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Φειδιππίδης

λέγε δή, τί κελεύεις;
90

Στρεψιάδης

καί τι πείσει;

Φειδιππίδης

πείσομαι

νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον.

Στρεψιάδης

δεῦρό νυν ἀπόβλεπε.

ὁρᾷς τὸ θύριον τοῦτο καὶ τᾠκίδιον;

Φειδιππίδης

ὁρῶ. τί οὖν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐτεὸν ὦ πάτερ;

Στρεψιάδης

ψυχῶν σοφῶν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ φροντιστήριον.

ἐνταῦθʼ ἐνοικοῦσʼ ἄνδρες, οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν
95

λέγοντες ἀναπείθουσιν ὡς ἔστιν πνιγεύς,

κἄστιν περὶ ἡμᾶς οὗτος, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἄνθρακες.

οὗτοι διδάσκουσʼ, ἀργύριον ἤν τις διδῷ,

λέγοντα νικᾶν καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα.

Φειδιππίδης

εἰσὶν δὲ τίνες;
100

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀκριβῶς τοὔνομα·

μεριμνοφροντισταὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.

Φειδιππίδης

αἰβοῖ πονηροί γʼ, οἶδα. τοὺς ἀλαζόνας

τοὺς ὠχριῶντας τοὺς ἀνυποδήτους λέγεις,

ὧν ὁ κακοδαίμων Σωκράτης καὶ Χαιρεφῶν.
105

Στρεψιάδης

ἢ ἢ σιώπα· μηδὲν εἴπῃς νήπιον.

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι κήδει τῶν πατρῴων ἀλφίτων,

τούτων γενοῦ μοι σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον, εἰ δοίης γέ μοι

τοὺς φασιανοὺς οὓς τρέφει Λεωγόρας.

Στρεψιάδης

ἴθʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ
110

ἐλθὼν διδάσκου.

Φειδιππίδης

καὶ τί σοι μαθήσομαι;

Στρεψιάδης

εἶναι παρʼ αὐτοῖς φασιν ἄμφω τὼ λόγω,

τὸν κρείττονʼ, ὅστις ἐστί, καὶ τὸν ἥττονα.

τούτοιν τὸν ἕτερον τοῖν λόγοιν, τὸν ἥττονα,

νικᾶν λέγοντά φασι τἀδικώτερα.
115

ἢν οὖν μάθῃς μοι τὸν ἄδικον τοῦτον λόγον,

ἃ νῦν ὀφείλω διὰ σέ, τούτων τῶν χρεῶν

οὐκ ἂν ἀποδοίην οὐδʼ ἂν ὀβολὸν οὐδενί.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην ἰδεῖν

τοὺς ἱππέας τὸ χρῶμα διακεκναισμένος.
120

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ ἄρα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα τῶν γʼ ἐμῶν ἔδει,

οὔτʼ αὐτὸς οὔθʼ ὁ ζύγιος οὔθʼ ὁ σαμφόρας·

ἀλλʼ ἐξελῶ σʼ ἐς κόρακας ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας.

Φειδιππίδης

ἀλλʼ οὐ περιόψεταί μʼ ὁ θεῖος Μεγακλέης

ἄνιππον. ἀλλʼ εἴσειμι, σοῦ δʼ οὐ φροντιῶ.
125

Στρεψιάδης

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐγὼ μέντοι πεσών γε κείσομαι,

ἀλλʼ εὐξάμενος τοῖσιν θεοῖς διδάξομαι

αὐτὸς βαδίζων ἐς τὸ φροντιστήριον.

πῶς οὖν γέρων ὢν κἀπιλήσμων καὶ βραδὺς

λόγων ἀκριβῶν σχινδαλάμους μαθήσομαι;
130

ἰτητέον. τί ταῦτʼ ἔχων στραγγεύομαι,

ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ κόπτω τὴν θύραν; παῖ παιδίον.

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.) — 90 focus

Phidippides.

Tell me now, what do you prescribe?
90

Strepsiades.

And will you obey me at all?

Phidippides.

By Bacchus, I will obey you.

Strepsiades.

Look this way then! Do you see this little door and little house?

Phidippides.

