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ἐπεῖχε κρούων ὁ κοπρεαῖος, λαμβάνω

The vocative κοπρεαῖος (kopreios, 'the dung-seller') is a specific reference to a stock character of the Athenian comic stage, often associated with the disposal of night-soil and the unsavory aspects of urban life. Its presence here, likely addressing a character named in the preceding dialogue or implied by the action, highlights the play's characteristic use of low-born, working-class figures to disrupt the high-flown political discourse of the assembly scene. The term is not merely a generic descriptor for a laborer but a specific designation that would evoke immediate recognition and potential disgust or humor in the audience regarding the social stratification of Athens.

Ecclesiazusae. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (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)

Ἐκκλησιάζουσαι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 311 focus

Βλέπυρος

τί τὸ πρᾶγμα; ποῖ ποθʼ ἡ γυνὴ φρούδη ʼστί μοι;

ἐπεὶ πρὸς ἕω νῦν γʼ ἔστιν, ἡ δʼ οὐ φαίνεται.

ἐγὼ δὲ κατάκειμαι πάλαι χεζητιῶν,

τὰς ἐμβάδας ζητῶν λαβεῖν ἐν τῷ σκότῳ

καὶ θοἰμάτιον· ὅτε δὴ δʼ ἐκεῖνο ψηλαφῶν
315

οὐκ ἐδυνάμην εὑρεῖν, ὁ δʼ ἤδη τὴν θύραν

ἐπεῖχε κρούων ὁ κοπρεαῖος, λαμβάνω

τουτὶ τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἡμιδιπλοίδιον,

καὶ τὰς ἐκείνης Περσικὰς ὑφέλκομαι.

ἀλλʼ ἐν καθαρῷ ποῦ, ποῦ τις ἂν χέσας τύχοι;
320

ἢ πανταχοῦ τοι νυκτός ἐστιν ἐν καλῷ;

οὐ γάρ με νῦν χέζοντά γʼ οὐδεὶς ὄψεται.

οἴμοι κακοδαίμων, ὅτι γέρων ὢν ἠγόμην

γυναῖχʼ· ὅσας εἴμʼ ἄξιος πληγὰς λαβεῖν.

οὐ γάρ ποθʼ ὑγιὲς οὐδὲν ἐξελήλυθεν
325

δράσουσʼ. ὅμως δʼ οὖν ἐστιν ἀποπατητέον.

Ἀνήρ

τίς ἔστιν; οὐ δήπου Βλέπυρος ὁ γειτνιῶν;

Βλέπυρος

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ αὐτὸς δῆτʼ ἐκεῖνος.

Ἀνήρ

εἰπέ μοι,

τί τοῦτό σοι τὸ πυρρόν ἐστιν; οὔτι που

Κινησίας σου κατατετίληκέν ποθεν;
330

Βλέπυρος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐξελήλυθα

τὸ κροκωτίδιον ἀμπισχόμενος οὑνδύεται.

Ἀνήρ

τὸ δʼ ἱμάτιόν σου ποῦ ʼστιν;

Βλέπυρος

οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι.

ζητῶν γὰρ αὔτʼ οὐχ ηὗρον ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν.

Ἀνήρ

εἶτʼ οὐδὲ τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἐκέλευσάς σοι φράσαι;
335

Βλέπυρος

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἔνδον οὖσα τυγχάνει,

ἀλλʼ ἐκτετρύπηκεν λαθοῦσά μʼ ἔνδοθεν·

ὃ καὶ δέδοικα μή τι δρᾷ νεώτερον.

Ἀνήρ

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ ταὐτὰ τοίνυν ἄντικρυς

ἐμοὶ πέπονθας. καὶ γὰρ ᾗ ξύνειμʼ ἐγὼ
340

φρούδη ʼστʼ ἔχουσα θοἰμάτιον οὑγὼ ʼφόρουν.

κοὐ τοῦτο λυπεῖ μʼ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἐμβάδας.

οὔκουν λαβεῖν γʼ αὐτὰς ἐδυνάμην οὐδαμοῦ.

Βλέπυρος

μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον οὐδʼ ἐγὼ γὰρ τὰς ἐμὰς

Λακωνικάς, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔτυχον χεζητιῶν,
345

ἐς τὼ κοθόρνω τὼ πόδʼ ἐνθεὶς ἵεμαι,

ἵνα μὴ ʼγχέσαιμʼ ἐς τὴν σισύραν· φανὴ γὰρ ἦν.

