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Στρεψιάδης

οἴμοι παρανοίας· ὡς ἐμαινόμην ἄρα,

ὅτʼ ἐξέβαλλον τοὺς θεοὺς διὰ Σωκράτη.

ἀλλʼ ὦ φίλʼ Ἑρμῆ μηδαμῶς θύμαινέ μοι

μηδέ μʼ ἐπιτρίψῃς, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε

ἐμοῦ παρανοήσαντος ἀδολεσχίᾳ·
1480

καί μοι γενοῦ ξύμβουλος, εἴτʼ αὐτοὺς γραφὴν

διωκάθω γραψάμενος εἴθʼ ὅ τι σοι δοκεῖ.

ὀρθῶς παραινεῖς οὐκ ἐῶν δικορραφεῖν,

ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ ἐμπιμπράναι τὴν οἰκίαν

τῶν ἀδολεσχῶν. δεῦρο δεῦρʼ ὦ Ξανθία,
1485

κλίμακα λαβὼν ἔξελθε καὶ σμινύην φέρων,

κἄπειτʼ ἐπαναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸ φροντιστήριον

τὸ τέγος κατάσκαπτʼ, εἰ φιλεῖς τὸν δεσπότην,

ἕως ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐμβάλῃς τὴν οἰκίαν·

ἐμοὶ δὲ δᾷδʼ ἐνεγκάτω τις ἡμμένην,
1490

κἀγώ τινʼ αὐτῶν τήμερον δοῦναι δίκην

ἐμοὶ ποιήσω, κεἰ σφόδρʼ εἴσʼ ἀλαζόνες.

Μαθητὴς Α

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Στρεψιάδης

σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.

Μαθητὴς Α

ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς;
1495

Στρεψιάδης

ὅ τι ποιῶ; τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ

διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

Μαθητὴς Β

οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;

Στρεψιάδης

ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.

Μαθητὴς Γ

ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.

Στρεψιάδης

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι,

ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας,
1500

ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.

Σωκράτης

οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;

Στρεψιάδης

ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.

Σωκράτης

οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.

Χαιρεφῶν

ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι.
1505

Στρεψιάδης

τί γὰρ μαθόντες τοὺς θεοὺς ὑβρίζετε,

καὶ τῆς σελήνης ἐσκοπεῖσθε τὴν ἕδραν;

Ερμῆς

δίωκε βάλλε παῖε, πολλῶν οὕνεκα,

μάλιστα δʼ εἰδὼς τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς ἠδίκουν.

Χορός

ἡγεῖσθʼ ἔξω· κεχόρευται γὰρ
1510

μετρίως τό γε τήμερον ἡμῖν.

Clouds. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1906.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Νεφέλαι (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.)

Translations (2)

Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 1476 focus

Strepsiades.

Ah me, what madness! How mad, then, I was when I ejected the gods on account of Socrates! But O dear Hermes, by no means be wroth with me, nor destroy me; but pardon me,

since I have gone crazy through prating. And become my adviser, whether I shall bring an action and prosecute them, or whatever you think. You advise me rightly, not permitting me to get up a lawsuit, but as soon as possible to set fire to the house
1480

of the prating fellows. Come hither, come hither, Xanthias! Come forth with a ladder and with a mattock and then mount upon the thinking-shop and dig down the roof, if you love your master, until you tumble the house upon them.
1485
Xanthias mounts upon the roof.

But let some one bring me a lighted torch and I’ll make some of them this day suffer punishment, even if they be ever so much impostors.
1490

1st Disciple.

(from within). Hollo! Hollo!

Strepsiades.

It is your business, O torch, to send forth abundant flame.

Mounts upon the roof.

1st Disciple.

What are you doing, fellow?
1495

Strepsiades.

What am I doing? Why, what else, than chopping logic with the beams of your house?

Sets the house on fire.

2nd Disciple.

(from within). Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?

Strepsiades.

The man whose cloak you have taken.

2nd Disciple.

(from within). You will destroy us! You will destroy us!

Strepsiades.

For I also wish this very thing;

unless my mattock deceive my hopes, or I should somehow fall first and break my neck.
1500

Socrates.

(from within). Hollo you! What are you doing, pray, you fellow on the roof?

Strepsiades.

I am walking on air, and speculating about the sun.

Socrates.

Ah me, unhappy! I shall be suffocated, wretched man!

Chaerephon.

And I, miserable man, shall be burnt to death!
1505

Strepsiades.

For what has come into your heads that you acted insolently toward the gods, and pried into the seat of the moon?

Hermes

¹ Chase, pelt, smite them, for many reasons, but especially because you know that they offended against the gods!

The thinking shop is burned down.

Chorus.

Lead the way out; for we have sufficiently acted as chorus for today.
1510

Exeunt omnes.

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.) — 1476 focus

Strepsiades: Alas, for madness! For I have been mad, it seems,

Strepsiades: when they were expelling the gods because of Socrates.

Strepsiades: But, O dear Hermes, do not at all sacrifice for me.

Strepsiades: Do not wear me out, but be patient.

