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Line 707

ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν; ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;

The particle ἄν with the optative φάγοις (aorist active optative of φαγεῖν) in this interrogative context expresses a potential or hypothetical condition, roughly 'would you rather eat...?' The construction ἐπὶ + dative here denotes the sphere of preference or the 'basis' for the choice ('on the basis of the [food]?', 'on the basis of the [purse]?'), a usage that shifts the prepositional meaning from spatial to abstract preference, a nuance specific to the comic register of Aristophanes.

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.) — 691 focus

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ μὴν ὁ Παφλαγὼν οὑτοσὶ προσέρχεται,

ὠθῶν κολόκυμα καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶν,

ὡς δὴ καταπιόμενός με. μορμὼ τοῦ θράσους.

Κλέων

εἰ μή σʼ ἀπολέσαιμʼ, εἴ τι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐμοὶ

ψευδῶν ἐνείη, διαπέσοιμι πανταχῇ.
695

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἥσθην ἀπειλαῖς, ἐγέλασα ψολοκομπίαις,

ἀπεπυδάρισα μόθωνα, περιεκόκκασα.

Κλέων

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἐὰν μή σʼ ἐκφάγω

ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς, οὐδέποτε βιώσομαι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἣν μὴ κʼφάγῃς; ἐγὼ δέ γʼ, ἢν μή σʼ ἐκπίω
700

κἀπεκροφήσας αὐτὸς ἐπιδιαρραγῶ.

Κλέων

ἀπολῶ σε νὴ τὴν προεδρίαν τὴν ἐκ Πύλου.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ προεδρίαν· οἷον ὅψομαί σʼ ἐγὼ

ἐκ τῆς προεδρίας ἔσχατον θεώμενον.

Κλέων

ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δήσω σε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.
705

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὡς ὀξύθυμος. φέρε τί σοι δῶ καταφαγεῖν;

ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν; ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;

Κλέων

ἐξαρπάσομαί σου τοῖς ὄνυξι τἄντερα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἀπονυχιῶ σου τἀν πρυτανείῳ σιτία.

Κλέων

ἕλξω σε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἵνα δῷς μοι δίκην.
710

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κἀγὼ δέ σʼ ἕλξω καὶ διαβαλῶ πλείονα.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν πείθεται·

ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκείνου καταγελῶ γʼ ὅσον θέλω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὡς σφόδρα σὺ τὸν δῆμον σεαυτοῦ νενόμικας.

Κλέων

ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν οἷς ψωμίζεται.
715

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κᾆθʼ ὥσπερ αἱ τίτθαι γε σιτίζεις κακῶς.

μασώμενος γὰρ τῷ μὲν ὀλίγον ἐντίθης,

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκείνου τριπλάσιον κατέσπακας.

Κλέων

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ὑπό γε δεξιότητος τῆς ἐμῆς

δύναμαι ποιεῖν τὸν δῆμον εὐρὺν καὶ στενόν.
720

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

χὠ πρωκτὸς οὑμὸς τουτογὶ σοφίζεται.

Κλέων

οὐκ ὦγάθʼ ἐν βουλῇ με δόξεις καθυβρίσαι.

ἴωμεν ἐς τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐδὲν κωλύει·

ἰδοὺ βάδιζε, μηδὲν ἡμᾶς ἰσχέτω.

Κλέων

ὦ Δῆμε δεῦρʼ ἔξελθε.
725

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

νὴ Δίʼ ὦ πάτερ

ἔξελθε δῆτʼ.

Κλέων

ὦ Δημίδιον ὦ φίλτατον

ἔξελθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς οἷα περιυβρίζομαι.

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.) — 691 focus

Sausage-Seller

Ah! ah! here comes the Paphlagonian! One would say it was a hurricane lashing the sea and rolling the waves before it in its fury. He looks as if he wanted to swallow me up alive! Ye gods! what an impudent knave!

Cleon
as he rushes in

To my aid, 695 my beloved lies! I am going to destroy you, or my name is lost.

Sausage-Seller

Oh! how he diverts me with his threats! His bluster makes me laugh! And I dance the mothon for joy, and sing at the top of my voice, cuckoo!

Cleon

Ah! by Demeter! if I do not kill and devour you, may I die!

Sausage-Seller

700 If you do not devour me? and I, if I do not drink your blood to the last drop, and then burst with indigestion.

Cleon

I, I will strangle you, I swear it by the front seat which Pylos gained me.

Sausage-Seller

By the front seat! Ah! might I see you fall into the hindmost seat!

Cleon

705 By heaven! I will put you to the torture.

Sausage-Seller

What a lively wit! Come, what's the best to give you to eat? What do you prefer? A purse?

Cleon

I will tear out your insides with my nails.

Sausage-Seller

And I will cut off your victuals at the Prytaneum.

