Aristophanes

“ Why in the world, then, does the old man not show himself to us before the doors, nor answer? Has he lost his slippers, or some where in the dark hit his toe against any thing; and then has his ancle become inflamed, being an old man? ”

“ O most abominable! See where he's crept to! so that he seems to me most like the foal of a summons-witness. [48] [Xanthias and Sosias drag him from under the ass.]
Phil. If you won't let me alone, we will do battle.
Bdel. About what, pray, will you fight with us?
Phil. About the shade of an ass.
Bdel. You are a knave far advanced in artifice, [49] and reckless.
Phil. I a knave? No, by Jove. You are not now aware that I am most excellent. But you will know it, perhaps, when you eat the paunch of an old Heliast. [50]
Bdel. Push the ass and yourself into the house. ”

“ And whatever fruits are not early have need that there should be rain, and that the north wind blow upon them. What is the matter, then, with our fellow-dicast in this house, that he does not come forward hither to our company? Assuredly he used not to be a laggard formerly, [68] but used to lead the way in front of us, singing the songs of Phrynichus; for the man is fond of singing. ”

“ By Jove, he judges of the disease from his own case.
Xan. No; yet "love" is the beginning of the evil. This Sosias here says to Dercylus that he is a lover of wine.
Sos. By no means; for this is a gentleman's disease. [23]
Xan. Nicostratus, of Scambonis, on the other, hand, says that he is fond of sacrificing or fond of hospitality.
Sos. By the Dog, [24] Nicostratus, not fond of hospitality, since Philoxenus is a blackguard.
Xan. You talk nonsense to no purpose, for you will not find it out. If you are truly desirous to know, be silent now ”

“ Phil. On then, fellow-dicasts, irascible [113] wasps, do some of you in your wrath fly at their rumps, and ye others sting their eyes round about, and their fingers. [114]
Bdel. Midas, and Phryx, and Masyntias, render assistance here! and lay ye hold on this fellow, and do not give him up to any one; otherwise, ye shall breakfast on nothing in stout fetters. For I, having heard the sound of many fig leaves, know it. [Philocleon is seized by the servants.]
Cho. (to Bdelycleon) . If you will not let this man go, something shall be fixed in you. ”

“ How every thing with you is tyranny and conspirators, whether the accuser's charge be great or small, the name of which I have not heard, not even for these [127] fifty years: but now it is cheaper by far than salted fish; [128] so that now the name of it is much talked of in the market-place. If any one purchase anchovies, and do not choose to purchase sprats, forthwith the man who is selling the sprats hard by says, "This fellow seems to be Buying relishes to his tyranny." ”

“ PHILOCLEON.
Phil. I am smoke coming out.
Bdel. Smoke? Come, let me see of what wood you are.
Phil. Of fig. [36]
Bdel. Aye, by Jove, which is the most pungent of smokes. But,—for you will not go in, where is the chimney-board? Go in again! [Philocleon is driven in again.] Come, let me [37] also lay a lump of wood on you. There now [38] seek some other device. But I am wretched, as no other man is, who shall now be called the son of father [39] Capnius. ”

“ What has come into your head, pray, that you push up the wick with your finger, and that too when the oil is getting scarce, you dolt? for it gives you no uneasiness when one is obliged to buy it at a high price. ”

“ This succeeds, and the theft of a Sicilian cheese, by a house dog, soon gives the old gentleman a means of exercising his old craft as dicast. By an inadvertency he acquits the defendant—ἀπατηθεὶς ἄκων τὴν ἀποδικάζουσαν φέρει ψῆφον. The Parabasis follows. Afterwards Philocleon is brought forward in a different point of view, to use Mr. Mitchell's words, as, "The dicast turned gentleman;" or, as the Greek has it, ὁ δὲ γέρων πρὸς αὐλὸν καὶ ὄρχησιν τρέπεται, καὶ γελωτοποιεῖ τὸ δρᾶμα. "The Wasps is, in my opinion, the feeblest of Aristophanes' plays. ”

“ Yes, by Jove; for they have got up late to-day; since they always summon him at mid-night, with lamps in their hands, and humming dear old songs from Phrynichus' Phœnissae, [55] with which they summon him.
Sos. Therefore, if need requires, we will pelt them [56] at once with stones.
Bdel. Nay, you wretch, if any one irritate the race of old men, it is like to a wasps' nest; for they have also a very sharp sting in [57] their loins with which they sting; they buz and bounce and strike like sparks. ”

“ I have a mind to go in and bring out the ass, that the old man may not even peep out again. [Goes in and returns leading the ass.] Ass, why do you weep? because you are to be sold [44] to-day? Walk quicker. Why do you groan, if you are not carrying any Ulysses?
Xan. But, by Jove, he is carrying some one here [45] below, who has crept under him.
Bdel. Of what sort? Let me see.
Xan. This here. [Points to Philocleon, who is hidden under the ass's belly.]
Bdel. What is [46] this? Pray, who in the world are you, fellow?
Phil. Nobody, by Jove. ”

