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Line 706

ἐψήφισται προτέροις βινεῖν,

The text exhibits a significant textual crux at the verb form: the reading βινεῖν (to beat) is the transmitted reading found in the medieval manuscripts (e.g., B, D), but it is widely regarded as a corruption or scribal error. The context of the Ecclesiazusae involves the assembly of women debating laws, and 'to beat' (a rare and semantically awkward infinitive in this political context) makes little sense. Most modern editors, following the conjecture of Dindorf or others, prefer the reading βουλεύειν (to deliberate/counsel) or perhaps a different verb entirely, as βινεῖν appears to be a hapax or a corruption of βουλεύειν where the initial syllable was misread or the text was corrupted by a scribe unfamiliar with the specific political terminology. The verb βινέω is otherwise unattested in this sense in Classical Greek, making this a clear case for textual criticism.

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.) — 711 focus

Πραξάγορα

βαδιστέον τἄρʼ ἐστὶν εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμοί,

ἵνʼ ἀποδέχωμαι τὰ προσιόντα χρήματα,

λαβοῦσα κηρύκαιναν εὔφωνόν τινα.

ἐμὲ γὰρ ἀνάγκη ταῦτα δρᾶν ᾑρημένην

ἄρχειν, καταστῆσαί τε τὰ ξυσσίτια,
715

ὅπως ἂν εὐωχῆσθε πρῶτον τήμερον.

Βλέπυρος

ἤδη γὰρ εὐωχησόμεσθα;

Πραξάγορα

φήμʼ ἐγώ.

ἔπειτα τὰς πόρνας καταπαῦσαι βούλομαι

ἁπαξαπάσας.

Βλέπυρος

ἵνα τί;

Πραξάγορα

δῆλον τουτογί·

ἵνα τῶν νέων ἔχωσιν αὗται τὰς ἀκμάς.
720

καὶ τάς γε δούλας οὐχὶ δεῖ κοσμουμένας

τὴν τῶν ἐλευθέρων ὑφαρπάζειν Κύπριν,

ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῖς δούλοισι κοιμᾶσθαι μόνον

κατωνάκην τὸν χοῖρον ἀποτετιλμένας.

Βλέπυρος

φέρε νυν ἐγώ σοι παρακολουθῶ πλησίον,
725

ἵνʼ ἀποβλέπωμαι καὶ λέγωσί μοι ταδί,

τὸν τῆς στρατηγοῦ τοῦτον οὐ θαυμάζετε;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἐγὼ δʼ ἵνʼ εἰς ἀγοράν γε τὰ σκεύη φέρω,

προχειριοῦμαι κἀξετάσω τὴν οὐσίαν.

Χοροῦ

Ἀνὴρ Α

χώρει σὺ δεῦρο κιναχύρα καλὴ καλῶς
730

τῶν χρημάτων θύραζε πρώτη τῶν ἐμῶν,

ὅπως ἂν ἐντετριμμένη κανηφορῇς,

πολλοὺς κάτω δὴ θυλάκους στρέψασʼ ἐμούς.

ποῦʼ σθʼ ἡ διφροφόρος; ἡ χύτρα δεῦρʼ ἔξιθι,

νὴ Δία μέλαινά γʼ, οὐδʼ ἂν εἰ τὸ φάρμακον
735

ἕψουσʼ ἔτυχες ᾧ Λυσικράτης μελαίνεται.

ἵστω παρʼ αὐτήν, δεῦρʼ ἴθʼ, ἡ κομμώτρια.

φέρε δεῦρο ταύτην τὴν ὑδρίαν ὑδριαφόρε

ἐνταῦθα. σὺ δὲ δεῦρʼ ἡ κιθαρῳδὸς ἔξιθι,

πολλάκις ἀναστήσασά μʼ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν
740

ἀωρὶ νυκτῶν διὰ τὸν ὄρθριον νόμον.

ὁ τὴν σκάφην λαβὼν προΐτω· τὰ κηρία

κόμιζε, τοὺς θαλλοὺς καθίστη πλησίον,

καὶ τὼ τρίποδʼ ἐξένεγκε καὶ τὴν λήκυθον.

