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Line 1264

Φθιῶτʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ, τί ποτʼ ἀνδροδάικτον ἀκούων

The vocative 'Φθιῶτ' Ἀχιλλεῦ' addresses Achilles not by his personal name alone but by his patronymic or territorial epithet ('son of the Phthian'), referring to his origin in Phthia (Thessaly). This specific form of address, combining the ethnonym in the vocative with the personal name, functions as a solemn, epic-style invocation typical of the tragic tradition Aristophanes is parodying here. In the context of the play, it is a deliberate mimicry of the opening lines of Euripides' lost tragedy *Bellerophon* (fr. 227 TrGF), where a similar vocative construction is used to summon a hero from the underworld, highlighting the metatheatrical nature of the scene where Dionysus and Xanthias have arrived in Hades.

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.) — 1251 focus

Χορός

τί ποτε πρᾶγμα γενήσεται;

φροντίζειν γὰρ ἔγωγʼ ἔχω,

τίνʼ ἄρα μέμψιν ἐποίσει

ἀνδρὶ τῷ πολὺ πλεῖστα δὴ

καὶ κάλλιστα μέλη ποιήσαντι
1255

τῶν μέχρι νυνί.

θαυμάζω γὰρ ἔγωγʼ ὅπῃ

μέμψεταί ποτε τοῦτον

τὸν Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα,

καὶ δέδοιχʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ.
1260

Εὐριπίδης

πάνυ γε μέλη θαυμαστά· δείξει δὴ τάχα.

εἰς ἓν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ μέλη ξυντεμῶ.

Διόνυσος

καὶ μὴν λογιοῦμαι ταῦτα τῶν ψήφων λαβών·

(διαύλιον προσαυλεῖ τις)

Εὐριπίδης

Φθιῶτʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ, τί ποτʼ ἀνδροδάικτον ἀκούων

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;
1265

Ἑρμᾶν μὲν πρόγονον τίομεν γένος οἱ περὶ λίμναν.

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος

δύο σοὶ κόπω Αἰσχύλε τούτω.

Εὐριπίδης

κύδιστʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἀτρέως πολυκοίρανε μάνθανέ μου παῖ.
1270

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος

τρίτος ᾠσχύλε σοὶ κόπος οὗτος.

Εὐριπίδης

εὐφαμεῖτε· μελισσονόμοι δόμον Ἀρτέμιδος πέλας οἴγειν.

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;
1275

κύριός εἰμι θροεῖν ὅδιον κράτος αἴσιον ἀνδρῶν.

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος

ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τὸ χρῆμα τῶν κόπων ὅσον.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐς τὸ βαλανεῖον βούλομαι·

ὑπὸ τῶν κόπων γὰρ τὼ νεφρὼ βουβωνιῶ.
1280

Εὐριπίδης

μὴ πρίν γʼ ἂν ἀκούσῃς χἀτέραν στάσιν μελῶν

ἐκ τῶν κιθαρῳδικῶν νόμων εἰργασμένην.

Διόνυσος

ἴθι δὴ πέραινε, καὶ κόπον μὴ προστίθει.

Εὐριπίδης

ὅπως Ἀχαιῶν δίθρονον κράτος, Ἑλλάδος ἥβας,
1285

τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ,

Σφίγγα δυσαμεριᾶν πρύτανιν κύνα, πέμπει,

τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ,

σὺν δορὶ καὶ χερὶ πράκτορι θούριος ὄρνις,

τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ,
1290

κυρεῖν παρασχὼν ἰταμαῖς κυσὶν ἀεροφοίτοις,

τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ,

τὸ συγκλινές τʼ ἐπʼ Αἴαντι,

τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ.
1295

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.) — 1251 focus

Chorus

Whatever will happen now?

I can only imagine

what complaints he will make

against the man who wrote by far the most

and finest songs up to now.
1450

(I wonder how

he'll criticize this man

the Dionysiac lord

And I fear for him.)

Euripides

Quite marvelous songs, as this will soon make clear.
1455

For I'll condense all his songs into one point.

Dionysus

Well then, I'll grab some pebbles and keep score.

Euripides

“O Phthian Achilles, if you hear the manslaughtering

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

To Hermes we, the ancestral race, pay homage by the lake,
1460

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

That's two crashes for you, Aeschylus.

Euripides

“Most glorious of the Achaeans, far-ruling son of Atreus, learn of me,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?”

Dionysus

This is your third crash, Aeschylus.
1465

Euripides

Be still. The Bee-nuns draw near to open the temple of Artemis.

Crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

I am charged with uttering the heroes' fateful command of the journey,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

King Zeus, what a load of crashes!
1470

I for one want to go to the bathhouse,

For my kidneys are swollen with all this crashing.

Euripides

Don't, before you hear another set of odes

assembled from his melodies for the lyre.

