Line 753

διαβὰς βυρσῶν ὀσμὰς δεινὰς κἀπειλὰς βορβοροθύμους,

The compound adjective δεινὰς κἀπειλὰς is a rare hendiadys (or close variant) where 'terrible' and 'threatening' are conjoined to intensify the sensory assault of the tanning vats. The epithet βορβοροθύμους (mud-hearted or mud-breathing) is a strikingly vivid, almost comic, synecdoche for the smell of the tannery itself, attributing a physical substance (mud) to the abstract concept of breath or spirit, thereby personifying the noxious fumes as a living, choking entity. This usage reflects Aristophanes' tendency to transform mundane industrial processes into grotesque mythological monsters, a technique seen elsewhere in his comedies when depicting the underworld or the lower classes.

Peace. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (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)

Εἰρήνη Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 729-816 focus

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἴθι χαίρων· ἡμεῖς δὲ τέως τάδε τὰ σκεύη παραδόντες

τοῖς ἀκολούθοις δῶμεν σῴζειν, ὡς εἰώθασι μάλιστα
730

περὶ τὰς σκηνὰς πλεῖστοι κλέπται κυπτάζειν καὶ κακοποιεῖν.

ἀλλὰ φυλάττετε ταῦτʼ ἀνδρείως· ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖ τοῖσι θεαταῖς

ἣν ἔχομεν ὁδὸν λόγων εἴπωμεν ὅσα τε νοῦς ἔχει.

734

Χορός

χρῆν μὲν τύπτειν τοὺς ῥαβδούχους, εἴ τις κωμῳδοποιητὴς

αὑτὸν ἐπῄνει πρὸς τὸ θέατρον παραβὰς ἐν τοῖς ἀναπαίστοις·
735

εἰ δʼ οὖν εἰκός τινα τιμῆσαι, θύγατερ Διός, ὅστις ἄριστος

κωμῳδοδιδάσκαλος ἀνθρώπων καὶ κλεινότατος γεγένηται,

ἄξιος εἶναί φησʼ εὐλογίας μεγάλης ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν.

πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἀντιπάλους μόνος ἀνθρώπων κατέπαυσεν

ἐς τὰ ῥάκια σκώπτοντας ἀεὶ καὶ τοῖς φθειρσὶν πολεμοῦντας,
740

τούς θʼ Ἡρακλέας τοὺς μάττοντας καὶ τοὺς πεινῶντας ἐκείνους

ἐξήλασʼ ἀτιμώσας πρῶτος, καὶ τοὺς δούλους παρέλυσεν

τοὺς φεύγοντας κἀξαπατῶντας καὶ τυπτομένους ἐπίτηδες,

οὓς ἐξῆγον κλάοντας ἀεί, καὶ τούτους οὕνεκα τουδί,

ἵνʼ ὁ σύνδουλος σκώψας αὐτοῦ τὰς πληγὰς εἶτʼ ἀνέροιτο,
745

ὦ κακόδαιμον τί τὸ δέρμʼ ἔπαθες; μῶν ὑστριχὶς εἰσέβαλέν σοι

ἐς τὰς πλευρὰς πολλῇ στρατιᾷ κἀδενδροτόμησε τὸ νῶτον;

τοιαῦτʼ ἀφελὼν κακὰ καὶ φόρτον καὶ βωμολοχεύματʼ ἀγεννῆ

ἐποίησε τέχνην μεγάλην ἡμῖν κἀπύργωσʼ οἰκοδομήσας

ἔπεσιν μεγάλοις καὶ διανοίαις καὶ σκώμμασιν οὐκ ἀγοραίοις,
750

οὐκ ἰδιώτας ἀνθρωπίσκους κωμῳδῶν οὐδὲ γυναῖκας,

ἀλλʼ Ἡρακλέους ὀργήν τινʼ ἔχων τοῖσι μεγίστοις ἐπεχείρει,

διαβὰς βυρσῶν ὀσμὰς δεινὰς κἀπειλὰς βορβοροθύμους,

καὶ πρῶτον μὲν μάχομαι πάντων αὐτῷ τῷ καρχαρόδοντι,

οὗ δεινόταται μὲν ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν Κύννης ἀκτῖνες ἔλαμπον,
755

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.

τοιοῦτον ἰδὼν τέρας οὐ κατέδεισʼ, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πολεμίζων

ἀντεῖχον ἀεὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων νήσων. ὧν οὕνεκα νυνὶ
760

ἀποδοῦναί μοι τὴν χάριν ὑμᾶς εἰκὸς καὶ μνήμονας εἶναι.

