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Βλέπυρος

εἶτʼ οὐ τὸ σαυτῆς ἱμάτιον ἐχρῆν σʼ ἔχειν;
535

ἀλλʼ ἔμʼ ἀποδύσασʼ ἐπιβαλοῦσα τοὔγκυκλον

ᾤχου καταλιποῦσʼ ὡσπερεὶ προκείμενον,

μόνον οὐ στεφανώσασʼ οὐδʼ ἐπιθεῖσα λήκυθον.

Πραξάγορα

ψῦχος γὰρ ἦν, ἐγὼ δὲ λεπτὴ κἀσθενής·

ἔπειθʼ ἵνʼ ἀλεαίνοιμι, τοῦτʼ ἠμπεσχόμην·
540

σὲ δʼ ἐν ἀλέᾳ κατακείμενον καὶ στρώμασιν

κατέλιπον ὦνερ.

Βλέπυρος

αἱ δὲ δὴ Λακωνικαὶ

ᾤχοντο μετὰ σοῦ κατὰ τί χἠ βακτηρία;

Πραξάγορα

ἵνα θοἰμάτιον σώσαιμι, μεθυπεδησάμην

μιμουμένη σε καὶ κτυποῦσα τοῖν ποδοῖν
545

καὶ τοὺς λίθους παίουσα τῇ βακτηρίᾳ.

Βλέπυρος

οἶσθʼ οὖν ἀπολωλεκυῖα πυρῶν ἑκτέα,

ὃν χρῆν ἔμʼ ἐξ ἐκκλησίας εἰληφέναι;

Πραξάγορα

μὴ φροντίσῃς· ἄρρεν γὰρ ἔτεκε παιδίον.

Βλέπυρος

ἡκκλησία;
550

Πραξάγορα

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ἣν ἐγᾠχόμην.

ἀτὰρ γεγένηται;

Βλέπυρος

ναὶ μὰ Δίʼ. οὐκ ᾔδησθά με

φράσαντά σοι χθές;

Πραξάγορα

ἄρτι γʼ ἀναμιμνῄσκομαι.

Βλέπυρος

οὐδʼ ἄρα τὰ δόξαντʼ οἶσθα;

Πραξάγορα

μὰ Δί ἐγὼ μὲν οὔ.

Βλέπυρος

κάθησο τοίνυν σηπίας μασωμένη.

ὑμῖν δέ φασι παραδεδόσθαι τὴν πόλιν.
555

Πραξάγορα

τί δρᾶν; ὑφαίνειν;

Βλέπυρος

οὐ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἄρχειν.

Πραξάγορα

τίνων;

Βλέπυρος

ἁπαξαπάντων τῶν κατὰ πόλιν πραγμάτων.

Πραξάγορα

νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην μακαρία γʼ ἄρ ἡ πόλις

ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν.

Βλέπυρος

κατὰ τί;

Πραξάγορα

πολλῶν οὕνεκα.

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τοῖς τολμῶσιν αὐτὴν αἰσχρὰ δρᾶν
560

ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν, οὐδαμοῦ δὲ μαρτυρεῖν,

οὐ συκοφαντεῖν—

Βλέπυρος

μηδαμῶς πρὸς τῶν θεῶν

τουτὶ ποιήσῃς μηδʼ ἀφέλῃ μου τὸν βίον.

Ἀνήρ

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἔα λέγειν.

Πραξάγορα

μὴ λωποδυτῆσαι, μὴ φθονεῖν τοῖς πλησίον,
565

μὴ γυμνὸν εἶναι μὴ πένητα μηδένα,

μὴ λοιδορεῖσθαι, μὴ ʼνεχυραζόμενον φέρειν.

Ἀνήρ

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ μεγάλα γʼ, εἰ μὴ ψεύσεται.

Πραξάγορα

ἀλλʼ ἀποφανῶ τοῦθʼ, ὥστε σέ τέ μοι μαρτυρεῖν

καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν μηδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ἐμοι.
570

Ecclesiazusae. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1907.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (2)

Ecclesiazusae (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 535 focus

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.