Dionysus

Go on, continue, but leave out the crash.
1475

Euripides

“How the twin-throned power of the Achaeans, of Grecian youth,

Tophlattothrattoplilattothrat,

sends the sphinx, unlucky presiding dog,

Tophlattothrattophlattothrat,

The swooping bird with spear and avenging hand
1480

Tophlattothrattophlattothrat,

Granting to the headlong sky-flying dogs to meet

Tophlattothrattophlattothrat,

The united force against Ajax

Tophlattothrattophlattothrat,
1485

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.) — 1251 focus

Chorus: Whatever thing will happen?

Chorus: For I do have concern,

Chorus: So what complaint will you bring?

Chorus: to a man who indeed has received the greatest number of votes

Chorus: and most beautifully to the one who composed the songs

1255

Chorus: those up to now.

Chorus: I, indeed, am amazed at the manner, for

Chorus: He will blame him at some point.

Chorus: the Bacchic lord,

Chorus: And he is afraid for him.

1260

Euripides: Very wonderful indeed the songs; he will show them soon.

Euripides: for I will cut all his parts into one.

Dionysus: Indeed, I take these things as having been taken from the votes.

Euripides: Oh Achilleus of Phthia, what man-slaying thing are you hearing?

Euripides: Ah! You do not draw near to help?

1265

Euripides: We, who are around the lake, honor Hermes as our ancestor.

Euripides: Ah! Do you not approach to help with toil?

Dionysus: I have twice worn out my body for you, Aeschylus, on this account.

Euripides: O most glorious of the Achaeans, lord of many couches of Atreus, learn my child.

1270

Euripides: Alas! Do you not come to help with the toil?

Dionysus: This is the third time you have been tired.

Euripides: Sing auspiciously; near the house of Artemis, guide the honey-bees.

Euripides: Ah, are you not approaching to help with your toil?

1275

Euripides: I am master to sing the martial power of men, ordained by fate.

Euripides: Why, do you not come to my aid?

Dionysus: O king Zeus, what a price for the pains!

DIONYSUS: I, for my part, wish to go to the bathhouse.

Dionysus: For my kidneys are aching from the exertions.

1280

Euripides: not before you hear another arrangement of songs.

Euripides: made from the citharodic laws.

Dionysus: Come on then, cross over, and do not add any toil.

Euripides: how the two-throned power of the Achaeans, the youth of Greece,

1285

Euripides: tophat-torat tophat-torat,

Euripides: sends forth the Sphinx, the wretched-miserable leader-dog,

Euripides: tophlaththothrath tophlaththothrath,

Euripides: 'a furious bird with spear and hand as agent,'

Euripides: tophlattothrat tophlattothrat,

1290

Euripides: having provided the privilege of treading upon insolent, air-wandering dogs,

Euripides: tufalattothrat tufalattothrat,

Euripides: 'the couch [was] upon Ajax,'"

Euripides: tophlattothrat tophlattothrat.

1295

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

1264. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-65

Line 1264

Φθιῶτʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ, τί ποτʼ ἀνδροδάικτον ἀκούων

Aristophanes Frogs 1264

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1264

Current edition Experimental

Εὐριπίδης

πάνυ γε μέλη θαυμαστά· δείξει δὴ τάχα.

εἰς ἓν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ μέλη ξυντεμῶ.

Διόνυσος

καὶ μὴν λογιοῦμαι ταῦτα τῶν ψήφων λαβών·

Διόνυσος

δύο σοὶ κόπω Αἰσχύλε τούτω.

Εὐριπίδης

κύδιστʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἀτρέως πολυκοίρανε μάνθανέ μου παῖ.
1270

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος

τρίτος ᾠσχύλε σοὶ κόπος οὗτος.

Διόνυσος

ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τὸ χρῆμα τῶν κόπων ὅσον.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐς τὸ βαλανεῖον βούλομαι·

ὑπὸ τῶν κόπων γὰρ τὼ νεφρὼ βουβωνιῶ.
1280

Εὐριπίδης

μὴ πρίν γʼ ἂν ἀκούσῃς χἀτέραν στάσιν μελῶν

ἐκ τῶν κιθαρῳδικῶν νόμων εἰργασμένην.

Διόνυσος

ἴθι δὴ πέραινε, καὶ κόπον μὴ προστίθει.

Chorus

Whatever will happen now?

I can only imagine

what complaints he will make

against the man who wrote by far the most

and finest songs up to now.
1450

(I wonder how

he'll criticize this man

the Dionysiac lord

And I fear for him.)

Euripides

Quite marvelous songs, as this will soon make clear.
1455

For I'll condense all his songs into one point.

Dionysus

Well then, I'll grab some pebbles and keep score.

Euripides

“O Phthian Achilles, if you hear the manslaughtering

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

To Hermes we, the ancestral race, pay homage by the lake,
1460

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

That's two crashes for you, Aeschylus.

Euripides

“Most glorious of the Achaeans, far-ruling son of Atreus, learn of me,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?”

Dionysus

This is your third crash, Aeschylus.
1465

Euripides

Be still. The Bee-nuns draw near to open the temple of Artemis.

Crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

I am charged with uttering the heroes' fateful command of the journey,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

King Zeus, what a load of crashes!
1470

I for one want to go to the bathhouse,

For my kidneys are swollen with all this crashing.

