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Κηρύκαινα

ἄκουε πᾶς. ἔδοξε τῇ βουλῇ τάδε

τῇ τῶν γυναικῶν· Τιμόκλειʼ ἐπεστάτει,

Λύσιλλʼ ἐγραμμάτευεν, εἶπε Ζωστράτη·
375

ἐκκλησίαν ποιεῖν ἕωθεν τῇ μέσῃ

τῶν Θεσμοφορίων, ᾗ μάλισθʼ ἡμῖν σχολή,

καὶ χρηματίζειν πρῶτα περὶ Εὐριπίδου,

ὅ τι χρὴ παθεῖν ἐκεῖνον· ἀδικεῖν γὰρ δοκεῖ

ἡμῖν ἁπάσαις. τίς ἀγορεύειν βούλεται;

Γυνὴ Α

ἐγώ.
380

Κηρύκαινα

περίθου νυν τόνδε πρῶτον πρὶν λέγειν.

Χορός

σίγα σιώπα, πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν· χρέμπτεται γὰρ ἤδη

ὅπερ ποιοῦσʼ οἱ ῥήτορες. μακρὰν ἔοικε λέξειν.

Γυνὴ Α

φιλοτιμίᾳ μὲν οὐδεμιᾷ μὰ τὼ θεὼ

λέξουσʼ ἀνέστην ὦ γυναῖκες· ἀλλὰ γὰρ

βαρέως φέρω τάλαινα πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον
385

προπηλακιζομένας ὁρῶς ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ

Εὐριπίδου τοῦ τῆς λαχανοπωλητρίας

καὶ πολλὰ καὶ παντοῖʼ ἀκουούσας κακά.

τί γὰρ οὗτος ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἐπισμῇ τῶν κακῶν;

ποῦ δʼ οὐχὶ διαβέβληχʼ, ὅπουπερ ἔμβραχυ
390

εἰσὶν θεαταὶ καὶ τραγῳδοὶ καὶ χοροί,

τὰς μοιχοτρόπους, τὰς ἀνδρεραστίας καλῶν,

τὰς οἰνοπότιδας, τὰς προδότιδας, τὰς λάλους,

τὰς οὐδὲν ὑγιές, τὰς μέγʼ ἀνδράσιν κακόν·

ὥστʼ εὐθὺς εἰσιόντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἰκρίων
395

ὑποβλέπουσʼ ἡμᾶς σκοποῦνταί τʼ εὐθέως

μὴ μοιχὸς ἔνδον ᾖ τις ἀποκεκρυμμένος.

δρᾶσαι δʼ ἔθʼ ἡμῖν οὐδὲν ὥσπερ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ

ἔξεστι· τοιαῦθʼ οὗτος ἐδίδαξεν κακὰ

τοὺς ἄνδρας ἡμῶν· ὥστʼ ἐάνπερ τις πλέκῃ
400

γυνὴ στέφανον, ἐρᾶν δοκεῖ· κἂν ἐκβάλῃ

σκεῦός τι κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν πλανωμένη,

ἁνὴρ ἐρωτᾷ, ʼτῷ κατέαγεν ἡ χύτρα;

οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως οὐ τῷ Κορινθίῳ ξένῳ.ʼ

κάμνει κόρη τις, εὐθὺς ἁδελφὸς λέγει,
405

τὸ χρῶμα τοῦτό μʼ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τῆς κόρης.

εἶεν, γυνή τις ὑποβαλέσθαι βούλεται

ἀποροῦσα παίδων, οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν λαθεῖν.

ἅνδρες γὰρ ἤδη παρακάθηνται πλησίον·

πρὸς τοὺς γέροντάς θʼ οἳ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς μείρακας
410

ἤγοντο, διαβέβληκεν, ὥστʼ οὐδεὶς γέρων

γαμεῖν ἐθέλει γυναῖκα διὰ τοὔπος τοδὶ

δέσποινα γὰρ γέροντι νυμφίῳ γυνή.

εἶτα διὰ τοῦτον ταῖς γυναικωνίτισιν

σφραγῖδας ἐπιβάλλουσιν ἤδη καὶ μοχλοὺς
415

τηροῦντες ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσέτι Μολοττικοὺς

τρέφουσι μορμολυκεῖα τοῖς μοιχοῖς κύνας.

καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ξυγγνώσθʼ. ἃ δʼ ἦν ἡμῖν πρὸ τοῦ

αὐταῖς ταμιεῦσαι καὶ προαιρούσαις λαθεῖν

ἄλφιτον ἔλαιον οἶνον, οὐδὲ ταῦτʼ ἔτι
420

ἔξεστιν. οἱ γὰρ ἄνδρες ἤδη κλῄδια

αὐτοὶ φοροῦσι κρυπτὰ κακοηθέστατα

Λακωνίκʼ ἄττα, τρεῖς ἔχοντα γομφίους.