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.

Blepyrus

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.

Blepyrus

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.

Blepyrus

550 Who? the Assembly?

Praxagora

No, no, the woman I helped. But has the Assembly taken place then?

Blepyrus

Did I not tell you of it yesterday?

Praxagora

True; I remember now.

Blepyrus

And don't you know the decrees that have been voted?

Praxagora

No indeed.

Blepyrus

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?

Blepyrus

No, that you may rule ...

Praxagora

What?

Blepyrus

... over all public business.

Praxagora
As she exclaims this Chremes reappears.

Oh! by Aphrodite! how happy Athens will be!

Blepyrus

Why so?

Praxagora

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?

Chremes

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.

Chremes

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.

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.) — 535 focus

Blepyrus: Then shouldn't you have your own cloak?

535

Blepyrus: But take off my clothes and, putting them on, throw the cloak around me.

Blepyrus: Go, leaving behind something as if it were in front,

Blepyrus: 'She has not even crowned herself nor placed a lekythos on her head.'

Praxagora: for it was cold, and I was thin and weak;

Praxagora: And so that I might not be deceived, this I promised;

540

Praxagora: you, while lying in the street and on beds

Praxagora: I left the money.

Blepyrus: but the Lacedaemonian women

Blepyrus: They went away with you, why is the staff missing too?

Praxagora: in order that I might save a cloak, I wore the wine-skin.

Praxagora: Imitating you and striking with both feet.

545

Praxagora: and striking the stones with the staff.

Blepyrus: So you know, then, that you have lost enough wheat,

Blepyrus: The one whom I ought to have taken from the assembly?

Praxagora: Do not worry, for a woman bore a male child.

Blepyrus: Has the assembly met?

550

Praxagora: By Zeus, but on which one was I grumbling.

Praxagora: But has it happened?

Blepyrus: Yes, by Zeus. You did not know me.

Blepyrus: [Did you say] to you yesterday?

Praxagora: I have just remembered.

Blepyrus: So you don't know what you thought?

Praxagora: By Zeus, I certainly will not.

Blepyrus: Then sit down, chewing on squid.

Blepyrus: But they say that the city has been handed over to you.

555

Praxagora: What should we do? Spin?

Blepyrus: No, by Zeus, but to rule.

Praxagora: Of whom?

Blepyrus: Finally, all the matters concerning the city.

Praxagora: By Aphrodite, the city is now truly blessed.

Praxagora: It will be, then.

Blepyrus: On what grounds?

Praxagora: For many reasons.

Praxagora: for no longer to those who dare [to do] shameful things

560

Praxagora: Then it will be so, and nowhere will she testify,

Praxagora: 'I am not bringing a false accusation—'

Blepyrus: by no means, by the gods!

Blepyrus: Do this, but do not take away my life.

Man: Oh, let the woman of the men speak.

Praxagora: do not steal, do not envy your neighbors,

565

Praxagora: 'Let no one be naked or poor.'

Praxagora: Stop insulting him, and don't bring him in as a pledge.

Man: By Poseidon, great things, if he does not lie.

Praxagora: But I will declare this, so that you will also testify for me

Praxagora: And let this man himself say nothing in reply to me.

570

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

549. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-15

Line 549

μὴ φροντίσῃς· ἄρρεν γὰρ ἔτεκε παιδίον.

The particle γὰρ here introduces a reason that is logically inverted: the birth of a male child (typically a positive outcome in a patriarchal society) is presented as the cause for the addressee to cease worrying, implying that the prior anxiety stemmed from a fear of producing a female child or from the general uncertainty of childbirth. This usage highlights the comedic subversion of social expectations where the 'surprise' of a male birth resolves a crisis that was likely exaggerated for comic effect.

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Πραξάγορα ψῦχος γὰρ ἦν, ἐγὼ δὲ λεπτὴ κἀσθενής· ἔπειθʼ ἵνʼ ἀλεαίνοιμι, τοῦτʼ ἠμπεσχόμην· 540 σὲ δʼ ἐν ἀλέᾳ κατακείμενον καὶ στρώμασιν κατέλιπον ὦνερ.

