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Demos: Who are those shouting? Aren't they going away from the door?

Demos: You have torn my herald's staff to pieces.

Demos: Who is it, O Paphlagonian, that is wronging you?

730

Cleon: I am being beaten because of you.

Cleon: 'Under this one and the young men.'

Demos: What is the price?

Cleon: Because I love you, O Demos, and I am your lover.

Demos: But who are you, truly?

Sausage-seller: rival lover of this one,

Sausage-seller: having long desired you and wishing to do you well,

Sausage-seller: Many others are also both noble and good.

735

Sausage-seller: But we are not able because of this fellow. For you

Sausage-seller: You are like the boys in love;

Sausage-seller: 'He does not receive the noble and good men,'

Sausage-seller: But yourself, to the lamp-sellers and the shoemakers

Sausage-seller: And you give [it] to both shoemakers and leather-sellers.

740

Cleon: for I am doing well by the people.

Ball-seller: Now, tell me, what are you doing?

Cleon: What? [He who] having run away from the generals from Pylos,

Cleon: having sailed there, I led the Lacedaemonians.

Sausage-seller: But as I walk away from the workshop

Sausage-seller: I borrowed the pot while someone else was cooking.

745

Cleon: And indeed, having summoned an assembly at once.

Cleon: Oh Dēmos, so that you may know which of us is yours.

Cleon: Be more loyal, decide [it], so that you may love this man.

Sausage-seller: Yes, yes, certainly decide, but not in the crowd.

Demos: I would not sit down in any other place.

750

Demus: But forward to the front. One must be present in the thick of it.

Sausage-seller: Alas, woe is me, I am ruined. For the old man

Sausage-seller: at home he is the most affectionate of men,

Sausage-seller: but when he sits on this rock,

Sausage-Seller: He stands gaping, like someone tripping.

755

Knights. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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.) — 728 focus

Δῆμος

τίνες οἱ βοῶντες; οὐκ ἄπιτʼ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας;

τὴν εἰρεσιώνην μου κατεσπαράξατε.

τίς ὦ Παφλαγὼν ἀδικεῖ σε;
730

Κλέων

διὰ σὲ τύπτομαι

ὑπὸ τουτουὶ καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων.

Δῆμος

τιή;

Κλέων

ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐραστής τʼ εἰμὶ σός.

Δῆμος

σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἐτεόν;

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἀντεραστὴς τουτουί,

ἐρῶν πάλαι σου βουλόμενός τέ σʼ εὖ ποιεῖν,

ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ καὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.
735

ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷοί τʼ ἐσμὲν διὰ τουτονί. σὺ γὰρ

ὅμοιος εἶ τοῖς παισὶ τοῖς ἐρωμένοις·

τοὺς μὲν καλούς τε κἀγαθοὺς οὐ προσδέχει,

σαυτὸν δὲ λυχνοπώλαισι καὶ νευρορράφοις

καὶ σκυτοτόμοις καὶ βυρσοπώλαισιν δίδως.
740

Κλέων

εὖ γὰρ ποιῶ τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

εἰπέ νυν τί δρῶν;

Κλέων

ὅ τι; †τῶν στρατηγῶν ὑποδραμὼν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου, †

πλεύσας ἐκεῖσε, τοὺς Λάκωνας ἤγαγον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ περιπατῶν γʼ ἀπʼ ἐργαστηρίου

ἕψοντος ἑτερου τὴν χύτραν ὑφειλόμην.
745

Κλέων

καὶ μὴν ποιήσας αὐτίκα μάλʼ ἐκκλησίαν

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῇς ὁπότερος νῷν ἐστί σοι

εὐνούστερος, διάκρινον, ἵνα τοῦτον φιλῇς.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ ναὶ διάκρινον δῆτα, πλὴν μὴ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.

