_______________________________________
Aristophanes
Peace
_______________________________________
This translation by Ian Johnston of
Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, published in 2010, has
certain copyright restrictions. For information please use the following
link: Copyright. For comments or question please contact Ian Johnston.
The translator would like to acknowledge
the valuable help of Alan H. Sommerstein’s commentary
on the play in his book Peace (Aris & Phillips, 1985)
Note that in the following translation,
the line numbers without brackets refer to the English text and those within
square brackets refer to the Greek text. In the former, a partial indented line
is normally combined in the reckoning with the short line immediately before it.
Background Note
At the time Peace was
produced in Athens, the city had been at war with Sparta for a number of
years. However, peace negotiations had been going on, and it looked as if
the two sides might just agree to end (or at least suspend) their hostilities.
Dramatis PERSONAE
FIRST
SERVANT: a slave belonging to Trygaeus
SECOND SERVANT: a slave belonging to Trygaeus
DAUGHTERS: two daughters of Trygaeus
TRYGAEUS: a middle-aged farmer
HERMES: a god, divine son of Zeus
WAR: a god
UPROAR: a young servant to War.
CHORUS: farmers and servants from different city states
HIEROCLES: a seller of oracles
SICKLE MAKER
JAR MAKER
ARMS DEALER
ARMOURER
TRUMPET MAKER
SPEAR MAKER
BOY, a son of Lamachus
BOY, a son of Cleonymus
PEACE
THEORIA: a young female attendant on Peace
OPORA: a young female attendant on Peace
[Across
the back of the flat open front of the stage, the Orchestra, are four
structures: the farm house belonging to Trygaeus, a
stable beside or in front of it, a cave whose opening is blocked in with rocks,
and the palace of Zeus. Two of Trygaeus’ slaves are
in front of the stable. One is on his knees before a shallow tub preparing
balls of dung taken from a pile in the yard, and the other is carrying these
balls of dung into the stable]
FIRST
SERVANT [coming from the stable door]
Come on, bring us a cake for
the beetle.
Get a move on! Hurry up.
SECOND
SERVANT [on his knees kneading dung into cakes]
There you go.
Give him that. May it kill the wretched beast!
I hope he never swallows anything
more delicious than that ball of shit.
[First
servant takes the cake, goes into the stable, and returns]
FIRST
SERVANT
Give him another one. And make this cake
out of pounded donkey dung.
SECOND
SERVANT
Back again?
Where’s the one you took in there just now?
He can’t have eaten it.
FIRST
SERVANT
Eaten it? By Zeus,
he grabbed it, rolled in round between his feet, 10
and then swallowed it—the whole damn thing.
Hurry up and pound out more, lots of them—
and pack them tight.
[First Servant carries another cake into the stable
and returns]
SECOND SERVANT [looking at the audience]
You dung collectors out there,
in the name of the gods, give me a hand,
unless you want to see
me choke. [10]
FIRST SERVANT
Hand me another cake—
from a boy prostitute. He says he needs
something made from shit that’s been well
pounded.
SECOND SERVANT [tossing him a cake]
There you
go.
[First Servant returns to the stable. The
Second Servant addresses the audience]
Gentlemen, there’s one thing
I think I’ll never be found guilty of.
No one will claim that as I pound this
muck 20
I help myself and eat the
stuff.*
FIRST SERVANT [holding his nose]
Good god!
Get me another, and then bring one more,
and then another. Keep packing more.
SECOND SERVANT
No, by Apollo, not me! I can’t stand
this disgusting muck a moment longer!
FIRST SERVANT
Then I’ll take the dung inside, tub and all.
[The First Servant picks up the tub full of dung
and carries it into the stable]
SECOND SERVANT
To hell with it, by
god, and you as well.
[addressing the audience]
If any of you knows,
please tell me now [20]
where I can get a nose without a nostril.
There’s no work that is more miserable 30
than rolling this stuff up and serving it
to feed a beetle. Now, a pig or dog,
as soon as someone’s had a shit, eats it
without a fuss. But this conceited brute,
like some lady, is so full of itself,
it won’t eat unless I mash the stuff all
day
then serve it rolled into a ball by hand.
But I’ll take a look,
see if it’s done eating.
I’ll open this door, but just a sliver, [30]
so it won’t see me.
[He pushes the stable door slightly and looks
inside]
Go on—keep eating, 40
and don’t ever stop, not until you burst
all by yourself in there. That damned
creature—
look how it eats, mashing with its molars,
moving its head and arms around like that,
like a wrestler or those who twist the cords
to make thick ropes for cargo ships.
FIRST SERVANT [returning from the stable]
That brute—
smelly, foul and greedy! I’ve no idea
what god this stinking apparition comes from,
but I reckon it wasn’t Aphrodite [40]
or the Graces.*
SECOND SERVANT
Then who was
it?
FIRST SERVANT
It’s got to be 50
some monstrosity sent down here from Zeus,
lord of the thundercrap.
SECOND SERVANT
Well, some youngster
out there in the audience who thinks he’s smart
by this point will be saying, “What’s going on?
What does this beetle mean?” And an
Ionian
sitting next to him is saying, “In my view,
it’s a reference to Cleon, showing how
he’s not ashamed to wolf down shit all day.”*
FIRST SERVANT [getting ready to urinate]
I’m going in to give the beast a drink.
[First Servant goes back into the stable]
SECOND SERVANT
Well then, I’ll explain what’s going on
here 60 [50]
for children, youngsters, grown
ups, and old men,
even for these self-important windbags.*
My master’s got some new
form of madness—
not your kind, but something really new.
All day long he gazes at the heavens
with his mouth open, like this, and cries out,
yelling up at god, “O Zeus,” he says,
“What on earth are you doing? What’s your
plan?
Put that broom aside. Don’t sweep Greece
away!”
Wait! Hold on! Quiet. I think I
hear his voice. 70
TRYGAEUS [from inside the house]
O Zeus, what will you do
for our people?
You’ll be devastating all our cities
without any sense of what you’re doing.
SECOND SERVANT
That’s it, the sickness
I’ve been talking of.
There you hear a sample of his madness.
When this disturbance first came over him,
he’d keep saying to himself, “How can
I
gain access to Zeus right now?” So he had
some slender ladders made for him, and then,
he’d try to climb them all the way to heaven, 80 [70]
until he’d tumble down and break his head.
Well then, damn him, he went out yesterday,
I don’t know where, and brought back a beetle,
a monstrous thing from Etna. He’s forced me
to be its groom, while he keeps stroking it,
as if it were a pony, and saying
“O my little Pegasus, my thoroughbred,
my flying steed, now you must carry me
directly up to Zeus.” I’ll have a look,
bend down here and see just what he’s doing. 90
[The Second Servant stoops to look through a hole
in the walls of the stable]
O this is
dreadful! Come here, neighbours! Here!
My master’s rising up into the air, [80]
riding astride the beetle like a horse!
[Trygaeus appears on the
giant dung beetle rising up into the air behind the stable]
TRYGAEUS
Easy now, beetle, gently
does it, easy.
Don’t charge and make things much too rough for
me,
trusting your strength, right at the start of
things,
not until you sweat, and your beating wings
loosen up your joints and make your muscles
free.
I beg you, don’t
breathe on me that filthy smell.
If you do that, you can stay here in your cell. 100
SECOND SERVANT [calling up to Trygaeus]
Master, my lord, how crazy you’ve become! [90]
TRYGAEUS [here and in following
speeches declaiming in the grand style]
Be silent! Hold
your tongue!
SECOND SERVANT
Why are you
flapping through the air so senselessly?
TRYGAEUS
I’m soaring off to help out all the Greeks,
a bold new venture, never done before.
SECOND SERVANT
Why are you
flying? Why this mad sickness?
TRYGAEUS
You must speak fair words and never mutter
such trivial sounds. Instead cry out with joy.
Tell men to hold their tongues and to close in
their toilets and their sewers with fresh
bricks 110 [100]
and to plug their arse holes firmly shut.
SECOND SERVANT
There’s no way I’ll stay
quiet, not unless
you tell me where you plan to fly.
TRYGAEUS
Where else,
but up to Zeus in heaven?
SECOND
SERVANT
What for?
TRYGAEUS
To ask him about each and every Greek—
what he’s got in store for them.
SECOND SERVANT
And what if
he doesn’t tell you?
TRYGAEUS
I’ll take him to court
for treason, selling Greeks out to the Medes.*
SECOND SERVANT
No, by Dionysus, you’ll never go,
not while I’m alive.
TRYGAEUS
There’s no other way. 120
SECOND SERVANT [shouting into the house]
Help! Help! Help! Children, your father’s
leaving— [110]
he’s secretly abandoning you all
to go to heaven.
[Trygaeus’ two young
daughters come out of the house]
You poor wretched girls,
try pleading with your father. Beg him.
CHILD
Father, oh father, is this report true,
what those at home are saying about you—
you’re leaving me here, going up to the sky,
to the birds and the ravens? You’re trying to
fly?*
O daddy, these stories—are they all quite true?
If you love me, I need an answer from you. 130
TRYGAEUS
Yes, my girls, it’s what you think. The truth is
I’ve had with you—you keep begging me
for bread and calling me your daddikins, [120]
when there’s not a drop of money in the house,
nothing at all. But when I’m successful,
when I get back again, you’ll soon enjoy
a huge cake with my knuckles for a sauce.*
DAUGHTER
But how are you going to finish the trip?
You can’t travel that road in a sailing ship.
TRYGAEUS
A young horse with wings will be carrying me. 140
I won’t journey there in a ship on the
sea.
DAUGHTER
Daddy, how did you plan to capture this thing,
harness it, and go to the gods on the wing?
TRYGAEUS
In those stories by Aesop, I found out
the beetle was the only beast with wings [130]
that could reach the place where gods reside.
DAUGHTER
Father, father, that’s false. All folks
deny
stories which say that stinking brutes fly
and can come to the gods
way on high.
TRYGAEUS
Once, long ago,
when it had a quarrel with an eagle, 150
it went up there and took out its revenge
by rolling from the nest the eagle’s eggs.
DAUGHTER
You should have hitched Pegasus and his wings.
Then the gods would see you as those tragic
kings.
TRYGAEUS
My dear girl, I’d have needed twice the food.
But now whatever meal I eat myself
will serve to feed this beetle, too.
DAUGHTER
But what if it falls in the depths out at sea? [140]
With wings like those
ones, how will it flee?
TRYGAEUS [lifting up his phallus or
exposing his penis]
For that I’ve got this rudder
I can use. 160
And the beetle will be just like those boats
they make in Naxos.*
DAUGHTER
But then as you float,
what harbour will open up for that boat?
TRYGAEUS
Doesn’t Piraeus have a Beetle Harbour?*
DAUGHTER
Beware of collisions. You might fall down
from way up there and become a lame clown.
If so, to Euripides you’d give a story,
and he’d turn you into some tragic glory.*
TRYGAEUS
I’ll watch out for that. And now good bye!
[Trygaeus addresses the
audience as he starts moving higher]
And you for whom I’m
doing all this work, 170
for the next three days you mustn’t fart or
crap.
If this creature smells that while in the air,
it’ll toss me head first and come down to graze.
So come now, Pegasus, be
off. Good luck.
Keep those bright ears of yours pricked up
and shake that golden bridle and your bit
until they rattle. What are you doing?
What are you up to? Why turn your nose
toward those stinking sewers? Let yourself
go bravely up above the earth, stretch out 180
those racing wings of yours and head straight
for
the halls of Zeus. Keep your nose out of
the shit,
away from all the food you eat each day.
Hey, that man down there, what are you doing?
I mean that one crapping in Piraeus,
right by the whorehouse. You’re destroying
me,
doing me in. Can’t you please bury the
stuff,
pile lots of earth on top, and then plant thyme
and pour perfume on it? If I fell down
and something happened to me from up here 190
and killed me, the state of Chios would be fined [170]
five talents, all because of your ass hole.*
O my god, I’m scared. And I’m not joking,
not any more. You
there working this machine,
take good care of me. Right now there’s a
wind
twisting its way around my belly
button.
If you don’t watch it, I’ll be making stuff
to feed the beetle. But it seems to me
I’m getting near the gods. Yes, I can see
the home of Zeus.
[By this point the beetle has descended and come to
rest in front of the house of Zeus.
Trygaeus gets off the beetle and knocks on the door]]
Who’s in there, in Zeus’ house? 200
Why won’t you open up?
HERMES [from inside]
A human voice! [180]
Where did that come
from?
[Hermes opens the door and sees Trygaeus
and the dung beetle]
Lord Hercules!
What’s that disgusting thing?
TRYGAEUS
A horse beetle.
HERMES
You disgusting, reckless, shameless creature!
