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Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐγχείρει τὸν πρεσβύτην ὅ τι περ μέλλεις προδιδάσκειν,

καὶ διακίνει τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἀποπειρῶ.

Σωκράτης

ἄγε δὴ κάτειπέ μοι σὺ τὸν σαυτοῦ τρόπον,

ἵνʼ αὐτὸν εἰδὼς ὅστις ἐστὶ μηχανὰς

ἤδη ʼπὶ τούτοις πρὸς σὲ καινὰς προσφέρω.
480

Στρεψιάδης

τί δέ; τειχομαχεῖν μοι διανοεῖ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν;

Σωκράτης

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ βραχέα σου πυθέσθαι βούλομαι.

ἦ μνημονικὸς εἶ;

Στρεψιάδης

δύο τρόπω νὴ τὸν Δία·

ἢν μὲν γὰρ ὀφείληταί τί μοι, μνήμων πάνυ·

ἐὰν δʼ ὀφείλω, σχέτλιος, ἐπιλήσμων πάνυ.
485

Σωκράτης

ἔνεστι δῆτα μανθάνειν ἐν τῇ φύσει;

Στρεψιάδης

λέγειν μὲν οὐκ ἔνεστʼ, ἀποστερεῖν δʼ ἔνι.

Σωκράτης

πῶς οὖν δυνήσει μανθάνειν;

Στρεψιάδης

ἀμέλει καλῶς.

Σωκράτης

ἄγε νυν ὅπως, ὅταν τι προβάλλω σοι σοφὸν

περὶ τῶν μετεώρων, εὐθέως ὑφαρπάσει.
490

Στρεψιάδης

τί δαί; κυνηδὸν τὴν σοφίαν σιτήσομαι;

Σωκράτης

ἄνθρωπος ἀμαθὴς οὑτοσὶ καὶ βάρβαρος.

δέδοικά σʼ ὦ πρεσβῦτα μὴ πληγῶν δέει.

φέρʼ ἴδω τί δρᾷς, ἤν τίς σε τύπτῃ;

Στρεψιάδης

τύπτομαι,

ἔπειτʼ ἐπισχὼν ὀλίγον ἐπιμαρτύρομαι,
495

εἶτʼ αὖθις ἀκαρῆ διαλιπὼν δικάζομαι.

Σωκράτης

ἴθι νυν κατάθου θοἰμάτιον.

Στρεψιάδης

ἠδίκηκά τι;

Σωκράτης

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ γυμνοὺς εἰσιέναι νομίζεται.

Στρεψιάδης

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ φωράσων ἔγωγʼ εἰσέρχομαι.

Σωκράτης

κατάθου. τί ληρεῖς;
500

Στρεψιάδης

εἰπὲ δή νύν μοι·

Σωκράτης

τὸ τί;

Στρεψιάδης

ἢν ἐπιμελὴς ὦ καὶ προθύμως μανθάνω,

τῷ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐμφερὴς γενήσομαι;

Σωκράτης

οὐδὲν διοίσεις Χαιρεφῶντος τὴν φύσιν.

Στρεψιάδης

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων ἡμιθνὴς γενήσομαι.

Σωκράτης

οὐ μὴ λαλήσεις, ἀλλʼ ἀκολουθήσεις ἐμοὶ
505

ἀνύσας τι δευρὶ θᾶττον;

Στρεψιάδης

ἐς τὼ χεῖρέ νυν

δός μοι μελιτοῦτταν πρότερον· ὡς δέδοικʼ ἐγὼ

εἴσω καταβαίνων ὥσπερ ἐς Τροφωνίου.

Σωκράτης

χώρει· τί κυπτάζεις ἔχων περὶ τὴν θύραν;

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.) — 476 focus

To Socrates.

Chorus.

But attempt to teach the old man by degrees whatever you purpose, and scrutinize his intellect, and make trial of his mind.

Socrates.

Come now, tell me your own turn of mind; in order that, when I know of what sort it is, I may now, after this, apply to you new engines.

Strepsiades.

What? By the gods, do you purpose to besiege me?

