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Line 254

ἅσπερ Εὐκράτης ἔφευγεν εὐθὺ τῶν κυρηβίων.

The phrase τῶν κυρηβίων refers to the 'corybantes,' a group of ecstatic priests associated with the worship of Cybele. In the context of the *Knights*, the Sausage-Seller (Agonothetes) is comparing the behavior of the demagogue Cleon to the frenzied, drum-beating rituals of these priests. The term κυρηβίων is a plural genitive, indicating the source or direction of the action (fleeing 'from' the corybantes), which alludes to the chaotic, frenzied state that the character is supposedly escaping or perhaps ironically mimicking. This specific allusion to the corybantes is a deliberate rhetorical device, as the corybantes were known for their wild, ecstatic dances and drumming, which Aristophanes uses to satirize the perceived madness of political leaders.

Knights. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (English) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ἱππῆς Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 242 focus

Δημοσθένης

ἄνδρες ἱππῆς παραγένεσθε· νῦν ὁ καιρός. ὦ Σίμων,

ὦ Παναίτιʼ οὐκ ἐλᾶτε πρὸς τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας;

ἅνδρες ἐγγύς. ἀλλʼ ἀμύνου κἀπαναστρέφου πάλιν.

ὁ κονιορτὸς δῆλος αὐτῶν ὡς ὁμοῦ προσκειμένων.
245

ἀλλʼ ἀμύνου καὶ δίωκε καὶ τροπὴν αὐτοῦ ποιοῦ.

Χορὸς Ἱππεῶν

παῖε παῖε τὸν πανοῦργον καὶ ταραξιππόστρατον

καὶ τελώνην καὶ φάραγγα καὶ Χάρυβδιν ἁρπαγῆς,

καὶ πανοῦργον καὶ πανοῦργον· πολλάκις γὰρ αὔτʼ ἐρῶ.

καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἦν πανοῦργος πολλάκις τῆς ἡμέρας.
250

ἀλλὰ παῖε καὶ δίωκε καὶ τάραττε καὶ κύκα

καὶ βδελύττου, καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς, κἀπικείμενος βόα·

εὐλαβοῦ δὲ μὴ ʼκφύγῃ σε· καὶ γὰρ οἶδε τὰς ὁδούς,

ἅσπερ Εὐκράτης ἔφευγεν εὐθὺ τῶν κυρηβίων.

Κλέων

ὦ γέροντες ἡλιασταί, φράτερες τριωβόλου,
255

οὓς ἐγὼ βόσκω κεκραγὼς καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα,

παραβοηθεῖθʼ, ὡς ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν τύπτομαι ξυνωμοτῶν.

Χορός

ἐν δίκῃ γʼ, ἐπεὶ τὰ κοινὰ πρὶν λαχεῖν κατεσθίεις,

κἀποσυκάζεις πιέζων τοὺς ὑπευθύνους σκοπῶν,

ὅστις αὐτῶν ὠμός ἐστιν ἢ πέπων ἢ μὴ πέπων,
260

κἄν τινʼ αὐτῶν γνῷς ἀπράγμονʼ ὄντα καὶ κεχηνότα,

καταγαγὼν ἐκ Χερρονήσου διαβαλὼν ἀγκυρίσας

εἶτʼ ἀποστρέψας τὸν ὦμον αὐτὸν ἐνεκολήβασας·

καὶ σκοπεῖς γε τῶν πολιτῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν ἀμνοκῶν,

πλούσιος καὶ μὴ πονηρὸς καὶ τρέμων τὰ πράγματα.
265

Κλέων

ξυνεπίκεισθʼ ὑμεῖς; ἐγὼ δʼ ἄνδρες διʼ ὑμᾶς τύπτομαι,

ὅτι λέγειν γνώμην ἔμελλον ὡς δίκαιον ἐν πόλει

ἑστάναι μνημεῖον ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἀνδρείας χάριν.

Χορός

ὡς δʼ ἀλαζών, ὡς δὲ μάσθλης· εἶδες οἷʼ ὑπέρχεται

ὡσπερεὶ γέροντας ἡμᾶς καὶ κοβαλικεύεται;
270

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν ταύτῃ γε νικᾷ, ταυτῃὶ πεπλήξεται·

ἢν δʼ ὑπεκκλίνῃ γε δευρί, τὸ σκέλος κυρηβάσει.

