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Line 1059

μεγάλων γνωμῶν καὶ διανοιῶν ἴσα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τίκτειν.

The participle τίκτειν ('to bring forth') functions as a complementary infinitive dependent on the implied verb of 'producing' or 'generating' understood from the context of the preceding clause (likely referring to the tragic poet's style). This construction, where a transitive verb of 'bringing forth' takes a direct object (μεγάλων γνωμῶν καὶ διανοιῶν) and a complementary infinitive expressing the action of the object, is a distinctive Aristophanic usage that personifies abstract concepts ('great thoughts and plans') as the offspring of the poet's rhetoric. The phrase ἴσα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα ('equal even to the words') creates a syntactic tension: is ἴσα modifying the thoughts/plans themselves as being 'equal' to the words, or is it a predicate adjective with the infinitive, suggesting the 'birth' of thoughts is equal to the 'birth' of words? The genitive absolute construction is absent here, relying instead on a compressed comparative structure typical of the play's satirical tone regarding the 'greatness' of Euripides' new-fangled vocabulary versus traditional tragic diction.

Frogs. 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)

Βάτραχοι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1045 focus

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι. μηδέ γʼ ἐπείη.
1045

Αἰσχύλος

ἀλλʼ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ʼπικαθῆτο,

ὥστε γε καὐτόν σε κατʼ οὖν ἔβαλεν.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή.

ἃ γὰρ ἐς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.

Εὐριπίδης

καὶ τί βλάπτουσʼ ὦ σχέτλιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;

Αἰσχύλος

ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας
1050

κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.

Εὐριπίδης

πότερον δʼ οὐκ ὄντα λόγον τοῦτον περὶ τῆς Φαίδρας ξυνέθηκα;

Αἰσχύλος

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ὄντʼ· ἀλλʼ ἀποκρύπτειν χρὴ τὸ πονηρὸν τόν γε ποιητήν,

καὶ μὴ παράγειν μηδὲ διδάσκειν. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ παιδαρίοισιν

ἔστι διδάσκαλος ὅστις φράζει, τοῖσιν δʼ ἡβῶσι ποιηταί.
1055

πάνυ δὴ δεῖ χρηστὰ λέγειν ἡμᾶς.

Εὐριπίδης

ἢν οὖν σὺ λέγῃς Λυκαβηττοὺς

καὶ Παρνασσῶν ἡμῖν μεγέθη, τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ χρηστὰ διδάσκειν,

ὃν χρῆν φράζειν ἀνθρωπείως;

Αἰσχύλος

ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ἀνάγκη

μεγάλων γνωμῶν καὶ διανοιῶν ἴσα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τίκτειν.

κἄλλως εἰκὸς τοὺς ἡμιθέους τοῖς ῥήμασι μείζοσι χρῆσθαι·
1060

καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἱματίοις ἡμῶν χρῶνται πολὺ σεμνοτέροισιν.

ἁμοῦ χρηστῶς καταδείξαντος διελυμήνω σύ.

Εὐριπίδης

τί δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς βασιλεύοντας ῥάκιʼ ἀμπισχών, ἵνʼ ἐλεινοὶ

τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φαίνοιντʼ εἶναι.

Εὐριπίδης

τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔβλαψά τι δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

οὔκουν ἐθέλει γε τριηραρχεῖν πλουτῶν οὐδεὶς διὰ ταῦτα,
1065

ἀλλὰ ῥακίοις περιειλάμενος κλάει καὶ φησὶ πένεσθαι.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα χιτῶνά γʼ ἔχων οὔλων ἐρίων ὑπένερθεν.

κἂν ταῦτα λέγων ἐξαπατήσῃ, παρὰ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἀνέκυψεν.

