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Line 870

ταῖς ἐμβάσιν φάσκων φιλεῖν;

The phrase ταῖς ἐμβάσιν is a dative of means or instrument, but the noun ἐμβάσις (from ἐμβάλλω) is rare in the Attic comedy of this period, appearing elsewhere primarily in medical or technical contexts referring to 'putting in' or 'insertion'. Here, it likely functions as a colloquialism or metaphorical extension, possibly alluding to the act of bribing or 'inserting' oneself into political favor, a usage that sharpens the satirical edge of the clause. The construction is syntactically sound but lexically marked, requiring attention to its non-standard semantic field in this context.

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.) — 887 focus

Κλέων

οἴμοι τάλας οἵοις πιθηκισμοῖς με περιελαύνεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ πίνων ἀνὴρ πέπονθʼ ὅταν χεσείῃ,

τοῖσιν τρόποις τοῖς σοῖσιν ὥσπερ βλαυτίοισι χρῶμαι.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπερβαλεῖ με θωπείαις· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν
890

προσαμφιῶ τοδί· σὺ δʼ οἴμωζʼ ὦ πόνηρʼ.

Δῆμος

ἰαιβοῖ.

οὐκ ἐς κόρακας ἀποφθερεῖ βύρσης κάκιστον ὄζων;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ τοῦτό γʼ ἐπίτηδές σε περιήμπεσχʼ, ἵνα σʼ ἀποπνίξῃ·

καὶ πρότερον ἐπεβούλευσέ σοι. τὸν καυλὸν οἶσθʼ ἐκεῖνον

τοῦ σιλφίου τὸν ἄξιον γενόμενον;
895

Δῆμος

οἶδα μέντοι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐπίτηδες οὗτος αὐτὸν ἔσπευδʼ ἄξιον γενέσθαι,

ἵνʼ ἐσθίοιτʼ ὠνούμενοι, κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡλιαίᾳ

βδέοντες ἀλλήλους ἀποκτείνειαν οἱ δικασταί.

Δῆμος

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῦτʼ εἶπʼ ἀνὴρ Κόπρειος.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐ γὰρ τόθʼ ὑμεῖς βδεόμενοι δήπου ʼγένεσθε πυρροί;
900

Δῆμος

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἦν γε τοῦτο Πυρράνδρου τὸ μηχάνημα.

Κλέων

οἵοισί μʼ ὦ πανοῦργε βωμολοχεύμασιν ταράττεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἡ γὰρ θεός μʼ ἐκέλευσε νικῆσαί σʼ ἀλαζονείαις.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ νικήσεις. ἐγὼ γάρ φημί σοι παρέξειν

ὦ Δῆμε μηδὲν δρῶντι μισθοῦ τρύβλιον ῥοφῆσαι.
905

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ κυλίχνιόν γέ σοι καὶ φάρμακον δίδωμι

τἀν τοῖσιν ἀντικνημίοις ἑλκύδρια περιαλείφειν.

Κλέων

ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς πολιάς γέ σοὐκλέγων νέον ποιήσω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ δέχου κέρκον λαγῶ τὠφθαλμιδίω περιψῆν.

Κλέων

ἀπομυξάμενος ὦ Δῆμέ μου πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποψῶ.
910

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.) — 887 focus

Cleon

Must you have recourse to such jackanapes' tricks to supplant me?

Sausage-Seller

No, it's your own tricks that I am borrowing, just as a drunken guest, when he has to take a crap, seizes some other man's shoes.

Cleon

890 Oh! you shall not outdo me in flattery! I am going to hand Demos this garment; all that remains to you, you rogue, is to go and hang yourself.

Demos
as Cleon throws a cloak around his shoulders

Faugh! may the plague seize you! You stink of leather horribly.

Sausage-Seller

Why, it's to smother you that he has thrown this cloak around you on top of the other; and it is not the first plot he has planned against you. Do you remember the time 895 when silphium was so cheap?

Demos

Aye, to be sure I do!

Sausage-Seller

Very well! it was Cleon who had caused the price to fall so low, that all might eat it, and the jurymen in the Courts were almost asphyxiated from farting in each others' faces.

Demos

Hah! why, indeed, a Dungtownite told me the same thing.

Sausage-Seller

900 Were you not yourself in those days quite red in the gills with farting?

Demos

Why, it was a trick worthy of Pyrrhandrus!

Cleon

With what other idle trash will you seek to ruin me, you wretch!

Sausage-Seller

Oh! I shall be more brazen than you, for it's the goddess who has commanded me.

Cleon

No, on my honor, you will not! 905 Here, Demos, feast on this dish; it is your salary as a dicast, which you gain through me for doing naught.

