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Line 865

εὔχεσθε τῇ Ἑστίᾳ τῇ ὀρνιθείῳ καὶ τῷ ἰκτίνῳ τῷ ἑστιούχῳ καὶ ὄρνισιν Ὀλυμπίοις καὶ Ὀλυμπίῃσι πᾶσι καὶ πάσῃσιν —

The phrase 'τῷ ἰκτίνῳ τῷ ἑστιούχῳ' (to the kite, the householder) presents a striking example of Aristophanic syncretism and parody. The kite (icthus/ictinos) is here conflated with Hestia's traditional domain as a hearth-keeper, transforming a scavenging bird into a domestic deity. This is not merely a whimsical substitution but a deliberate subversion of the standard Athenian cultic formula, where the hearth is the center of domestic and civic order. The epithet 'householder' (hestiouchos) applied to a kite, which typically nests in high places and scavenges rather than maintains a household, underscores the play's central theme of the birds usurping the divine order of Olympus.

Birds. 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)

Ὄρνιθες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 859 focus

Πισθέταιρος

παῦσαι σὺ φυσῶν. Ἡράκλεις τουτὶ τί ἦν;

τουτὶ μὰ Δίʼ ἐγὼ πολλὰ δὴ καὶ δείνʼ ἰδὼν
860

οὔπω κόρακʼ εἶδον ἐμπεφορβειωμένον.

ἱερεῦ σὸν ἔργον, θῦε τοῖς καινοῖς θεοῖς.

Ἱερεύς

δράσω τάδʼ. ἀλλὰ ποῦ ʼστιν ὁ τὸ κανοῦν ἔχων;

εὔχεσθε τῇ Ἑστίᾳ τῇ ὀρνιθείῳ καὶ τῷ ἰκτίνῳ τῷ ἑστιούχῳ καὶ ὄρνισιν Ὀλυμπίοις καὶ Ὀλυμπίῃσι πᾶσι καὶ πάσῃσιν —
865

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Σουνιέρακε χαῖρʼ ἄναξ Πελαργικέ.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ κύκνῳ Πυθίῳ καὶ Δηλίῳ καὶ Λητοῖ Ὀρτυγομήτρᾳ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι Ἀκαλανθίδι —

Πισθέταιρος

οὐκέτι Κολαινὶς ἀλλʼ Ἀκαλανθὶς Ἄρτεμις.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ φρυγίλῳ Σαβαζίῳ καὶ στρούθῳ μεγάλῃ μητρὶ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων —

Πισθέταιρος

δέσποινα Κυβέλη, στροῦθε, μῆτερ Κλεοκρίτου.

Ἱερεύς

διδόναι Νεφελοκοκκυγιεῦσιν ὑγιείαν καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖσι καὶ Χίοισι —

Πισθέταιρος

Χίοισιν ἥσθην πανταχοῦ προσκειμένοις.
880

Ἱερεύς

καὶ ἥρωσιν ὄρνισι καὶ ἡρώων παισί, πορφυρίωνι καὶ

πελεκᾶντι καὶ πελεκίνῳ καὶ φλέξιδι καὶ τέτρακι καὶ ταὧνι

καὶ ἐλεᾷ καὶ βασκᾷ καὶ ἐλασᾷ καὶ ἐρωδιῷ καὶ καταρράκτῃ

καὶ μελαγκορύφῳ καὶ αἰγιθάλλῳ —

Πισθέταιρος

παῦʼ ἐς κόρακας, παῦσαι καλῶν. ἰοὺ ἰού,

ἐπὶ ποῖον ὦ κακόδαιμον ἱερεῖον καλεῖς
890

ἁλιαιέτους καὶ γῦπας; οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι

ἰκτῖνος εἷς ἂν τοῦτό γʼ οἴχοιθʼ ἁρπάσας;

ἄπελθʼ ἀφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ σὺ καὶ τὰ στέμματα·

ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸς τουτογὶ θύσω μόνος.

Translations (3)

Birds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Complete Greek Drama, Vol. 2. Anonymous, translator. O'Neill, Eugene; Oates, Whitney Jennings, editors. New York: Random House, 1938 (printing).)

No corresponding passage available

Birds (OCR draft) Experimental (Anonymous translation, 1938 compilation; legacy Perseus source migration. Preserved separately from the revised canonical perseus-eng2 at the project owner's request.) — 859 focus

Pisthetaerus
To the flute-player.

Enough! but, by Heracles! what is this? 860 Great gods! I have seen many prodigious things, but I never saw a muzzled raven. The Priest arrives.Priest! it's high time! Sacrifice to the new gods.

Priest

864 I begin, but where is the man with the basket? Pray to the Hestia of the birds, to the kite, who presides over the hearth, and to all the god and goddess-birds who dwell in Olympus . . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! Hawk, the sacred guardian of Sunium, oh, god of the storks!

Priest

. . . to the swan of Delos , to Leto the mother of the quails, and to Artemis, the goldfinch . . .

Pisthetaerus

It's no longer Artemis Colaenis, but Artemis the goldfinch.