Ἀνήρ

τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴη; μῶν ἐπʼ ἄριστον γυνὴ

κέκληκεν αὐτὴν τῶν φίλων;

Βλέπυρος

γνώμην γʼ ἐμήν.

Ἀνήρ

οὔκουν πονηρά γʼ ἐστὶν ὅ τι κἄμʼ εἰδέναι.
350

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν ἱμονιάν τινʼ ἀποπατεῖς, ἐμοὶ δʼ

ὥρα βαδίζειν ἐστὶν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν,

ἤνπερ λάβω θοἰμάτιον, ὅπερ ἦν μοι μόνον.

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.) — 311 focus

The Chorus marches away. Blepyrus appears in the doorway of his house, wearing Praxagora's Persian sandals and saffron robe.

Blepyrus

What does this mean? My wife has vanished! it is nearly daybreak and she does not return! I had to take a crap! I woke up and hunted in the darkness for my shoes 315 and my cloak; but grope where I would, I couldn't find them. Meanwhile Mr. O'Shit was already knocking on the door and I had only just time to seize my wife's little mantle and her Persian slippers. 320 But where shall I find a place where I can take a crap? Bah! One place is as good as another at night-time; no one will see me. Ah! what a damned fool I was to take a wife at my age, and how I could thrash myself for having acted so stupidly! 325 It's certainty she's not gone out for any honest purpose. But the thing to do now is to take a crap.

He squats.

A Man
Looking out of the window of the house next door.

Who's that? Is that not my neighbor Blepyrus? Why, yes, it's no other. Tell me, what's all that yellow about you? Can it be 330 Cinesias who has befouled you so?

Blepyrus

No, no, I only slipped on my wife's tunic to come out in.

Man

And where is your cloak?

Blepyrus

I cannot tell you; I hunted for it vainly on the bed.

Man

335 And why did you not ask your wife for it?

Blepyrus

Ah! why indeed! because she is not in the house; she has run away, and I greatly fear that she may be doing me an ill turn.

Man

But, by Poseidon, it's the same 340 with myself. My wife has disappeared with my cloak, and what is still worse, with my shoes as well; I cannot find them anywhere.

Blepyrus

Nor can I my 345 Laconian ones; but as I urgently needed to crap, I popped my feet into these slippers, so as not to soil my blanket, which is brand new.

Man

What does it mean? Can some friend have invited her to a feast?

Blepyrus

I expect so, 350 for she does not generally misconduct herself, as far as I know.

Man

What are you doing, making well-ropes? Are you never going to be done? As for myself, I would like to go to the Assembly, and it is time to start, but I've got to find my cloak; I have only one.

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.) — 311 focus

Blepyrus: What is the matter? Where has the woman gone, I wonder?

Blepyrus: Since it is now towards dawn, but she is not appearing.

Blepyrus: As for me, I have been lying down for a long time trying to sleep,

Blepyrus: seeking to take off the sandals in the dark

Blepyrus: and even a small cloak; for when I was indeed feeling that one about

315

Blepyrus: I was not able to find [him], but he is already at the door.

Blepyrus: 'Hold on, the dung-beater is striking, I'm taking it.'

Blepyrus: This is the woman's half-woolen cloak,

Blepyrus: And I draw out her Persian cloak.

Blepyrus: But where, I wonder, would someone chance to urinate in a clean place?

320

Blepyrus: Is it everywhere at night in good condition?

Blepyrus: for no one will see me defecating now.

Blepyrus: Alas, wretched me, that being old I was led away.

Blepyrus: woman! How many blows I deserve to receive.

Blepyrus: for nothing has ever come out sound.

325

Blepyrus: She will do it. But still, one must trample it out.

Man: Who is it? Surely it is not Blepyrus, the neighbor?

Blepyrus: By Zeus, that man is certainly there.

Man: tell me,

MAN: What is this red thing to you? Not in the least.

Man: Where has Kinésias got your money?

330

Blepyrus: No, but I have come out of the woman's house.

Blepyrus: Having put on the saffron-colored undergarment, he is now diving.

Man: But where is your cloak?

Blepyrus: I cannot say it.

Blepyrus: for in searching for her I did not find her in the bedding.

Man: Then you didn't even order her to tell you?

335

Blepyrus: By Zeus, for she happens not to be inside,

Blepyrus: But it has been drilled through, stealthily, from the inside.

Blepyrus: That is precisely what I fear, that he may be doing something new.

Man: By Poseidon, then let us say it straight out.

Man: You have suffered from me. For indeed, in the way I live with you,

340

Man: I had a shawl when I was completely naked.

