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Τρυγαῖος

ἀλλʼ ὅ τι σιωπᾷς ὦ πότνια κάτειπέ μοι.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι πρός γε τοὺς θεωμένους·

ὀργὴν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὧν ἔπαθε πολλὴν ἔχει.

Τρυγαῖος

ἡ δʼ ἀλλὰ πρὸς σὲ μικρὸν εἰπάτω μόνον.
660

Ἑρμῆς

εἴφʼ ὅ τι νοεῖς αὐτοῖσι πρὸς ἔμʼ ὦ φιλτάτη.

ἴθʼ ὦ γυναικῶν μισοπορπακιστάτη.

εἶεν, ἀκούω. ταῦτʼ ἐπικαλεῖς; μανθάνω.

ἀκούσαθʼ ὑμεῖς ὧν ἕνεκα μομφὴν ἔχει.

ἐλθοῦσά φησιν αὐτομάτη μετὰ τἀν Πύλῳ
665

σπονδῶν φέρουσα τῇ πόλει κίστην πλέαν

ἀποχειροτονηθῆναι τρὶς ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ.

Τρυγαῖος

ἡμάρτομεν ταῦτʼ· ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε·

ὁ νοῦς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἦν τότʼ ἐν τοῖς σκύτεσιν.

Ἑρμῆς

ἴθι νυν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο,
670

ὅστις κακόνους αὐτῇ μάλιστʼ ἦν ἐνθάδε,

χὤστις φίλος κἄσπευδεν εἶναι μὴ μάχας.

Τρυγαῖος

εὐνούστατος μὲν ἦν μακρῷ Κλεώνυμος.

Ἑρμῆς

ποῖός τις οὖν εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ πολεμικὰ

ὁ Κλεώνυμος;
675

Τρυγαῖος

ψυχήν γʼ ἄριστος πλήν γʼ ὅτι

οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὗπέρ φησιν εἶναι τοῦ πατρός.

εἰ γάρ ποτʼ ἐξέλθοι στρατιώτης, εὐθέως

ἀποβολιμαῖος τῶν ὅπλων ἐγίγνετο.

Ἑρμῆς

ἔτι νῦν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο,

ὅστις κρατεῖ νῦν τοῦ λίθου τοῦ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.
680

Τρυγαῖος

Ὑπέρβολος νῦν τοῦτʼ ἔχει τὸ χωρίον.

αὕτη τί ποιεῖς; τὴν κεφαλὴν ποῖ περιάγεις;

Ἑρμῆς

ἀποστρέφεται τὸν δῆμον ἀχθεσθεῖσʼ ὅτι

αὑτῷ πονηρὸν προστάτην ἐπεγράψατο.

Τρυγαῖος

ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ αὐτῷ χρησόμεθʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ νῦν
685

ἀπορῶν ὁ δῆμος ἐπιτρόπου καὶ γυμνὸς ὢν

τοῦτον τέως τὸν ἄνδρα περιεζώσατο.

Ἑρμῆς

πῶς οὖν ξυνοίσει ταῦτʼ ἐρωτᾷ τῇ πόλει.

Τρυγαῖος

εὐβουλότεροι γενησόμεθα.

Ἑρμῆς

τρόπῳ τίνι;

Τρυγαῖος

ὅτι τυγχάνει λυχνοποιὸς ὤν. πρὸ τοῦ μὲν οὖν
690

ἐψηλαφῶμεν ἐν σκότῳ τὰ πράγματα,

νυνὶ δʼ ἅπαντα πρὸς λύχνον βουλεύσομεν.

Ἑρμῆς

ὢ ὤ,

οἷά μʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀναπυθέσθαι σου.

Τρυγαῖος

τὰ τί;

Ἑρμῆς

πάμπολλα καὶ τἀρχαῖʼ ἃ κατέλιπεν τότε·

πρῶτον δʼ ὅ τι πράττει Σοφοκλέης ἀνήρετο.
695

Τρυγαῖος

εὐδαιμονεῖ, πάσχει δὲ θαυμαστόν.

Ἑρμῆς

τὸ τί;

Τρυγαῖος

ἐκ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους γίγνεται Σιμωνίδης.

Ἑρμῆς

Σιμωνίδης; πῶς;

Τρυγαῖος

ὅτι γέρων ὢν καὶ σαπρὸς

κέρδους ἕκατι κἂν ἐπὶ ῥιπὸς πλέοι.

