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Prophet: And are these things here as well?

Pisthetaerus: Take the book.

Pisthetaerus: Aren't you the doorkeeper? Go to the crows!

990

Oracle: Alas, wretched me.

Pisthetairos: Won't you then go off elsewhere to give an oracle as you run?

Meton: I have come to you —

Pisthetairos: And this is another evil.

Pisthetairos: But what will you do next? And what is the plan of action?

Pisthetaerus: What is the idea, what is the buskin of the road?

Meton: I want to survey the air.

995

Méton: to divide for you by lot.

Pisthetaerus: by the gods

Pisthetaerus: But who are you of men?

Meto: Who am I? Meto,

Mecon: whom all Hellas and the deme of Colonus knows.

Pisthetaerus: tell me,

Pisthetaerus: But what are these things to you?

Mecon: rulers of the air.

Meto: for the air is actually all in appearance.

1000

Meton: especially like a drowning man. So I added,

Meton: the rule, this curved one from above

Meiton: having inserted a measuring rod — do you understand?

Pisthetaerus: I do not understand.

Methon: I will measure and add it upright with a ruler, so that

Methon: May the circle become a square for you and in the middle.

1005

Methon: a market, and let roads lead into it.

Meon: Straight towards that very center, just like a star.

Meiton: since it is round, it is upright everywhere.

Meto: May the sunbeams shine forth!

Pisthetairos: A man named Thales.

Pisthetairos: Meton—

1010

Meton: "What is it?"

Pisthetairos: You know that I love you, I do,

Pisthetaerus: And having obeyed me, he will urge me off the road.

Meton: But what is terrible?

Pisthetaerus: just as in Sparta

Pisthetairos: foreigners are being expelled and some are already in an uproar;

Pisthetaerus: frequent blows throughout the city.

Meton: Are you quarrelling?

Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, certainly not.

1015

Meto: but how?

Pisthetaerus: all together

Pisthetaerus: It seems to me to strew all the charlatans with ashes.

Meto: I should be off, then.

Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, I do not know how...

Pisthetaerus: You would be ruined; for they are pressing close upon you.

Meto: Alas, wretched me!

Pisthetaerus: Didn't I say so long ago?

Pisthetaerus: Will you not measure yourself off, going away somewhere else?

1020

Birds. 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)

Ὄρνιθες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 989 focus

Χρησμολόγος

καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔνεστʼ ἐνταῦθα;

Πισθέταιρος

λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.

οὐκ εἶ θύραζʼ; ἐς κόρακας.
990

Χρησμολόγος

οἴμοι δείλαιος.

Πισθέταιρος

οὔκουν ἑτέρωσε χρησμολογήσεις ἐκτρέχων;

Μέτων

ἥκω παρʼ ὑμᾶς —

Πισθέταιρος

ἕτερον αὖ τουτὶ κακόν.

τί δʼ αὖ σὺ δράσων; τίς δʼ ἰδέα βουλεύματος;

τίς ἡ ʼπίνοια, τίς ὁ κόθορνος τῆς ὁδοῦ;

Μέτων

γεωμετρῆσαι βούλομαι τὸν ἀέρα
995

ὑμῖν διελεῖν τε κατὰ γύας.

Πισθέταιρος

πρὸς τῶν θεῶν

σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἀνδρῶν;

Μέτων

ὅστις εἴμʼ ἐγώ; Μέτων,

ὃν οἶδεν Ἑλλὰς χὠ Κολωνός.

Πισθέταιρος

εἰπέ μοι,

ταυτὶ δέ σοι τί ἔστι;

Μέτων

κανόνες ἀέρος.

αὐτίκα γὰρ ἀήρ ἐστι τὴν ἰδέαν ὅλος
1000

κατὰ πνιγέα μάλιστα. προσθεὶς οὖν ἐγὼ

τὸν κανόνʼ, ἄνωθεν τουτονὶ τὸν καμπύλον

ἐνθεὶς διαβήτην — μανθάνεις;

Πισθέταιρος

οὐ μανθάνω.