πρὸ τοῦ μὲν οὖν ἦν ἀλλʼ ὑποῖξαι τὴν θύραν

ποιησαμέναισι δακτύλιον τριωβόλου,
425

νῦν δʼ οὗτος αὐτοὺς ᾡκότριψ Εὐριπίδης

ἐδίδαξε θριπήδεστʼ ἔχειν σφραγίδια

ἐξαψαμένους. νῦν οὖν ἐμοὶ τούτῳ δοκεῖ

ὄλεθρόν τινʼ ἡμᾶς κυρκανᾶν ἁμωσγέπως,

ἢ φαρμάκοισιν ἢ μιᾷ γέ τῳ τέχνῃ,
430

ὅπως ἀπολεῖται. ταῦτʼ ἐγὼ φανερῶς λέγω,

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα μετὰ τῆς γραμματέως συγγράψομαι.

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.) — 373 focus

Woman Herald

Hearken, all of you! this is the decree passed by the Senate of the Women under the presidency of Timoclea and at the suggestion of Sostrate; 375 it is signed by Lysilla, the secretary: “There will be a gathering of the people on the morning of the third day of the Thesmophoria, which is a day of rest for us; the principal business there shall be the punishment that it is meet to inflict upon Euripides for the insults with which he has loaded us.” Now who asks to speak?

First Woman

380 I do.

Woman Herald

First put on this garland, and then speak.

Leader of the Chorus

Silence! let all be quiet! Pay attention! for here she is spitting as orators generally do before they begin; no doubt she has much to say.

First Woman

If I have asked to speak, may the goddesses bear me witness, it was not for sake of ostentation. But 385 I have long been pained to see us women insulted by this Euripides, this son of the green-stuff woman, who loads us with every kind of indignity. 390 Has he not hit us enough, calumniated us sufficiently, wherever there are spectators, tragedians, and a chorus? Does he not style us adulterous, lecherous, bibulous, treacherous, and garrulous? Does he not repeat that we are all vice, that we are the curse of our husbands? 395 So that, directly they come back from the theater, they look at us doubtfully and go searching every nook, fearing there may be some hidden lover. We can do nothing as we used to, so many are the false ideas which he has instilled 400 into our husbands. Is a woman weaving a garland for herself? It's because she is in love. Does she let some vase drop while going or returning to the house? her husband asks her in whose honor she has broken it: “It can only be for that Corinthian stranger.” 405 Is a maiden unwell? Straightway her brother says, “That is a color that does not please me.” And if a childless woman wishes to substitute one, the deceit can no longer be a secret, for the neighbors will insist on being present at her delivery. 410 Formerly the old men married young girls, but they have been so calumniated that none think of them now, thanks to that line of his: “A woman is the tyrant of the old man who marries her.” Again, it is because of Euripides that we are incessantly watched, 415 that we are shut up behind bolts and bars, and that dogs are kept to frighten off the adulterers. Let that pass; but formerly it was we who had the care of the food, who fetched the flour from the storeroom, 420 the oil and the wine; we can do it no more. Our husbands now carry little Spartan keys on their persons, made with three notches and full of malice and spite. Formerly it sufficed to purchase 425 a ring marked with the same sign for three obols, to open the most securely sealed-up door; but now this pestilent Euripides has taught men to hang seals of worm-eaten wood about their necks. My opinion, therefore, is that we should rid ourselves of our enemy 430 by poison or by any other means, provided he dies. That is what I announce publicly; as to certain points, which I wish to keep secret, I propose to record them on the secretary's minutes.

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.) — 373 focus

Cryer-woman: Listen, everyone. It has been resolved by the Council as follows:

Kerykeina: to the women; Timocleia was commanding,

Cryke: "Lysilla was enrolled," said Zostrata;

375

Cryce: to hold an assembly early in the morning.

Kerykaina: the Thesmophoria, at which we have most leisure,

Kerykeia: and first to speak about Euripides,

Cryer-woman: That is what he deserves to suffer; for he seems to be doing wrong.

Crier-woman: For all of us. Who wishes to speak?

WOMAN A: I.

380

Herald-woman: Cover this man first before speaking.

Chorus: Be quiet, be silent, pay attention; for he is already clearing his throat.

Chorus: That is what the orators do. It seems likely to be a long speech.

Woman A: By the gods, I have no ambition whatsoever.

Woman A: I will speak, I have stood up, O women; but indeed

Woman A: Wretchedly I bear it, poor wretch, for a very long time already.

385

Woman A: Are you seeing us being mocked by

Woman A: Euripides' of the vegetable-seller's

Woman A: and having heard many and varied evils.

Woman A: For why does this man not deceive us about the evils?

Woman A: Where has she not been slandered, wherever there is a brief mention?

