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Strepsiades: I have suffered these things on your account, O Clouds,

Strepsiades: having devoted all my affairs to you.

Chorus: therefore you yourself are responsible for these things to yourself,

Chorus: turning yourself toward evil things.

1455

Strepsiades: So why did you not tell me this then,

Strepsiades: But did you take a rustic and an old man?

Chorus: We do these things from time to time whenever someone

Chorus: let us know the lover of wicked things, being one,

Chorus: until we cast him into evil,

1460

Chorus: so that they may know that the gods are feared.

Strepsiades: Alas, wicked ones, you are, O Clouds, but just.

Strepsiades: For I ought not to have borrowed the money.

Strepsiades: to defraud. Now then, how it may be, dearest friend

Strepsiades: Chaerephon the foul one and Socrates

1465

Strepsiades: You will be ruined having come with me, since they deceived both you and me.

Pheidippides: But I should not wrong the teachers.

Strepsiades: yes, yes, have reverence for the ancestral Zeus.

Pheidippides: Look, here is the ancestral Zeus! How ancient you are.

Pheidippides: For is there a Zeus?

1470

Strepsiades: It is.

Pheidippides: No, no, because

Pheidippides: Vortex, having driven out Zeus, now rules.

Strepsiades: He has not driven him out, but I thought so.

Strepsiades: through this whirlwind. Alas, wretched me!

Strepsiades: Since I thought that even you, being a potter, were a god.

Pheidippides: Be mad to yourself here and talk nonsense.

1475

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.) — 1452-1509 focus

Στρεψιάδης

ταυτὶ διʼ ὑμᾶς ὦ Νεθέλαι πέπονθʼ ἐγώ,

ὑμῖν ἀναθεὶς ἅπαντα τἀμὰ πράγματα.

Χορός

αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν σαυτῷ σὺ τούτων αἴτιος,

στρέψας σεαυτὸν ἐς πονηρὰ πράγματα.
1455

Στρεψιάδης

τί δῆτα ταῦτʼ οὔ μοι τότʼ ἠγορεύετε,

ἀλλʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄγροικον καὶ γέροντʼ ἐπῄρετε;

Χορός

ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν ταῦθʼ ἑκάστοθʼ ὅταν τινὰ

γνῶμεν πονηρῶν ὄντʼ ἐραστὴν πραγμάτων,

ἕως ἂν αὐτὸν ἐμβάλωμεν ἐς κακόν,
1460

ὅπως ἂν εἰδῇ τοὺς θεοὺς δεδοικέναι.

Στρεψιάδης

ὤμοι πονηρά γʼ ὦ Νεφέλαι, δίκαια δέ.

οὐ γάρ μʼ ἐχρῆν τὰ χρήμαθʼ ἁδανεισάμην

ἀποστερεῖν. νῦν οὖν ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε

τὸν Χαιρεφῶντα τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ Σωκράτη
1465

ἀπολεῖς μετʼ ἐμοῦ ʼλθών, οἳ σὲ κἄμʼ ἐξηπάτων.

Φειδιππίδης

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀδικήσαιμι τοὺς διδασκάλους.

Στρεψιάδης

ναὶ ναὶ καταιδέσθητι πατρῷον Δία.

Φειδιππίδης

ἰδού γε Δία πατρῷον· ὡς ἀρχαῖος εἶ.

Ζεὺς γάρ τις ἔστιν;
1470

Στρεψιάδης

ἔστιν.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἔστʼ, οὔκ, ἐπεὶ

Δῖνος βασιλεύει τὸν Δίʼ ἐξεληλακώς.

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ ἐξελήλακʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τοῦτʼ ᾠόμην

διὰ τουτονὶ τὸν δῖνον. οἴμοι δείλαιος

ὅτε καὶ σὲ χυτρεοῦν ὄντα θεὸν ἡγησάμην.

Φειδιππίδης

ἐνταῦθα σαυτῷ παραφρόνει καὶ φληνάφα.
1475

1476

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.

Translations (1)

Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 1452 focus

Strepsiades.

These evils have I suffered through you, O Clouds! Having intrusted all my affairs to you.

