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Line 1379

καὶ λαβομένω τὸ ῥῆμʼ ἑκάτερος εἴπατον,

The form εἴπατον is a dual aorist indicative active of λέγω, used here to indicate that the two speakers (Dionysus and Xanthias) spoke in unison or simultaneously. This dual form is rare in Attic comedy, where the plural is more common even for pairs, but it serves a specific dramatic function here to emphasize the coordinated action of the two characters as they take the turn to speak.

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.) — 1378 focus

Διόνυσος

ἴθι δὴ παρίστασθον παρὰ τὼ πλάστιγγʼ,

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἰδού.

Διόνυσος

καὶ λαβομένω τὸ ῥῆμʼ ἑκάτερος εἴπατον,

καὶ μὴ μεθῆσθον, πρὶν ἂν ἐγὼ σφῷν κοκκύσω.
1380

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἐχόμεθα.

Διόνυσος

τοὔπος νῦν λέγετον ἐς τὸν σταθμόν.

Εὐριπίδης

εἴθʼ ὤφελʼ Ἀργοῦς μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος.

Αἰσχύλος

Σπερχειὲ ποταμὲ βουνόμοι τʼ ἐπιστροφαί.

Διόνυσος

κόκκυ, μέθεσθε· καὶ πολύ γε κατωτέρω

χωρεῖ τὸ τοῦδε.
1385

Εὐριπίδης

καὶ τί ποτʼ ἐστὶ ταἴτιον;

Διόνυσος

ὅτι εἰσέθηκε ποταμόν, ἐριοπωλικῶς

ὑγρὸν ποιήσας τοὔπος ὥσπερ τἄρια,

σὺ δʼ εἰσέθηκας τοὔπος ἐπτερωμένον.

Εὐριπίδης

ἀλλʼ ἕτερον εἰπάτω τι κἀντιστησάτω.

Διόνυσος

λάβεσθε τοίνυν αὖθις.
1390

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἢν ἰδού.

Διόνυσος

λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης

οὐκ ἔστι Πειθοῦς ἱερὸν ἄλλο πλὴν λόγος.

Αἰσχύλος

μόνος θεῶν γὰρ Θάνατος οὐ δώρων ἐρᾷ.

Διόνυσος

μέθεσθε μέθεσθε· καὶ τὸ τοῦδέ γʼ αὖ ῥέπει·

θάνατον γὰρ εἰσέθηκε βαρύτατον κακόν.

Εὐριπίδης

ἐγὼ δὲ πειθώ γʼ ἔπος ἄριστʼ εἰρημένον.
1395

Διόνυσος

πειθὼ δὲ κοῦφόν ἐστι καὶ νοῦν οὐκ ἔχον.

ἀλλʼ ἕτερον αὖ ζήτει τι τῶν βαρυστάθμων,

ὅ τι σοι καθέλξει, καρτερόν τε καὶ μέγα.

Εὐριπίδης

φέρε ποῦ τοιοῦτον δῆτά μοὐστί; ποῦ;

Διόνυσος

φράσω·

βέβληκʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς δύο κύβω καὶ τέτταρα.
1400

Διόνυσος

λέγοιτʼ ἄν, ὡς αὕτη ʼστὶ λοιπὴ σφῷν στάσις.

Εὐριπίδης

σιδηροβριθές τʼ ἔλαβε δεξιᾷ ξύλον.

Αἰσχύλος

ἐφʼ ἅρματος γὰρ ἅρμα καὶ νεκρῷ νεκρός.

Διόνυσος

ἐξηπάτηκεν αὖ σὲ καὶ νῦν.

Εὐριπίδης

τῷ τρόπῳ;

Διόνυσος

δύʼ ἅρματʼ εἰσέθηκε καὶ νεκρὼ δύο,
1405

οὓς οὐκ ἂν ἄραιντʼ οὐδʼ ἑκατὸν Αἰγύπτιοι.