Man: And this does not grieve me, but also the slippers.

Man: So I could not get them anywhere.

BLEPYRUS: By Dionysus, not even I, for [I have] my own.

Blepyrus: Spartan-style, but as they happened to be made of bronze,

345

Blepyrus: I am leaping, having put my foot into the two cothurns,

Blepyrus: in order that I might not sneeze into the sieve; for she was visible.

Man: But what on earth could it be? Or is a woman coming to lunch?

Man: Has he called her among the friends?

Blepyrus: My opinion, then.

Man: Well, surely it is not a bad thing for me to know.

350

Man: But you are making some sort of a noise, but as for me...

Man: It is time to walk to the assembly,

Man: If I get the cloak, which was the only one I had.

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

317. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-1

Line 317

ἐπεῖχε κρούων ὁ κοπρεαῖος, λαμβάνω

Aristophanes Ecclesiazusae 317

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 317

Current edition Experimental

Ἀνήρ

τίς ἔστιν; οὐ δήπου Βλέπυρος ὁ γειτνιῶν;

Βλέπυρος

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ αὐτὸς δῆτʼ ἐκεῖνος.

Ἀνήρ

εἰπέ μοι,

τί τοῦτό σοι τὸ πυρρόν ἐστιν; οὔτι που

Κινησίας σου κατατετίληκέν ποθεν;
330

Βλέπυρος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐξελήλυθα

τὸ κροκωτίδιον ἀμπισχόμενος οὑνδύεται.

Ἀνήρ

τὸ δʼ ἱμάτιόν σου ποῦ ʼστιν;

Βλέπυρος

οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι.

ζητῶν γὰρ αὔτʼ οὐχ ηὗρον ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν.

Ἀνήρ

εἶτʼ οὐδὲ τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἐκέλευσάς σοι φράσαι;
335

Βλέπυρος

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἔνδον οὖσα τυγχάνει,

ἀλλʼ ἐκτετρύπηκεν λαθοῦσά μʼ ἔνδοθεν·

ὃ καὶ δέδοικα μή τι δρᾷ νεώτερον.

Ἀνήρ

τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴη; μῶν ἐπʼ ἄριστον γυνὴ

κέκληκεν αὐτὴν τῶν φίλων;

Βλέπυρος

γνώμην γʼ ἐμήν.

The Chorus marches away. Blepyrus appears in the doorway of his house, wearing Praxagora's Persian sandals and saffron robe.

A Man
Looking out of the window of the house next door.

Who's that? Is that not my neighbor Blepyrus? Why, yes, it's no other. Tell me, what's all that yellow about you? Can it be 330 Cinesias who has befouled you so?

Blepyrus

No, no, I only slipped on my wife's tunic to come out in.

Man

And where is your cloak?

Blepyrus

I cannot tell you; I hunted for it vainly on the bed.

Man

335 And why did you not ask your wife for it?

Blepyrus

Ah! why indeed! because she is not in the house; she has run away, and I greatly fear that she may be doing me an ill turn.

Man

But, by Poseidon, it's the same 340 with myself. My wife has disappeared with my cloak, and what is still worse, with my shoes as well; I cannot find them anywhere.

Blepyrus

Nor can I my 345 Laconian ones; but as I urgently needed to crap, I popped my feet into these slippers, so as not to soil my blanket, which is brand new.

Man

What does it mean? Can some friend have invited her to a feast?

Blepyrus

I expect so, 350 for she does not generally misconduct herself, as far as I know.

Man

What are you doing, making well-ropes? Are you never going to be done? As for myself, I would like to go to the Assembly, and it is time to start, but I've got to find my cloak; I have only one.

Commentary

Line 317

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 317

Current edition Experimental

Ἀνήρ τίς ἔστιν; οὐ δήπου Βλέπυρος ὁ γειτνιῶν;

Βλέπυρος νὴ τὸν Δίʼ αὐτὸς δῆτʼ ἐκεῖνος.

Ἀνήρ εἰπέ μοι, τί τοῦτό σοι τὸ πυρρόν ἐστιν; οὔτι που Κινησίας σου κατατετίληκέν ποθεν; 330

Βλέπυρος οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐξελήλυθα τὸ κροκωτίδιον ἀμπισχόμενος οὑνδύεται.

Ἀνήρ τὸ δʼ ἱμάτιόν σου ποῦ ʼστιν;

Βλέπυρος οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι. ζητῶν γὰρ αὔτʼ οὐχ ηὗρον ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν.