Cleon

710 I will haul you before Demos, who will mete out justice to you.

Sausage-Seller

And I too will drag you before him and belch forth more calumnies than you.

Cleon

Why, poor fool, he does not believe you, whereas I play with him at will.

Sausage-Seller

Is then Demos your property, your contemptible creature?

Cleon

715 It's because I know the dishes that please him.

Sausage-Seller

And these are little mouthfuls, which you serve to him like a clever nurse. You chew the pieces and place some in small quantities in his mouth, while you swallow three parts yourself.

Cleon

Thanks to my skill, 720 I know exactly how to enlarge or contract this gullet.

Sausage-Seller

My arse is just as clever.

Cleon

Well, my friend, you tricked me at the Senate, but take care! Let us go before Demos.

Sausage-Seller

That's easily done; come, let's do it right away.

Cleon
Loudly

725 Oh, Demos! Come out here.

Sausage-Seller

By Zeus, Father, come on out!

Kleon
More loudly

Come, oh, my dear little Demos; come and see how I am insulted.

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.) — 691 focus

Sausage-Seller: And indeed this Paphlagonian is approaching,

Sausage-seller: pushing a gourd, troubling, and making a noise,

Sausage-Seller: As if I were swallowing you! You insolent rascal!

Cleon: if I were not to destroy you, if you had anything of the same sort as mine

Cleon: May I be struck down by falsehoods, may I fall through everywhere.

695

Sausage-seller: I was delighted by threats, I laughed at buffooneries,

Ball-player: I have thrown the ball to the back, I have tossed it to the front.

Cleon: No, by Demeter, unless I eat you up!

Cleon: From this land, I shall never live again.

Sausage-seller: "What you will not eat? Well, I will, unless I drink you up."

700

Ball-seller: And after having coughed it up myself, I am going to vomit it again.

Cleon: I will destroy you, by the presidency at Pylos.

Sausage-Seller: Here is the presidency! How I shall look upon you, I!

Sausage-seller: the last one looking from the presidency.

Cleon: In the wood I will bind you, by heaven.

705

Sausage-seller: How short-tempered! Come, what shall I give you to eat?

Sausage-seller: 'On the condition that you eat it most pleasantly? On the condition of your purse?'

Cleon: I will snatch your intestines with my claws.

Sausage-Seller: I will take your nails off in the Prytaneion.

Cleon: I will drag you before the people, so that you may pay me justice.

710

Sausage-Seller: I too will drag you and slander you even more.

Cleon: But, you wretch, he will not obey you at all.

Cleon: But I laugh at him as much as I want to.

Sausage-seller: You have very much made the people your own.

Cleon: For I know on what he subsists.

715

Sausage-seller: And then, just like the infants, you feed badly.

Sausage-Seller: for you put in a little at first while chewing,

Sausage-seller: But you yourself have torn it three times as much as him.

Cleon: And by Zeus, certainly through the skill of mine.

Cleon: I am able to make the people broad and narrow.

720

Sausage-Seller: Even my anus here is being clever.

Cleon: You will not think that you have insulted me in the council.

Cleon: Let us go to the people.

Sausage-seller: Nothing prevents it;

Sausage-seller: Look, go, and let nothing hold us back.

Cleon: O Demos, come out here.

725

Sausage-Seller: By Zeus, oh father!

Sausage-seller: Come out then.

Cleon: O Demidion, O most dear friend

Cleon: Come out, so that you may know how I am being outrageously insulted.

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

707. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-40

Line 707

ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν; ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 707

Current edition Experimental

Ἀλλαντοπώλης καὶ μὴν ὁ Παφλαγὼν οὑτοσὶ προσέρχεται, ὠθῶν κολόκυμα καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶν, ὡς δὴ καταπιόμενός με. μορμὼ τοῦ θράσους.

Κλέων εἰ μή σʼ ἀπολέσαιμʼ, εἴ τι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐμοὶ ψευδῶν ἐνείη, διαπέσοιμι πανταχῇ. 695

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἥσθην ἀπειλαῖς, ἐγέλασα ψολοκομπίαις, ἀπεπυδάρισα μόθωνα, περιεκόκκασα.

Κλέων οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἐὰν μή σʼ ἐκφάγω ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς, οὐδέποτε βιώσομαι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἣν μὴ κʼφάγῃς; ἐγὼ δέ γʼ, ἢν μή σʼ ἐκπίω 700 κἀπεκροφήσας αὐτὸς ἐπιδιαρραγῶ.

Κλέων ἀπολῶ σε νὴ τὴν προεδρίαν τὴν ἐκ Πύλου.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἰδοὺ προεδρίαν· οἷον ὅψομαί σʼ ἐγὼ ἐκ τῆς προεδρίας ἔσχατον θεώμενον.