Μέτων

ὀρθῷ μετρήσω κανόνι προστιθείς, ἵνα

ὁ κύκλος γένηται σοι τετράγωνος κἀν μέσῳ
1005

ἀγορά, φέρουσαι δʼ ὦσιν εἰς αὐτὴν ὁδοὶ

ὀρθαὶ πρὸς αὐτὸ τὸ μέσον, ὥσπερ δʼ ἀστέρος

αὐτοῦ κυκλοτεροῦς ὄντος ὀρθαὶ πανταχῇ

ἀκτῖνες ἀπολάμπωσιν.

Πισθέταιρος

ἅνθρωπος Θαλῆς.

Μέτων —
1010

Μέτων

τί ἔστιν;

Πισθέταιρος

οἶσθʼ ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ἐγώ,

κἀμοὶ πιθόμενος ὑπαποκίνει τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Μέτων

τί δʼ ἐστὶ δεινόν;

Πισθέταιρος

ὥσπερ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι

ξενηλατοῦνται καὶ κεκίνηνταί τινες·

πληγαὶ συχναὶ κατʼ ἄστυ.

Μέτων

μῶν στασιάζετε;

Πισθέταιρος

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ.
1015

Μέτων

ἀλλὰ πῶς;

Πισθέταιρος

ὁμοθυμαδὸν

σποδεῖν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἀλαζόνας δοκεῖ.

Μέτων

ὑπάγοιμί τἄρʼ ἄν.

Πισθέταιρος

νὴ Δίʼ ὡς οὐκ οἶδʼ ἂν εἰ

φθαίης ἄν· ἐπίκεινται γὰρ ἐγγὺς αὑταιί.

Μέτων

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων.

Πισθέταιρος

οὐκ ἔλεγον ἐγὼ πάλαι;

οὐκ ἀναμετρήσεις σαυτὸν ἀπιὼν ἀλλαχῇ;
1020

Translations (2)

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.) — 989 focus

Oracle-Monger

Does it say that?

Pisthetaerus

Look at the book 990 and go and hang yourself.

Oracle-Monger

Oh! unfortunate wretch that I am. He departs.

Pisthetaerus

Away with you, and take your prophecies elsewhere.

Enter Meton, with surveying instruments.

Meton

I have come to you . . .

Pisthetaerus
Interrupting.

Yet another pest! What have you come to do? What's your plan? What's the purpose of your journey? Why these splendid buskins?

Meton

995 I want to survey the plains of the air for you and to parcel them into lots.

Pisthetaerus

In the name of the gods, who are you?

Meton

Who am I? Meton, known throughout Greece and at Colonus .

Pisthetaerus

What are these things?

Meton

Tools for measuring the air. 1000 In truth, the spaces in the air have precisely the form of a furnace. With this bent ruler I draw a line from top to bottom; from one of its points I describe a circle with the compass. Do you understand?

Pisthetaerus

Not in the least.

Meton

With the straight ruler I set to work to inscribe 1005 a square within this circle; in its center will be the market-place, into which all the straight streets will lead, converging to this center like a star, which, although only orbicular, sends forth its rays in a straight line from all sides.

Pisthetaerus

A regular Thales! 1010 Meton . . .

Meton

What d'you want with me?

Pisthetaerus

I want to give you a proof of my friendship. Use your legs.

Meton

Why, what have I to fear?

Pisthetaerus

It's the same here as in Sparta . Strangers are driven away, and blows rain down as thick as hail.

Meton

Is there sedition in your city?

Pisthetaerus

1015 No, certainly not.

Meton

What's wrong then?

Pisthetaerus

We are agreed to sweep all quacks and impostors far from our borders.

Meton

Then I'll be going.

Pisthetaerus

I'm afraid it's too late. The thunder growls already.

He beats him.

Meton

Oh, woe! oh, woe!

Pisthetaerus

I warned you. 1020 Now, be off, and do your surveying somewhere else.

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

1010. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-63

Line 1010

Μέτων —

This fragment represents the opening of a stichomythia (line-by-line dialogue) between Meton and the Birds. The character Meton is introduced here as a specific type of 'professor' (sophist) specializing in astronomy and geometry, whose later lines (e.g., claiming he can measure the sky with a surveyor's rod) serve as Aristophanes' satire of the new scientific empiricism and the pretensions of intellectual elites in late 5th-century Athens. The abruptness of the single name functions as a dramatic cue for the entrance of a new speaker in a rapid-fire exchange, a structural device common in the parabasis or early dialogue scenes of the play.