“ And in turn we will utterly destroy you too. But turn, each of you, hither, and put forth your sting, and then rush against him, all ready, in good order, full of anger and fury, that he may know well henceforth what [111] a swarm he has enraged.
Xan. This, in truth, is now a hard case, by Jove, if we must fight ”

“ And we stuffed up with rags every crevice there was, and made them fast. But he, like a jackdaw, used to hammer in pegs for himself into the wall, and then used to leap out. So we covered the whole hall with nets round about, and keep guard. Now the name of the old man is Philocleon, by Jove; but of his son here, Bdelycleon, having wanton and haughty manners.
Bdelycleon. (from within) . O Xanthias and Sosias, are you asleep?
Xan. Ah me!
Sos. What is the matter?
Xan. Bdelycleon is getting up. [Enter Bdelycleon.]
Bdel. Will not one [34] of you quickly run round hither? ”

“ And through being accustomed [27] to hold the pebble, he gets up holding together his three fingers, as if offering frankincense at the New Moon. And, by Jove, if he should behold written any where on a door, "Pretty Demus, [28] son of Pyrilampes," he'd go and write close by the side of it, "Pretty Cemus." [29] And he said that the cock which used to crow at even, waked him late, having been prevailed upon, receiving money from those under acount. And immediately after supper he bawls for his slippers ”

“ Plato expressly comprises under it salt, olives, cheese, onions, cabbage, figs, myrtle-berries, walnuts, and pulse; and it is evident that roots, such as radishes, turnips, &c., and all preparations of meat and fish, were also included. But by decrees the usage of this word was changed, so that at length it signified only fish, the favourite food of the Athenian epicures." Böckh. ↑ According to the Scholiast, from Pindar. The former part is a parody upon Soph. Ant. vs. 2. Compare also El. 958. ↑ This and the three following verses, according to the Scholiast, are from the Theseus of Euripides. ”

“ Soph. Col. 1697. ↑ This is Elmsley's emendation, which has been admitted by Dindorf. ↑ "The text plays on the word κλητὴρ, which signifies equally a summons-witness and a packing-ass." Mitch. Liddell (voc. κλητὴρ) more correctly understands it as said παρὰ προσδοκίαν for foal of an ass. ↑ I have here adopted Mitchell's interpretation. Voss and Florentius Chretien follow the Scholiast, and make it = far from art, i. e. rudis. ↑ Philocleon understands πονηρὸς and ἅριστος of what is bad or good to eat. Accordingly, instead of paunch of an ass, he substitutes paunch of a Heliast, παρὰ προσδοκίαν. ”

“ It was occasionally used by Athenian dicasts m voting, instead of the regular ψῆφοι. ↑ "Qui te sic cohibet." Brunck. Mitchell mistranslates it. ↑ See note on Lys. 993. The verse is a quotation from the Electra of Sophocles. ↑ "Π. = ἐπισχεσία, a pretext, excuse, τοῦ δ ̓ ἔφεξιν; = τίνος χάριν; Ar. Vesp. 338." Liddell, Lex. ↑ There is considerable difficulty in this epithet. It would be well if it could be understood to mean, "aping the powerful eloquence of our Cleon." See Mitchell's note. For χανεῖν, see Lob. ad Aj. 1227. The next line is omitted in Dindorf's 3rd edition ”

“ See note on Thesm. 1001. ↑ "So Σταμνίον, Ran. 22, Στρούθιος, Av. 1077, and numerous other places, where an imaginary δῆμος grows out of the circumstances." Mitch. Cf. Eccles. 356. Ran. 427. Aves, 1126. ↑ Vide Elmsl. Præf. ad Œd. Tyr. p. viii. ↑ Relates to the Attic divisions of actions at law into τιμητοὶ and ἀτίμητοι. ↑ Vide Equit. vs. ”

“ Pac. 446—673. ↑ Vide Athen. lib. x. 448, C. ↑ Similar to this is Falstaff's alarm, Merry Wives of Windsor: ⁠They are the fairies: he, that speaks to them, shall die:
⁠I'll wink and couch: no man their works must eye."
⁠Act v. sc. 5.
↑ See Krüger's Gr. Gr. § 69, 34. ↑ A hit at the tragedians, who were very fond of naval metaphors. See Soph. Ant. 711. Eur. Med. 522. Crest. 705. Arist. Eq. 760. ↑ Aristophanes often derides what he calls the sheepishness of the Athenians. The βακτήριον and τριβώνιον were badges of the Dicast's office. ”