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Line 378

καὶ δῆτα πολὺν ἡ μίλτος ὦ Ζεῦ φίλτατε

The phrase ὦ Ζεῦ φίλτατε is a rare and marked vocative construction. While ὦ Ζεῦ is standard, the superlative adjective φίλτατε (most dear/favorite) in the vocative directly addressing Zeus is highly unusual in Aristophanes. Typically, Zeus is addressed with terms like Διὸς πάτερ, ὦ Ζεῦ, or ὦ μέγιστε. The use of the superlative φίλτατε here creates a jarring, ironic intimacy, characteristic of the play's subversion of religious and social norms, where the speaker (Praxagora) treats the god with a familiarity that borders on the presumptuous, fitting the chaotic atmosphere of the Ecclesiazusae.

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.) — 389 focus

Βλέπυρος

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ λάβοιμι νῦν ἐλθών;

Χρέμης

πόθεν;

οὐδʼ εἰ μὰ Δία τότʼ ἦλθες ὅτε τὸ δεύτερον
390

ἁλεκτρυὼν ἐφθέγγετʼ.

Βλέπυρος

οἴμοι δείλαιος.

Ἀντίλοχʼ ἀποίμωξόν με τοῦ τριωβόλου

τὸν ζῶντα μᾶλλον. τἀμὰ γὰρ διοίχεται.

ἀτὰρ τί τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἦν, ὅτι τοσοῦτον χρῆμʼ ὄχλου

οὕτως ἐν ὥρᾳ ξυνελέγη;
395

Χρέμης

τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ

ἔδοξε τοῖς πρυτάνεσι περὶ σωτηρίας

γνώμας καθεῖναι τῆς πόλεως; κᾆτʼ εὐθέως

πρῶτος Νεοκλείδης ὁ γλάμων παρείρπυσεν.

κἄπειθʼ ὁ δῆμος ἀναβοᾷ πόσον δοκεῖς,

οὐ δεινὰ τολμᾶν τουτονὶ δημηγορεῖν,
400

καὶ ταῦτα περὶ σωτηρίας προκειμένου,

ὃς αὐτὸς αὑτῷ βλεφαρίδʼ οὐκ ἐσώσατο;

ὁ δʼ ἀναβοήσας καὶ περιβλέψας ἔφη,

τί δαί με χρῆν δρᾶν;

Βλέπυρος

σκόροδʼ ὁμοῦ τρίψαντʼ ὀπῷ

τιθύμαλλον ἐμβαλόντα τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ
405

σαυτοῦ παραλείφειν τὰ βλέφαρα τῆς ἑσπέρας,

ἔγωγʼ ἂν εἶπον, εἰ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον.

Χρέμης

μετὰ τοῦτον Εὐαίων ὁ δεξιώτατος

παρῆλθε γυμνός, ὡς ἐδόκει τοῖς πλείοσιν·

αὐτός γε μέντοὔφασκεν ἱμάτιον ἔχειν·
410

κἄπειτʼ ἔλεξε δημοτικωτάτους λόγους·

ὁρᾶτε μέν με δεόμενον σωτηρίας

τετραστατήρου καὐτόν· ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐρῶ

ὡς τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς πολίτας σώσετε.

ἢν γὰρ παρέχωσι τοῖς δεομένοις οἱ κναφῆς
415

χλαίνας, ἐπειδὰν πρῶτον ἥλιος τραπῇ,

πλευρῖτις ἡμῶν οὐδένʼ ἂν λάβοι ποτέ.

ὅσοις δὲ κλίνη μή ʼστι μηδὲ στρώματα,

ἰέναι καθευδήσοντας ἀπονενιμμένους

ἐς τῶν σκυλοδεψῶν· ἢν δʼ ἀποκλῄῃ θύρᾳ
420

χειμῶνος ὄντος, τρεῖς σισύρας ὀφειλέτω.

Βλέπυρος

νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον χρηστά γʼ· εἰ δʼ ἐκεῖνά γε

προσέθηκεν, οὐδεὶς ἀντεχειροτόνησεν ἄν,

τοὺς ἀλφιταμοιβοὺς τοῖς ἀπόροις τρεῖς χοίνικας

δεῖπνον παρέχειν ἅπασιν ἢ κλάειν μακρά,
425

ἵνα τοῦτʼ ἀπέλαυσαν Ναυσικύδους τἀγαθόν.

Χρέμης

μετὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν εὐπρεπὴς νεανίας

λευκός τις ἀνεπήδησʼ ὅμοιος Νικίᾳ

δημηγορήσων, κἀπεχείρησεν λέγειν

ὡς χρὴ παραδοῦναι ταῖς γυναιξὶ τὴν πόλιν.
430

εἶτʼ ἐθορύβησαν κἀνέκραγον ὡς εὖ λέγοι,

τὸ σκυτοτομικὸν πλῆθος, οἱ δʼ ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν

ἀνεβορβόρυξαν.