Ἀνήρ εἶτʼ οὐδὲ τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἐκέλευσάς σοι φράσαι; 335

Βλέπυρος μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἔνδον οὖσα τυγχάνει, ἀλλʼ ἐκτετρύπηκεν λαθοῦσά μʼ ἔνδοθεν· ὃ καὶ δέδοικα μή τι δρᾷ νεώτερον.

Ἀνήρ τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴη; μῶν ἐπʼ ἄριστον γυνὴ κέκληκεν αὐτὴν τῶν φίλων;

Βλέπυρος γνώμην γʼ ἐμήν.

The Chorus marches away. Blepyrus appears in the doorway of his house, wearing Praxagora's Persian sandals and saffron robe.

A Man Looking out of the window of the house next door. Who's that? Is that not my neighbor Blepyrus? Why, yes, it's no other. Tell me, what's all that yellow about you? Can it be 330 Cinesias who has befouled you so?

Blepyrus No, no, I only slipped on my wife's tunic to come out in.

Man And where is your cloak?

Blepyrus I cannot tell you; I hunted for it vainly on the bed.

Man 335 And why did you not ask your wife for it?

Blepyrus Ah! why indeed! because she is not in the house; she has run away, and I greatly fear that she may be doing me an ill turn.

Man But, by Poseidon, it's the same 340 with myself. My wife has disappeared with my cloak, and what is still worse, with my shoes as well; I cannot find them anywhere.

Blepyrus Nor can I my 345 Laconian ones; but as I urgently needed to crap, I popped my feet into these slippers, so as not to soil my blanket, which is brand new.

Man What does it mean? Can some friend have invited her to a feast?

Blepyrus I expect so, 350 for she does not generally misconduct herself, as far as I know.

Man What are you doing, making well-ropes? Are you never going to be done? As for myself, I would like to go to the Assembly, and it is time to start, but I've got to find my cloak; I have only one.

Commentary

Line 317

Stable identifiers

Ἀνήρ

τίς ἔστιν; οὐ δήπου Βλέπυρος ὁ γειτνιῶν;

Βλέπυρος

νὴ τὸν Δίʼ αὐτὸς δῆτʼ ἐκεῖνος.

Ἀνήρ

εἰπέ μοι,

τί τοῦτό σοι τὸ πυρρόν ἐστιν; οὔτι που

Κινησίας σου κατατετίληκέν ποθεν;
330

Βλέπυρος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐξελήλυθα

τὸ κροκωτίδιον ἀμπισχόμενος οὑνδύεται.

Ἀνήρ

τὸ δʼ ἱμάτιόν σου ποῦ ʼστιν;

Βλέπυρος

οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι.

ζητῶν γὰρ αὔτʼ οὐχ ηὗρον ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν.

Ἀνήρ

εἶτʼ οὐδὲ τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἐκέλευσάς σοι φράσαι;
335

Βλέπυρος

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἔνδον οὖσα τυγχάνει,

ἀλλʼ ἐκτετρύπηκεν λαθοῦσά μʼ ἔνδοθεν·

ὃ καὶ δέδοικα μή τι δρᾷ νεώτερον.

Ἀνήρ

τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴη; μῶν ἐπʼ ἄριστον γυνὴ

κέκληκεν αὐτὴν τῶν φίλων;

Βλέπυρος

γνώμην γʼ ἐμήν.

A Man
Looking out of the window of the house next door.

Who's that? Is that not my neighbor Blepyrus? Why, yes, it's no other. Tell me, what's all that yellow about you? Can it be 330 Cinesias who has befouled you so?

Blepyrus

No, no, I only slipped on my wife's tunic to come out in.

Man

And where is your cloak?

Blepyrus

I cannot tell you; I hunted for it vainly on the bed.

Man

335 And why did you not ask your wife for it?

Blepyrus

Ah! why indeed! because she is not in the house; she has run away, and I greatly fear that she may be doing me an ill turn.

Man

But, by Poseidon, it's the same 340 with myself. My wife has disappeared with my cloak, and what is still worse, with my shoes as well; I cannot find them anywhere.

Blepyrus

Nor can I my 345 Laconian ones; but as I urgently needed to crap, I popped my feet into these slippers, so as not to soil my blanket, which is brand new.

Man

What does it mean? Can some friend have invited her to a feast?

Blepyrus

I expect so, 350 for she does not generally misconduct herself, as far as I know.

Man

What are you doing, making well-ropes? Are you never going to be done? As for myself, I would like to go to the Assembly, and it is time to start, but I've got to find my cloak; I have only one.