You scoundrel, you consummate rascal,
the worse rogue there is! How did you get
here,
you most villainous of all the villains!
What’s your name? Speak up, won’t you?
TRYGAEUS
Super-scoundrel.
HERMES
In what country were you born?
Tell me.
TRYGAEUS
Super-scoundrel.
HERMES
Who’s your father? 210
TRYGAEUS
My father? Super-scoundrel.
HERMES
By this earth,
you’ll die for sure if you don’t give your
name.
TRYGAEUS
I’m Trygaeus and I’m
from Athmonum,*
a good vine-grower. I don’t slander people, [190]
and I don’t like disputes.
HERMES
Why have you come?
TRYGAEUS [handing Hermes a steak]
To bring you this meat.
HERMES [grabbing the meat and in a
very different tone]
You poor fellow,
how did you get here?
TRYGAEUS
Well, sticky fingers,
you see how you no longer think of me
as the vilest of all rogues. Please be off
now
and summon Zeus for me.
HERMES
Oh dear, dear, dear! 220
You won’t reach the gods. You’re not even
close.
They’ve gone away. They moved out
yesterday.
TRYGAEUS
Where on earth they go?
HERMES
They wouldn’t go to earth!
TRYGAEUS
Well, then, where?
HERMES
Oh, a long, long way away,
under the very dome of heaven itself.
TRYGAEUS
So why have you been left here by yourself? [200]
HERMES
I’m keeping an eye on the furniture,
what’s left of it—some little pots and pans,
boards, some wine jugs.
TRYGAEUS
Why have the gods all left?
HERMES
They’re angry at the Greeks—so they moved
War 230
into the house where they used to live,
giving him full power to treat you Greeks
any way he wishes. They moved their home
even higher up, as far as they could go,
so they wouldn’t see you fighting any more
or hear any of your prayers.
TRYGAEUS
Tell me this—
why have they been treating us like that? [210]
HERMES
Because they tried to make peace many times,
but you prefer to fight. If the Spartans
had a small success, they’d say something like, 240
“By the twin gods, those Attic types will pay.”*
And if, with events turning out quite well
for those in Attica, the Spartans came
to talk of peace, you’d answer right away,
“By Athena, they’re playing tricks with us.
No, by Zeus, there’s no way we’ll go along.
They’ll come back, if we hang on to Pylos.”*
TRYGAEUS
Yes, that’s way folks in our country talk. [220]
HERMES
Well, that’s why I don’t think you’ll ever
see
Peace in your time again.
TRYGAEUS
Where’s she gone, then? 250
HERMES
War has thrown her into a deep hole.
TRYGAEUS
What hole?
HERMES [pointing to the walled up
cave in the central part of the stage]
That one, way down
there. What’s more,
you see how many rocks he’s piled on top
to stop you hauling her back out again.
TRYGAEUS
Tell me, what’s War planning to do to us?
HERMES
All I know is last evening he brought home
a gigantic mortar.
TRYGAEUS
He’s got a mortar? [230]
What’s he going to do
with that?
HERMES
Well,
he wants it
to pulverize the city states of Greece.
But I have to go. I think he’s coming out— 260
he’s making such a fuss in there.
[Hermes leaves. The noise inside the house
gets louder]
TRYGAEUS [alarmed]
Oh, oh!
I’m in a mess. Come on, I’d better find
some way to get away from him. I think
I hear the sounds of a warlike mortar.
[Trygaeus conceals
himself. War enters, carrying a huge mortar and a basket of vegetables]
WAR
Oh you human beings, you mortal men,
you human creatures who endure so much,
how your jaws are soon going to feel the pain!
TRYGAEUS [from his hiding place]
By lord Apollo, look at
the mortar,
the size of it! This is a disaster—
that look he’s got! Is this the enemy 270 [240]
we’re running from—so terrible, so tough,
so hard on a man’s
legs?*
WAR [taking some leeks and
putting them in the mortar]
O Prasiae!
thrice damned, five
times damned, damned a thousandfold!
This very day you’re going to be demolished.*
TRYGAEUS
This is no concern of ours, gentlemen,
since it’s a problem for the Spartans.
WAR [putting some garlic in the
mortar]
Oh Megara, Megara, how very soon
you be crushed to bits, turned into mincemeat.*
TRYGAEUS
Whoa, my goodness me, he’s throwing in
some bitter tears for the Megarians, 280
big ones, too.
WAR [grating some cheese into
the mortar]
And Sicily, you’re destroyed, as well. [250]
TRYGAEUS
Such a great state to be grated down
in such a miserable way.
WAR [pouring honey over the
food]
All right,
lets pour over this
some Attic honey.
TRYGAEUS
Hey, I’d advise you use a different honey.
That stuff costs four obols. So
ease up
with that stuff from Attica.
WAR [calling for his servant]
Boy! Boy! Uproar!
[Uproar enters from the house]
UPROAR
Why’d you call me?
WAR
I’ll make you really yelp!
Standing there doing nothing. Here’s a fist for
you!
[War punches Uproar in the face]
UPROAR
That hurts! Oh master, I’m in agony! 290
Your fist
wasn’t full of garlic, was it?
WAR
Why don’t you run and fetch me a pestle?
UPROAR
We don’t have one. It was only yesterday [260]
when we moved in here.
WAR
Then go get one
from the Athenians—and make it fast.
UPROAR
By god, I’ll do it. If I don’t find one,
then I’ll be beaten ‘til I howl.
[Uproar runs off in a hurry]
TRYGAEUS
Well now,
what are we poor wretched types to do?
You see there’s great danger threatening us.
If he returns and brings along a pestle, 300
War will sit there using it to pulverize
all our city states. O Dionysus,
may he perish and not get back with it!
[Uproar comes running back
empty handed]
WAR
Here he is.
UPROAR
What’s going on?
WAR
You didn’t bring it?
UPROAR
The strange thing is this—those Athenians
have lost their pestle, that tanner who
ground [270]
all Greece to powder.*
TRYGAEUS
By Athena,
that sovereign lady, he did well to die,
just when the city needed him to go,
before he dumped us all into that hash. 310
WAR
Then go get another one in Sparta
and be quick about it.
UPROAR
I’m off master.
[Uproar moves off quickly. War shouts after
him]
WAR
And get back here on the double.
TRYGAEUS [to
the audience]
Well, men,
what’s going to happen to us? At this
point,
we’re in deep trouble. So if one of you,
by chance, is an initiate of Samothrace,
this would be a splendid time for you to pray
the servant lad sprains both his feet.*
UPROAR [running
back on stage and striking an exaggerated pose]
Alas! [280]
O woe is me! And one more time Alas!
WAR
What is it? You mean this is the second
time 320
you’ve come back without a pestle?
UPROAR
Yes.
The Spartans have lost their pestle, too.
WAR
How’d that happen, you rogue?
UPROAR
Well, they lent it
to some other folks in Thracian country,
and it got lost.
TRYGAEUS
By those two sons of Zeus,
the Thracians did good work! Good luck to
them!
You mortal men, keep up your courage!
WAR
Pick up this stuff and take it back inside.
I’m going in to make myself a pestle.
[War
leaves. Uproar collects the mortar and vegetables and follows after
him.
Trygaeus emerges from his hiding place]
TRYGAEUS
All right, now it’s time to sing that old
song 330
Datis used to sing
every day at noon [290]
when he’d yank his cock, “Ah, how that feels
good!
O, that’s so nice! I’m getting off on this!”*
You men
of Greece, now’s an excellent time
to set aside our quarreling and fights
and drag up Peace, who’s friendly to us all,
before some other pestle interferes.
So you farm labourers and merchants,
you carpenters, craftsmen, immigrants,
foreigners, and islanders, come here,
340
all common folk, as quickly as you can,
and bring some picks and ropes and levers.
Now’s our chance to have a
drink together, [300]
a swig from the Good Spirit’s cup.*
[The
Chorus enters. It consists of working people from many different Greek
states]
LEADER
OF THE CHORUS
Come on this way, all those of you who’re keen
to rescue us right now. It’s now or never!
All you Greeks, let’s help each other out
by getting rid of all our warlike ranks
and the nasty deep red colour of blood.
The day that Lamachus
detests is here.*
350
[The
Chorus Leader turns to address Trygaeus]
So come on, tell us what we need to do.
Give us some direction. It seems to me
there’s no way I’ll be stopping work today
until we’ve used these levers and machines
to haul out here into the light of day
the greatest goddess of them all, the one
who more than any other loves the vine.
TRYGAEUS
You must keep quiet, just in case your joy
in what we’re doing and these shouts of yours
gets War, who’s in there, fired up again. 360 [310]
CHORUS
LEADER
But we’re so pleased to hear your proclamation—
it’s not like those which tell us to come out
with rations for three days.*
TRYGAEUS
Be careful now
in case Cerberus howls and yelps down there,
the way he did when he was here on earth,
and makes it hard for us to save the goddess.*
CHORUS
LEADER
No one will take her back from us again,
if we can once lay hands on her.
CHORUS
Hip hip hurrah!
TRYGAEUS
You men, if you don’t stop those cheers of yours
you’ll be the death of me. War will charge
out 370
and his two feet will stomp on everything.
CHORUS
LEADER
Well, let him make trouble and shake things up! [320]
Let him walk over everything! Today,
we’re not going to stop our celebrations.
TRYGAEUS
Why seek danger? Men, what’s got into you?
You’re dancing’s going to wreck a splendid plan!
CHORUS
LEADER
But I’m not the one who likes this dancing.
It’s my legs—they keep hopping on their
own
from sheer delight. I’m not moving them.
TRYGAEUS
But that’s enough now. Come on, stop
dancing. 380
Stop it!
CHORUS LEADER
All right. Look, I’ve stopped.
[The Chorus Leader keeps on capering around, his
legs out of control]
TRYGAEUS
You say so,
but you haven’t stopped at all.
CHORUS LEADER
Well, let me
dance one more turn and then I’m done.
TRYGAEUS
Just one,
and then you’ll have to stop—no more dancing.
CHORUS LEADER
If it helps you, we won’t dance any more. [330]
TRYGAEUS
But look, you still haven’t stopped!
CHORUS LEADER
Yes, by Zeus,
I kick out my right leg like this—that’s it!
TRYGAEUS
All right, I’ll let you get away with that,
if you don’t keep on trying to piss me off.
CHORUS LEADER
Well, I must have my left leg dance as well. 390
I’m rid of my shield—that makes me so glad,
I fart and laugh, more than if I’d shed old age.
TRYGAEUS
Don’t rejoice right now. You don’t know for
sure,
at least not yet. But when we’ve got the
goddess,
then you can shout and laugh and celebrate.
At that point you can sail or stay at home [340]
or fuck or sleep, watch holy festivals,
play cottabos, or live
like Sybarites,
and keep on yelling out “Hurray! Hurray!”*
CHORUS LEADER
How I wish to see that day at last! 400
I’ve endured a lot, even mattresses
allotted by the gods to Phormio.*
You’ll no longer find me as a juryman
bitter and bad tempered, nor, I think, [350]
harsh in my ways, as I was earlier.
Instead you’ll see a soft, much younger man,
once I’m free from troubles. For long
enough
we’ve killed each other, wearing ourselves out
on journeys to the Lycaeum
and back
with sword and shield.* But what can we do 410
to bring you most delight? Come on, speak
up.
It’s happy circumstance that’s chosen you [360]
as our supreme commander.
TRYGAEUS
Well, come on.
Let me see how we get these stones removed.
[Enter Hermes]
HERMES
You reckless rogue, what are you going to do?
TRYGAEUS
Nothing bad—we’re just like Cillicon.*
HERMES
You evil wretch, you’re done for.
TRYGAEUS
Yes, I am,
if that’s how my lot turns out—Hermes would know
how to do things with a lottery.*
HERMES
You’re doomed!
You’re dead!
TRYGAEUS
On what day?
HERMES
Immediately. 420
TRYGAEUS
But I’ve not purchased any flour or cheese
for my forced march to death.*
HERMES
No doubt about it,
you’re already mincemeat.
TRYGAEUS
Then why is it
receiving such a major benefit [370]
has escaped my notice?
HERMES
Are you not aware
Zeus has issued a decree that anyone
who’s caught digging that goddess up must die?
TRYGAEUS
You mean it’s absolutely necessary
I must perish on the spot?
HERMES
Yes. Now you know.
TRYGAEUS
Well then, lend me three drachmas right away, 430
so I can buy a sucking pig. Before I die,
I have to get myself initiated.*
HERMES
By Zeus, lord of thunder and lightning . .
.
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
Master, I’m imploring you—by the gods—
don’t report us!
HERMES
I cannot keep silent.
TRYGAEUS
In the name of those meats I brought for you
from the goodness of my heart.