Αἰσχύλος

καὶ μηκέτʼ ἔμοιγε κατʼ ἔπος, ἀλλʼ ἐς τὸν σταθμὸν

αὐτὸς τὰ παιδίʼ ἡ γυνὴ Κηφισοφῶν

ἐμβὰς καθήσθω, συλλαβὼν τὰ βιβλία·

ἐγὼ δὲ δύʼ ἔπη τῶν ἐμῶν ἐρῶ μόνον.
1410

Διόνυσος

ἅνδρες φίλοι, κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐ κρινῶ.

οὐ γὰρ διʼ ἔχθρας οὐδετέρῳ γενήσομαι.

τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι σοφὸν τῷ δʼ ἥδομαι.

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.) — 1378 focus

Dionysus

Come on and stand beside the balance pans.

Aeschylus and Euripides

Here we are!
1575

Dionysus

Now, each of you grab hold and speak a verse,

and don't let go till I yell “Cuckoo!”

Euripides and Aeschylus

We holding on.

Dionysus

Now recite the line into the scales.

Euripides

“Would that the Argive bark had never winged...”
1580

Aeschylus

“Stream of Spercheius, haunts of grazing kine...”

Dionysus

Cuckoo! It's released. And much further down

goes this man's side.

Euripides

Whatever is the reason?

Dionysus

Because he introduced a stream; like fabric salesmen
1585

he made his verse wet just like the wool.

But you put in a winged word.

Euripides

Well, let him say something else and match me.

Dionysus

Grab hold again.

Aeschylus and Euripides

All set.
1590

Dionysus

Speak!

Euripides

“Persuasion has no other shrine save speech.”

Aeschylus

“Death is the only God that loves not bribes...”

Dionysus

Let go, let go! This one's is tilting once again.

For he inserted Death, weightiest of ills.
1595

Euripides

And I Persuasion, a saying beautifully expressed.

Dionysus

Persuasion is but light, and makes no sense.

But this time find some other ponderous line

that will pull down on your side, something high and mighty.

Euripides

Tell me, where oh where do I have something like that?
1600

Dionysus

I'll tell you.

Dionysus

“Achilles threw snake eyes and a four”—

Please speak, since this is your last weigh-in.

Euripides

“Heavy with iron was the club his right hand seized.”

Aeschylus

“Chariot on chariot, corpse on corpse.”
1605

Dionysus

He fooled you again this time.

Euripides

In what way?

Dionysus

Two chariots and two corpses he put in,

which not even a hundred Egyptians could ever lift.

Aeschylus

No more word by word for me; into the scales
1610

himself, his kids, the wife, Cephisophon,

let him step in and sit down, taking all his books.

I'll only speak two verses of mine...

Dionysus

They are my friends, and I won't judge them.

For I will not be on hostile terms with either one.
1615

One I consider clever, the other I enjoy.

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.) — 1378 focus

Dionysus: Come, then, stand beside the two scales,

Aeschylus and Euripides: behold.

Dionysus: 'And once each of you has taken hold of the line, say it.'

Dionysus: And do not let go of me before I cackle at you both.

1380

Aeschylus and Euripides: We follow.

Dionysus: Now speak the words into the stable.

Euripides: If only the Argos had not sailed.

Aeschylus: Spercheius, river, and the mountainous winding-turns.

Dionysus: cuckoo, let me go; and far, very far below.

Dionysus: Let him go, this one.

1385

Euripides: And what, pray, is the cause of this?

Dionysus: because he introduced a river, in a wool-seller's manner.

Dionysus: Having made the speech moist, like the sheep,

Dionysus: but you have put this word on wings.

Euripides: But let someone else speak something and take a stand against it.

Dionysus: then take it again.

1390

Aeschylus and Euripides: behold them.

Dionysus: Speak.

Euripides: There is no other sacred thing of Persuasion except speech.

Aeschylus: For Death alone among the gods does not love gifts.

Dionysus: Let go, let go; and that one too is tipping now.

Dionysus: For he introduced the very heaviest evil, death.

Euripides: But I have spoken a very persuasive word.

1395

Dionysus: Persuasion is indeed light and without understanding.

Dionysus: but seek another thing from those heavy-weighted again,

Dionysus: Whatever he drags down, both strong and great.

Euripides: Where is such a thing? Where?

Dionysus: I will speak.

Dionysus: Achilles has thrown a two and a four with the dice.

