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Line 422

ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

The phrase πρὸ χελιδόνων functions as a temporal idiom meaning 'before the swallows arrive' (i.e., early in the year). The specific ordering of the action—eating stinging nettles before the swallows' return—creates a vivid, grotesque image of extreme hunger and poverty, as the swallows are traditionally associated with the arrival of spring and the end of winter scarcity. This temporal marker is a standard Attic idiom for 'early in the year' (cf. Thucydides 1.135), but its juxtaposition here with the consumption of ἀκαλήφας (nettles) heightens the satirical effect of the character's destitution.

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.) — 409 focus

Κλέων

οὔτοί μʼ ὑπερβαλεῖσθʼ ἀναιδείᾳ μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ,

ἢ μή ποτʼ ἀγοραίου Διὸς σπλάλχνοισι παραγενοίμην.
410

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἔγωγε νὴ τοὺς κονδύλους οὓς πολλὰ δὴ ʼπὶ πολλοῖς

ἠνεσχόμην ἐκ παιδίων, μαχαιρίδων τε πληγάς,

ὑπερβαλεῖσθαί σʼ οἴομαι τούτοισιν, ἢ μάτην γʼ ἂν

ἀπομαγδαλιὰς σιτούμενος τοσοῦτος ἐκτραφείην.

Κλέων

ἀπομαγδαλιὰς ὥσπερ κύων; ὦ παμπόνηρε πῶς οὖν
415

κυνὸς βορὰν σιτούμενος μαχεῖ σὺ κυνοκεφάλλῳ;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἄλλα γʼ ἐστί μου κόβαλα παιδὸς ὄντος.

ἐξηπάτων γὰρ τοὺς μαγείρους ἐπιλέγων τοιαυτί·

σκέψασθε παῖδες· οὐχ ὁρᾶθʼ; ὥρα νέα, χελιδών.

οἱ δʼ ἔβλεπον, κἀγὼ ʼν τοσούτῳ τῶν κρεῶν ἔκλεπτον.
420

Χορός

ὦ δεξιώτατον κρέας σοφῶς γε προὐνοήσω·

ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ ταῦτα δρῶν ἐλάνθανόν γʼ· εἰ δʼ οὖν ἴδοι τις αὐτῶν,

ἀποκρυπτόμενος ἐς τὼ κοχώνα τοὺς θεοὺς ἀπώμνυν·

ὥστʼ εἶπʼ ἀνὴρ τῶν ῥητόρων ἰδών με τοῦτο δρῶντα·
425

οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ὁ παῖς ὅδʼ οὐ τὸν δῆμον ἐπιτροπεύσει.

Χορός

εὖ γε ξυνέβαλεν αὔτʼ· ἀτὰρ δῆλόν γʼ ἀφʼ οὗ ξυνέγνω·

ὁτιὴ ʼπιώρκεις θʼ ἡρπακὼς καὶ κρέας ὁ πρωκτὸς εἶχεν.

Κλέων

ἐγώ σε παύσω τοῦ θράσους, οἶμαι δὲ μᾶλλον ἄμφω.

ἔξειμι γάρ σοι λαμπρὸς ἤδη καὶ μέγας καθιείς,
430

ὁμοῦ ταράττων τήν τε γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν εἰκῇ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ συστείλας γε τοὺς ἀλλᾶντας εἶτʼ ἀφήσω

κατὰ κῦμʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔριον, κλάειν σε μακρὰ κελεύσας.

Δημοσθένης

κἄγωγʼ, ἐάν τι παραχαλᾷ, τὴν ἀντλίαν φυλάξω.

Κλέων

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα καταπροίξει τάλαντα πολλὰ
435

κλέψας Ἀθηναίων.

Δημοσθένης

ἄθρει καὶ τοῦ ποδὸς παρίει·

ὡς οὗτος ἤδη καικίας καὶ συκοφαντίας πνεῖ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

σὲ δʼ ἐκ Ποτειδαίας ἔχοντʼ εὖ οἶδα δέκα τάλαντα.