HERMES
My dear chap, [380]
I’ll be destroyed by Zeus if I don’t shout
and make a real commotion over this.
TRYGAEUS
No, don’t shout. O my dear little
Hermes, 440
I’m begging you!
[Trygaeus turns to address the Chorus]
You men, tell me
what you’re doing? You’re standing there
like statues.
You fools, don’t hang
around saying nothing,
if you do that, he’ll start to yell.
CHORUS [chanting]
Lord Hermes, please don’t yell or squeal.
If you recall a tasty meal
of young pig as a gift from me,
don’t make my words a trivial plea.
TRYGAEUS [joining the chant]
O lord and master, can’t you hear
how they are trying to bend your ear? 450
CHORUS [chanting]
Do not reject the
prayers we say [390]
and let us dig up Peace today.
Of all the gods you love men best
and give them gifts, so bless our quest,
if you dislike Pisander’s
plume,
his spiteful pride, we will resume
our constant offerings to you,
my lord, with great processions, too.*
TRYGAEUS
Come, I beg you, have
pity for their cries. [400]
They’re honouring you
more than they used to do. 460
HERMES
They’re greater robbers than they used to be.*
TRYGAEUS
What’s more, I’ll tell you of a terrible act,
a major plot against the gods, all of them.
HERMES
All right, tell
me. You might win me over.
TRYGAEUS
For some time the Moon and that rascal Sun
have been hatching many plots against you,
to hand Greece over to barbarians.
HERMES
Why would they do that?
TRYGAEUS
Because, by Zeus,
we sacrifice to you—barbarians [410]
make their offerings to them. That’s why, 470
as one might expect, they want all of us
to be totally destroyed, so they alone
will have the rituals all to themselves.
HERMES
So that’s why those two for some time now
have been stealing daylight on the sly
and taking bites out of each other’s disk,
those scoundrels!*
TRYGAEUS
That’s right. So, dear Hermes,
put your heart into helping us find Peace,
and pull her out with us. We’ll celebrate
the great Panathenaea
in your honour, 480
and festivals to all the other gods—
the Mysteries, Dipolia
and Adonia [420]
will honour Hermes.* The other cities,
once free of misery, will sacrifice
to Hermes as their guardian everywhere.
You’ll get fine things, a huge variety.
To start things off, I’ll give you this gift,
a bowl for you to pour libations with.
[Trygaeus pulls a golden
bowl from his pocket and gives it to Hermes]
HERMES
My, my, how I’m always keen on presents
when they’re made of gold.
TRYGAEUS
Come on then men, 490
get to work in there. Take those picks of
yours,
move in, and get those stones
removed. Hurry!
CHORUS LEADER
We’ll do it. But you, wisest of the gods,
take charge of us. You understand this
task,
so tell us what we need to do. You’ll find
we won’t be slack in doing other work. [430]
TRYGAEUS
Come on, hurry up and hold the bowl out,
so we can offer prayers up to the gods
before beginning work.
HERMES
A libation!
A libation! Now speak the reverent words. 500
Speak well. As we pour out this libation,
let’s pray an age begins this very day
when many fine things come for all the Greeks,
and anyone who works with his whole heart
to pull the ropes won’t grip his shield again.*
TRYGAEUS
By Zeus, may we spend our lives in peace, [440]
embracing mistresses and poking fires.
HERMES
And any man who’d rather be at war . . .
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
O lord Dionysus, may he never stop
yanking arrows from his funny bone. 510
HERMES
If there’s a man eager for army rank
who does not wish to drag you to the light,
O lady, in his battles . . .
TRYGAEUS [interrupting again]
May he go through
the same experience as Cleomenes.*
HERMES
And anyone who manufactures spears
or deals in shields and thus is keen for war
because of better trade . . .
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
Let such a man
be seized by thieves and get no food to eat
but barley.
HERMES
If someone will not work with us [450]
because he wants to be a general, 520
or if a slave is ready to desert . . .
TRYGAEUS
May he be laid out on a wheel and whipped.
HERMES
May good things come to us! Now raise a
shout!
Strike up a cry of joy!
TRYGAEUS
Leave out the strike.
Just shout out for joy.*
HERMES
Oh, all right, then.
Hail! Hail! That’s all I’ll say! Hail
to Hermes,
the Graces and the Seasons, to Aphrodite
and Desire! What about Ares?
CHORUS
No, no!
TRYGAEUS
And no cheers for Enyalius,
right?*
CHORUS
No!
[The Chorus wrap the rope around something in the
cavern and start to pull,
but, as they make the effort, they get hopelessly confused, pulling in
different
directions and falling over each other]
TRYGAEUS
All right, everyone make a real effort 530
and pull these ropes to reel her in.
HERMES
Heave away!
CHORUS LEADER
Heave ho! [460]
HERMES
Come on, pull!
CHORUS LEADER
Pull even harder!
HERMES
Heave . . . Come on, heave!
TRYGAEUS
The men won’t pull together.
[Trygaeus turns to one
group of men]
Why not pull your
weight? You’re too proud to work.
O you Boeotians,
you’ll be crying soon.
HERMES
All right now, heave.
TRYGAEUS
Heave ho!
CHORUS LEADER [to Hermes and Trygaeus]
You two there,
come on and pull as well.
TRYGAEUS
Aren’t I pulling, too— [470]
holding the rope and hauling furiously,
working really hard?
CHORUS LEADER
Then how come this job
isn’t moving forward?
TRYGAEUS [to one of the workmen]
Hey, Lamachus, 540
you’re a problem sitting there, in the way.
My good man, we don’t need your monster.*
HERMES
Well, these Argives haven’t been hauling long.
They laugh at other people’s suffering,
collecting pay and rations from both sides.*
TRYGAEUS
But Spartans, my dear chap,
are pulling rope
like real men.
CHORUS LEADER
But look—among that crowd
the only ones who’re keen to help are those
who’ve been chained up in jail. The arms
makers [480]
keep getting in their way.*
TRYGAEUS
The Megarians 550
aren’t making any effort.
HERMES
Well, they’re pulling
and showing all their teeth, like puppy dogs.
TRYGAEUS
Yes, by Zeus, because
they’re dying of hunger.*
Hey, you men, we’re not getting anywhere.
We must all work at this together.
So one more time.
HERMES
Heave!
TRYGAEUS
Heave away!
HERMES
Heave!
TRYGAEUS
By Zeus, pull!
CHORUS LEADER
We’re shifting it a little. [490]
TRYGAEUS
This is dreadful—some are pulling one way,
others in another. You Argives there,
you’re going to get a beating!
HERMES
Come on, heave! 560
TRYGAEUS
Pull!
CHORUS LEADER
There’re people here with us who’re traitors.
TRYGAEUS
But those of you who long for Peace keep
pulling—
put your backs into it!
CHORUS LEADER
But some men here
are interfering, getting in the way.
HERMES
Oh, you Megarians, get
the hell away! [500]
The goddess hates you,
for she remembers
you were the first to rub your garlic on her.*
And you Athenians, I’m telling you
stop holding that position where you’re pulling
at the moment—you’re not doing anything 570
but fighting in the courts. If you really
wish
to set the goddess free, then move on down,
shift yourselves towards the sea a little.*
CHORUS LEADER
All right, men, let the farmers grab the rope
all by themselves, with no one else.
HERMES
Ah, you men, now things are going much better.
CHORUS LEADER
He says we’re getting somewhere. Come on,
then, [510]
every man must pull with all he’s got!
TRYGAEUS
Hey, the farmers are getting the job done,
all by themselves.
CHORUS LEADER
Come on, all of you. 580
Come on!
HERMES
Now they’re working all together!
CHORUS LEADER
Let’s not relax—keep pulling even harder!
HERMES
Here it comes now!
[Something starts to emerge being pulled from
inside the cavern]
CHORUS LEADER
Now heave! Everyone, heave!
Heave! Heave! Heave! Heave!
Heave! Heave!
Heave! Heave! Heave!
Heave! Heave! Everyone, heave!
[The trolley emerges from the cavern. On it stands
Peace with her two attendants
Opora and Theoria in a
tableau reminiscent of contestants in a beauty pageant]
TRYGAEUS
O holy lady who provides us grapes, [520]
where can I find words to speak to you,
the ten-thousand-gallon words to greet you?
I didn’t bring them when I came from home.
And I welcome you as well, Opora, 590
and Theoria,
too. What a gorgeous face
you’ve got there, Theoria,
and sweet breath!
So fragrant to my heart! It’s just lovely—
like perfume or freedom from conscription.
HERMES
You mean she smells just like a soldier’s pack?
TRYGAEUS
The hateful pack of such a hateful person
makes me puke—it stinks of onion belches.
She smells of harvest times and festivals, [530]
the Dionysia, flute
music, tragic plays,
songs of Sophocles, thrushes, poetic
scraps 600
penned by Euripides . . .*
HERMES [interrupting]
You’re in trouble now,
spreading lies like that about her. She
hates
that poet who uses trivial phrases
from the law courts.
TRYGAEUS [ignoring the interruption]
. . . ivy, cloths for straining wine,
bleating flocks, women’s bosoms when they run
out to the fields, a drunken serving girl,
a jug of wine when it’s been overturned,
and lots of other splendid things.
HERMES
Come now,
look how the city
states are reconciled.
They’re chatting with each other, laughing, 610 [540]
having a good time, though all of them
have wonderful black eyes with cups attached.*
TRYGAEUS
And let’s also take a look at faces
in the audience here, to see if we can guess
what each man’s trade is.
HERMES
That’s a stupid idea.
TRYGAEUS [pointing to someone in the
audience]
Can’t you see that man
who makes battle crests?
He’s tearing his hair.
HERMES
There’s someone who makes hoes—
he’s just farted at that sword smith.
TRYGAEUS
See that one,
the sickle maker who’s
feeling so good,
he’s flipped his finger at the spear maker? 620
HERMES
All right, tell these
labourers it’s time to go. [550]
TRYGAEUS
Listen up, folks. The peasants should be
off,
taking their farming tools back to the fields
as soon as possible. But leave behind
your swords and spears and javelins. This
place
has now been overrun with mellow Peace.
So all men should move out and back to work—
off to the fields, singing a song of joy!
CHORUS
LEADER [to Peace]
Ah, this day our workers have so yearned for
and just men, too! I see you and rejoice. 630
After such a long, long time, how I wish
to greet my vines. How my heart desires
to hold in my embrace those same fig trees
I planted in the days when I was young.
TRYGAEUS
Now men, first of all let’s offer prayers [560]
to the goddess who’s brought us our freedom
from battle crests and Gorgons. After that,
let’s head off home, back to our farms. But
first,
let’s buy a nice little piece of pickled fish
to eat while in the fields.
[The Chorus pick up their various tools and form a
line, in preparation for leaving]
HERMES
By Poseidon, 640
how fine their ranks look, compact and spirited,
just like a barley cake or a sumptuous feast.
TRYGAEUS
By Zeus, that’s a splendid mattock he’s got there,
all set to go, and those three-pronged garden
forks
are glistening in the sun. They could clear
out
the rows between our vines so beautifully!
Now I’m keen to get back home myself,
into the fields, working with my pitch fork,
turning clods of earth after all this time. [570]
You men, remember that old way of life 650
Peace used to give us in our earlier days,
those figs pressed into cakes or freshly picked,
the myrtles and sweet new wine, the violets
beside the spring, the olives we so longed for.
For the sake of these speak to the goddess now. [580]
CHORUS
Welcome, dearest goddess, welcome!
How I rejoice now that you’ve come.
Overwhelmed with longing for you,
I kept hoping for a miracle,
to go back to my fields again. 660
O lady we’ve been yearning for,
you were the greatest benefit
to all of us who spend our lives
working on the land, for you alone [590]
would help us out. In earlier days,
while you were in control, we had
so many sweet and lovely things
that cost us nothing. For farmers
you meant security and wheat.
Our vineyards and our young fig trees 670
and all the other plants we have
will smile with joy to welcome you. [600]
CHORUS
LEADER
But how can she have stayed away from us
for all this time? Hermes, of all the gods
you’re the friendliest to us, so tell me.
HERMES
O you wisest of all working farmers,
listen to my words, if you’d like to hear
how Peace first went astray. It all began
when that Phidias ran into trouble,
and Pericles, afraid he’d share his fate, 680
for he was frightened of your character
and your ferocious ways, fired up the
town,
before he had to suffer anything
too drastic, throwing out a little spark,
the Megarian decree,
and fanned it
into a conflict so intense, the smoke [610]
drew tears from all the Greeks, not only here,
but in Sparta, too.* Well, once that started,
the first vineyards were compelled to crackle
and a pot, once hit, kicked out in anger 690
at another pot, and there was no one there
who could prevent it any more. And so,
Peace just disappeared.
