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Line 943

χυλὸν διδοὺς στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν·

The phrase στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν ('of grumblings from tiresome books') targets a specific cultural phenomenon of the late 5th century: the rise of written collections of 'wise sayings' or gnomic poetry (often attributed to figures like Theognis or Solon) that had become objects of pedantic, repetitive recitation in symposia and schools. Aristophanes satirizes the practice of extracting trivial moralizing from such texts (βιβλίων) to produce empty, grumbling speech (σωμυλμάτων), contrasting the living, spontaneous wit of the stage with the dead, tiresome authority of the written word. The adjective ἀπηθῶν ('tiresome', 'cloying') is particularly sharp here, suggesting that the content is not merely old, but actively repulsive due to overuse, a critique of the intellectual climate that valued rote memorization of written texts over genuine dialectical engagement.

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.) — 937 focus

Εὐριπίδης

οὐχ ἱππαλεκτρυόνας μὰ Δίʼ οὐδὲ τραγελάφους, ἅπερ σύ,

ἃν τοῖσι παραπετάσμασιν τοῖς Μηδικοῖς γράφουσιν·

ἀλλʼ ὡς παρέλαβον τὴν τέχνην παρὰ σοῦ τὸ πρῶτον εὐθὺς

οἰδοῦσαν ὑπὸ κομπασμάτων καὶ ῥημάτων ἐπαχθῶν,
940

ἴσχνανα μὲν πρώτιστον αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ βάρος ἀφεῖλον

ἐπυλλίοις καὶ περιπάτοις καὶ τευτλίοισι λευκοῖς,

χυλὸν διδοὺς στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν·

εἶτʼ ἀνέτρεφον μονῳδίαις—

Διόνυσος

Κηφισοφῶντα μιγνύς.

Εὐριπίδης

εἶτʼ οὐκ ἐλήρουν ὅ τι τύχοιμʼ οὐδʼ ἐμπεσὼν ἔφυρον,
945

ἀλλʼ οὑξιὼν πρώτιστα μέν μοι τὸ γένος εἶπʼ ἂν εὐθὺς

τοῦ δράματος.

Διόνυσος

κρεῖττον γὰρ ἦν σοι νὴ Δίʼ ἢ τὸ σαυτοῦ.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐπῶν οὐδὲν παρῆκʼ ἂν ἀργόν,

ἀλλʼ ἔλεγεν ἡ γυνή τέ μοι χὠ δοῦλος οὐδὲν ἧττον,

χὠ δεσπότης χἠ παρθένος χἠ γραῦς ἄν.
950

Αἰσχύλος

εἶτα δῆτα

οὐκ ἀποθανεῖν σε ταῦτʼ ἐχρῆν τολμῶντα;

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω·

δημοκρατικὸν γὰρ αὔτʼ ἔδρων.

Διόνυσος

τοῦτο μὲν ἔασον ὦ τᾶν.

οὐ σοὶ γάρ ἐστι περίπατος κάλλιστα περί γε τούτου.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτα τουτουσὶ λαλεῖν ἐδίδαξα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

ὡς πρὶν διδάξαι γʼ ὤφελες μέσος διαρραγῆναι.
955

Εὐριπίδης

λεπτῶν τε κανόνων ἐσβολὰς ἐπῶν τε γωνιασμούς,

νοεῖν ὁρᾶν ξυνιέναι στρέφειν ἐρᾶν τεχνάζειν,

κάχʼ ὑποτοπεῖσθαι, περινοεῖν ἅπαντα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

Εὐριπίδης

οἰκεῖα πράγματʼ εἰσάγων, οἷς χρώμεθʼ, οἷς ξύνεσμεν,

ἐξ ὧν γʼ ἂν ἐξηλεγχόμην· ξυνειδότες γὰρ οὗτοι
960

ἤλεγχον ἄν μου τὴν τέχνην· ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκομπολάκουν

ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονεῖν ἀποσπάσας, οὐδʼ ἐξέπληττον αὐτούς,

Κύκνους ποιῶν καὶ Μέμνονας κωδωνοφαλαροπώλους.