I see it. What then, pray, is this, father?

Strepsiades.

This is a thinking-shop of wise spirits.

There dwell men who in speaking of the heavens persuade people that it is an oven, and that it encompasses us, and that we are the embers. These men teach, if one give them money, to conquer in speaking, right or wrong.
95

Phidippides.

Who are they?
100

Strepsiades.

I do not know the name accurately. They are minute philosophers, noble and excellent.

Phidippides.

Bah! They are rogues; I know them. You mean the quacks, the pale-faced wretches, the bare-footed fellows, of whose numbers are the miserable Socrates and Chaerephon.

Strepsiades.

Hold! Hold! Be silent! Do not say anything foolish. But, if you have any concern for your father’s patrimony, become one of them, having given up your horsemanship.
105

Phidippides.

I would not, by Bacchus, even if you were to give me the pheasants which Leogoras rears!

Strepsiades.

Go, I entreat you, dearest of men, go and be taught.
110

Phidippides.

Why, what shall I learn?

Strepsiades.

They say that among them are both the two causes—the better cause, whichever that is, and the worse: they say that the one of these two causes, the worse, prevails,

though it speaks on the unjust side. If, therefore you learn for me this unjust cause, I would not pay any one, not even an obolus of these debts, which I owe at present on your account.
115

Phidippides.

I can not comply; for I should not dare to look upon the knights, having lost all my colour.

Strepsiades.

Then, by Ceres, you shall not eat any of my good! Neither you, nor your blood-horse; but I will drive you out of my house to the crows.

Phidippides.

My uncle Megacles will not permit me to be without a horse. But I’ll go in, and pay no heed to you.

Exit Phidippides.

Strepsiades.

Though fallen, still I will not lie prostrate: but having prayed to the gods, I will go myself to the thinking-shop and get taught. How, then, being an old man,

shall I learn the subtleties of refined disquisitions? I must go. Why thus do I loiter and not knock at the door? Knocks at the door. Boy! Little boy!
130

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.) — 90 focus

Pheidippides: Speak then, what do you command?

Strepsiades: And will he persuade him?

Pheidippides: I will obey.

Pheidippides: By Dionysus!

Strepsiades: Look this way now.

Strepsiades: Do you see this little door and this little window?

Pheidippides: I see. So what is this, truly, O father?

Strepsiades: This is a study of the souls of the wise.

Strepsiades: Here, men, dwell those who [study] the sky

Strepsiades: saying, they persuade as if there is a drowner,

Strepsiades: And this is about us, but we are charcoal.

Strepsiades: These are the ones who teach, if someone gives money,

Strepsiades: to conquer even when speaking unfairly and unjustly.

Pheidippides: Are there some, then?

100

Strepsiades: I do not know the name precisely;

Strepsiades: caring and good and noble.

Pheidippides: Alas, they are scoundrels, I know. The impostors.

Pheidippides: 'You mean the pale-faced and barefoot ones?'

Pheidippides: of whom the wretched Socrates and Chaerephon.

105

Strepsiades: Oh, oh, be quiet; say nothing foolish.

Strepsiades: But if it troubles you in any way concerning the ancestral barley,

Strepsiades: Be a splitter of these to me, having torn open the equestrian art.

Pheidippides: Not even by Dionysus, if you were to give me just a little.

Pheidippides: the pheasants that Leogoras raises.

Strepsiades: Come, I beg you, most dear of all men to me.

110

Strepsiades: Come and teach.

Pheidippides: And what will I learn from you?

Strepsiades: they say that both of these are with them, the two arguments,

Strepsiades: the better one, whoever he is, and the worse one.

Strepsiades: this one of the two speeches, the weaker,

Strepsiades: They say that to win is to speak unjustly.

115

Strepsiades: Then, if you learn this unjust argument for me,

Strepsiades: What I owe now because of you, these debts

Strepsiades: I would not pay back not even an obol to anyone.

Pheidippides: I would not persuade [him]; for I would not dare to see.

Pheidippides: the horsemen, having their skin chafed.

120

Strepsiades: Then, by Demeter, it was not necessary for them to be mine,

Strepsiades: Neither he himself, nor the steersman, nor the helmsman;

Strepsiades: But I will throw you out into the crows from the house.