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 (2)

Peace (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 657 focus

Trygaeus
To Peace.

Oh! venerated Goddess! why art thou silent?

Hermes

And how could she speak to the spectators? She is too angry at all that they have made her suffer.

Trygaeus

660 At least let her speak a little to you, Hermes.

Hermes

Tell me, my dear, what are your feelings with regard to them? Come, you relentless foe of all bucklers, speak; I am listening to you. Peace whispers into Hermes' ear.Is that your grievance against them? Yes, yes, I understand. Hearken, you folk, this is her complaint. 665 She says, that after the affair of Pylos she came to you unbidden to bring you a basket full of truces and that you thrice repulsed her by your votes in the assembly.

Trygaeus

Yes, we did wrong, but forgive us, for our mind was then entirely absorbed in leather.

Hermes

670 Listen again to what she has just asked me. Who was her greatest foe here? and furthermore, had she a friend who exerted himself to put an end to the fighting?

Trygaeus

Her most devoted friend was Cleonymus; it is undisputed.

Hermes

How then did 675 Cleonymus behave in fights?

Trygaeus

Oh! the bravest of warriors! Only he was not born of the father he claims; he showed it quick enough in the army by throwing away his weapons.

Hermes

There is yet another question she has just put to me. 680 Who rules now in the rostrum?

Trygaeus

It's Hyperbolus who now holds empire on the Pnyx. To Peace.What now? you turn away your head!

Hermes

She is vexed, that the people should give themselves a wretch of that kind for their chief.

Trygaeus

685 Oh! we shall not employ him again; but the people, seeing themselves without a leader, took him haphazard, just as a man, who is naked, springs upon the first cloak he sees.

Hermes

She asks, what will be the result of such a choice by the city?

Trygaeus

We shall be more far-seeing in consequence.

Hermes

And why?

Trygaeus

690 Because he is a lamp-maker. Formerly we only directed our business by groping in the dark; now we shall only deliberate by lamplight.

Hermes

Oh! oh! what questions she does order me to put to you!

Trygaeus

What are they?

Hermes

She wants to have news of a whole heap of old-fashioned things she left here. 695 First of all, how is Sophocles?

Trygaeus

Very well, but something very strange has happened to him.

Hermes

What then?

Trygaeus

He has turned from Sophocles into Simonides.

Hermes

Into Simonides? How so?

Trygaeus

Because, though old and broken-down as he is, he would put to sea on a hurdle to gain an obolus.

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.) — 657 focus

Trygaeus: But tell me, Lady, why you are silent.

Hermes: But he could not say it to those watching, at least.

Hermes: For he has great anger against them for what he suffered.

Trygaeus: But let her say only a little to you.

660

Hermes: If you think anything against me, you dearest one.

Hermes: Come, most hateful of women.

Hermes: Very well, I hear. Do you call these things to mind? I understand.

Hermes: Listen, you, for what reason you are blamed.

Hermes: She says she came by herself after [the battle] at Pylos.

665

Hermes: carrying a full basket for the city

Hermes: to be dismissed by show of hands three times in the assembly.

Trygaeus: We made a mistake in this; but have forgiveness.

Trygaeus: for our mind was then in the potsherds.

Hermes: Come now, listen to what I was just asked,

670

Hermes: who was most of all hostile to her here,

Hermes: and whoever was a friend and tried to be one without wars.

Trygaeus: Cleonymus was by far the most eunuch-like.

Hermes: Who then does it seem to be the warlike things?

Hermes: Cleonymus?

675

Trygaeus: his soul is excellent, except that

Trygaeus: Was he not, then, in the place where he says he is his father's?

Trygaeus: for if a soldier were to come out at some time, immediately

Trygaeus: He was becoming a thrower of the weapons.

Hermes: Even now, listen to what he just asked me,

Hermes: Whoever now holds the stone that is in the trap.

680

Trygaeus: Hyperbolus now holds this spot.

Trygaeus: What are you doing with this? Where are you turning your head?

Hermes: He is turning the people away, being grieved, because

Hermes: he has enrolled for himself a villainous guardian.

Trygaeus: But we shall no longer use him at all, but now

685

Trygaeus: The demos, being perplexed about a guardian and being naked,

Trygaeus: He has girded this man up to now.

Hermes: So how will he reconcile these things, he asks the city.

Trygaeus: We shall be more prudent.

Hermes: In what way?

Trygaeus: because he happens to be a lamp-maker. So then, before...

690

Trygaeus: We are feeling our way in the dark about the matters,

Trygaeus: But now we will deliberate everything by the light of a lamp.

