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First Man

The pest seize you!

Second Man
In the same tone.

It will take you. Then seriously. What? give up your goods! Is there a man of sense who will do such a thing? Giving is not one of our customs. Receiving is another matter; it's the way of the gods themselves. 780 Look at the position of their hands on their statues; when we ask a favour, they present their hands turned palm up so as not to give, but to receive.

First Man

Wretch, let me do what is right. 785 Come, I'll make a bundle of all these things. Where is my strap?

Second Man

Are you really going to carry them in?

First Man

Undoubtedly, and there are my two tripods strung together already.

Second Man

What folly! Not to wait to see what the others do, and then ...

First Man

Well, and then what?

Second Man

790 ... wait and put it off again.

First Man

What for?

Second Man

That an earthquake may come or an ill-omened flash of lightning, that a black cat may run across the street and no one carry in anything more, you fool!

First Man

It would be a fine thing if I were to find no room left 795 for placing all this.

Second Man

You are much more likely to lose your stuff. As for placing it, you can be at ease, for there will be room enough as long as a month hence.

First Man

Why?

Second Man

I know these people; a decree is readily passed, but it is not so easily attended to.

First Man

All will contribute their property, my friend.

Second Man

But what if they don't?

First Man

But there is no doubt that they will.

Second Man
Insistently.

But anyhow, what if they don't?

First Man

800 Do not worry; they will.

Second Man

And what if they oppose it?

First Man

We shall compel them to do so.

Second Man

And what if they prove the stronger?

First Man

I shall leave my goods and go off.

Second Man

And what if they sell them for you?

First Man

The plague take you!

Second Man

And if it does?

First Man

It will be a good riddance.

Second Man
In an incredulous tone.

You are really bent on contributing, then?

Ecclesiazusae. Aristophanes. ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.. New York. 1938.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

Ecclesiazusae (OCR draft) (English) (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ἐκκλησιάζουσαι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 776 focus

Ἀνὴρ Α

ὁ Ζεύς σέ γʼ ἐπιτρίψειεν.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἐπιτρίψουσι γάρ.

οἴσειν δοκεῖς τινʼ ὅστις αὐτῶν νοῦν ἔχει;

οὐ γὰρ πάτριον τοῦτʼ ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ λαμβάνειν

ἡμᾶς μόνον δεῖ νὴ Δία· καὶ γὰρ οἱ θεοί·

γνώσει δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν γε τῶν ἀγαλμάτων·
780

ὅταν γὰρ εὐχώμεσθα διδόναι τἀγαθά,

ἕστηκεν ἐκτείνοντα τὴν χεῖρʼ ὑπτίαν

οὐχ ὥς τι δώσοντʼ ἀλλʼ ὅπως τι λήψεται.

Ἀνὴρ Α

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν ἔα με τῶν προὔργου τι δρᾶν.

ταυτὶ γάρ ἐστι συνδετέα. ποῦ μοὔσθʼ ἱμάς;
785

Ἀνὴρ Β

ὄντως γὰρ οἴσεις;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ναὶ μὰ Δία, καὶ δὴ μὲν οὖν

τωδὶ ξυνάπτω τὼ τρίποδε.

Ἀνὴρ Β

τῆς μωρίας,

τὸ μηδὲ περιμείναντα τοὺς ἄλλους ὅ τι

δράσουσιν εἶτα τηνικαῦτʼ ἤδη—

Ἀνὴρ Α

τί δρᾶν;

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἐπαναμένειν, ἔπειτα διατρίβειν ἔτι.
790

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἵνα δὴ τί;

Ἀνὴρ Β

σεισμὸς εἰ γένοιτο πολλάκις

ἢ πῦρ ἀπότροπον, ἢ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ,

παύσαιντʼ ἂν ἐσφέροντες ὦμβρόντητε σύ.

Ἀνὴρ Α

χαρίεντα γοῦν πάθοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ μὴ ʼχοιμʼ ὅποι

ταῦτα καταθείμην.
795

Ἀνὴρ Β

μὴ γὰρ οὐ λάβῃς ὅποι·

θάρρει, καταθήσεις, κἂν ἔνης ἔλθῃς.