Strepsiades: when I have gone mad with idle talk;

1480

Strepsiades: And be my advisor, whether [you will bring] them to trial

Strepsiades: I shall go and get some writing materials, whatever you think best.

Strepsiades: You are advising correctly, not allowing [me] to be a litigant.

Strepsiades: but how quickly to set the house on fire.

Strepsiades: Of the gadflies. Come here, come here, O Xanthias,

1485

Strepsiades: taking a ladder, go out and carrying a file,

Strepsiades: and then getting back up onto the thinking-shop.

Strepsiades: "Tear down the roof, if you love your master,"

Strepsiades: Until you put the house inside them;

Strepsiades: But let someone bring me a dry stick,

1490

Strepsiades: And I too will make one of them pay a penalty today.

Strepsiades: I will make it so, even if they are extremely arrogant.

Student A: ooh ooh.

Strepsiades: It is your job, sir, to send up a great flame.

Student A: Man, what are you doing?

1495

Strepsiades: What am I doing? And what else, then, than

Strepsiades: Am I being bored by the beams of the house?

Student B: Alas, who is setting our house on fire?

Strepsiades: That man from whom you have taken the cloak.

Student 3: You will be ruined, you will be ruined.

Strepsiades: For it is this very thing that I also wish,

Strepsiades: If the weasel does not betray my hopes,

1500

Strepsiades: Or may I perhaps be broken-necked and fall first.

Socrates: What are you doing up there on the roof?

Strepsiades: I walk on air and look down on the sun.

Socrates: Alas, wretched, miserable, I shall be strangled.

Chaerephon: But as for me, the wretch, I shall be completely burned.

1505

Strepsiades: For what, having learned [these things], do you blaspheme the gods,

Strepsiades: And were you observing the seat of the moon?

Hermes: chase, strike, hit, for many reasons,

Hermes: most certainly, knowing that the gods were treating them unjustly.

Chorus: Lead the way outside; for the dancing has been completed.

1510

Chorus: moderately, at any rate, today, for us.

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

1490. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-100

Line 1490

ἐμοὶ δὲ δᾷδʼ ἐνεγκάτω τις ἡμμένην,

The participle ἡμμένην (perfect passive participle of ἱμνύμι, 'to kindle') is rare in this specific morphological form; the more common perfect active form ἡμμένη is not attested here, and the perfect passive 'having been kindled' is semantically necessary to describe the torch as already lit and ready to be carried, contrasting with the future action of the carrier. This construction highlights the state of the object rather than the action of lighting, which is crucial for the stage direction implied in the line.

1496. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-101

Line 1496

διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

The hapax legomenon διαλεπτολογοῦμαι (dia-lepto-logoumai) is a compound verb unique to this passage, formed from διά, λεπτός, and λέγω. While λεπτός typically denotes 'fine' or 'thin' in physical descriptions (e.g., fine air, thin air), here it modifies the manner of speaking to imply 'subtle' or 'sophisticated' argumentation. The prefix διά- suggests a thorough or scattered discourse. This neologism is a deliberate Aristophanic coinage mocking the Socratic habit of dissecting language and reality into increasingly abstract, 'thin' components, contrasting sharply with the concrete 'rafters' (δοκαί) of the house mentioned in the dative of separation.

Aristophanes Clouds 1476

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Μαθητὴς Α

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Στρεψιάδης

σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.

Μαθητὴς Α

ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς;
1495

Στρεψιάδης

ὅ τι ποιῶ; τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ

διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

Μαθητὴς Β

οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;

Στρεψιάδης

ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.

Μαθητὴς Γ

ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.

Στρεψιάδης

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι,

ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας,
1500

ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.

Σωκράτης

οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;

Στρεψιάδης

ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.

Σωκράτης

οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.

Χαιρεφῶν

ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι.
1505

Στρεψιάδης

τί γὰρ μαθόντες τοὺς θεοὺς ὑβρίζετε,

καὶ τῆς σελήνης ἐσκοπεῖσθε τὴν ἕδραν;

Ερμῆς

δίωκε βάλλε παῖε, πολλῶν οὕνεκα,

μάλιστα δʼ εἰδὼς τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς ἠδίκουν.

Χορός

ἡγεῖσθʼ ἔξω· κεχόρευται γὰρ
1510

μετρίως τό γε τήμερον ἡμῖν.

Current edition Perseus

1st Disciple.

(from within). Hollo! Hollo!

Strepsiades.

It is your business, O torch, to send forth abundant flame.

1st Disciple.

What are you doing, fellow?
1495

Strepsiades.

What am I doing? Why, what else, than chopping logic with the beams of your house?

2nd Disciple.

(from within). Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?

Strepsiades.

The man whose cloak you have taken.

2nd Disciple.

(from within). You will destroy us! You will destroy us!

Strepsiades.

For I also wish this very thing;

unless my mattock deceive my hopes, or I should somehow fall first and break my neck.
1500

Socrates.

(from within). Hollo you! What are you doing, pray, you fellow on the roof?

Strepsiades.