TRYGAEUS
Well, by Apollo,
no one ever told me that’s what happened.
I’d never heard how Peace could be hooked up
with Phidias.
CHORUS
LEADER
I hadn’t either,
not until just now. But if she’s his kin,
that’s why she’s beautiful. So many things
are kept concealed from us!
HERMES
Well, after that,
the towns who were your subjects, once they saw 700
you were so enraged at one another [620]
and your fangs were out, hatched all sorts of
plans
against you, because they feared the tribute,
and then used their gold to bribe the Spartans,
the most important of them, and those men,
being greedy and treacherous with strangers,
tossed Peace out in a disgraceful manner
and held out for war.* This gained them profit,
but brought the workers to catastrophe.
Warships repeatedly went out from here 710
to get revenge—they devoured the fig trees,
which belonged to men who bore no blame.
TRYGAEUS
No, that was justified—those men chopped down
one of my trees of dark grey figs, a bush
I’d planted and then nursed with my own hands.
CHORUS
LEADER
Yes, by Zeus, that was truly well deserved! [630]
Those men destroyed a
storage chest of mine.
They smashed it with a stone. And that box
held
six bushels full of corn!
HERMES
Then working men
came from their fields in droves and let
themselves, 720
without their knowing it, be bought and
sold,
just as the others were. Longing for figs,
they didn’t even have grape pits to eat,
and so they looked toward the demagogues.
These men, who clearly knew how displaced folk
were weak and short of food, with their forked
cries
drove Peace out, though she came back in person
many times, moved by affection for the land.
Then they began to squeeze the rich fat types
among their allies, on the trumped-up charge 730 [640]
that they were followers of Brasidas.
And then you lot would tear the man apart,
like puppy-dogs. The city was all pale
and cowering in fear. It would snap up
every scrap of slander with great pleasure,
whatever anyone tossed
out. Strangers,
who saw the blows come raining down on them,
stuffed mouths of the informers shut with gold.
So they grew rich, while, without your
knowledge,
Greece might have been destroyed. This work
was done 740
by that man who dealt in leather.*
TRYGAEUS
Stop, lord Hermes!
That’s enough! Don’t tell us any more.
Leave that man where he is, down in Hades.
He’s no longer one of us. No, he’s yours. [650]
He was a villain when he was alive,
a windbag who liked to slander people,
an agitator who stirred up trouble,
but when you mention all these things right now,
your slandering one of your own people.*
[Trygaeus moves to talk to Peace]
But, reverend goddess, why are you so quiet?
750
Talk to me.
HERMES
She won’t speak to this audience.
All the suffering she’s had to undergo
has made her very angry at them.
TRYGAEUS
Then let her say a few words just to you. [660]
HERMES
My dearest lady, tell me what you think
about these people here. Come on now,
of all women you hate war the most.
[Hermes
put his ear close to Peace’s mouth to listen to her whisper to him]*
Speak up. I’m listening. That’s what annoys you?
I understand.
[Hermes
turns to address the audience]
Listen, you people here.
This is what she blames you for. She says 760
after that fight in Pylos
she came here,
of her own free will, bringing a basket
full of treaties to the city, but you lot
turned her down three times in your assembly.*
TRYGAEUS
We were wrong to do that. But forgive us—
back then our brains were crammed with leather.
HERMES
Listen now to something she’s just asked me. [670]
Who was the man most
hostile to her here,
and who was friendly, someone really keen
not to fight on?
TRYGAEUS
Well, Cleonymus 770
was her greatest friend by far.
HERMES
Cleonymus?
What sort of fellow was he in a fight?
TRYGAEUS
The very bravest spirit, except for this—
he wasn’t the son of the man he claims
as his own father. When he’d march out
with the army, he wouldn’t hesitate
to throw away his weapons.
[Hermes places his ear close to Peace’s mouth
again]
HERMES
One more thing
she’s just asked me: Who now governs you [680]
and rules the rocky Pynx?*
TRYGAEUS
That position
is now occupied by Hyperbolus.* 780
[Peace turns her head away in disgust]
What are you
doing? Why turn your head aside?
HERMES
She’s turning away from these people here
in anger that they’d choose to vote themselves
such a scoundrel as their leader.
TRYGAEUS
Ah well,
we won’t be using him for very long.
At the moment people need a leader.
They feel naked, so, for the time being,
they’ve wrapped that man around them.
[Hermes again places his ear close to Peace’s
mouth]
HERMES
She asks
how this choice will benefit the city.
TRYGAEUS
We’ll become more politically shrewd. 790
HERMES
How will you do that?
TRYGAEUS
Because Hyperbolus
makes lamps. Before this, we decided
things [690]
by groping in the dark. But now our plans
are made by lamplight.
[Hermes again places his ear close to Peace’s
mouth]
HERMES
My, my, the things
she’s told me to find out from you!
TRYGAEUS
What things?
HERMES
All sorts of stuff, especially ancient things
she left behind so long ago. And first,
she wants to know how Sophocles is doing.
TRYGAEUS
He’s well, but something quite astonishing
has happened to him.
HERMES
And what is that? 800
TRYGAEUS
He’s changed from Sophocles into Simonides.*
HERMES
Into Simonides? How so?
TRYGAEUS
He’s old,
and he’s decrepit, but for a profit
he’d go out sailing on a wicker mat.*
HERMES
Really? Is wise Cratinus still living?* [700]
TRYGAEUS
He died when the Spartans came marching in.
HERMES
What went wrong with him?
TRYGAEUS
What happened? He collapsed.
He couldn’t bear to see jars full of wine
being broken. How many other troubles
have gone on in the city! So, lady, 810
we’ll never ship you out again.
HERMES
Come on then,
if that’s so, you should take Opora here
as wife. Live with her in the countryside,
and make yourselves some grapes.
TRYGAEUS [to Opora]
My dearest love,
come over here and kiss me.
[Trygaeus and Opora embrace. Trygaeus
turns to Hermes]
Lord Hermes, [710]
do you think it would do me any harm
if, after such a long time with no sex,
I had some with Opora?
HERMES
Not
at all,
not if you take pennyroyal later.*
But take Theoria and lead her off 820
to the council place, where she lived before.
Get a move on!
TRYGAEUS
O that blessed council,
it gets Theoria. You’ll
be slurping soup
in huge amounts over the next three days,
eating so much meat and boiled sausage!
And so, dear friend Hermes, a fond farewell!
HERMES
And farewell to you, too, human mortal.
May you live happy, and remember me.
[Trygaeus prepares to leave,
but when he looks for his flying dung beetle, it’s nowhere
to be seen. He starts calling it]
TRYGAEUS
Time to go home, beetle, let’s
fly off home. [720]
HERMES
He’s not in there.
TRYGAEUS
Then where’s he gone? 830
HERMES
He’s harnessed to the chariot of Zeus
and bears the lightning bolt.*
TRYGAEUS
The poor thing!
Where will he find shit to eat in heaven?
HERMES
He’ll feed on Ganymede’s ambrosia.*
TRYGAEUS
All right, but how do I get down?
HERMES
It’s easy.
Don’t worry. Go this way past the goddess.
TRYGAEUS
This way, girls, just follow me, and quickly.
There’s lots of people waiting
there for you
with their erections ready.
CHORUS LEADER
Go on! Farewell!
[Trygaeus, Opora, Theoria and Hermes leave
the stage]
Meanwhile we should
hand all this equipment 840
over to attendants—give it to them [730]
to keep safely. There are many thieving
types
who really like to hang around the stage
and look for things to steal.
[The Chorus hands over its various farm implements
to stage hands who come in to collect it]
Guard these bravely,
and let’s explain to these spectators here
the road our words will take, what’s on our
minds.
[The Chorus moves to address the audience directly]
CHORUS
The judges here ought to thrash the comic poet
who steps onto the stage in front of these
spectators
to praise himself in verse. But, daughter
of Zeus,
if it’s all right to pay due honour to the man 850
who is the finest and best known comic writer,
then our producer claims he merits your great
praise.
First, he’s was the only man who stopped his
rivals
making constant fun of rags and fighting wars
with lice, [740]
and the first to ridicule and banish from the
stage
the Herculeses who
were always making cakes
and going hungry. He also dismissed those
slaves
who kept on running off, or deceiving someone,
or getting whipped. They were always led out
crying,
so one of their fellow slaves could mock the
bruises 860
and ask then: “O you poor miserable fellow,
what’s happened to your skin? Surely a huge
army
of lashes from a whip has fallen down on you
and laid waste your
back?” Yes, our poet has removed
such feeble trash, such commonplace tomfoolery,
and created a great art for us, by building up
high-towered homes from lovely words and
thoughts and jokes [750]
which are not trivial stuff. And he does
not present
obscure private types or women in his dramas.
No, with the spirit of Hercules he attacks 870
the greatest targets, striding through the
dreadful stink
of stripped-off leather hide and the
grandiloquence
of those with hearts of mud.
CHORUS
LEADER
Of all the bouts I fought
the very first was with the fanged-tooth one himself,
whose eyes shot out most dreadful rays,
like a Bitch Star.
Round him circled a hundred moaning flatterers,
who’d spit-lick his head. He had a
thundering torrent
of a voice, and he smelled as nasty as a seal,
the unwashed balls of Lamia,
and camels’ arse holes.*
When I
saw this monstrosity, I did not fear, 880
but kept fighting constant wars with him,
holding out
on your behalf and for the islanders. And
so, [760]
it’s only right that you remember me and show
your gratitude by paying me back. Before
this point,
when I’ve had success, I didn’t lose my mind and
roam
around the wrestling schools trying to seduce
young lads.
No, I took my theatre gear and went off on my
way.
I didn’t cause much pain and brought you great
delight,
producing everything just how it ought to be.
CHORUS
And for this reason men and boys 890
should side with me. And we advise
bald men to join with us and strive
for victory, since if I win,
at tables and at festivals [770]
every man will say, “Here, take this
to that bald man, give this bald man
a sweet dessert, and don’t hold back
from a man whose forehead matches
our noble poet’s balding skull.”*
O Muse, drive wars away and dance,
900
my friend, dance with us—celebrate
the weddings of the gods, the feasts
of mortal men, and festivals
of those who have been blessed, for these [780]
have from the start been your concern.
And if that Carcinus
should come
begging you to join his children
in a dance, don’t listen to him
or move to help them with their play.*
Think of them all as homebred quails, 910
dancing dwarves with long scraggy necks,
sliced-up lumps of dung, who put on [790]
mere artifice. Their father claimed
that once a play he was to stage,
a work no one had thought he’d write,
was choked one evening by a weasel.*
Such are the long-haired Muses’ songs
the clever poet ought to sing
before the public, when swallows [800]
sitting in the leaves in springtime 920
let forth their song, and choruses
of Morsimus are not
allowed,
nor any from Melanthius,
whose most ear-piercing voice I heard
once screaming out—it was that day
he and his brother put on stage
the tragic chorus. What a pair!
Gorgon epicures and Harpies, [810]
ravenously devouring roaches,
foul rogues chasing down old women 930
and wiping out whole schools of fish.
What more, their armpits stink like goats!*
O goddess Muse, please spit on them—
a huge, wide gob of phlegm—and then,
throughout the party, play with me.
[Trygaeus, now back home,
enters with Opora and Theoria]
TRYGAEUS
That was tough, going
straight up to the gods.
My legs are really aching. You people [820]
were tiny from up there. When I peered
down,
from heaven you looked like total scoundrels,
but from here you seem a great deal worse. 940
[The First Servant comes from Trygaeus’
house]
FIRST SERVANT
Master, you’ve come back?
TRYGAEUS
That’s what I’ve been told.
FIRST SERVANT
What’s happened to you?
TRYGAEUS
My legs are hurting—
it was a long road to travel.
FIRST
SERVANT
So tell me now . . .
TRYGAEUS
What?
FIRST
SERVANT
Did you see any other human,
besides yourself, wandering through the air.
TRYGAEUS
No, except perhaps two or three spirits
of dithyrambic poets.
FIRST SERVANT
What were they doing? [830]
TRYGAEUS
Oh, fluttering about collecting preludes
as they drifted in the airy breezes.
FIRST SERVANT
So it isn’t true when people tell us 950
once we’re dead, we’ll be stars up in the sky?
TRYGAEUS
No, that’s really true.
FIRST SERVANT
Then who’s that star there?
TRYGAEUS
That’s Ion of Chios, who once composed,
when he was here, a poem about the dawn.
As soon as he got there, they all called him
the Star of Dawn.
FIRST
SERVANT
Who are those stars up there
that rush across and blaze out as they move?
TRYGAEUS
They are wealthy stars who, after dinner, [840]
are making their way home, holding lanterns
with lights inside. But come on, hurry
up 960
and take this girl. Conduct her to the
house.
