Aristophanes Frogs 152

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

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Διόνυσος

νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐχρῆν γε πρὸς τούτοισι κεἰ

τὴν πυρρίχην τις ἔμαθε τὴν Κινησίου.

Ἡρακλῆς

ἐντεῦθεν αὐλῶν τίς σε περίεισιν πνοή,

ὄψει τε φῶς κάλλιστον ὥσπερ ἐνθάδε,
155

καὶ μυρρινῶνας καὶ θιάσους εὐδαίμονας

ἀνδρῶν γυναικῶν καὶ κρότον χειρῶν πολύν.

Διόνυσος

οὗτοι δὲ δὴ τίνες εἰσίν;

Ἡρακλῆς

οἱ μεμυημένοι—

Ξανθίας

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ἐγὼ γοῦν ὄνος ἄγω μυστήρια.

ἀτὰρ οὐ καθέξω ταῦτα τὸν πλείω χρόνον.
160

Ἡρακλῆς

οἵ σοι φράσουσʼ ἁπαξάπανθʼ ὧν ἂν δέῃ.

οὗτοι γὰρ ἐγγύτατα παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν ὁδὸν

ἐπὶ ταῖσι τοῦ Πλούτωνος οἰκοῦσιν θύραις.

καὶ χαῖρε πόλλʼ ὦδελφέ.

Διόνυσος

νὴ Δία καὶ σύ γε

ὑγίαινε. σὺ δὲ τὰ στρώματʼ αὖθις λάμβανε.
165

Ξανθίας

πρὶν καὶ καταθέσθαι;

Διόνυσος

καὶ ταχέως μέντοι πάνυ.

Ξανθίας

μὴ δῆθʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ, ἀλλὰ μίσθωσαί τινα

τῶν ἐκφερομένων, ὅστις ἐπὶ τοῦτʼ ἔρχεται.

Διόνυσος

ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὕρω;

Ξανθίας

τότε μʼ ἄγειν.

Διόνυσος

καλῶς λέγεις.

καὶ γάρ τινʼ ἐκφέρουσι τουτονὶ νεκρόν,
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οὗτος, σὲ λέγω μέντοι, σὲ τὸν τεθνηκότα·

ἄνθρωπε βούλει σκευάριʼ εἰς Ἅιδου φέρειν;

Νέκρος

πόσʼ ἄττα;

Διόνυσος

ταυτί.

Νέκρος

δύο δραχμὰς μισθὸν τελεῖς;

Διόνυσος

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἔλαττον.

Νέκρος

ὑπάγεθʼ ὑμεῖς τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Διόνυσος

ἀνάμεινον ὦ δαιμόνιʼ, ἐὰν ξυμβῶ τί σοι.
175

Νέκρος

εἰ μὴ καταθήσεις δύο δραχμάς, μὴ διαλέγου.

Διόνυσος

λάβʼ ἐννέʼ ὀβολούς.

Νέκρος

ἀναβιοίην νυν πάλιν.

Ξανθίας

ὡς σεμνὸς ὁ κατάρατος· οὐκ οἰμώξεται;

ἐγὼ βαδιοῦμαι.

Διόνυσος

χρηστὸς εἶ καὶ γεννάδας.

χωρῶμεν ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον.
180

Χάρων

ὠὸπ παραβαλοῦ.

Ξανθίας

τουτὶ τί ἔστι;

Διόνυσος

τοῦτο; λίμνη νὴ Δία

αὕτη ʼστὶν ἣν ἔφραζε, καὶ πλοῖόν γʼ ὁρῶ.

Ξανθίας

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ κἄστι γʼ ὁ Χάρων οὑτοσί.

Διόνυσος

χαῖρʼ ὦ Χάρων, χαῖρʼ ὦ Χάρων, χαῖρʼ ὦ Χάρων.

Frogs. 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

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

Translations (1)

Frogs (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Matthew Dillon). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 152 focus

Dionysus

Now, by the Gods, besides these there should be

Whoever learned Kinesias' pyrrhic dance.

Heracles

Next a breath of pipes will surround you,

you'll see a shining light, just like up here,

then myrtle groves, and happy choirs
195

of men and woman mixed who loudly clap their hands.

Dionysus

And who are these?

Heracles

These are the Mystic celebrants.

Xanthias

By God, I am the donkey at the Mysteries!

But I won't put up with this for one more minute!
200

Heracles

And these will tell you all you wish to know,

For they live closest by the way to Pluto's door.

And now farewell, my brother.

Dionysus

Thanks, and you too

prosper. But you, take the baggage up again.
205

Xanthias

What, before I've laid it down?

Dionysus

Yes, sir, at once.

Xanthias

No, please, I beg you, but hire someone

from the funeral party, who's coming just for this.

Dionysus

And if I don't find any?
210

Xanthias

Then I'll carry it.

Dionysus

That's fair.

And sure enough, they're bringing out a corpse right here.

Hallo you there ! —you, the dead man, I mean;

Will you take this baggage down to Hell?
215

Corpse

How much is there?

Dionysus

This here.

Corpse

Will you pay two drachmas?

Dionysus

God no, less than that.

Corpse

Get out of the way, you!
220

Dionysus

175 Wait, my good man, maybe we can strike a bargain.

Corpse

If you don't put down two drachmas, no deal.

Dionysus

Come, take nine obols.

Corpse

I'd rather be alive again.

Xanthias

How arrogant this damned fellow is—drop dead!
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I'll go myself.

Dionysus

You're tried and true.

Let's go to the boat.

Charon

Avast, lay her to.

Xanthias

What's this?
230

Dionysus

This? The lake, of course,

the very one he mentioned, and now I see the boat.

Xanthias

Me too, by Poseidon, and this one here is Charon.

Dionysus

Ah Charon, Charon, cheery, cheery Charon!