Blepyrus
535
And why did you not take your mantle? Instead of that, you carry off mine, you throw your dress upon the bed and you leave me as the dead are left, bar the chaplets and perfumes.
535
And why did you not take your mantle? Instead of that, you carry off mine, you throw your dress upon the bed and you leave me as the dead are left, bar the chaplets and perfumes.
Praxagora
It was cold, and I am frail and delicate;
540
I took your cloak for greater warmth, leaving you thoroughly warm yourself beneath your coverlets.
It was cold, and I am frail and delicate;
540
I took your cloak for greater warmth, leaving you thoroughly warm yourself beneath your coverlets.
Blepyrus
And my shoes and staff, those too went off with you?
And my shoes and staff, those too went off with you?
Praxagora
I was afraid they might rob me of the cloak, and so,
545
to look like a man, I put on your shoes and walked with a heavy tread and struck the stones with your staff.
I was afraid they might rob me of the cloak, and so,
545
to look like a man, I put on your shoes and walked with a heavy tread and struck the stones with your staff.
Blepyrus
D'you know you have made us lose a sextary of wheat, which I should have bought with the triobolus of the Assembly?
D'you know you have made us lose a sextary of wheat, which I should have bought with the triobolus of the Assembly?
Praxagora
Be comforted, for she had a boy.
Be comforted, for she had a boy.
Blepyrus
550
Who? the Assembly?
550
Who? the Assembly?
Praxagora
No, no, the woman I helped. But has the Assembly taken place then?
No, no, the woman I helped. But has the Assembly taken place then?
Blepyrus
Did I not tell you of it yesterday?
Did I not tell you of it yesterday?
Praxagora
True; I remember now.
True; I remember now.
Blepyrus
And don't you know the decrees that have been voted?
And don't you know the decrees that have been voted?
Praxagora
No indeed.
No indeed.
Blepyrus
Go to! you can live on lobster from now on,
555
for they say the government is handed over to you.
Go to! you can live on lobster from now on,
555
for they say the government is handed over to you.
Praxagora
To do what —to spin?
To do what —to spin?
Blepyrus
No, that you may rule ...
No, that you may rule ...
Praxagora
What?
What?
Blepyrus
... over all public business.
... over all public business.
Praxagora
As she exclaims this Chremes reappears.
Oh! by Aphrodite! how happy
Athens
will be!
Oh! by Aphrodite! how happy
Athens
will be!
Blepyrus
Why so?
Why so?
Praxagora
For a thousand reasons.
560
None will dare now to do shameless deeds, to give false testimony or lay informations.
For a thousand reasons.
560
None will dare now to do shameless deeds, to give false testimony or lay informations.
Blepyrus
Stop! in the name of the gods! Do you want me to die of hunger?
Stop! in the name of the gods! Do you want me to die of hunger?
Chremes
Good sir, let your wife speak.
Good sir, let your wife speak.
Praxagora
565
There will be no more thieves, nor envious people, no more rags nor misery, no more abuse and no more prosecutions and law-suits.
565
There will be no more thieves, nor envious people, no more rags nor misery, no more abuse and no more prosecutions and law-suits.
Chremes
By Poseidon! that's grand, if it's true!
By Poseidon! that's grand, if it's true!
Praxagora
I shall prove it and you shall be my witness
570
and even he
Pointing to Blepyrus. will have no objections to raise.
I shall prove it and you shall be my witness
570
and even he
Pointing to Blepyrus. will have no objections to raise.
Ecclesiazusae. Aristophanes. ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.. New York. 1938.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.