Αἰσχύλος

εἶτʼ αὖ λαλιὰν ἐπιτηδεῦσαι καὶ στωμυλίαν ἐδίδαξας,

ἣ ʼξεκένωσεν τάς τε παλαίστρας καὶ τὰς πυγὰς ἐνέτριψεν
1070

τῶν μειρακίων στωμυλλομένων, καὶ τοὺς Παράλους ἀνέπεισεν

ἀνταγορεύειν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν. καίτοι τότε γʼ ἡνίκʼ ἐγὼ ʼζων,

οὐκ ἠπίσταντʼ ἀλλʼ ἢ μᾶζαν καλέσαι καὶ ῥυππαπαῖ εἰπεῖν.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω, καὶ προσπαρδεῖν γʼ ἐς τὸ στόμα τῷ θαλάμακι,

καὶ μινθῶσαι τὸν ξύσσιτον κἀκβάς τινα λωποδυτῆσαι·
1075

νῦν δʼ ἀντιλέγει κοὐκέτʼ ἐλαύνων πλεῖ δευρὶ καὖθις ἐκεῖσε.

Translations (2)

Frogs (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Matthew Dillon). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1045 focus

Euripides

No sir, you've got nothing to do with Aphrodite.

Aeschylus

And may she stay away!
1215

But she settled down on you and yours in force,

and destroyed your very self.

Dionysus

By God, that she did.

What you used to do to other mens's wives, you got hit with yourself.

Euripides

And how have my Stheneboeas harmed the state, you wretch?
1220

Aeschylus

Since you persuaded noble ladies, wives of noble men

to drink hemlock out of shame because of people like that Bellerophon of yours.

Euripides

So did I make up some non-existent story about Phaedra?

Aeschylus

No, it existed. But a poet should conceal wickedness, not bring it forward and teach it. For little boys

have a teacher who advises them, and grown-ups have poets.
1225

We have a serious obligation to speak of honorable things.

Euripides

So, if you speak to us of Lycabettuses

and the heights of Parnassuses, this is “teaching honorable things”,

when a poet ought to speak in human terms?

Aeschylus

You fiend! It is the compelling power
1230

of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size.

And anyway it is proper that demigods speak in grander terms.

For they also wear much finer clothes.

What I so nobly exhibited you defiled.

Euripides

What did I do?
1235

Aeschylus

First you dressed the kingly types in rags, so

they'd look pitiful to the audience.

Euripides

And what harm did I do by that?

Aeschylus

Because of that, no wealthy man was willing to fund the navy,

but wrapped in rags he weeps and claims he's poor.
1240

Dionysus

By Demeter, yes, but wearing a tunic of pure wool underneath!

And if he fooled 'em with that story, he'd pop up in the fish market.

Aeschylus

Then again, you taught them to practice drivel and gossip,

which emptied the gymnasia and ruined the butts

of our prattling youths, and persuaded the Paralian crews
1245

to argue with their officers. But when I was alive,

they knew nothing but to call for grits and sing Yo-ho!

Dionysus

Yessir, and fart in the face of their rowing mate,

dump on their mess partner, go ashore and rob someone.

But now he argues and doesn't row, and sails to and fro.
1250

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.) — 1045 focus

Euripides: By Zeus, there was nothing of Aphrodite in you. And may she never be there!

1045

Aeschylus: But over you and your own has sat a great many from a great many.

Aeschylus: so then he actually struck you down.

Dionysus: By Zeus, that is quite true.

Dionysus: For whatever you did concerning other people's affairs, you yourself were struck by these things.

Euripides: And what harm do I and Sthenboia do to the city, you wretch?

Aeschylus: because you persuaded [women] of noble and noble men.

1050

Aeschylus: to have drunk from the cups, ashamed because of your Bellerophontes.

Euripides: But did I not compose this speech about Phaedra?

Aeschylus: By Zeus, but truly so; but the poet must indeed conceal the evil,

Aeschylus: and not to produce or to teach. For to the little children

Aeschylus: There is a teacher who explains, but to the youths, the poets.

1055

Aeschylus: By all means, we must speak noble words.

Euripides: If, then, you were to say Lycabettus...

Euripides: and the peaks of Parnassus to us, that is, to teach what is useful,

Euripides: 'The one who ought to be speaking in a human way?'

Aeschylus: but, wretched necessity,

Aeschylus: he brings forth even his verbs equal to great thoughts and conceptions.

Aeschylus: And also it is likely that the demigods should use greater words;

1060

Aeschylus: For they use our robes much more solemnly.

