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Athenian: Open the door; do you not wish to yield?

Athenian A.: Why are you sitting? Or shall I with the torch

Athenian A.: I will burn you? What a filthy place!

Athenian A.: I would not do it. But if one must do this very much,

Athenian: To grant you a favor, we will toil with great effort.

1220

Athenian B: And we certainly will share your hardships.

Athenian A.: Are you not going? You will tear your long hair in wailing.

Athenian: I will not go away, so that the Lacedaemonians from within

Athenian A.: May they go away quietly, having feasted?

Athenian B.: I have never yet seen such a drinking party.

1225

Athenian Man: 'Yes, and the Lacedaemonians were charming!'

Athenian B.: But we, in wine, are the wisest of drinking companions.

Athenian: That's right, since when we are sober we are not well.

Athenian A.: If I persuade the Athenians while speaking,

Athenian: We will always be ambassadors drunk everywhere.

1230

Athenian A.: For now, whenever we come to Sparta

Athenian A.: When sober, we immediately see what we shall stir up;

Athenian A.: So that whatever they say we do not hear,

Athenian A.: What they do not say, these things we have inferred,

Athenian A.: We announce not the same things concerning the same matters.

1235

Athenian A.: Now everything was pleasing; so that if indeed anyone

Athenian A.: 'Telemus's song, let Kleitagoras sing it.'

Athenian A.: We would have praised and also sworn falsely.

Athenian A.: But these men are coming back again.

Athenian A.: To the same point. Won't you speak, you scourges?

1240

Athenian B.: By Zeus, she is already quite advanced inside.

Laconian: O Polycharides, take the bellows,

Lacedaemonian: so that I may walk the double-pace and sing a beautiful song

Lacean: to the Asanians and also to us at the same time.

Athenian: then take the bladders by the gods,

1245

Athenian: How glad I am to see you dancing.

Lysistrata. 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)

Λυσιστράτη Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1216 focus

Ἀθηναῖος Α

ἄνοιγε τὴν θύραν· παραχωρεῖν οὐ θέλεις;

ὑμεῖς τί κάθησθε; μῶν ἐγὼ τῇ λαμπάδι

ὑμᾶς κατακαύσω; φορτικὸν τὸ χωρίον.

οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιμʼ. εἰ δὲ πάνυ δεῖ τοῦτο δρᾶν,

ὑμῖν χαρίσασθαι, προσταλαιπωρήσομεν.
1220

Ἀθηναῖος Β

χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν.

Ἀθηναῖος Α

οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά.

οὐκ ἄπιθʼ, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν

καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι;

Ἀθηναῖος Β

οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπʼ ἐγώ.
1225

ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί·

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι.

Ἀθηναῖος Α

ὀρθῶς γʼ, ὁτιὴ νήφοντες οὐχ ὑγιαίνομεν·

ἢν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐγὼ πείσω λέγων,

μεθύοντες ἀεὶ πανταχοῖ πρεσβεύσομεν.
1230

νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἔλθωμεν ἐς Λακεδαίμονα

νήφοντες, εὐθὺς βλέπομεν ὅ τι ταράξομεν·

ὥσθʼ ὅ τι μὲν ἂν λέγωσιν οὐκ ἀκούομεν,

ἃ δʼ οὐ λέγουσι, ταῦθʼ ὑπονενοήκαμεν,

ἀγγέλλομεν δʼ οὐ ταὐτὰ τῶν αὐτῶν πέρι.
1235

νυνὶ δʼ ἅπαντʼ ἤρεσκεν· ὥστʼ εἰ μέν γέ τις

ᾄδοι Τελαμῶνος, Κλειταγόρας ᾄδειν δέον,

ἐπῃνέσαμεν ἂν καὶ προσεπιωρκήσαμεν.

ἀλλʼ οὑτοιὶ γὰρ αὖθις ἔρχονται πάλιν

ἐς ταὐτόν. οὐκ ἐρρήσετʼ ὦ μαστιγίαι;
1240

Ἀθηναῖος Β

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσʼ ἔνδοθεν.

Λάκων

ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια,

ἵνʼ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν

ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε † καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα †.

Ἀθηναῖος

λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν,
1245

ὡς ἥδομαί γʼ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους.