καὶ γὰρ πρότερον πράξας κατὰ νοῦν οὐχὶ παλαίστρας περινοστῶν

παῖδας ἐπείρων, ἀλλʼ ἀράμενος τὴν σκευὴν εὐθὺς ἐχώρουν,

παῦρʼ ἀνιάσας, πόλλʼ εὐφράνας, πάντα παρασχὼν τὰ δέοντα.

765

Χορός

πρὸς ταῦτα χρεὼν εἶναι μετʼ ἐμοῦ
765

καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τοὺς παῖδας·

καὶ τοῖς φαλακροῖσι παραινοῦμεν

ξυσπουδάζειν περὶ τῆς νίκης.

πᾶς γάρ τις ἐρεῖ νικῶντος ἐμοῦ

κἀπὶ τραπέζῃ καὶ ξυμποσίοις,
770

φέρε τῷ φαλακρῷ, δὸς τῷ φαλακρῷ

τῶν τρωγαλίων, καὶ μἀφαίρει

γενναιοτάτου τῶν ποιητῶν

ἀνδρὸς τὸ μέτωπον ἔχοντος.

775

Χορός

Μοῦσα σὺ μὲν πολέμους ἀπωσαμένη μετʼ ἐμοῦ
775

τοῦ φίλου χόρευσον,

κλείουσα θεῶν τε γάμους ἀνδρῶν τε δαῖτας

καὶ θαλίας μακάρων· σοὶ γὰρ τάδʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέλει.
780

ἢν δέ σε Καρκίνος ἐλθὼν

ἀντιβολῇ μετὰ τῶν παίδων χορεῦσαι,

μήθʼ ὑπάκουε μήτʼ ἔλθῃς
785

συνέριθος αὐτοῖς,

ἀλλὰ νόμιζε πάντας

ὄρτυγας οἰκογενεῖς γυλιαύχενας ὀρχηστὰς

ναννοφυεῖς σφυράδων ἀποκνίσματα μηχανοδίφας.
790

καὶ γὰρ ἔφασχʼ ὁ πατὴρ ὃ παρʼ ἐλπίδας

εἶχε τὸ δρᾶμα γαλῆν τῆς ἑσπέρας ἀπάγξαι.
795

797

Χορός

τοιάδε χρὴ Χαρίτων δαμώματα καλλικόμων

τὸν σοφὸν ποιητὴν

ὑμνεῖν, ὅταν ἠρινὰ μὲν φωνῇ χελιδὼν
800

ἑζομένη κελαδῇ, χορὸν δὲ μὴ ʼχῃ Μόρσιμος

μηδὲ Μελάνθιος, οὗ δὴ

πικροτάτην ὄπα γηρύσαντος ἤκουσʼ
805

ἡνίκα τῶν τραγῳδῶν

τὸν χορὸν εἶχον ἁδελφός

τε και αὐτός, ἄμφω

Γοργόνες ὀψοφάγοι βατιδοσκόποι Ἅρπυιαι,
810

γραοσόβαι μιαροὶ τραγομάσχαλοι ἰχθυολῦμαι·

ὧν καταχρεμψαμένη μέγα καὶ πλατὺ
815

Μοῦσα θεὰ μετʼ ἐμοῦ ξύμπαιζε τὴν ἑορτήν.

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.) — 765 focus

Chorus
More and more rapidly from here on.

765 Hence both grown men and youths should be on my side and I likewise invite the bald to give me their votes; for, if I triumph, everyone will say, 770 both at table and at festivals, “Carry this to the bald man, give these cakes to the bald one, do not grudge the poet whose talent shines as bright as his own bare skull the share he deserves.”

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.) — 765 focus

Chorus: In light of this, it is necessary for me to be with you.

765

Chorus: both the men and the boys;

Chorus: And we give advice to the bald men.

Chorus: to strive hard for the victory.

Chorus: for someone will say that I am winning.

Chorus: and at the table and at the drinking parties,

770

Chorus: Bring it to the bald man, give it to the bald man.

Chorus: of the ground-hogs, and he would kill them

Chorus: of the most noble of the poets

Chorus: having the forehead of a man.

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

753. mvp-tlg0019-tlg005-sanjaya-com-eng1-20

Line 753

διαβὰς βυρσῶν ὀσμὰς δεινὰς κἀπειλὰς βορβοροθύμους,

Aristophanes Peace 753

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