γνώσει δὲ τοὺς τούτου τε κἀμοὺς ἑκατέρου μαθητάς.

τουτουμενὶ Φορμίσιος Μεγαίνετός θʼ ὁ Μανῆς,
965

σαλπιγγολογχυπηνάδαι, σαρκασμοπιτυοκάμπται,

οὑμοὶ δὲ Κλειτοφῶν τε καὶ Θηραμένης ὁ κομψός.

Διόνυσος

Θηραμένης; σοφός γʼ ἀνὴρ καὶ δεινὸς ἐς τὰ πάντα,

ὃς ἢν κακοῖς που περιπέσῃ καὶ πλησίον παραστῇ,

πέπτωκεν ἔξω τῶν κακῶν, οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος.
970

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.) — 937 focus

Euripides

Not hipporoosters, by God, nor goat-stags, like you,
1095

which they depict on Persian tapestries.

But when I first received the art from you,

she was swollen from bombast and ponderous diction,

at once I slimmed her down and took off weight

with versicles and strolls and laxative roots,
1100

giving a dose of drivel strained from books.

Then I nursed it back with monodies—

Dionysus

—mixing in Cephisophon.

Euripides

Then I didn't say whatever nonsense occurred to me, nor knead in what I fell upon,

But the character who came out first would straightway
1105

tell the background of the play.

Dionysus

Better than your own, by Zeus.

Euripides

Then from the opening words I permitted nothing idle; my woman spoke, as did the slave as well,

Or master, maiden, or old woman.

Aeschylus

Then really
1110

shouldn't you be put to death for daring this?

Euripides

No, by Apollo,

For this was a democratic thing I did.

Dionysus

Let it go, sir,

It's not best for you to digress on that point.
1115

Euripides

Then, I taught these folks to speak up...

Aeschylus

I'll say,

I wish before that lesson you had split down the middle.

Euripides

...And the introduction of subtle rules and squared-off words,

to think, to see, to understand, to love to twist, to connive,
1120

to suspect the worst, to overthink all things...

Aeschylus

I'll say.

Euripides

...Introducing domestic matters which we're used to and understand,

on which I could be tested. For these folks are knowledgeable,

and could have criticized my art. But I didn't toss off boasts,
1125

drawing them away from common sense, and I didn't scare them,

creating Cycnuses and Memnons of the bell-cheeked steeds.

You'll recognize the disciples of both this fellow and myself:

His are Phormisios and manic Meganeitos

Sons of long-beard lancers, pine-tree flesh rippers,
1130

but mine are Cleitophon and Theramenes the dandy.

Dionysus

Theramenes? A clever fellow, an all-round wonder;

If he runs into trouble and happens to be close by

He's thrown clear of the trouble, no Chian but a Kian.

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.) — 937 focus

Euripides: By Zeus, not hippalektryons nor tragelaphs, which you [do].

Euripides: [they write] the things on the Medes' curtains.

Euripides: But as I received the art from you at the very first, immediately

Euripides: swollen with boasting and with heavy words,

940

Euripides: 'He first took away her slenderness and her weight.'

Euripides: in epyllia and peripatoi and white teutlia,

Euripides: giving a gruel of bombast from detestable books.

Euripides: Then I raised [them] with monodies—

Dionysus: Mixing with Cephisophon.

Euripides: 'And then I would not have been taken prisoner by whatever happened, nor, having fallen, would I have been slain,'

945

Euripides: but the owl would first of all tell me its race immediately

Euripides: of the drama.

Dionysus: It would have been better for you, by Zeus, than your own.

Euripides: "But after the first lines, not a single word would have been idle."

Euripides: but the woman and the slave were telling me just as much,

Euripides: and the master, and the maiden, and the old woman, too.

