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Γυνὴ Α

ἴωμεν ἐπὶ τὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία.

κἀγώ σʼ ἀποδείξω θυμάλωπα τήμερον.

Μνησίλοχος

ὕφαπτε καὶ κάταιθε· σὺ δὲ τὸ Κρητικὸν
730

ἀπόδυθι ταχέως· τοῦ θανάτου δʼ ὦ παιδίον

μόνην γυναικῶν αἰτιῶ τὴν μητέρα.

τουτὶ τί ἔστιν; ἀσκὸς ἐγένεθʼ ἡ κόρη

οἴνου πλέως καὶ ταῦτα Περσικὰς ἔχων.

ὦ θερμόταται γυναῖκες, ὦ ποτίσταται
735

κἀκ παντὸς ὑμεῖς μηχανώμεναι πιεῖν,

ὦ μέγα καπήλοις ἀγαθὸν ἡμῖν δʼ αὖ κακόν,

κακὸν δὲ καὶ τοῖς σκευαρίοις καὶ τῇ κρόκῃ.

Γυνὴ Α

παράβαλλε πολλὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία.

Μνησίλοχος

παράβαλλε δῆτα· σὺ δʼ ἀπόκριναί μοι τοδί,
740

τουτὶ τεκεῖν φῄς;

Γυνὴ Α

καὶ δέκα μῆνας αὔτʼ ἐγὼ

ἤνεγκον.

Μνησίλοχος

ἤνεγκας σύ;

Γυνὴ Α

νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν.

Μνησίλοχος

πρικότυλον ἢ πῶς; εἰπέ μοι.

Γυνὴ Α

τί μʼ ἠργάσω;

ἀπέδυσας ὦναίσχυντέ μου τὸ παιδίον

τυννοῦτον ὄν.
745

Μνησίλοχος

τυννοῦτο;

Γυνὴ Α

μικρὸν νὴ Δία.

Μνησίλοχος

πόσʼ ἔτη δὲ γέγονε; τρεῖς Χοᾶς ἢ τέτταρας;

Γυνὴ Α

σχεδὸν τοσοῦτον χὤσον ἐκ Διονυσίων.

ἀλλʼ ἀπόδος αὐτό.

Μνησίλοχος

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτονί.

Γυνὴ Α

ἐμπρήσομεν τοίνυν σε.

Μνησίλοχος

πάνυ γʼ ἐμπίμπρατε·

αὕτη δʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται μάλʼ αὐτίκα.
750

Γυνὴ Α

μὴ δῆθʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ· ἀλλʼ ἔμʼ ὅ τι χρῄζεις ποίει

ὑπέρ γε τούτου.

Μνησίλοχος

φιλότεκνός τις εἶ φύσει.

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἥδʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται

Γυνὴ Α

οἴμοι τέκνον. δός μοι σφαγεῖον Μανία,

ἵνʼ οὖν τό γʼ αἷμα τοῦ τέκνου τοὐμοῦ λάβω.
755

Μνησίλοχος

ὕπεχʼ αὐτό, χαριοῦμαι γὰρ ἕν γε τοῦτό σοι.

Γυνὴ Α

κακῶς ἀπόλοιʼ, ὡς φθονερὸς εἶ καὶ δυσμενής.

Μνησίλοχος

τουτὶ τὸ δέρμα τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται.

Γυνὴ Α

τί τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται;

Μνησίλοχος

τουτί. λαβέ.

Γυνὴ Γ

ταλαντάτη Μίκκα τίς ἐξεκόρησέ σε;
760

τίς τὴν ἀγαπητὴν παῖδά σοὐξῃρήσατο;

Γυνὴ Α

ὁ πανοῦργος οὗτος. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ πάρει,

φύλαξον αὐτόν, ἵνα λαβοῦσα Κλεισθένη

τοῖσιν πρυτάνεσιν ἃ πεποίηχʼ οὗτος φράσω.

Μνησίλοχος

ἄγε δὴ τίς ἔσται μηχανὴ σωτηρίας;
765

τίς πεῖρα, τίς ἐπίνοιʼ; ὁ μὲν γὰρ αἴτιος

κἄμʼ ἐσκυλίσας ἐς τοιαυτὶ πράγματα

οὐ φαίνεταί πω. φέρε τίνʼ οὖν ἂν ἄγγελον

πέμψαιμʼ ἐπʼ αὐτόν; οἶδʼ ἐγὼ καὶ δὴ πόρον

ἐκ τοῦ Παλαμήδους· ὡς ἐκεῖνος, τὰς πλάτας
770

ῥίψω γράφων. ἀλλʼ οὐ πάρεισιν αἱ πλάται.