Hermes: 'Oh, oh!'

Hermes: 'The sort of thing he ordered me to find out from you.'

Trygaeus: What things?

Hermes: countless things and the old ones that he left behind at that time;

Hermes: First, he asked what Sophocles was doing.

695

Trygaeus: He is happy, but he is suffering something wonderful.

Hermes: What?

Trygaeus: From Sophocles, Simonides is made.

Hermes: Simonides? How?

Trygaeus: because, being old and rotten

Trygaeus: for the sake of profit, I would even sail on a dung beetle.

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

665. mvp-tlg0019-tlg005-sanjaya-com-eng1-18

Line 665

ἐλθοῦσά φησιν αὐτομάτη μετὰ τἀν Πύλῳ

The phrase μετὰ τἀν Πύλῳ presents a significant textual crux regarding the preposition and the article. While the standard Attic construction for 'at Pylos' would be ἐν Πύλῳ, the reading μετὰ τἀν Πύλῳ (with the crasis τἀν for τῇν) suggests either a corruption of the text (perhaps μετὰ τὴν Πύλον, implying 'after the [battle] at Pylos' or 'following the Pylian event') or a rare dialectal usage. The most plausible interpretation, supported by the context of the Peace goddess arriving spontaneously, is that this is a corruption for ἐν Πύλῳ, as the goddess is said to have come from the site of the Pylos victory, or it refers to the specific moment 'after the [event] at Pylos' where the article τῇν (crased to τἀν) governs a understood noun like 'victory' or 'defeat'. The variant reading in the manuscripts varies, with some copies lacking the preposition entirely or altering the article, making the exact spatial/temporal relationship of the goddess's arrival to the historical event of Pylos (425 BCE) a subject of ongoing scholarly debate regarding whether Aristophanes is referencing the physical location or the temporal aftermath of the Athenian victory.

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Τρυγαῖος ἀλλʼ ὅ τι σιωπᾷς ὦ πότνια κάτειπέ μοι.

Ἑρμῆς ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι πρός γε τοὺς θεωμένους· ὀργὴν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὧν ἔπαθε πολλὴν ἔχει.

Τρυγαῖος ἡ δʼ ἀλλὰ πρὸς σὲ μικρὸν εἰπάτω μόνον. 660

Τρυγαῖος ἡμάρτομεν ταῦτʼ· ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε· ὁ νοῦς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἦν τότʼ ἐν τοῖς σκύτεσιν.

Ἑρμῆς ἴθι νυν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο, 670 ὅστις κακόνους αὐτῇ μάλιστʼ ἦν ἐνθάδε, χὤστις φίλος κἄσπευδεν εἶναι μὴ μάχας.

Τρυγαῖος εὐνούστατος μὲν ἦν μακρῷ Κλεώνυμος.

Ἑρμῆς ποῖός τις οὖν εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ πολεμικὰ ὁ Κλεώνυμος; 675

Τρυγαῖος ψυχήν γʼ ἄριστος πλήν γʼ ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὗπέρ φησιν εἶναι τοῦ πατρός. εἰ γάρ ποτʼ ἐξέλθοι στρατιώτης, εὐθέως ἀποβολιμαῖος τῶν ὅπλων ἐγίγνετο.

Ἑρμῆς ἔτι νῦν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο, ὅστις κρατεῖ νῦν τοῦ λίθου τοῦ ʼν τῇ πυκνί. 680

Τρυγαῖος Ὑπέρβολος νῦν τοῦτʼ ἔχει τὸ χωρίον. αὕτη τί ποιεῖς; τὴν κεφαλὴν ποῖ περιάγεις;

Ἑρμῆς ἀποστρέφεται τὸν δῆμον ἀχθεσθεῖσʼ ὅτι αὑτῷ πονηρὸν προστάτην ἐπεγράψατο.

Τρυγαῖος ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ αὐτῷ χρησόμεθʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ νῦν 685 ἀπορῶν ὁ δῆμος ἐπιτρόπου καὶ γυμνὸς ὢν τοῦτον τέως τὸν ἄνδρα περιεζώσατο.

Ἑρμῆς πῶς οὖν ξυνοίσει ταῦτʼ ἐρωτᾷ τῇ πόλει.

Τρυγαῖος εὐβουλότεροι γενησόμεθα.