Chorus.

Nay, rather, you are yourself the cause of these things, having turned yourself to wicked courses.

Strepsiades.

Why, pray, did you not tell me this, then, but excited with hopes a rustic and aged man?

Chorus.

We always do this to him whom we perceive to be a lover of wicked courses,

until we precipitate him into misfortune, so that he may learn to fear the gods.
1460

Strepsiades.

Ah me ! it is severe, O Clouds! But it is just; for I ought not to have withheld the money which I borrowed. Now, therefore, come with me, my dearest son,

that you may destroy the blackguard Chaerephon and Socrates, who deceived you and me.
1465

Phidippides.

I will not injure my teachers.

Strepsiades.

Yes, yes, reverence Paternal Jove.

Phidippides.

Paternal Jove quoth’a! How antiquated you are! Why, is there any Jove?

Strepsiades.

There is.

Phidippides.

There is not, no; for Vortex reigns having expelled Jupiter.

Strepsiades.

He has not expelled him; but I fancied this, on account of this Vortex here. Ah me, unhappy man! When I even took you who are of earthenware for a god.

Phidippides.

Here rave and babble to yourself.
1475

Exit Phidippides.

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

1466. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-98

Line 1466

ἀπολεῖς μετʼ ἐμοῦ ʼλθών, οἳ σὲ κἄμʼ ἐξηπάτων.

The pronoun οἳ functions as a relative pronoun with an antecedent that is not explicitly stated in the immediate clause but is supplied from the context of the preceding dialogue (likely referring to the 'Clouds' or the 'New Learning' personified). This usage of οἳ to refer to an abstract or personified collective entity, rather than a concrete plural noun, is a characteristic feature of Aristophanic personification that requires the reader to infer the antecedent from the dramatic context rather than the syntax of the isolated sentence.

1471. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-99

Line 1471

Δῖνος βασιλεύει τὸν Δίʼ ἐξεληλακώς.

The participle ἐξεληλακώς (perfect active) modifies Δῖνος (Dinos, the personification of the Whirlwind), creating a striking paradox: Dinos, who has forcibly expelled Zeus, now claims the throne. This construction relies on the reader recognizing Dinos not merely as a meteorological force but as the protagonist of the play's 'New Learning' who has successfully usurped the divine order, replacing Zeus with the 'Clouds' (Νεφέλαι) and their new theology. The perfect tense emphasizes the completed, irreversible nature of this coup, a central thematic pivot in the parabasis and the subsequent trial of Socrates.

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Current edition Experimental

Στρεψιάδης ταυτὶ διʼ ὑμᾶς ὦ Νεθέλαι πέπονθʼ ἐγώ, ὑμῖν ἀναθεὶς ἅπαντα τἀμὰ πράγματα.

Χορός αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν σαυτῷ σὺ τούτων αἴτιος, στρέψας σεαυτὸν ἐς πονηρὰ πράγματα. 1455

Στρεψιάδης τί δῆτα ταῦτʼ οὔ μοι τότʼ ἠγορεύετε, ἀλλʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄγροικον καὶ γέροντʼ ἐπῄρετε;

Φειδιππίδης ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀδικήσαιμι τοὺς διδασκάλους.

Στρεψιάδης ναὶ ναὶ καταιδέσθητι πατρῷον Δία.

Φειδιππίδης ἰδού γε Δία πατρῷον· ὡς ἀρχαῖος εἶ. Ζεὺς γάρ τις ἔστιν; 1470

Στρεψιάδης ἔστιν.

Φειδιππίδης οὐκ ἔστʼ, οὔκ, ἐπεὶ Δῖνος βασιλεύει τὸν Δίʼ ἐξεληλακώς.

Στρεψιάδης οὐκ ἐξελήλακʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τοῦτʼ ᾠόμην διὰ τουτονὶ τὸν δῖνον. οἴμοι δείλαιος ὅτε καὶ σὲ χυτρεοῦν ὄντα θεὸν ἡγησάμην.

Φειδιππίδης ἐνταῦθα σαυτῷ παραφρόνει καὶ φληνάφα. 1475

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.