Clean the bath tub, and heat some water up.
Prepare the wedding bed for me and her.
When you’ve finished that, come back here again.
Meanwhile, I’ll give this one to the council.
FIRST
SERVANT
Where’d you get these girls?
TRYGAEUS
Where else? In heaven.
FIRST
SERVANT
I wouldn’t give three obols
for the gods
if they keep bawdy houses, just like us.
TRYGAEUS
No they don’t, but there are some up there [850]
who do live off the trade.
FIRST
SERVANT [to Opora]
Come on then, let’s go. 970
Tell me, should I give her something to eat?
TRYGAEUS
No. She
won’t want to eat any bread or cake.
She always had the habit of licking up
ambrosia with the gods in heaven.
FIRST
SERVANT
Well, we’ll just have to see if we can
find
something for her to lick down here.
[First
Servant exits with Opora into Trygaeus’
house]
CHORUS
This old man, as far as we can see,
is now working things out happily.
TRYGAEUS
What will you think when very soon
you see me as a bright bridegroom? 980
CHORUS
An old man to envy I presume. [860]
Once more you’ll have your youthful bloom
and lie there drenched in sweet perfume.
TRYGAEUS
I think you’re right. And in a bit
when I’m in bed and hold her tit?
CHORUS
Happier than a top-spinning lad
who calls that Carcinus
his dad.
TRYGAEUS
I deserve it. Is that not true?
I, one man, on a beetle flew
and saved the Greeks, who
free from harm 990
now sleep and fuck on every farm.
[First Servant returns from the house]
FIRST SERVANT
The girl has finished bathing, and her
bum
looks splendid. There’s a flat cake ready.
And the sesame balls are being rolled up.*
Everything’s prepared. All we need
now [870]
is an erect cock.
TRYGAEUS
Then let’s get going
and present Theoria to
the Council.
FIRST SERVANT
This girl here? Who is she?
TRYGAEUS
What do you mean?
This is Theoria.
FIRST SERVANT
What? The girl
we used to travel with to Brauron 1000
and then get drunk and screw?*
TRYGAEUS
The very same.
I had a hard time getting her away.
FIRST SERVANT
Oh, master, look at the ass on her—
I’d wait four years for that!
TRYGAEUS [to the audience]
Now, let’s see.
Is there an honest man among you lot?
Where is he? Who’ll take charge of this
girl here
and guard her for the Council?
[To the First Servant who has been fondling Theoria’s backside]
Hey you,
what are you doing? Drawing a chart?
FIRST SERVANT
Me? Oh, I’m reserving a
camping spot
to house my prick in the Isthmian Games.* 1010 [880]
TRYGAEUS [to the audience]
Tell me the man who’ll
look after her.
[To Theoria]
Come here. I’m
going to take you down there
and put you in the middle of them.
FIRST SERVANT
Look there—
someone’s nodding his head!
TRYGAEUS
Who is it?
FIRST SERVANT
Who is it? It’s Ariphrades
urging you
to take her over to him.
TRYGAEUS
No, he’ll jump her
and start slurping in her lap.
[To Theoria]
Come now,
to start with you can take that clothing off.
[Theoria undresses and
stands nude in front of the audience. Trygaeus
takes her to up close to the spectators]*
TRYGAEUS
You council members and public officers,
look on this Theoria
and witness 1020
the splendid things I bring and give to
you.
You can quickly raise these two legs of
hers
high in the air and roast your sacrifice. [890]
Look at the oven
she’s got.
FIRST SERVANT [peering at Theoria’s public hair]
Magnificent!
Smoky black down here because
the Council
used to cook their meat in her before the war.
TRYGAEUS
And now she’s yours. At first light
tomorrow
you can arrange some really splendid games—
wrestling on the ground, mounting doggy style,
lying her on her side, or on her
knees, 1040
bending over, or rubbing on the oil
and grappling in a youthful free-for-all,
gouging and striking with your fists and
prick.
Next day you’ll organize equestrian games, [900]
where riders straddle riders, chariots crash
on top of one another, and blow and pant
as they go at it. Then other riders
will be lying there with cocks all scraped
from falling out while moving round the turns.
So come on, you officials of the state, 1050
accept Theoria.
[Theoria moves down to the first row of spectators]
Look how eagerly
that public officer’s receiving her!
[Addressing the public official Theoria
is now giving him a lap dance]
That’s a motion
you’d never introduce
if you weren’t going to get a big pay off.
No. I’d have found you reaching for a
peace.*
CHORUS
A useful man brings the state bliss [910]
And that’s the kind of
man this is.
TRYGAEUS
When you go gather in your grape
you’ll see I’m in much better shape.
CHORUS
But now it’s clear what you’ve become. 1060
You’ve saved mankind—that’s everyone.
TRYGAEUS
Once you’ve chugged down some new-made wine,
a goblet full, you’ll say I’m fine.
CHORUS
And we will constantly attest
but for the gods you are the best.
TRYGAEUS
I’m Trygaeus from Athmonum.
and you owe me a tidy
sum.
I’ve pushed away harsh misery. [920]
Now farm and working
folk are free.
I’ve made Hyperbolus
succumb. 1070
FIRST SERVANT
All right, what do we have to do next?
TRYGAEUS
What else but to install the goddess Peace
by offering up some earthen pots?
FIRST SERVANT
With pots?
Just like a grumpy little Hermes?*
TRYGAEUS
What do you think we should offer her?
A fattened bull?
FIRST SERVANT
An ox? No not
that.
We don’t need to serve as ox-iliaries.
TRYGAEUS
Then what about a big fat porker?
FIRST SERVANT
No, no.
TRYGAEUS
Why not?
FIRST SERVANT
Because we might turn into swine,
just like Theagenes.*
TRYGAEUS
Well what do you think? 1080
What other animal?
FIRST SERVANT
What about this,
a bummer lamb?
TRYGAEUS
A bummer?
FIRST SERVANT
Yes, by god.
TRYGAEUS
But that’s a slang expression.* [930]
FIRST SERVANT
That’s deliberate—
so when anyone in the assembly
says we must have war, those sitting there
can all cry out in fear, “War’s a bummer!”
TRYGAEUS
That’s a fine idea!
FIRST SERVANT
And in other things
we’ll be like gentle lambs, being very kind
to one another and a whole lot milder
to our allies.
TRYGAEUS
All right, now get cracking. 1090
Find that sheep and bring it here. I’ll
prepare
an altar so we’ll have a sacrifice.
[First Servant leaves]
CHORUS
How everything the gods desire
and fortune turns into a favour
moves on to what we all intend. [940]
One by one, the good
things come,
with luck all things work in the end.
TRYGAEUS [pointing to a structure on
the raised stage]
That makes good
sense. Here’s our outside altar.
[Trygaeus goes into his
house and reappears with a basket during the Chorus’ next speech]
CHORUS
Hurry while the stiff winds pause.
The gods have shifted them from war. 1100
The spirits clearly want a change
to something better than before.
TRYGAEUS [returning from the house]
Here’s the basket with
barley seed, ribbons,
and a knife. We’ve got fire as
well. So now,
the only thing we’re missing is the sheep.
CHORUS
You’d better get a move on then— [950]
If Chaeris sees you,
he’ll show up
although you’ve not invited him.
He’ll have his flute with him, as well,
and tootle it for all he’s worth. 1110
You’ll have to offer him a gift.*
[First Servant returns with a sheep. Trygaeus brings out some water in a basin]
TRYGAEUS [to the First Servant]
Come on then, you can take
the basket
and this water for our hands. Circle round
the altar quickly, moving to the right.
FIRST SERVANT [following the
instructions]
Watch, then. Now I’ve made my way around
it.
You can tell me something else.
TRYGAEUS
Hang on.
I’ll pick up this piece of burning wood
and plunge it in the water.
[Trygaeus takes the stick
out of the water and shakes drops of water on the altar and on
the sheep. He then speaks directly to the sheep]
Nod your head. [960]
[The sheep does nothing]
Hurry up!
[The sheep eventually nods its head. Trygaeus addresses the First Servant]
Give me barley
grains.
[The First Servant hands the basket to Trygaeus, who takes some barley grains
out of it and sprinkles them on the altar and on the sheep]
Now that basin—
wash your hands and then give it to me. 1120
[The First Servant and Trygaeus
wash their hands in the water in the basin]
Now throw some
barley in the audience.
[The First Servant tosses some barley grains out
over the spectators]
FIRST SERVANT
There, that’s done!
TRYGAEUS
You’ve thrown them out already?
SERVANT
Yes, by Hermes. There’re no
spectators here
who didn’t get some seed.
TRYGAEUS
But none of it
was taken by the women.*
FIRST SERVANT
No. Their men
will fill them full of seed once evening comes.
TRYGAEUS
All right. Then let us pray.
[Trygaeus holds up the
bowl of water and calls out to start the ritual]
Who is present here?
Where might their be many
righteous men?
FIRST
SERVANT
Come on, give me the bowl. There’s lots of them,
and they’re all stout fellows.
[The First Servant takes the bowl and throws the
water over the Chorus.
The members of the Chorus back away trying to avoid getting wet]
TRYGAEUS
You really think so? 1130 [970]
These are righteous
men?
FIRST SERVANT
Yes, they are. We soaked them
with that ritual water, and they’ve come back.
They stood their
ground.
TRYGAEUS
All right, let’s pray right away.
CHORUS LEADER
Yes, let us pray.
TRYGAEUS
O most holy goddess, sacred Peace,
queen who rules our choral dancing,
queen of wedding celebrations,
receive our offerings to you.
CHORUS LEADER
Yes, most honoured lady, receive it,
Yes, by Zeus, and don’t act like wives 1140
who like to sleep around, those women [980]
who open up the door a crack, peep out,
and then, if anyone starts eyeing them,
pull back again—but if he goes away,
they start looking out once more.
Don’t be like that with us again.
TRYGAEUS
No, by god, but like a noble woman
reveal yourself
completely to us,
who love you and for thirteen years now [990]
have been longing for you. Dissolve our fights, 1150
our noisy quarrels, so we can call you
our Lysimache.*
And bring to an
end
our subtle suspiciousness, which leads us on
to babble nonsense to each other.
Bring us Greeks together once again,
a new start with the juice of friendship,
soothe our minds with a kinder tolerance,
and let fine goods fill up our market place—
huge garlics, early
cucumbers, apples, [1000]
pomegranates, and for our servants cloaks, 1160
but tiny ones. May we see men bringing
geese, ducks, and pigeons from Boeotia,
larks, as well, and may baskets full of eels
arrive from lake Copais. Let all of us
go out to buy them in a common crowd
and jostle with Morychus
and Teleas
and Glaucetes and many
other gluttons.
Let Malanthius come to
market
last, [1010]
so they’re sold out and he begins to wail
and then to sing a song from his Medea, 1170
“I am dying, done for, now I am bereft
the ladies lying hiding in the beets.”*
And may men find all that delightful.
Grant these our prayers, most honoured goddess.
FIRST SERVANT
Take the knife and like a true master cook
butcher the sheep.
TRYGAEUS
No. That’s
not right.
FIRST SERVANT
Why not?
TRYGAEUS
Peace surely gets no joy from slaughter.
Nor should one spill blood across her altar. [1020]
Go, take the beast inside and sacrifice it.
Then cut the thigh bones out and bring them
here. 1180
That way we’ll save the sheep for our producer.
[The First Servant takes the knife and leads the
sheep back into the house]
CHORUS
But here outside you’d better stop,
and quickly set the wood you chop,
and then all else you need on top.
TRYGAEUS [arranging kindling for a
small fire on the altar]
Well, don’t you think
I’m setting up the wood
like a real diviner.
CHORUS
You are indeed.
Does anything a clever man should know
escape you? What is there that you don’t
know
which a man esteemed for his wise mind [1030]
and for his daring ought to
know?
TRYGAEUS
There we are! 1190
The wood’s alight. Stilbides
will be upset.*
I’ll go fetch a table. I don’t need the lad
[Trygaeus goes inside the house]
CHORUS
Who would not praise a man like that
who’s put up with so much danger
and has saved our sacred city?
Surely you’ll remain the envy
of people for all time to come.
[Trygaeus and the First Servant return with a table and the
things needed
for the sacrifice, including various parts of the sacrificial sheep]
FIRST
SERVANT
All right, it’s ready. You take the thigh
bones
and
set them out. I’ll go for the entrails
[1040]
and the offering of food.
[First
Servant goes into the house]
TRYGAEUS
I’ll take care of it.
1200
[Trygaeus sets out the thigh bones on the altar, then calls
after the First Servant]
You need to be here!
[First
Servant returns from the house carrying the entrails and some cakes
as offerings]
FIRST SERVANT
All right, here I am.