Βλέπυρος αἱ δὲ δὴ Λακωνικαὶ ᾤχοντο μετὰ σοῦ κατὰ τί χἠ βακτηρία;

Πραξάγορα ἵνα θοἰμάτιον σώσαιμι, μεθυπεδησάμην μιμουμένη σε καὶ κτυποῦσα τοῖν ποδοῖν 545 καὶ τοὺς λίθους παίουσα τῇ βακτηρίᾳ.

Βλέπυρος οἶσθʼ οὖν ἀπολωλεκυῖα πυρῶν ἑκτέα, ὃν χρῆν ἔμʼ ἐξ ἐκκλησίας εἰληφέναι;

Πραξάγορα μὴ φροντίσῃς· ἄρρεν γὰρ ἔτεκε παιδίον.

Βλέπυρος ἡκκλησία; 550

Πραξάγορα μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ἣν ἐγᾠχόμην. ἀτὰρ γεγένηται;

Βλέπυρος ναὶ μὰ Δίʼ. οὐκ ᾔδησθά με φράσαντά σοι χθές;

Πραξάγορα ἄρτι γʼ ἀναμιμνῄσκομαι.

Βλέπυρος οὐδʼ ἄρα τὰ δόξαντʼ οἶσθα;

Πραξάγορα μὰ Δί ἐγὼ μὲν οὔ.

Βλέπυρος κάθησο τοίνυν σηπίας μασωμένη. ὑμῖν δέ φασι παραδεδόσθαι τὴν πόλιν. 555

Πραξάγορα τί δρᾶν; ὑφαίνειν;

Βλέπυρος οὐ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἄρχειν.

Πραξάγορα τίνων;

Βλέπυρος ἁπαξαπάντων τῶν κατὰ πόλιν πραγμάτων.

Πραξάγορα νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην μακαρία γʼ ἄρ ἡ πόλις ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν.

Βλέπυρος κατὰ τί;

Πραξάγορα πολλῶν οὕνεκα. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τοῖς τολμῶσιν αὐτὴν αἰσχρὰ δρᾶν 560 ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν, οὐδαμοῦ δὲ μαρτυρεῖν, οὐ συκοφαντεῖν—

Βλέπυρος μηδαμῶς πρὸς τῶν θεῶν τουτὶ ποιήσῃς μηδʼ ἀφέλῃ μου τὸν βίον.

Ἀνήρ ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἔα λέγειν.

Πραξάγορα μὴ λωποδυτῆσαι, μὴ φθονεῖν τοῖς πλησίον, 565 μὴ γυμνὸν εἶναι μὴ πένητα μηδένα, μὴ λοιδορεῖσθαι, μὴ ʼνεχυραζόμενον φέρειν.

Ἀνήρ νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ μεγάλα γʼ, εἰ μὴ ψεύσεται.

Πραξάγορα ἀλλʼ ἀποφανῶ τοῦθʼ, ὥστε σέ τέ μοι μαρτυρεῖν καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν μηδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ἐμοι. 570

Current edition Perseus

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.

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.

Blepyrus 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.

Blepyrus 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.

Blepyrus 550 Who? the Assembly?

Praxagora No, no, the woman I helped. But has the Assembly taken place then?

Blepyrus Did I not tell you of it yesterday?

Praxagora True; I remember now.

Blepyrus And don't you know the decrees that have been voted?

Praxagora No indeed.

Blepyrus 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?

Blepyrus No, that you may rule ...

Praxagora What?

Blepyrus ... over all public business.

Praxagora As she exclaims this Chremes reappears. Oh! by Aphrodite! how happy Athens will be!

Blepyrus Why so?

Praxagora 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?

Chremes 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.

Chremes 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.