Priest

. . . to Bacchus, the finch and Cybele, the ostrich and mother of the gods 876 and mankind. . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! sovereign ostrich Cybele, mother of Cleocritus!

Priest

. . . to grant health and safety to the Nephelococcygians as well as 880 to the dwellers in Chios . . .

Pisthetaerus

The dwellers in Chios ! Ah! I am delighted they should be thus mentioned on all occasions.

Priest

. . . to the heroes, the birds, to the sons of heroes, to the porphyrion, the pelican, the spoon-bill, the redbreast, the grouse, the peacock, the horned-owl, the teal, the bittern, the heron, the stormy petrel, the fig-pecker, the titmouse . . .

Pisthetaerus

Stop! stop! you drive me crazy with your endless list. Why, wretch, 890 to what sacred feast are you inviting the vultures and the sea-eagles? Don't you see that a single kite could easily carry off the lot at once? Begone, you and your fillets and all; I shall know how to complete the sacrifice by myself.

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.) — 859 focus

Pisthetaerus: Stop blowing! Heracles, what was that?

Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, I have seen many things and terrible ones indeed.

860

Pisthetaerus: I have not yet seen a crow that has been fattened.

Pisthetaerus: Priest, perform your duty; sacrifice to the new gods.

Priest: I will do these things. But where is the man holding the basket?

Priest: Pray to Hestia the bird-goddess and to the weasel who keeps the hearth and to the Olympian birds and to all the Olympian women —

865

Pisthetaerus: O son of Sunium, hail, lord of the Storks.

Priest: And to the Pythian swan, and to the Delian, and to Leto the bird-nesting, and to Artemis Akalanthis—

Pisthetaerus: No longer the Kolainian, but the Acalanthian Artemis.

Priest: and to the Phrygian Sabazios and to the great mother of gods and men, the sparrow—

Pisthetaerus: mistress Cybele, hen, mother of Cleocritus.

Priest: to give health and safety to the Cloudcuckoolanders and to them and to the Chians —

Pisthetaerus: I was delighted, [as you are] lying around everywhere for the Chians.

880

Priest: And to the hero-birds and the children of heroes, to the purple-robed ones and

Priest: with the axe, with the hatchet, with the saw, with the four-toothed saw, and with the plane.

Priest: and he pities and curses and drives and [makes a noise like] a heron and a waterfall

Priest: and to the black-crested and to the goat-shining one —

Pisthetairos: Stop swearing by the crows, stop swearing! ouch ouch,

Pisthetaerus: To what sort of sacrifice, you wretch, are you calling?

890

Pisthetaerus: Sea-eagles and vultures? Don't you see that

Pisthetaerus: Could a kite, one of them, snatch this up and make off?

Pisthetaerus: Go away from us, both you and your wreaths!

Pisthetaerus: for I myself will sacrifice this one alone.

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

865. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-54

Aristophanes Birds 865

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 865

Current edition Experimental

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Σουνιέρακε χαῖρʼ ἄναξ Πελαργικέ.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ κύκνῳ Πυθίῳ καὶ Δηλίῳ καὶ Λητοῖ Ὀρτυγομήτρᾳ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι Ἀκαλανθίδι —

Πισθέταιρος

οὐκέτι Κολαινὶς ἀλλʼ Ἀκαλανθὶς Ἄρτεμις.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ φρυγίλῳ Σαβαζίῳ καὶ στρούθῳ μεγάλῃ μητρὶ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων —

Πισθέταιρος

δέσποινα Κυβέλη, στροῦθε, μῆτερ Κλεοκρίτου.

Ἱερεύς

διδόναι Νεφελοκοκκυγιεῦσιν ὑγιείαν καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖσι καὶ Χίοισι —

Πισθέταιρος

Χίοισιν ἥσθην πανταχοῦ προσκειμένοις.
880

Pisthetaerus
To the flute-player.

Enough! but, by Heracles! what is this? 860 Great gods! I have seen many prodigious things, but I never saw a muzzled raven. The Priest arrives.Priest! it's high time! Sacrifice to the new gods.

Priest

864 I begin, but where is the man with the basket? Pray to the Hestia of the birds, to the kite, who presides over the hearth, and to all the god and goddess-birds who dwell in Olympus . . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! Hawk, the sacred guardian of Sunium, oh, god of the storks!

Priest

. . . to the swan of Delos , to Leto the mother of the quails, and to Artemis, the goldfinch . . .

Pisthetaerus

It's no longer Artemis Colaenis, but Artemis the goldfinch.

Priest

. . . to Bacchus, the finch and Cybele, the ostrich and mother of the gods 876 and mankind. . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! sovereign ostrich Cybele, mother of Cleocritus!

Priest

. . . to grant health and safety to the Nephelococcygians as well as 880 to the dwellers in Chios . . .

Pisthetaerus

The dwellers in Chios ! Ah! I am delighted they should be thus mentioned on all occasions.