You don’t think I’m wasting time, do you?
TRYGAEUS
Now make sure these things are properly cooked.
[Trygaeus looks to the
side and sees someone coming]
Someone’s
coming here wearing a garland.
It’s made of laurel. Who the hell is he?
FIRST SERVANT [looking in the same
direction]
The man looks like a
total charlatan.
He must be a diviner.
TRYGAEUS
No, by god.
It must be Hierocles
from Oreus,
the one who peddles oracles.
FIRST SERVANT
All right.
What’s he going to say?
TRYGAEUS
Well, it’s clear enough 1210
he’s going to oppose the peace agreement.
FIRST SERVANT
No, it’s the smell of sacrificial meat [1050]
that’s brought him here.
TRYGAEUS
Then let’s pretend
we don’t see him.
FIRST SERVANT
That’s all right with me.
[Hierocles enters]
HIEROCLES
What’s this sacrifice? To
which one of the gods?
TRYGAEUS [to the First Servant]
Keep quiet while your cooking and don’t touch
those parts of the rump.
HIEROCLES
Aren’t you going to say
who this sacrifice is for?
TRYGAEUS
Ah, that’s good—
the tail is roasting well.
FIRST SERVANT
Yes, a good omen.
O dear friend, lady Peace!
HIEROCLES
Come on now, 1220
start the offerings and give me the first piece.
TRYGAEUS
It’s better to do the roasting first.
HIEROCLES [peering at the cooking
meat]
But these are cooked already.
TRYGAEUS
Whoever you are,
you’re too much in the way.
[to the First Servant]
Slice them up.
FIRST SERVANT
Where’s the table?
TRYGAEUS
Bring out the libations.
[The First Servant goes into the house]
HIEROCLES
The tongue is cut all by itself. [1060]
TRYGAEUS
We know.
You know what you should do?
HIEROCLES
Yes, if you tell me.
TRYGAEUS
Don’t say a word to us. We’re offering
a holy sacrifice to Peace.
HIEROCLES [in the grand style]
O you miserable foolish mortal men! 1230
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
It’s your head you’re talking about!
HIEROCLES [continuing as before]
You who are so
ignorant, you don’t know
what gods think, you’ve come to an agreement,
you who are men, with fierce-eyed monkeys.
TRYGAEUS [laughing]
Ha, ha, ha!
HIEROCLES
Why are you laughing?
TRYGAEUS
I liked that—
fierce-eyed monkeys!
HIEROCLES [continuing in the grand
style]
Like timid idiots you place your trust in foxes,
who’ve got deceitful minds, treacherous hearts.
TRYGAEUS
You rascal, I wish your lungs were as hot
as what’s cooking here.
HIEROCLES
If those holy nymphs [1070]
had not swindled Bacis
and Bacis then 1240
had not misled mankind, and if those nymphs
had not tricked Bacis
one more time . . .*
TRYGAEUS
Damn you!
May you be utterly wiped out if you
don’t stop prattling on about that Bacis.
HIEROCLES [continuing as before]
For it has not yet been decreed by Fate
that bonds of Peace should e’er
be loosed
until such time as first of all . . .
TRYGAEUS
This food here
be dusted with this
salt.
HIEROCLES
The blessed gods
will not be pleased that warfare terminate,
until the wolf is wedded to the sheep. 1250
TRYGAEUS
Damn you, how could a wolf ever get married
to a sheep?
HIEROCLES
As long as the wood bug,
when it flies, emits the foulest smelling farts,
as long as the noisy polecat bitch still strives
to deliver her blind litter, that’s how long
it is not right for peace to have been made.
TRYGAEUS
Then what should we have done? Not stop the war? [1080]
Or decide by lot which
of the two groups
should howl the loudest, when there’s a chance
for peace and we can then rule Greece together? 1260
HIEROCLES
You will never make the crab walk straight.
TRYGAEUS
In future you will never eat again
at the Prytaneum or
offer up
poetic fictions after the event.*
HIEROCLES
You will never smooth the prickly hedgehog.
TRYGAEUS
You’ve been deceiving the Athenians—
will there ever come a day when you will
stop?
HIEROCLES
What sort of oracle commanded you
to burn these thigh parts to the deities?
TRYGAEUS
Well, of course, it was the work of Homer, 1270 [1090]
that splendid oracle: “They pushed aside
the hateful cloud of war and then chose Peace,
installing her with beasts for sacrifice.
Once they’d cooked the thighs and tasted
entrails,
they poured libations from a cup”—I led the way,
but no one gave a gleaming cup of wine
to the man who peddled oracles.
HIEROCLES
I’ll have no part of that. It’s not a utterance
delivered by the Sibyl.*
TRYGAEUS
But, by god,
wise Homer does say something pertinent: 1280
“The man in love with dreadful civil war
has no community, no rights, no home.”
HIEROCLES
Be on your guard lest somehow a raptor bird [1100]
seizes your wits, deceives you by a trick.
TRYGAEUS [to
the First Servant as he comes out of the house]
You, watch out for that
bird—this oracle
is threatening our meat. Make a libation
and pass the entrails over here to me.
[The First Servant makes a libation and serves Trygaeus some of the meat]
HIEROCLES
If it’s all right with you, I’ll help myself.
[Hierocles approaches the
table with the offering on it]
TRYGAEUS
Libation! Libation!
HIEROCLES
Pour out some for me.
Present me with a portion of the meat. 1290
TRYGAEUS
But that’s not pleasing to the blessed gods.
Not before this happens—we pour a drink
and you get out of here. O lady Peace,
remain with us for all our lives.
HIEROCLES
Serve me the tongue.
TRYGAEUS
Why don’t you get your tongue away from here.
HIEROCLES [grabbing some of the wine]
Libation!
TRYGAEUS [hitting Hierocles]
Take this with your libation— [1110]
and hurry up.
HIEROCLES
Will no one offer me
the entrails?
TRYGAEUS
That’s not possible for us.
We can’t give you any, not until the wolf
gets married to the sheep.
HIEROCLES
I’m begging you,
by your own knees . .
.
TRYGAEUS [imitating
Hierocles’ earlier style]
A futile supplication. 1300
You’ll never make the prickly hedgehog smooth.
[to the audience]
Come on, you spectators, come here and share
these entrails with us.
HIEROCLES
What’s for me?
TRYGAEUS
You? You
can eat your Sibyl.
HIEROCLES
No, by Earth
you two aren’t going to eat that up alone.
I’ll grab it from you. It’s public
property.
[Hierocles tries to steal some meat, but Trygaeus
stops him and starts hitting him]
TRYGAEUS
Hit him! Hit this Bacis!
[The
First Servant starts hitting Hierocles with a stick]
HIEROCLES
I call as witnesses . . .
TRYGAEUS
And so do I—that you’re a greedy
fraud! [1120]
Keep on hitting him with that stick of yours—
the imposter!
FIRST SERVANT [giving Trygaeus
the stick]
You do it. I’ll strip him 1310
of those skins he stole from us by lying.
Come on, soothsayer, let go of those skins!
Do you
hear me!
[Hierocles runs off in terror of a beating]
What a fine crow he is
that’s flown in from Oreus!
Why not fly
quickly on your journey to Elymnium!*
[Trygaeus and the First Servant go into the house]
CHORUS
I’m full of joy, yes, full of joy,
free from helmets, free from cheese,
and free from onions, too.
I don’t find battles any fun— [1130]
not like the good parties with my friends 1320
and steady drinking round the fire,
blazing wood from well-dried logs
cut up in summer time,
cooking chick peas, roasting acorns,
giving our Thracian girl a kiss,
while the wife is in her bath.
CHORUS
LEADER
Nothing’s more pleasant, once the sowing done, [1140]
than for god to send soft rain drizzling down
and for a friend to say, “Since it’s like this,
Comarchides, tell me
what we should do.” 1330
“Well, since the god is treating us so well,
I’d like to be drinking. So come on, wife,
warm up three measures of those chick peas,
mix in some wheat with them, and give us figs.
Get Sura to call Manes
from the fields.
Today it’s totally impossible
to prune the vines or shovel up the mud.
The ground is soaked right through. Get someone
to fetch the thrush for me and those two
finches.
And there was fresh birth milk in the house 1340 [1150]
and four bits of hare, unless the weasel
got off with some of them last evening.
I don’t know what was making all that noise
and rattling round in there. And so, my
boy,
serve us up three of them and then take one
and give it to my father. And then ask
Aeschinades for some
myrtle branches,
ones with berries, and since it’s on the way
someone should invite Charinades.
So he can come and drink with us 1350
to god who’s giving so much help
assisting with our crops.
As soon as the cicada sings
his own sweet song, I love to see [1160]
if those Lemnian vines
of mine
are ripe already, their nature
makes them the very first to bloom
and to look at the swelling figs,
which, when they’re ripe, I love to eat
and keep on eating while I say 1360
“I do love these seasons.” And then
I crush some thyme and stir a drink.
Yes, I get fat in summer time. [1170]
CHORUS
LEADER
Much fatter than if I were looking at
some god damned military officer
with three helmet plumes and a crimson cloak,
dazzling red, which he claims is real dye
from Sardis. But if he ever has to fight
in his red cloak, then he himself gets
dyed
the real Cyzicene
yellow. He’s the first 1370
to run away, shaking those plumes of his
just like a brown and yellow horse-cock,*
while I stand just like someone watching
a hunting net. And then when they get home,
they act in an intolerable way.
On the conscription list they scribble down [1180]
some of our names and scratch out others,
back and forth two or three times at
random.
Tomorrow is set as the departure date,
and this man’s purchased no provisions. 1380
He had no idea he was moving out.
Then he stops in front of Pandion’s
statue,
sees his name, and rushes off in distress,
with a bitter glare at his misfortune.*
They do these things to us country people,
less so to city folk, these very ones
who before god and men threw away
their shields. And if the gods are willing,
I’ll still call them to account for it.
CHORUS
They’ve injured me with many slights. 1390
Those men act at home are lions,
but foxes when it comes to fights. [1190]
[Trygaeus and the First Servant emerge from the house]
TRYGAEUS [handing
the First Servant a plumed helmet]
Oh, oh! What a crowd we’ve got coming here
for the wedding dinner. Come on, dust off
the tables with this thing. There’s nothing
else
it’s good for any more. And then pile up
the cakes, the thrushes, plenty of the hare,
and the bread rolls.
[The
First Servant goes into the house. Enter the Sickle Maker and a Potter.
One is carrying sickles, another a basket of food.]
SICKLE
MAKER
Where’s Trygaeus? Where is he?
TRYGAEUS
I’m cooking thrushes.
SICKLE
MAKER
O dearest Trygaeus,
you’ve done us so much good by making Peace! 1400
Before now no one would’ve paid an obol [1200]
for a sickle and now I’m selling them
for fifty drachmas. And this fellow here
flogs jars for three drachmas in the country.
So Trygaeus take some
of these sickles
and these jars—take as
many as you’d like,
free of charge. And please accept these
presents.
We’re bringing you these gifts for your wedding
from what we’ve sold,
the profits we have made.
TRYGAEUS
All right. Put them over here beside me, 1410
and go inside as quickly as you can to eat—
there’s an arms dealer coming and he looks
as if he’s really angry.
[Enter an Arms Dealer, carrying a load of his
goods, with an Armourer, a Trumpet
Dealer, a Spear Maker, and a Helmet
Maker, each carrying a lot of samples of his trade]
ARMS
DEALER
Damn it, Trygaeus,
[1210]
you’ve completely ruined me!
TRYGAEUS
You poor man,
what’s the matter? Are you
crestfallen?
ARMS
DEALER
You’ve wiped out my trade, my livelihood,
and this man’s and this spear maker’s,
too.
TRYGAEUS
Well then, what should I pay for these two
crests?
ARMS
DEALER
What are you offering?
TRYGAEUS
What’s my offer?
I’m ashamed to say. Still, a lot of work 1420
has gone into this attachment bracket,
so I might offer for the two of them
three measures of dried figs. I can use
them
for dusting off the table.
ARMS
DEALER
All right, done.
Now go and bring the figs.
[Trygaeus takes the helmet crests and goes into the
house.
The Arms Dealers talks to his companion]
Well, it’s better [1220]
than getting
nothing.
[Trygaeus re-emerges with the helmet crests, which he throws
at the Arms Dealer]
Get these out of here!
Take them from my house! To hell with them!
These aren’t helmet crests. They’re
shedding hair!
I wouldn’t pay a single fig for them.
ARMOURER
What’s a poor fellow like me going to do 1430
with this splendidly made curved breastplate?
It’s worth ten minas.
TRYGAEUS [taking
the breastplate]
With this one here
you won’t lose money. Let me purchase it
for cost price. It’ll be really useful
when I need to shit . . .