Pheidippides: But my uncle Megacles will not overlook me.

Pheidippides: Unwashed. But I will go in; I do not care about you.

125

Strepsiades: But not even I, though I have fallen, will lie down.

Strepsiades: But after praying to the gods, I will learn.

Strepsiades: walking himself to the thinking-shop.

Strepsiades: How, then, being old and forgetful and slow

Strepsiades: Will I learn the splinters of precise speeches?

130

Strepsiades: We must go. Why, while holding these things, am I being strangled?

Strepsiades: But am I not knocking on the door? Boy, boy!

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

96. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-7

Line 96

λέγοντες ἀναπείθουσιν ὡς ἔστιν πνιγεύς,

The term πνιγεύς (pniugeus) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, appearing only here in the extant corpus. Derived from πνίγειν (to choke), it is a coinage satirizing the Sophists' tendency to invent technical-sounding terminology for trivial or absurd concepts. The word functions as a pun on the physical act of choking (perhaps alluding to the 'strangling' of logic in eristic debates) and the intellectual 'suffocation' of the student, a typical Aristophanic device of lexical invention to mock the perceived obscurantism of contemporary intellectuals.

Aristophanes Clouds 90

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Φειδιππίδης

λέγε δή, τί κελεύεις;
90

Στρεψιάδης

καί τι πείσει;

Φειδιππίδης

πείσομαι

νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον.

Στρεψιάδης

δεῦρό νυν ἀπόβλεπε.

ὁρᾷς τὸ θύριον τοῦτο καὶ τᾠκίδιον;

Φειδιππίδης

ὁρῶ. τί οὖν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐτεὸν ὦ πάτερ;

Φειδιππίδης

εἰσὶν δὲ τίνες;
100

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀκριβῶς τοὔνομα·

μεριμνοφροντισταὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.

Φειδιππίδης

αἰβοῖ πονηροί γʼ, οἶδα. τοὺς ἀλαζόνας

τοὺς ὠχριῶντας τοὺς ἀνυποδήτους λέγεις,

ὧν ὁ κακοδαίμων Σωκράτης καὶ Χαιρεφῶν.
105

Στρεψιάδης

ἢ ἢ σιώπα· μηδὲν εἴπῃς νήπιον.

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι κήδει τῶν πατρῴων ἀλφίτων,

τούτων γενοῦ μοι σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον, εἰ δοίης γέ μοι

τοὺς φασιανοὺς οὓς τρέφει Λεωγόρας.

Στρεψιάδης

ἴθʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ
110

ἐλθὼν διδάσκου.

Φειδιππίδης

καὶ τί σοι μαθήσομαι;

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην ἰδεῖν

τοὺς ἱππέας τὸ χρῶμα διακεκναισμένος.
120

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ ἄρα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα τῶν γʼ ἐμῶν ἔδει,

οὔτʼ αὐτὸς οὔθʼ ὁ ζύγιος οὔθʼ ὁ σαμφόρας·

ἀλλʼ ἐξελῶ σʼ ἐς κόρακας ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας.

Φειδιππίδης

ἀλλʼ οὐ περιόψεταί μʼ ὁ θεῖος Μεγακλέης

ἄνιππον. ἀλλʼ εἴσειμι, σοῦ δʼ οὐ φροντιῶ.
125

Current edition Perseus

Phidippides.

Tell me now, what do you prescribe?
90

Strepsiades.

And will you obey me at all?

Phidippides.

By Bacchus, I will obey you.

Strepsiades.

Look this way then! Do you see this little door and little house?

Phidippides.

I see it. What then, pray, is this, father?

Strepsiades.

This is a thinking-shop of wise spirits.

There dwell men who in speaking of the heavens persuade people that it is an oven, and that it encompasses us, and that we are the embers. These men teach, if one give them money, to conquer in speaking, right or wrong.
95

Phidippides.

Who are they?
100

Strepsiades.

I do not know the name accurately. They are minute philosophers, noble and excellent.

Phidippides.

Bah! They are rogues; I know them. You mean the quacks, the pale-faced wretches, the bare-footed fellows, of whose numbers are the miserable Socrates and Chaerephon.

