Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

Pluto: So you will accomplish nothing for the reason that you came?

Dionysus: But if I judge?

1415

Pluto: taking the other one, he departed.

Pluto: Whatever you decide, so that you may come not in vain.

Dionysus: May you be happy. Come, learn these things from me.

Dionysus: I went down to a poet. For what reason?

Dionysus: So that the city, having been saved, may lead the choruses.

Dionysus: whichever of them will then give advice to the city

1420

Dionysus: Rather a good one, I think I shall lead this man.

Dionysus: Well then, first of all, what do you have to say about Alcibiades?

Dionysus: 'What is the opinion of each of you? For the city is in labor.'

Euripides: 'But what opinion does he hold about it?'

Dionysus: whom?

Dionysus: He longs, yet he hates, and yet he wants to possess.

1425

Dionysus: But whatever you think about this, say it.

Euripides: I hate a citizen who benefits his country.

Euripides: He is naturally slow, and is quick to do great harm,

Euripides: and he has found a way for himself, but for the city it is impossible.

Dionysus: Very well, O Poseidon; but what do you think?

1430

Aeschylus: One must not rear a lion's cub in the city,

Aeschylus: "First of all, not to rear a lion in the city,

Aeschylus: if anyone is brought up, he serves the manners.

Dionysus: By Zeus the Savior, I am having a terrible time;

Dionysus: The one indeed spoke wisely, the other clearly.

Dionysus: But let each of you still tell one opinion.

1435

Dionysus: about the salvation of the city which you have.

Euripides: if anyone winged Cleocritus with Kinēsia,

Euripides: May the winds lift the stone from the sea.

Dionysus: It would seem ridiculous, but does it have some sense?

Euripides: if they had fought a sea-battle and then held the oars

1440

Euripides: 'May he shower them in the eyes of the opponents.'

Euripides: I indeed know and want to explain.

Dionysus: Speak.

Euripides: when we now believe the things that are unbelievable to be trustworthy,

Euripides: but the things that are, are untrustworthy.

Dionysus: How? I do not understand.

Dionysus: Say it more foolishly and more clearly.

1445

Euripides: if [it is] with those citizens whom we now trust,

Euripides: "Should we distrust these, whom we do not use?"

Euripides: Let us make use of these things; perhaps we might be saved.

Euripides: But if we are now unhappy in these things, how...

Euripides: Would we not be saved if we did the opposite?

1450

Dionysus: Well, Palamedes, O most intelligent nature.

Dionysus: Did you discover these yourself or did Cephisophon?

Euripides: I alone; but Kephisophon the sharp knives.

Euripides: 'And what about you? What are you saying?'

Aeschylus: now tell me about the city.

Aeschylus: first, to whom does he make use? To the good?

1455

Dionysus: From where?

Dionysus: he hates it most of all.

Aeschylus: and does he delight in the wicked?

Dionysus: Not that one, certainly, but she uses force.

Aeschylus: 'Then how could anyone save such a city?'

Aeschylus: "With which neither a cloak nor a sash is fitting?"

Frogs. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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.) — 1414 focus

Πλούτων

οὐδὲν ἄρα πράξεις ὧνπερ ἦλθες οὕνεκα;

Διόνυσος

ἐὰν δὲ κρίνω;
1415

Πλούτων

τὸν ἕτερον λαβὼν ἄπει,

ὁπότερον ἂν κρίνῃς, ἵνʼ ἔλθῃς μὴ μάτην.

Διόνυσος

εὐδαιμονοίης. φέρε πύθεσθέ μου ταδί.

ἐγὼ κατῆλθον ἐπὶ ποιητήν. τοῦ χάριν;

ἵνʼ ἡ πόλις σωθεῖσα τοὺς χοροὺς ἄγῃ.

ὁπότερος οὖν ἂν τῇ πόλει παραινέσῃ
1420

μᾶλλόν τι χρηστόν, τοῦτον ἄξειν μοι δοκῶ.

πρῶτον μὲν οὖν περὶ Ἀλκιβιάδου τίνʼ ἔχετον

γνώμην ἑκάτερος; ἡ πόλις γὰρ δυστοκεῖ.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔχει δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ τίνα γνώμην;

Διόνυσος

τίνα;

ποθεῖ μέν, ἐχθαίρει δέ, βούλεται δʼ ἔχειν.
1425

ἀλλʼ ὅ τι νοεῖτον εἴπατον τούτου πέρι.

Εὐριπίδης

μισῶ πολίτην, ὅστις ὠφελεῖν πάτραν

βραδὺς πέφυκε μεγάλα δὲ βλάπτειν ταχύς,

καὶ πόριμον αὑτῷ τῇ πόλει δʼ ἀμήχανον.