[Trygaeus puts the armour on the ground and starts pulling up
his clothes,
as if he is going to crap in the metal]
ARMOURER
Stop insulting me
and my
merchandise.
TRYGAEUS
Like this, but it
needs [1230]
three stones placed beside it.*
[He
sits on the armour]
Hey, it works.
ARMOURER
How will you wipe yourself, you
idiot?
TRYGAEUS [picking
up stones and reaching through the arm holes on the metal]
One hand goes
through this hole, the other one . . .
ARMOURER
You wipe yourself with both hands at once? 1440
TRYGAEUS
Yes, by god, so I don’t get arrested
for concealing an oar hole on the ship.*
ARMOURER
So you’re going to sit down to take a shit
on something worth ten minas?
TRYGAEUS
Yes I am, you fool. Do you imagine
I’d sell my asshole for a thousand drachmas?*
ARMOURER
All right, then, hand over the money.
TRYGAEUS [standing
up and rubbing his bum]
No, my
good man, it irritates my ass.
Take it away. I won’t be buying it.
TRUMPET
MAKER
What am I going to do with this trumpet. 1450 [1240]
I once paid sixty drachmas for it.
TRYGAEUS
Pour lead in this hollow part,
then up here
fix a long stick on top. And then
you’ll have
a target for your game of cottabus.
TRUMPET
MAKER
Damn you, you’re making fun of me.
TRYGAEUS
All
right,
I’ll give you another idea. Pour lead,
as I said, and attach a pan right here,
using small cords, and you’ll then have
something
to weigh figs for your servants in the fields.
HELMET
MAKER
O you damned spirit who’s destroyed me, 1460 [1250]
I once paid a mina for these helmets!
Now what do I do? Who’ll buy them now?
TRYGAEUS
Go sell them to the Egyptians. They’ll do
for when they measure out their laxatives.
SPEAR
MAKER
Alas, helmet maker, things have worked out
so badly for us.
TRYGAEUS
This man’s not suffering,
not in the least.
SPEAR
MAKER
What about his helmets?
Who will use them anymore?
TRYGAEUS
He should learn to attach handles to them.
then he’d sell them at
a much better price 1470
than he does now.
HELMET
MAKER
Let’s go, Spear Maker.
TRYGAEUS
No, not yet. I’m going to buy spears from him. [1260]
SPEAR
MAKER
How much will you offer for them, then?
TRYGAEUS
If they were split in two, I’d purchase them
as vineyard poles, a drachma per hundred.
SPEAR
MAKER
We’re being insulted. Come on, friend, let’s go.
[The
various arms dealers and weapons manufacturers all leave. As Trygaeus gives
his next speech, two young boys emerge from the house]
TRYGAEUS
Yes, you should, because children of our guests
are coming here to take a piss. I
think
they’re also going to sing the opening parts
of what they will perform. Now, young lad,
1480
what song do you intend to sing? Stand here
beside me and before you go inside
sing the beginning of your song.
SON
OF LAMACHUS [chanting]
“So now let us begin
with younger warriors . . .” [1270]
TRYGAEUS
Stop singing of warriors, you wretched child.
We’re at peace. And you’re a cursed idiot.
SON
OF LAMACHUS [continuing]
“When they’d come close up against each other,
they smashed their ox-hide bucklers and their
embossed shields.”
TRYGAEUS
Shields? Will
you stop reminding us of shields!
SON
OF LAMACHUS [continuing]
“Then
came men groans with shouts of triumph too.” 1490
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
Men’s groans? By Dionysus, you’ll be crying
as you sing out those groans and embossed
shields.
SON
OF LAMACHUS
Then what should I sing? Tell me what you
like.
TRYGAEUS [quoting
from Homer]
“Thus they feasted on cattle meat.” Stuff like
that. [1280]
“They set out breakfast, all the sweetest food to
eat.”
SON
OF LAMACHUS [reciting again]
“Thus they feasted on cattle meat and, tired of
war,
loosed their sweating horses from the
harnesses.”
TRYGAEUS
That’s the stuff. They were fed up with
warfare
and then they had a feast. Sing about that—
about how they ate after they were tired. 1500
SON OF LAMACHUS
“When they were finished, they strengthened
themselves . . .”
TRYGAEUS
I’m sure they were feeling really splendid.
SON
OF LAMACHUS [continuing]
“. . . and poured from the towers. A mighty
shout arose . . . “
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
To hell with you, boy,
you and your battles!
You sing of nothing but war. Whose son are
you? [1290]
SON OF LAMACHUS
Me?
TRYGAEUS
Yes, by god, you.
SON
OF LAMACHUS
I’m Lamachus’ son.
TRYGAEUS
Bah! Listening to you sing, I was wondering
if you might be the offspring of someone
addicted to war, who’s sad without one.
Go away! Sing your songs to the spearmen. 1510
Where’s that young son of Cleonymus?
[The
Son of Lamachus goes in the house and the other child,
the son of Cleonymus steps forward]
Sing me something before you go inside.
I don’t think you’ll sing about stuff like that.
Your father’s a far too prudent man.
SON
OF CLEONYMUS [singing]
“Some man from Sais now glories in my shield,
that splendid shield, which I left, against my
will,
beside a bush . . . “
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
Tell me, you little prick,
are you singing about your own father? [1300]
SON
OF CLEONYMUS [continuing]
“But
I saved my life . . . “
TRYGAEUS [interrupting]
And shamed your parents.
But let’s go in. I’m sure you won’t
forget 1520
what you’ve just been singing about the shield,
not with that father of yours.
[Trygaeus and the Son of Cleonymus
start to go into the house.
Trygaeus turns to address the Chorus]
You people who are staying here, your work
is to chomp on all this
stuff, chew it up—
don’t just pretend you’re working. Get to
it
like real men, with both jaws grinding hard.
You poor sods, your white teeth are no use at
all
if they’re not used for chewing. [1310]
[Trygaeus goes into the
house]
CHORUS LEADER
We’ll take care of it. Thanks for telling
us.
Now those of you who were hungry earlier 1530
get going on this hare. It’s not every day
you come across cakes going around unclaimed.
So eat up, or I say you’ll soon be sorry.
[Trygaeus emerges from
the house]
TRYGAEUS
You must speak fair words now, and let the bride
come out here. And bring the wedding
torches.
Let all the people rejoice together
and sing and dance with us. Now, too, we
must
take all equipment back to our land once
more
once we have danced and poured out libations,
kicked out Hyperbolus,
and made our prayers 1540 [1320]
to gods to enrich the Greeks, and make us all
harvest many barley crops together,
with lots of wine, figs to eat, and may our
wives
bear children for us, and may we gather
once again the good things we started with
all the things we’ve lost and set aside
the glittering iron of war.
[Opora comes out of the
house with her attendants]
Come, wife, to the
fields,
and, my lovely one, may
you lie [1330]
in such beauty at my side. 1550
[In the following exchanges one half the Chorus
sings in response to the other half]
FIRST HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!*
SECOND HALF CHORUS
O thrice blessed man,
you deserve
these splendid things you now possess!
FIRST HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
SECOND HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
FIRST HALF CHORUS
What shall we do with her?
SECOND HALF CHORUS
What shall we do with
her?
FIRST HALF CHORUS
We’ll harvest her fruit.
SECOND HALF CHORUS
We’ll harvest her
fruit.
FIRST HALF CHORUS
Those in the front, 1560
lift up the groom. Come, men, [1340]
let’s carry him off.
SECOND HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
FIRST HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
[The Chorus raises Trygaeus
up in the air]
CHORUS LEADER
You’ll have a fine home
without any troubles,
tending your figs.
FIRST HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
SECOND HALF CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
FIRST HALF CHORUS
His fig is huge and thick. 1570
SECOND HALF CHORUS
And her fig is sweet. [1350]
TRYGAEUS
You’ll say that when you’re feasting,
when you’re drinking plenty of wine.
CHORUS
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
Hymen, Hymenaeus, O!
TRYGAEUS
Good bye, men, good luck,
and if you follow me
you’ll be eating flat cakes!
Notes
* . . . eat the stuff: Stealing food in
the kitchen was a common complaint against slaves. [Back
to Text]
* . . . or the Graces: Aphrodite is the goddess
of sexual love, and the Graces are the goddesses of grace and charm. [Back
to Text]
* .
. . shit all day: Cleon was a very influential
politician in Athens who had died shortly before the production of the
play. He is one of Aristophanes’ favourite
targets, even after his death. [Back to Text]
* . . . windbags: This would be a pointed
reference to the important political officials sitting in a special section of
the audience. [Back to Text]
* . . . Medes: The term Medes refers to
the Persians who in Asia Minor were still keen on interfering in Greek
political matters. [Back
to Text]
* . . . to the ravens: In Greek is this a common expression for “Going to Hell,” or “Going to
the dogs.” [Back to Text]
* . . . for a sauce: This obscure joke, Sommerstein explains, depends on the very similar words for knuckle or punch and for a tasty delicacy. [Back
to Text]
* . . . in Naxos: The Greek word for beetle
(kantharos) was also used to refer to a
certain kind of boat (evidently associated with the island of Naxos). [Back
to Text]
* . . . Beetle Harbour: Piraeus, the great
sea port near Athens, was, Sommerstein notes,
officially called the Harbour of Cantharus (the Greek
word for beetle), after a local hero. [Back
to Text]
* . . . into some tragic
glory: Aristophanes
is fond of mocking the tragic dramatist Euripides for the way he liked to
portray physically injured heroes. [Back
to Text]
* . . . ass hole: The reference to Chios
here is obscure. If an Athenian were killed in a state subject to Athens,
there was a large fine of five talents. But Chios is a long way from
Athens, so it’s not clear how that law would apply. [Back
to Text]
* . . . Athmonum: This is the name of a
political district to the north of Athens. [Back
to Text]
* . . . will pay: The twin gods are Castor
and Pollux (or Polydeuces),
twin brothers of Helen and Clytaemnestra, and important Peloponnesian
gods. Attica is the region of Greece around Athens. The
Peloponnesian War pitted Sparta and its allies, mainly in the Peloponnese,
against Athens and its allies. [Back
to Text]
* . . . on to Pylos: Pylos, in the south of
the Peloponnese, was the site of a major set back for
the Spartans (a few years before the production of Peace), when the Athenians took
300 Spartans prisoners and set up an occupying force. The prisoners were
an important bargaining chip for the Athenians, since many came from the finest
families in Sparta. [Back
to Text]
* . . . a man’s legs: A reference to the
way War make men’s knees tremble or, Sommerstein
suggests, perhaps to an involuntary bowel movement brought on by fear. [Back
to Text]
* Prasiae:
a small coastal town in the Peloponnese. [Back to Text]
*Megara: an
important city state to the west of Athens, close to the Isthmus of
Corinth. [Back to Text]
* . . . to a powder: The tanner referred to is
Cleon, an important Athenian politician and a favourite target of
Aristophanes. He is famous for stirring the people up in favour of war.
Cleon died in 422 BC, shortly before the production of Peace. [Back
to Text]
* .
. . initiate of Samothrace: The phrase refers
to a member of a religious cult located in Samothrace, an island in the Aegean
Sea. This cult, Sommerstein explains, was famous
for the success of the prayers offered by those initiated into it. [Back to Text]
* . . . Datis: This is probably a reference to the commander of
the Persian expedition sent against Athens and defeated at the battle of
Marathon in 490 BC. [Back to Text]
* .
. . Good Spirit’s cup: This odd expression seems to mean
that it’s time we all enjoyed common good fellowship. Sommerstein
notes that after a meal there was a tribute of neat red wine to the Good
Spirit, after which the drinking began in earnest. [Back to Text]
* . . . Lamachus: the name of an Athenian general who, in
Aristophanes’ eyes, was too eager for the fame and wealth he garnered in
battle. [Back to Text]
* .
. . rations for three days: The orders for
military expeditions required the people to bring food for three days with
them. [Back to Text]
*Cerberus was
the famous dog guarding Hades. This mention of his name seems to be a
reference to Cleon, the aggressive Athenian politician in favour of war, who
had recently died. [Back to Text]
* .
