my eyes like a raving bitch. It works just like a Lemnian fire

300 τοῦτο πάσῃ μηχανῇ.
οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποθʼ ὧδʼ ὀδὰξ ἔβρυκε τὰς λήμας ἐμοῦ.
σπεῦδε πρόσθεν ἐς πόλιν
καὶ βοήθει τῇ θεῷ.
ἢ πότʼ αὐτῇ μᾶλλον ἢ νῦν ὦ Λάχης ἀρήξομεν;
305 φῦ φῦ.
305 ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ.
τουτὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐγρήγορεν θεῶν ἕκατι καὶ ζῇ.
οὔκουν ἄν, εἰ τὼ μὲν ξύλω θείμεσθα πρῶτον αὐτοῦ,
τῆς ἀμπέλου δʼ ἐς τὴν χύτραν τὸν φανὸν ἐγκαθέντες
ἅψαντες εἶτʼ ἐς τὴν θύραν κριηδὸν ἐμπέσοιμεν;
300–309

or else it wouldn’t use its teeth to feed on fluids in my eye. We need to hurry to the citadel and save the goddess. If not now, O Laches, when should we help her out?

[The men blow on the coals and are again overpowered by the smoke.]

Damn and blast this smoke!

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Thanks to the gods, the fire’s up again— a lively flame. So what if, first of all, we placed our firewood right down here, then put a vine branch in the pot, set it alight, and charged the door like a battering ram? We’ll order women to remove the bars,

310 κἂν μὴ καλούντων τοὺς μοχλοὺς χαλῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες,
ἐμπιμπράναι χρὴ τὰς θύρας καὶ τῷ καπνῷ πιέζειν.
θώμεσθα δὴ τὸ φορτίον. φεῦ τοῦ καπνοῦ βαβαιάξ.
τίς ξυλλάβοιτʼ ἂν τοῦ ξύλου τῶν ἐν Σάμῳ στρατη γῶν;
ταυτὶ μὲν ἤδη τὴν ῥάχιν θλίβοντά μου πέπαυται.
315 σὸν δʼ ἔργον ἐστὶν ὦ χύτρα τὸν ἄνθρακʼ ἐξεγείρειν,
τὴν λαμπάδʼ ἡμμένην ὅπως πρώτιστʼ ἐμοὶ προσοίσεις.
δέσποινα Νίκη ξυγγενοῦ τῶν τʼ ἐν πόλει γυναικῶν
τοῦ νῦν παρεστῶτος θράσους θέσθαι τροπαῖον ἡμᾶς.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
λιγνὺν δοκῶ μοι καθορᾶν καὶ καπνὸν ὦ γυναῖκες
310–319

and, if they refuse, we’ll burn down the doors. We’ll overpower them with the smoke. All right, put down your loads.

[The men set down their logs. Once again the smoke is too much for them.]

This bloody smoke!

Is there any general here from Samos who’ll help us with this wood?

[He sets down his load of wood.]

Ah, that’s better. They’re not shrinking my spine any more. All right, pot, it’s now your job to arouse a fire from those coals, so first of all, I’ll have a lighted torch and lead the charge. O lady Victory, stand with us here, so we can set our trophy up in there, defeat those women in our citadel and stop this present insolence of theirs.

[The Old Men stack their logs in a pile and start lighting their torches on the coals. The Chorus of Old Women enters. They are carrying pitchers of water.]

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Ladies, I think I see some flames and smoke, as if a fire was burning. We’d better hurry.

320 ὥσπερ πυρὸς καομένου· σπευστέον ἐστὶ θᾶττον.
πέτου πέτου Νικοδίκη,
πρὶν ἐμπεπρῆσθαι Καλύκην
τε καὶ Κρίτυλλαν περιφυσήτω
†ὑπό τε νόμων † ἀργαλέων
325 ὑπό τε γερόντων ὀλέθρων.
ἀλλὰ φοβοῦμαι τόδε, μῶν ὑστερόπους βοηθῶ.
νῦν δὴ γὰρ ἐμπλησαμένη τὴν ὑδρίαν κνεφαία
μόλις ἀπὸ κρήνης ὑπʼ ὄχλου καὶ θορύβου καὶ πατάγου
χυτρείου,
330 δούλαισιν ὠστιζομένη
στιγματίαις θʼ, ἁρπαλέως
ἀραμένη ταῖσιν ἐμαῖς
δημότισιν καομέναις
φέρουσʼ ὕδωρ βοηθῶ.
335 ἤκουσα γὰρ τυφογέροντας
ἄνδρας ἔρρειν, στελέχη
φέροντας ὥσπερ βαλανεύσοντας
ἐς πόλιν ὡς τριτάλαντον βάρος,
δεινότατʼ ἀπειλοῦντας ἐπῶν
320–339
CHORUS OF OLD WOMEN

We have to fly, Nicodice, fly before Critylla is burned up and Calyce, too, by nasty winds and old men keen to wipe them out. But I’m afraid I’ll be too late to help them out. I’ve only just filled up my pitcher in the dark. It was not easy—at the well

the place was jammed and noisy too with clattering pots, pushy servants, and tattooed slaves. But I was keen to carry water to these fires to help my country’s women.