πόθεν οὖν γένοιντʼ ἄν μοι πλάται πόθεν; πόθεν;

τί δʼ ἂν εἰ ταδὶ τἀγάλματʼ ἀντὶ τῶν πλατῶν

γράφων διαρρίπτοιμι; βέλτιον πολύ.

ξύλον γέ τοι καὶ ταῦτα κἀκεῖνʼ ἦν ξύλον.
775

Thesmophoriazusae. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1907.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Θεσμοφοριάζουσαι (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.)

Translations (2)

Thesmophoriazusae (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 728 focus

First Woman

Bring faggots, Mania! To MnesilochusYou will be nothing but charcoal soon.

Mnesilochus

730 Grill away, roast me, but you, my child, take off this Cretan robe and blame no one but your mother for your death. But what does this mean? The little girl is nothing but a skin filled with wine and shod with Persian slippers. 735 Oh! you wanton, you tippling women, who think of nothing but wine; you are a fortune to the drinking-shops and are our ruin; for the sake of drink, you neglect both your household and your shuttle!

First Woman

Faggots, Mania, plenty of them.

Mnesilochus

740 Bring as many as you like. But answer me; are you the mother of this brat?

First Woman

I carried it ten months.

Mnesilochus

You carried it?

First Woman

I swear it by Artemis.

Mnesilochus

How much does it hold? Three cotylae? Tell me.

First Woman

Oh! what have you done? You shall have stripped the poor child quite naked, 745 and it is so small, so small.

Mnesilochus

So small?

First Woman

Yes, quite small, to be sure.

Mnesilochus

How old is it? Has it seen the feast of cups thrice or four times?

First Woman

It was born about the time of the last Dionysia. But give it back to me.

Mnesilochus

No, may Apollo bear me witness.

First Woman

Well, then we are going to burn you.

Mnesilochus

Burn me, 750 but then I shall rip this open instantly.

First Woman

No, no, I adjure you, don't; do anything you like to me rather than that.

Mnesilochus

What a tender mother you are; but nevertheless I shall rip it open.

He tears open the wine-skin.

First Woman

Oh, my beloved daughter! Mania, hand me the sacred cup, 755 that I may at least catch the blood of my child.

Mnesilochus

Hold it below; that's the only favour I grant you.

He pours the wine into the cup.

First Woman

Out upon you, you pitiless monster!

Mnesilochus

This robe belongs to the priestess.

Second Woman

What belongs to the priestess?

Mnesilochus

Here, take it.

He throws her the Cretan robe.

Third Woman

760 Ah! unfortunate Mica! Who has robbed you of your daughter, your beloved child?

First Woman

That wretch. But as you are here, watch him well, while I go with Cleisthenes to the Magistrates and denounce him for his crimes.

Mnesilochus

765 Ah! how can I secure safety? what device can I hit on? what can I think of? He whose fault it is, he who hurried me into this trouble, will not come to my rescue. Let me see, whom could I best send to him? Ha! I know a means 770 taken from Palamedes; like him, I will write my misfortune on some oars, which I will cast into the sea. Where might I find some oars? Hah! what if I took these statues instead of oars, wrote upon them and then threw them towards this side and that. That's the best thing to do. 775 Besides, like oars they are of wood.

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.) — 728 focus

Woman A: Let us go to the trellises, O Mania.

Woman A: And I will expose you as a heartless wretch today.

Mnesilochus: Lift it up and hang it down; and you, the Cretan!

730

Mnesilochus: Take off your clothes quickly; for death, my child

Mnesilochus: I accuse the mother of all women alone.

Mnesilochus: What is this? The girl has become a wineskin.

Mnesilochus: Full of wine, and these are Persian ones.

Mnesilochus: O hottest women, O most thirsty ones!

735

Mnesilochus: And you are plotting to drink from every source,

Mnesilochus: Oh, a great good for the shopkeepers, but a curse for us!

Mnesilochus: But it is bad for the packing cases and also for the saffron.

Woman A: lay out many cuttings, O Mania.

Mnesilochus: 'Then, step forward! But you, answer me this,'

740

Mnesilochus: You say that you bore this?

Woman A: And I [have been pregnant] for ten months.

Woman A: I carried.

Mnesilochus: Have you brought it?

Woman A: By Artemis.

Mnesilochus: Is it a false alarm or what? Tell me.

Woman A: What have you done to me?