τὰ χυτρίδιʼ ἤδη καὶ τὸν ὄχλον ἀφίετε.
745

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.) — 711 focus

Praxagora

I must now go to the market-place to receive the property that is going to be placed in common and to choose a woman with a loud voice as my herald. I have all the cares of state on my shoulders, since the power 715 has been entrusted to me. I must likewise go to busy myself about establishing the common meals, and you will attend your first banquet to-day.

Blepyrus

Are we going to banquet?

Praxagora

Why, undoubtedly! Furthermore, I propose abolishing the whores.

Blepyrus

And what for?

Praxagora

It's clear enough why; 720 so that, instead of them, we may have the first-fruits of the young men. It is not meet that tricked-out slaves should rob free-born women of their pleasures. Let the courtesans be free to sleep with the slaves.

Blepyrus

725 I will march at your side, so that I may be seen and that everyone may say, “Look at the Dictator's husband!”

He follows Praxagora into their house.

First Man

As for me, I shall arrange my belongings and take inventory of them, in order that I may take them to the market-place.

He departs. There is an interlude of dancing by the Chorus, after which the man returns with his belongings and arranges them in a long line.

First Man

730 Come hither, my beautiful sieve, I have nothing more precious than you, come, all clotted with the flour of which I have poured so many sacks through you; you shall act the part of Canephorus in the procession of my chattels. Where is the sunshade carrier? Ah! this stew-pot shall take his place. 735 Great gods, how black it is! it could not be more so if Lysicrates had boiled the drugs in it with which he dyes his hair. Hither, my beautiful mirror. And you, my tripod, bear this urn for me; you shall be the water-bearer; and you, cock, whose morning song 740 has so often roused me in the middle of the night to send me hurrying to the Assembly, you shall be my flute-girl. Scaphephorus, do you take the large basin, place in it the honeycombs and twine the olive-branches over them, bring the tripods and the phial of perfume; 745 as for the humble crowd of little pots, I will just leave them behind.

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.) — 711 focus

Praxagora: I must walk to the agora,

Praxagora: "So that I may accept the money that is coming,"

Praxagora: taking a somewhat clear-voiced herald's staff.

Praxagora: For I, having been chosen, must do these things.

Praxagora: to rule, and to establish the common meals,

715

Praxagora: so that you may feast first today.

Blepyrus: For we shall already feast?

Praxagora: I am the rumor.

Praxagora: Next, I want to stop the prostitutes.

Praxagora: 'All at once!'

Blepyrus: For what reason?

Praxagora: this is clear;

Praxagora: so that these women may have the prime of the young men.

720

Praxagora: And the female slaves certainly must not be dressed up.

Praxagora: to steal the Cyprian for the free people,

Praxagora: but only to sleep with the slaves

Praxagora: the pigs, which have been gutted, are in the pit.

Blepyrus: Come now, I will follow close beside you,

725

Blepyrus: "So that I may look at it and they may tell me these things,"

Blepyrus: 'Do you not admire this one, the one of the general?'

Man A: But as for me, so that I may indeed carry the vessels to the market,

Man A: I will take a closer look and examine the property.

Man A: Go here, you pretty little hen, very well.

730

MAN A: Get out of my money, first of all,

MAN A: so that I may be carried in a litter,

Man A: Many bags below, then, I have turned inside out.

MAN A: Where's the chair-bearer? The cooking-pot, come here!

MAN A: By Zeus, it's black, and not even if the medicine

735

Man A: You happened to be boiling something for which Lysicrates is being blackened.

MAN A: Let her know, come here, the hairdresser.

Man A: Come here with this water-jar, water-carrier.

MAN A: Here. And you, the cithara-player, come here and go out,

Man A: having often raised me up to the assembly,

740

Man A: at the hour of night, because of the morning law.

Man A: Let the one who took the boat go ahead; the wax tablets.

Man A: Bring the twigs close by,

MAN A: and bring out the two tripods and the oil-flask.

MAN A: Put away the pots and the crowd already.

745

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

706. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-21

Line 706

ἐψήφισται προτέροις βινεῖν,

Aristophanes Ecclesiazusae 706

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 706

Current edition Experimental

Βλέπυρος

ἤδη γὰρ εὐωχησόμεσθα;

Πραξάγορα

φήμʼ ἐγώ.