Socrates.

No; I wish to briefly learn from you if you are possessed of a good memory.

Strepsiades.

In two ways, by Jove! If anything be owing to me, I have a very good memory; but if I owe unhappy man, I am very forgetful.

Socrates.

Is the power of speaking, pray, implanted in your nature?

Strepsiades.

Speaking is not in me, but cheating is.

Socrates.

How, then, will you be able to learn?

Strepsiades.

Excellently, of course.

Socrates.

Come, then, take care that, whenever I propound any clever dogma about abstruse matters, you catch it up immediately.

Strepsiades.

What then? Am I to feed upon wisdom like a dog?

Socrates.

This man is ignorant and brutish--I fear, old man, lest you will need blows. Come, let me see; what do you do if any one beat you?

Strepsiades.

I take the beating; and then, when I have waited a little while, I call witnesses to prove it; then again, after a short interval, I go to law.

Socrates.

Come, then, lay down your cloak.

Strepsiades.

Have I done any wrong?

Socrates.

No; but it is the rule to enter naked.

Strepsiades.

But I do not enter to search for stolen goods.

Socrates.

Lay it down. Why do you talk nonsense?
500

Strepsiades.

¹ Now tell me this, pray.

If I be diligent and learn zealously, to which of your disciples shall I become like?

Socrates.

You will no way differ from Chaerephon in intellect.

Strepsiades.

Ah me, unhappy! I shall become half-dead.

Socrates.

Don’t chatter; but quickly follow me hither with smartness.
505

Strepsiades.

Then give me first into my hands a honeyed cake; for I am afraid of descending within, as if into the cave of Trophonius.

Socrates.

Proceed; why do you keep poking about the door?

Exeunt Socrates and Strepsiades.

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.) — 476 focus

Chorus: But put the old man to the test with whatever you are about to teach him,

Chorus: And stir up his mind and try out his opinion.

Socrates: Come now, tell me your own way of life,

Socrates: so that knowing who he is, [you may devise] contrivances

Socrates: Now, on top of these things, I bring new ones to you.

480

Strepsiades: But what is it? Do you intend that I fight on the walls, by the gods?

Socrates: No, but I want to learn a few things from you.

Socrates: Are you a person with a good memory?

Strepsiades: two ways, by Zeus;

Strepsiades: For if someone owes me something, he is very mindful of it;

Strepsiades: But if I owe, wretch, I am very forgetful.

485

Socrates: Is it therefore possible to learn from nature?

Strepsiades: Speaking is not possible, but depriving is possible.

Socrates: So how will you be able to learn?

Strepsiades: By all means, very well.

Socrates: Come now, how, whenever I propose something wise to you

Socrates: about the heavenly bodies, he will snatch [them] up immediately.

490

Strepsiades: What then? Will I feed my wisdom with a dog?

Socrates: This man is ignorant and barbarous.

Socrates: I fear you, old man, that you may lack blows.

Socrates: Come, let me see what you are doing, if someone is hitting you?

Strepsiades: I am being struck,

Strepsiades: Then, after waiting a little, I swear by my testimony,

495

Strepsiades: And then, having skipped over the barren part, I am judged.

Socrates: Come now, put on your cloak.

Strepsiades: Have I been wronged in some way?

Socrates: No, but it is thought that they enter naked.

Strepsiades: But I am entering so that I may not be discovered.

Socrates: Put it down. Why are you babbling?

500

Strepsiades: Tell me now.

Socrates: 'What?'

Strepsiades: If I am diligent and learn eagerly,

Strepsiades: Will I become similar to the students?

Socrates: You will not differ from Chaerephon's nature in any way.

Strepsiades: Alas, I shall become a wretched half-dead man.

Socrates: You will not speak, but you will follow me.

505

Socrates: having done something, [will you come] here more quickly?

Strepsiades: Now to my hands!

Strepsiades: Give me the honeyed cup first; for I am afraid.

Strepsiades: coming down inside, just as into Trophonius's.

Socrates: Go on; why are you peeping while standing by the door?

