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Tavern-keeper: Platane, Platane, come here, this rogue here,

Innkeeper: Whoever once entered the inn

550

Innkeeper: She ate sixteen of our loaves.

Plathane: By Zeus!

Plathane: that very man, then.

Xanthias: A bad thing is coming to someone.

Innkeeper: And twenty pieces of boiled meat on top of that.

Innkeeper: Half a obol's worth.

Xanthias: Someone will pay the penalty.

Innkeeper: And the many garlic cloves.

555

Dionysus: You are talking nonsense, woman.

Dionysus: And you do not know what you are saying.

Innkeeper: You did not expect me, then,

Innkeeper: Because you were wearing cothurni, could you still be recognized?

Innkeeper: Why then? I have not yet said anything in great detail.

Plathane: By Zeus, not even the fresh cheese, I swear,

Plathane: whom he himself ate up with those very coins.

560

Innkeeper: And then, since I was being paid the money,

Innkeeper: He looked sharply at me and bent his head.

Xanthias: This is very much his work; this way of acting is everywhere.

Innkeeper: And he was drawing his sword, seeming to be furious.

Plathane: By Zeus, wretched me.

565

Innkeeper: But I, having been afraid, am indeed

Innkeeper: We jumped straight up onto the roof!

Innkeeper: But he went off, having taken the rush mat, after shouting.

Xanthias: And this is his work too.

Plathane: but one should have done something.

Innkeeper: Go and summon Cleon, my lord, for me.

Plathane: but you, if you should catch Hyperbolus,

570

Plathane: so that we may rub him.

Innkeeper: Oh filthy throat,

Innkeeper: How sweetly I would bite your molars with a stone!

Innkeeper: I would be worn out, having eaten up all my loads.

Plathane: But I would throw you into the abyss.

Innkeeper: But I would cut out your larynx.

575

Landlady: Taking a sickle, with which you cut down the cholicas.

Plathane: But I am going to Cleon, who is there today.

Plathane: these things are being thoroughly roasted while he calls them.

Dionysus: I would perish most terribly, if I do not love Xanthias.

Xanthias: I know, I know the mind; stop, stop the speech.

580

Xanthias: I would not become Heracles, certainly.

Dionysus: By no means.

Dionysus: O Xanthidion.

Xanthias: And how could I [be] Alcmena's?

Xanthias: Could I be a son, being both a slave and mortal?

Dionysus: I know, I know that he is angry, and justly he does this;

Dionysus: Even if you were to strike me, I would not answer you back.

585

Dionysus: But if I should ever take something from you in the future,

Dionysus: root and branch himself, the wife, the children,

Dionysus: May I perish utterly, I who am a public nuisance, a scoundrel.

Xanthias: I accept the oath, and on top of that I take it.

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.) — 549 focus

Πανδοκευτρία

Πλαθάνη Πλαθάνη δεῦρʼ ἔλθʼ, ὁ πανοῦργος οὑτοσί,

ὃς ἐς τὸ πανδοκεῖον εἰσελθών ποτε
550

ἑκκαίδεκʼ ἄρτους κατέφαγʼ ἡμῶν.

Πλαθάνη

νὴ Δία

ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς δῆτα.

Ξανθίας

κακὸν ἥκει τινί.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ κρέα γε πρὸς τούτοισιν ἀνάβραστʼ εἴκοσιν

ἀνʼ ἡμιωβολιαῖα.

Ξανθίας

δώσει τις δίκην.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ τὰ σκόροδα τὰ πολλά.
555

Διόνυσος

ληρεῖς ὦ γύναι

κοὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι λέγεις.

Πανδοκευτρία

οὐ μὲν οὖν με προσεδόκας,

ὁτιὴ κοθόρνους εἶχες, ἂν γνῶναί σʼ ἔτι;

τί δαί; τὸ πολὺ τάριχος οὐκ εἴρηκά πω.

Πλαθάνη

μὰ Δίʼ οὐδὲ τὸν τυρόν γε τὸν χλωρὸν τάλαν,

ὃν οὗτος αὐτοῖς τοῖς ταλάροις κατήσθιεν
560

Πανδοκευτρία

κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τἀργύριον ἐπραττόμην,

ἔβλεψεν ἔς με δριμὺ κἀμυκᾶτό γε.

Ξανθίας

τούτου πάνυ τοὔργον· οὗτος ὁ τρόπος πανταχοῦ.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ τὸ ξίφος γʼ ἐσπᾶτο μαίνεσθαι δοκῶν.