Strepsiades. These evils have I suffered through you, O Clouds! Having intrusted all my affairs to you.

Chorus. Nay, rather, you are yourself the cause of these things, having turned yourself to wicked courses.

Strepsiades. Why, pray, did you not tell me this, then, but excited with hopes a rustic and aged man?

Chorus. We always do this to him whom we perceive to be a lover of wicked courses, until we precipitate him into misfortune, so that he may learn to fear the gods. 1460

Strepsiades. Ah me ! it is severe, O Clouds! But it is just; for I ought not to have withheld the money which I borrowed. Now, therefore, come with me, my dearest son, that you may destroy the blackguard Chaerephon and Socrates, who deceived you and me. 1465

Phidippides. I will not injure my teachers.

Strepsiades. Yes, yes, reverence Paternal Jove.

Phidippides. Paternal Jove quoth’a! How antiquated you are! Why, is there any Jove?

Strepsiades. There is.

Phidippides. There is not, no; for Vortex reigns having expelled Jupiter.

Strepsiades. He has not expelled him; but I fancied this, on account of this Vortex here. Ah me, unhappy man! When I even took you who are of earthenware for a god.

Phidippides. Here rave and babble to yourself. 1475

Commentary

Line 1466

Line 1471

Stable identifiers

Στρεψιάδης

ταυτὶ διʼ ὑμᾶς ὦ Νεθέλαι πέπονθʼ ἐγώ,

ὑμῖν ἀναθεὶς ἅπαντα τἀμὰ πράγματα.

Χορός

αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν σαυτῷ σὺ τούτων αἴτιος,

στρέψας σεαυτὸν ἐς πονηρὰ πράγματα.
1455

Στρεψιάδης

τί δῆτα ταῦτʼ οὔ μοι τότʼ ἠγορεύετε,

ἀλλʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄγροικον καὶ γέροντʼ ἐπῄρετε;

Φειδιππίδης

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀδικήσαιμι τοὺς διδασκάλους.

Στρεψιάδης

ναὶ ναὶ καταιδέσθητι πατρῷον Δία.

Φειδιππίδης

ἰδού γε Δία πατρῷον· ὡς ἀρχαῖος εἶ.

Ζεὺς γάρ τις ἔστιν;
1470

Στρεψιάδης

ἔστιν.

Φειδιππίδης

οὐκ ἔστʼ, οὔκ, ἐπεὶ

Δῖνος βασιλεύει τὸν Δίʼ ἐξεληλακώς.

Στρεψιάδης

οὐκ ἐξελήλακʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τοῦτʼ ᾠόμην

διὰ τουτονὶ τὸν δῖνον. οἴμοι δείλαιος

ὅτε καὶ σὲ χυτρεοῦν ὄντα θεὸν ἡγησάμην.

Φειδιππίδης

ἐνταῦθα σαυτῷ παραφρόνει καὶ φληνάφα.
1475

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.

Strepsiades.

These evils have I suffered through you, O Clouds! Having intrusted all my affairs to you.

Chorus.

Nay, rather, you are yourself the cause of these things, having turned yourself to wicked courses.

Strepsiades.

Why, pray, did you not tell me this, then, but excited with hopes a rustic and aged man?

Chorus.

We always do this to him whom we perceive to be a lover of wicked courses,

until we precipitate him into misfortune, so that he may learn to fear the gods.
1460

Strepsiades.

Ah me ! it is severe, O Clouds! But it is just; for I ought not to have withheld the money which I borrowed. Now, therefore, come with me, my dearest son,

that you may destroy the blackguard Chaerephon and Socrates, who deceived you and me.
1465

Phidippides.

I will not injure my teachers.

Strepsiades.

Yes, yes, reverence Paternal Jove.

Phidippides.

Paternal Jove quoth’a! How antiquated you are! Why, is there any Jove?

Strepsiades.

There is.

Phidippides.

There is not, no; for Vortex reigns having expelled Jupiter.

Strepsiades.

He has not expelled him; but I fancied this, on account of this Vortex here. Ah me, unhappy man! When I even took you who are of earthenware for a god.

Phidippides.

Here rave and babble to yourself.
1475