Sausage-Seller

Wait! here is a little box of ointment to rub into the sores on your legs.

Cleon

I will pluck out your white hairs and make you young again.

Sausage-Seller

Take this hare's tail to wipe the rheum from your eyes.

Cleon

910 When you wipe your nose, clean your fingers on my head.

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.) — 887 focus

Cleon: Alas, wretched me! With what monkey tricks you torment me.

Sausage-seller: No, but as a man suffers when he urinates while drinking,

Sausage-seller: I act according to your ways, just like a blue-eyed one.

Cleon: But he will not outflank me with flatteries; for I myself

890

Cleon: I will wrap this around you; but you, you wretch, wail.

Demos: Hurrah!

Demos: Will he not utterly destroy the vilest of the leather-purses, smelling of offal?

Sausage-Seller: And this too was done on purpose to choke you.

Sausage-seller: And earlier he plotted against you. You know that member,

Sausage-Seller: Did the silphium become worth its price?

895

Demos: I know, however.

Sausage-seller: This fellow did so on purpose to be worthy of it,

Sausage-seller: so that the buyers might eat, and then in the sun.

Sausage-seller: Let the jurors kill each other by farting.

Demos: By Poseidon, and in my opinion, this is what a Copean man said.

Sausage-Seller: For surely you did not become red-haired while farting then?

900

Demos: And by Zeus, that was indeed Pyrrander's device.

Cleon: With what sort of buffooneries, you scoundrel, do you disturb me?

Sausage-Seller: for the goddess commanded me to defeat you with your blustering.

Cleon: But you will not win. For I say that I will provide you with

Cleon: Oh, Deme, to suck down a rhyton without doing anything for pay.

905

Sausage-Seller: But I give you both a cup and a medicine.

Sausage-seller: 'Rub the pull-strings that are in the shin-guards.'

Cleon: But I, not from the old, will make a new one for you.

Sausage-seller: Here, take the tail of a hare with the little eyes, well roasted.

Cleon: I will wipe my nose on your head, oh my Demos.

910

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

870. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-63

Line 870

ταῖς ἐμβάσιν φάσκων φιλεῖν;

Aristophanes Knights 870

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 870

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων

οἴμοι τάλας οἵοις πιθηκισμοῖς με περιελαύνεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ πίνων ἀνὴρ πέπονθʼ ὅταν χεσείῃ,

τοῖσιν τρόποις τοῖς σοῖσιν ὥσπερ βλαυτίοισι χρῶμαι.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπερβαλεῖ με θωπείαις· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν
890

προσαμφιῶ τοδί· σὺ δʼ οἴμωζʼ ὦ πόνηρʼ.

Δῆμος

ἰαιβοῖ.

οὐκ ἐς κόρακας ἀποφθερεῖ βύρσης κάκιστον ὄζων;

Δῆμος

οἶδα μέντοι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐπίτηδες οὗτος αὐτὸν ἔσπευδʼ ἄξιον γενέσθαι,

ἵνʼ ἐσθίοιτʼ ὠνούμενοι, κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡλιαίᾳ

βδέοντες ἀλλήλους ἀποκτείνειαν οἱ δικασταί.

Δῆμος

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῦτʼ εἶπʼ ἀνὴρ Κόπρειος.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐ γὰρ τόθʼ ὑμεῖς βδεόμενοι δήπου ʼγένεσθε πυρροί;
900

Δῆμος

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἦν γε τοῦτο Πυρράνδρου τὸ μηχάνημα.

Κλέων

οἵοισί μʼ ὦ πανοῦργε βωμολοχεύμασιν ταράττεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἡ γὰρ θεός μʼ ἐκέλευσε νικῆσαί σʼ ἀλαζονείαις.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ νικήσεις. ἐγὼ γάρ φημί σοι παρέξειν

ὦ Δῆμε μηδὲν δρῶντι μισθοῦ τρύβλιον ῥοφῆσαι.
905

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ κυλίχνιόν γέ σοι καὶ φάρμακον δίδωμι

τἀν τοῖσιν ἀντικνημίοις ἑλκύδρια περιαλείφειν.

Κλέων

ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς πολιάς γέ σοὐκλέγων νέον ποιήσω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ δέχου κέρκον λαγῶ τὠφθαλμιδίω περιψῆν.

Κλέων

ἀπομυξάμενος ὦ Δῆμέ μου πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποψῶ.
910

Cleon

Must you have recourse to such jackanapes' tricks to supplant me?

Sausage-Seller

No, it's your own tricks that I am borrowing, just as a drunken guest, when he has to take a crap, seizes some other man's shoes.

Cleon

890 Oh! you shall not outdo me in flattery! I am going to hand Demos this garment; all that remains to you, you rogue, is to go and hang yourself.