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Current edition Experimental

Χρησμολόγος καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔνεστʼ ἐνταῦθα;

Πισθέταιρος λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον. οὐκ εἶ θύραζʼ; ἐς κόρακας. 990

Χρησμολόγος οἴμοι δείλαιος.

Πισθέταιρος οὔκουν ἑτέρωσε χρησμολογήσεις ἐκτρέχων;

Μέτων ἥκω παρʼ ὑμᾶς —

Πισθέταιρος ἕτερον αὖ τουτὶ κακόν. τί δʼ αὖ σὺ δράσων; τίς δʼ ἰδέα βουλεύματος; τίς ἡ ʼπίνοια, τίς ὁ κόθορνος τῆς ὁδοῦ;

Μέτων γεωμετρῆσαι βούλομαι τὸν ἀέρα 995 ὑμῖν διελεῖν τε κατὰ γύας.

Πισθέταιρος πρὸς τῶν θεῶν σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἀνδρῶν;

Μέτων ὅστις εἴμʼ ἐγώ; Μέτων, ὃν οἶδεν Ἑλλὰς χὠ Κολωνός.

Πισθέταιρος εἰπέ μοι, ταυτὶ δέ σοι τί ἔστι;

Πισθέταιρος οὐ μανθάνω.

Πισθέταιρος ἅνθρωπος Θαλῆς. Μέτων — 1010

Μέτων τί ἔστιν;

Πισθέταιρος οἶσθʼ ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ἐγώ, κἀμοὶ πιθόμενος ὑπαποκίνει τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Μέτων τί δʼ ἐστὶ δεινόν;

Πισθέταιρος ὥσπερ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι ξενηλατοῦνται καὶ κεκίνηνταί τινες· πληγαὶ συχναὶ κατʼ ἄστυ.

Μέτων μῶν στασιάζετε;

Πισθέταιρος μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ. 1015

Μέτων ἀλλὰ πῶς;

Πισθέταιρος ὁμοθυμαδὸν σποδεῖν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἀλαζόνας δοκεῖ.

Μέτων ὑπάγοιμί τἄρʼ ἄν.

Πισθέταιρος νὴ Δίʼ ὡς οὐκ οἶδʼ ἂν εἰ φθαίης ἄν· ἐπίκεινται γὰρ ἐγγὺς αὑταιί.

Μέτων οἴμοι κακοδαίμων.

Πισθέταιρος οὐκ ἔλεγον ἐγὼ πάλαι; οὐκ ἀναμετρήσεις σαυτὸν ἀπιὼν ἀλλαχῇ; 1020

Oracle-Monger Does it say that?

Pisthetaerus Look at the book 990 and go and hang yourself.

Oracle-Monger Oh! unfortunate wretch that I am. He departs.

Pisthetaerus Away with you, and take your prophecies elsewhere.

Meton I have come to you . . .

Pisthetaerus Interrupting. Yet another pest! What have you come to do? What's your plan? What's the purpose of your journey? Why these splendid buskins?

Meton 995 I want to survey the plains of the air for you and to parcel them into lots.

Pisthetaerus In the name of the gods, who are you?

Meton Who am I? Meton, known throughout Greece and at Colonus .

Pisthetaerus What are these things?

Meton Tools for measuring the air. 1000 In truth, the spaces in the air have precisely the form of a furnace. With this bent ruler I draw a line from top to bottom; from one of its points I describe a circle with the compass. Do you understand?

Pisthetaerus Not in the least.

Pisthetaerus A regular Thales! 1010 Meton . . .

Meton What d'you want with me?

Pisthetaerus I want to give you a proof of my friendship. Use your legs.

Meton Why, what have I to fear?

Pisthetaerus It's the same here as in Sparta . Strangers are driven away, and blows rain down as thick as hail.

Meton Is there sedition in your city?

Pisthetaerus 1015 No, certainly not.

Meton What's wrong then?

Pisthetaerus We are agreed to sweep all quacks and impostors far from our borders.

Meton Then I'll be going.

Pisthetaerus I'm afraid it's too late. The thunder growls already.

Meton Oh, woe! oh, woe!

Pisthetaerus I warned you. 1020 Now, be off, and do your surveying somewhere else.

Commentary

Line 1010

Stable identifiers

Χρησμολόγος

καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔνεστʼ ἐνταῦθα;

Πισθέταιρος

λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.