Aeschylus: after having well demonstrated to me, you have ruined me.

Euripides: 'What having done?'

Aeschylus: first, indeed, he robs the ruling ones of their rags, so that they may be pitiable

Aeschylus: they would seem to be to men.

Euripides: So then, did I harm anything by doing this?

Aeschylus: But no one who is rich wants to be a trierarch because of these things,

1065

Aeschylus: but wrapped in rags he weeps and says he is in need.

Dionysus: By Demeter, he is wearing a tunic made of whole wool below.

Dionysus: And even if he deceives while saying these things, he has risen up beside the fish.

Aeschylus: then again you learned to practice chatter and grumbling,

Aeschylus: who emptied the wrestling schools and rubbed on the boxing gloves.

1070

Aeschylus: while the young men were being impudent, he even persuaded the Parali.

Aeschylus: to speak in opposition to the rulers. And yet, at that time, when I was alive,

Aeschylus: 'They did not know how to say anything other than 'maza' and 'ruppapai'.'

Dionysus: By Apollo, and even fart into the little bedroom's mouth,

Dionysus: and to have him get drunk and to pickpocket some passerby;

1075

Dionysus: Now, however, he speaks against me and no longer, as he used to, rows back and forth from here to there.

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

1059. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-50

Line 1059

μεγάλων γνωμῶν καὶ διανοιῶν ἴσα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τίκτειν.

Aristophanes Frogs 1059

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1059

Current edition Experimental

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι. μηδέ γʼ ἐπείη.
1045

Αἰσχύλος

ἀλλʼ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ʼπικαθῆτο,

ὥστε γε καὐτόν σε κατʼ οὖν ἔβαλεν.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή.

ἃ γὰρ ἐς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.

Εὐριπίδης

καὶ τί βλάπτουσʼ ὦ σχέτλιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;

Αἰσχύλος

ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας
1050

κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.

Εὐριπίδης

πότερον δʼ οὐκ ὄντα λόγον τοῦτον περὶ τῆς Φαίδρας ξυνέθηκα;

Εὐριπίδης

ἢν οὖν σὺ λέγῃς Λυκαβηττοὺς

καὶ Παρνασσῶν ἡμῖν μεγέθη, τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ χρηστὰ διδάσκειν,

ὃν χρῆν φράζειν ἀνθρωπείως;

Εὐριπίδης

τί δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς βασιλεύοντας ῥάκιʼ ἀμπισχών, ἵνʼ ἐλεινοὶ

τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φαίνοιντʼ εἶναι.

Εὐριπίδης

τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔβλαψά τι δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

οὔκουν ἐθέλει γε τριηραρχεῖν πλουτῶν οὐδεὶς διὰ ταῦτα,
1065

ἀλλὰ ῥακίοις περιειλάμενος κλάει καὶ φησὶ πένεσθαι.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα χιτῶνά γʼ ἔχων οὔλων ἐρίων ὑπένερθεν.

κἂν ταῦτα λέγων ἐξαπατήσῃ, παρὰ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἀνέκυψεν.

Euripides

No sir, you've got nothing to do with Aphrodite.

Aeschylus

And may she stay away!
1215

But she settled down on you and yours in force,

and destroyed your very self.

Dionysus

By God, that she did.

What you used to do to other mens's wives, you got hit with yourself.

Euripides

And how have my Stheneboeas harmed the state, you wretch?
1220

Aeschylus

Since you persuaded noble ladies, wives of noble men

to drink hemlock out of shame because of people like that Bellerophon of yours.

Euripides

So did I make up some non-existent story about Phaedra?

Aeschylus

No, it existed. But a poet should conceal wickedness, not bring it forward and teach it. For little boys

have a teacher who advises them, and grown-ups have poets.
1225

We have a serious obligation to speak of honorable things.

Euripides

So, if you speak to us of Lycabettuses

and the heights of Parnassuses, this is “teaching honorable things”,

when a poet ought to speak in human terms?

Aeschylus

You fiend! It is the compelling power
1230

of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size.

And anyway it is proper that demigods speak in grander terms.

For they also wear much finer clothes.

What I so nobly exhibited you defiled.