390

Woman A: There are spectators, and tragedians, and choruses,

Woman A: the adulteress-breeders, whom you call 'lovers of men,'

Woman A: the wine-bibbers, the traitors, the chatterboxes,

Woman A: They are neither healthy at all, but a great evil to men;

Woman A: so that, immediately, entering from the scaffolds

395

WOMAN A: they are looking at us furtively and immediately observing us

Woman A: Let there not be an adulterer hidden inside.

Woman A: But she did not do for us anything, just as before.

Woman A: It is permissible; this man has taught such evils.

Women A: our husbands; so that if anyone weaves

400

Woman A: A woman seems to love a garland; and even if she gets it.

Woman A: wandering about the house with some vessel,

WOMAN A: The man asks, 'Who has smashed the pot?'

WOMAN A: No, it is not possible not to [have dealings] with the Corinthian guest-friend.

Woman A: A girl is sick, immediately her brother says,

405

Woman A: I do not like the complexion of this girl.

Woman A: Very well, a certain woman wants to propose something.

Woman A: Being childless, this too cannot be hidden.

Woman A: For men are already sitting close by;

Woman A: to the old men who before [used to] the young girls

410

Woman A: They were being led away; she has slandered him, so that no old man...

Woman A: She wants to marry a woman for this reason:

Woman A: For a woman is the mistress of an old man's bridegroom.

Woman A: Then through this man to the women.

Woman A: They are already putting on the seals and the bars.

415

Women A: Guarding us, and furthermore Molossians

Woman A: They feed moluccas to the adulterers' dogs.

Woman A: And let these things be forgiven, but those things that were ours before

Women A: to entrust and to choose for them to go unnoticed

WOMAN A: barley meal, oil, wine, and not even these.

420

Woman A: It is allowed. For the men already have the keys.

Woman A: They carry most malicious secrets.

Woman A: Spartan girl, having three molars.

Woman A: Well then, it was before, but let us go down to the door.

Woman A: for those who made a three-obol ring,

425

Woman A: But now Euripides has ground them up.

Woman A: She taught her to have a little lock of hair.

Woman A: having snatched them. So now this seems to me

Woman A: 'May we come upon some sort of ruin in some way or other,'

Woman A: Either by drugs or by some single art,

430

Woman A: "So that she may be ruined. I say this openly."

WOMAN A: But as for the rest, I will write it down with the secretary.

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

416. mvp-tlg0019-tlg008-sanjaya-com-eng1-5

Line 416

τηροῦντες ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσέτι Μολοττικοὺς

The adjective Μολοττικοὺς is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, functioning as an epithet for a group of people or a specific type of soldier. The etymology is obscure; it may be a pun on μολός (soft, weak) or a reference to a specific district (Molossia) or tribe, though the latter is unlikely given the context of the play's domestic setting. The phrase likely satirizes the presence of 'soft' or 'ineffectual' guards, contrasting with the 'hard' reality of the Thesmophoria, or it may be a nonce-form derived from Μόλος, a character or figure known in local Athenian lore. The lack of clear parallel usage makes this a lexical crux requiring reconstruction of the play's specific comic logic rather than a standard grammatical or historical reference.

Aristophanes Thesmophoriazusae 373

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

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Γυνὴ Α

ἐγώ.
380

Κηρύκαινα

περίθου νυν τόνδε πρῶτον πρὶν λέγειν.

Χορός

σίγα σιώπα, πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν· χρέμπτεται γὰρ ἤδη

ὅπερ ποιοῦσʼ οἱ ῥήτορες. μακρὰν ἔοικε λέξειν.

Current edition Perseus

First Woman

380 I do.

Woman Herald

First put on this garland, and then speak.

Leader of the Chorus

Silence! let all be quiet! Pay attention! for here she is spitting as orators generally do before they begin; no doubt she has much to say.

Commentary

Line 416

Stable identifiers

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Γυνὴ Α ἐγώ. 380

Κηρύκαινα περίθου νυν τόνδε πρῶτον πρὶν λέγειν.

Χορός σίγα σιώπα, πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν· χρέμπτεται γὰρ ἤδη ὅπερ ποιοῦσʼ οἱ ῥήτορες. μακρὰν ἔοικε λέξειν.

Current edition Perseus

First Woman 380 I do.

Woman Herald First put on this garland, and then speak.

Leader of the Chorus Silence! let all be quiet! Pay attention! for here she is spitting as orators generally do before they begin; no doubt she has much to say.

Commentary

Line 416

Stable identifiers

Γυνὴ Α

ἐγώ.
380

Κηρύκαινα

περίθου νυν τόνδε πρῶτον πρὶν λέγειν.

Χορός

σίγα σιώπα, πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν· χρέμπτεται γὰρ ἤδη

ὅπερ ποιοῦσʼ οἱ ῥήτορες. μακρὰν ἔοικε λέξειν.

First Woman

380 I do.

Woman Herald

First put on this garland, and then speak.

Leader of the Chorus

Silence! let all be quiet! Pay attention! for here she is spitting as orators generally do before they begin; no doubt she has much to say.