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Line 954

δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον ἐξωπτημένον.

The phrase 'δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον' (the hair of a bullock's head) is a striking example of Aristophanic grotesque realism, where the poet reduces the 'hair' (θρῖον) of a sacrificial ox to a mere 'tuft' or 'scruff' to emphasize the meager and despicable nature of the food, contrasting with the grandeur of the sacrificial animal. The participle 'ἐξωπτημένον' (roasted) is used in a context where the cooking method is secondary to the insult, highlighting the lowly status of the meal served to the Demos.

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.) — 942 focus

Δῆμος

κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ· καὶ τἄλλα γʼ εἶναι καταφανῶς

ἀγαθὸς πολίτης, οἶος οὐδείς πω χρόνου

ἀνὴρ γεγένηται τοῖσι πολλοῖς τοὐβολοῦ.
945

σὺ δʼ ὦ Παφλαγὼν φάσκων φιλεῖν μʼ ἐσκορόδισας.

καὶ νῦν ἀπόδος τὸν δακτύλιον, ὡς οὐκέτι

ἐμοὶ ταμιεύσεις.

Κλέων

ἔχε· τοσοῦτον δʼ ἴσθʼ ὅτι,

εἰ μή μʼ ἐάσεις ἐπιτροπεύειν, ἕτερος αὖ

ἐμοῦ πανουργότερός τις ἀναφανήσεται.
950

Δῆμος

οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ὁ δακτύλιός ἐσθʼ οὑτοσὶ

οὑμός· τὸ γοῦν σημεῖον ἕτερον φαίνεται,

ἀλλʼ ἢ οὐ καθορῶ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

φέρʼ ἴδω τί σοι σημεῖον ἦν;

Δῆμος

δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον ἐξωπτημένον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐ τοῦτʼ ἔνεστιν.
955

Δῆμος

οὐ τὸ θρῖον; ἀλλὰ τί;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

λάρος κεχηνὼς ἐπὶ πέτρας δημηγορῶν.

Δῆμος

αἰβοῖ τάλας.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

τί ἔστιν;

Δῆμος

ἀπόφερʼ ἐκποδών.

οὐ τὸν ἐμὸν εἶχεν ἀλλὰ τὸν Κλεωνύμου.

παρʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ τουτονὶ λαβὼν ταμίευέ μοι.

Κλέων

μὴ δῆτά πώ γʼ ὦ δέσποτʼ, ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ἐγώ,
960

πρὶν ἄν γε τῶν χρησμῶν ἀκούσῃς τῶν ἐμῶν.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν νυν.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν τούτῳ πίθῃ,

μολγὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κἄν γε τουτῳί,

ψωλὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε μέχρι τοῦ μυρρίνου.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ἐμοὶ λέγουσιν ὡς ἄρξαι σε δεῖ
965

χώρας ἁπάσης ἐστεφανωμένον ῥόδοις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὑμοὶ δέ γʼ αὖ λέγουσιν ὡς ἁλουργίδα

ἔχων κατάπαστον καὶ στεφάνην ἐφʼ ἅρματος

χρυσοῦ διώξει Σμικύθην καὶ κύριον.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν ἔνεγκʼ αὐτοὺς ἰών, ἵνʼ οὑτοσὶ
970

αὐτῶν ἀκούσῃ.

Δῆμος

πάνυ γε. καὶ σύ νυν φέρε.

Κλέων

ἰδού.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ νὴ τὸν Δίʼ· οὐδὲν κωλύει.

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.) — 942 focus

Demos

Faith! here is an excellent citizen indeed, such as has not been seen for a long time. 945 He's truly a man of the lowest scum! As for you, Paphlagonian, who pretend to love me, you only feed me on garlic. Return me my ring, for you cease to be my steward.

Cleon

Here it is, but be assured, that if you bereave me of my power, 950 my successor will be worse than I am.

Demos

This cannot be my ring; I see another device, unless I am going purblind.