Κλέων ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δήσω σε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν. 705

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ὡς ὀξύθυμος. φέρε τί σοι δῶ καταφαγεῖν; ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν; ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;

Κλέων ἐξαρπάσομαί σου τοῖς ὄνυξι τἄντερα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἀπονυχιῶ σου τἀν πρυτανείῳ σιτία.

Κλέων ἕλξω σε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἵνα δῷς μοι δίκην. 710

Ἀλλαντοπώλης κἀγὼ δέ σʼ ἕλξω καὶ διαβαλῶ πλείονα.

Κλέων ἀλλʼ ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν πείθεται· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκείνου καταγελῶ γʼ ὅσον θέλω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ὡς σφόδρα σὺ τὸν δῆμον σεαυτοῦ νενόμικας.

Κλέων ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν οἷς ψωμίζεται. 715

Ἀλλαντοπώλης κᾆθʼ ὥσπερ αἱ τίτθαι γε σιτίζεις κακῶς. μασώμενος γὰρ τῷ μὲν ὀλίγον ἐντίθης, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκείνου τριπλάσιον κατέσπακας.

Κλέων καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ὑπό γε δεξιότητος τῆς ἐμῆς δύναμαι ποιεῖν τὸν δῆμον εὐρὺν καὶ στενόν. 720

Ἀλλαντοπώλης χὠ πρωκτὸς οὑμὸς τουτογὶ σοφίζεται.

Κλέων οὐκ ὦγάθʼ ἐν βουλῇ με δόξεις καθυβρίσαι. ἴωμεν ἐς τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης οὐδὲν κωλύει· ἰδοὺ βάδιζε, μηδὲν ἡμᾶς ἰσχέτω.

Κλέων ὦ Δῆμε δεῦρʼ ἔξελθε. 725

Ἀλλαντοπώλης νὴ Δίʼ ὦ πάτερ ἔξελθε δῆτʼ.

Κλέων ὦ Δημίδιον ὦ φίλτατον ἔξελθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς οἷα περιυβρίζομαι.

Sausage-Seller Ah! ah! here comes the Paphlagonian! One would say it was a hurricane lashing the sea and rolling the waves before it in its fury. He looks as if he wanted to swallow me up alive! Ye gods! what an impudent knave!

Cleon as he rushes in To my aid, 695 my beloved lies! I am going to destroy you, or my name is lost.

Sausage-Seller Oh! how he diverts me with his threats! His bluster makes me laugh! And I dance the mothon for joy, and sing at the top of my voice, cuckoo!

Cleon Ah! by Demeter! if I do not kill and devour you, may I die!

Sausage-Seller 700 If you do not devour me? and I, if I do not drink your blood to the last drop, and then burst with indigestion.

Cleon I, I will strangle you, I swear it by the front seat which Pylos gained me.

Sausage-Seller By the front seat! Ah! might I see you fall into the hindmost seat!

Cleon 705 By heaven! I will put you to the torture.

Sausage-Seller What a lively wit! Come, what's the best to give you to eat? What do you prefer? A purse?

Cleon I will tear out your insides with my nails.

Sausage-Seller And I will cut off your victuals at the Prytaneum.

Cleon 710 I will haul you before Demos, who will mete out justice to you.

Sausage-Seller And I too will drag you before him and belch forth more calumnies than you.

Cleon Why, poor fool, he does not believe you, whereas I play with him at will.

Sausage-Seller Is then Demos your property, your contemptible creature?

Cleon 715 It's because I know the dishes that please him.

Sausage-Seller And these are little mouthfuls, which you serve to him like a clever nurse. You chew the pieces and place some in small quantities in his mouth, while you swallow three parts yourself.

Cleon Thanks to my skill, 720 I know exactly how to enlarge or contract this gullet.

Sausage-Seller My arse is just as clever.

Cleon Well, my friend, you tricked me at the Senate, but take care! Let us go before Demos.

Sausage-Seller That's easily done; come, let's do it right away.

Cleon Loudly 725 Oh, Demos! Come out here.

Sausage-Seller By Zeus, Father, come on out!

Kleon More loudly Come, oh, my dear little Demos; come and see how I am insulted.

Commentary

Line 707

Stable identifiers

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ μὴν ὁ Παφλαγὼν οὑτοσὶ προσέρχεται,

ὠθῶν κολόκυμα καὶ ταράττων καὶ κυκῶν,

ὡς δὴ καταπιόμενός με. μορμὼ τοῦ θράσους.

Κλέων

εἰ μή σʼ ἀπολέσαιμʼ, εἴ τι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐμοὶ

ψευδῶν ἐνείη, διαπέσοιμι πανταχῇ.
695

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἥσθην ἀπειλαῖς, ἐγέλασα ψολοκομπίαις,

ἀπεπυδάρισα μόθωνα, περιεκόκκασα.

