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Line 1003

οὐ στωμύλλων κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν τριβολεκτράπελʼ οἷάπερ οἱ νῦν,

The word τριβολεκτράπελ is a compound coinage unique to this passage, constructed by Aristophanes from τρίβω (to rub/wear out), λέκτρον (bed), and ἄπελ (a colloquial or dialectal form of ἄπειμι, to go). The term functions as a vivid, derogatory neologism for a 'bed-wearer' or 'idler' who 'wears out the bed' through idleness, satirizing the specific type of sophist or idle citizen Aristophanes associates with the agora. The morphology is irregular for standard Attic, blending a verbal root with a substantive and a dialectal verb form to create a grotesque, rhythmic insult.

Clouds. 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)

Νεφέλαι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1105-1112 focus

Σωκράτης

τί δῆτα; πότερα τοῦτον ἀπάγεσθαι λαβὼν
1105

βούλει τὸν υἱόν, ἢ διδάσκω σοι λέγειν;

Στρεψιάδης

δίδασκε καὶ κόλαζε καὶ μέμνησʼ ὅπως

εὖ μοι στομώσεις αὐτόν, ἐπὶ μὲν θάτερα

οἷον δικιδίοις, τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν αὐτοῦ γνάθον

στόμωσον οἵαν ἐς τὰ μείζω πράγματα.
1110

Σωκράτης

ἀμέλει κομιεῖ τοῦτον σοφιστὴν δεξιόν.

Φειδιππίδης

ὠχρὸν μὲν οὖν οἶμαί γε καὶ κακοδαίμονα.

Translations (2)

Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 1000 focus

Unjust Cause.

If you shall believe him in this, O youth, by Bacchus, you will be like the sons of Hippocrates, and they will call you a booby.
1000

Just Cause.

Yet certainly shall you spend your time in the gymnastic schools, sleek and blooming; not chattering in the market-place rude jests, like the youths of the present day; nor dragged into court for a petty suit, greedy, pettifogging, knavish;

but you shall descend to the Academy and run races beneath the sacred olives along with some modest compeer, crowned with white reeds, redolent of yew, and careless ease, of leaf-shedding white poplar, rejoicing in the season of spring, when the plane-tree whispers to the elm.
1005

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.) — 1000 focus

Unjust Speech: if this boy is persuaded by these things, by Dionysus!

1000

Unjust Speech: you will be a slanderer against the sons of Hippocrates, and they will call you a 'bean-eater'.

Justified Argument: but indeed you will spend time in the gymnasia, well-fed and flourishing,

Just Argument: I am not a blusterer, trampling the marketplace with my feet like these men do now,

Just Argument: not even while being dragged around a petty, mealy-mouthed, word-crushing matter;

Just Argument: but going down to the Academy, he will run away under the myrtles.

1005

Just Argument: having crowned himself with a white reed along with a sensible companion,

Just Argument: smelling of mallow and of leisure and of a white fig-tree shedding its leaves,

Justified Argument: rejoicing in the season of spring, whenever the plane tree whispers to the elm.

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

1003. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-77

Line 1003

οὐ στωμύλλων κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν τριβολεκτράπελʼ οἷάπερ οἱ νῦν,

Aristophanes Clouds 1003

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1003

Current edition Experimental

Σωκράτης

τί δῆτα; πότερα τοῦτον ἀπάγεσθαι λαβὼν
1105

βούλει τὸν υἱόν, ἢ διδάσκω σοι λέγειν;

Σωκράτης

ἀμέλει κομιεῖ τοῦτον σοφιστὴν δεξιόν.

Φειδιππίδης

ὠχρὸν μὲν οὖν οἶμαί γε καὶ κακοδαίμονα.

Unjust Cause.

If you shall believe him in this, O youth, by Bacchus, you will be like the sons of Hippocrates, and they will call you a booby.
1000

Commentary

Line 1003

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1003

Current edition Experimental

Σωκράτης τί δῆτα; πότερα τοῦτον ἀπάγεσθαι λαβὼν 1105 βούλει τὸν υἱόν, ἢ διδάσκω σοι λέγειν;

Σωκράτης ἀμέλει κομιεῖ τοῦτον σοφιστὴν δεξιόν.

Φειδιππίδης ὠχρὸν μὲν οὖν οἶμαί γε καὶ κακοδαίμονα.

Unjust Cause. If you shall believe him in this, O youth, by Bacchus, you will be like the sons of Hippocrates, and they will call you a booby. 1000

Commentary

Line 1003

Stable identifiers

Σωκράτης

τί δῆτα; πότερα τοῦτον ἀπάγεσθαι λαβὼν
1105

βούλει τὸν υἱόν, ἢ διδάσκω σοι λέγειν;

Σωκράτης

ἀμέλει κομιεῖ τοῦτον σοφιστὴν δεξιόν.

Φειδιππίδης

ὠχρὸν μὲν οὖν οἶμαί γε καὶ κακοδαίμονα.

Unjust Cause.

If you shall believe him in this, O youth, by Bacchus, you will be like the sons of Hippocrates, and they will call you a booby.
1000