Priest

. . . to the heroes, the birds, to the sons of heroes, to the porphyrion, the pelican, the spoon-bill, the redbreast, the grouse, the peacock, the horned-owl, the teal, the bittern, the heron, the stormy petrel, the fig-pecker, the titmouse . . .

Commentary

Line 865

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 865

Current edition Experimental

Πισθέταιρος ὦ Σουνιέρακε χαῖρʼ ἄναξ Πελαργικέ.

Ἱερεύς καὶ κύκνῳ Πυθίῳ καὶ Δηλίῳ καὶ Λητοῖ Ὀρτυγομήτρᾳ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι Ἀκαλανθίδι —

Πισθέταιρος οὐκέτι Κολαινὶς ἀλλʼ Ἀκαλανθὶς Ἄρτεμις.

Ἱερεύς καὶ φρυγίλῳ Σαβαζίῳ καὶ στρούθῳ μεγάλῃ μητρὶ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων —

Πισθέταιρος δέσποινα Κυβέλη, στροῦθε, μῆτερ Κλεοκρίτου.

Ἱερεύς διδόναι Νεφελοκοκκυγιεῦσιν ὑγιείαν καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖσι καὶ Χίοισι —

Πισθέταιρος Χίοισιν ἥσθην πανταχοῦ προσκειμένοις. 880

Pisthetaerus To the flute-player. Enough! but, by Heracles! what is this? 860 Great gods! I have seen many prodigious things, but I never saw a muzzled raven. The Priest arrives.Priest! it's high time! Sacrifice to the new gods.

Priest 864 I begin, but where is the man with the basket? Pray to the Hestia of the birds, to the kite, who presides over the hearth, and to all the god and goddess-birds who dwell in Olympus . . .

Pisthetaerus Oh! Hawk, the sacred guardian of Sunium, oh, god of the storks!

Priest . . . to the swan of Delos , to Leto the mother of the quails, and to Artemis, the goldfinch . . .

Pisthetaerus It's no longer Artemis Colaenis, but Artemis the goldfinch.

Priest . . . to Bacchus, the finch and Cybele, the ostrich and mother of the gods 876 and mankind. . .

Pisthetaerus Oh! sovereign ostrich Cybele, mother of Cleocritus!

Priest . . . to grant health and safety to the Nephelococcygians as well as 880 to the dwellers in Chios . . .

Pisthetaerus The dwellers in Chios ! Ah! I am delighted they should be thus mentioned on all occasions.

Priest . . . to the heroes, the birds, to the sons of heroes, to the porphyrion, the pelican, the spoon-bill, the redbreast, the grouse, the peacock, the horned-owl, the teal, the bittern, the heron, the stormy petrel, the fig-pecker, the titmouse . . .

Commentary

Line 865

Stable identifiers

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Σουνιέρακε χαῖρʼ ἄναξ Πελαργικέ.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ κύκνῳ Πυθίῳ καὶ Δηλίῳ καὶ Λητοῖ Ὀρτυγομήτρᾳ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι Ἀκαλανθίδι —

Πισθέταιρος

οὐκέτι Κολαινὶς ἀλλʼ Ἀκαλανθὶς Ἄρτεμις.

Ἱερεύς

καὶ φρυγίλῳ Σαβαζίῳ καὶ στρούθῳ μεγάλῃ μητρὶ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων —

Πισθέταιρος

δέσποινα Κυβέλη, στροῦθε, μῆτερ Κλεοκρίτου.

Ἱερεύς

διδόναι Νεφελοκοκκυγιεῦσιν ὑγιείαν καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖσι καὶ Χίοισι —

Πισθέταιρος

Χίοισιν ἥσθην πανταχοῦ προσκειμένοις.
880

Pisthetaerus
To the flute-player.

Enough! but, by Heracles! what is this? 860 Great gods! I have seen many prodigious things, but I never saw a muzzled raven. The Priest arrives.Priest! it's high time! Sacrifice to the new gods.

Priest

864 I begin, but where is the man with the basket? Pray to the Hestia of the birds, to the kite, who presides over the hearth, and to all the god and goddess-birds who dwell in Olympus . . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! Hawk, the sacred guardian of Sunium, oh, god of the storks!

Priest

. . . to the swan of Delos , to Leto the mother of the quails, and to Artemis, the goldfinch . . .

Pisthetaerus

It's no longer Artemis Colaenis, but Artemis the goldfinch.

Priest

. . . to Bacchus, the finch and Cybele, the ostrich and mother of the gods 876 and mankind. . .

Pisthetaerus

Oh! sovereign ostrich Cybele, mother of Cleocritus!

Priest

. . . to grant health and safety to the Nephelococcygians as well as 880 to the dwellers in Chios . . .

Pisthetaerus

The dwellers in Chios ! Ah! I am delighted they should be thus mentioned on all occasions.

Priest

. . . to the heroes, the birds, to the sons of heroes, to the porphyrion, the pelican, the spoon-bill, the redbreast, the grouse, the peacock, the horned-owl, the teal, the bittern, the heron, the stormy petrel, the fig-pecker, the titmouse . . .