Commentary

Line 549

Stable identifiers

Πραξάγορα

ψῦχος γὰρ ἦν, ἐγὼ δὲ λεπτὴ κἀσθενής·

ἔπειθʼ ἵνʼ ἀλεαίνοιμι, τοῦτʼ ἠμπεσχόμην·
540

σὲ δʼ ἐν ἀλέᾳ κατακείμενον καὶ στρώμασιν

κατέλιπον ὦνερ.

Βλέπυρος

αἱ δὲ δὴ Λακωνικαὶ

ᾤχοντο μετὰ σοῦ κατὰ τί χἠ βακτηρία;

Πραξάγορα

ἵνα θοἰμάτιον σώσαιμι, μεθυπεδησάμην

μιμουμένη σε καὶ κτυποῦσα τοῖν ποδοῖν
545

καὶ τοὺς λίθους παίουσα τῇ βακτηρίᾳ.

Βλέπυρος

οἶσθʼ οὖν ἀπολωλεκυῖα πυρῶν ἑκτέα,

ὃν χρῆν ἔμʼ ἐξ ἐκκλησίας εἰληφέναι;

Πραξάγορα

μὴ φροντίσῃς· ἄρρεν γὰρ ἔτεκε παιδίον.

Βλέπυρος

ἡκκλησία;
550

Πραξάγορα

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ἣν ἐγᾠχόμην.

ἀτὰρ γεγένηται;

Βλέπυρος

ναὶ μὰ Δίʼ. οὐκ ᾔδησθά με

φράσαντά σοι χθές;

Πραξάγορα

ἄρτι γʼ ἀναμιμνῄσκομαι.

Βλέπυρος

οὐδʼ ἄρα τὰ δόξαντʼ οἶσθα;

Πραξάγορα

μὰ Δί ἐγὼ μὲν οὔ.

Βλέπυρος

κάθησο τοίνυν σηπίας μασωμένη.

ὑμῖν δέ φασι παραδεδόσθαι τὴν πόλιν.
555

Πραξάγορα

τί δρᾶν; ὑφαίνειν;

Βλέπυρος

οὐ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἄρχειν.

Πραξάγορα

τίνων;

Βλέπυρος

ἁπαξαπάντων τῶν κατὰ πόλιν πραγμάτων.

Πραξάγορα

νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην μακαρία γʼ ἄρ ἡ πόλις

ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν.

Βλέπυρος

κατὰ τί;

Πραξάγορα

πολλῶν οὕνεκα.

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τοῖς τολμῶσιν αὐτὴν αἰσχρὰ δρᾶν
560

ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν, οὐδαμοῦ δὲ μαρτυρεῖν,

οὐ συκοφαντεῖν—

Βλέπυρος

μηδαμῶς πρὸς τῶν θεῶν

τουτὶ ποιήσῃς μηδʼ ἀφέλῃ μου τὸν βίον.

Ἀνήρ

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἔα λέγειν.

Πραξάγορα

μὴ λωποδυτῆσαι, μὴ φθονεῖν τοῖς πλησίον,
565

μὴ γυμνὸν εἶναι μὴ πένητα μηδένα,

μὴ λοιδορεῖσθαι, μὴ ʼνεχυραζόμενον φέρειν.

Ἀνήρ

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ μεγάλα γʼ, εἰ μὴ ψεύσεται.

Πραξάγορα

ἀλλʼ ἀποφανῶ τοῦθʼ, ὥστε σέ τέ μοι μαρτυρεῖν

καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν μηδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ἐμοι.
570

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.

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.

Blepyrus

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.

Blepyrus

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.

Blepyrus

550 Who? the Assembly?

Praxagora

No, no, the woman I helped. But has the Assembly taken place then?

Blepyrus

Did I not tell you of it yesterday?

Praxagora

True; I remember now.

Blepyrus

And don't you know the decrees that have been voted?

Praxagora

No indeed.

Blepyrus

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?

Blepyrus

No, that you may rule ...

Praxagora

What?

Blepyrus

... over all public business.

Praxagora
As she exclaims this Chremes reappears.

Oh! by Aphrodite! how happy Athens will be!

Blepyrus

Why so?

Praxagora

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?

Chremes

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.

Chremes

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.