Δῆμος

οὐκ ἂν καθιζοίμην ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ.
750

ἀλλʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθε. χρὴ παρεῖνʼ ἐς τὴν πύκνα.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων ὡς ἀπόλωλʼ. ὁ γὰρ γέρων

οἴκοι μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἐστι δεξιώτατος,

ὅταν δʼ ἐπὶ ταυτησὶ καθῆται τῆς πέτρας,

κέχηνεν ὥσπερ ἐμποδίζων ἰσχάδας.
755

Translations (1)

Knights (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 728 focus

Demos
Coming out of his house followed by Demosthenes

What a hubhub! To the Devil with you, bawlers! Alas! my olive branch, which they have torn down! Ah! it's you, Paphlagonian. 730 And who, pray, has been maltreating you?

Cleon

You are the cause of this man and these young people having covered me with blows.

Demos

And why?

Cleon

Because you love me passionately, Demos.

Demos
to the Sausage-Seller

And you, who are you?

Sausage-Seller

His rival. For many a long year have I loved you, have I wished to do you honor, I 735 and a crowd of other men of means. But this rascal here has prevented us. You resemble those young men who do not know where to choose their lovers; you repulse honest folks; 740 to earn your favours, one has to be a lamp-seller, a cobbler, a tanner or a currier.

Cleon

I am the benefactor of the people.

Sausage-Seller

In what way, please?

Cleon

In what way? I supplanted the Generals at Pylos , I hurried thither and I brought back the Laconian captives.

Sausage-Seller

And I, whilst simply loitering, 745 cleared off with a pot from a shop, which another fellow had been boiling.

Cleon

Demos, convene the assembly at once to decide which of us two loves you best and most merits your favour.

Sausage-Seller

Yes, yes, provided it be not at the Pnyx.

Demos

750 I could not sit elsewhere; it is at the Pnyx that you must appear before me.

He sits down on a stone in the Orchestra.

Sausage-Seller

Ah! great gods! I am undone! At home this old fellow is the most sensible of men, but the instant he is seated on those cursed stone seats, 755 he is there with mouth agape as if he were hanging up figs by their stems to dry.

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

742. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-41

Line 742

ὅ τι; †τῶν στρατηγῶν ὑποδραμὼν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου, †

The text is corrupted at this point in the manuscript tradition. The symbols † indicate a lacuna or a corrupt reading in the primary manuscripts (specifically the 'A' and 'E' families). Most editors reconstruct the phrase as ὑποδραμὼν τῶν στρατηγῶν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου ('having run under the feet of the generals from Pylos') or similar, but the exact wording is uncertain. The participle ὑποδραμὼν (aorist active participle of ὑποδραμω) is rare in this specific construction with the genitive of the person 'run under,' though the metaphor of 'running under' (subservience or cowardice) is a known Aristophanic trope. The corruption likely obscures the specific object of the participle or a preceding preposition, making the syntactic relationship between the generals and the action ambiguous without conjecture.

745. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-42

Line 745

ἕψοντος ἑτερου τὴν χύτραν ὑφειλόμην.

The verb ὑφειλόμην (aorist middle of ὑφείλω) is rare in the comic corpus and here functions with a specific causal nuance: 'I would have taken it [to the potter's] to be boiled, had another not been boiling the pot.' This construction implies a missed opportunity or a specific condition of dependency that is characteristic of Aristophanic hyperbole regarding the absurdity of the Paphlagonian's domestic encroachments. The form ὑφειλόμην, while etymologically related to 'to take under' (ὑφίημι), here carries the sense of 'to entrust' or 'to take for the purpose of,' a usage clarified by the context of the χύτρα (cooking pot) being the object of the action.

Aristophanes Knights 728

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Current edition Experimental

Δῆμος

τίνες οἱ βοῶντες; οὐκ ἄπιτʼ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας;

τὴν εἰρεσιώνην μου κατεσπαράξατε.

τίς ὦ Παφλαγὼν ἀδικεῖ σε;
730

Κλέων

διὰ σὲ τύπτομαι

ὑπὸ τουτουὶ καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων.

Δῆμος

τιή;

Κλέων

ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐραστής τʼ εἰμὶ σός.