Πλαθάνη

νὴ Δία τάλαινα.
565

Πανδοκευτρία

νὼ δὲ δεισάσα γέ που

ἐπὶ τὴν κατήλιφʼ εὐθὺς ἀνεπηδήσαμεν·

ὁ δʼ ᾤχετʼ ἐξᾴξας γε τὰς ψιάθους λαβών.

Ξανθίας

καὶ τοῦτο τούτου τοὔργον.

Πλαθάνη

ἀλλʼ ἐχρῆν τι δρᾶν.

Πανδοκευτρία

ἴθι δὴ κάλεσον τὸν προστάτην Κλέωνά μοι.

Πλαθάνη

σὺ δʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἐάνπερ ἐπιτύχῃς Ὑπέρβολον,
570

ἵνʼ αὐτὸν ἐπιτρίψωμεν.

Πανδοκευτρία

ὦ μιαρὰ φάρυξ,

ὡς ἡδέως ἄν σου λίθῳ τοὺς γομφίους

κόπτοιμʼ ἄν, οἷς μου κατέφαγες τὰ φορτία.

Πλαθάνη

ἐγὼ δέ γʼ ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβάλοιμί σε.

Πανδοκευτρία

ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν λάρυγγʼ ἂν ἐκτέμοιμί σου
575

δρέπανον λαβοῦσʼ, ᾧ τὰς χόλικας κατέσπασας.

Πλαθάνη

ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐπὶ τὸν Κλέωνʼ, ὃς αὐτοῦ τήμερον

ἐκπηνιεῖται ταῦτα προσκαλούμενος.

Διόνυσος

κάκιστʼ ἀπολοίμην, Ξανθίαν εἰ μὴ φιλῶ.

Ξανθίας

οἶδʼ οἶδα τὸν νοῦν· παῦε παῦε τοῦ λόγου.
580

οὐκ ἂν γενοίμην Ἡρακλῆς ἄν.

Διόνυσος

μηδαμῶς

ὦ Ξανθίδιον.

Ξανθίας

καὶ πῶς ἂν Ἀλκμήνης ἐγὼ

υἱὸς γενοίμην δοῦλος ἅμα καὶ θνητὸς ὤν;

Διόνυσος

οἶδʼ οἶδʼ ὅτι θυμοῖ, καὶ δικαίως αὐτὸ δρᾷς·

κἂν εἴ με τύπτοις, οὐκ ἂν ἀντείποιμί σοι.
585

ἀλλʼ ἤν σε τοῦ λοιποῦ ποτʼ ἀφέλωμαι χρόνου,

πρόρριζος αὐτός, ἡ γυνή, τὰ παιδία,

κάκιστʼ ἀπολοίμην, κἀρχέδημος ὁ γλάμων.

Ξανθίας

δέχομαι τὸν ὅρκον κἀπὶ τούτοις λαμβάνω.

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.) — 549 focus

Enter Landladies, Pandokeutria and Plathane.

Pandokeutria

Plathane, Plathane, come here!

Here's the villain that once came to our inn

And ate up sixteen loaves.

Plathane

By Zeus,
655

That's the very one.

Xanthias

Trouble's here for somebody.

Pandokeutria

And twenty boiled beeves, on top of that,

at half a buck apiece.

Xanthias

Some one will catch it now.
660

Pandokeutria

Lots of garlic, too.

Dionysus

Surely you jest, good woman;

You don't know what you're saying.

Pandokeutria

What! Did you think that,

because you're wearing those booties, I wouldn't recognise you?
665

Plathane

What else? I've not yet mentioned the pickled fish,

oh no, and the new cheese, the wretch,

that he devoured baskets and all.

Pandokeutria

Then, when I figured out the price,

He looked straight in my face, and bellowed fierce.
670

Xanthias

That's his doing all right, it's his manner everywhere.

Pandokeutria

Then he drew his sword, and seemed insane.

Plathane

He did! poor woman!

Pandokeutria

We both were terrified,

We ran up to the loft at once;
675

but he took off—after grabbing our rugs.

Xanthias

That's his way as well—

Plathane

But we should take some action.

Pandokeutria

Go on and call my patron Cleon.

Plathane

And if you meet Hyperbolus, summon him for me
680

so we can rub this guy out.

Pandokeutria

Detested throat!

How I'd love to take a rock and smash your molars out,

with which you ate up all my wares.

Plathane

And I could throw you in the deepest pit.
685

Pandokeutria

And I should like to take a scythe, and slice the throat that swallowed up my tripe.

Plathane

But I'm going after Cleon, who'll deliver a summons

and reel it out of him today.

Dionysus

Now may I die, but, Xanthias, I do love you.