. . “Hurray! Hurray!”: cottabos was a favourite
dinner game which involved throwing drops of wine into a balance beam. A
Sybarite is one famous for devoting his life to pleasure. [Back to Text]
* . . . to Phormio: Phormio was a
successful Athenian general famous for his ability to endure hardships and
insisting his men did the same. [Back
to Text]
* . . . with sword and spear: The Lycaeum
was a place in Athens where soldiers practised military drills. [Back
to Text]
* . . . just like Cillicon: Cillicon betrayed his
city Miletus to its enemies. When asked what he was doing, he said
“Nothing bad.” [Back to
Text]
* . . . with a lottery: The Athenians seem
to have drawn lots for the order in which they executed condemned
criminals. Hermes was the god of chance. [Back
to Text]
* . . . I meet my death: Trygaeus
is treating his death like a military campaign and complaining that he’s being
called up too quickly, so that he hasn’t had time to get his three days of
rations. [Back to
Text]
* . . . myself
initiated: This phrase
refers to the ritual of being initiated into a mystery religious cult. The
ceremony required a sucking pig. Those initiated were supposed to enjoy a
happier after life. [Back
to Text]
* . . . great processions,
too: Pisander was an Athenian general of reactionary political
inclinations. [Back to Text]
* . . . they were used to be: Hermes was the god of
thieves and a famous thief himself. [Back
to Text]
* . . . those scoundrels: The phrases about
stealing daylight and biting each other’s disks are references to solar and
lunar eclipses. [Back
to Text]
* . . . will honour Hermes: The Panathenaea
was an Athenian festival dedicated to Athena. The Mysteries were a
celebration of the cult of Demeter. The Dipolia
was a festival honouring Zeus, and the Adonia celebrated
Aphrodite and Adonis. [Back
to Text]
* .
. . his shield again: The allocation of lines in this
speech and in those which follow is much disputed. I have followed Sommerstein’s suggestion (although not entirely) and left
Hermes in charge of the libation prayers, with Trygaeus
making the frequent interruptions, since this seems to be the most dramatically
plausible arrangement. [Back to Text]
* . . . as Cleomenes: Cleomenes was an
Athenian who disgraced himself by dropping his shield and running away from
battle. [Back to Text]
* . . . for joy: This comment arises from
a pun in the Greek, since the word cry out with joy (paean) closely
resembles the word to strike. [Back
to Text]
* . . . Enyalius: Ares is the god of
warfare. Enyalius is an alternative name for Ares
and also the name of a separate god of war. [Back
to Text]
* . . . your monster: Lamachus,
an important Athenian general, had a shield with a Gorgon’s head depicted on it
(the face of Medusa, which in traditional mythology could turn men to stone). [Back
to Text]
* . . . from both sides: In the war both Athens
and Sparta sought to win over the Argives as allies, but the Argives maintained
a shrewd neutrality. Eventually they joined up with the Athenians. Sommerstein suggests that this line may be a reference to
Argives working as paid crewmen on both Athenian and Spartan ships. [Back
to Text]
* . . . keep getting in their
way: The phrase
about the Spartans “in jail” is a reference to the many Spartan prisoners
captured by the Athenians at Pylos. They were
kept chained up in jail in Athens (the Greeks says “held to wood,” referring to
the chains attached to the beams in the prison). For them Peace will be
much more welcome than for the arms makers, who make weapons. [Back
to Text]
* . . . of hunger: Athenian hostilities
against Megara had brought starvation to many in the city. [Back
to Text]
* . . . garlic on her: This phrase means, in
effect, to get her angry. Sommerstein points
out that fighting cocks were fed garlic to make them
more pugnacious. [Back to
Text]
* . . . the sea a little: This is a reference
to the military policy of Pericles, the major political leader in Athens at the
start of the war, which urged Athenians to put all their faith in the their fleet, rather than in organizing land expeditions
against the Spartans. [Back
to Text]
* . . . penned by Euripides: The Dionysia
was the major drama festival in Athens, a celebration in which Peace was
produced. [Back to
Text]
* . . . with cups attached: The cups were small metal
pieces designed to relieve swelling. The bruises come from wounds they
have received in fighting each other. [Back
to Text]
* . . . but in Sparta, too: Phidias was the most famous sculptor in
Athens. He was accused of stealing materials (including gold) from a
public commission for a statue of Athena and was banished. Pericles, the
leading political figure in Athens, was a close associate of Phidias and one of
those charged with overseeing the work. The Megarian
decree prohibited any people of Megara from coming to Athens and shut down all
trade with the place. This was an extreme hardship for the Megarians. The suggestion here is that the origin of
the Peloponnesian War was linked to this scandal. The Greek text does not
mention Sparta by name, but uses the phrase “over there,” a clear reference to
the Spartans. [Back to Text]
* . . . held out for war: Before the war Athens had developed an alliance
among a number of city states, allegedly for defensive purposes. Athens
insisted forcibly that these city states pay them tribute money, claiming that
they would provide the naval forces for defending them all against the Spartans
and their allies. Many of the tributary states were not happy with this
arrangement. [Back to Text]
*At the start of the Peloponnesian War, the
Spartans attacked Athenian territory by land. The Athenians, following the
advice of Pericles, abandoned the countryside and brought the country people
into the city. These refugees were in considerable distress, and some
special welfare provisions were made for them. The “demagogues” are the
public orators of the party urging war (notably Cleon). Brasidas was an important and (for a while) very successful
Spartan general. His death shortly before the production of Peace was one of the reasons there seemed a real chance
that the cities might end hostilities. The man who dealt in leather is the
demagogue Cleon (who had also died shortly before the production of Peace, as Trygaeus’ next
speech indicates). [Back to Text]
* .
. . your people: Hermes was associated with Hades,
since he accompanied the spirits of the dead to the underworld. [Back to Text]
* .
. . whisper to him: It’s not clear whether or not Peace
actually does whisper something to Hermes in this and later speeches or if he
just pretends that she does. Since Peace never says another word in the
play, the latter option seems dramatically more plausible,
especially since Hermes seems to really like lecturing the audience on all the
things they did wrong. [Back to Text]
* . . . in your assembly: At Pylos (in 425 BC)
the Athenians won an unexpected victory and captured 300 Spartan
citizen-soldiers, a very serious blow to the Spartans, whose population was
relatively small. The Spartans made peace overtures in an attempt to get
the prisoners released. [Back to Text]
* . . . the rocky Pynx: Pynx is the name of a
hill where the Athenians held their assemblies. [Back
to Text]
* . . . by Hyperbolus: Hyperbolus was a
leading Athenian politician, a radical demagogue who inherited Cleon’s role
after the latter’s death. He is a favourite target of Aristophanes’
satire. [Back to Text]
* . . . into Simonides: Simonides was a famous
lyric poet, well known for his love of money. The line seems to suggest
that Sophocles is trying to get money (or more money) from writing. [Back
to Text]
* . . . on a wicker mat: It is not clear what
these lines mean exactly. Sophocles was about seventy-five years old (and
lived for many years more), but there’s no sense elsewhere that he was a greedy
or rash man. Sommerstein offers the tentative
suggestions that these lines may refer to a risky business venture. [Back
to Text]
* . . . still living: Cratinus
was a well known comic poet who died shortly after the Peloponnesian War
started. [Back to
Text]
* . . . pennyroyal later: pennyroyal was (and still
is) a widely used herbal remedy for a number of things, including eating too
much fruit. Oporia’s name literally means “full
fruit.” [Back to
Text]
* . . . the lightning bolt: Hermes’ speech here, Sommerstein points out, is a quotation from a lost play by
Euripides, which refers to the fabulous winged horse Pegasus. [Back
to Text]
* . . . Ganymede’s ambrosia: Ganymede was a royal
prince of Troy who was so beautiful he was taken up to Olympus to carry Zeus’
cup and be his sexual playmate. [Back
to Text]
* .
. . camels arse holes: This is a monstrous portrait of
Cleon, one of Aristophanes’ early targets. Sommerstein
notes that the phrase “Bitch Star” comes from a female equivalent for “Dog
Star” (a particularly bright part of the night sky), which happens also to be
the name of a notorious prostitute. Lamia is a
well known monster, but is normally female, in which case the “balls” on Lamia would be non-existent, another slur against
Cleon. The switch to the first person suggests that either Aristophanes
himself is stepping forward to speak or that someone in the chorus is
impersonating him. Hence, I have assigned this first-person section to the
Chorus Leader. [Back to Text]
* .
. . balding skull: Aristophanes frequently makes fun of
his own baldness. [Back to Text]
* .
. . with their play: Carcinus
was an Athenian tragic dramatist and his sons were well known as actors and
dancers. They were apparently quite small in stature. [Back to Text]
* .
. . by a weasel: It’s not clear what this reference to
a weasel means. Perhaps
it’s based on a popular story about Carcinus, or
perhaps the description is supposed to mean that his play was like a small and
nasty rodent. [Back to Text]
* . . . stink like goats: Morsimus
and Melanthius were tragic poets and frequent targets
of Aristophanes (especially for their bad poetry and eating habits); the
Gorgons were monsters with large teeth and a reputation for gluttony, and the
Harpies were winged monsters with a woman’s face and a vulture’s body. The
roach mentioned is the fish (the Greek word also refers to another fish, the skate, but the English pun on roach also helps to bring out
their disgusting greed. [Back
to Text]
* . . . are being rolled up: These foods are
traditional wedding dishes. [Back
to Text]
* . . . and screw: Brauron
was a town outside of Athens were there was a large celebration in honour of
Athena every four years, a festival well known for its debauchery. [Back
to Text]
* . . . Isthmian Games: These games were
important and popular athletic competitions. Visitors set up tents on the
site. The mention of the games allows Trygaeus in his
next long speech to introduce all sorts of sexual innuendoes when he describes
the games the councillors can now play [Back
to Text]
* . . .
close to the spectators: In Aristophanes’ production, Theoria
would have been played by a male actor disguised as a female. Her “nude”
body, Sommerstein points out, would be covered with
something (a flesh-coloured body stocking, perhaps) painted to depict breasts
and public hair. The ambiguous sexuality underlies a good deal of the
ribald humour which follows. [Back
to Text]
* . . . reaching for a peace: This obscure joke, Sommerstein suggests, seems to depend on a similarity in
sound between the word for hand (which would make the
listeners think the official was reaching for a bribe) and the word for peace. [Back to
Text]
* . . . grumpy little Hermes: This refers to the
frequent custom of placing small statues of Hermes outside people’s
homes. The First Servant is apparently complaining that the statue of
Peace deserves more than these small household items. [Back to Text]
* . . . just like Theagenes: Theagenes was a citizen
of Piraeus (the port of Athens), well known for his ugly appearance and
disgusting habits. [Back
to Text]
* . . . a slang expression: In the Greek the animal
proposed is a sheep, and the First Servant uses a word from the Ionic
dialect. Trygaeus’ response is “But that’s an
Ionian dialect word.” The use of the word bummer (a slang expression for an orphan lamb) is an attempt to get
something out of this exchange, especially in connection with the First
Servant’s next two speeches. [Back
to Text]
* . . . give him something: Chaeris
is the name of a musician notorious for his inept playing. [Back
to Text]
* . . . by the women: Sommerstein
notes that this comment does not necessarily mean that women were not permitted
to attend performances (although it might refer to that). There is
evidence from other texts that some women were present at these performances. [Back
to Text]
* . . . our Lysimache: the name literally means “put an end to
fighting.” It’s not clear whether this name refers to anyone
specifically. [Back to Text]
*Melanthius was a tragic poet with a
reputation for gluttony, and Medea was one of his
plays. Beets were commonly served with eels. [Back
to Text]
*Stilbides was
an important diviner in Athens who went along on the disastrous Sicilian
expedition. The slur is that he needs war in order to prosper at his trade
and thus won’t be happy about a successful offering to Peace. [Back to Text]
* . . . one more time: Bacis
was a well-known diviner from Boeotia who allegedly got his inspiration from
the nymphs. [Back to Text]
* . . . at the Prytaneum: The Prytaneum was
an important sacred building in Athens where very distinguished people could
eat at public expense. [Back
to Text]
* . . . by the Sibyl: The Sibyl is a prophetess
in a shrine. Hierocles may be referring to the prophetess
of Apollo at Delphi. [Back to
Text]
* .
. . to Elymnium:
Oreus is Hierocles’ home
town, and Elymnium is an island off the coast of
Euboea, close to Oreus. [Back to Text]
* .
. . horse cock: This is an imaginary creature, a
combination of a horse and cock with wings. [Back to Text]
* . . . at his misfortune: Pandion’s statue is a
place in Athens where important public notices were posted, in this case the
name of citizens going on the next military expedition. [Back to Text]
* .
. . placed beside it: Sommerstein
observes that the Greeks used stones to wipe themselves. [Back to Text]
* . . . on the ship:
People paying for the warships sometimes stopped up the oar holes to save
themselves the expense of a full crew of rowers. Inspectors required crew
members to put both hands through the oar holes so that they could count the
actual number of rowers. [Back to Text]
* . . . a thousand drachma: Historians estimate (roughly) that 1 drachma in Aristophanes’
time was worth about 25 dollars today. A mina is equivalent to 10 drachmas.[Back to Text]
* Hymen, Hymenaeus: The traditional wedding
song, a tribute to the god of weddings, Hymen or Hymenaeus. [Back
to Text]
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