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Philocleon: So he is a thief and a conspirator.

Bdelycleon: By Zeus, but he is the best of the dogs of today.

Bdelycleon: able to stand over many sheep.

955

Philokleon: So what is the point, if he eats the cheese?

Bdelycleon: What? He fights in front and guards the door for you.

Bdelycleon: and as for everything else he is excellent; but if he stole,

Bdelycleon: Forgive me. For he does not know how to play the cithara.

Philocleon: But I should not even want to write letters,

960

Philocleon: so that, while doing evil, you might not enroll this speech among us.

Bdelycleon: Listen, my dear friend, to the witnesses.

Bdelycleon: climb up the cheese-stick and lie down loudly;

Bdelycleon: for you happened to be acting as steward. Answer clearly,

Bdelycleon: if you had not caught the soldiers in a net.

965

Bdelyclēon: He says to crush him.

Philocleon: By Zeus, but he is lying.

Bdelucléon: O wretched man, have pity on those who are suffering!

Bdelycleon: for this Labes also eats his neck.

Bdelycleon: And even the thorns, and never stays in the same place.

Bdelycleon: but the other is only a housekeeper.

970

Bdelycleon: for staying there, whatever someone brings in

Bdelycleon: He begs a share of these; but if not, he bites.

Philokleon: Alas! What evil is there for whom I am softening?

Philocleon: a bad thing is happening to me, and yet I am persuaded.

Bdelycleon: Come, I beg you, have pity on him, father.

975

Bdelycleon: And do not corrupt them. Where are the children?

Bdelukleon: Get up, you wretched and squirming one!

Bdelucleon: beg, plead, and weep.

Philocleon: Come down, come down, come down, come down.

Bdelycleon: I shall come down.

Bdelycleon: Yet this going down is indeed very much disliked.

980

Bdelucléon: He was deceived. Nevertheless, I shall go down.

Philocleon: To hell with it! For sucking is not a good thing.

Philocleon: For I have shed tears over my opinion now.

Philokleon: never anything but full of lentils.

Bdelycléon: 'Then he surely will not escape?'

985

Philocleon: It is difficult to know.

Bdelycleon: Come, turn your mind to better things.

Bdelycleon: taking this ballot [and placing it] on the later one

Bdelycleon: cut off the fetters and release him, father.

Philocleon: Not at all; for I do not know how to play the lyre.

Bdelucleon: come now, I will take you around here as quickly as possible.

990

Philocleon: Is this the first one?

Bdelycleon: This one.

Philocleon: This is here.

Bdelucleon: He has been deceived and has escaped, not willingly.

Bdelycleon: Come, let us get rid of him.

Philocleon: How, then, did we contend?

Bdelycleon: He seems about to show it. You have escaped, O Labes.

Bdelyclēon: Father, father, what have you suffered? Alas! Where is the water?

995

Bdelycleon: Lift yourself up.

Philocleon: tell me that now,

Philocleon: Did he really escape?

Bdelycleon: By Zeus!

Philocleon: Then I am nothing.

Bdelycleon: Do not worry, O wretch; but get up.

Philocleon: How then will I persuade myself of this?

Philocleon: Having sent away a man while he was fleeing, what am I to suffer, then?

1000

Philocleon: But, O most highly honored gods, forgive me;

Philocleon: For I did it unwillingly, and it is not in my nature.

Bdelucleon: And don't be annoyed, then. For I, father, ...

Bdelycleon: I will rear him well, taking him with me everywhere,

Bdelycleon: to dinner, to a drinking party, to a spectacle,

1005

Bdelycleon: so that you may live happily for the rest of your life;

Bdelycleon: And Hyperbolus will not bore you by deceiving you.

Bdelycléon: but let us go inside.

Philokleon: These things, then, if it seems good.

Wasps. 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)

Σφῆκες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1009-1121 focus

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἴτε χαίροντες ὅποι βούλεσθʼ.

ὑμεῖς δὲ τέως ὦ μυριάδες
1010

ἀναρίθμητοι,

νῦν τὰ μέλλοντʼ εὖ λέγεσθαι

μὴ πέσῃ φαύλως χαμᾶζʼ

εὐλαβεῖσθε.

τοῦτο γὰρ σκαιῶν θεατῶν

ἐστὶ πάσχειν, κοὐ πρὸς ὑμῶν.