Woman A: Did you undress my child, you wretch?

Woman A: It's a tunny fish.

745

Mnesilochus: Let it be tunnyed?

Woman A: By Zeus, a little bit.

Mnesilochus: How many years has it been? Three Choae or four?

Woman A: Almost as far as the Dionysia.

Woman A: But pay it back.

Mnesilochus: by this very Apollo.

Woman A: Then let us burn you.

Mnesilochus: You are burning up completely.

Mnesilochus: But she will be cut off quite immediately.

750

Woman A: No, I beg you, but do whatever you need of me.

Woman A: Indeed, on this point.

Mnesilochus: You are by nature a lover of children.

Mnesilochus: But nevertheless this one will be slaughtered.

Woman A: Alas, child. Give me a sacrifice, Mania,

Woman A: So that I may take the blood of my child, then.

755

Mnesilochus: Hold it out to me, for I shall grant you this one favor.

Woman A: May he perish wretchedly, since you are envious and hostile.

Mnesilochus: This skin belongs to the priestess.

Woman A: What is happening to the priestess?

Mnesilochus: This. Take it.

Woman G: Oh, Mikka, who has plucked out your eyes?

760

Woman G: Who has bought your beloved daughter?

Woman A: That cunning one. But since he is present,

Woman A: Guard him, so that having taken Cleisthenes

Woman A: I will tell the prytanes what this man has done.

Mnesilochus: Come then, what will be the plan for our safety?

765

Mnesilochus: What is the plan, what is the idea? For the culprit

Mnesilochus: And you have made a dog's play of me into such affairs

Mnesilochus: He is not showing up yet. Come, then, what messenger might we have?

Mnesilochus: Should I send him to him? I know that, and indeed I have the money.

Mnesilochus: from the Palamedes; just as he, the flatbreads

770

Mnesilochus: I will throw the letters. But the cypresses are not here.

Mnesilochus: So from where could a woman ever come to me from where? From where?

Mnesilochus: But what if these statues instead of the broad ones

Mnesilochus: Shall I write and throw it away? Much better.

Mnesilochus: This is indeed a stick, and that one too was a stick.

775

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

745. mvp-tlg0019-tlg008-sanjaya-com-eng1-19

Line 745

τυννοῦτον ὄν.

The form τυννοῦτον is a Doric dialectal variant of Attic τοσοῦτον ('so much'), where the initial tau and the long omega reflect the local phonology of the chorus of women from Troezen and other Doric-speaking regions. The use of this dialectal marker is not merely ornamental but signals the speakers' specific non-Athenian origins within the play's fiction, distinguishing them from the Attic-speaking male characters and reinforcing the comedic contrast between the 'barbarous' (in the linguistic sense) women and the Athenian polis.

745b. mvp-tlg0019-tlg008-sanjaya-com-eng1-20

Line 745b

τυννοῦτο;

The form τυννοῦτο is a dialectal variant of the Homeric and tragic aorist passive optative τρίτην (from τίνω), attested in the comic dialect of Aristophanes. While the standard Attic aorist passive of τίνω is τιμωρήσομαι (future) or ἐτιμωρήθην (aorist passive indicative), the comic poet employs this rare, archaic-looking form to evoke a solemn or archaic tone, likely parodying tragic diction or invoking a specific ritualistic register appropriate for the context of the Thesmophoria. This is not a standard Attic form and would confuse a reader expecting the regular Attic aorist passive.

770. mvp-tlg0019-tlg008-sanjaya-com-eng1-21

Line 770

ἐκ τοῦ Παλαμήδους· ὡς ἐκεῖνος, τὰς πλάτας

The fragment alludes to the lost tragedy of the same name, *Palamedes*, by Euripides, in which the hero was falsely accused of treason and executed. The phrase 'τὰς πλάτας' (the tablets) refers to the forged letters or documents that Euripides' Palamedes claims were planted to incriminate him, a specific detail of the myth not fully preserved in the extant corpus. Aristophanes here compresses this complex plot point into a comic tag, relying on the audience's recognition of the tragic prototype for the joke to land.

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Γυνὴ Α ἴωμεν ἐπὶ τὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία. κἀγώ σʼ ἀποδείξω θυμάλωπα τήμερον.

Γυνὴ Α παράβαλλε πολλὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία.

Μνησίλοχος παράβαλλε δῆτα· σὺ δʼ ἀπόκριναί μοι τοδί, 740 τουτὶ τεκεῖν φῄς;

Γυνὴ Α καὶ δέκα μῆνας αὔτʼ ἐγὼ ἤνεγκον.