Demos
as Cleon throws a cloak around his shoulders

Faugh! may the plague seize you! You stink of leather horribly.

Sausage-Seller

Why, it's to smother you that he has thrown this cloak around you on top of the other; and it is not the first plot he has planned against you. Do you remember the time 895 when silphium was so cheap?

Demos

Aye, to be sure I do!

Sausage-Seller

Very well! it was Cleon who had caused the price to fall so low, that all might eat it, and the jurymen in the Courts were almost asphyxiated from farting in each others' faces.

Demos

Hah! why, indeed, a Dungtownite told me the same thing.

Sausage-Seller

900 Were you not yourself in those days quite red in the gills with farting?

Demos

Why, it was a trick worthy of Pyrrhandrus!

Cleon

With what other idle trash will you seek to ruin me, you wretch!

Sausage-Seller

Oh! I shall be more brazen than you, for it's the goddess who has commanded me.

Cleon

No, on my honor, you will not! 905 Here, Demos, feast on this dish; it is your salary as a dicast, which you gain through me for doing naught.

Sausage-Seller

Wait! here is a little box of ointment to rub into the sores on your legs.

Cleon

I will pluck out your white hairs and make you young again.

Sausage-Seller

Take this hare's tail to wipe the rheum from your eyes.

Cleon

910 When you wipe your nose, clean your fingers on my head.

Commentary

Line 870

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 870

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων οἴμοι τάλας οἵοις πιθηκισμοῖς με περιελαύνεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ πίνων ἀνὴρ πέπονθʼ ὅταν χεσείῃ, τοῖσιν τρόποις τοῖς σοῖσιν ὥσπερ βλαυτίοισι χρῶμαι.

Κλέων ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπερβαλεῖ με θωπείαις· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν 890 προσαμφιῶ τοδί· σὺ δʼ οἴμωζʼ ὦ πόνηρʼ.

Δῆμος ἰαιβοῖ. οὐκ ἐς κόρακας ἀποφθερεῖ βύρσης κάκιστον ὄζων;

Δῆμος οἶδα μέντοι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἐπίτηδες οὗτος αὐτὸν ἔσπευδʼ ἄξιον γενέσθαι, ἵνʼ ἐσθίοιτʼ ὠνούμενοι, κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡλιαίᾳ βδέοντες ἀλλήλους ἀποκτείνειαν οἱ δικασταί.

Δῆμος νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῦτʼ εἶπʼ ἀνὴρ Κόπρειος.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης οὐ γὰρ τόθʼ ὑμεῖς βδεόμενοι δήπου ʼγένεσθε πυρροί; 900

Δῆμος καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἦν γε τοῦτο Πυρράνδρου τὸ μηχάνημα.

Κλέων οἵοισί μʼ ὦ πανοῦργε βωμολοχεύμασιν ταράττεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἡ γὰρ θεός μʼ ἐκέλευσε νικῆσαί σʼ ἀλαζονείαις.

Κλέων ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ νικήσεις. ἐγὼ γάρ φημί σοι παρέξειν ὦ Δῆμε μηδὲν δρῶντι μισθοῦ τρύβλιον ῥοφῆσαι. 905

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἐγὼ δὲ κυλίχνιόν γέ σοι καὶ φάρμακον δίδωμι τἀν τοῖσιν ἀντικνημίοις ἑλκύδρια περιαλείφειν.

Κλέων ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς πολιάς γέ σοὐκλέγων νέον ποιήσω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἰδοὺ δέχου κέρκον λαγῶ τὠφθαλμιδίω περιψῆν.

Κλέων ἀπομυξάμενος ὦ Δῆμέ μου πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποψῶ. 910

Cleon Must you have recourse to such jackanapes' tricks to supplant me?

Sausage-Seller No, it's your own tricks that I am borrowing, just as a drunken guest, when he has to take a crap, seizes some other man's shoes.

Cleon 890 Oh! you shall not outdo me in flattery! I am going to hand Demos this garment; all that remains to you, you rogue, is to go and hang yourself.

Demos as Cleon throws a cloak around his shoulders Faugh! may the plague seize you! You stink of leather horribly.

Sausage-Seller Why, it's to smother you that he has thrown this cloak around you on top of the other; and it is not the first plot he has planned against you. Do you remember the time 895 when silphium was so cheap?

Demos Aye, to be sure I do!

Sausage-Seller Very well! it was Cleon who had caused the price to fall so low, that all might eat it, and the jurymen in the Courts were almost asphyxiated from farting in each others' faces.

Demos Hah! why, indeed, a Dungtownite told me the same thing.