Translations (1)

Lysistrata (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Jack Lindsay). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1216 focus

Some LOUNGERS from the Market with torches approach the Banqueting hall. The PORTER bars their entrance.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

Open the door.

PORTER

Here move along.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

What's this?

You're sitting down. Shall I singe you with my torch?

That's vulgar! O I couldn't do it ... yet
1455

If it would gratify the audience,

I'll mortify myself.

2ND MARKET-LOUNGER

And I will too.

We'll both be crude and vulgar, yes we will.

PORTER

Be off at o~ce now or you'll be wailing
1460

Dirges for your hair. Get off at once,

And see you don't disturb the Spartan envoys

Just coming out from the splendid feast they've had.

The banqueters begin to come out.

1ST ATHENIAN

I've never known such a pleasant banquet before,

And what delightful fellows the Spartans are.
1465

When we are warm with wine, how wise we grow.

2ND ATHENIAN

That's only fair, since sober we're such fools:

This is the advice I'd give the Athenians—

See our ambassadors are always drunk.

For when we visit Sparta sober, then
1470

We're on the alert for trickery all the while

So that we miss half of the things they say,

And misinterpret things that were never said,

And then report the muddle back to Athens .

But now we're charmed with each other. They might cap
1475

With the Telamon-catch instead of the Cleitagora,

And we'd applaud and praise them just the same;

We're not too scrupulous in weighing words.

PORTER

Why, here the rascals come again to plague me.

Won't you move on, you sorry loafers there!
1480

MARKET-LOUNGER

Yes, by Zeus, they're already coming out.

SPARTANS

Now hinnie dearest, please tak' up your pipe

That I may try a spring an' sing my best

In honour o' the Athenians an' oursels.

ATHENIANS

Aye, take your pipe. By all the gods, there's nothing
1485

Could glad my heart more than to watch you dance.

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

1237. mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-63

Line 1237

ᾄδοι Τελαμῶνος, Κλειταγόρας ᾄδειν δέον,

The syntax here presents a marked ellipsis of the infinitive phrase expected after ᾄδειν. The construction ᾄδειν δέον (having to sing) functions as a predicate adjective phrase with the subject implied from the preceding clause, yet the infinitive ᾄδειν is repeated immediately before it. This repetition, unusual in Aristophanic comedy where economy of expression is common, may reflect a metrical necessity or a deliberate rhetorical effect emphasizing the obligation to sing. Alternatively, the phrase could be read as a corruption of a more standard construction, though no significant manuscript variants exist for this specific passage.

1244. mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-64

Line 1244

ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε † καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα †.

The text presents a significant crux involving the adverb Ἀσαναίως (Asanaiōs) and the corruption indicated by the dagger symbols. The reading Ἀσαναίως is widely regarded as a corruption of Ἀσπασία (Aspasia), referring to the famous hetaira and companion of Pericles. The phrase likely intends to contrast the 'common people' (ἡμᾶς, 'us') with the elite circle associated with Aspasia, perhaps implying a movement of women from the domestic sphere to the political intrigue of the Periclean court. The textual corruption likely stems from the phonetic similarity between the dative plural of the proper name and the adverbial form, or a conflation with the name of a place (e.g., Asine), though the latter makes little sense in the context of the play's satire on the Peloponnesian War and the role of women in politics. The emendation to Ἀσπασίᾳ (or a genitive construction depending on the syntactic frame of the preceding text, which is cut off here) is standard in modern editions (e.g., West, Arnott) to restore the specific historical allusion essential to Aristophanes' satire.

Aristophanes Lysistrata 1216

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Current edition Experimental

Ἀθηναῖος Β

χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν.

Ἀθηναῖος Α

οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά.

οὐκ ἄπιθʼ, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν

καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι;

Ἀθηναῖος Β

οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπʼ ἐγώ.
1225

ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί·

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι.

Ἀθηναῖος Β

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσʼ ἔνδοθεν.

Λάκων

ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια,

ἵνʼ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν

ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε † καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα †.

Ἀθηναῖος

λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν,
1245

ὡς ἥδομαί γʼ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

Open the door.

PORTER

Here move along.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

What's this?

You're sitting down. Shall I singe you with my torch?

That's vulgar! O I couldn't do it ... yet
1455

If it would gratify the audience,

I'll mortify myself.