Ἀνὴρ Α

τιή;

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἐγᾦδα τούτους χειροτονοῦντας μὲν ταχύ,

ἅττʼ ἂν δὲ δόξῃ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀρνουμένους.

Ἀνὴρ Α

οἴσουσιν ὦ τᾶν.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἀμέλει κομιοῦσιν.
800

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

μαχούμεθʼ αὐτοῖς.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ κρείττους ὦσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἄπειμʼ ἐάσας.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ πωλῶσʼ αὐτά, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

διαρραγείης.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν διαρραγῶ δέ, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

καλῶς ποιήσεις.

Ἀνὴρ Β

σὺ δʼ ἐπιθυμήσεις φέρειν;

Translations (1)

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.) — 776 focus

Man A: May Zeus grind you up.

MAN B: For they will rub them down.

Man B: Do you think you will carry off someone of them who has sense?

Man B: for this is not ancestral, but to receive.

MAN B: We alone must, by Zeus; for the gods too;

MAN B: You will know [them] from the hands of the statues, at least.

780

MAN B: for whenever we pray for good things to be given,

Man B: He stands stretching out his hand palm up.

MAN B: Not so that he will give something, but so that he will get something.

Man A: Oh divine one, let me do something useful.

MAN A: For these things must be bound together. Where are my straps?

785

Man B: For you will really carry it off?

MAN A: Yes, by Zeus, and indeed so then.

Man A: I am fitting this to the two tripods.

MAN B: of the madness,

Man B: not even waiting for the others, what

MAN B: They will do so, and at that very moment now—

MAN A: What shall we do?

MAN B: to wait again, then to spend time still.

790

MAN A: But in order to what?

Man B: If an earthquake were to occur often

Man B: Either [he will set] a fire that turns back [the enemy], or he will run away like a polecat,

Man B: Cease, thunderer, from bringing the rain!

MAN A: At least I would have some fun, if I didn't have where to go.

Man A: I would lay these things aside.

795

Man B: for you will not fail to take whatever.

MAN B: Take heart, you will deposit [it], even if you come in a frenzy.

MAN A: What?

Man B: I knew these men were voting quickly,

MAN B: Whatever these things may seem, I will deny them again.

Man A: They will carry them off, you wretches.

MAN B: But if they do not bring them back, what then?

Man A: Well, they will bring them.

800

Man B: But if they do not bring it, so what?

MAN A: Let us fight against them.

MAN B: And if they should be superior, so what?

MAN A: I am going, leaving her.

Man B: And if they sell them, what then?

MAN A: (It is) torn to shreds.

Man B: If I burst, so what?

MAN A: You will do well.

Man B: But will you desire to carry?

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

792. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-25

Line 792

ἢ πῦρ ἀπότροπον, ἢ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ,

The verb διᾴξειεν is a compound of ἀίξω (to leap) with the prefix δια-, here used in the sense of 'leap about' or 'run wildly,' a usage attested in comedy but distinct from the more common ἄγω or φεύγω in similar contexts of panic. The optative mood in a conditional clause introduced by ἤ...ἤ (either...or) reflects a hypothetical scenario of the female protagonist's reaction to the proposed solution, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation rather than a factual prediction.

796. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-26

Line 796

θάρρει, καταθήσεις, κἂν ἔνης ἔλθῃς.

The phrase κἂν ἔνης ἔλθῃς presents a syntactic crux. While κἂν (κἄν) typically introduces a concessive clause ('even if') followed by the subjunctive (which ἔλθῃς is), the verb ἔνειν (to be) appears here in the aorist subjunctive ἔνης. This is an irregular formation; the standard aorist subjunctive of εἰμί is ἐγὼ ἔνῃμι (or contracted forms like ἔνῃ) in Attic prose, but the form ἔνης is attested in comedy as a metrical contraction of ἔνῃς or a dialectal variant of the aorist, distinct from the present subjunctive εἶναι. The usage creates a rare instance where the aorist subjunctive of 'to be' functions as a condition for the future action 'you will deposit' (καταθήσεις), implying 'even if you should happen to come' (with the aorist subjunctive suggesting a simple, factual condition rather than a repeated or general one). This construction is often debated in textual criticism regarding whether ἔνης is a corruption of ἔνῃ or a deliberate comic license for meter, as the aorist of εἰμί is exceptionally rare in the subjunctive mood in this position.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

First Man The pest seize you!