Ἑρμῆς τρόπῳ τίνι;

Τρυγαῖος ὅτι τυγχάνει λυχνοποιὸς ὤν. πρὸ τοῦ μὲν οὖν 690 ἐψηλαφῶμεν ἐν σκότῳ τὰ πράγματα, νυνὶ δʼ ἅπαντα πρὸς λύχνον βουλεύσομεν.

Ἑρμῆς ὢ ὤ, οἷά μʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀναπυθέσθαι σου.

Τρυγαῖος τὰ τί;

Ἑρμῆς πάμπολλα καὶ τἀρχαῖʼ ἃ κατέλιπεν τότε· πρῶτον δʼ ὅ τι πράττει Σοφοκλέης ἀνήρετο. 695

Τρυγαῖος εὐδαιμονεῖ, πάσχει δὲ θαυμαστόν.

Ἑρμῆς τὸ τί;

Τρυγαῖος ἐκ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους γίγνεται Σιμωνίδης.

Ἑρμῆς Σιμωνίδης; πῶς;

Τρυγαῖος ὅτι γέρων ὢν καὶ σαπρὸς κέρδους ἕκατι κἂν ἐπὶ ῥιπὸς πλέοι.

Current edition Perseus

Trygaeus To Peace. Oh! venerated Goddess! why art thou silent?

Hermes And how could she speak to the spectators? She is too angry at all that they have made her suffer.

Trygaeus 660 At least let her speak a little to you, Hermes.

Trygaeus Yes, we did wrong, but forgive us, for our mind was then entirely absorbed in leather.

Hermes 670 Listen again to what she has just asked me. Who was her greatest foe here? and furthermore, had she a friend who exerted himself to put an end to the fighting?

Trygaeus Her most devoted friend was Cleonymus; it is undisputed.

Hermes How then did 675 Cleonymus behave in fights?

Trygaeus Oh! the bravest of warriors! Only he was not born of the father he claims; he showed it quick enough in the army by throwing away his weapons.

Hermes There is yet another question she has just put to me. 680 Who rules now in the rostrum?

Trygaeus It's Hyperbolus who now holds empire on the Pnyx. To Peace.What now? you turn away your head!

Hermes She is vexed, that the people should give themselves a wretch of that kind for their chief.

Trygaeus 685 Oh! we shall not employ him again; but the people, seeing themselves without a leader, took him haphazard, just as a man, who is naked, springs upon the first cloak he sees.

Hermes She asks, what will be the result of such a choice by the city?

Trygaeus We shall be more far-seeing in consequence.

Hermes And why?

Trygaeus 690 Because he is a lamp-maker. Formerly we only directed our business by groping in the dark; now we shall only deliberate by lamplight.

Hermes Oh! oh! what questions she does order me to put to you!

Trygaeus What are they?

Hermes She wants to have news of a whole heap of old-fashioned things she left here. 695 First of all, how is Sophocles?

Trygaeus Very well, but something very strange has happened to him.

Hermes What then?

Trygaeus He has turned from Sophocles into Simonides.

Hermes Into Simonides? How so?

Trygaeus Because, though old and broken-down as he is, he would put to sea on a hurdle to gain an obolus.

Commentary

Line 665

Stable identifiers

Τρυγαῖος

ἀλλʼ ὅ τι σιωπᾷς ὦ πότνια κάτειπέ μοι.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι πρός γε τοὺς θεωμένους·

ὀργὴν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὧν ἔπαθε πολλὴν ἔχει.

Τρυγαῖος

ἡ δʼ ἀλλὰ πρὸς σὲ μικρὸν εἰπάτω μόνον.
660

Τρυγαῖος

ἡμάρτομεν ταῦτʼ· ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε·

ὁ νοῦς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἦν τότʼ ἐν τοῖς σκύτεσιν.

Ἑρμῆς

ἴθι νυν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο,
670

ὅστις κακόνους αὐτῇ μάλιστʼ ἦν ἐνθάδε,

χὤστις φίλος κἄσπευδεν εἶναι μὴ μάχας.

Τρυγαῖος

εὐνούστατος μὲν ἦν μακρῷ Κλεώνυμος.

Ἑρμῆς

ποῖός τις οὖν εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ πολεμικὰ

ὁ Κλεώνυμος;
675

Τρυγαῖος

ψυχήν γʼ ἄριστος πλήν γʼ ὅτι

οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὗπέρ φησιν εἶναι τοῦ πατρός.

εἰ γάρ ποτʼ ἐξέλθοι στρατιώτης, εὐθέως

ἀποβολιμαῖος τῶν ὅπλων ἐγίγνετο.