Μνησίλοχος ἤνεγκας σύ;

Γυνὴ Α νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν.

Μνησίλοχος πρικότυλον ἢ πῶς; εἰπέ μοι.

Γυνὴ Α τί μʼ ἠργάσω; ἀπέδυσας ὦναίσχυντέ μου τὸ παιδίον τυννοῦτον ὄν. 745

Μνησίλοχος τυννοῦτο;

Γυνὴ Α μικρὸν νὴ Δία.

Μνησίλοχος πόσʼ ἔτη δὲ γέγονε; τρεῖς Χοᾶς ἢ τέτταρας;

Γυνὴ Α σχεδὸν τοσοῦτον χὤσον ἐκ Διονυσίων. ἀλλʼ ἀπόδος αὐτό.

Μνησίλοχος μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτονί.

Γυνὴ Α ἐμπρήσομεν τοίνυν σε.

Μνησίλοχος πάνυ γʼ ἐμπίμπρατε· αὕτη δʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται μάλʼ αὐτίκα. 750

Γυνὴ Α μὴ δῆθʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ· ἀλλʼ ἔμʼ ὅ τι χρῄζεις ποίει ὑπέρ γε τούτου.

Μνησίλοχος φιλότεκνός τις εἶ φύσει. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἥδʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται

Γυνὴ Α οἴμοι τέκνον. δός μοι σφαγεῖον Μανία, ἵνʼ οὖν τό γʼ αἷμα τοῦ τέκνου τοὐμοῦ λάβω. 755

Μνησίλοχος ὕπεχʼ αὐτό, χαριοῦμαι γὰρ ἕν γε τοῦτό σοι.

Γυνὴ Α κακῶς ἀπόλοιʼ, ὡς φθονερὸς εἶ καὶ δυσμενής.

Μνησίλοχος τουτὶ τὸ δέρμα τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται.

Γυνὴ Α τί τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται;

Μνησίλοχος τουτί. λαβέ.

Γυνὴ Γ ταλαντάτη Μίκκα τίς ἐξεκόρησέ σε; 760 τίς τὴν ἀγαπητὴν παῖδά σοὐξῃρήσατο;

Γυνὴ Α ὁ πανοῦργος οὗτος. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ πάρει, φύλαξον αὐτόν, ἵνα λαβοῦσα Κλεισθένη τοῖσιν πρυτάνεσιν ἃ πεποίηχʼ οὗτος φράσω.

Current edition Perseus

First Woman Bring faggots, Mania! To MnesilochusYou will be nothing but charcoal soon.

First Woman Faggots, Mania, plenty of them.

Mnesilochus 740 Bring as many as you like. But answer me; are you the mother of this brat?

First Woman I carried it ten months.

Mnesilochus You carried it?

First Woman I swear it by Artemis.

Mnesilochus How much does it hold? Three cotylae? Tell me.

First Woman Oh! what have you done? You shall have stripped the poor child quite naked, 745 and it is so small, so small.

Mnesilochus So small?

First Woman Yes, quite small, to be sure.

Mnesilochus How old is it? Has it seen the feast of cups thrice or four times?

First Woman It was born about the time of the last Dionysia. But give it back to me.

Mnesilochus No, may Apollo bear me witness.

First Woman Well, then we are going to burn you.

Mnesilochus Burn me, 750 but then I shall rip this open instantly.

First Woman No, no, I adjure you, don't; do anything you like to me rather than that.

Mnesilochus What a tender mother you are; but nevertheless I shall rip it open.

First Woman Oh, my beloved daughter! Mania, hand me the sacred cup, 755 that I may at least catch the blood of my child.

Mnesilochus Hold it below; that's the only favour I grant you.

First Woman Out upon you, you pitiless monster!

Mnesilochus This robe belongs to the priestess.

Second Woman What belongs to the priestess?

Mnesilochus Here, take it.

Third Woman 760 Ah! unfortunate Mica! Who has robbed you of your daughter, your beloved child?

First Woman That wretch. But as you are here, watch him well, while I go with Cleisthenes to the Magistrates and denounce him for his crimes.

Commentary

Line 745

Line 745b

Line 770

Stable identifiers

Γυνὴ Α

ἴωμεν ἐπὶ τὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία.

κἀγώ σʼ ἀποδείξω θυμάλωπα τήμερον.

Γυνὴ Α

παράβαλλε πολλὰς κληματίδας ὦ Μανία.

