Line 647

εἶτʼ ἐστεφάνουν μʼ εὐαγγέλια· κἀγὼ φρασα

The verb φράζω here is used in its specialized legal sense of 'to deliberate' or 'to take counsel' (often followed by a clause of what is being decided), rather than its more common meanings of 'to show' or 'to tell'. In the context of the Paphlagonian (Cleon) and the Sausage-Seller's contest for power, the Sausage-Seller's response 'and I deliberated' implies a moment of political calculation or strategic decision-making in response to the flattery of 'good news' (εὐαγγέλια), highlighting the cynical, pragmatic nature of the political maneuvering at the heart of the play's satire.

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.) — 658 focus

κἄγωγʼ ὅτε δὴ γʼνων τοῖς βολίτοις ἡττημένος,

διακοσίαισι βουσὶν ὑπερηκόντισα,

τῇ δʼ Ἀγροτέρᾳ κατὰ χιλιῶν παρῄνεσα
660

εὐχὴν ποιήσασθαι χιμάρων εἰς αὔριον,

αἱ τριχίδες εἰ γενοίαθʼ ἑκατὸν τοὐβολοῦ.

ἐκαραδόκησεν εἰς ἔμʼ ἡ βουλὴ πάλιν.

ὁ δὲ ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας ἐκπλαγεὶς ἐφληνάφα.

κᾆθʼ εἷλκον αὐτὸν οἱ πρυτάνεις χοἰ τοξόται.
665

οἱ δʼ ἐθορύβουν περὶ τῶν ἀφύων ἑστηκότες·

ὁ δʼ ἠντεβόλει γʼ αὐτοὺς ὀλίγον μεῖναι χρόνον,

ἵνʼ ἅτθʼ ὁ κῆρυξ οὑκ Λακεδαίμονος λέγει

πύθησθʼ, ἀφῖκται γὰρ περὶ σπονδῶν, λέγων.

οἱ δʼ ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος ἅπαντες ἀνέκραγον·
670

νυνὶ περὶ σπονδῶν; ἐπειδή γʼ ὦ μέλε

ᾔσθοντο τὰς ἀφύας παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀξίας.

οὐ δεόμεθα σπονδῶν· ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω.

ἐκεκράγεσάν τε τοὺς πρυτάνεις ἀφιέναι·

εἶθʼ ὑπερεπήδων τοὺς δρυφάκτους πανταχῇ.
675

ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ κορίαννʼ ἐπριάμην ὑποδραμὼν

ἅπαντα τά τε γήτεἰ ὅσʼ ἦν ἐν τἀγορᾷ·

ἔπειτα ταῖς ἀφύαις ἐδίδουν ἡδύσματα

ἀποροῦσιν αὐτοῖς προῖκα κἀχαριζόμην.

οἱ δʼ ὑπερεπῄνουν ὑπερεπύππαζόν τέ με
680

ἅπαντες οὕτως ὥστε τὴν βουλὴν ὅλην

ὀβολοῦ κοριάννοις ἀναλαβὼν ἐλήλυθα.

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.) — 658 focus

Sausage-Seller

So when I saw myself defeated by this ox dung, I outbade the fellow, crying, “Two hundred!” And beyond this 660 I moved that a vow be made to Diana of a thousand goats if the next day anchovies should only be worth an obol a hundred. And the Senate looked towards me again. The other, stunned with the blow, grew delirious in his speech, 665 and at last the Prytanes and the Scythians dragged him out. The Senators then stood talking noisily about the anchovies. Cleon, however, begged them to listen to the Lacedaemonian envoy, who had come to make proposals of peace; 670 but all with one accord cried “Certainly it's not the moment to think of peace now! If anchovies are so cheap, what need have we of peace? Let the war take its course!” And with loud shouts they demanded that the Prytanes should close the sitting 675 and then they leapt over the rails in all directions. As for me, I slipped away to buy all the coriander seed and leeks there were on the market and gave it to them gratis as seasoning for their anchovies. It was marvellous! 680 They loaded me with praises and caresses; thus I conquered the Senate with an obol's worth of leeks, and here I am.

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.) — 658 focus

Sausage-Seller: And I, when I was indeed defeated by the javelins,

Sausage-Seller: I have sharpened it with two hundred oxen,

Sausage-seller: But I advised Agoracritus against a thousand [drachmas].

660

Sausage-seller: to make a sacrifice of goats for tomorrow,

Sausage-seller: If the skins had been worth a drachma each!

Sausage-seller: The council has again waited in ambush for me.

Sausage-seller: But he, having heard these things, was struck with wonder and gaped.

Sausage-Seller: And then the prytanes and the bowmen dragged him away.

665

Sausage-seller: But they were making a noise, standing around the figs;

Sausage-Seller: But he was trying to make them stay for a little while,

Sausage-Seller: so that the herald, not of Sparta, may say these things

Sausage-Seller: Find out, for he has arrived concerning truces, saying.

Sausage-Seller: But they all shouted out with one voice:

670

Sausage-seller: Now about the truce? Since, O my dear...

Allan-topōlēs: They have discovered the nets to be worthy among us.

Sausage-seller: We do not need libations; let the war crawl on.

Sausage-seller: They have been shouting that the prytanes should be let go;

Sausage-seller: Then he jumped over the thorns everywhere.

675

Sausage-Seller: But I bought the coriander seeds by running underneath.

Sausage-Seller: All the spells and everything that was in the marketplace;

Ball-seller: Then they used to give sweets with their nets.

Sausage-seller: They are at a loss; I gave it to them for free and with a favor.

Sausage-seller: But they were excessively praising me and excessively riding me.

680

Sausage-seller: all in such a way that the entire council

Sausage-seller: Having taken coriander for an obol, I have come.

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

647. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-34

Line 647

εἶτʼ ἐστεφάνουν μʼ εὐαγγέλια· κἀγὼ φρασα

Aristophanes Knights 647

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 647

Current edition Experimental

Commentary

Line 647

Stable identifiers