Κλέων

τί δῆτα; βούλει τῶν ταλάντων ἓν λαβὼν σιωπᾶν;

Χορός

ἁνὴρ ἂν ἡδέως λάβοι. τοὺς τερθρίους παρίει·
440

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.) — 409 focus

Cleon

By Poseidon! You! would you beat me in impudence! 410 If you succeed, may I no longer have my share of the victims offered to Zeus on the city altar.

Sausage-Seller

And I, I swear by the blows that have so oft rained upon my shoulders since infancy, and by the knives that have cut me, that I will show more effrontery than you; as sure as I have rounded this fine stomach by feeding on the pieces of bread that had cleansed other folk's greasy fingers.

Cleon

415 On pieces of bread, like a dog! Ah! wretch! you have the nature of a dog and you dare to fight a dog-headed ape?

Sausage-Seller

I have many another trick in my sack, memories of my childhood's days. I used to linger around the cooks and say to them, “Look, friends don't you see a swallow? It's the herald of springtime.” 420 And while they stood, their noses in the air, I made off with a piece of meat.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! most clever man! How well thought out! You did as the eaters of artichokes, you gathered them before the return of the swallows.

Sausage-Seller

They could make nothing of it; or, if they suspected a trick, I hid the meat in my crotch and denied the thing by all the gods; 425 so that an orator, seeing me at the game, cried, “This child will get on; he has the mettle that makes a statesman.”

Leader of the Chorus

He argued rightly; to steal, perjure yourself and make your arse receptive are three essentials for climbing high.

Cleon

I will stop your insolence, or rather the insolence of both of you. 430 I will throw myself upon you like a terrible hurricane ravaging both land and sea at the will of its fury.

Sausage-Seller

Then I will gather up my sausages and entrust myself to the kindly waves of fortune so as to make you all the more enraged.

Demosthenes

And I will watch in the bilges in case the boat should make water.

Cleon

435 No, by Demeter! I swear, it will not be with impunity that you have thieved so many talents from the Athenians.

Demosthenes
to the Sausage-Seller

Oh! oh! reef your sail a bit! Here is a Northeaster blowing calumniously.

Sausage-Seller

I know that you got ten talents out of Potidaea .

Cleon

Wait! I will give you one; but keep it dark!

Leader of the Chorus
aside

440 Hah! that will please him mightily;

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.) — 409 focus

Cleon: They shall not outdo me in shamelessness, by Poseidon,

Cleon: Or could I perhaps have come by the entrails of the market Zeus?

410

Sausage-seller: I swear by the knuckles which I have often used on many occasions

Sausage-Seller: I endured from childhood, even the blows of small knives,

Sausage-seller: I think you will surpass these men, or I would be mistaken.

Sausage-seller: If only I had been reared on dates and almonds!

Cleon: apricots like a dog? Oh you most villainous fellow, how then

415

Cleon: Will you fight while eating dog's fodder, you dog-headed man?

Sausage-Seller: And by Zeus, I have other balls besides, since I am a father.

Sausage-seller: For they used to deceive the cooks by choosing them thus;

Sausage-Seller: Look, children; don't you see? It is a young time, a swallow.

Meat-Seller: But they were watching, and I, in the meantime, was stealing some of the meat.

420

Chorus: O most clever meat, you have wisely taken care of it!

Chorus: just as you steal while eating nettle-leaves before the swallows.

Ball-seller: "And while doing this, he went unnoticed, I say; but if someone were to see one of them,"

Sausage-Seller: swearing by the gods while hiding in the jar;

Sausage-seller: So a man, one of the orators, seeing me doing this, said:

425

Sausage-seller: It is not possible that this boy will not manage the demos.

Chorus: That was a good fit indeed; but it is clear from the beginning that he was in agreement.

Chorus: For since you swore and stole, the anus had meat.

Cleon: I will stop your boldness, and I think both of us [will be stopped].

Cleon: For I shall go out to you already splendid and great, descending,

430

Cleon: Stirring up both the land and the sea at random.

Butcher of salted fish: I, having gathered the salted fish, will then set them free.

Sausage-seller: I myself turned my back to the wave, ordering you to weep at length.

Demosthenes: And I, too, will guard the pump, if it leaks at all.

Cleon: By no means, by Demeter, will he squander many talents.

435

Cleon: having stolen [from] the Athenians.