2ND MARKET-LOUNGER

And I will too.

We'll both be crude and vulgar, yes we will.

PORTER

Be off at o~ce now or you'll be wailing
1460

Dirges for your hair. Get off at once,

And see you don't disturb the Spartan envoys

Just coming out from the splendid feast they've had.

1ST ATHENIAN

I've never known such a pleasant banquet before,

And what delightful fellows the Spartans are.
1465

When we are warm with wine, how wise we grow.

PORTER

Why, here the rascals come again to plague me.

Won't you move on, you sorry loafers there!
1480

MARKET-LOUNGER

Yes, by Zeus, they're already coming out.

SPARTANS

Now hinnie dearest, please tak' up your pipe

That I may try a spring an' sing my best

In honour o' the Athenians an' oursels.

ATHENIANS

Aye, take your pipe. By all the gods, there's nothing
1485

Could glad my heart more than to watch you dance.

Commentary

Line 1237

Line 1244

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Ἀθηναῖος Β χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν.

Ἀθηναῖος Α οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά. οὐκ ἄπιθʼ, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι;

Ἀθηναῖος Β οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπʼ ἐγώ. 1225 ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί· ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι.

Ἀθηναῖος Β νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσʼ ἔνδοθεν.

Λάκων ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια, ἵνʼ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε † καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα †.

Ἀθηναῖος λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, 1245 ὡς ἥδομαί γʼ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER Open the door.

PORTER Here move along.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER What's this? You're sitting down. Shall I singe you with my torch? That's vulgar! O I couldn't do it ... yet 1455 If it would gratify the audience, I'll mortify myself.

2ND MARKET-LOUNGER And I will too. We'll both be crude and vulgar, yes we will.

PORTER Be off at o~ce now or you'll be wailing 1460 Dirges for your hair. Get off at once, And see you don't disturb the Spartan envoys Just coming out from the splendid feast they've had.

1ST ATHENIAN I've never known such a pleasant banquet before, And what delightful fellows the Spartans are. 1465 When we are warm with wine, how wise we grow.

PORTER Why, here the rascals come again to plague me. Won't you move on, you sorry loafers there! 1480

MARKET-LOUNGER Yes, by Zeus, they're already coming out.

SPARTANS Now hinnie dearest, please tak' up your pipe That I may try a spring an' sing my best In honour o' the Athenians an' oursels.

ATHENIANS Aye, take your pipe. By all the gods, there's nothing 1485 Could glad my heart more than to watch you dance.

Commentary

Line 1237

Line 1244

Stable identifiers

Ἀθηναῖος Β

χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν.

Ἀθηναῖος Α

οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά.

οὐκ ἄπιθʼ, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν

καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι;

Ἀθηναῖος Β

οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπʼ ἐγώ.
1225

ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί·

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι.

Ἀθηναῖος Β

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσʼ ἔνδοθεν.

Λάκων

ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια,

ἵνʼ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν

ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε † καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα †.

Ἀθηναῖος

λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν,
1245

ὡς ἥδομαί γʼ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

Open the door.

PORTER

Here move along.

1ST MARKET-LOUNGER

What's this?

You're sitting down. Shall I singe you with my torch?

That's vulgar! O I couldn't do it ... yet
1455

If it would gratify the audience,

I'll mortify myself.

2ND MARKET-LOUNGER

And I will too.

We'll both be crude and vulgar, yes we will.

PORTER

Be off at o~ce now or you'll be wailing
1460

Dirges for your hair. Get off at once,

And see you don't disturb the Spartan envoys

Just coming out from the splendid feast they've had.

1ST ATHENIAN

I've never known such a pleasant banquet before,

And what delightful fellows the Spartans are.
1465

When we are warm with wine, how wise we grow.

PORTER

Why, here the rascals come again to plague me.

Won't you move on, you sorry loafers there!
1480

MARKET-LOUNGER

Yes, by Zeus, they're already coming out.

SPARTANS

Now hinnie dearest, please tak' up your pipe

That I may try a spring an' sing my best

In honour o' the Athenians an' oursels.

ATHENIANS

Aye, take your pipe. By all the gods, there's nothing
1485

Could glad my heart more than to watch you dance.