Διόνυσος

εὖ γʼ ὦ Πόσειδον· σὺ δὲ τίνα γνώμην ἔχεις;
1430

Αἰσχύλος

οὐ χρὴ λέοντος σκύμνον ἐν πόλει τρέφειν,

μάλιστα μὲν λέοντα μὴ ʼν πόλει τρέφειν,

ἢν δʼ ἐκτραφῇ τις, τοῖς τρόποις ὑπηρετεῖν.

Διόνυσος

νὴ τὸν Δία τὸν σωτῆρα δυσκρίτως γʼ ἔχω·

ὁ μὲν σοφῶς γὰρ εἶπεν, ὁ δʼ ἕτερος σαφῶς.

ἀλλʼ ἔτι μίαν γνώμην ἑκάτερος εἴπατον
1435

περὶ τῆς πόλεως ἥντινʼ ἔχετον σωτηρίαν.

Εὐριπίδης

εἴ τις πτερώσας Κλεόκριτον Κινησίᾳ,

αἴροιεν αὖραι πελαγίαν ὑπὲρ πλάκα.

Διόνυσος

γέλοιον ἂν φαίνοιτο· νοῦν δʼ ἔχει τίνα;

Εὐριπίδης

εἰ ναυμαχοῖεν κᾆτʼ ἔχοντες ὀξίδας
1440

ῥαίνοιεν ἐς τὰ βλέφαρα τῶν ἐναντίων.

ἐγὼ μὲν οἶδα καὶ θέλω φράζειν.

Διόνυσος

λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης

ὅταν τὰ νῦν ἄπιστα πίσθʼ ἡγώμεθα,

τὰ δʼ ὄντα πίστʼ ἄπιστα.

Διόνυσος

πῶς; οὐ μανθάνω.

ἀμαθέστερόν πως εἰπὲ καὶ σαφέστερον.
1445

Εὐριπίδης

εἰ τῶν πολιτῶν οἷσι νῦν πιστεύομεν,

τούτοις ἀπιστήσαιμεν, οἷς δʼ οὐ χρώμεθα,

τούτοισι χρησαίμεσθʼ, ἴσως σωθεῖμεν ἄν.

εἰ νῦν γε δυστυχοῦμεν ἐν τούτοισι, πῶς

τἀναντίʼ ἂν πράττοντες οὐ σῳζοίμεθʼ ἄν;
1450

Διόνυσος

εὖ γʼ ὦ Παλάμηδες, ὦ σοφωτάτη φύσις.

ταυτὶ πότερʼ αὐτὸς ηὗρες ἢ Κηφισοφῶν;

Εὐριπίδης

ἐγὼ μόνος· τὰς δʼ ὀξίδας Κηφισοφῶν.

τί δαὶ σύ; τί λέγεις;

Αἰσχύλος

τὴν πόλιν νῦν μοι φράσον

πρῶτον τίσι χρῆται· πότερα τοῖς χρηστοῖς;
1455

Διόνυσος

πόθεν;

μισεῖ κάκιστα.

Αἰσχύλος

τοῖς πονηροῖς δʼ ἥδεται;

Διόνυσος

οὐ δῆτʼ ἐκείνη γʼ, ἀλλὰ χρῆται πρὸς βίαν.

Αἰσχύλος

πῶς οὖν τις ἂν σώσειε τοιαύτην πόλιν,

ᾗ μήτε χλαῖνα μήτε σισύρα συμφέρει;

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.) — 1414 focus

Pluto

Then will you accomplish nothing of what you came for?

Dionysus

But if I choose the other one?

Pluto

Take whichever one you choose,

And go; so that you won't have come in vain.
1620

Dionysus

Bless you! Come, listen to this.

I came down here for a poet. For what purpose?

So that the city might be saved to stage its choruses.

So whichever of you will give the state some useful

advice, that's the one I think I'll take.
1625

Now first, concerning Alcibiades, what opinion

does each of you have? For the city is in heavy labor.

Euripides

What opinion does she have concerning him?

Dionysus

What opinion?

She longs for him, but hates him, and yet she wants him back.
1630

But tell me what you two think about him.

Euripides

I hate that citizen, who, to help his fatherland,

seems slow, but swift to do great harm,

of profit to himself, but useless to the state.

Dionysus

Well said, by Poseidon! What's your opinion?
1635

Aeschylus

You should not rear a lion cub in the city,

[best not to rear a lion in the city,]

but if one is brought up, accommodate its ways.