1400

Dionysus: He would say that this is the only argument left for you two.

Euripides: and he took a club heavy with iron in his right hand.

Aeschylus: For a chariot meets a chariot, and a dead man meets a dead man.

Dionysus: He has deceived you again, and now as well.

Euripides: "In what way?"

Dionysus: He has brought in four wagons and two corpses,

1405

Dionysus: Those whom not even the hundred Egyptians would praise.

Aeschylus: and not anymore to me word by word, but according to the standard.

Aeschylus: 'The child itself, his wife Kephisophon.'

Aeschylus: let him get on and sit down, having taken the books;

Aeschylus: I, however, will speak only two lines from my own works.

1410

Dionysus: Friends, I myself will not judge them.

Dionysus: For I shall not become an enemy to either side out of hatred.

Dionysus: For I consider the one wise, but I take pleasure in the other.

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

1379. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-84

Line 1379

καὶ λαβομένω τὸ ῥῆμʼ ἑκάτερος εἴπατον,

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1379

Current edition Experimental

Διόνυσος ἴθι δὴ παρίστασθον παρὰ τὼ πλάστιγγʼ,

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης ἰδού.

Διόνυσος καὶ λαβομένω τὸ ῥῆμʼ ἑκάτερος εἴπατον, καὶ μὴ μεθῆσθον, πρὶν ἂν ἐγὼ σφῷν κοκκύσω. 1380

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης ἐχόμεθα.

Διόνυσος τοὔπος νῦν λέγετον ἐς τὸν σταθμόν.

Εὐριπίδης εἴθʼ ὤφελʼ Ἀργοῦς μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος.

Αἰσχύλος Σπερχειὲ ποταμὲ βουνόμοι τʼ ἐπιστροφαί.

Διόνυσος κόκκυ, μέθεσθε· καὶ πολύ γε κατωτέρω χωρεῖ τὸ τοῦδε. 1385

Εὐριπίδης καὶ τί ποτʼ ἐστὶ ταἴτιον;

Διόνυσος ὅτι εἰσέθηκε ποταμόν, ἐριοπωλικῶς ὑγρὸν ποιήσας τοὔπος ὥσπερ τἄρια, σὺ δʼ εἰσέθηκας τοὔπος ἐπτερωμένον.

Εὐριπίδης ἀλλʼ ἕτερον εἰπάτω τι κἀντιστησάτω.

Διόνυσος λάβεσθε τοίνυν αὖθις. 1390

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης ἢν ἰδού.

Διόνυσος λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης οὐκ ἔστι Πειθοῦς ἱερὸν ἄλλο πλὴν λόγος.

Αἰσχύλος μόνος θεῶν γὰρ Θάνατος οὐ δώρων ἐρᾷ.

Διόνυσος μέθεσθε μέθεσθε· καὶ τὸ τοῦδέ γʼ αὖ ῥέπει· θάνατον γὰρ εἰσέθηκε βαρύτατον κακόν.

Εὐριπίδης ἐγὼ δὲ πειθώ γʼ ἔπος ἄριστʼ εἰρημένον. 1395

Διόνυσος πειθὼ δὲ κοῦφόν ἐστι καὶ νοῦν οὐκ ἔχον. ἀλλʼ ἕτερον αὖ ζήτει τι τῶν βαρυστάθμων, ὅ τι σοι καθέλξει, καρτερόν τε καὶ μέγα.

Εὐριπίδης φέρε ποῦ τοιοῦτον δῆτά μοὐστί; ποῦ;

Διόνυσος φράσω· βέβληκʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς δύο κύβω καὶ τέτταρα. 1400

Διόνυσος λέγοιτʼ ἄν, ὡς αὕτη ʼστὶ λοιπὴ σφῷν στάσις.

Εὐριπίδης σιδηροβριθές τʼ ἔλαβε δεξιᾷ ξύλον.

Αἰσχύλος ἐφʼ ἅρματος γὰρ ἅρμα καὶ νεκρῷ νεκρός.

Διόνυσος ἐξηπάτηκεν αὖ σὲ καὶ νῦν.