First Man Wretch, let me do what is right. 785 Come, I'll make a bundle of all these things. Where is my strap?

Second Man Are you really going to carry them in?

First Man Undoubtedly, and there are my two tripods strung together already.

Second Man What folly! Not to wait to see what the others do, and then ...

First Man Well, and then what?

Second Man 790 ... wait and put it off again.

First Man What for?

Second Man That an earthquake may come or an ill-omened flash of lightning, that a black cat may run across the street and no one carry in anything more, you fool!

First Man It would be a fine thing if I were to find no room left 795 for placing all this.

Second Man You are much more likely to lose your stuff. As for placing it, you can be at ease, for there will be room enough as long as a month hence.

First Man Why?

Second Man I know these people; a decree is readily passed, but it is not so easily attended to.

First Man All will contribute their property, my friend.

Second Man But what if they don't?

First Man But there is no doubt that they will.

Second Man Insistently. But anyhow, what if they don't?

First Man 800 Do not worry; they will.

Second Man And what if they oppose it?

First Man We shall compel them to do so.

Second Man And what if they prove the stronger?

First Man I shall leave my goods and go off.

Second Man And what if they sell them for you?

First Man The plague take you!

Second Man And if it does?

First Man It will be a good riddance.

Second Man In an incredulous tone. You are really bent on contributing, then?

Current edition Experimental

Ἀνὴρ Α ὁ Ζεύς σέ γʼ ἐπιτρίψειεν.

Ἀνὴρ Α ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν ἔα με τῶν προὔργου τι δρᾶν. ταυτὶ γάρ ἐστι συνδετέα. ποῦ μοὔσθʼ ἱμάς; 785

Ἀνὴρ Β ὄντως γὰρ οἴσεις;

Ἀνὴρ Α ναὶ μὰ Δία, καὶ δὴ μὲν οὖν τωδὶ ξυνάπτω τὼ τρίποδε.

Ἀνὴρ Β τῆς μωρίας, τὸ μηδὲ περιμείναντα τοὺς ἄλλους ὅ τι δράσουσιν εἶτα τηνικαῦτʼ ἤδη—

Ἀνὴρ Α τί δρᾶν;

Ἀνὴρ Β ἐπαναμένειν, ἔπειτα διατρίβειν ἔτι. 790

Ἀνὴρ Α ἵνα δὴ τί;

Ἀνὴρ Β σεισμὸς εἰ γένοιτο πολλάκις ἢ πῦρ ἀπότροπον, ἢ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ, παύσαιντʼ ἂν ἐσφέροντες ὦμβρόντητε σύ.

Ἀνὴρ Α χαρίεντα γοῦν πάθοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ μὴ ʼχοιμʼ ὅποι ταῦτα καταθείμην. 795

Ἀνὴρ Β μὴ γὰρ οὐ λάβῃς ὅποι· θάρρει, καταθήσεις, κἂν ἔνης ἔλθῃς.

Ἀνὴρ Α τιή;

Ἀνὴρ Β ἐγᾦδα τούτους χειροτονοῦντας μὲν ταχύ, ἅττʼ ἂν δὲ δόξῃ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀρνουμένους.

Ἀνὴρ Α οἴσουσιν ὦ τᾶν.

Ἀνὴρ Β ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α ἀμέλει κομιοῦσιν. 800

Ἀνὴρ Β ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α μαχούμεθʼ αὐτοῖς.

Ἀνὴρ Β ἢν δὲ κρείττους ὦσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α ἄπειμʼ ἐάσας.

Ἀνὴρ Β ἢν δὲ πωλῶσʼ αὐτά, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α διαρραγείης.