Dionysus

By Zeus the Savior, I can't decide.

For one has spoken cleverly, and the other one clearly.
1640

Now each of you once more tell me your opinion

about the state, what plan you have to save her.

Euripides

If you feathered Cleocritus with Cinesias,

the breezes would lift them over the ocean's plane.

Dionysus

That would be funny, but what does it mean?
1645

Euripides

If there were a sea battle, and then they had bottles of vinegar,

they could squirt them in the enemies' eyes.

I do know and wish to tell.

Dionysus

Speak.

Euripides

When we what faithless is do faithful hold
1650

And what is faithful faithless...

Dionysus

How's that? I don't understand.

Speak with less erudition and more clarity.

Euripides

If we distrusted those citizens in whom

We now place confidence, and employed
1655

those we don't use now, we would be saved.

If we now are suffering under the present circumstances,

why wouldn't we be saved by doing the opposite?

Dionysus

Well done, Palamedes, you cleverest creature!

Did you discover this yourself, or did Cephisophon?
1660

Euripides

Just me; but Cephison added the vinegar bottles.

And what about you? What do you say?

Aeschylus

As to the state, now tell me,

first, what people does she employ? The good ones, perhaps?

Dionysus

Where'd you get that idea?
1665

She hates them worst of all—

Aeschylus

But loves the scoundrels?

Dionysus

No, she really doesn't. She uses them perforce.

Aeschylus

How could anyone save such a city,

that likes neither finespun wool nor scratchy goatskin?
1670

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

1437. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-88

Line 1437

εἴ τις πτερώσας Κλεόκριτον Κινησίᾳ,

The participle πτερώσας (aorist active participle of πτερόω) is a rare and vivid metaphorical usage, literally meaning 'to wing' or 'to give wings to,' employed here to denote the act of slapping or striking someone on the backside (a common euphemism for a beating). The syntax relies on the participle functioning adverbially with the implied subject of the conditional clause, creating a compact, colloquial idiom characteristic of Aristophanic comedy that would be obscure to a reader relying solely on standard grammatical paradigms.

1444. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-89

Line 1444

τὰ δʼ ὄντα πίστʼ ἄπιστα.

The sentence presents a gnomic antithesis relying on the polysemy of πίστ(α). Here, the first πίστ refers to 'security' or 'guarantee' (derived from πίστις as a pledge), while the second refers to 'trustworthiness' or 'reliability' (derived from the adjective πιστός). This wordplay, contrasting the objective fact of a 'pledge' with the subjective failure of 'faith', is a hallmark of Aristophanic irony regarding the instability of political alliances and human nature in the play.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Πλούτων οὐδὲν ἄρα πράξεις ὧνπερ ἦλθες οὕνεκα;

Διόνυσος ἐὰν δὲ κρίνω; 1415

Πλούτων τὸν ἕτερον λαβὼν ἄπει, ὁπότερον ἂν κρίνῃς, ἵνʼ ἔλθῃς μὴ μάτην.

Εὐριπίδης ἔχει δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ τίνα γνώμην;

Διόνυσος τίνα; ποθεῖ μέν, ἐχθαίρει δέ, βούλεται δʼ ἔχειν. 1425 ἀλλʼ ὅ τι νοεῖτον εἴπατον τούτου πέρι.

Εὐριπίδης μισῶ πολίτην, ὅστις ὠφελεῖν πάτραν βραδὺς πέφυκε μεγάλα δὲ βλάπτειν ταχύς, καὶ πόριμον αὑτῷ τῇ πόλει δʼ ἀμήχανον.

Διόνυσος εὖ γʼ ὦ Πόσειδον· σὺ δὲ τίνα γνώμην ἔχεις; 1430

Αἰσχύλος οὐ χρὴ λέοντος σκύμνον ἐν πόλει τρέφειν, μάλιστα μὲν λέοντα μὴ ʼν πόλει τρέφειν, ἢν δʼ ἐκτραφῇ τις, τοῖς τρόποις ὑπηρετεῖν.

Εὐριπίδης εἴ τις πτερώσας Κλεόκριτον Κινησίᾳ, αἴροιεν αὖραι πελαγίαν ὑπὲρ πλάκα.

Διόνυσος γέλοιον ἂν φαίνοιτο· νοῦν δʼ ἔχει τίνα;

Εὐριπίδης εἰ ναυμαχοῖεν κᾆτʼ ἔχοντες ὀξίδας 1440 ῥαίνοιεν ἐς τὰ βλέφαρα τῶν ἐναντίων. ἐγὼ μὲν οἶδα καὶ θέλω φράζειν.