Εὐριπίδης τῷ τρόπῳ;

Διόνυσος δύʼ ἅρματʼ εἰσέθηκε καὶ νεκρὼ δύο, 1405 οὓς οὐκ ἂν ἄραιντʼ οὐδʼ ἑκατὸν Αἰγύπτιοι.

Διόνυσος ἅνδρες φίλοι, κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐ κρινῶ. οὐ γὰρ διʼ ἔχθρας οὐδετέρῳ γενήσομαι. τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι σοφὸν τῷ δʼ ἥδομαι.

Dionysus Come on and stand beside the balance pans.

Aeschylus and Euripides Here we are! 1575

Dionysus Now, each of you grab hold and speak a verse, and don't let go till I yell “Cuckoo!”

Euripides and Aeschylus We holding on.

Dionysus Now recite the line into the scales.

Euripides “Would that the Argive bark had never winged...” 1580

Aeschylus “Stream of Spercheius, haunts of grazing kine...”

Dionysus Cuckoo! It's released. And much further down goes this man's side.

Euripides Whatever is the reason?

Dionysus Because he introduced a stream; like fabric salesmen 1585 he made his verse wet just like the wool. But you put in a winged word.

Euripides Well, let him say something else and match me.

Dionysus Grab hold again.

Aeschylus and Euripides All set. 1590

Dionysus Speak!

Euripides “Persuasion has no other shrine save speech.”

Aeschylus “Death is the only God that loves not bribes...”

Dionysus Let go, let go! This one's is tilting once again. For he inserted Death, weightiest of ills. 1595

Euripides And I Persuasion, a saying beautifully expressed.

Dionysus Persuasion is but light, and makes no sense. But this time find some other ponderous line that will pull down on your side, something high and mighty.

Euripides Tell me, where oh where do I have something like that? 1600

Dionysus I'll tell you.

Dionysus “Achilles threw snake eyes and a four”— Please speak, since this is your last weigh-in.

Euripides “Heavy with iron was the club his right hand seized.”

Aeschylus “Chariot on chariot, corpse on corpse.” 1605

Dionysus He fooled you again this time.

Euripides In what way?

Dionysus Two chariots and two corpses he put in, which not even a hundred Egyptians could ever lift.

Aeschylus No more word by word for me; into the scales 1610 himself, his kids, the wife, Cephisophon, let him step in and sit down, taking all his books. I'll only speak two verses of mine...

Dionysus They are my friends, and I won't judge them. For I will not be on hostile terms with either one. 1615 One I consider clever, the other I enjoy.

Commentary

Line 1379

Stable identifiers

Διόνυσος

ἴθι δὴ παρίστασθον παρὰ τὼ πλάστιγγʼ,

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἰδού.

Διόνυσος

καὶ λαβομένω τὸ ῥῆμʼ ἑκάτερος εἴπατον,

καὶ μὴ μεθῆσθον, πρὶν ἂν ἐγὼ σφῷν κοκκύσω.
1380

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἐχόμεθα.

Διόνυσος

τοὔπος νῦν λέγετον ἐς τὸν σταθμόν.

Εὐριπίδης

εἴθʼ ὤφελʼ Ἀργοῦς μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος.

Αἰσχύλος

Σπερχειὲ ποταμὲ βουνόμοι τʼ ἐπιστροφαί.

Διόνυσος

κόκκυ, μέθεσθε· καὶ πολύ γε κατωτέρω

χωρεῖ τὸ τοῦδε.
1385

Εὐριπίδης

καὶ τί ποτʼ ἐστὶ ταἴτιον;

Διόνυσος

ὅτι εἰσέθηκε ποταμόν, ἐριοπωλικῶς

ὑγρὸν ποιήσας τοὔπος ὥσπερ τἄρια,

σὺ δʼ εἰσέθηκας τοὔπος ἐπτερωμένον.

Εὐριπίδης

ἀλλʼ ἕτερον εἰπάτω τι κἀντιστησάτω.

Διόνυσος

λάβεσθε τοίνυν αὖθις.
1390

Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης

ἢν ἰδού.

Διόνυσος

λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης

οὐκ ἔστι Πειθοῦς ἱερὸν ἄλλο πλὴν λόγος.