Sausage-Seller

What was your device?

Demos

A fig-leaf, stuffed with bullock's fat.

Sausage-Seller

955 No, that is not it.

Demos

What is it then?

Sausage-Seller

It's a gull with beak wide open, haranguing the people from the top of a stone.

Demos

Ah! great gods!

Sausage-Seller

What is the matter?

Demos

Away! away out of my sight! It's not my ring he had, it was that of Cleonymus. To the Sausage-Seller Wait, I'll give you this one; you shall be my steward.

Cleon

960 Master, I adjure you, decide nothing till you have heard my oracles.

Sausage-Seller

And mine.

Cleon

If you believe him, you will have to prostitute yourself for him.

Sausage-Seller

If you listen to him, you'll have to let him peel you to the very stump.

Cleon

965 My oracles say that you are to reign over the whole earth, crowned with chaplets.

Sausage-Seller

And mine say that, clothed in an embroidered purple robe, you shall pursue Smicythe and her spouse, standing in a chariot of gold and with a crown on your head.

Chorus

970 Go, fetch me your oracles, that the Paphlagonian may hear them.

Demosthenes

By all means. And you fetch yours.

Cleon

Here goes.

He rushes into the house of Demos.

Sausage-Seller

Here goes, by Zeus! There's nothing to stop us.

He departs in haste.

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.) — 942 focus

Demos: It seems so to me too; and the rest is clearly so.

Demos: A good citizen, as none has been before in time.

Demos: A man has become to the many the value of an obol.

945

Demos: But you, O Paphlagonian, claiming to love me, have turned me into a scoundrel.

Demus: And now return the ring, as if you were no longer [in need of it].

Demos: I will be the treasurer.

Cleon: Hold it. But know this much that,

Cleon: if you do not let me manage, someone else again

Cleon: Someone more cunning than I shall appear.

950

Demus: No, this one does not have a ring.

Demus: Mine! At least the sign appears different,

Demus: but do I not see?

Sausage-Seller: Come, let me see what your token was;

Demos: a dried piece of ox-gut, fried in oil.

Sausage-Seller: That is not possible.

955

Demos: Not the thrion? But what then?

Sausage-Seller: A gull with open beak, standing on a rock, making a speech.

Demos: woe is me, poor wretch.

Sausage-Seller: What is it?

Demos: Carry him off out of the way.

Demos: He did not have his own, but Cleonymus'.

Demos: But take this one from me and keep it for me.

Cleon: Do not, I pray, yet, O master, I beg you,

960

Cleon: before you hear my oracles.

Sausage-seller: And of mine too now.

Cleon: But if he persuades him,

Cleon: you must become a buffoon.

Sausage-seller: "And even this one,"

Sausage-seller: You must become a eunuch until the myrrhine [vase].

Cleon: But those who speak to me say that you must begin.

965

Cleon: crowned with roses in every land.

Sausage-seller: But now they tell me that it is a purple robe.

Sausage-Seller: having a covering and a wreath upon a cart

The Sausage-Seller: He will chase Smicythias away, and he is the master.

Chorus: And indeed, take them along with you, so that this man

970

Chorus: You will hear them.

Demos: Very much so. And you, now, bring it.

Cleon: Look!

Sausage-seller: Look, by Zeus, nothing prevents it.

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

954. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-73

Line 954

δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον ἐξωπτημένον.

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Line 954

Current edition Experimental

Κλέων ἔχε· τοσοῦτον δʼ ἴσθʼ ὅτι, εἰ μή μʼ ἐάσεις ἐπιτροπεύειν, ἕτερος αὖ ἐμοῦ πανουργότερός τις ἀναφανήσεται. 950

Δῆμος οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ὁ δακτύλιός ἐσθʼ οὑτοσὶ οὑμός· τὸ γοῦν σημεῖον ἕτερον φαίνεται, ἀλλʼ ἢ οὐ καθορῶ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης φέρʼ ἴδω τί σοι σημεῖον ἦν;

Δῆμος δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον ἐξωπτημένον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης οὐ τοῦτʼ ἔνεστιν. 955

Δῆμος οὐ τὸ θρῖον; ἀλλὰ τί;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης λάρος κεχηνὼς ἐπὶ πέτρας δημηγορῶν.