Xanthias

I know what you're thinking, I know; but stop, not another word. I won't be Heracles again.
690

Dionysus

Don't say that, Xanthias.

Xanthias

How could I ever be

Alcmene's son, since I'm a slave and mortal too?

Dionysus

I know you're angry, I know, and you've every right to be.

Even if you beat me, I'd never contradict you.
695

But if I ever take anything from you in time to come,

may I be cut off root and branch! May I myself, my wife, my children perish, and cock-eyed Archedemus, all together!

Xanthias

I accept the oath, and on these terms I'll take them.

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

581. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-21

Line 581

οὐκ ἂν γενοίμην Ἡρακλῆς ἄν.

The sentence presents a striking syntactic anomaly: the personal pronoun Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklēs) functions as a vocative or appositional noun directly following the first-person verb form γενοίμην (genoímēn), creating a self-addressed paradox where the speaker (Dionysus) denies the possibility of becoming the very figure he is imitating. While the optative γενοίμην with ἂν marks a potential condition, the juxtaposition with the proper name in the nominative/vocative case creates a dramatic irony central to the play's metatheatrical critique of tragedy, as Dionysus simultaneously claims and disavows the identity of Heracles, a hero he is currently impersonating on stage.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

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Current edition Experimental

Πανδοκευτρία Πλαθάνη Πλαθάνη δεῦρʼ ἔλθʼ, ὁ πανοῦργος οὑτοσί, ὃς ἐς τὸ πανδοκεῖον εἰσελθών ποτε 550 ἑκκαίδεκʼ ἄρτους κατέφαγʼ ἡμῶν.

Πλαθάνη νὴ Δία ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς δῆτα.

Ξανθίας κακὸν ἥκει τινί.

Πανδοκευτρία καὶ κρέα γε πρὸς τούτοισιν ἀνάβραστʼ εἴκοσιν ἀνʼ ἡμιωβολιαῖα.

Ξανθίας δώσει τις δίκην.

Πανδοκευτρία καὶ τὰ σκόροδα τὰ πολλά. 555

Διόνυσος ληρεῖς ὦ γύναι κοὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι λέγεις.

Πανδοκευτρία οὐ μὲν οὖν με προσεδόκας, ὁτιὴ κοθόρνους εἶχες, ἂν γνῶναί σʼ ἔτι; τί δαί; τὸ πολὺ τάριχος οὐκ εἴρηκά πω.

Πλαθάνη μὰ Δίʼ οὐδὲ τὸν τυρόν γε τὸν χλωρὸν τάλαν, ὃν οὗτος αὐτοῖς τοῖς ταλάροις κατήσθιεν 560

Πανδοκευτρία κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τἀργύριον ἐπραττόμην, ἔβλεψεν ἔς με δριμὺ κἀμυκᾶτό γε.

Ξανθίας τούτου πάνυ τοὔργον· οὗτος ὁ τρόπος πανταχοῦ.

Πανδοκευτρία καὶ τὸ ξίφος γʼ ἐσπᾶτο μαίνεσθαι δοκῶν.

Πλαθάνη νὴ Δία τάλαινα. 565

Πανδοκευτρία νὼ δὲ δεισάσα γέ που ἐπὶ τὴν κατήλιφʼ εὐθὺς ἀνεπηδήσαμεν· ὁ δʼ ᾤχετʼ ἐξᾴξας γε τὰς ψιάθους λαβών.

Ξανθίας καὶ τοῦτο τούτου τοὔργον.

Πλαθάνη ἀλλʼ ἐχρῆν τι δρᾶν.

Πανδοκευτρία ἴθι δὴ κάλεσον τὸν προστάτην Κλέωνά μοι.

Πλαθάνη σὺ δʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἐάνπερ ἐπιτύχῃς Ὑπέρβολον, 570 ἵνʼ αὐτὸν ἐπιτρίψωμεν.

Πανδοκευτρία ὦ μιαρὰ φάρυξ, ὡς ἡδέως ἄν σου λίθῳ τοὺς γομφίους κόπτοιμʼ ἄν, οἷς μου κατέφαγες τὰ φορτία.

Πλαθάνη ἐγὼ δέ γʼ ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβάλοιμί σε.

Πανδοκευτρία ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν λάρυγγʼ ἂν ἐκτέμοιμί σου 575 δρέπανον λαβοῦσʼ, ᾧ τὰς χόλικας κατέσπασας.

Πλαθάνη ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐπὶ τὸν Κλέωνʼ, ὃς αὐτοῦ τήμερον ἐκπηνιεῖται ταῦτα προσκαλούμενος.

Διόνυσος κάκιστʼ ἀπολοίμην, Ξανθίαν εἰ μὴ φιλῶ.