Demosthenes: Look, and it is also letting go of the foot;

Demosthenes: as this man already smells of bribery and blackmail.

Ball-seller: And I know well that you, having come from Potidaea, have ten talents.

Cleon: What then? Do you want to take one talent and be silent?

Chorus: A man would gladly take it. He was releasing the tertrians.

440

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

422. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-15

Line 422

ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

Aristophanes Knights 422

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 422

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων

οὔτοί μʼ ὑπερβαλεῖσθʼ ἀναιδείᾳ μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ,

ἢ μή ποτʼ ἀγοραίου Διὸς σπλάλχνοισι παραγενοίμην.
410

Κλέων

ἀπομαγδαλιὰς ὥσπερ κύων; ὦ παμπόνηρε πῶς οὖν
415

κυνὸς βορὰν σιτούμενος μαχεῖ σὺ κυνοκεφάλλῳ;

Χορός

ὦ δεξιώτατον κρέας σοφῶς γε προὐνοήσω·

ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

Χορός

εὖ γε ξυνέβαλεν αὔτʼ· ἀτὰρ δῆλόν γʼ ἀφʼ οὗ ξυνέγνω·

ὁτιὴ ʼπιώρκεις θʼ ἡρπακὼς καὶ κρέας ὁ πρωκτὸς εἶχεν.

Κλέων

ἐγώ σε παύσω τοῦ θράσους, οἶμαι δὲ μᾶλλον ἄμφω.

ἔξειμι γάρ σοι λαμπρὸς ἤδη καὶ μέγας καθιείς,
430

ὁμοῦ ταράττων τήν τε γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν εἰκῇ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ συστείλας γε τοὺς ἀλλᾶντας εἶτʼ ἀφήσω

κατὰ κῦμʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔριον, κλάειν σε μακρὰ κελεύσας.

Δημοσθένης

κἄγωγʼ, ἐάν τι παραχαλᾷ, τὴν ἀντλίαν φυλάξω.

Κλέων

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα καταπροίξει τάλαντα πολλὰ
435

κλέψας Ἀθηναίων.

Δημοσθένης

ἄθρει καὶ τοῦ ποδὸς παρίει·

ὡς οὗτος ἤδη καικίας καὶ συκοφαντίας πνεῖ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

σὲ δʼ ἐκ Ποτειδαίας ἔχοντʼ εὖ οἶδα δέκα τάλαντα.

Κλέων

τί δῆτα; βούλει τῶν ταλάντων ἓν λαβὼν σιωπᾶν;

Χορός

ἁνὴρ ἂν ἡδέως λάβοι. τοὺς τερθρίους παρίει·
440

Cleon

By Poseidon! You! would you beat me in impudence! 410 If you succeed, may I no longer have my share of the victims offered to Zeus on the city altar.

Cleon

415 On pieces of bread, like a dog! Ah! wretch! you have the nature of a dog and you dare to fight a dog-headed ape?

Sausage-Seller

I have many another trick in my sack, memories of my childhood's days. I used to linger around the cooks and say to them, “Look, friends don't you see a swallow? It's the herald of springtime.” 420 And while they stood, their noses in the air, I made off with a piece of meat.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! most clever man! How well thought out! You did as the eaters of artichokes, you gathered them before the return of the swallows.

Sausage-Seller

They could make nothing of it; or, if they suspected a trick, I hid the meat in my crotch and denied the thing by all the gods; 425 so that an orator, seeing me at the game, cried, “This child will get on; he has the mettle that makes a statesman.”

Leader of the Chorus

He argued rightly; to steal, perjure yourself and make your arse receptive are three essentials for climbing high.

Cleon

I will stop your insolence, or rather the insolence of both of you. 430 I will throw myself upon you like a terrible hurricane ravaging both land and sea at the will of its fury.

Sausage-Seller

Then I will gather up my sausages and entrust myself to the kindly waves of fortune so as to make you all the more enraged.

Demosthenes

And I will watch in the bilges in case the boat should make water.

Cleon

435 No, by Demeter! I swear, it will not be with impunity that you have thieved so many talents from the Athenians.

Demosthenes
to the Sausage-Seller

Oh! oh! reef your sail a bit! Here is a Northeaster blowing calumniously.