I’ve heard some dim and dull old men are creeping here and carrying logs— a great big load—to our fortress, as if to warm our public baths. They’re muttering the most awful things

how with their fire they need to turn

340 ὡς πυρὶ χρὴ τὰς μυσαρὰς γυναῖκας ἀνθρακεύειν·
ἃς ὦ θεὰ μή ποτʼ ἐγὼ πιμπραμένας ἴδοιμι,
ἀλλὰ πολέμου καὶ μανιῶν ῥυσαμένας Ἑλλάδα καὶ
πολίτας,
ἐφʼ οἷσπερ ὦ χρυσολόφα
345 πολιοῦχε σὰς ἔσχον ἕδρας.
καί σε καλῶ ξύμμαχον ὦ
Τριτογένειʼ, εἴ τις ἐκείνας
ὑποπίμπρησιν ἀνήρ,
φέρειν ὕδωρ μεθʼ ἡμῶν.
340–349

these hateful women into ash. But, goddess, may I never see them burned like that—but witness how they rescue cities, all of Greece, from war and this insanity. That’s why, golden-crested goddess who guards our city, these women now have occupied your shrine. O Tritogeneia, I summon you

to be my ally—if any man sets them on fire, help us out as we carry up this water.

[The Old Men have lit their torches and are about to move against the Acropolis. The Old Women are blocking their way.]

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Hold on, ladies. What this I see? Men—

350 ἔασον ὦ. τουτὶ τί ἦν; ὦνδρες πόνῳ πόνηροι·
οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἂν χρηστοί γʼ ἔδρων οὐδʼ εὐσεβεῖς τάδʼ ἄνδρες.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
τουτὶ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν ἀπροσδόκητον ἥκει·
ἑσμὸς γυναικῶν οὑτοσὶ θύρασιν αὖ βοηθεῖ.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
τί βδύλλεθʼ ἡμᾶς; οὔ τί που πολλαὶ δοκοῦμεν εἶναι;
355 καὶ μὴν μέρος γʼ ἡμῶν ὁρᾶτʼ οὔπω τὸ μυριοστόν.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
ὦ Φαιδρία ταύτας λαλεῖν ἐάσομεν τοσαυτί;
οὐ περικατᾶξαι τὸ ξύλον τύπτοντʼ ἐχρῆν τινʼ αὐταῖς;
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
θώμεσθα δὴ τὰς κάλπιδας χἠμεῖς χαμᾶζʼ, ὅπως ἂν
ἢν προσφέρῃ τὴν χεῖρά τις μὴ τοῦτό μʼ ἐμποδίζῃ.
350–359

dirty old men—hard at work. Honest types, useful, god-fearing men, could never do the things you do.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

What’s happening here is something we did not expect to see— a swarm of women standing here like this to guard the doors.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

So so we make you afraid?

Does it look like there’s a huge crowd of us? You’re seeing just a fraction of our size— there are thousands more.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Hey there, Phaedrias! Shall we stop her nattering on like this? Someone hit her, smack her with a log.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Let’s put our water jugs down on the ground, in case they want to lay their hands on us. Down there they won’t get in our way.

[The Old Women set down their water jugs.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

By god, someone should hit them on the jaw,

Χορὸς Γερόντων
360 εἰ νὴ Δίʼ ἤδη τὰς γνάθους τούτων τις ἢ δὶς ἢ τρὶς
ἔκοψεν ὥσπερ Βουπάλου, φωνὴν ἂν οὐκ ἂν εἶχον.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
καὶ μὴν ἰδοὺ παταξάτω τις· στᾶσʼ ἐγὼ παρέξω,
κοὐ μή ποτʼ ἄλλη σου κύων τῶν ὄρχεων λάβηται.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
εἰ μὴ σιωπήσει, θενών σου ʼκκοκκιῶ τὸ γῆρας.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
365 ἅψαι μόνον Στρατυλλίδος τῷ δακτύλῳ προσελθών.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
τί δʼ ἢν σποδῶ τοῖς κονδύλοις; τί μʼ ἐργάσει τὸ δεινόν;
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
βρύκουσά σου τοὺς πλεύμονας καὶ τἄντερʼ ἐξαμήσω.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀνὴρ Εὐριπίδου σοφώτερος ποιητής·
οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω θρέμμʼ ἀναιδές ἐστιν ὡς γυναῖκες.
360–369

two or three times, and then, like Boupalus,

they’ll won’t have anything much more to say.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Come on then—strike me. I’m here, waiting. No other bitch will ever grab your balls.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Shut up, or I hit you—snuff out your old age.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Try coming up and touching Stratyllis with your finger tips!

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

What if I thrashed you with my fists? Would you do something nasty?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

With my teeth I’ll rip out your lungs and guts!