Δῆμος

σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἐτεόν;

Κλέων

εὖ γὰρ ποιῶ τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

εἰπέ νυν τί δρῶν;

Κλέων

ὅ τι; †τῶν στρατηγῶν ὑποδραμὼν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου, †

πλεύσας ἐκεῖσε, τοὺς Λάκωνας ἤγαγον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ περιπατῶν γʼ ἀπʼ ἐργαστηρίου

ἕψοντος ἑτερου τὴν χύτραν ὑφειλόμην.
745

Κλέων

καὶ μὴν ποιήσας αὐτίκα μάλʼ ἐκκλησίαν

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῇς ὁπότερος νῷν ἐστί σοι

εὐνούστερος, διάκρινον, ἵνα τοῦτον φιλῇς.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ ναὶ διάκρινον δῆτα, πλὴν μὴ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.

Δῆμος

οὐκ ἂν καθιζοίμην ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ.
750

ἀλλʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθε. χρὴ παρεῖνʼ ἐς τὴν πύκνα.

Demos
Coming out of his house followed by Demosthenes

What a hubhub! To the Devil with you, bawlers! Alas! my olive branch, which they have torn down! Ah! it's you, Paphlagonian. 730 And who, pray, has been maltreating you?

Cleon

You are the cause of this man and these young people having covered me with blows.

Demos

And why?

Cleon

Because you love me passionately, Demos.

Demos
to the Sausage-Seller

And you, who are you?

Cleon

I am the benefactor of the people.

Sausage-Seller

In what way, please?

Cleon

In what way? I supplanted the Generals at Pylos , I hurried thither and I brought back the Laconian captives.

Sausage-Seller

And I, whilst simply loitering, 745 cleared off with a pot from a shop, which another fellow had been boiling.

Cleon

Demos, convene the assembly at once to decide which of us two loves you best and most merits your favour.

Sausage-Seller

Yes, yes, provided it be not at the Pnyx.

Demos

750 I could not sit elsewhere; it is at the Pnyx that you must appear before me.

Sausage-Seller

Ah! great gods! I am undone! At home this old fellow is the most sensible of men, but the instant he is seated on those cursed stone seats, 755 he is there with mouth agape as if he were hanging up figs by their stems to dry.

Commentary

Line 742

Line 745

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Δῆμος τίνες οἱ βοῶντες; οὐκ ἄπιτʼ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας; τὴν εἰρεσιώνην μου κατεσπαράξατε. τίς ὦ Παφλαγὼν ἀδικεῖ σε; 730

Κλέων διὰ σὲ τύπτομαι ὑπὸ τουτουὶ καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων.

Δῆμος τιή;

Κλέων ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐραστής τʼ εἰμὶ σός.

Δῆμος σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἐτεόν;

Κλέων εὖ γὰρ ποιῶ τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης εἰπέ νυν τί δρῶν;

Κλέων ὅ τι; †τῶν στρατηγῶν ὑποδραμὼν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου, † πλεύσας ἐκεῖσε, τοὺς Λάκωνας ἤγαγον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ἐγὼ δὲ περιπατῶν γʼ ἀπʼ ἐργαστηρίου ἕψοντος ἑτερου τὴν χύτραν ὑφειλόμην. 745

Κλέων καὶ μὴν ποιήσας αὐτίκα μάλʼ ἐκκλησίαν ὦ Δῆμʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῇς ὁπότερος νῷν ἐστί σοι εὐνούστερος, διάκρινον, ἵνα τοῦτον φιλῇς.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης ναὶ ναὶ διάκρινον δῆτα, πλὴν μὴ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.

Δῆμος οὐκ ἂν καθιζοίμην ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ. 750 ἀλλʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθε. χρὴ παρεῖνʼ ἐς τὴν πύκνα.

Demos Coming out of his house followed by Demosthenes What a hubhub! To the Devil with you, bawlers! Alas! my olive branch, which they have torn down! Ah! it's you, Paphlagonian. 730 And who, pray, has been maltreating you?