Μνησίλοχος

παράβαλλε δῆτα· σὺ δʼ ἀπόκριναί μοι τοδί,
740

τουτὶ τεκεῖν φῄς;

Γυνὴ Α

καὶ δέκα μῆνας αὔτʼ ἐγὼ

ἤνεγκον.

Μνησίλοχος

ἤνεγκας σύ;

Γυνὴ Α

νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν.

Μνησίλοχος

πρικότυλον ἢ πῶς; εἰπέ μοι.

Γυνὴ Α

τί μʼ ἠργάσω;

ἀπέδυσας ὦναίσχυντέ μου τὸ παιδίον

τυννοῦτον ὄν.
745

Μνησίλοχος

τυννοῦτο;

Γυνὴ Α

μικρὸν νὴ Δία.

Μνησίλοχος

πόσʼ ἔτη δὲ γέγονε; τρεῖς Χοᾶς ἢ τέτταρας;

Γυνὴ Α

σχεδὸν τοσοῦτον χὤσον ἐκ Διονυσίων.

ἀλλʼ ἀπόδος αὐτό.

Μνησίλοχος

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτονί.

Γυνὴ Α

ἐμπρήσομεν τοίνυν σε.

Μνησίλοχος

πάνυ γʼ ἐμπίμπρατε·

αὕτη δʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται μάλʼ αὐτίκα.
750

Γυνὴ Α

μὴ δῆθʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ· ἀλλʼ ἔμʼ ὅ τι χρῄζεις ποίει

ὑπέρ γε τούτου.

Μνησίλοχος

φιλότεκνός τις εἶ φύσει.

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἥδʼ ἀποσφαγήσεται

Γυνὴ Α

οἴμοι τέκνον. δός μοι σφαγεῖον Μανία,

ἵνʼ οὖν τό γʼ αἷμα τοῦ τέκνου τοὐμοῦ λάβω.
755

Μνησίλοχος

ὕπεχʼ αὐτό, χαριοῦμαι γὰρ ἕν γε τοῦτό σοι.

Γυνὴ Α

κακῶς ἀπόλοιʼ, ὡς φθονερὸς εἶ καὶ δυσμενής.

Μνησίλοχος

τουτὶ τὸ δέρμα τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται.

Γυνὴ Α

τί τῆς ἱερείας γίγνεται;

Μνησίλοχος

τουτί. λαβέ.

Γυνὴ Γ

ταλαντάτη Μίκκα τίς ἐξεκόρησέ σε;
760

τίς τὴν ἀγαπητὴν παῖδά σοὐξῃρήσατο;

Γυνὴ Α

ὁ πανοῦργος οὗτος. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ πάρει,

φύλαξον αὐτόν, ἵνα λαβοῦσα Κλεισθένη

τοῖσιν πρυτάνεσιν ἃ πεποίηχʼ οὗτος φράσω.

First Woman

Bring faggots, Mania! To MnesilochusYou will be nothing but charcoal soon.

First Woman

Faggots, Mania, plenty of them.

Mnesilochus

740 Bring as many as you like. But answer me; are you the mother of this brat?

First Woman

I carried it ten months.

Mnesilochus

You carried it?

First Woman

I swear it by Artemis.

Mnesilochus

How much does it hold? Three cotylae? Tell me.

First Woman

Oh! what have you done? You shall have stripped the poor child quite naked, 745 and it is so small, so small.

Mnesilochus

So small?

First Woman

Yes, quite small, to be sure.

Mnesilochus

How old is it? Has it seen the feast of cups thrice or four times?

First Woman

It was born about the time of the last Dionysia. But give it back to me.

Mnesilochus

No, may Apollo bear me witness.

First Woman

Well, then we are going to burn you.

Mnesilochus

Burn me, 750 but then I shall rip this open instantly.

First Woman

No, no, I adjure you, don't; do anything you like to me rather than that.

Mnesilochus

What a tender mother you are; but nevertheless I shall rip it open.

First Woman

Oh, my beloved daughter! Mania, hand me the sacred cup, 755 that I may at least catch the blood of my child.

Mnesilochus

Hold it below; that's the only favour I grant you.

First Woman

Out upon you, you pitiless monster!

Mnesilochus

This robe belongs to the priestess.

Second Woman

What belongs to the priestess?

Mnesilochus

Here, take it.

Third Woman

760 Ah! unfortunate Mica! Who has robbed you of your daughter, your beloved child?

First Woman

That wretch. But as you are here, watch him well, while I go with Cleisthenes to the Magistrates and denounce him for his crimes.