Euripides

What did I do?
1235

Aeschylus

First you dressed the kingly types in rags, so

they'd look pitiful to the audience.

Euripides

And what harm did I do by that?

Aeschylus

Because of that, no wealthy man was willing to fund the navy,

but wrapped in rags he weeps and claims he's poor.
1240

Dionysus

By Demeter, yes, but wearing a tunic of pure wool underneath!

And if he fooled 'em with that story, he'd pop up in the fish market.

Aeschylus

Then again, you taught them to practice drivel and gossip,

which emptied the gymnasia and ruined the butts

of our prattling youths, and persuaded the Paralian crews
1245

to argue with their officers. But when I was alive,

they knew nothing but to call for grits and sing Yo-ho!

Dionysus

Yessir, and fart in the face of their rowing mate,

dump on their mess partner, go ashore and rob someone.

But now he argues and doesn't row, and sails to and fro.
1250

Commentary

Line 1059

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1059

Current edition Experimental

Εὐριπίδης μὰ Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι. μηδέ γʼ ἐπείη. 1045

Αἰσχύλος ἀλλʼ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ʼπικαθῆτο, ὥστε γε καὐτόν σε κατʼ οὖν ἔβαλεν.

Διόνυσος νὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή. ἃ γὰρ ἐς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.

Εὐριπίδης καὶ τί βλάπτουσʼ ὦ σχέτλιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;

Αἰσχύλος ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας 1050 κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.

Εὐριπίδης πότερον δʼ οὐκ ὄντα λόγον τοῦτον περὶ τῆς Φαίδρας ξυνέθηκα;

Εὐριπίδης ἢν οὖν σὺ λέγῃς Λυκαβηττοὺς καὶ Παρνασσῶν ἡμῖν μεγέθη, τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ χρηστὰ διδάσκειν, ὃν χρῆν φράζειν ἀνθρωπείως;

Εὐριπίδης τί δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς βασιλεύοντας ῥάκιʼ ἀμπισχών, ἵνʼ ἐλεινοὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φαίνοιντʼ εἶναι.

Εὐριπίδης τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔβλαψά τι δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος οὔκουν ἐθέλει γε τριηραρχεῖν πλουτῶν οὐδεὶς διὰ ταῦτα, 1065 ἀλλὰ ῥακίοις περιειλάμενος κλάει καὶ φησὶ πένεσθαι.

Διόνυσος νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα χιτῶνά γʼ ἔχων οὔλων ἐρίων ὑπένερθεν. κἂν ταῦτα λέγων ἐξαπατήσῃ, παρὰ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἀνέκυψεν.

Euripides No sir, you've got nothing to do with Aphrodite.

Aeschylus And may she stay away! 1215 But she settled down on you and yours in force, and destroyed your very self.

Dionysus By God, that she did. What you used to do to other mens's wives, you got hit with yourself.

Euripides And how have my Stheneboeas harmed the state, you wretch? 1220

Aeschylus Since you persuaded noble ladies, wives of noble men to drink hemlock out of shame because of people like that Bellerophon of yours.

Euripides So did I make up some non-existent story about Phaedra?

Aeschylus No, it existed. But a poet should conceal wickedness, not bring it forward and teach it. For little boys have a teacher who advises them, and grown-ups have poets. 1225 We have a serious obligation to speak of honorable things.

Euripides So, if you speak to us of Lycabettuses and the heights of Parnassuses, this is “teaching honorable things”, when a poet ought to speak in human terms?

Aeschylus You fiend! It is the compelling power 1230 of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size. And anyway it is proper that demigods speak in grander terms. For they also wear much finer clothes. What I so nobly exhibited you defiled.

Euripides What did I do? 1235

Aeschylus First you dressed the kingly types in rags, so they'd look pitiful to the audience.

Euripides And what harm did I do by that?

Aeschylus Because of that, no wealthy man was willing to fund the navy, but wrapped in rags he weeps and claims he's poor. 1240

Dionysus By Demeter, yes, but wearing a tunic of pure wool underneath! And if he fooled 'em with that story, he'd pop up in the fish market.