950

Aeschylus: "Then, indeed"

Aeschylus: Shouldn't you have dared to die over these things?

Euripides: By Apollo!

Euripides: for he did them in a democratic manner.

Dionysus: Leave this alone, oh you there.

Dionysus: For there is no walking around most beautifully, at least regarding this matter.

Euripides: Then I taught these people to chatter—

Aeschylus: I too say so.

Aeschylus: 'Would that you had burst in two before you taught!'

955

Euripides: the openings of the subtle rules and the cornerings of the verses,

Euripides: to think, to see, to understand, to turn, to love, to contrive,

Euripides: one should even take it in stride, pondering everything—

Aeschylus: I too say so.

Euripides: introducing his own things, with which we use, with which we are familiar,

Euripides: from which I would have been refuted; for these men are aware of it.

960

Euripides: 'I would have been refuted in my art; but I did not flatter.'

Euripides: having torn away from thinking, he did not terrify them,

Euripides: making swans and Memnonas, bell-clapper-sellers.

Euripides: You will know the students of each of us, both of this man and of me.

Euripides: that is, the one called Phormisios, Megainetos, or the one called Manes,

965

Euripides: trumpet-snout-snail-blowers, sarcasm-pine-benders,

Euripides: Alas for me, and Cleitophon and Theramenes the dandy.

Dionysus: Theramenes? A clever man indeed and capable in all things,

Dionysus: whoever might happen to fall into evils and stand nearby,

Dionysus: He has fallen out of the evils, not a Chian but a Ceian.

970

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

943. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-39

Line 943

χυλὸν διδοὺς στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν·

Aristophanes Frogs 943

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 943

Current edition Experimental

Διόνυσος

Κηφισοφῶντα μιγνύς.

Εὐριπίδης

εἶτʼ οὐκ ἐλήρουν ὅ τι τύχοιμʼ οὐδʼ ἐμπεσὼν ἔφυρον,
945

ἀλλʼ οὑξιὼν πρώτιστα μέν μοι τὸ γένος εἶπʼ ἂν εὐθὺς

τοῦ δράματος.

Διόνυσος

κρεῖττον γὰρ ἦν σοι νὴ Δίʼ ἢ τὸ σαυτοῦ.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐπῶν οὐδὲν παρῆκʼ ἂν ἀργόν,

ἀλλʼ ἔλεγεν ἡ γυνή τέ μοι χὠ δοῦλος οὐδὲν ἧττον,

χὠ δεσπότης χἠ παρθένος χἠ γραῦς ἄν.
950

Αἰσχύλος

εἶτα δῆτα

οὐκ ἀποθανεῖν σε ταῦτʼ ἐχρῆν τολμῶντα;

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω·

δημοκρατικὸν γὰρ αὔτʼ ἔδρων.

Διόνυσος

τοῦτο μὲν ἔασον ὦ τᾶν.

οὐ σοὶ γάρ ἐστι περίπατος κάλλιστα περί γε τούτου.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτα τουτουσὶ λαλεῖν ἐδίδαξα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

ὡς πρὶν διδάξαι γʼ ὤφελες μέσος διαρραγῆναι.
955

Εὐριπίδης

λεπτῶν τε κανόνων ἐσβολὰς ἐπῶν τε γωνιασμούς,

νοεῖν ὁρᾶν ξυνιέναι στρέφειν ἐρᾶν τεχνάζειν,

κάχʼ ὑποτοπεῖσθαι, περινοεῖν ἅπαντα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

Διόνυσος

Θηραμένης; σοφός γʼ ἀνὴρ καὶ δεινὸς ἐς τὰ πάντα,

ὃς ἢν κακοῖς που περιπέσῃ καὶ πλησίον παραστῇ,

πέπτωκεν ἔξω τῶν κακῶν, οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος.
970

Dionysus

—mixing in Cephisophon.