Sausage-Seller 900 Were you not yourself in those days quite red in the gills with farting?

Demos Why, it was a trick worthy of Pyrrhandrus!

Cleon With what other idle trash will you seek to ruin me, you wretch!

Sausage-Seller Oh! I shall be more brazen than you, for it's the goddess who has commanded me.

Cleon No, on my honor, you will not! 905 Here, Demos, feast on this dish; it is your salary as a dicast, which you gain through me for doing naught.

Sausage-Seller Wait! here is a little box of ointment to rub into the sores on your legs.

Cleon I will pluck out your white hairs and make you young again.

Sausage-Seller Take this hare's tail to wipe the rheum from your eyes.

Cleon 910 When you wipe your nose, clean your fingers on my head.

Commentary

Line 870

Stable identifiers

Κλέων

οἴμοι τάλας οἵοις πιθηκισμοῖς με περιελαύνεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ πίνων ἀνὴρ πέπονθʼ ὅταν χεσείῃ,

τοῖσιν τρόποις τοῖς σοῖσιν ὥσπερ βλαυτίοισι χρῶμαι.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπερβαλεῖ με θωπείαις· ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν
890

προσαμφιῶ τοδί· σὺ δʼ οἴμωζʼ ὦ πόνηρʼ.

Δῆμος

ἰαιβοῖ.

οὐκ ἐς κόρακας ἀποφθερεῖ βύρσης κάκιστον ὄζων;

Δῆμος

οἶδα μέντοι.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐπίτηδες οὗτος αὐτὸν ἔσπευδʼ ἄξιον γενέσθαι,

ἵνʼ ἐσθίοιτʼ ὠνούμενοι, κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡλιαίᾳ

βδέοντες ἀλλήλους ἀποκτείνειαν οἱ δικασταί.

Δῆμος

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῦτʼ εἶπʼ ἀνὴρ Κόπρειος.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐ γὰρ τόθʼ ὑμεῖς βδεόμενοι δήπου ʼγένεσθε πυρροί;
900

Δῆμος

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἦν γε τοῦτο Πυρράνδρου τὸ μηχάνημα.

Κλέων

οἵοισί μʼ ὦ πανοῦργε βωμολοχεύμασιν ταράττεις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἡ γὰρ θεός μʼ ἐκέλευσε νικῆσαί σʼ ἀλαζονείαις.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ νικήσεις. ἐγὼ γάρ φημί σοι παρέξειν

ὦ Δῆμε μηδὲν δρῶντι μισθοῦ τρύβλιον ῥοφῆσαι.
905

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ κυλίχνιόν γέ σοι καὶ φάρμακον δίδωμι

τἀν τοῖσιν ἀντικνημίοις ἑλκύδρια περιαλείφειν.

Κλέων

ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς πολιάς γέ σοὐκλέγων νέον ποιήσω.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ δέχου κέρκον λαγῶ τὠφθαλμιδίω περιψῆν.

Κλέων

ἀπομυξάμενος ὦ Δῆμέ μου πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποψῶ.
910

Cleon

Must you have recourse to such jackanapes' tricks to supplant me?

Sausage-Seller

No, it's your own tricks that I am borrowing, just as a drunken guest, when he has to take a crap, seizes some other man's shoes.

Cleon

890 Oh! you shall not outdo me in flattery! I am going to hand Demos this garment; all that remains to you, you rogue, is to go and hang yourself.

Demos
as Cleon throws a cloak around his shoulders

Faugh! may the plague seize you! You stink of leather horribly.

Sausage-Seller

Why, it's to smother you that he has thrown this cloak around you on top of the other; and it is not the first plot he has planned against you. Do you remember the time 895 when silphium was so cheap?

Demos

Aye, to be sure I do!

Sausage-Seller

Very well! it was Cleon who had caused the price to fall so low, that all might eat it, and the jurymen in the Courts were almost asphyxiated from farting in each others' faces.

Demos

Hah! why, indeed, a Dungtownite told me the same thing.

Sausage-Seller

900 Were you not yourself in those days quite red in the gills with farting?

Demos

Why, it was a trick worthy of Pyrrhandrus!

Cleon

With what other idle trash will you seek to ruin me, you wretch!

Sausage-Seller

Oh! I shall be more brazen than you, for it's the goddess who has commanded me.

Cleon

No, on my honor, you will not! 905 Here, Demos, feast on this dish; it is your salary as a dicast, which you gain through me for doing naught.

Sausage-Seller

Wait! here is a little box of ointment to rub into the sores on your legs.

Cleon

I will pluck out your white hairs and make you young again.

Sausage-Seller

Take this hare's tail to wipe the rheum from your eyes.

Cleon

910 When you wipe your nose, clean your fingers on my head.