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Line 1012

πρέσβεις ἑλέσθαι τὸ πέος ἐπιδείξας τοδί.

The verb ἐπιδείξας (aorist active participle, masculine nominative singular of ἐπιδείκνυμι) here functions as a deictic gesture accompanying the noun phrase τὸ πέος. In the context of the play's parody of diplomatic protocol, the participle is not merely descriptive but performs a metatheatrical action: the character (the Athenian herald) is physically displaying the phallus as the 'treaty' or 'proof' of his authority, subverting the solemnity of the embassy's purpose. This usage of the participle to denote a simultaneous, performative act of 'showing' rather than a prior completed action is characteristic of Aristophanic farce, where physical comedy overrides syntactic expectation.

Lysistrata. 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)

Λυσιστράτη Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1014 focus

Χορὸς γερόντων

οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον,

οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδʼ ὧδʼ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις.
1015

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ταῦτα μέντοι σὺ ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί,

ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμʼ ἔχειν φίλην;

Χορὸς γερόντων

ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἀλλʼ ὅταν βούλῃ σύ· νῦν δʼ οὖν οὔ σε περιόψομαι

γυμνὸν ὄνθʼ οὕτως. ὁρῶ γὰρ ὡς καταγέλαστος εἶ.
1020

ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδʼ ἐνδύσω σε προσιοῦσʼ ἐγώ.

Χορὸς γερόντων

τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε·

ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότʼ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

πρῶτα μὲν φαίνει γʼ ἀνήρ, εἶτʼ οὐ καταγέλαστος εἶ.

κεἴ με μὴ ʼλύπεις, ἐγώ σου κἂν τόδε τὸ θηρίον
1025

τοὐπὶ τὠφθαλμῷ λαβοῦσʼ ἐξεῖλον ἂν ὃ νῦν ἔνι.

Χορὸς γερόντων

τοῦτʼ ἄρʼ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί·

ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι·

ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἀλλὰ δράσω ταῦτα· καίτοι δύσκολος ἔφυς ἀνήρ.
1030

ἦ μέγʼ ὦ Ζεῦ χρῆμʼ ἰδεῖν τῆς ἐμπίδος ἔνεστί σοι.

οὐχ ὁρᾷς; οὐκ ἐμπίς ἐστιν ἥδε Τρικορυσία;

Χορὸς γερόντων

νὴ Δίʼ ὤνησάς γέ μʼ, ὡς πάλαι γέ μʼ ἐφρεωρύχει,

ὥστʼ ἐπειδὴ ʼξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἀλλʼ ἀποψήσω σʼ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ,
1035

καὶ φιλήσω.

Χορὸς γερόντων

μὴ φιλήσῃς.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.

Χορὸς γερόντων

ἀλλὰ μὴ ὥρασʼ ἵκοισθʼ· ὡς ἐστὲ θωπικαὶ φύσει,

κἄστʼ ἐκεῖνο τοὔπος ὀρθῶς κοὐ κακῶς εἰρημένον,

οὔτε σὺν πανωλέθροισιν οὔτʼ ἄνευ πανωλέθρων.

ἀλλὰ νυνὶ σπένδομαί σοι, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι
1040

οὔτε δράσω φλαῦρον οὐδὲν οὔθʼ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν πείσομαι.

ἀλλὰ κοινῇ συσταλέντες τοῦ μέλους ἀρξώμεθα.

Translations (2)

Lysistrata (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Jack Lindsay). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1014 focus

They retire.

MEN

There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed.

She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.

WOMEN

And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me,

When for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
1245

MEN

Never could the hate I feel for womankind grow less.

WOMEN

Then have your will. But I'll take pity on your nakedness.

For I can see just how ridiculous you look, and so

Will help you with your tunic if close up I now may go.

MEN

Well, that, by Zeus, is no scoundrel-deed, I frankly will admit.
1250

I only took them off myself in a scoundrel raging-fit.

WOMEN

Now you look sensible, and that you're men no one could doubt.

If you were but good friends again, I'd take the insect out

That hurts your eye.

MEN

Is that what's wrong? That nasty bitie thing.
1255

Please squeeze it out, and show me what it is that makes this sting.

It's been paining me a long while now.

WOMEN

Well I'll agree to that,

Although you're most unmannerly. O what a giant gnat.

Here, look! It comes from marshy Tricorysus, I can tell.
1260

MEN

O thank you. It was digging out a veritable well.

Now that it's gone, I can't hold back my tears. See how they fall.

WOMEN

I'll wipe them off, bad as you are, and kiss you after all.