Διόνυσος λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης ὅταν τὰ νῦν ἄπιστα πίσθʼ ἡγώμεθα, τὰ δʼ ὄντα πίστʼ ἄπιστα.

Διόνυσος πῶς; οὐ μανθάνω. ἀμαθέστερόν πως εἰπὲ καὶ σαφέστερον. 1445

Διόνυσος εὖ γʼ ὦ Παλάμηδες, ὦ σοφωτάτη φύσις. ταυτὶ πότερʼ αὐτὸς ηὗρες ἢ Κηφισοφῶν;

Εὐριπίδης ἐγὼ μόνος· τὰς δʼ ὀξίδας Κηφισοφῶν. τί δαὶ σύ; τί λέγεις;

Αἰσχύλος τὴν πόλιν νῦν μοι φράσον πρῶτον τίσι χρῆται· πότερα τοῖς χρηστοῖς; 1455

Διόνυσος πόθεν; μισεῖ κάκιστα.

Αἰσχύλος τοῖς πονηροῖς δʼ ἥδεται;

Διόνυσος οὐ δῆτʼ ἐκείνη γʼ, ἀλλὰ χρῆται πρὸς βίαν.

Αἰσχύλος πῶς οὖν τις ἂν σώσειε τοιαύτην πόλιν, ᾗ μήτε χλαῖνα μήτε σισύρα συμφέρει;

Pluto Then will you accomplish nothing of what you came for?

Dionysus But if I choose the other one?

Pluto Take whichever one you choose, And go; so that you won't have come in vain. 1620

Euripides What opinion does she have concerning him?

Dionysus What opinion? She longs for him, but hates him, and yet she wants him back. 1630 But tell me what you two think about him.

Euripides I hate that citizen, who, to help his fatherland, seems slow, but swift to do great harm, of profit to himself, but useless to the state.

Dionysus Well said, by Poseidon! What's your opinion? 1635

Aeschylus You should not rear a lion cub in the city, [best not to rear a lion in the city,] but if one is brought up, accommodate its ways.

Dionysus By Zeus the Savior, I can't decide. For one has spoken cleverly, and the other one clearly. 1640 Now each of you once more tell me your opinion about the state, what plan you have to save her.

Euripides If you feathered Cleocritus with Cinesias, the breezes would lift them over the ocean's plane.

Dionysus That would be funny, but what does it mean? 1645

Euripides If there were a sea battle, and then they had bottles of vinegar, they could squirt them in the enemies' eyes. I do know and wish to tell.

Dionysus Speak.

Euripides When we what faithless is do faithful hold 1650 And what is faithful faithless...

Dionysus How's that? I don't understand. Speak with less erudition and more clarity.

Euripides If we distrusted those citizens in whom We now place confidence, and employed 1655 those we don't use now, we would be saved. If we now are suffering under the present circumstances, why wouldn't we be saved by doing the opposite?

Dionysus Well done, Palamedes, you cleverest creature! Did you discover this yourself, or did Cephisophon? 1660

Euripides Just me; but Cephison added the vinegar bottles. And what about you? What do you say?

Aeschylus As to the state, now tell me, first, what people does she employ? The good ones, perhaps?

Dionysus Where'd you get that idea? 1665 She hates them worst of all—

Aeschylus But loves the scoundrels?

Dionysus No, she really doesn't. She uses them perforce.

Aeschylus How could anyone save such a city, that likes neither finespun wool nor scratchy goatskin? 1670

Commentary

Line 1437

Line 1444

Stable identifiers

Πλούτων

οὐδὲν ἄρα πράξεις ὧνπερ ἦλθες οὕνεκα;

Διόνυσος

ἐὰν δὲ κρίνω;
1415

Πλούτων

τὸν ἕτερον λαβὼν ἄπει,

ὁπότερον ἂν κρίνῃς, ἵνʼ ἔλθῃς μὴ μάτην.

Εὐριπίδης

ἔχει δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ τίνα γνώμην;

Διόνυσος

τίνα;

ποθεῖ μέν, ἐχθαίρει δέ, βούλεται δʼ ἔχειν.
1425

ἀλλʼ ὅ τι νοεῖτον εἴπατον τούτου πέρι.

Εὐριπίδης

μισῶ πολίτην, ὅστις ὠφελεῖν πάτραν

βραδὺς πέφυκε μεγάλα δὲ βλάπτειν ταχύς,

καὶ πόριμον αὑτῷ τῇ πόλει δʼ ἀμήχανον.