ἔπειτα τὰς πόρνας καταπαῦσαι βούλομαι

ἁπαξαπάσας.

Βλέπυρος

ἵνα τί;

Βλέπυρος

φέρε νυν ἐγώ σοι παρακολουθῶ πλησίον,
725

ἵνʼ ἀποβλέπωμαι καὶ λέγωσί μοι ταδί,

τὸν τῆς στρατηγοῦ τοῦτον οὐ θαυμάζετε;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἐγὼ δʼ ἵνʼ εἰς ἀγοράν γε τὰ σκεύη φέρω,

προχειριοῦμαι κἀξετάσω τὴν οὐσίαν.

Blepyrus

Are we going to banquet?

Praxagora

Why, undoubtedly! Furthermore, I propose abolishing the whores.

Blepyrus

And what for?

Praxagora

It's clear enough why; 720 so that, instead of them, we may have the first-fruits of the young men. It is not meet that tricked-out slaves should rob free-born women of their pleasures. Let the courtesans be free to sleep with the slaves.

Blepyrus

725 I will march at your side, so that I may be seen and that everyone may say, “Look at the Dictator's husband!”

First Man

As for me, I shall arrange my belongings and take inventory of them, in order that I may take them to the market-place.

Commentary

Line 706

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 706

Current edition Experimental

Βλέπυρος ἤδη γὰρ εὐωχησόμεσθα;

Πραξάγορα φήμʼ ἐγώ. ἔπειτα τὰς πόρνας καταπαῦσαι βούλομαι ἁπαξαπάσας.

Βλέπυρος ἵνα τί;

Βλέπυρος φέρε νυν ἐγώ σοι παρακολουθῶ πλησίον, 725 ἵνʼ ἀποβλέπωμαι καὶ λέγωσί μοι ταδί, τὸν τῆς στρατηγοῦ τοῦτον οὐ θαυμάζετε;

Ἀνὴρ Α ἐγὼ δʼ ἵνʼ εἰς ἀγοράν γε τὰ σκεύη φέρω, προχειριοῦμαι κἀξετάσω τὴν οὐσίαν.

Blepyrus Are we going to banquet?

Praxagora Why, undoubtedly! Furthermore, I propose abolishing the whores.

Blepyrus And what for?

Praxagora It's clear enough why; 720 so that, instead of them, we may have the first-fruits of the young men. It is not meet that tricked-out slaves should rob free-born women of their pleasures. Let the courtesans be free to sleep with the slaves.

Blepyrus 725 I will march at your side, so that I may be seen and that everyone may say, “Look at the Dictator's husband!”

First Man As for me, I shall arrange my belongings and take inventory of them, in order that I may take them to the market-place.

Commentary

Line 706

Stable identifiers

Βλέπυρος

ἤδη γὰρ εὐωχησόμεσθα;

Πραξάγορα

φήμʼ ἐγώ.

ἔπειτα τὰς πόρνας καταπαῦσαι βούλομαι

ἁπαξαπάσας.

Βλέπυρος

ἵνα τί;

Βλέπυρος

φέρε νυν ἐγώ σοι παρακολουθῶ πλησίον,
725

ἵνʼ ἀποβλέπωμαι καὶ λέγωσί μοι ταδί,

τὸν τῆς στρατηγοῦ τοῦτον οὐ θαυμάζετε;

Ἀνὴρ Α

ἐγὼ δʼ ἵνʼ εἰς ἀγοράν γε τὰ σκεύη φέρω,

προχειριοῦμαι κἀξετάσω τὴν οὐσίαν.

Blepyrus

Are we going to banquet?

Praxagora

Why, undoubtedly! Furthermore, I propose abolishing the whores.

Blepyrus

And what for?

Praxagora

It's clear enough why; 720 so that, instead of them, we may have the first-fruits of the young men. It is not meet that tricked-out slaves should rob free-born women of their pleasures. Let the courtesans be free to sleep with the slaves.

Blepyrus

725 I will march at your side, so that I may be seen and that everyone may say, “Look at the Dictator's husband!”

First Man

As for me, I shall arrange my belongings and take inventory of them, in order that I may take them to the market-place.