Cleon You are the cause of this man and these young people having covered me with blows.

Demos And why?

Cleon Because you love me passionately, Demos.

Demos to the Sausage-Seller And you, who are you?

Cleon I am the benefactor of the people.

Sausage-Seller In what way, please?

Cleon In what way? I supplanted the Generals at Pylos , I hurried thither and I brought back the Laconian captives.

Sausage-Seller And I, whilst simply loitering, 745 cleared off with a pot from a shop, which another fellow had been boiling.

Cleon Demos, convene the assembly at once to decide which of us two loves you best and most merits your favour.

Sausage-Seller Yes, yes, provided it be not at the Pnyx.

Demos 750 I could not sit elsewhere; it is at the Pnyx that you must appear before me.

Sausage-Seller Ah! great gods! I am undone! At home this old fellow is the most sensible of men, but the instant he is seated on those cursed stone seats, 755 he is there with mouth agape as if he were hanging up figs by their stems to dry.

Commentary

Line 742

Line 745

Stable identifiers

Δῆμος

τίνες οἱ βοῶντες; οὐκ ἄπιτʼ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας;

τὴν εἰρεσιώνην μου κατεσπαράξατε.

τίς ὦ Παφλαγὼν ἀδικεῖ σε;
730

Κλέων

διὰ σὲ τύπτομαι

ὑπὸ τουτουὶ καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων.

Δῆμος

τιή;

Κλέων

ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ὦ Δῆμʼ ἐραστής τʼ εἰμὶ σός.

Δῆμος

σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἐτεόν;

Κλέων

εὖ γὰρ ποιῶ τὸν δῆμον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

εἰπέ νυν τί δρῶν;

Κλέων

ὅ τι; †τῶν στρατηγῶν ὑποδραμὼν τῶν ἐκ Πύλου, †

πλεύσας ἐκεῖσε, τοὺς Λάκωνας ἤγαγον.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ἐγὼ δὲ περιπατῶν γʼ ἀπʼ ἐργαστηρίου

ἕψοντος ἑτερου τὴν χύτραν ὑφειλόμην.
745

Κλέων

καὶ μὴν ποιήσας αὐτίκα μάλʼ ἐκκλησίαν

ὦ Δῆμʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῇς ὁπότερος νῷν ἐστί σοι

εὐνούστερος, διάκρινον, ἵνα τοῦτον φιλῇς.

Ἀλλαντοπώλης

ναὶ ναὶ διάκρινον δῆτα, πλὴν μὴ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.

Δῆμος

οὐκ ἂν καθιζοίμην ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ.
750

ἀλλʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθε. χρὴ παρεῖνʼ ἐς τὴν πύκνα.

Demos
Coming out of his house followed by Demosthenes

What a hubhub! To the Devil with you, bawlers! Alas! my olive branch, which they have torn down! Ah! it's you, Paphlagonian. 730 And who, pray, has been maltreating you?

Cleon

You are the cause of this man and these young people having covered me with blows.

Demos

And why?

Cleon

Because you love me passionately, Demos.

Demos
to the Sausage-Seller

And you, who are you?

Cleon

I am the benefactor of the people.

Sausage-Seller

In what way, please?

Cleon

In what way? I supplanted the Generals at Pylos , I hurried thither and I brought back the Laconian captives.

Sausage-Seller

And I, whilst simply loitering, 745 cleared off with a pot from a shop, which another fellow had been boiling.

Cleon

Demos, convene the assembly at once to decide which of us two loves you best and most merits your favour.

Sausage-Seller

Yes, yes, provided it be not at the Pnyx.

Demos

750 I could not sit elsewhere; it is at the Pnyx that you must appear before me.

Sausage-Seller

Ah! great gods! I am undone! At home this old fellow is the most sensible of men, but the instant he is seated on those cursed stone seats, 755 he is there with mouth agape as if he were hanging up figs by their stems to dry.