Aeschylus Then again, you taught them to practice drivel and gossip, which emptied the gymnasia and ruined the butts of our prattling youths, and persuaded the Paralian crews 1245 to argue with their officers. But when I was alive, they knew nothing but to call for grits and sing Yo-ho!

Dionysus Yessir, and fart in the face of their rowing mate, dump on their mess partner, go ashore and rob someone. But now he argues and doesn't row, and sails to and fro. 1250

Commentary

Line 1059

Stable identifiers

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι. μηδέ γʼ ἐπείη.
1045

Αἰσχύλος

ἀλλʼ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ʼπικαθῆτο,

ὥστε γε καὐτόν σε κατʼ οὖν ἔβαλεν.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή.

ἃ γὰρ ἐς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.

Εὐριπίδης

καὶ τί βλάπτουσʼ ὦ σχέτλιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;

Αἰσχύλος

ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας
1050

κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.

Εὐριπίδης

πότερον δʼ οὐκ ὄντα λόγον τοῦτον περὶ τῆς Φαίδρας ξυνέθηκα;

Εὐριπίδης

ἢν οὖν σὺ λέγῃς Λυκαβηττοὺς

καὶ Παρνασσῶν ἡμῖν μεγέθη, τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ χρηστὰ διδάσκειν,

ὃν χρῆν φράζειν ἀνθρωπείως;

Εὐριπίδης

τί δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς βασιλεύοντας ῥάκιʼ ἀμπισχών, ἵνʼ ἐλεινοὶ

τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φαίνοιντʼ εἶναι.

Εὐριπίδης

τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔβλαψά τι δράσας;

Αἰσχύλος

οὔκουν ἐθέλει γε τριηραρχεῖν πλουτῶν οὐδεὶς διὰ ταῦτα,
1065

ἀλλὰ ῥακίοις περιειλάμενος κλάει καὶ φησὶ πένεσθαι.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὴν Δήμητρα χιτῶνά γʼ ἔχων οὔλων ἐρίων ὑπένερθεν.

κἂν ταῦτα λέγων ἐξαπατήσῃ, παρὰ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἀνέκυψεν.

Euripides

No sir, you've got nothing to do with Aphrodite.

Aeschylus

And may she stay away!
1215

But she settled down on you and yours in force,

and destroyed your very self.

Dionysus

By God, that she did.

What you used to do to other mens's wives, you got hit with yourself.

Euripides

And how have my Stheneboeas harmed the state, you wretch?
1220

Aeschylus

Since you persuaded noble ladies, wives of noble men

to drink hemlock out of shame because of people like that Bellerophon of yours.

Euripides

So did I make up some non-existent story about Phaedra?

Aeschylus

No, it existed. But a poet should conceal wickedness, not bring it forward and teach it. For little boys

have a teacher who advises them, and grown-ups have poets.
1225

We have a serious obligation to speak of honorable things.

Euripides

So, if you speak to us of Lycabettuses

and the heights of Parnassuses, this is “teaching honorable things”,

when a poet ought to speak in human terms?

Aeschylus

You fiend! It is the compelling power
1230

of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size.

And anyway it is proper that demigods speak in grander terms.

For they also wear much finer clothes.

What I so nobly exhibited you defiled.

Euripides

What did I do?
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Aeschylus

First you dressed the kingly types in rags, so

they'd look pitiful to the audience.

Euripides

And what harm did I do by that?

Aeschylus

Because of that, no wealthy man was willing to fund the navy,

but wrapped in rags he weeps and claims he's poor.
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Dionysus

By Demeter, yes, but wearing a tunic of pure wool underneath!

And if he fooled 'em with that story, he'd pop up in the fish market.

Aeschylus

Then again, you taught them to practice drivel and gossip,

which emptied the gymnasia and ruined the butts

of our prattling youths, and persuaded the Paralian crews
1245

to argue with their officers. But when I was alive,

they knew nothing but to call for grits and sing Yo-ho!

Dionysus

Yessir, and fart in the face of their rowing mate,

dump on their mess partner, go ashore and rob someone.

But now he argues and doesn't row, and sails to and fro.
1250