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

508. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-33

Line 508

εἴσω καταβαίνων ὥσπερ ἐς Τροφωνίου.

The simile compares the descent of the character into the earth to a visit to the sanctuary of Trophonius at Lebadea in Boeotia, famous for its chasm (bóthros) through which initiates would descend to receive oracles. The phrase ἐς Τροφωνίου (genitive of the proper name) functions as a shorthand for 'to the sanctuary of Trophonius,' a specific reference to a ritual of necromancy and divination involving a literal descent into the earth, which mirrors the comic action of the character Socrates (or his pupil) descending into the 'thinkery' or a similar subterranean space in the play's context. This allusion relies on the audience's knowledge of the specific cult practices at Lebadea, where the descent was a central, terrifying, and transformative experience.

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Χορός ἀλλʼ ἐγχείρει τὸν πρεσβύτην ὅ τι περ μέλλεις προδιδάσκειν, καὶ διακίνει τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἀποπειρῶ.

Σωκράτης ἄγε δὴ κάτειπέ μοι σὺ τὸν σαυτοῦ τρόπον, ἵνʼ αὐτὸν εἰδὼς ὅστις ἐστὶ μηχανὰς ἤδη ʼπὶ τούτοις πρὸς σὲ καινὰς προσφέρω. 480

Στρεψιάδης τί δέ; τειχομαχεῖν μοι διανοεῖ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν;

Σωκράτης οὔκ, ἀλλὰ βραχέα σου πυθέσθαι βούλομαι. ἦ μνημονικὸς εἶ;

Στρεψιάδης δύο τρόπω νὴ τὸν Δία· ἢν μὲν γὰρ ὀφείληταί τί μοι, μνήμων πάνυ· ἐὰν δʼ ὀφείλω, σχέτλιος, ἐπιλήσμων πάνυ. 485

Σωκράτης ἔνεστι δῆτα μανθάνειν ἐν τῇ φύσει;

Στρεψιάδης λέγειν μὲν οὐκ ἔνεστʼ, ἀποστερεῖν δʼ ἔνι.

Σωκράτης πῶς οὖν δυνήσει μανθάνειν;

Στρεψιάδης ἀμέλει καλῶς.

Σωκράτης ἄγε νυν ὅπως, ὅταν τι προβάλλω σοι σοφὸν περὶ τῶν μετεώρων, εὐθέως ὑφαρπάσει. 490

Στρεψιάδης τί δαί; κυνηδὸν τὴν σοφίαν σιτήσομαι;

Σωκράτης ἄνθρωπος ἀμαθὴς οὑτοσὶ καὶ βάρβαρος. δέδοικά σʼ ὦ πρεσβῦτα μὴ πληγῶν δέει. φέρʼ ἴδω τί δρᾷς, ἤν τίς σε τύπτῃ;

Στρεψιάδης τύπτομαι, ἔπειτʼ ἐπισχὼν ὀλίγον ἐπιμαρτύρομαι, 495 εἶτʼ αὖθις ἀκαρῆ διαλιπὼν δικάζομαι.

Σωκράτης ἴθι νυν κατάθου θοἰμάτιον.

Στρεψιάδης ἠδίκηκά τι;

Σωκράτης οὔκ, ἀλλὰ γυμνοὺς εἰσιέναι νομίζεται.

Στρεψιάδης ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ φωράσων ἔγωγʼ εἰσέρχομαι.

Σωκράτης κατάθου. τί ληρεῖς; 500

Στρεψιάδης εἰπὲ δή νύν μοι·

Σωκράτης τὸ τί;

Στρεψιάδης ἢν ἐπιμελὴς ὦ καὶ προθύμως μανθάνω, τῷ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐμφερὴς γενήσομαι;

Σωκράτης οὐδὲν διοίσεις Χαιρεφῶντος τὴν φύσιν.

Στρεψιάδης οἴμοι κακοδαίμων ἡμιθνὴς γενήσομαι.