Βλέπυρος

νοῦν γὰρ εἶχον νὴ Δία.

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.) — 389 focus

Blepyrus

Then if I went now, I should get nothing.

Chremes

No, certainly not, 390 nor even had you gone at the second cock-crow.

Blepyrus

Oh! what a misfortune! “Oh, Antilochus! no triobolus! Even death would be better! I am undone!” But what 395 can have attracted such a crowd at that early hour?

Chremes

The Prytanes started the discussion of measures closely concerning the safety of the state; immediately, that blear-eyed fellow, the son of Neoclides, was the first to mount the platform. Then the folk shouted with their loudest voice, 400 “What! he dares to speak, and that, too, when the safety of the state is concerned, and he a man who has not known how to save even his own eyebrows!” He, however, shouted louder than all of them, and looking at them asked, “Why, what ought I to have done?”

Blepyrus

Pound together garlic and laserpitium juice, 405 add to this mixture some Laconian spurge, and rub it well into the eyelids at night. That's what I should have answered, had I been there.

Chremes

After him that clever rascal Evaeon began to speak; he was naked, so far as we all could see, 410 but he declared he had a cloak; he propounded the most popular, the most democratic, doctrines. “You see,” he said, “I have the greatest need of sixteen drachmae, the cost of a new cloak, my health demands it; nevertheless I wish first to care for that of my fellow-citizens and of my country. 415 If the fullers were to supply tunics to the indigent at the approach of winter, none would be exposed to pleurisy. Let him who has neither beds nor coverlets go to sleep 420 at the tanners' after taking a bath; and if they shut the door in winter, let them be condemned to give him three goat-skins.”

Blepyrus

By Dionysus, a fine, a very fine notion! Not a soul will vote against his proposal, especially if he adds that the flour-sellers must supply the poor with three 425 measures of corn, or else suffer the severest penalties of the law; this is the only way Nausicydes can be of any use to us.

Chremes

Then we saw a handsome young man rush into the tribune, he was all pink and white like young Nicias, and he began to say 430 that the direction of matters should be entrusted to the women; this the crowd of shoemakers began applauding with all their might, while the country-folk assailed him with groans.

Blepyrus

And, indeed, they did well.

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.) — 389 focus

Blepyrus: Nor would I take it now, having come?

Chremes: from where?

Chremes: Not even if, by Zeus, you had come at that time when [it was] the second time

390

Chremes: The rooster has crowed.

Blepyrus: Alas, wretched me.

Blepyrus: 'Antilochus, let me wail about the triobolus.'

Blepyrus: Rather the living one. For my things are going away.

Blepyrus: But what was the matter, that there was such a crowd?

Blepyrus: In this way was it assembled at the right time?

395

Chremes: And what else but

Chremes: It seemed good to the prytanes concerning safety.

Chremes: To bring down the city's policy? And then immediately?

Chremes: The first to sneak in was Neocleides the smooth-talker.

Chremes: And after that the people shout, how much do you think,

Chremes: He dares to do terrible things, to speak in public.

400

Chremes: And with this matter concerning safety being put forward,

Chremes: Who did not save his own eyelash for himself?

Chremes: But he, having cried out and looked around, said,

Chremes: And what was I supposed to do?

Blepyrus: "Rub the garlic together with the oil"

Blepyrus: having thrown in the thymallus of the Laconian

405

Blepyrus: 'Let him omit his eyelashes of the evening,'

Blepyrus: I would say so, if I happened to be present.

Chremes: after him Euaios, the most friendly.

Chremes: He passed by naked, as it seemed to most people;

Chremes: Well, he himself said that he had a cloak;

410

Chremes: and then he spoke most popular speeches;

Chremes: You see, I am in need of salvation,

Chremes: Four-staters, that too; nevertheless, I shall speak.

Chremes: How you will save the city and the citizens.

Chremes: for if the cobblers provide for those in need,

415

Chremes: cloaks, whenever the sun turns first,

Chremes: Our pleurisy would never receive anything.

Chremes: As for those who have neither a couch nor bedding,

Chremes: to go to sleep, having been rubbed with oil.

Chremes: to the dog-skinners; but if he should shut the door

420

Chremes: If it is winter, let there be three siscurs owed.

BLEPYRUS: By Dionysus, that's good! But if it's those...

Blepyrus: 'He added, no one voted against,'

Blepyrus: three choinikes of barley-meal for the needy, to the barley-exchangers.

Blepyrus: 'To provide a dinner for everyone or to weep at length,'

425

Blepyrus: in order that they might enjoy Nausicydes' good stuff.

Chremes: After this, then, a handsome young man.

Chremes: a white man has jumped up, like Nicias.

Chremes: wishing to speak, he began to speak.

Chremes: 'It is necessary to hand over the city to the women.'

430

Chremes: Then they made a disturbance and shouted as if he were speaking well,

Chremes: the shoemakers' mob, and those from the countryside.