Sausage-Seller

I know that you got ten talents out of Potidaea .

Cleon

Wait! I will give you one; but keep it dark!

Leader of the Chorus
aside

440 Hah! that will please him mightily;

Commentary

Line 422

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 422

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων οὔτοί μʼ ὑπερβαλεῖσθʼ ἀναιδείᾳ μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ, ἢ μή ποτʼ ἀγοραίου Διὸς σπλάλχνοισι παραγενοίμην. 410

Κλέων ἀπομαγδαλιὰς ὥσπερ κύων; ὦ παμπόνηρε πῶς οὖν 415 κυνὸς βορὰν σιτούμενος μαχεῖ σὺ κυνοκεφάλλῳ;

Χορός ὦ δεξιώτατον κρέας σοφῶς γε προὐνοήσω· ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

Χορός εὖ γε ξυνέβαλεν αὔτʼ· ἀτὰρ δῆλόν γʼ ἀφʼ οὗ ξυνέγνω· ὁτιὴ ʼπιώρκεις θʼ ἡρπακὼς καὶ κρέας ὁ πρωκτὸς εἶχεν.

Κλέων ἐγώ σε παύσω τοῦ θράσους, οἶμαι δὲ μᾶλλον ἄμφω. ἔξειμι γάρ σοι λαμπρὸς ἤδη καὶ μέγας καθιείς, 430 ὁμοῦ ταράττων τήν τε γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν εἰκῇ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἐγὼ δὲ συστείλας γε τοὺς ἀλλᾶντας εἶτʼ ἀφήσω κατὰ κῦμʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔριον, κλάειν σε μακρὰ κελεύσας.

Δημοσθένης κἄγωγʼ, ἐάν τι παραχαλᾷ, τὴν ἀντλίαν φυλάξω.

Κλέων οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα καταπροίξει τάλαντα πολλὰ 435 κλέψας Ἀθηναίων.

Δημοσθένης ἄθρει καὶ τοῦ ποδὸς παρίει· ὡς οὗτος ἤδη καικίας καὶ συκοφαντίας πνεῖ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης σὲ δʼ ἐκ Ποτειδαίας ἔχοντʼ εὖ οἶδα δέκα τάλαντα.

Κλέων τί δῆτα; βούλει τῶν ταλάντων ἓν λαβὼν σιωπᾶν;

Χορός ἁνὴρ ἂν ἡδέως λάβοι. τοὺς τερθρίους παρίει· 440

Cleon By Poseidon! You! would you beat me in impudence! 410 If you succeed, may I no longer have my share of the victims offered to Zeus on the city altar.

Cleon 415 On pieces of bread, like a dog! Ah! wretch! you have the nature of a dog and you dare to fight a dog-headed ape?

Sausage-Seller I have many another trick in my sack, memories of my childhood's days. I used to linger around the cooks and say to them, “Look, friends don't you see a swallow? It's the herald of springtime.” 420 And while they stood, their noses in the air, I made off with a piece of meat.

Leader of the Chorus Oh! most clever man! How well thought out! You did as the eaters of artichokes, you gathered them before the return of the swallows.

Sausage-Seller They could make nothing of it; or, if they suspected a trick, I hid the meat in my crotch and denied the thing by all the gods; 425 so that an orator, seeing me at the game, cried, “This child will get on; he has the mettle that makes a statesman.”

Leader of the Chorus He argued rightly; to steal, perjure yourself and make your arse receptive are three essentials for climbing high.

Cleon I will stop your insolence, or rather the insolence of both of you. 430 I will throw myself upon you like a terrible hurricane ravaging both land and sea at the will of its fury.

Sausage-Seller Then I will gather up my sausages and entrust myself to the kindly waves of fortune so as to make you all the more enraged.

Demosthenes And I will watch in the bilges in case the boat should make water.

Cleon 435 No, by Demeter! I swear, it will not be with impunity that you have thieved so many talents from the Athenians.

Demosthenes to the Sausage-Seller Oh! oh! reef your sail a bit! Here is a Northeaster blowing calumniously.

Sausage-Seller I know that you got ten talents out of Potidaea .

Cleon Wait! I will give you one; but keep it dark!