Euripides

Don't, before you hear another set of odes

assembled from his melodies for the lyre.

Dionysus

Go on, continue, but leave out the crash.
1475

Commentary

Line 1264

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1264

Current edition Experimental

Εὐριπίδης πάνυ γε μέλη θαυμαστά· δείξει δὴ τάχα. εἰς ἓν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ μέλη ξυντεμῶ.

Διόνυσος καὶ μὴν λογιοῦμαι ταῦτα τῶν ψήφων λαβών·

Διόνυσος δύο σοὶ κόπω Αἰσχύλε τούτω.

Εὐριπίδης κύδιστʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἀτρέως πολυκοίρανε μάνθανέ μου παῖ. 1270 ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος τρίτος ᾠσχύλε σοὶ κόπος οὗτος.

Διόνυσος ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τὸ χρῆμα τῶν κόπων ὅσον. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐς τὸ βαλανεῖον βούλομαι· ὑπὸ τῶν κόπων γὰρ τὼ νεφρὼ βουβωνιῶ. 1280

Εὐριπίδης μὴ πρίν γʼ ἂν ἀκούσῃς χἀτέραν στάσιν μελῶν ἐκ τῶν κιθαρῳδικῶν νόμων εἰργασμένην.

Διόνυσος ἴθι δὴ πέραινε, καὶ κόπον μὴ προστίθει.

Chorus Whatever will happen now? I can only imagine what complaints he will make against the man who wrote by far the most and finest songs up to now. 1450 (I wonder how he'll criticize this man the Dionysiac lord And I fear for him.)

Euripides Quite marvelous songs, as this will soon make clear. 1455 For I'll condense all his songs into one point.

Dionysus Well then, I'll grab some pebbles and keep score.

Euripides “O Phthian Achilles, if you hear the manslaughtering crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid? To Hermes we, the ancestral race, pay homage by the lake, 1460 crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus That's two crashes for you, Aeschylus.

Euripides “Most glorious of the Achaeans, far-ruling son of Atreus, learn of me, crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?”

Dionysus This is your third crash, Aeschylus. 1465

Euripides Be still. The Bee-nuns draw near to open the temple of Artemis. Crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid? I am charged with uttering the heroes' fateful command of the journey, crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus King Zeus, what a load of crashes! 1470 I for one want to go to the bathhouse, For my kidneys are swollen with all this crashing.

Euripides Don't, before you hear another set of odes assembled from his melodies for the lyre.

Dionysus Go on, continue, but leave out the crash. 1475

Commentary

Line 1264

Stable identifiers

Εὐριπίδης

πάνυ γε μέλη θαυμαστά· δείξει δὴ τάχα.

εἰς ἓν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ μέλη ξυντεμῶ.

Διόνυσος

καὶ μὴν λογιοῦμαι ταῦτα τῶν ψήφων λαβών·

Διόνυσος

δύο σοὶ κόπω Αἰσχύλε τούτω.

Εὐριπίδης

κύδιστʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἀτρέως πολυκοίρανε μάνθανέ μου παῖ.
1270

ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν;

Διόνυσος

τρίτος ᾠσχύλε σοὶ κόπος οὗτος.

Διόνυσος

ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τὸ χρῆμα τῶν κόπων ὅσον.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐς τὸ βαλανεῖον βούλομαι·

ὑπὸ τῶν κόπων γὰρ τὼ νεφρὼ βουβωνιῶ.
1280

Εὐριπίδης

μὴ πρίν γʼ ἂν ἀκούσῃς χἀτέραν στάσιν μελῶν

ἐκ τῶν κιθαρῳδικῶν νόμων εἰργασμένην.

Διόνυσος

ἴθι δὴ πέραινε, καὶ κόπον μὴ προστίθει.

Chorus

Whatever will happen now?

I can only imagine

what complaints he will make

against the man who wrote by far the most

and finest songs up to now.
1450

(I wonder how

he'll criticize this man

the Dionysiac lord

And I fear for him.)

Euripides

Quite marvelous songs, as this will soon make clear.
1455

For I'll condense all his songs into one point.

Dionysus

Well then, I'll grab some pebbles and keep score.

Euripides

“O Phthian Achilles, if you hear the manslaughtering

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

To Hermes we, the ancestral race, pay homage by the lake,
1460

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

That's two crashes for you, Aeschylus.

Euripides

“Most glorious of the Achaeans, far-ruling son of Atreus, learn of me,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?”

Dionysus

This is your third crash, Aeschylus.
1465

Euripides

Be still. The Bee-nuns draw near to open the temple of Artemis.

Crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

I am charged with uttering the heroes' fateful command of the journey,

crash, ah, why do you not come to our aid?

Dionysus

King Zeus, what a load of crashes!
1470

I for one want to go to the bathhouse,

For my kidneys are swollen with all this crashing.

Euripides

Don't, before you hear another set of odes

assembled from his melodies for the lyre.

Dionysus

Go on, continue, but leave out the crash.
1475