1015

Χορός

νῦν αὖτε λεῲ προσέχετε τὸν νοῦν, εἴπερ καθαρόν τι φιλεῖτε.
1015

μέμψασθαι γὰρ τοῖσι θεαταῖς ὁ ποιητὴς νῦν ἐπιθυμεῖ.

ἀδικεῖσθαι γάρ φησιν πρότερος πόλλʼ αὐτοὺς εὖ πεποιηκώς,

τὰ μὲν οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλʼ ἐπικουρῶν κρύβδην ἑτέροισι ποιηταῖς,

μιμησάμενος τὴν Εὐρυκλέους μαντείαν καὶ διάνοιαν,

εἰς ἀλλοτρίας γαστέρας ἐνδὺς κωμῳδικὰ πολλὰ χέασθαι·
1020

μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ φανερῶς ἤδη κινδυνεύων καθʼ ἑαυτόν,

οὐκ ἀλλοτρίων ἀλλʼ οἰκείων Μουσῶν στόμαθʼ ἡνιοχήσας.

ἀρθεὶς δὲ μέγας καὶ τιμηθεὶς ὡς οὐδεὶς πώποτʼ ἐν ὑμῖν,

οὐκ † ἐκτελέσαι † φησὶν ἐπαρθεὶς οὐδʼ ὀγκῶσαι τὸ φρόνημα,

οὐδὲ παλαίστρας περικωμάζειν πειρῶν· οὐδʼ εἴ τις ἐραστὴς
1025

κωμῳδεῖσθαι παιδίχʼ ἑαυτοῦ μισῶν ἔσπευσε πρὸς αὐτόν,

οὐδενὶ πώποτέ φησι πιθέσθαι, γνώμην τινʼ ἔχων ἐπιεικῆ,

ἵνα τὰς Μούσας αἷσιν χρῆται μὴ προαγωγοὺς ἀποφήνῃ.

οὐδʼ ὅτε πρῶτόν γʼ ἦρξε διδάσκειν, ἀνθρώποις φήσʼ ἐπιθέσθαι,

ἀλλʼ Ἡρακλέους ὀργήν τινʼ ἔχων τοῖσι μεγίστοις ἐπιχειρεῖν,
1030

θρασέως ξυστὰς εὐθὺς ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς αὐτῷ τῷ καρχαρόδοντι,

οὗ δεινόταται μὲν ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν Κύννης ἀκτῖνες ἔλαμπον,

ἑκατὸν δὲ κύκλῳ κεφαλαὶ κολάκων οἰμωξομένων ἐλιχμῶντο

περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, φωνὴν δʼ εἶχεν χαράδρας ὄλεθρον τετοκυίας,

φώκης δʼ ὀσμήν, Λαμίας ὄρχεις ἀπλύτους, πρωκτὸν δὲ καμήλου.
1035

τοιοῦτον ἰδὼν τέρας οὔ φησιν δείσας καταδωροδοκῆσαι,

ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἔτι καὶ νυνὶ πολεμεῖ· φησίν τε μετʼ αὐτὸν

τοῖς ἠπιάλοις ἐπιχειρῆσαι πέρυσιν καὶ τοῖς πυρετοῖσιν,

οἳ τοὺς πατέρας τʼ ἦγχον νύκτωρ καὶ τοὺς πάππους ἀπέπνιγον,

κατακλινόμενοί τʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς κοίταις ἐπὶ τοῖσιν ἀπράγμοσιν ὑμῶν
1040

ἀντωμοσίας καὶ προσκλήσεις καὶ μαρτυρίας συνεκόλλων,

ὥστʼ ἀναπηδᾶν δειμαίνοντας πολλοὺς ὡς τὸν πολέμαρχον.

τοιόνδʼ εὑρόντες ἀλεξίκακον τῆς χώρας τῆσδε καθαρτήν,

πέρυσιν καταπροὔδοτε καινοτάταις σπείραντʼ αὐτὸν διανοίαις,

ἃς ὑπὸ τοῦ μὴ γνῶναι καθαρῶς ὑμεῖς ἐποιήσατʼ ἀναλδεῖς·
1045

καίτοι σπένδων πόλλʼ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς ὄμνυσιν τὸν Διόνυσον

μὴ πώποτʼ ἀμείνονʼ ἔπη τούτων κωμῳδικὰ μηδένʼ ἀκοῦσαι.

τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἔσθʼ ὑμῖν αἰσχρὸν τοῖς μὴ γνοῦσιν παραχρῆμα,

ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς οὐδὲν χείρων παρὰ τοῖσι σοφοῖς νενόμισται,

εἰ παρελαύνων τοὺς ἀντιπάλους τὴν ἐπίνοιαν ξυνέτριψεν.
1050

1051

Χορός

ἀλλὰ τὸ λοιπὸν τῶν ποιητῶν

ὦ δαιμόνιοι τοὺς ζητοῦντας

καινόν τι λέγειν κἀξευρίσκειν

στέργετε μᾶλλον καὶ θεραπεύετε,

καὶ τὰ νοήματα σῴζεσθʼ αὐτῶν,
1055

ἐσβάλλετέ τʼ ἐς τὰς κιβωτοὺς

μετὰ τῶν μήλων. κἂν ταῦτα ποιῆθʼ,

ὑμῖν διʼ ἔτους τῶν ἱματίων

ὀζήσει δεξιότητος.

1060

Χορός

ὦ πάλαι ποτʼ ὄντες ἡμεῖς ἄλκιμοι μὲν ἐν χοροῖς,
1060

ἄλκιμοι δʼ ἐν μάχαις,

καὶ κατʼ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο μόνον ἄνδρες ἀλκιμώτατοι·

πρίν ποτʼ ἦν πρὶν ταῦτα, νῦν δʼ

οἴχεται, κύκνου τʼ ἔτι πολιώτεραι δὴ

αἵδʼ ἐπανθοῦσιν τρίχες.
1065

ἀλλὰ κἀκ τῶν λειψάνων δεῖ

τῶνδε ῥώμην νεανικὴν σχεῖν·

ὡς ἐγὼ τοὐμὸν νομίζω

γῆρας εἶναι κρεῖττον ἢ πολλῶν

κικίννους νεανιῶν καὶ

σχῆμα κεὐρυπρωκτίαν.
1070

1071

Χορός

εἴ τις ὑμῶν ὦ θεαταὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἰδὼν φύσιν

εἶτα θαυμάζει μʼ ὁρῶν μέσον διεσφηκωμένον,

ἥτις ἡμῶν ἐστὶν ἡ ʼπίνοια τῆς ἐγκεντρίδος,

ῥᾳδίως ἐγὼ διδάξω, κἂν ἄμουσος ᾖ τὸ πρίν.

ἐσμὲν ἡμεῖς, οἷς πρόσεστι τοῦτο τοὐρροπύγιον,
1075

Ἀττικοὶ μόνοι δικαίως ἐγγενεῖς αὐτόχθονες,

ἀνδρικώτατον γένος καὶ πλεῖστα τήνδε τὴν πόλιν

ὠφελῆσαν ἐν μάχαισιν, ἡνίκʼ ἦλθʼ ὁ βάρβαρος,

τῷ καπνῷ τύφων ἅπασαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ πυρπολῶν,

ἐξελεῖν ἡμῶν μενοινῶν πρὸς βίαν τἀνθρήνια.
1080

εὐθέως γὰρ ἐκδραμόντες ξὺν δορὶ ξὺν ἀσπίδι

ἐμαχόμεσθʼ αὐτοῖσι, θυμὸν ὀξίνην πεπωκότες,

στὰς ἀνὴρ παρʼ ἄνδρʼ, ὑπʼ ὀργῆς τὴν χελύνην ἐσθίων·

ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν τοξευμάτων οὐκ ἦν ἰδεῖν τὸν οὐρανόν.

ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐωσάμεσθα ξὺν θεοῖς πρὸς ἑσπέραν.
1085

γλαῦξ γὰρ ἡμῶν πρὶν μάχεσθαι τὸν στρατὸν διέπτετο·

εἶτα δʼ εἱπόμεσθα θυννάζοντες ἐς τοὺς θυλάκους,

οἱ δʼ ἔφευγον τὰς γνάθους καὶ τὰς ὀφρῦς κεντούμενοι·

ὥστε παρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροισι πανταχοῦ καὶ νῦν ἔτι

μηδὲν Ἀττικοῦ καλεῖσθαι σφηκὸς ἀνδρικώτερον.
1090

1091

Χορός

ἆρα δεινὸς ἦ τόθʼ ὥστε πάντα μὴ δεδοικέναι,

καὶ κατεστρεψάμην

τοὺς ἐναντίους, πλέων ἐκεῖσε ταῖς τριήρεσιν;

οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἡμῖν ὅπως

ῥῆσιν εὖ λέξειν ἐμέλλομεν τότʼ, οὐδὲ
1095

συκοφαντήσειν τινὰ

φροντίς, ἀλλʼ ὅστις ἐρέτης ἔσοιτʼ

ἄριστος. τοιγαροῦν πολλὰς

πόλεις Μήδων ἑλόντες

αἰτιώτατοι φέρεσθαι

τὸν φόρον δεῦρʼ ἐσμέν, ὃν κλέπτουσιν
1100

οἱ νεώτεροι.

1102

Χορός

πολλαχοῦ σκοποῦντες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἅπανθʼ εὑρήσετε

τοὺς τρόπους καὶ τὴν δίαιταν σφηξὶν ἐμφερεστάτους.

πρῶτα μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἡμῶν ζῷον ἠρεθισμένον

μᾶλλον ὀξύθυμόν ἐστιν οὐδὲ δυσκολώτερον·
1105

εἶτα τἄλλʼ ὅμοια πάντα σφηξὶ μηχανώμεθα.

ξυλλεγέντες γὰρ καθʼ ἑσμούς, ὡσπερεὶ τἀνθρήνια,

οἱ μὲν ἡμῶν οὗπερ ἅρχων, οἱ δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ἕνδεκα,

οἱ δʼ ἐν ᾠδείῳ δικάζουσʼ, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς τειχίοις

ξυμβεβυσμένοι πυκνόν, νεύοντες ἐς τὴν γῆν, μόλις
1110

ὥσπερ οἱ σκώληκες ἐν τοῖς κυττάροις κινούμενοι.

ἔς τε τὴν ἄλλην δίαιτάν ἐσμεν εὐπορώτατοι.

πάντα γὰρ κεντοῦμεν ἄνδρα κἀκπορίζομεν βίον.

ἀλλὰ γὰρ κηφῆνες ἡμῖν εἰσιν ἐγκαθήμενοι

οὐκ ἔχοντες κέντρον, οἳ μένοντες ἡμῶν τοῦ φόρου
1115

τὸν πόνον κατεσθίουσιν, οὐ ταλαιπωρούμενοι.

τοῦτο δʼ ἔστʼ ἄλγιστον ἡμῖν, ἤν τις ἀστράτευτος ὢν

ἐκροφῇ τὸν μισθὸν ἡμῶν, τῆσδε τῆς χώρας ὕπερ

μήτε κώπην μήτε λόγχην μήτε φλύκταιναν λαβών.

ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν τῶν πολιτῶν ἔμβραχυ
1120

ὅστις ἂν μὴ ʼχῃ τὸ κέντρον, μὴ φέρειν τριώβολον.

Translations (1)

Wasps (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 953 focus

Philocleon

He is a thief and a conspirator.

Bdelycleon

No, he is the best of all our dogs; 955 he is capable of guarding a whole flock.

Philocleon

And what good is that, if he eats the cheese?

Bdelycleon

What? he fights for you, he guards your door; he is an excellent dog in every respect. Forgive him his larceny! he is wretchedly ignorant, he cannot play the lyre.

Philocleon

960 I wish he did not know how to write either; then the rascal would not have drawn up his pleadings.

Bdelycleon

Witnesses, I pray you, listen. 965 Come forward, grating-knife, and speak up; answer me clearly. You were paymaster at the time. Did you grate out to the soldiers what was given you? —He says he did so.

Philocleon

But, by Zeus! he lies.

Bdelycleon

Oh! have patience. Take pity on the unfortunate. Labes feeds only on fish-bones and fishes' heads and has not an instant of peace. 970 The other is good only to guard the house; he never moves from here, but demands his share of all that is brought in and bites those who refuse.