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Euripides is such a clever poet— the man who says there’s no wild animal

more shameless than a woman.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Come on then, Rhodippe, let’s pick up our water jugs.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
370 αἰρώμεθʼ ἡμεῖς θοὔδατος τὴν κάλπιν ὦ Ῥοδίππη.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
τί δʼ ὦ θεοῖς ἐχθρὰ σὺ δεῦρʼ ὕδωρ ἔχουσʼ ἀφίκου;
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
τί δαὶ σὺ πῦρ ὦ τύμβʼ ἔχων; ὡς σαυτὸν ἐμπυρεύσων;
Χορὸς Γερόντων
ἐγὼ μὲν ἵνα νήσας πυρὰν τὰς σὰς φίλας ὑφάψω.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
ἐγὼ δέ γʼ ἵνα τὴν σὴν πυρὰν τούτῳ κατασβέσαιμι.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
375 τοὐμὸν σὺ πῦρ κατασβέσεις;
375 τοὔργον τάχʼ αὐτὸ δείξει.
οὐκ οἶδά σʼ εἰ τῇδʼ ὡς ἔχω τῇ λαμπάδι σταθεύσω.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
εἰ ῥύμμα τυγχάνεις ἔχων, λουτρόν γʼ ἐγὼ παρέξω.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
ἐμοὶ σὺ λουτρὸν ὦ σαπρά;
καὶ ταῦτα νυμφικόν γε.
ἤκουσας αὐτῆς τοῦ θράσους;
370–379
[The Old Women pick up their water jugs again.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Why have you damned women even come here carrying this water?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

And why are you bringing fire, you old corpse? Do you intend to set yourself on fire?

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Me? To start a blaze and roast your friends.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

I’m here to douse your fire.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

You’ll put out my fire?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Yes I will. You’ll see.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS [waving his torch]

I don’t know why I’m not just doing it, frying you in this flame.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Get yourself some soap.

I’m giving you a bath.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

You’ll wash me, you old wrinkled prune?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Yes, it will be just like your wedding night.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Listen to her! She’s a nervy bitch!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

I’m a free woman.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

I’ll make you shut up!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

You don’t judge these things.

ἐλευθέρα γάρ εἰμι.
380 σχήσω σʼ ἐγὼ τῆς νῦν βοῆς.
380–389

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Set her hair on fire!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Get to work, Achelous.

[She throws her jar of water over the Leader of the Men’s Chorus, and, following the leader’s example, the women throw water all over the old men.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

O, that’s bad!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Was that hot enough?

[The women continue to throw water on the old men.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Hot enough? Won’t you stop doing that? What are you doing?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

I’m watering you to make you bloom.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

I’m too old and withered. I’m shaking.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Well, you’ve got your fire. Warm yourselves up.

[A Magistrate enters with an armed escort of four public guards and slaves with crowbars and some attendant soldiers.]
MAGISTRATE

Has not our women’s lewdness shown itself in how they beat their drums for Sabazius, that god of excess, or on their rooftops shed tears for Adonis? That’s what I heard

380 ἀλλʼ οὐκέθʼ ἡλιάζει.
ἔμπρησον αὐτῆς τὰς κόμας.
σὸν ἔργον ὦχελῷε.
οἴμοι τάλας.
μῶν θερμὸν ἦν;
ποῖ θερμόν; οὐ παύσει; τί δρᾷς;
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
ἄρδω σʼ ὅπως ἂν βλαστάνῃς.
Χορὸς Γερόντων
385 ἀλλʼ αὖός εἰμʼ ἤδη τρέμων.
Χορὸς Γυναικῶν
οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἔχεις, σὺ χλιανεῖς σεαυτόν.
380–389

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Set her hair on fire!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Get to work, Achelous.

[She throws her jar of water over the Leader of the Men’s Chorus, and, following the leader’s example, the women throw water all over the old men.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

O, that’s bad!

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Was that hot enough?

[The women continue to throw water on the old men.]

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

Hot enough? Won’t you stop doing that? What are you doing?

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

I’m watering you to make you bloom.

LEADER OF MEN’S CHORUS

I’m too old and withered. I’m shaking.

LEADER OF WOMEN’S CHORUS

Well, you’ve got your fire. Warm yourselves up.

[A Magistrate enters with an armed escort of four public guards and slaves with crowbars and some attendant soldiers.]
MAGISTRATE

Has not our women’s lewdness shown itself in how they beat their drums for Sabazius, that god of excess, or on their rooftops shed tears for Adonis? That’s what I heard

Translation by Ian Johnston, Vancouver Island University
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An open-access project
Hall 1907
OCT
Hall & Geldart, OCT, 1907 · 1907
The Editor

Frederick William Hall (1865–1948) was a classical scholar and Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. Together with William Martin Geldart, he produced the Oxford Classical Text of several authors. Hall was a careful editor known for his thorough collation of manuscripts and his conservative approach to textual criticism.

About This Edition

The Hall–Geldart editions in the Oxford Classical Texts series provide reliable critical texts with selective apparatus criticus. The OCT series, established in 1894 as the Scriptorum Classicorum Bibliotheca Oxoniensis, aims to present the best available Greek and Latin texts in a format suitable for both scholarly use and teaching. Each volume provides a clean text with the most significant manuscript variants recorded at the foot of each page.

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