Euripides

Then I didn't say whatever nonsense occurred to me, nor knead in what I fell upon,

But the character who came out first would straightway
1105

tell the background of the play.

Dionysus

Better than your own, by Zeus.

Euripides

Then from the opening words I permitted nothing idle; my woman spoke, as did the slave as well,

Or master, maiden, or old woman.

Aeschylus

Then really
1110

shouldn't you be put to death for daring this?

Euripides

No, by Apollo,

For this was a democratic thing I did.

Dionysus

Let it go, sir,

It's not best for you to digress on that point.
1115

Euripides

Then, I taught these folks to speak up...

Aeschylus

I'll say,

I wish before that lesson you had split down the middle.

Euripides

...And the introduction of subtle rules and squared-off words,

to think, to see, to understand, to love to twist, to connive,
1120

to suspect the worst, to overthink all things...

Aeschylus

I'll say.

Dionysus

Theramenes? A clever fellow, an all-round wonder;

If he runs into trouble and happens to be close by

He's thrown clear of the trouble, no Chian but a Kian.

Commentary

Line 943

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 943

Current edition Experimental

Διόνυσος Κηφισοφῶντα μιγνύς.

Εὐριπίδης εἶτʼ οὐκ ἐλήρουν ὅ τι τύχοιμʼ οὐδʼ ἐμπεσὼν ἔφυρον, 945 ἀλλʼ οὑξιὼν πρώτιστα μέν μοι τὸ γένος εἶπʼ ἂν εὐθὺς τοῦ δράματος.

Διόνυσος κρεῖττον γὰρ ἦν σοι νὴ Δίʼ ἢ τὸ σαυτοῦ.

Εὐριπίδης ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐπῶν οὐδὲν παρῆκʼ ἂν ἀργόν, ἀλλʼ ἔλεγεν ἡ γυνή τέ μοι χὠ δοῦλος οὐδὲν ἧττον, χὠ δεσπότης χἠ παρθένος χἠ γραῦς ἄν. 950

Αἰσχύλος εἶτα δῆτα οὐκ ἀποθανεῖν σε ταῦτʼ ἐχρῆν τολμῶντα;

Εὐριπίδης μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω· δημοκρατικὸν γὰρ αὔτʼ ἔδρων.

Διόνυσος τοῦτο μὲν ἔασον ὦ τᾶν. οὐ σοὶ γάρ ἐστι περίπατος κάλλιστα περί γε τούτου.

Εὐριπίδης ἔπειτα τουτουσὶ λαλεῖν ἐδίδαξα—

Αἰσχύλος φημὶ κἀγώ. ὡς πρὶν διδάξαι γʼ ὤφελες μέσος διαρραγῆναι. 955

Εὐριπίδης λεπτῶν τε κανόνων ἐσβολὰς ἐπῶν τε γωνιασμούς, νοεῖν ὁρᾶν ξυνιέναι στρέφειν ἐρᾶν τεχνάζειν, κάχʼ ὑποτοπεῖσθαι, περινοεῖν ἅπαντα—

Αἰσχύλος φημὶ κἀγώ.

Διόνυσος Θηραμένης; σοφός γʼ ἀνὴρ καὶ δεινὸς ἐς τὰ πάντα, ὃς ἢν κακοῖς που περιπέσῃ καὶ πλησίον παραστῇ, πέπτωκεν ἔξω τῶν κακῶν, οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος. 970

Dionysus —mixing in Cephisophon.

Euripides Then I didn't say whatever nonsense occurred to me, nor knead in what I fell upon, But the character who came out first would straightway 1105 tell the background of the play.

Dionysus Better than your own, by Zeus.

Euripides Then from the opening words I permitted nothing idle; my woman spoke, as did the slave as well, Or master, maiden, or old woman.

Aeschylus Then really 1110 shouldn't you be put to death for daring this?

Euripides No, by Apollo, For this was a democratic thing I did.