Strepsiades.

Hold! Hold! Be silent! Do not say anything foolish. But, if you have any concern for your father’s patrimony, become one of them, having given up your horsemanship.
105

Phidippides.

I would not, by Bacchus, even if you were to give me the pheasants which Leogoras rears!

Strepsiades.

Go, I entreat you, dearest of men, go and be taught.
110

Phidippides.

Why, what shall I learn?

Phidippides.

I can not comply; for I should not dare to look upon the knights, having lost all my colour.

Strepsiades.

Then, by Ceres, you shall not eat any of my good! Neither you, nor your blood-horse; but I will drive you out of my house to the crows.

Phidippides.

My uncle Megacles will not permit me to be without a horse. But I’ll go in, and pay no heed to you.

Commentary

Line 96

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Φειδιππίδης λέγε δή, τί κελεύεις; 90

Στρεψιάδης καί τι πείσει;

Φειδιππίδης πείσομαι νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον.

Στρεψιάδης δεῦρό νυν ἀπόβλεπε. ὁρᾷς τὸ θύριον τοῦτο καὶ τᾠκίδιον;

Φειδιππίδης ὁρῶ. τί οὖν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐτεὸν ὦ πάτερ;

Φειδιππίδης εἰσὶν δὲ τίνες; 100

Στρεψιάδης οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀκριβῶς τοὔνομα· μεριμνοφροντισταὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.

Φειδιππίδης αἰβοῖ πονηροί γʼ, οἶδα. τοὺς ἀλαζόνας τοὺς ὠχριῶντας τοὺς ἀνυποδήτους λέγεις, ὧν ὁ κακοδαίμων Σωκράτης καὶ Χαιρεφῶν. 105

Στρεψιάδης ἢ ἢ σιώπα· μηδὲν εἴπῃς νήπιον. ἀλλʼ εἴ τι κήδει τῶν πατρῴων ἀλφίτων, τούτων γενοῦ μοι σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν.

Φειδιππίδης οὐκ ἂν μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον, εἰ δοίης γέ μοι τοὺς φασιανοὺς οὓς τρέφει Λεωγόρας.

Στρεψιάδης ἴθʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ 110 ἐλθὼν διδάσκου.

Φειδιππίδης καὶ τί σοι μαθήσομαι;

Φειδιππίδης οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην ἰδεῖν τοὺς ἱππέας τὸ χρῶμα διακεκναισμένος. 120

Στρεψιάδης οὐκ ἄρα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα τῶν γʼ ἐμῶν ἔδει, οὔτʼ αὐτὸς οὔθʼ ὁ ζύγιος οὔθʼ ὁ σαμφόρας· ἀλλʼ ἐξελῶ σʼ ἐς κόρακας ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας.

Φειδιππίδης ἀλλʼ οὐ περιόψεταί μʼ ὁ θεῖος Μεγακλέης ἄνιππον. ἀλλʼ εἴσειμι, σοῦ δʼ οὐ φροντιῶ. 125

Current edition Perseus

Phidippides. Tell me now, what do you prescribe? 90

Strepsiades. And will you obey me at all?

Phidippides. By Bacchus, I will obey you.

Strepsiades. Look this way then! Do you see this little door and little house?

Phidippides. I see it. What then, pray, is this, father?

Strepsiades. This is a thinking-shop of wise spirits. There dwell men who in speaking of the heavens persuade people that it is an oven, and that it encompasses us, and that we are the embers. These men teach, if one give them money, to conquer in speaking, right or wrong. 95

Phidippides. Who are they? 100

Strepsiades. I do not know the name accurately. They are minute philosophers, noble and excellent.

Phidippides. Bah! They are rogues; I know them. You mean the quacks, the pale-faced wretches, the bare-footed fellows, of whose numbers are the miserable Socrates and Chaerephon.

Strepsiades. Hold! Hold! Be silent! Do not say anything foolish. But, if you have any concern for your father’s patrimony, become one of them, having given up your horsemanship. 105

Phidippides. I would not, by Bacchus, even if you were to give me the pheasants which Leogoras rears!

Strepsiades. Go, I entreat you, dearest of men, go and be taught. 110

Phidippides. Why, what shall I learn?