Ἀνὴρ Β ἢν διαρραγῶ δέ, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α καλῶς ποιήσεις.

Ἀνὴρ Β σὺ δʼ ἐπιθυμήσεις φέρειν;

Commentary

Line 792

Line 796

Stable identifiers

First Man

The pest seize you!

First Man

Wretch, let me do what is right. 785 Come, I'll make a bundle of all these things. Where is my strap?

Second Man

Are you really going to carry them in?

First Man

Undoubtedly, and there are my two tripods strung together already.

Second Man

What folly! Not to wait to see what the others do, and then ...

First Man

Well, and then what?

Second Man

790 ... wait and put it off again.

First Man

What for?

Second Man

That an earthquake may come or an ill-omened flash of lightning, that a black cat may run across the street and no one carry in anything more, you fool!

First Man

It would be a fine thing if I were to find no room left 795 for placing all this.

Second Man

You are much more likely to lose your stuff. As for placing it, you can be at ease, for there will be room enough as long as a month hence.

First Man

Why?

Second Man

I know these people; a decree is readily passed, but it is not so easily attended to.

First Man

All will contribute their property, my friend.

Second Man

But what if they don't?

First Man

But there is no doubt that they will.

Second Man
Insistently.

But anyhow, what if they don't?

First Man

800 Do not worry; they will.

Second Man

And what if they oppose it?

First Man

We shall compel them to do so.

Second Man

And what if they prove the stronger?

First Man

I shall leave my goods and go off.

Second Man

And what if they sell them for you?

First Man

The plague take you!

Second Man

And if it does?

First Man

It will be a good riddance.

Second Man
In an incredulous tone.

You are really bent on contributing, then?

Ἀνὴρ Α

ὁ Ζεύς σέ γʼ ἐπιτρίψειεν.

Ἀνὴρ Α

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν ἔα με τῶν προὔργου τι δρᾶν.

ταυτὶ γάρ ἐστι συνδετέα. ποῦ μοὔσθʼ ἱμάς;
785

Ἀνὴρ Β

ὄντως γὰρ οἴσεις;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ναὶ μὰ Δία, καὶ δὴ μὲν οὖν

τωδὶ ξυνάπτω τὼ τρίποδε.

Ἀνὴρ Β

τῆς μωρίας,

τὸ μηδὲ περιμείναντα τοὺς ἄλλους ὅ τι

δράσουσιν εἶτα τηνικαῦτʼ ἤδη—

Ἀνὴρ Α

τί δρᾶν;

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἐπαναμένειν, ἔπειτα διατρίβειν ἔτι.
790

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἵνα δὴ τί;

Ἀνὴρ Β

σεισμὸς εἰ γένοιτο πολλάκις

ἢ πῦρ ἀπότροπον, ἢ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ,

παύσαιντʼ ἂν ἐσφέροντες ὦμβρόντητε σύ.

Ἀνὴρ Α

χαρίεντα γοῦν πάθοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ μὴ ʼχοιμʼ ὅποι

ταῦτα καταθείμην.
795

Ἀνὴρ Β

μὴ γὰρ οὐ λάβῃς ὅποι·

θάρρει, καταθήσεις, κἂν ἔνης ἔλθῃς.

Ἀνὴρ Α

τιή;

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἐγᾦδα τούτους χειροτονοῦντας μὲν ταχύ,

ἅττʼ ἂν δὲ δόξῃ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀρνουμένους.

Ἀνὴρ Α

οἴσουσιν ὦ τᾶν.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἀμέλει κομιοῦσιν.
800

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ μὴ κομίσωσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

μαχούμεθʼ αὐτοῖς.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ κρείττους ὦσι, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἄπειμʼ ἐάσας.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν δὲ πωλῶσʼ αὐτά, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

διαρραγείης.

Ἀνὴρ Β

ἢν διαρραγῶ δέ, τί;

Ἀνὴρ Α

καλῶς ποιήσεις.

Ἀνὴρ Β

σὺ δʼ ἐπιθυμήσεις φέρειν;