Dionysus Let it go, sir, It's not best for you to digress on that point. 1115

Euripides Then, I taught these folks to speak up...

Aeschylus I'll say, I wish before that lesson you had split down the middle.

Euripides ...And the introduction of subtle rules and squared-off words, to think, to see, to understand, to love to twist, to connive, 1120 to suspect the worst, to overthink all things...

Aeschylus I'll say.

Dionysus Theramenes? A clever fellow, an all-round wonder; If he runs into trouble and happens to be close by He's thrown clear of the trouble, no Chian but a Kian.

Commentary

Line 943

Stable identifiers

Διόνυσος

Κηφισοφῶντα μιγνύς.

Εὐριπίδης

εἶτʼ οὐκ ἐλήρουν ὅ τι τύχοιμʼ οὐδʼ ἐμπεσὼν ἔφυρον,
945

ἀλλʼ οὑξιὼν πρώτιστα μέν μοι τὸ γένος εἶπʼ ἂν εὐθὺς

τοῦ δράματος.

Διόνυσος

κρεῖττον γὰρ ἦν σοι νὴ Δίʼ ἢ τὸ σαυτοῦ.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐπῶν οὐδὲν παρῆκʼ ἂν ἀργόν,

ἀλλʼ ἔλεγεν ἡ γυνή τέ μοι χὠ δοῦλος οὐδὲν ἧττον,

χὠ δεσπότης χἠ παρθένος χἠ γραῦς ἄν.
950

Αἰσχύλος

εἶτα δῆτα

οὐκ ἀποθανεῖν σε ταῦτʼ ἐχρῆν τολμῶντα;

Εὐριπίδης

μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω·

δημοκρατικὸν γὰρ αὔτʼ ἔδρων.

Διόνυσος

τοῦτο μὲν ἔασον ὦ τᾶν.

οὐ σοὶ γάρ ἐστι περίπατος κάλλιστα περί γε τούτου.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔπειτα τουτουσὶ λαλεῖν ἐδίδαξα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

ὡς πρὶν διδάξαι γʼ ὤφελες μέσος διαρραγῆναι.
955

Εὐριπίδης

λεπτῶν τε κανόνων ἐσβολὰς ἐπῶν τε γωνιασμούς,

νοεῖν ὁρᾶν ξυνιέναι στρέφειν ἐρᾶν τεχνάζειν,

κάχʼ ὑποτοπεῖσθαι, περινοεῖν ἅπαντα—

Αἰσχύλος

φημὶ κἀγώ.

Διόνυσος

Θηραμένης; σοφός γʼ ἀνὴρ καὶ δεινὸς ἐς τὰ πάντα,

ὃς ἢν κακοῖς που περιπέσῃ καὶ πλησίον παραστῇ,

πέπτωκεν ἔξω τῶν κακῶν, οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος.
970

Dionysus

—mixing in Cephisophon.

Euripides

Then I didn't say whatever nonsense occurred to me, nor knead in what I fell upon,

But the character who came out first would straightway
1105

tell the background of the play.

Dionysus

Better than your own, by Zeus.

Euripides

Then from the opening words I permitted nothing idle; my woman spoke, as did the slave as well,

Or master, maiden, or old woman.

Aeschylus

Then really
1110

shouldn't you be put to death for daring this?

Euripides

No, by Apollo,

For this was a democratic thing I did.

Dionysus

Let it go, sir,

It's not best for you to digress on that point.
1115

Euripides

Then, I taught these folks to speak up...

Aeschylus

I'll say,

I wish before that lesson you had split down the middle.

Euripides

...And the introduction of subtle rules and squared-off words,

to think, to see, to understand, to love to twist, to connive,
1120

to suspect the worst, to overthink all things...

Aeschylus

I'll say.

Dionysus

Theramenes? A clever fellow, an all-round wonder;

If he runs into trouble and happens to be close by

He's thrown clear of the trouble, no Chian but a Kian.