MEN

I won't be kissed.

WOMEN

O yes, you will. Your wishes do not matter.
1265

MEN

O botheration take you all! How you cajole and flatter.

A hell it is to live with you; to live without, a hell:

How truly was that said. But come, these enmities let's quell.

You stop from giving orders and I'll stop from doing wrong.

So let's join ranks and seal our bargain with a choric song.
1270

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.) — 1014 focus

Chorus of old men: there is no beast more unwarlike than a woman,

Chorus of old men: Not even fire, nor is there any more shameless she-cub than this.

1015

Chorus of Women: But since you understand this, you then fight against me,

Chorus of Women: If it is possible, you villain, can I have a sure hold on you, my dear?

Chorus of old men: As I hate women, I shall never cease.

Chorus of Women: But whenever you wish. But now, therefore, I will not overlook you.

Chorus of Women: She is naked, just like that. For I see how ridiculous you are.

1020

Chorus of Women: But I will put the cloak on you as you approach.

Chorus of old men: By Zeus, this is not a bad thing you have done;

Chorus of Old Men: But because of a wicked anger, I even then took off my clothes.

Chorus of Women: First, a man shows himself, and then you are ridiculous.

Chorus of Women: If you were not grieving me, I would [even] have this beast too.

1025

Chorus of Women: I would have plucked out what is now in the eye.

Chorus of old men: "That was the pumice-stone, this ring here."

Chorus of old men: dig it out, and then show it to me after taking it away;

Chorus of old men: How my eye has been stinging me for a long time, by Zeus!

Chorus of Women: But I will do these things; and yet you were born a difficult man.

1030

Chorus of Women: Oh Zeus, it is a great thing for you to see the pot in the air.

Chorus of Women: Don't you see? Isn't this woman here a Tricorythia?

Chorus of old men: By Zeus, you have helped me, as you have long been besieging me.

Chorus of old men: So that, since he has been chosen, my tear flows abundantly.

Chorus of Women: But I will roast you, even though you are very villainous,

1035

Chorus of Women: And I will kiss.

Chorus of old men: Do not kiss.

Chorus of Women: whether you wish it or not.

Chorus of old men: But do not hurry; for you are naturally flattering.

Chorus of old men: And that saying as well was spoken correctly and not badly,

Chorus of old men: neither with the utterly ruined nor without the utterly ruined.

Chorus of old men: But now I make a libation to you, and no longer in the future.

1040

Chorus of old men: I will do no evil thing, nor will I suffer anything from you.

Chorus of old men: But let us, having assembled together, begin the song.

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

1012. mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-53

Line 1012

πρέσβεις ἑλέσθαι τὸ πέος ἐπιδείξας τοδί.

Aristophanes Lysistrata 1012

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1012

Current edition Experimental

Χορὸς γερόντων

οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον,

οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδʼ ὧδʼ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις.
1015

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ταῦτα μέντοι σὺ ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί,

ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμʼ ἔχειν φίλην;

Χορὸς γερόντων

ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι.

Χορὸς γερόντων

τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε·

ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότʼ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.

Χορὸς γερόντων

τοῦτʼ ἄρʼ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί·

ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι·

ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει.

Χορὸς γερόντων

νὴ Δίʼ ὤνησάς γέ μʼ, ὡς πάλαι γέ μʼ ἐφρεωρύχει,

ὥστʼ ἐπειδὴ ʼξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἀλλʼ ἀποψήσω σʼ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ,
1035

καὶ φιλήσω.

Χορὸς γερόντων

μὴ φιλήσῃς.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.

MEN

There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed.

She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.

WOMEN

And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me,

When for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
1245

MEN

Never could the hate I feel for womankind grow less.

WOMEN

Then have your will. But I'll take pity on your nakedness.

For I can see just how ridiculous you look, and so

Will help you with your tunic if close up I now may go.

MEN

Well, that, by Zeus, is no scoundrel-deed, I frankly will admit.
1250

I only took them off myself in a scoundrel raging-fit.

WOMEN

Now you look sensible, and that you're men no one could doubt.

If you were but good friends again, I'd take the insect out

That hurts your eye.

MEN

Is that what's wrong? That nasty bitie thing.
1255

Please squeeze it out, and show me what it is that makes this sting.

It's been paining me a long while now.

WOMEN

Well I'll agree to that,

Although you're most unmannerly. O what a giant gnat.

Here, look! It comes from marshy Tricorysus, I can tell.
1260

MEN

O thank you. It was digging out a veritable well.

Now that it's gone, I can't hold back my tears. See how they fall.