Ἑρμῆς

ἔτι νῦν ἄκουσον οἷον ἄρτι μʼ ἤρετο,

ὅστις κρατεῖ νῦν τοῦ λίθου τοῦ ʼν τῇ πυκνί.
680

Τρυγαῖος

Ὑπέρβολος νῦν τοῦτʼ ἔχει τὸ χωρίον.

αὕτη τί ποιεῖς; τὴν κεφαλὴν ποῖ περιάγεις;

Ἑρμῆς

ἀποστρέφεται τὸν δῆμον ἀχθεσθεῖσʼ ὅτι

αὑτῷ πονηρὸν προστάτην ἐπεγράψατο.

Τρυγαῖος

ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ αὐτῷ χρησόμεθʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ νῦν
685

ἀπορῶν ὁ δῆμος ἐπιτρόπου καὶ γυμνὸς ὢν

τοῦτον τέως τὸν ἄνδρα περιεζώσατο.

Ἑρμῆς

πῶς οὖν ξυνοίσει ταῦτʼ ἐρωτᾷ τῇ πόλει.

Τρυγαῖος

εὐβουλότεροι γενησόμεθα.

Ἑρμῆς

τρόπῳ τίνι;

Τρυγαῖος

ὅτι τυγχάνει λυχνοποιὸς ὤν. πρὸ τοῦ μὲν οὖν
690

ἐψηλαφῶμεν ἐν σκότῳ τὰ πράγματα,

νυνὶ δʼ ἅπαντα πρὸς λύχνον βουλεύσομεν.

Ἑρμῆς

ὢ ὤ,

οἷά μʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀναπυθέσθαι σου.

Τρυγαῖος

τὰ τί;

Ἑρμῆς

πάμπολλα καὶ τἀρχαῖʼ ἃ κατέλιπεν τότε·

πρῶτον δʼ ὅ τι πράττει Σοφοκλέης ἀνήρετο.
695

Τρυγαῖος

εὐδαιμονεῖ, πάσχει δὲ θαυμαστόν.

Ἑρμῆς

τὸ τί;

Τρυγαῖος

ἐκ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους γίγνεται Σιμωνίδης.

Ἑρμῆς

Σιμωνίδης; πῶς;

Τρυγαῖος

ὅτι γέρων ὢν καὶ σαπρὸς

κέρδους ἕκατι κἂν ἐπὶ ῥιπὸς πλέοι.

Trygaeus
To Peace.

Oh! venerated Goddess! why art thou silent?

Hermes

And how could she speak to the spectators? She is too angry at all that they have made her suffer.

Trygaeus

660 At least let her speak a little to you, Hermes.

Trygaeus

Yes, we did wrong, but forgive us, for our mind was then entirely absorbed in leather.

Hermes

670 Listen again to what she has just asked me. Who was her greatest foe here? and furthermore, had she a friend who exerted himself to put an end to the fighting?

Trygaeus

Her most devoted friend was Cleonymus; it is undisputed.

Hermes

How then did 675 Cleonymus behave in fights?

Trygaeus

Oh! the bravest of warriors! Only he was not born of the father he claims; he showed it quick enough in the army by throwing away his weapons.

Hermes

There is yet another question she has just put to me. 680 Who rules now in the rostrum?

Trygaeus

It's Hyperbolus who now holds empire on the Pnyx. To Peace.What now? you turn away your head!

Hermes

She is vexed, that the people should give themselves a wretch of that kind for their chief.

Trygaeus

685 Oh! we shall not employ him again; but the people, seeing themselves without a leader, took him haphazard, just as a man, who is naked, springs upon the first cloak he sees.

Hermes

She asks, what will be the result of such a choice by the city?

Trygaeus

We shall be more far-seeing in consequence.

Hermes

And why?

Trygaeus

690 Because he is a lamp-maker. Formerly we only directed our business by groping in the dark; now we shall only deliberate by lamplight.

Hermes

Oh! oh! what questions she does order me to put to you!

Trygaeus

What are they?

Hermes

She wants to have news of a whole heap of old-fashioned things she left here. 695 First of all, how is Sophocles?

Trygaeus

Very well, but something very strange has happened to him.

Hermes

What then?

Trygaeus

He has turned from Sophocles into Simonides.

Hermes

Into Simonides? How so?

Trygaeus

Because, though old and broken-down as he is, he would put to sea on a hurdle to gain an obolus.