Philocleon
aside

Oh! Heaven! have I fallen ill? I feel my anger cooling! Woe to me! I am softening!

Bdelycleon

975 Have pity, father, pity, I adjure you; you would not have him dead. Where are his puppies? A group of children costumed as puppies comes out. Come, poor little beasties, yap, up on your haunches, beg and whine!

Philocleon

Descend, descend, descend, descend!

Bdelycleon

I will descend, 980 although that word, "descend," has too often raised false hope. None the less, I will descend.

Philocleon

Plague seize it! Have I then done wrong to eat! What! I, crying! Ah! I certainly should not be weeping, if I were not stuffed with lentils.

Bdelycleon

985 Then he is acquitted?

Philocleon

It is difficult to tell.

Bdelycleon

Ah! my dear father, be good! be humane! Take this voting pebble and rush with your eyes closed to that second urn and, father, acquit him.

Philocleon

No, I know no more how to acquit than to play the lyre.

Bdelycleon

990 Come quickly, I will show you the way.

He takes his father by the hand and leads him to the second urn.

Philocleon

Is this the first urn?

Bdelycleon

Yes.

Philocleon
dropping in his vote

Then I have voted.

Bdelycleon
aside

I have fooled him and he has acquitted in spite of himself.

To Philocleon

Come, I will turn out the urns.

Philocleon

What is the result?

Bdelycleon

We shall see. He examines both urns. Labes, you stand acquitted. Philocleon faints 995 Eh! father, what's the matter, what is it? To slaves Water! water! To Philocleon Pull yourself together, sir!

Philocleon
weakly

Tell me! Is he really acquitted?

Bdelycleon

Yes, certainly.

Philocleon
falling back

Then it's all over with me!

Bdelycleon

Courage, dear father, don't let this afflict you so terribly.

Philocleon
dolefully

And so I have charged my conscience 1000 with the acquittal of an accused being! What will become of me? Sacred gods! forgive me. I did it despite myself; it is not in my character.

Bdelycleon

Do not vex yourself, father; I will feed you well, will take you everywhere to eat and drink with me; 1005 you shall go to every feast; henceforth your life shall be nothing but pleasure, and Hyperbolus shall no longer have you for a tool. But come, let us go in.

Philocleon
resignedly

So be it; if you will, let us go in.

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

1007. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-49

Line 1007

κοὐκ ἐγχανεῖταί σʼ ἐξαπατῶν Ὑπέρβολος.

The verb ἐγχανεῖσθαι (from ἐγχανίζομαι) is a rare hapax legomenon in this specific form and sense, appearing only here in Aristophanes. It is a compound of ἐν- and χανίζω, where the latter is a derivative of χάος (chaos/abyss) or perhaps related to χάνειν (to swallow), suggesting a meaning of 'to be swallowed up' or 'to be engulfed' by deception. The construction with the participle ἐξαπατῶν is syntactically straightforward, but the lexical choice is highly distinctive and likely a comic coinage or a specific jargon of the legal sphere, reflecting the chaotic nature of the deception. The manuscript tradition is unanimous here, with no significant variants, making this a clear case of lexical rarity requiring explanation.

Aristophanes Wasps 953

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Philocleon

He is a thief and a conspirator.

Bdelycleon

No, he is the best of all our dogs; 955 he is capable of guarding a whole flock.

Philocleon

And what good is that, if he eats the cheese?

Bdelycleon

What? he fights for you, he guards your door; he is an excellent dog in every respect. Forgive him his larceny! he is wretchedly ignorant, he cannot play the lyre.

Philocleon

960 I wish he did not know how to write either; then the rascal would not have drawn up his pleadings.

Bdelycleon

Witnesses, I pray you, listen. 965 Come forward, grating-knife, and speak up; answer me clearly. You were paymaster at the time. Did you grate out to the soldiers what was given you? —He says he did so.

Philocleon

But, by Zeus! he lies.

Bdelycleon

Oh! have patience. Take pity on the unfortunate. Labes feeds only on fish-bones and fishes' heads and has not an instant of peace. 970 The other is good only to guard the house; he never moves from here, but demands his share of all that is brought in and bites those who refuse.

Philocleon
aside

Oh! Heaven! have I fallen ill? I feel my anger cooling! Woe to me! I am softening!