Κλέων

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἐὰν μή σʼ ἐκφάγω

ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς, οὐδέποτε βιώσομαι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἣν μὴ κʼφάγῃς; ἐγὼ δέ γʼ, ἢν μή σʼ ἐκπίω
700

κἀπεκροφήσας αὐτὸς ἐπιδιαρραγῶ.

Κλέων

ἀπολῶ σε νὴ τὴν προεδρίαν τὴν ἐκ Πύλου.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ προεδρίαν· οἷον ὅψομαί σʼ ἐγὼ

ἐκ τῆς προεδρίας ἔσχατον θεώμενον.

Κλέων

ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δήσω σε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.
705

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὡς ὀξύθυμος. φέρε τί σοι δῶ καταφαγεῖν;

ἐπὶ τῷ φάγοις ἥδιστʼ ἄν; ἐπὶ βαλλαντίῳ;

Κλέων

ἐξαρπάσομαί σου τοῖς ὄνυξι τἄντερα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἀπονυχιῶ σου τἀν πρυτανείῳ σιτία.

Κλέων

ἕλξω σε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἵνα δῷς μοι δίκην.
710

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κἀγὼ δέ σʼ ἕλξω καὶ διαβαλῶ πλείονα.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν πείθεται·

ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκείνου καταγελῶ γʼ ὅσον θέλω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὡς σφόδρα σὺ τὸν δῆμον σεαυτοῦ νενόμικας.

Κλέων

ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν οἷς ψωμίζεται.
715

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κᾆθʼ ὥσπερ αἱ τίτθαι γε σιτίζεις κακῶς.

μασώμενος γὰρ τῷ μὲν ὀλίγον ἐντίθης,

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκείνου τριπλάσιον κατέσπακας.

Κλέων

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ὑπό γε δεξιότητος τῆς ἐμῆς

δύναμαι ποιεῖν τὸν δῆμον εὐρὺν καὶ στενόν.
720

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

χὠ πρωκτὸς οὑμὸς τουτογὶ σοφίζεται.

Κλέων

οὐκ ὦγάθʼ ἐν βουλῇ με δόξεις καθυβρίσαι.

ἴωμεν ἐς τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐδὲν κωλύει·

ἰδοὺ βάδιζε, μηδὲν ἡμᾶς ἰσχέτω.

Κλέων

ὦ Δῆμε δεῦρʼ ἔξελθε.
725

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

νὴ Δίʼ ὦ πάτερ

ἔξελθε δῆτʼ.

Κλέων

ὦ Δημίδιον ὦ φίλτατον

ἔξελθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς οἷα περιυβρίζομαι.

Sausage-Seller

Ah! ah! here comes the Paphlagonian! One would say it was a hurricane lashing the sea and rolling the waves before it in its fury. He looks as if he wanted to swallow me up alive! Ye gods! what an impudent knave!

Cleon
as he rushes in

To my aid, 695 my beloved lies! I am going to destroy you, or my name is lost.

Sausage-Seller

Oh! how he diverts me with his threats! His bluster makes me laugh! And I dance the mothon for joy, and sing at the top of my voice, cuckoo!

Cleon

Ah! by Demeter! if I do not kill and devour you, may I die!

Sausage-Seller

700 If you do not devour me? and I, if I do not drink your blood to the last drop, and then burst with indigestion.

Cleon

I, I will strangle you, I swear it by the front seat which Pylos gained me.

Sausage-Seller

By the front seat! Ah! might I see you fall into the hindmost seat!

Cleon

705 By heaven! I will put you to the torture.

Sausage-Seller

What a lively wit! Come, what's the best to give you to eat? What do you prefer? A purse?

Cleon

I will tear out your insides with my nails.

Sausage-Seller

And I will cut off your victuals at the Prytaneum.

Cleon

710 I will haul you before Demos, who will mete out justice to you.

Sausage-Seller

And I too will drag you before him and belch forth more calumnies than you.

Cleon

Why, poor fool, he does not believe you, whereas I play with him at will.

Sausage-Seller

Is then Demos your property, your contemptible creature?

Cleon

715 It's because I know the dishes that please him.

Sausage-Seller

And these are little mouthfuls, which you serve to him like a clever nurse. You chew the pieces and place some in small quantities in his mouth, while you swallow three parts yourself.

Cleon

Thanks to my skill, 720 I know exactly how to enlarge or contract this gullet.

Sausage-Seller

My arse is just as clever.

Cleon

Well, my friend, you tricked me at the Senate, but take care! Let us go before Demos.

Sausage-Seller

That's easily done; come, let's do it right away.

Cleon
Loudly

725 Oh, Demos! Come out here.

Sausage-Seller

By Zeus, Father, come on out!

Kleon
More loudly

Come, oh, my dear little Demos; come and see how I am insulted.