Aristophanes Peace 173

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

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Τρυγαῖος

οἴμʼ ὡς δέδοικα, κοὐκέτι σκώπτων λέγω.

ὦ μηχανοποιὲ πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν ὡς ἐμέ·

ἤδη στρέφει τι πνεῦμα περὶ τὸν ὀμφαλόν,
175

κεἰ μὴ φυλάξει, χορτάσω τὸν κάνθαρον.

ἀτὰρ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τῶν θεῶν ἐμοὶ δοκῶ,

καὶ δὴ καθορῶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν τοῦ Διός.

τίς ἐν Διὸς θύραισιν; οὐκ ἀνοίξετε;

Ἑρμῆς

πόθεν βροτοῦ με προσέβαλʼ; ὦναξ Ἡράκλεις
180

τουτὶ τί ἐστι τὸ κακόν;

Τρυγαῖος

ἱπποκάνθαρος.

Ἑρμῆς

ὦ βδελυρὲ καὶ τολμηρὲ κἀναίσχυντε σὺ

καὶ μιαρὲ καὶ παμμίαρε καὶ μιαρώτατε,

πῶς δεῦρʼ ἀνῆλθες ὦ μιαρῶν μιαρώτατε;

τί σοί ποτʼ ἔστʼ ὄνομʼ; οὐκ ἐρεῖς;
185

Τρυγαῖος

μιαρώτατος.

Ἑρμῆς

ποδαπὸς τὸ γένος δʼ εἶ; φράζε μοι.

Τρυγαῖος

μιαρώτατος.

Ἑρμῆς

πατὴρ δέ σοι τίς ἐστʼ;

Τρυγαῖος

ἐμοί; μιαρώτατος.

Ἑρμῆς

οὔτοι μὰ τὴν γῆν ἔσθʼ ὅπως οὐκ ἀποθανεῖ,

εἰ μὴ κατερεῖς μοι τοὔνομʼ ὅ τι ποτʼ ἔστι σοι.

Τρυγαῖος

Τρυγαῖος Ἀθμονεύς, ἀμπελουργὸς δεξιός,
190

οὐ συκοφάντης οὐδʼ ἐραστὴς πραγμάτων.

Ἑρμῆς

ἥκεις δὲ κατὰ τί;

Τρυγαῖος

τὰ κρέα ταυτί σοι φέρων.

Ἑρμῆς

ὦ δειλακρίων πῶς ἦλθες;

Τρυγαῖος

ὦ γλίσχρων ὁρᾷς

ὡς οὐκέτʼ εἶναί σοι δοκῶ μιαρώτατος;

ἴθι νυν κάλεσόν μοι τὸν Δίʼ.
195

Ἑρμῆς

ἰὴ ἰὴ ἰή,

ὅτι οὐδὲ μέλλεις ἐγγὺς εἶναι τῶν θεῶν·

φροῦδοι γὰρ ἐχθές εἰσιν ἐξῳκισμένοι.

Τρυγαῖος

ποῖ γῆς;

Ἑρμῆς

ἰδοὺ γῆς.

Τρυγαῖος

ἀλλὰ ποῖ;

Ἑρμῆς

πόρρω πάνυ;

ὑπʼ αὐτὸν ἀτεχνῶς τοὐρανοῦ τὸν κύτταρον.

Peace. 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

Εἰρήνη (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.)

Translations (1)

Peace (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 173 focus

Trygaeus
Speaking.

Alas! how frightened I am! oh! I have no heart for jests. Ah! machinist, take great care of me. 175 There is already a wind whirling round my navel; take great care or, from sheer fright, I shall form food for my beetle—But I think I am no longer far from the gods; aye, that is the dwelling of Zeus, I perceive. The beetle descends and comes to a halt in front of the house of Zeus. Trygaeus dismounts and knocks at the door.Hullo! Hi! where is the doorkeeper? Will no one open?

Hermes
From within.

180 I think I can sniff a man. Opening the door. Why, what plague is this?

Trygaeus

A horse-beetle.

Hermes

Oh! impudent, shameless rascal! oh! scoundrel! triple scoundrel! the greatest scoundrel in the world! how did you come here? Oh! scoundrel of all scoundrels! 185 your name? Reply.

Trygaeus

Triple scoundrel.

Hermes

Your country?

Trygaeus

Triple scoundrel.

Hermes

Your father?

Trygaeus

My father? Triple scoundrel.

Hermes

By the Earth, you shall die, unless you tell me your name.

Trygaeus

190 I am Trygaeus of the Athmonian deme, a good vine-dresser, little addicted to quibbling and not at all an informer.

Hermes

Why do you come?

Trygaeus

I come to bring you this meat.

Hermes
Changing his tone.

Ah! my good friend, did you have a good journey?

Trygaeus

Glutton, be off! I no longer seem a triple scoundrel to you. 195 Come, call Zeus.

Hermes

Ah! ah! you are a long way yet from reaching the gods, for they moved yesterday.

Trygaeus

To what part of the earth?

Hermes

Eh! of the earth, did you say?

Trygaeus

In short, where are they then?

Hermes

Very far, very far, right at the furthest end of the dome of heaven.