Σωκράτης οὐ μὴ λαλήσεις, ἀλλʼ ἀκολουθήσεις ἐμοὶ 505 ἀνύσας τι δευρὶ θᾶττον;

Στρεψιάδης ἐς τὼ χεῖρέ νυν δός μοι μελιτοῦτταν πρότερον· ὡς δέδοικʼ ἐγὼ εἴσω καταβαίνων ὥσπερ ἐς Τροφωνίου.

Σωκράτης χώρει· τί κυπτάζεις ἔχων περὶ τὴν θύραν;

Current edition Perseus

Chorus. But attempt to teach the old man by degrees whatever you purpose, and scrutinize his intellect, and make trial of his mind.

Socrates. Come now, tell me your own turn of mind; in order that, when I know of what sort it is, I may now, after this, apply to you new engines.

Strepsiades. What? By the gods, do you purpose to besiege me?

Socrates. No; I wish to briefly learn from you if you are possessed of a good memory.

Strepsiades. In two ways, by Jove! If anything be owing to me, I have a very good memory; but if I owe unhappy man, I am very forgetful.

Socrates. Is the power of speaking, pray, implanted in your nature?

Strepsiades. Speaking is not in me, but cheating is.

Socrates. How, then, will you be able to learn?

Strepsiades. Excellently, of course.

Socrates. Come, then, take care that, whenever I propound any clever dogma about abstruse matters, you catch it up immediately.

Strepsiades. What then? Am I to feed upon wisdom like a dog?

Socrates. This man is ignorant and brutish--I fear, old man, lest you will need blows. Come, let me see; what do you do if any one beat you?

Strepsiades. I take the beating; and then, when I have waited a little while, I call witnesses to prove it; then again, after a short interval, I go to law.

Socrates. Come, then, lay down your cloak.

Strepsiades. Have I done any wrong?

Socrates. No; but it is the rule to enter naked.

Strepsiades. But I do not enter to search for stolen goods.

Socrates. Lay it down. Why do you talk nonsense? 500

Strepsiades. 1 Now tell me this, pray. If I be diligent and learn zealously, to which of your disciples shall I become like?

Socrates. You will no way differ from Chaerephon in intellect.

Strepsiades. Ah me, unhappy! I shall become half-dead.

Socrates. Don’t chatter; but quickly follow me hither with smartness. 505

Strepsiades. Then give me first into my hands a honeyed cake; for I am afraid of descending within, as if into the cave of Trophonius.

Socrates. Proceed; why do you keep poking about the door?

Commentary

Line 508

Stable identifiers

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐγχείρει τὸν πρεσβύτην ὅ τι περ μέλλεις προδιδάσκειν,

καὶ διακίνει τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἀποπειρῶ.

Σωκράτης

ἄγε δὴ κάτειπέ μοι σὺ τὸν σαυτοῦ τρόπον,

ἵνʼ αὐτὸν εἰδὼς ὅστις ἐστὶ μηχανὰς

ἤδη ʼπὶ τούτοις πρὸς σὲ καινὰς προσφέρω.
480

Στρεψιάδης

τί δέ; τειχομαχεῖν μοι διανοεῖ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν;

Σωκράτης

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ βραχέα σου πυθέσθαι βούλομαι.

ἦ μνημονικὸς εἶ;

Στρεψιάδης

δύο τρόπω νὴ τὸν Δία·

ἢν μὲν γὰρ ὀφείληταί τί μοι, μνήμων πάνυ·

ἐὰν δʼ ὀφείλω, σχέτλιος, ἐπιλήσμων πάνυ.
485

Σωκράτης

ἔνεστι δῆτα μανθάνειν ἐν τῇ φύσει;

Στρεψιάδης

λέγειν μὲν οὐκ ἔνεστʼ, ἀποστερεῖν δʼ ἔνι.

Σωκράτης

πῶς οὖν δυνήσει μανθάνειν;

Στρεψιάδης

ἀμέλει καλῶς.

Σωκράτης

ἄγε νυν ὅπως, ὅταν τι προβάλλω σοι σοφὸν

περὶ τῶν μετεώρων, εὐθέως ὑφαρπάσει.
490

Στρεψιάδης

τί δαί; κυνηδὸν τὴν σοφίαν σιτήσομαι;

Σωκράτης

ἄνθρωπος ἀμαθὴς οὑτοσὶ καὶ βάρβαρος.