I am walking on air, and speculating about the sun.

Socrates.

Ah me, unhappy! I shall be suffocated, wretched man!

Chaerephon.

And I, miserable man, shall be burnt to death!
1505

Strepsiades.

For what has come into your heads that you acted insolently toward the gods, and pried into the seat of the moon?

Hermes

¹ Chase, pelt, smite them, for many reasons, but especially because you know that they offended against the gods!

Chorus.

Lead the way out; for we have sufficiently acted as chorus for today.
1510

Commentary

Line 1490

Line 1496

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Μαθητὴς Α ἰοὺ ἰού.

Στρεψιάδης σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.

Μαθητὴς Α ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς; 1495

Στρεψιάδης ὅ τι ποιῶ; τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

Μαθητὴς Β οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;

Στρεψιάδης ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.

Μαθητὴς Γ ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.

Στρεψιάδης τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι, ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας, 1500 ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.

Σωκράτης οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;

Στρεψιάδης ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.

Σωκράτης οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.

Χαιρεφῶν ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι. 1505

Στρεψιάδης τί γὰρ μαθόντες τοὺς θεοὺς ὑβρίζετε, καὶ τῆς σελήνης ἐσκοπεῖσθε τὴν ἕδραν;

Ερμῆς δίωκε βάλλε παῖε, πολλῶν οὕνεκα, μάλιστα δʼ εἰδὼς τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς ἠδίκουν.

Χορός ἡγεῖσθʼ ἔξω· κεχόρευται γὰρ 1510 μετρίως τό γε τήμερον ἡμῖν.

Current edition Perseus

1st Disciple. (from within). Hollo! Hollo!

Strepsiades. It is your business, O torch, to send forth abundant flame.

1st Disciple. What are you doing, fellow? 1495

Strepsiades. What am I doing? Why, what else, than chopping logic with the beams of your house?

2nd Disciple. (from within). Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?

Strepsiades. The man whose cloak you have taken.

2nd Disciple. (from within). You will destroy us! You will destroy us!

Strepsiades. For I also wish this very thing; unless my mattock deceive my hopes, or I should somehow fall first and break my neck. 1500

Socrates. (from within). Hollo you! What are you doing, pray, you fellow on the roof?

Strepsiades. I am walking on air, and speculating about the sun.

Socrates. Ah me, unhappy! I shall be suffocated, wretched man!

Chaerephon. And I, miserable man, shall be burnt to death! 1505

Strepsiades. For what has come into your heads that you acted insolently toward the gods, and pried into the seat of the moon?

Hermes 1 Chase, pelt, smite them, for many reasons, but especially because you know that they offended against the gods!

Chorus. Lead the way out; for we have sufficiently acted as chorus for today. 1510

Commentary

Line 1490

Line 1496

Stable identifiers

Μαθητὴς Α

ἰοὺ ἰού.

Στρεψιάδης

σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.

Μαθητὴς Α

ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς;
1495

Στρεψιάδης

ὅ τι ποιῶ; τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ

διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;

Μαθητὴς Β

οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;

Στρεψιάδης

ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.

Μαθητὴς Γ

ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.

Στρεψιάδης

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι,

ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας,
1500

ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.

Σωκράτης

οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;

Στρεψιάδης

ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.

Σωκράτης

οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.

Χαιρεφῶν

ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι.
1505

Στρεψιάδης

τί γὰρ μαθόντες τοὺς θεοὺς ὑβρίζετε,

καὶ τῆς σελήνης ἐσκοπεῖσθε τὴν ἕδραν;

Ερμῆς

δίωκε βάλλε παῖε, πολλῶν οὕνεκα,

μάλιστα δʼ εἰδὼς τοὺς θεοὺς ὡς ἠδίκουν.

Χορός

ἡγεῖσθʼ ἔξω· κεχόρευται γὰρ
1510

μετρίως τό γε τήμερον ἡμῖν.

1st Disciple.

(from within). Hollo! Hollo!

Strepsiades.

It is your business, O torch, to send forth abundant flame.

1st Disciple.

What are you doing, fellow?
1495

Strepsiades.

What am I doing? Why, what else, than chopping logic with the beams of your house?

2nd Disciple.

(from within). Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?

Strepsiades.

The man whose cloak you have taken.

2nd Disciple.

(from within). You will destroy us! You will destroy us!

Strepsiades.

For I also wish this very thing;

unless my mattock deceive my hopes, or I should somehow fall first and break my neck.
1500

Socrates.

(from within). Hollo you! What are you doing, pray, you fellow on the roof?

Strepsiades.

I am walking on air, and speculating about the sun.

Socrates.

Ah me, unhappy! I shall be suffocated, wretched man!

Chaerephon.

And I, miserable man, shall be burnt to death!
1505

Strepsiades.

For what has come into your heads that you acted insolently toward the gods, and pried into the seat of the moon?

Hermes

¹ Chase, pelt, smite them, for many reasons, but especially because you know that they offended against the gods!

Chorus.

Lead the way out; for we have sufficiently acted as chorus for today.
1510