Κλέων

ὦ πόλις καὶ δῆμʼ ὑφʼ οἵων θηρίων γαστρίζομαι.

Χορός

καὶ κέκραγας, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τὴν πόλιν καταστρέφει;

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ἐγώ σε τῇ βοῇ ταύτῃ γε πρῶτα τρέψομαι.
275

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μέντοι γε νικᾷς τῇ βοῇ, τήνελλος εἶ·

ἢν δʼ ἀναιδείᾳ παρέλθῃ σʼ, ἡμέτερος ὁ πυραμοῦς.

Κλέων

τουτονὶ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐγὼ ʼνδείκνυμι, καὶ φήμʼ ἐξάγειν

ταῖσι Πελοποννησίων τριήρεσι ζωμεύματα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ μὰ Δία κἄγωγε τοῦτον, ὅτι κενῇ τῇ κοιλίᾳ
280

ἐσδραμὼν ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον, εἶτα πάλιν ἐκθεῖ πλέᾳ.

Δημοσθένης

νὴ Δίʼ ἐξάγων γε τἀπόρρηθʼ, ἅμʼ ἄρτον καὶ κρέας

καὶ τέμαχος, οὗ Περικλέης οὐκ ἠξιώθη πώποτε.

Translations (2)

Knights (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 242 focus

Demosthenes

To the rescue, oh, Knights. Now is the time. Simon, Panaetius, get you to the right wing; they are coming on; hold tight and return to the charge. 245 I can see the dust of their horses' hoofs; they are galloping to our aid. Courage! Attack him, put him to flight.

The Chorus of Knights enters at top speed.

Leader of the Chorus

Strike, strike the villain, who has spread confusion amongst the ranks of the Knights, this public robber, this yawning gulf of plunder, this devouring Charybdis, this villain, this villain, this villain! I cannot say the word too often, 250 for he is a villain a thousand times a day. Come, strike, drive, hurl him over and crush him to pieces; hate him as we hate him; stun him with your blows and your shouts. And beware lest he escape you; he knows the way Eucrates took straight to a bran sack for concealment.

Cleon

255 Oh! veteran Heliasts, brotherhood of the three obols, whom I fostered by bawling at random, help me; I am being beaten to death by rebels.

Leader of the Chorus

And justly too; you devour the public funds that all should share in; you treat the treasury officials like the fruit of the fig tree, squeezing them to find 260 which are still green or more or less ripe; and, when you find a simple and timid one, you force him to come from the Chersonese , then you seize him by the middle, throttle him by the neck, while you twist his shoulder back; he falls and you devour him. Besides, you know very well how to select from among the citizens those who are as meek as lambs, 265 rich, without guile and loathers of lawsuits.

Cleon

Eh! what! Knights, are you helping them? But, if I am beaten, it is in your cause, for I was going to propose to erect a statue in the city in memory of your bravery.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! the impostor! the dull varlet! See! he treats us 270 like old dotards and crawls at our feet to deceive us; but the cunning wherein his power lies shall this time recoil on himself; he trips up himself by resorting to such artifices.

Cleon

Oh citizens! oh people! see how these brutes are bursting my belly.

Leader of the Chorus

What shouts! but it's this very bawling that incessantly upsets the city!

Sausage-Seller

275 I can shout too—and so loud that you will flee with fear.

Leader of the Chorus

If you shout louder than he does I will strike up the triumphal hymn; if you surpass him in impudence the cake is ours.

Cleon

I denounce this fellow; he has had tasty stews exported from Athens for the Spartan fleet.

Sausage-Seller

280 And I denounce him; he runs into the Prytaneum with an empty belly and comes out with it full.

Demosthenes

And by Zeus! he carries off bread, meat, and fish, which is forbidden. Pericles himself never had this right.

English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) Experimental (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) — 242 focus

Demosthenes: Men of the cavalry, come here; now is the time. O Simon,

Demosthenes: 'Oh Panaitius, aren't you driving towards the right horn?'

Demosthenes: Men, close! But defend yourself and turn back again.

Demosthenes: The dust is obvious that they are lying there together.

245

Demosthenes: But defend yourself and pursue him and make him turn tail.

Chorus of Knights: Strike, strike the cunning and horse-shaking man.