WOMEN

I'll wipe them off, bad as you are, and kiss you after all.

MEN

I won't be kissed.

WOMEN

O yes, you will. Your wishes do not matter.
1265

Commentary

Line 1012

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1012

Current edition Experimental

Χορὸς γερόντων οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον, οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδʼ ὧδʼ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις. 1015

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ταῦτα μέντοι σὺ ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί, ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμʼ ἔχειν φίλην;

Χορὸς γερόντων ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι.

Χορὸς γερόντων τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε· ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότʼ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.

Χορὸς γερόντων τοῦτʼ ἄρʼ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί· ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι· ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλὰ δράσω ταῦτα· καίτοι δύσκολος ἔφυς ἀνήρ. 1030 ἦ μέγʼ ὦ Ζεῦ χρῆμʼ ἰδεῖν τῆς ἐμπίδος ἔνεστί σοι. οὐχ ὁρᾷς; οὐκ ἐμπίς ἐστιν ἥδε Τρικορυσία;

Χορὸς γερόντων νὴ Δίʼ ὤνησάς γέ μʼ, ὡς πάλαι γέ μʼ ἐφρεωρύχει, ὥστʼ ἐπειδὴ ʼξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλʼ ἀποψήσω σʼ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ, 1035 καὶ φιλήσω.

Χορὸς γερόντων μὴ φιλήσῃς.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.

MEN There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed. She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.

WOMEN And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me, When for your faithful ally you might win me easily. 1245

MEN Never could the hate I feel for womankind grow less.

WOMEN Then have your will. But I'll take pity on your nakedness. For I can see just how ridiculous you look, and so Will help you with your tunic if close up I now may go.

MEN Well, that, by Zeus, is no scoundrel-deed, I frankly will admit. 1250 I only took them off myself in a scoundrel raging-fit.

WOMEN Now you look sensible, and that you're men no one could doubt. If you were but good friends again, I'd take the insect out That hurts your eye.

MEN Is that what's wrong? That nasty bitie thing. 1255 Please squeeze it out, and show me what it is that makes this sting. It's been paining me a long while now.

WOMEN Well I'll agree to that, Although you're most unmannerly. O what a giant gnat. Here, look! It comes from marshy Tricorysus, I can tell. 1260

MEN O thank you. It was digging out a veritable well. Now that it's gone, I can't hold back my tears. See how they fall.

WOMEN I'll wipe them off, bad as you are, and kiss you after all.

MEN I won't be kissed.

WOMEN O yes, you will. Your wishes do not matter. 1265

Commentary

Line 1012

Stable identifiers

Χορὸς γερόντων

οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον,

οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδʼ ὧδʼ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις.
1015

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ταῦτα μέντοι σὺ ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί,

ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμʼ ἔχειν φίλην;

Χορὸς γερόντων

ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι.

Χορὸς γερόντων

τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε·

ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότʼ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.

Χορὸς γερόντων

νὴ Δίʼ ὤνησάς γέ μʼ, ὡς πάλαι γέ μʼ ἐφρεωρύχει,

ὥστʼ ἐπειδὴ ʼξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἀλλʼ ἀποψήσω σʼ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ,
1035

καὶ φιλήσω.

Χορὸς γερόντων

μὴ φιλήσῃς.

Χορὸς Γυναικῶν

ἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.

MEN

There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed.

She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.

WOMEN

And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me,

When for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
1245

MEN

Never could the hate I feel for womankind grow less.

WOMEN

Then have your will. But I'll take pity on your nakedness.

For I can see just how ridiculous you look, and so

Will help you with your tunic if close up I now may go.

MEN

Well, that, by Zeus, is no scoundrel-deed, I frankly will admit.
1250

I only took them off myself in a scoundrel raging-fit.

WOMEN

Now you look sensible, and that you're men no one could doubt.

If you were but good friends again, I'd take the insect out

That hurts your eye.

MEN

Is that what's wrong? That nasty bitie thing.
1255

Please squeeze it out, and show me what it is that makes this sting.

It's been paining me a long while now.

WOMEN

Well I'll agree to that,

Although you're most unmannerly. O what a giant gnat.

Here, look! It comes from marshy Tricorysus, I can tell.
1260

MEN

O thank you. It was digging out a veritable well.

Now that it's gone, I can't hold back my tears. See how they fall.

WOMEN

I'll wipe them off, bad as you are, and kiss you after all.

MEN

I won't be kissed.

WOMEN

O yes, you will. Your wishes do not matter.
1265