Δῆμος αἰβοῖ τάλας.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης τί ἔστιν;

Δῆμος ἀπόφερʼ ἐκποδών. οὐ τὸν ἐμὸν εἶχεν ἀλλὰ τὸν Κλεωνύμου. παρʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ τουτονὶ λαβὼν ταμίευέ μοι.

Κλέων μὴ δῆτά πώ γʼ ὦ δέσποτʼ, ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ἐγώ, 960 πρὶν ἄν γε τῶν χρησμῶν ἀκούσῃς τῶν ἐμῶν.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν νυν.

Κλέων ἀλλʼ ἐὰν τούτῳ πίθῃ, μολγὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης κἄν γε τουτῳί, ψωλὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε μέχρι τοῦ μυρρίνου.

Κλέων ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ἐμοὶ λέγουσιν ὡς ἄρξαι σε δεῖ 965 χώρας ἁπάσης ἐστεφανωμένον ῥόδοις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης οὑμοὶ δέ γʼ αὖ λέγουσιν ὡς ἁλουργίδα ἔχων κατάπαστον καὶ στεφάνην ἐφʼ ἅρματος χρυσοῦ διώξει Σμικύθην καὶ κύριον.

Χορός καὶ μὴν ἔνεγκʼ αὐτοὺς ἰών, ἵνʼ οὑτοσὶ 970 αὐτῶν ἀκούσῃ.

Δῆμος πάνυ γε. καὶ σύ νυν φέρε.

Κλέων ἰδού.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἰδοὺ νὴ τὸν Δίʼ· οὐδὲν κωλύει.

Demos Faith! here is an excellent citizen indeed, such as has not been seen for a long time. 945 He's truly a man of the lowest scum! As for you, Paphlagonian, who pretend to love me, you only feed me on garlic. Return me my ring, for you cease to be my steward.

Cleon Here it is, but be assured, that if you bereave me of my power, 950 my successor will be worse than I am.

Demos This cannot be my ring; I see another device, unless I am going purblind.

Sausage-Seller What was your device?

Demos A fig-leaf, stuffed with bullock's fat.

Sausage-Seller 955 No, that is not it.

Demos What is it then?

Sausage-Seller It's a gull with beak wide open, haranguing the people from the top of a stone.

Demos Ah! great gods!

Sausage-Seller What is the matter?

Demos Away! away out of my sight! It's not my ring he had, it was that of Cleonymus. To the Sausage-Seller Wait, I'll give you this one; you shall be my steward.

Cleon 960 Master, I adjure you, decide nothing till you have heard my oracles.

Sausage-Seller And mine.

Cleon If you believe him, you will have to prostitute yourself for him.

Sausage-Seller If you listen to him, you'll have to let him peel you to the very stump.

Cleon 965 My oracles say that you are to reign over the whole earth, crowned with chaplets.

Sausage-Seller And mine say that, clothed in an embroidered purple robe, you shall pursue Smicythe and her spouse, standing in a chariot of gold and with a crown on your head.

Chorus 970 Go, fetch me your oracles, that the Paphlagonian may hear them.

Demosthenes By all means. And you fetch yours.

Cleon Here goes. He rushes into the house of Demos.

Sausage-Seller Here goes, by Zeus! There's nothing to stop us. He departs in haste.

