Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

Line 827

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

The verb μυστιλᾶται (from μυστιλάω) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and rare in the comic corpus, meaning 'to steal' or 'to embezzle' (specifically of public funds). Its formation from μύστης ('initiate' or 'member of a secret cult') is a pun: the Demos is accused of being 'initiated' into the secret society of thieves who are stealing the public money. This lexical choice blends the technical sense of embezzlement with the religious connotation of mystery cults, a typical Aristophanic wordplay on the corruption of the polis.

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.) — 824 focus

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὁπόταν χασμᾷ, καὶ τοὺς καυλοὺς

τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἐκκαυλίζων
825

καταβροχθίζει, κἀμφοῖν χειροῖν

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

Κλέων

οὐ χαιρήσεις, ἀλλά σε κλέπτονθʼ

αἱρήσω γʼὼ τρεῖς μυριάδας.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

τί θαλαττοκοπεῖς καὶ πλατυγίζεις,
830

μιαρώτατος ὢν περὶ τὸν δῆμον

τὸν Ἀθηναίων; καί σʼ ἐπιδείξω

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρʼ, ἢ μὴ ζῴην,

δωροδοκήσαντʼ ἐκ Μυτιλήνης

πλεῖν ἢ μνᾶς τετταράκοντα.
835

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.) — 824 focus

Sausage-Seller

when your back is turned, 825 he taps at the root the lawsuits initiated by the peculators, swallows the proceeds wholesale and helps himself with both hands from the public funds.

Cleon

Tremble, knave; I will convict you of having stolen thirty thousand drachmae.

Sausage-Seller

830 For a rascal of your kidney, you shout rarely! Well! I am ready to die if I do not prove that you have accepted 835 more than forty minae from the Mitylenaeans.

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.) — 824 focus

Sausage-seller: Whenever he gapes, even the penises

Sausage-Seller: burning the indictments

825

Sausage-seller: He is swallowing it, with both hands.

Sausage-seller: He is being defrauded of public funds.

Cleon: You will not rejoice, but I will catch you stealing.

Cleon: I shall choose three myriads.

Sausage-seller: Why are you making a sea-journey and spreading out?

830

Sausage-seller: most foul, being around the people.

Sausage-Seller: The Athenians? And I will show you off.

Sausage-seller: By Demeter, or may I not live,

Allantopōles: bribed men from Mytilene.

Sausage-seller: more than forty drachmas.

835

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

827. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-56

Line 827

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

Aristophanes Knights 827

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 827

Current edition Experimental

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὁπόταν χασμᾷ, καὶ τοὺς καυλοὺς

τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἐκκαυλίζων
825

καταβροχθίζει, κἀμφοῖν χειροῖν

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

Κλέων

οὐ χαιρήσεις, ἀλλά σε κλέπτονθʼ

αἱρήσω γʼὼ τρεῖς μυριάδας.

Sausage-Seller

when your back is turned, 825 he taps at the root the lawsuits initiated by the peculators, swallows the proceeds wholesale and helps himself with both hands from the public funds.

Cleon

Tremble, knave; I will convict you of having stolen thirty thousand drachmae.

Sausage-Seller

830 For a rascal of your kidney, you shout rarely! Well! I am ready to die if I do not prove that you have accepted 835 more than forty minae from the Mitylenaeans.

Commentary

Line 827

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 827

Current edition Experimental

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ὁπόταν χασμᾷ, καὶ τοὺς καυλοὺς τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἐκκαυλίζων 825 καταβροχθίζει, κἀμφοῖν χειροῖν μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

Κλέων οὐ χαιρήσεις, ἀλλά σε κλέπτονθʼ αἱρήσω γʼὼ τρεῖς μυριάδας.

Sausage-Seller when your back is turned, 825 he taps at the root the lawsuits initiated by the peculators, swallows the proceeds wholesale and helps himself with both hands from the public funds.

Cleon Tremble, knave; I will convict you of having stolen thirty thousand drachmae.

Sausage-Seller 830 For a rascal of your kidney, you shout rarely! Well! I am ready to die if I do not prove that you have accepted 835 more than forty minae from the Mitylenaeans.

Commentary

Line 827

Stable identifiers

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ὁπόταν χασμᾷ, καὶ τοὺς καυλοὺς

τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἐκκαυλίζων
825

καταβροχθίζει, κἀμφοῖν χειροῖν

μυστιλᾶται τῶν δημοσίων.

Κλέων

οὐ χαιρήσεις, ἀλλά σε κλέπτονθʼ

αἱρήσω γʼὼ τρεῖς μυριάδας.

Sausage-Seller

when your back is turned, 825 he taps at the root the lawsuits initiated by the peculators, swallows the proceeds wholesale and helps himself with both hands from the public funds.

Cleon

Tremble, knave; I will convict you of having stolen thirty thousand drachmae.

Sausage-Seller

830 For a rascal of your kidney, you shout rarely! Well! I am ready to die if I do not prove that you have accepted 835 more than forty minae from the Mitylenaeans.