Αἰσχύλος

μόνος θεῶν γὰρ Θάνατος οὐ δώρων ἐρᾷ.

Διόνυσος

μέθεσθε μέθεσθε· καὶ τὸ τοῦδέ γʼ αὖ ῥέπει·

θάνατον γὰρ εἰσέθηκε βαρύτατον κακόν.

Εὐριπίδης

ἐγὼ δὲ πειθώ γʼ ἔπος ἄριστʼ εἰρημένον.
1395

Διόνυσος

πειθὼ δὲ κοῦφόν ἐστι καὶ νοῦν οὐκ ἔχον.

ἀλλʼ ἕτερον αὖ ζήτει τι τῶν βαρυστάθμων,

ὅ τι σοι καθέλξει, καρτερόν τε καὶ μέγα.

Εὐριπίδης

φέρε ποῦ τοιοῦτον δῆτά μοὐστί; ποῦ;

Διόνυσος

φράσω·

βέβληκʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς δύο κύβω καὶ τέτταρα.
1400

Διόνυσος

λέγοιτʼ ἄν, ὡς αὕτη ʼστὶ λοιπὴ σφῷν στάσις.

Εὐριπίδης

σιδηροβριθές τʼ ἔλαβε δεξιᾷ ξύλον.

Αἰσχύλος

ἐφʼ ἅρματος γὰρ ἅρμα καὶ νεκρῷ νεκρός.

Διόνυσος

ἐξηπάτηκεν αὖ σὲ καὶ νῦν.

Εὐριπίδης

τῷ τρόπῳ;

Διόνυσος

δύʼ ἅρματʼ εἰσέθηκε καὶ νεκρὼ δύο,
1405

οὓς οὐκ ἂν ἄραιντʼ οὐδʼ ἑκατὸν Αἰγύπτιοι.

Διόνυσος

ἅνδρες φίλοι, κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐ κρινῶ.

οὐ γὰρ διʼ ἔχθρας οὐδετέρῳ γενήσομαι.

τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι σοφὸν τῷ δʼ ἥδομαι.

Dionysus

Come on and stand beside the balance pans.

Aeschylus and Euripides

Here we are!
1575

Dionysus

Now, each of you grab hold and speak a verse,

and don't let go till I yell “Cuckoo!”

Euripides and Aeschylus

We holding on.

Dionysus

Now recite the line into the scales.

Euripides

“Would that the Argive bark had never winged...”
1580

Aeschylus

“Stream of Spercheius, haunts of grazing kine...”

Dionysus

Cuckoo! It's released. And much further down

goes this man's side.

Euripides

Whatever is the reason?

Dionysus

Because he introduced a stream; like fabric salesmen
1585

he made his verse wet just like the wool.

But you put in a winged word.

Euripides

Well, let him say something else and match me.

Dionysus

Grab hold again.

Aeschylus and Euripides

All set.
1590

Dionysus

Speak!

Euripides

“Persuasion has no other shrine save speech.”

Aeschylus

“Death is the only God that loves not bribes...”

Dionysus

Let go, let go! This one's is tilting once again.

For he inserted Death, weightiest of ills.
1595

Euripides

And I Persuasion, a saying beautifully expressed.

Dionysus

Persuasion is but light, and makes no sense.

But this time find some other ponderous line

that will pull down on your side, something high and mighty.

Euripides

Tell me, where oh where do I have something like that?
1600

Dionysus

I'll tell you.

Dionysus

“Achilles threw snake eyes and a four”—

Please speak, since this is your last weigh-in.

Euripides

“Heavy with iron was the club his right hand seized.”

Aeschylus

“Chariot on chariot, corpse on corpse.”
1605

Dionysus

He fooled you again this time.

Euripides

In what way?

Dionysus

Two chariots and two corpses he put in,

which not even a hundred Egyptians could ever lift.

Aeschylus

No more word by word for me; into the scales
1610

himself, his kids, the wife, Cephisophon,

let him step in and sit down, taking all his books.

I'll only speak two verses of mine...

Dionysus

They are my friends, and I won't judge them.

For I will not be on hostile terms with either one.
1615

One I consider clever, the other I enjoy.