Ξανθίας οἶδʼ οἶδα τὸν νοῦν· παῦε παῦε τοῦ λόγου. 580 οὐκ ἂν γενοίμην Ἡρακλῆς ἄν.

Διόνυσος μηδαμῶς ὦ Ξανθίδιον.

Ξανθίας καὶ πῶς ἂν Ἀλκμήνης ἐγὼ υἱὸς γενοίμην δοῦλος ἅμα καὶ θνητὸς ὤν;

Ξανθίας δέχομαι τὸν ὅρκον κἀπὶ τούτοις λαμβάνω.

Pandokeutria Plathane, Plathane, come here! Here's the villain that once came to our inn And ate up sixteen loaves.

Plathane By Zeus, 655 That's the very one.

Xanthias Trouble's here for somebody.

Pandokeutria And twenty boiled beeves, on top of that, at half a buck apiece.

Xanthias Some one will catch it now. 660

Pandokeutria Lots of garlic, too.

Dionysus Surely you jest, good woman; You don't know what you're saying.

Pandokeutria What! Did you think that, because you're wearing those booties, I wouldn't recognise you? 665

Plathane What else? I've not yet mentioned the pickled fish, oh no, and the new cheese, the wretch, that he devoured baskets and all.

Pandokeutria Then, when I figured out the price, He looked straight in my face, and bellowed fierce. 670

Xanthias That's his doing all right, it's his manner everywhere.

Pandokeutria Then he drew his sword, and seemed insane.

Plathane He did! poor woman!

Pandokeutria We both were terrified, We ran up to the loft at once; 675 but he took off—after grabbing our rugs.

Xanthias That's his way as well—

Plathane But we should take some action.

Pandokeutria Go on and call my patron Cleon.

Plathane And if you meet Hyperbolus, summon him for me 680 so we can rub this guy out.

Pandokeutria Detested throat! How I'd love to take a rock and smash your molars out, with which you ate up all my wares.

Plathane And I could throw you in the deepest pit. 685

Pandokeutria And I should like to take a scythe, and slice the throat that swallowed up my tripe.

Plathane But I'm going after Cleon, who'll deliver a summons and reel it out of him today.

Dionysus Now may I die, but, Xanthias, I do love you.

Xanthias I know what you're thinking, I know; but stop, not another word. I won't be Heracles again. 690

Dionysus Don't say that, Xanthias.

Xanthias How could I ever be Alcmene's son, since I'm a slave and mortal too?

Dionysus I know you're angry, I know, and you've every right to be. Even if you beat me, I'd never contradict you. 695 But if I ever take anything from you in time to come, may I be cut off root and branch! May I myself, my wife, my children perish, and cock-eyed Archedemus, all together!

Xanthias I accept the oath, and on these terms I'll take them.

Commentary

Line 581

Stable identifiers

Πανδοκευτρία

Πλαθάνη Πλαθάνη δεῦρʼ ἔλθʼ, ὁ πανοῦργος οὑτοσί,

ὃς ἐς τὸ πανδοκεῖον εἰσελθών ποτε
550

ἑκκαίδεκʼ ἄρτους κατέφαγʼ ἡμῶν.

Πλαθάνη

νὴ Δία

ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς δῆτα.

Ξανθίας

κακὸν ἥκει τινί.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ κρέα γε πρὸς τούτοισιν ἀνάβραστʼ εἴκοσιν

ἀνʼ ἡμιωβολιαῖα.

Ξανθίας

δώσει τις δίκην.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ τὰ σκόροδα τὰ πολλά.
555

Διόνυσος

ληρεῖς ὦ γύναι

κοὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι λέγεις.

Πανδοκευτρία

οὐ μὲν οὖν με προσεδόκας,

ὁτιὴ κοθόρνους εἶχες, ἂν γνῶναί σʼ ἔτι;

τί δαί; τὸ πολὺ τάριχος οὐκ εἴρηκά πω.

Πλαθάνη

μὰ Δίʼ οὐδὲ τὸν τυρόν γε τὸν χλωρὸν τάλαν,

ὃν οὗτος αὐτοῖς τοῖς ταλάροις κατήσθιεν
560

Πανδοκευτρία

κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τἀργύριον ἐπραττόμην,

ἔβλεψεν ἔς με δριμὺ κἀμυκᾶτό γε.

Ξανθίας

τούτου πάνυ τοὔργον· οὗτος ὁ τρόπος πανταχοῦ.

Πανδοκευτρία

καὶ τὸ ξίφος γʼ ἐσπᾶτο μαίνεσθαι δοκῶν.