Leader of the Chorus aside 440 Hah! that will please him mightily;

Commentary

Line 422

Stable identifiers

Κλέων

οὔτοί μʼ ὑπερβαλεῖσθʼ ἀναιδείᾳ μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ,

ἢ μή ποτʼ ἀγοραίου Διὸς σπλάλχνοισι παραγενοίμην.
410

Κλέων

ἀπομαγδαλιὰς ὥσπερ κύων; ὦ παμπόνηρε πῶς οὖν
415

κυνὸς βορὰν σιτούμενος μαχεῖ σὺ κυνοκεφάλλῳ;

Χορός

ὦ δεξιώτατον κρέας σοφῶς γε προὐνοήσω·

ὥσπερ ἀκαλήφας ἐσθίων πρὸ χελιδόνων ἔκλεπτες.

Χορός

εὖ γε ξυνέβαλεν αὔτʼ· ἀτὰρ δῆλόν γʼ ἀφʼ οὗ ξυνέγνω·

ὁτιὴ ʼπιώρκεις θʼ ἡρπακὼς καὶ κρέας ὁ πρωκτὸς εἶχεν.

Κλέων

ἐγώ σε παύσω τοῦ θράσους, οἶμαι δὲ μᾶλλον ἄμφω.

ἔξειμι γάρ σοι λαμπρὸς ἤδη καὶ μέγας καθιείς,
430

ὁμοῦ ταράττων τήν τε γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν εἰκῇ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ συστείλας γε τοὺς ἀλλᾶντας εἶτʼ ἀφήσω

κατὰ κῦμʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔριον, κλάειν σε μακρὰ κελεύσας.

Δημοσθένης

κἄγωγʼ, ἐάν τι παραχαλᾷ, τὴν ἀντλίαν φυλάξω.

Κλέων

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα καταπροίξει τάλαντα πολλὰ
435

κλέψας Ἀθηναίων.

Δημοσθένης

ἄθρει καὶ τοῦ ποδὸς παρίει·

ὡς οὗτος ἤδη καικίας καὶ συκοφαντίας πνεῖ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

σὲ δʼ ἐκ Ποτειδαίας ἔχοντʼ εὖ οἶδα δέκα τάλαντα.

Κλέων

τί δῆτα; βούλει τῶν ταλάντων ἓν λαβὼν σιωπᾶν;

Χορός

ἁνὴρ ἂν ἡδέως λάβοι. τοὺς τερθρίους παρίει·
440

Cleon

By Poseidon! You! would you beat me in impudence! 410 If you succeed, may I no longer have my share of the victims offered to Zeus on the city altar.

Cleon

415 On pieces of bread, like a dog! Ah! wretch! you have the nature of a dog and you dare to fight a dog-headed ape?

Sausage-Seller

I have many another trick in my sack, memories of my childhood's days. I used to linger around the cooks and say to them, “Look, friends don't you see a swallow? It's the herald of springtime.” 420 And while they stood, their noses in the air, I made off with a piece of meat.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! most clever man! How well thought out! You did as the eaters of artichokes, you gathered them before the return of the swallows.

Sausage-Seller

They could make nothing of it; or, if they suspected a trick, I hid the meat in my crotch and denied the thing by all the gods; 425 so that an orator, seeing me at the game, cried, “This child will get on; he has the mettle that makes a statesman.”

Leader of the Chorus

He argued rightly; to steal, perjure yourself and make your arse receptive are three essentials for climbing high.

Cleon

I will stop your insolence, or rather the insolence of both of you. 430 I will throw myself upon you like a terrible hurricane ravaging both land and sea at the will of its fury.

Sausage-Seller

Then I will gather up my sausages and entrust myself to the kindly waves of fortune so as to make you all the more enraged.

Demosthenes

And I will watch in the bilges in case the boat should make water.

Cleon

435 No, by Demeter! I swear, it will not be with impunity that you have thieved so many talents from the Athenians.

Demosthenes
to the Sausage-Seller

Oh! oh! reef your sail a bit! Here is a Northeaster blowing calumniously.

Sausage-Seller

I know that you got ten talents out of Potidaea .

Cleon

Wait! I will give you one; but keep it dark!

Leader of the Chorus
aside

440 Hah! that will please him mightily;