Chorus of Knights: and the tax-collector, and the chasm, and Charybdis of plunder,

Chorus of Knights: Cunning and cunning; for often I will say it.

Chorus of Knights: For this fellow was a rogue many times during the day.

250

Chorus of Horsemen: but strike and pursue and confuse and confuse!

Chorus of Knights: And you shall be loathed, for we too will shout it out.

Chorus of Knights: Beware lest he escape you; for he knows the ways,

Chorus of Knights: Just as Eukrates was fleeing straight from the corybants.

Cleon: O old men, sun-bathers, brothers of the obol,

255

Cleon: Whom I feed, shouting, both just and unjust,

Cleon: Help me, as I am being beaten by conspirators.

Chorus: You do it justly, since you are devouring the common property before you have drawn lots.

Chorus: and you squeeze them while pressing, checking those who are responsible,

Chorus: whoever of them is raw or ripe or not ripe,

260

Chorus: And if you know any one of them to be idle and gaping,

Chorus: having brought down, having slandered from the Chersonese, having anchored

Chorus: Then, turning your own shoulder, you stumbled.

Chorus: And you look carefully among the citizens as to who is a lamb-shearer,

Chorus: rich and not wicked and trembling over the affairs.

265

Cleon: You are pressing the attack? But I, men, am being beaten because of you,

Cleon: because I was about to express my opinion as being just in the city.

Cleon: It is to set up a monument of your bravery.

Chorus: What a bluffer, what a braggart! You saw how he carries himself!

Chorus: As if he is treating us old men like cobblers?

270

Chorus: But if he wins in this way, he will be struck in this way.

Chorus: But if he ever leans back from the right, his leg will be shattered.

Cleon: O city and people, how I am being gorged by what beasts!

Chorus: And you have shouted, just as always destroying the city?

Cleon: But I will turn you to flight first with this noise.

275

Chorus: but if you are victorious in the shouting, you are a jackdaw;

Chorus: If he passes you with impudence, then our pyramus [is done].

Cleon: This man I accuse, and I say that he is to be brought forward.

Cleon: pickles for the triremes of the Peloponnesians.

Sausage-seller: Yes, by Zeus, and I [want] this one, because it has an empty belly.

280

Sausage-Seller: Having run into the Prytaneion, then again he throws it with full force.

Demosthenes: By Zeus, he is indeed bringing out the secret things, along with bread and meat.

Demosthenes: And a piece, for which Pericles was never deemed worthy.

Commentary

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) focus

254. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-1

Line 254

ἅσπερ Εὐκράτης ἔφευγεν εὐθὺ τῶν κυρηβίων.

Aristophanes Knights 254

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 254

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων

ὦ γέροντες ἡλιασταί, φράτερες τριωβόλου,
255

οὓς ἐγὼ βόσκω κεκραγὼς καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα,

παραβοηθεῖθʼ, ὡς ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν τύπτομαι ξυνωμοτῶν.

Κλέων

ξυνεπίκεισθʼ ὑμεῖς; ἐγὼ δʼ ἄνδρες διʼ ὑμᾶς τύπτομαι,

ὅτι λέγειν γνώμην ἔμελλον ὡς δίκαιον ἐν πόλει

ἑστάναι μνημεῖον ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἀνδρείας χάριν.

Κλέων

ὦ πόλις καὶ δῆμʼ ὑφʼ οἵων θηρίων γαστρίζομαι.

Χορός

καὶ κέκραγας, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τὴν πόλιν καταστρέφει;

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ἐγώ σε τῇ βοῇ ταύτῃ γε πρῶτα τρέψομαι.
275

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μέντοι γε νικᾷς τῇ βοῇ, τήνελλος εἶ·

ἢν δʼ ἀναιδείᾳ παρέλθῃ σʼ, ἡμέτερος ὁ πυραμοῦς.

Κλέων

τουτονὶ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐγὼ ʼνδείκνυμι, καὶ φήμʼ ἐξάγειν

ταῖσι Πελοποννησίων τριήρεσι ζωμεύματα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ μὰ Δία κἄγωγε τοῦτον, ὅτι κενῇ τῇ κοιλίᾳ
280

ἐσδραμὼν ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον, εἶτα πάλιν ἐκθεῖ πλέᾳ.