Διόνυσος

εὖ γʼ ὦ Πόσειδον· σὺ δὲ τίνα γνώμην ἔχεις;
1430

Αἰσχύλος

οὐ χρὴ λέοντος σκύμνον ἐν πόλει τρέφειν,

μάλιστα μὲν λέοντα μὴ ʼν πόλει τρέφειν,

ἢν δʼ ἐκτραφῇ τις, τοῖς τρόποις ὑπηρετεῖν.

Εὐριπίδης

εἴ τις πτερώσας Κλεόκριτον Κινησίᾳ,

αἴροιεν αὖραι πελαγίαν ὑπὲρ πλάκα.

Διόνυσος

γέλοιον ἂν φαίνοιτο· νοῦν δʼ ἔχει τίνα;

Εὐριπίδης

εἰ ναυμαχοῖεν κᾆτʼ ἔχοντες ὀξίδας
1440

ῥαίνοιεν ἐς τὰ βλέφαρα τῶν ἐναντίων.

ἐγὼ μὲν οἶδα καὶ θέλω φράζειν.

Διόνυσος

λέγε.

Εὐριπίδης

ὅταν τὰ νῦν ἄπιστα πίσθʼ ἡγώμεθα,

τὰ δʼ ὄντα πίστʼ ἄπιστα.

Διόνυσος

πῶς; οὐ μανθάνω.

ἀμαθέστερόν πως εἰπὲ καὶ σαφέστερον.
1445

Διόνυσος

εὖ γʼ ὦ Παλάμηδες, ὦ σοφωτάτη φύσις.

ταυτὶ πότερʼ αὐτὸς ηὗρες ἢ Κηφισοφῶν;

Εὐριπίδης

ἐγὼ μόνος· τὰς δʼ ὀξίδας Κηφισοφῶν.

τί δαὶ σύ; τί λέγεις;

Αἰσχύλος

τὴν πόλιν νῦν μοι φράσον

πρῶτον τίσι χρῆται· πότερα τοῖς χρηστοῖς;
1455

Διόνυσος

πόθεν;

μισεῖ κάκιστα.

Αἰσχύλος

τοῖς πονηροῖς δʼ ἥδεται;

Διόνυσος

οὐ δῆτʼ ἐκείνη γʼ, ἀλλὰ χρῆται πρὸς βίαν.

Αἰσχύλος

πῶς οὖν τις ἂν σώσειε τοιαύτην πόλιν,

ᾗ μήτε χλαῖνα μήτε σισύρα συμφέρει;

Pluto

Then will you accomplish nothing of what you came for?

Dionysus

But if I choose the other one?

Pluto

Take whichever one you choose,

And go; so that you won't have come in vain.
1620

Euripides

What opinion does she have concerning him?

Dionysus

What opinion?

She longs for him, but hates him, and yet she wants him back.
1630

But tell me what you two think about him.

Euripides

I hate that citizen, who, to help his fatherland,

seems slow, but swift to do great harm,

of profit to himself, but useless to the state.

Dionysus

Well said, by Poseidon! What's your opinion?
1635

Aeschylus

You should not rear a lion cub in the city,

[best not to rear a lion in the city,]

but if one is brought up, accommodate its ways.

Dionysus

By Zeus the Savior, I can't decide.

For one has spoken cleverly, and the other one clearly.
1640

Now each of you once more tell me your opinion

about the state, what plan you have to save her.

Euripides

If you feathered Cleocritus with Cinesias,

the breezes would lift them over the ocean's plane.

Dionysus

That would be funny, but what does it mean?
1645

Euripides

If there were a sea battle, and then they had bottles of vinegar,

they could squirt them in the enemies' eyes.

I do know and wish to tell.

Dionysus

Speak.

Euripides

When we what faithless is do faithful hold
1650

And what is faithful faithless...

Dionysus

How's that? I don't understand.

Speak with less erudition and more clarity.

Euripides

If we distrusted those citizens in whom

We now place confidence, and employed
1655

those we don't use now, we would be saved.

If we now are suffering under the present circumstances,

why wouldn't we be saved by doing the opposite?

Dionysus

Well done, Palamedes, you cleverest creature!

Did you discover this yourself, or did Cephisophon?
1660

Euripides

Just me; but Cephison added the vinegar bottles.

And what about you? What do you say?

Aeschylus

As to the state, now tell me,

first, what people does she employ? The good ones, perhaps?

Dionysus

Where'd you get that idea?
1665

She hates them worst of all—

Aeschylus

But loves the scoundrels?

Dionysus

No, she really doesn't. She uses them perforce.

Aeschylus

How could anyone save such a city,

that likes neither finespun wool nor scratchy goatskin?
1670