δέδοικά σʼ ὦ πρεσβῦτα μὴ πληγῶν δέει.

φέρʼ ἴδω τί δρᾷς, ἤν τίς σε τύπτῃ;

Στρεψιάδης

τύπτομαι,

ἔπειτʼ ἐπισχὼν ὀλίγον ἐπιμαρτύρομαι,
495

εἶτʼ αὖθις ἀκαρῆ διαλιπὼν δικάζομαι.

Σωκράτης

ἴθι νυν κατάθου θοἰμάτιον.

Στρεψιάδης

ἠδίκηκά τι;

Σωκράτης

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ γυμνοὺς εἰσιέναι νομίζεται.

Στρεψιάδης

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ φωράσων ἔγωγʼ εἰσέρχομαι.

Σωκράτης

κατάθου. τί ληρεῖς;
500

Στρεψιάδης

εἰπὲ δή νύν μοι·

Σωκράτης

τὸ τί;

Στρεψιάδης

ἢν ἐπιμελὴς ὦ καὶ προθύμως μανθάνω,

τῷ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐμφερὴς γενήσομαι;

Σωκράτης

οὐδὲν διοίσεις Χαιρεφῶντος τὴν φύσιν.

Στρεψιάδης

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων ἡμιθνὴς γενήσομαι.

Σωκράτης

οὐ μὴ λαλήσεις, ἀλλʼ ἀκολουθήσεις ἐμοὶ
505

ἀνύσας τι δευρὶ θᾶττον;

Στρεψιάδης

ἐς τὼ χεῖρέ νυν

δός μοι μελιτοῦτταν πρότερον· ὡς δέδοικʼ ἐγὼ

εἴσω καταβαίνων ὥσπερ ἐς Τροφωνίου.

Σωκράτης

χώρει· τί κυπτάζεις ἔχων περὶ τὴν θύραν;

Chorus.

But attempt to teach the old man by degrees whatever you purpose, and scrutinize his intellect, and make trial of his mind.

Socrates.

Come now, tell me your own turn of mind; in order that, when I know of what sort it is, I may now, after this, apply to you new engines.

Strepsiades.

What? By the gods, do you purpose to besiege me?

Socrates.

No; I wish to briefly learn from you if you are possessed of a good memory.

Strepsiades.

In two ways, by Jove! If anything be owing to me, I have a very good memory; but if I owe unhappy man, I am very forgetful.

Socrates.

Is the power of speaking, pray, implanted in your nature?

Strepsiades.

Speaking is not in me, but cheating is.

Socrates.

How, then, will you be able to learn?

Strepsiades.

Excellently, of course.

Socrates.

Come, then, take care that, whenever I propound any clever dogma about abstruse matters, you catch it up immediately.

Strepsiades.

What then? Am I to feed upon wisdom like a dog?

Socrates.

This man is ignorant and brutish--I fear, old man, lest you will need blows. Come, let me see; what do you do if any one beat you?

Strepsiades.

I take the beating; and then, when I have waited a little while, I call witnesses to prove it; then again, after a short interval, I go to law.

Socrates.

Come, then, lay down your cloak.

Strepsiades.

Have I done any wrong?

Socrates.

No; but it is the rule to enter naked.

Strepsiades.

But I do not enter to search for stolen goods.

Socrates.

Lay it down. Why do you talk nonsense?
500

Strepsiades.

¹ Now tell me this, pray.

If I be diligent and learn zealously, to which of your disciples shall I become like?

Socrates.

You will no way differ from Chaerephon in intellect.

Strepsiades.

Ah me, unhappy! I shall become half-dead.

Socrates.

Don’t chatter; but quickly follow me hither with smartness.
505

Strepsiades.

Then give me first into my hands a honeyed cake; for I am afraid of descending within, as if into the cave of Trophonius.

Socrates.

Proceed; why do you keep poking about the door?