Δημοσθένης

νὴ Δίʼ ἐξάγων γε τἀπόρρηθʼ, ἅμʼ ἄρτον καὶ κρέας

καὶ τέμαχος, οὗ Περικλέης οὐκ ἠξιώθη πώποτε.

Demosthenes

To the rescue, oh, Knights. Now is the time. Simon, Panaetius, get you to the right wing; they are coming on; hold tight and return to the charge. 245 I can see the dust of their horses' hoofs; they are galloping to our aid. Courage! Attack him, put him to flight.

Cleon

255 Oh! veteran Heliasts, brotherhood of the three obols, whom I fostered by bawling at random, help me; I am being beaten to death by rebels.

Cleon

Eh! what! Knights, are you helping them? But, if I am beaten, it is in your cause, for I was going to propose to erect a statue in the city in memory of your bravery.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! the impostor! the dull varlet! See! he treats us 270 like old dotards and crawls at our feet to deceive us; but the cunning wherein his power lies shall this time recoil on himself; he trips up himself by resorting to such artifices.

Cleon

Oh citizens! oh people! see how these brutes are bursting my belly.

Leader of the Chorus

What shouts! but it's this very bawling that incessantly upsets the city!

Sausage-Seller

275 I can shout too—and so loud that you will flee with fear.

Leader of the Chorus

If you shout louder than he does I will strike up the triumphal hymn; if you surpass him in impudence the cake is ours.

Cleon

I denounce this fellow; he has had tasty stews exported from Athens for the Spartan fleet.

Sausage-Seller

280 And I denounce him; he runs into the Prytaneum with an empty belly and comes out with it full.

Demosthenes

And by Zeus! he carries off bread, meat, and fish, which is forbidden. Pericles himself never had this right.

Commentary

Line 254

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 254

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων ὦ γέροντες ἡλιασταί, φράτερες τριωβόλου, 255 οὓς ἐγὼ βόσκω κεκραγὼς καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα, παραβοηθεῖθʼ, ὡς ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν τύπτομαι ξυνωμοτῶν.

Κλέων ξυνεπίκεισθʼ ὑμεῖς; ἐγὼ δʼ ἄνδρες διʼ ὑμᾶς τύπτομαι, ὅτι λέγειν γνώμην ἔμελλον ὡς δίκαιον ἐν πόλει ἑστάναι μνημεῖον ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἀνδρείας χάριν.

Κλέων ὦ πόλις καὶ δῆμʼ ὑφʼ οἵων θηρίων γαστρίζομαι.

Χορός καὶ κέκραγας, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τὴν πόλιν καταστρέφει;

Κλέων ἀλλʼ ἐγώ σε τῇ βοῇ ταύτῃ γε πρῶτα τρέψομαι. 275

Χορός ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μέντοι γε νικᾷς τῇ βοῇ, τήνελλος εἶ· ἢν δʼ ἀναιδείᾳ παρέλθῃ σʼ, ἡμέτερος ὁ πυραμοῦς.

Κλέων τουτονὶ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐγὼ ʼνδείκνυμι, καὶ φήμʼ ἐξάγειν ταῖσι Πελοποννησίων τριήρεσι ζωμεύματα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ναὶ μὰ Δία κἄγωγε τοῦτον, ὅτι κενῇ τῇ κοιλίᾳ 280 ἐσδραμὼν ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον, εἶτα πάλιν ἐκθεῖ πλέᾳ.

Δημοσθένης νὴ Δίʼ ἐξάγων γε τἀπόρρηθʼ, ἅμʼ ἄρτον καὶ κρέας καὶ τέμαχος, οὗ Περικλέης οὐκ ἠξιώθη πώποτε.

Demosthenes To the rescue, oh, Knights. Now is the time. Simon, Panaetius, get you to the right wing; they are coming on; hold tight and return to the charge. 245 I can see the dust of their horses' hoofs; they are galloping to our aid. Courage! Attack him, put him to flight.

Cleon 255 Oh! veteran Heliasts, brotherhood of the three obols, whom I fostered by bawling at random, help me; I am being beaten to death by rebels.

Cleon Eh! what! Knights, are you helping them? But, if I am beaten, it is in your cause, for I was going to propose to erect a statue in the city in memory of your bravery.