Phidippides. I can not comply; for I should not dare to look upon the knights, having lost all my colour.

Strepsiades. Then, by Ceres, you shall not eat any of my good! Neither you, nor your blood-horse; but I will drive you out of my house to the crows.

Phidippides. My uncle Megacles will not permit me to be without a horse. But I’ll go in, and pay no heed to you.

Commentary

Line 96

Stable identifiers

Φειδιππίδης

λέγε δή, τί κελεύεις;
90

Στρεψιάδης

καί τι πείσει;

Φειδιππίδης

πείσομαι

νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον.

Στρεψιάδης

δεῦρό νυν ἀπόβλεπε.

ὁρᾷς τὸ θύριον τοῦτο καὶ τᾠκίδιον;

Φειδιππίδης

ὁρῶ. τί οὖν τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐτεὸν ὦ πάτερ;

Φειδιππίδης

εἰσὶν δὲ τίνες;
100

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀκριβῶς τοὔνομα·

μεριμνοφροντισταὶ καλοί τε κἀγαθοί.

Φειδιππίδης

αἰβοῖ πονηροί γʼ, οἶδα. τοὺς ἀλαζόνας

τοὺς ὠχριῶντας τοὺς ἀνυποδήτους λέγεις,

ὧν ὁ κακοδαίμων Σωκράτης καὶ Χαιρεφῶν.
105

Στρεψιάδης

ἢ ἢ σιώπα· μηδὲν εἴπῃς νήπιον.

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι κήδει τῶν πατρῴων ἀλφίτων,

τούτων γενοῦ μοι σχασάμενος τὴν ἱππικήν.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον, εἰ δοίης γέ μοι

τοὺς φασιανοὺς οὓς τρέφει Λεωγόρας.

Στρεψιάδης

ἴθʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ
110

ἐλθὼν διδάσκου.

Φειδιππίδης

καὶ τί σοι μαθήσομαι;

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην ἰδεῖν

τοὺς ἱππέας τὸ χρῶμα διακεκναισμένος.
120

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ ἄρα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρα τῶν γʼ ἐμῶν ἔδει,

οὔτʼ αὐτὸς οὔθʼ ὁ ζύγιος οὔθʼ ὁ σαμφόρας·

ἀλλʼ ἐξελῶ σʼ ἐς κόρακας ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας.

Φειδιππίδης

ἀλλʼ οὐ περιόψεταί μʼ ὁ θεῖος Μεγακλέης

ἄνιππον. ἀλλʼ εἴσειμι, σοῦ δʼ οὐ φροντιῶ.
125

Phidippides.

Tell me now, what do you prescribe?
90

Strepsiades.

And will you obey me at all?

Phidippides.

By Bacchus, I will obey you.

Strepsiades.

Look this way then! Do you see this little door and little house?

Phidippides.

I see it. What then, pray, is this, father?

Strepsiades.

This is a thinking-shop of wise spirits.

There dwell men who in speaking of the heavens persuade people that it is an oven, and that it encompasses us, and that we are the embers. These men teach, if one give them money, to conquer in speaking, right or wrong.
95

Phidippides.

Who are they?
100

Strepsiades.

I do not know the name accurately. They are minute philosophers, noble and excellent.

Phidippides.

Bah! They are rogues; I know them. You mean the quacks, the pale-faced wretches, the bare-footed fellows, of whose numbers are the miserable Socrates and Chaerephon.

Strepsiades.

Hold! Hold! Be silent! Do not say anything foolish. But, if you have any concern for your father’s patrimony, become one of them, having given up your horsemanship.
105

Phidippides.

I would not, by Bacchus, even if you were to give me the pheasants which Leogoras rears!

Strepsiades.

Go, I entreat you, dearest of men, go and be taught.
110

Phidippides.

Why, what shall I learn?

Phidippides.

I can not comply; for I should not dare to look upon the knights, having lost all my colour.

Strepsiades.

Then, by Ceres, you shall not eat any of my good! Neither you, nor your blood-horse; but I will drive you out of my house to the crows.

Phidippides.

My uncle Megacles will not permit me to be without a horse. But I’ll go in, and pay no heed to you.