Chremes: They climbed and roared.

Blepyrus: For I had sense, by Zeus.

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

378. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-5

Line 378

καὶ δῆτα πολὺν ἡ μίλτος ὦ Ζεῦ φίλτατε

Aristophanes Ecclesiazusae 378

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 378

Current edition Experimental

Βλέπυρος

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ λάβοιμι νῦν ἐλθών;

Χρέμης

πόθεν;

οὐδʼ εἰ μὰ Δία τότʼ ἦλθες ὅτε τὸ δεύτερον
390

ἁλεκτρυὼν ἐφθέγγετʼ.

Βλέπυρος

σκόροδʼ ὁμοῦ τρίψαντʼ ὀπῷ

τιθύμαλλον ἐμβαλόντα τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ
405

σαυτοῦ παραλείφειν τὰ βλέφαρα τῆς ἑσπέρας,

ἔγωγʼ ἂν εἶπον, εἰ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον.

Βλέπυρος

νοῦν γὰρ εἶχον νὴ Δία.

Blepyrus

Then if I went now, I should get nothing.

Chremes

No, certainly not, 390 nor even had you gone at the second cock-crow.

Blepyrus

Oh! what a misfortune! “Oh, Antilochus! no triobolus! Even death would be better! I am undone!” But what 395 can have attracted such a crowd at that early hour?

Blepyrus

Pound together garlic and laserpitium juice, 405 add to this mixture some Laconian spurge, and rub it well into the eyelids at night. That's what I should have answered, had I been there.

Blepyrus

By Dionysus, a fine, a very fine notion! Not a soul will vote against his proposal, especially if he adds that the flour-sellers must supply the poor with three 425 measures of corn, or else suffer the severest penalties of the law; this is the only way Nausicydes can be of any use to us.

Blepyrus

And, indeed, they did well.

Commentary

Line 378

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 378

Current edition Experimental

Βλέπυρος οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ λάβοιμι νῦν ἐλθών;

Χρέμης πόθεν; οὐδʼ εἰ μὰ Δία τότʼ ἦλθες ὅτε τὸ δεύτερον 390 ἁλεκτρυὼν ἐφθέγγετʼ.

Βλέπυρος σκόροδʼ ὁμοῦ τρίψαντʼ ὀπῷ τιθύμαλλον ἐμβαλόντα τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ 405 σαυτοῦ παραλείφειν τὰ βλέφαρα τῆς ἑσπέρας, ἔγωγʼ ἂν εἶπον, εἰ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον.

Βλέπυρος νοῦν γὰρ εἶχον νὴ Δία.

Blepyrus Then if I went now, I should get nothing.

Chremes No, certainly not, 390 nor even had you gone at the second cock-crow.

Blepyrus Oh! what a misfortune! “Oh, Antilochus! no triobolus! Even death would be better! I am undone!” But what 395 can have attracted such a crowd at that early hour?

Blepyrus Pound together garlic and laserpitium juice, 405 add to this mixture some Laconian spurge, and rub it well into the eyelids at night. That's what I should have answered, had I been there.

Blepyrus By Dionysus, a fine, a very fine notion! Not a soul will vote against his proposal, especially if he adds that the flour-sellers must supply the poor with three 425 measures of corn, or else suffer the severest penalties of the law; this is the only way Nausicydes can be of any use to us.

Blepyrus And, indeed, they did well.

Commentary

Line 378

Stable identifiers

Βλέπυρος

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ λάβοιμι νῦν ἐλθών;

Χρέμης

πόθεν;

οὐδʼ εἰ μὰ Δία τότʼ ἦλθες ὅτε τὸ δεύτερον
390

ἁλεκτρυὼν ἐφθέγγετʼ.

Βλέπυρος

σκόροδʼ ὁμοῦ τρίψαντʼ ὀπῷ

τιθύμαλλον ἐμβαλόντα τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ
405

σαυτοῦ παραλείφειν τὰ βλέφαρα τῆς ἑσπέρας,

ἔγωγʼ ἂν εἶπον, εἰ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον.

Βλέπυρος

νοῦν γὰρ εἶχον νὴ Δία.

Blepyrus

Then if I went now, I should get nothing.

Chremes

No, certainly not, 390 nor even had you gone at the second cock-crow.

Blepyrus

Oh! what a misfortune! “Oh, Antilochus! no triobolus! Even death would be better! I am undone!” But what 395 can have attracted such a crowd at that early hour?

Blepyrus

Pound together garlic and laserpitium juice, 405 add to this mixture some Laconian spurge, and rub it well into the eyelids at night. That's what I should have answered, had I been there.

Blepyrus

By Dionysus, a fine, a very fine notion! Not a soul will vote against his proposal, especially if he adds that the flour-sellers must supply the poor with three 425 measures of corn, or else suffer the severest penalties of the law; this is the only way Nausicydes can be of any use to us.

Blepyrus

And, indeed, they did well.