Leader of the Chorus Oh! the impostor! the dull varlet! See! he treats us 270 like old dotards and crawls at our feet to deceive us; but the cunning wherein his power lies shall this time recoil on himself; he trips up himself by resorting to such artifices.

Cleon Oh citizens! oh people! see how these brutes are bursting my belly.

Leader of the Chorus What shouts! but it's this very bawling that incessantly upsets the city!

Sausage-Seller 275 I can shout too—and so loud that you will flee with fear.

Leader of the Chorus If you shout louder than he does I will strike up the triumphal hymn; if you surpass him in impudence the cake is ours.

Cleon I denounce this fellow; he has had tasty stews exported from Athens for the Spartan fleet.

Sausage-Seller 280 And I denounce him; he runs into the Prytaneum with an empty belly and comes out with it full.

Demosthenes And by Zeus! he carries off bread, meat, and fish, which is forbidden. Pericles himself never had this right.

Commentary

Line 254

Stable identifiers

Κλέων

ὦ γέροντες ἡλιασταί, φράτερες τριωβόλου,
255

οὓς ἐγὼ βόσκω κεκραγὼς καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα,

παραβοηθεῖθʼ, ὡς ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν τύπτομαι ξυνωμοτῶν.

Κλέων

ξυνεπίκεισθʼ ὑμεῖς; ἐγὼ δʼ ἄνδρες διʼ ὑμᾶς τύπτομαι,

ὅτι λέγειν γνώμην ἔμελλον ὡς δίκαιον ἐν πόλει

ἑστάναι μνημεῖον ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἀνδρείας χάριν.

Κλέων

ὦ πόλις καὶ δῆμʼ ὑφʼ οἵων θηρίων γαστρίζομαι.

Χορός

καὶ κέκραγας, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τὴν πόλιν καταστρέφει;

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ἐγώ σε τῇ βοῇ ταύτῃ γε πρῶτα τρέψομαι.
275

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μέντοι γε νικᾷς τῇ βοῇ, τήνελλος εἶ·

ἢν δʼ ἀναιδείᾳ παρέλθῃ σʼ, ἡμέτερος ὁ πυραμοῦς.

Κλέων

τουτονὶ τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐγὼ ʼνδείκνυμι, καὶ φήμʼ ἐξάγειν

ταῖσι Πελοποννησίων τριήρεσι ζωμεύματα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ μὰ Δία κἄγωγε τοῦτον, ὅτι κενῇ τῇ κοιλίᾳ
280

ἐσδραμὼν ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον, εἶτα πάλιν ἐκθεῖ πλέᾳ.

Δημοσθένης

νὴ Δίʼ ἐξάγων γε τἀπόρρηθʼ, ἅμʼ ἄρτον καὶ κρέας

καὶ τέμαχος, οὗ Περικλέης οὐκ ἠξιώθη πώποτε.

Demosthenes

To the rescue, oh, Knights. Now is the time. Simon, Panaetius, get you to the right wing; they are coming on; hold tight and return to the charge. 245 I can see the dust of their horses' hoofs; they are galloping to our aid. Courage! Attack him, put him to flight.

Cleon

255 Oh! veteran Heliasts, brotherhood of the three obols, whom I fostered by bawling at random, help me; I am being beaten to death by rebels.

Cleon

Eh! what! Knights, are you helping them? But, if I am beaten, it is in your cause, for I was going to propose to erect a statue in the city in memory of your bravery.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! the impostor! the dull varlet! See! he treats us 270 like old dotards and crawls at our feet to deceive us; but the cunning wherein his power lies shall this time recoil on himself; he trips up himself by resorting to such artifices.

Cleon

Oh citizens! oh people! see how these brutes are bursting my belly.

Leader of the Chorus

What shouts! but it's this very bawling that incessantly upsets the city!

Sausage-Seller

275 I can shout too—and so loud that you will flee with fear.

Leader of the Chorus

If you shout louder than he does I will strike up the triumphal hymn; if you surpass him in impudence the cake is ours.

Cleon

I denounce this fellow; he has had tasty stews exported from Athens for the Spartan fleet.

Sausage-Seller

280 And I denounce him; he runs into the Prytaneum with an empty belly and comes out with it full.

Demosthenes

And by Zeus! he carries off bread, meat, and fish, which is forbidden. Pericles himself never had this right.