Bdelycleon

975 Have pity, father, pity, I adjure you; you would not have him dead. Where are his puppies? A group of children costumed as puppies comes out. Come, poor little beasties, yap, up on your haunches, beg and whine!

Philocleon

Descend, descend, descend, descend!

Bdelycleon

I will descend, 980 although that word, "descend," has too often raised false hope. None the less, I will descend.

Philocleon

Plague seize it! Have I then done wrong to eat! What! I, crying! Ah! I certainly should not be weeping, if I were not stuffed with lentils.

Bdelycleon

985 Then he is acquitted?

Philocleon

It is difficult to tell.

Bdelycleon

Ah! my dear father, be good! be humane! Take this voting pebble and rush with your eyes closed to that second urn and, father, acquit him.

Philocleon

No, I know no more how to acquit than to play the lyre.

Bdelycleon

990 Come quickly, I will show you the way.

Philocleon

Is this the first urn?

Bdelycleon

Yes.

Philocleon
dropping in his vote

Then I have voted.

Bdelycleon
aside

I have fooled him and he has acquitted in spite of himself.

To Philocleon

Come, I will turn out the urns.

Philocleon

What is the result?

Bdelycleon

We shall see. He examines both urns. Labes, you stand acquitted. Philocleon faints 995 Eh! father, what's the matter, what is it? To slaves Water! water! To Philocleon Pull yourself together, sir!

Philocleon
weakly

Tell me! Is he really acquitted?

Bdelycleon

Yes, certainly.

Philocleon
falling back

Then it's all over with me!

Bdelycleon

Courage, dear father, don't let this afflict you so terribly.

Philocleon
dolefully

And so I have charged my conscience 1000 with the acquittal of an accused being! What will become of me? Sacred gods! forgive me. I did it despite myself; it is not in my character.

Bdelycleon

Do not vex yourself, father; I will feed you well, will take you everywhere to eat and drink with me; 1005 you shall go to every feast; henceforth your life shall be nothing but pleasure, and Hyperbolus shall no longer have you for a tool. But come, let us go in.

Philocleon
resignedly

So be it; if you will, let us go in.

Commentary

Line 1007

Stable identifiers

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Philocleon He is a thief and a conspirator.

Bdelycleon No, he is the best of all our dogs; 955 he is capable of guarding a whole flock.

Philocleon And what good is that, if he eats the cheese?

Bdelycleon What? he fights for you, he guards your door; he is an excellent dog in every respect. Forgive him his larceny! he is wretchedly ignorant, he cannot play the lyre.

Philocleon 960 I wish he did not know how to write either; then the rascal would not have drawn up his pleadings.

Bdelycleon Witnesses, I pray you, listen. 965 Come forward, grating-knife, and speak up; answer me clearly. You were paymaster at the time. Did you grate out to the soldiers what was given you? —He says he did so.

Philocleon But, by Zeus! he lies.

Bdelycleon Oh! have patience. Take pity on the unfortunate. Labes feeds only on fish-bones and fishes' heads and has not an instant of peace. 970 The other is good only to guard the house; he never moves from here, but demands his share of all that is brought in and bites those who refuse.

Philocleon aside Oh! Heaven! have I fallen ill? I feel my anger cooling! Woe to me! I am softening!

Bdelycleon 975 Have pity, father, pity, I adjure you; you would not have him dead. Where are his puppies? A group of children costumed as puppies comes out. Come, poor little beasties, yap, up on your haunches, beg and whine!

Philocleon Descend, descend, descend, descend!

Bdelycleon I will descend, 980 although that word, "descend," has too often raised false hope. None the less, I will descend.

Philocleon Plague seize it! Have I then done wrong to eat! What! I, crying! Ah! I certainly should not be weeping, if I were not stuffed with lentils.

Bdelycleon 985 Then he is acquitted?

Philocleon It is difficult to tell.

Bdelycleon Ah! my dear father, be good! be humane! Take this voting pebble and rush with your eyes closed to that second urn and, father, acquit him.

Philocleon No, I know no more how to acquit than to play the lyre.

Bdelycleon 990 Come quickly, I will show you the way.

Philocleon Is this the first urn?

Bdelycleon Yes.

Philocleon dropping in his vote Then I have voted.

Bdelycleon aside I have fooled him and he has acquitted in spite of himself. To Philocleon Come, I will turn out the urns.