Πλαθάνη

νὴ Δία τάλαινα.
565

Πανδοκευτρία

νὼ δὲ δεισάσα γέ που

ἐπὶ τὴν κατήλιφʼ εὐθὺς ἀνεπηδήσαμεν·

ὁ δʼ ᾤχετʼ ἐξᾴξας γε τὰς ψιάθους λαβών.

Ξανθίας

καὶ τοῦτο τούτου τοὔργον.

Πλαθάνη

ἀλλʼ ἐχρῆν τι δρᾶν.

Πανδοκευτρία

ἴθι δὴ κάλεσον τὸν προστάτην Κλέωνά μοι.

Πλαθάνη

σὺ δʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἐάνπερ ἐπιτύχῃς Ὑπέρβολον,
570

ἵνʼ αὐτὸν ἐπιτρίψωμεν.

Πανδοκευτρία

ὦ μιαρὰ φάρυξ,

ὡς ἡδέως ἄν σου λίθῳ τοὺς γομφίους

κόπτοιμʼ ἄν, οἷς μου κατέφαγες τὰ φορτία.

Πλαθάνη

ἐγὼ δέ γʼ ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβάλοιμί σε.

Πανδοκευτρία

ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν λάρυγγʼ ἂν ἐκτέμοιμί σου
575

δρέπανον λαβοῦσʼ, ᾧ τὰς χόλικας κατέσπασας.

Πλαθάνη

ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐπὶ τὸν Κλέωνʼ, ὃς αὐτοῦ τήμερον

ἐκπηνιεῖται ταῦτα προσκαλούμενος.

Διόνυσος

κάκιστʼ ἀπολοίμην, Ξανθίαν εἰ μὴ φιλῶ.

Ξανθίας

οἶδʼ οἶδα τὸν νοῦν· παῦε παῦε τοῦ λόγου.
580

οὐκ ἂν γενοίμην Ἡρακλῆς ἄν.

Διόνυσος

μηδαμῶς

ὦ Ξανθίδιον.

Ξανθίας

καὶ πῶς ἂν Ἀλκμήνης ἐγὼ

υἱὸς γενοίμην δοῦλος ἅμα καὶ θνητὸς ὤν;

Ξανθίας

δέχομαι τὸν ὅρκον κἀπὶ τούτοις λαμβάνω.

Pandokeutria

Plathane, Plathane, come here!

Here's the villain that once came to our inn

And ate up sixteen loaves.

Plathane

By Zeus,
655

That's the very one.

Xanthias

Trouble's here for somebody.

Pandokeutria

And twenty boiled beeves, on top of that,

at half a buck apiece.

Xanthias

Some one will catch it now.
660

Pandokeutria

Lots of garlic, too.

Dionysus

Surely you jest, good woman;

You don't know what you're saying.

Pandokeutria

What! Did you think that,

because you're wearing those booties, I wouldn't recognise you?
665

Plathane

What else? I've not yet mentioned the pickled fish,

oh no, and the new cheese, the wretch,

that he devoured baskets and all.

Pandokeutria

Then, when I figured out the price,

He looked straight in my face, and bellowed fierce.
670

Xanthias

That's his doing all right, it's his manner everywhere.

Pandokeutria

Then he drew his sword, and seemed insane.

Plathane

He did! poor woman!

Pandokeutria

We both were terrified,

We ran up to the loft at once;
675

but he took off—after grabbing our rugs.

Xanthias

That's his way as well—

Plathane

But we should take some action.

Pandokeutria

Go on and call my patron Cleon.

Plathane

And if you meet Hyperbolus, summon him for me
680

so we can rub this guy out.

Pandokeutria

Detested throat!

How I'd love to take a rock and smash your molars out,

with which you ate up all my wares.

Plathane

And I could throw you in the deepest pit.
685

Pandokeutria

And I should like to take a scythe, and slice the throat that swallowed up my tripe.

Plathane

But I'm going after Cleon, who'll deliver a summons

and reel it out of him today.

Dionysus

Now may I die, but, Xanthias, I do love you.

Xanthias

I know what you're thinking, I know; but stop, not another word. I won't be Heracles again.
690

Dionysus

Don't say that, Xanthias.

Xanthias

How could I ever be

Alcmene's son, since I'm a slave and mortal too?

Dionysus

I know you're angry, I know, and you've every right to be.

Even if you beat me, I'd never contradict you.
695

But if I ever take anything from you in time to come,

may I be cut off root and branch! May I myself, my wife, my children perish, and cock-eyed Archedemus, all together!

Xanthias

I accept the oath, and on these terms I'll take them.