οὐκ εἶ θύραζʼ; ἐς κόρακας.
990

Χρησμολόγος

οἴμοι δείλαιος.

Πισθέταιρος

οὔκουν ἑτέρωσε χρησμολογήσεις ἐκτρέχων;

Μέτων

ἥκω παρʼ ὑμᾶς —

Πισθέταιρος

ἕτερον αὖ τουτὶ κακόν.

τί δʼ αὖ σὺ δράσων; τίς δʼ ἰδέα βουλεύματος;

τίς ἡ ʼπίνοια, τίς ὁ κόθορνος τῆς ὁδοῦ;

Μέτων

γεωμετρῆσαι βούλομαι τὸν ἀέρα
995

ὑμῖν διελεῖν τε κατὰ γύας.

Πισθέταιρος

πρὸς τῶν θεῶν

σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς ἀνδρῶν;

Μέτων

ὅστις εἴμʼ ἐγώ; Μέτων,

ὃν οἶδεν Ἑλλὰς χὠ Κολωνός.

Πισθέταιρος

εἰπέ μοι,

ταυτὶ δέ σοι τί ἔστι;

Πισθέταιρος

οὐ μανθάνω.

Πισθέταιρος

ἅνθρωπος Θαλῆς.

Μέτων —
1010

Μέτων

τί ἔστιν;

Πισθέταιρος

οἶσθʼ ὁτιὴ φιλῶ σʼ ἐγώ,

κἀμοὶ πιθόμενος ὑπαποκίνει τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Μέτων

τί δʼ ἐστὶ δεινόν;

Πισθέταιρος

ὥσπερ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι

ξενηλατοῦνται καὶ κεκίνηνταί τινες·

πληγαὶ συχναὶ κατʼ ἄστυ.

Μέτων

μῶν στασιάζετε;

Πισθέταιρος

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ.
1015

Μέτων

ἀλλὰ πῶς;

Πισθέταιρος

ὁμοθυμαδὸν

σποδεῖν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἀλαζόνας δοκεῖ.

Μέτων

ὑπάγοιμί τἄρʼ ἄν.

Πισθέταιρος

νὴ Δίʼ ὡς οὐκ οἶδʼ ἂν εἰ

φθαίης ἄν· ἐπίκεινται γὰρ ἐγγὺς αὑταιί.

Μέτων

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων.

Πισθέταιρος

οὐκ ἔλεγον ἐγὼ πάλαι;

οὐκ ἀναμετρήσεις σαυτὸν ἀπιὼν ἀλλαχῇ;
1020

Oracle-Monger

Does it say that?

Pisthetaerus

Look at the book 990 and go and hang yourself.

Oracle-Monger

Oh! unfortunate wretch that I am. He departs.

Pisthetaerus

Away with you, and take your prophecies elsewhere.

Meton

I have come to you . . .

Pisthetaerus
Interrupting.

Yet another pest! What have you come to do? What's your plan? What's the purpose of your journey? Why these splendid buskins?

Meton

995 I want to survey the plains of the air for you and to parcel them into lots.

Pisthetaerus

In the name of the gods, who are you?

Meton

Who am I? Meton, known throughout Greece and at Colonus .

Pisthetaerus

What are these things?

Meton

Tools for measuring the air. 1000 In truth, the spaces in the air have precisely the form of a furnace. With this bent ruler I draw a line from top to bottom; from one of its points I describe a circle with the compass. Do you understand?

Pisthetaerus

Not in the least.

Pisthetaerus

A regular Thales! 1010 Meton . . .

Meton

What d'you want with me?

Pisthetaerus

I want to give you a proof of my friendship. Use your legs.

Meton

Why, what have I to fear?

Pisthetaerus

It's the same here as in Sparta . Strangers are driven away, and blows rain down as thick as hail.

Meton

Is there sedition in your city?

Pisthetaerus

1015 No, certainly not.

Meton

What's wrong then?

Pisthetaerus

We are agreed to sweep all quacks and impostors far from our borders.

Meton

Then I'll be going.

Pisthetaerus

I'm afraid it's too late. The thunder growls already.

Meton

Oh, woe! oh, woe!

Pisthetaerus

I warned you. 1020 Now, be off, and do your surveying somewhere else.