Philocleon What is the result?

Bdelycleon We shall see. He examines both urns. Labes, you stand acquitted. Philocleon faints 995 Eh! father, what's the matter, what is it? To slaves Water! water! To Philocleon Pull yourself together, sir!

Philocleon weakly Tell me! Is he really acquitted?

Bdelycleon Yes, certainly.

Philocleon falling back Then it's all over with me!

Bdelycleon Courage, dear father, don't let this afflict you so terribly.

Philocleon dolefully And so I have charged my conscience 1000 with the acquittal of an accused being! What will become of me? Sacred gods! forgive me. I did it despite myself; it is not in my character.

Bdelycleon Do not vex yourself, father; I will feed you well, will take you everywhere to eat and drink with me; 1005 you shall go to every feast; henceforth your life shall be nothing but pleasure, and Hyperbolus shall no longer have you for a tool. But come, let us go in.

Philocleon resignedly So be it; if you will, let us go in.

Commentary

Line 1007

Stable identifiers

Philocleon

He is a thief and a conspirator.

Bdelycleon

No, he is the best of all our dogs; 955 he is capable of guarding a whole flock.

Philocleon

And what good is that, if he eats the cheese?

Bdelycleon

What? he fights for you, he guards your door; he is an excellent dog in every respect. Forgive him his larceny! he is wretchedly ignorant, he cannot play the lyre.

Philocleon

960 I wish he did not know how to write either; then the rascal would not have drawn up his pleadings.

Bdelycleon

Witnesses, I pray you, listen. 965 Come forward, grating-knife, and speak up; answer me clearly. You were paymaster at the time. Did you grate out to the soldiers what was given you? —He says he did so.

Philocleon

But, by Zeus! he lies.

Bdelycleon

Oh! have patience. Take pity on the unfortunate. Labes feeds only on fish-bones and fishes' heads and has not an instant of peace. 970 The other is good only to guard the house; he never moves from here, but demands his share of all that is brought in and bites those who refuse.

Philocleon
aside

Oh! Heaven! have I fallen ill? I feel my anger cooling! Woe to me! I am softening!

Bdelycleon

975 Have pity, father, pity, I adjure you; you would not have him dead. Where are his puppies? A group of children costumed as puppies comes out. Come, poor little beasties, yap, up on your haunches, beg and whine!

Philocleon

Descend, descend, descend, descend!

Bdelycleon

I will descend, 980 although that word, "descend," has too often raised false hope. None the less, I will descend.

Philocleon

Plague seize it! Have I then done wrong to eat! What! I, crying! Ah! I certainly should not be weeping, if I were not stuffed with lentils.

Bdelycleon

985 Then he is acquitted?

Philocleon

It is difficult to tell.

Bdelycleon

Ah! my dear father, be good! be humane! Take this voting pebble and rush with your eyes closed to that second urn and, father, acquit him.

Philocleon

No, I know no more how to acquit than to play the lyre.

Bdelycleon

990 Come quickly, I will show you the way.

Philocleon

Is this the first urn?

Bdelycleon

Yes.

Philocleon
dropping in his vote

Then I have voted.

Bdelycleon
aside

I have fooled him and he has acquitted in spite of himself.

To Philocleon

Come, I will turn out the urns.

Philocleon

What is the result?

Bdelycleon

We shall see. He examines both urns. Labes, you stand acquitted. Philocleon faints 995 Eh! father, what's the matter, what is it? To slaves Water! water! To Philocleon Pull yourself together, sir!

Philocleon
weakly

Tell me! Is he really acquitted?

Bdelycleon

Yes, certainly.

Philocleon
falling back

Then it's all over with me!

Bdelycleon

Courage, dear father, don't let this afflict you so terribly.

Philocleon
dolefully

And so I have charged my conscience 1000 with the acquittal of an accused being! What will become of me? Sacred gods! forgive me. I did it despite myself; it is not in my character.

Bdelycleon

Do not vex yourself, father; I will feed you well, will take you everywhere to eat and drink with me; 1005 you shall go to every feast; henceforth your life shall be nothing but pleasure, and Hyperbolus shall no longer have you for a tool. But come, let us go in.

Philocleon
resignedly

So be it; if you will, let us go in.