Commentary

Line 954

Stable identifiers

Κλέων

ἔχε· τοσοῦτον δʼ ἴσθʼ ὅτι,

εἰ μή μʼ ἐάσεις ἐπιτροπεύειν, ἕτερος αὖ

ἐμοῦ πανουργότερός τις ἀναφανήσεται.
950

Δῆμος

οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ὁ δακτύλιός ἐσθʼ οὑτοσὶ

οὑμός· τὸ γοῦν σημεῖον ἕτερον φαίνεται,

ἀλλʼ ἢ οὐ καθορῶ.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

φέρʼ ἴδω τί σοι σημεῖον ἦν;

Δῆμος

δημοῦ βοείου θρῖον ἐξωπτημένον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὐ τοῦτʼ ἔνεστιν.
955

Δῆμος

οὐ τὸ θρῖον; ἀλλὰ τί;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

λάρος κεχηνὼς ἐπὶ πέτρας δημηγορῶν.

Δῆμος

αἰβοῖ τάλας.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

τί ἔστιν;

Δῆμος

ἀπόφερʼ ἐκποδών.

οὐ τὸν ἐμὸν εἶχεν ἀλλὰ τὸν Κλεωνύμου.

παρʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ τουτονὶ λαβὼν ταμίευέ μοι.

Κλέων

μὴ δῆτά πώ γʼ ὦ δέσποτʼ, ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ἐγώ,
960

πρὶν ἄν γε τῶν χρησμῶν ἀκούσῃς τῶν ἐμῶν.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν νυν.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ ἐὰν τούτῳ πίθῃ,

μολγὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

κἄν γε τουτῳί,

ψωλὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ σε μέχρι τοῦ μυρρίνου.

Κλέων

ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ἐμοὶ λέγουσιν ὡς ἄρξαι σε δεῖ
965

χώρας ἁπάσης ἐστεφανωμένον ῥόδοις.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οὑμοὶ δέ γʼ αὖ λέγουσιν ὡς ἁλουργίδα

ἔχων κατάπαστον καὶ στεφάνην ἐφʼ ἅρματος

χρυσοῦ διώξει Σμικύθην καὶ κύριον.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν ἔνεγκʼ αὐτοὺς ἰών, ἵνʼ οὑτοσὶ
970

αὐτῶν ἀκούσῃ.

Δῆμος

πάνυ γε. καὶ σύ νυν φέρε.

Κλέων

ἰδού.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἰδοὺ νὴ τὸν Δίʼ· οὐδὲν κωλύει.

Demos

Faith! here is an excellent citizen indeed, such as has not been seen for a long time. 945 He's truly a man of the lowest scum! As for you, Paphlagonian, who pretend to love me, you only feed me on garlic. Return me my ring, for you cease to be my steward.

Cleon

Here it is, but be assured, that if you bereave me of my power, 950 my successor will be worse than I am.

Demos

This cannot be my ring; I see another device, unless I am going purblind.

Sausage-Seller

What was your device?

Demos

A fig-leaf, stuffed with bullock's fat.

Sausage-Seller

955 No, that is not it.

Demos

What is it then?

Sausage-Seller

It's a gull with beak wide open, haranguing the people from the top of a stone.

Demos

Ah! great gods!

Sausage-Seller

What is the matter?

Demos

Away! away out of my sight! It's not my ring he had, it was that of Cleonymus. To the Sausage-Seller Wait, I'll give you this one; you shall be my steward.

Cleon

960 Master, I adjure you, decide nothing till you have heard my oracles.

Sausage-Seller

And mine.

Cleon

If you believe him, you will have to prostitute yourself for him.

Sausage-Seller

If you listen to him, you'll have to let him peel you to the very stump.

Cleon

965 My oracles say that you are to reign over the whole earth, crowned with chaplets.

Sausage-Seller

And mine say that, clothed in an embroidered purple robe, you shall pursue Smicythe and her spouse, standing in a chariot of gold and with a crown on your head.

Chorus

970 Go, fetch me your oracles, that the Paphlagonian may hear them.

Demosthenes

By all means. And you fetch yours.

Cleon

Here goes.

He rushes into the house of Demos.

Sausage-Seller

Here goes, by Zeus! There's nothing to stop us.

He departs in haste.