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Just Argument: For what could possibly suffer something greater than this?

Unjust Speech: but what will you say, if you are defeated by me in this?

Just Speech: I will be silent. But what else [is there to do]?

Unjust Speech: Come now, tell me this:

Unjust Speech: from what [things] do they argue in support?

Just Argument: from broad-arsed ones.

1090

Unjust Argument: I am persuaded.

Unjust Speech: Why then? Are you acting the tragic poet from what?

Just Argument: from the broad-girdled.

Unjust Argument: You speak well.

Unjust Argument: but from what are they speaking?

Just Argument: from broad-arsed ones.

Unjust Speech: "Then, is it really..."

Unjust Argument: You know that you are saying nothing?

1095

Unjust Speech: and whoever of the spectators

Unjust Speech: consider more things.

Just Argument: and now I am looking.

Unjust Speech: What exactly are you looking at?

Just Argument: many, by the gods, many more

Just Argument: the broad-backed ones; this one

Just Logic: well, I know that one too.

1100

Just Argument: and this comet.

Unjust Argument: But what exactly will you say?

Just Argument: we are defeated; you who move!

Just Argument: by the gods, accept my [words].

Just Argument: well then, as

Just Argument: I am deserting of my own accord to you.

Clouds. 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)

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 (1)

Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 1086 focus

Just Cause.

Nay, what could he ever suffer still greater than this?

Unjust Cause.

What then will you say if you be conquered by me in this?

Just Cause.

I will be silent: what else can I do?

Unjust Cause.

Come, now, tell me; from what class do the advocates come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.
1090

Unjust Cause.

I believe you. What then? From what class do tragedians come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

You say well. But from what class do the public orators come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

Then have you perceived that you say nothing to the purpose? And look which class among the audience is the more numerous.

Just Cause.

Well now, I’m looking.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, do you see?

Just Cause.

By the gods, the blackguards to be far more numerous. This fellow, at any rate, I know; and him yonder; and this fellow with the long hair.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, will you say?

Just Cause.

We are conquered. Ye blackguards, by the gods, receive my cloak, for I desert to you.

Exeunt the Two Causes, and re-enter Socrates and Strepsiades.

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

1099. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-81

Line 1099

τοὺς εὐρυπρώκτους· τουτονὶ

The phrase τοὺς εὐρυπρώκτους is a notorious crux at Clouds 960. The adjective εὐρυπρώκτους (wide-hipped) is unique to this passage in Aristophanes, though it alludes to a known comic stereotype of the 'broad-hipped' Socratics or philosophers, contrasting with the 'thin-hipped' (συνωπώκτους) of the preceding line in some manuscripts. The textual tradition is divided: some mss. read εὐρυπρώκτους, others εὐρυπρωκτίους or even εὐρυπρωκτίοις, and the scholia suggest a possible corruption from εὐρυπρωκτίους (wide-hipped ones) to a form that might have been misread or emended. The demonstrative τοῦτονὶ (this one here) refers to the specific figure being mocked, likely Strepsiades or a generic philosopher, but the exact referent is debated due to the surrounding context of the trial scene. The phrase is syntactically anomalous as a direct address or exclamation without a clear verb, suggesting a dramatic interruption or a fragmentary delivery.

Aristophanes Clouds 1086

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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.

Just Cause.

Nay, what could he ever suffer still greater than this?

Unjust Cause.

What then will you say if you be conquered by me in this?

Just Cause.

I will be silent: what else can I do?

Unjust Cause.

Come, now, tell me; from what class do the advocates come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.
1090

Unjust Cause.

I believe you. What then? From what class do tragedians come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

You say well. But from what class do the public orators come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

Then have you perceived that you say nothing to the purpose? And look which class among the audience is the more numerous.

Just Cause.

Well now, I’m looking.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, do you see?

Just Cause.

By the gods, the blackguards to be far more numerous. This fellow, at any rate, I know; and him yonder; and this fellow with the long hair.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, will you say?

Just Cause.

We are conquered. Ye blackguards, by the gods, receive my cloak, for I desert to you.

Commentary

Line 1099

Stable identifiers

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

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.

Just Cause. Nay, what could he ever suffer still greater than this?

Unjust Cause. What then will you say if you be conquered by me in this?

Just Cause. I will be silent: what else can I do?

Unjust Cause. Come, now, tell me; from what class do the advocates come?

Just Cause. From the blackguards. 1090

Unjust Cause. I believe you. What then? From what class do tragedians come?

Just Cause. From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause. You say well. But from what class do the public orators come?

Just Cause. From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause. Then have you perceived that you say nothing to the purpose? And look which class among the audience is the more numerous.

Just Cause. Well now, I’m looking.

Unjust Cause. What, then, do you see?

Just Cause. By the gods, the blackguards to be far more numerous. This fellow, at any rate, I know; and him yonder; and this fellow with the long hair.

Unjust Cause. What, then, will you say?

Just Cause. We are conquered. Ye blackguards, by the gods, receive my cloak, for I desert to you.

Commentary

Line 1099

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.

Just Cause.

Nay, what could he ever suffer still greater than this?

Unjust Cause.

What then will you say if you be conquered by me in this?

Just Cause.

I will be silent: what else can I do?

Unjust Cause.

Come, now, tell me; from what class do the advocates come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.
1090

Unjust Cause.

I believe you. What then? From what class do tragedians come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

You say well. But from what class do the public orators come?

Just Cause.

From the blackguards.

Unjust Cause.

Then have you perceived that you say nothing to the purpose? And look which class among the audience is the more numerous.

Just Cause.

Well now, I’m looking.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, do you see?

Just Cause.

By the gods, the blackguards to be far more numerous. This fellow, at any rate, I know; and him yonder; and this fellow with the long hair.

Unjust Cause.

What, then, will you say?

Just Cause.

We are conquered. Ye blackguards, by the gods, receive my cloak, for I desert to you.