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Χρεμύλος

δῆλον ὅτι τοὺς τρόπους τις οὐ μοχθηρὸς ἦν,

ἔπειτα πλουτῶν οὐκέθʼ ἥδεται φακῇ·

πρὸ τοῦ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας ἅπανθʼ ὑπήσθιεν.
1005

Γραῦς

καὶ μὴν πρὸ τοῦ γʼ ὁσημέραι νὴ τὼ θεὼ

ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐβάδιζεν ἀεὶ τὴν ἐμήν.

Χρεμύλος

ἐπʼ ἐκφοράν;

Γραῦς

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τῆς φωνῆς μόνον

ἐρῶν ἀκοῦσαι.

Χρεμύλος

τοῦ λαβεῖν μὲν οὖν χάριν.

Γραῦς

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εἰ λυπουμένην γʼ αἴσθοιτό με,
1010

νηττάριον ἂν καὶ φάττιον ὑπεκορίζετο.

Χρεμύλος

ἔπειτʼ ἴσως ᾔτει σʼ ἂν εἰς ὑποδήματα.

Γραῦς

μυστηρίοις δὲ τοῖς μεγάλοις ὀχουμένην

ἐπὶ τῆς ἁμάξης ὅτι προσέβλεψέν μέ τις,

ἐτυπτόμην διὰ τοῦθʼ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν.
1015

οὕτω σφόδρα ζηλότυπος ὁ νεανίσκος ἦν.

Χρεμύλος

μόνος γὰρ ἥδεθʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐσθίων.

Γραῦς

καὶ τάς γε χεῖρας παγκάλας ἔχειν μʼ ἔθη.

Χρεμύλος

ὁπότε προτείνοιέν γε δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν.

Γραῦς

ὄζειν τε τῆς χρόας ἔφασκεν ἡδύ μου.
1020

Χρεμύλος

εἰ Θάσιον ἐνέχεις, εἰκότως γε νὴ Δία.

Γραῦς

τὸ βλέμμα θʼ ὡς ἔχοιμι μαλακὸν καὶ καλόν.

Χρεμύλος

οὐ σκαιὸς ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλʼ ἠπίστατο

γραὸς καπρώσης τἀφόδια κατεσθίειν.

Γραῦς

ταῦτʼ οὖν ὁ θεὸς ὦ φίλʼ ἄνερ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ποιεῖ,
1025

φάσκων βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀεί.

Χρεμύλος

τί γὰρ ποιήσει; φράζε, καὶ πεπράξεται.

Γραῦς

ἀναγκάσαι δίκαιόν ἐστι νὴ Δία

τὸν εὖ παθόνθʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πάλιν μʼ ἀντευποιεῖν,

ἢ μηδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀγαθὸν δίκαιόν ἐστʼ ἔχειν.
1030

Χρεμύλος

οὔκουν καθʼ ἑκάστην ἀπεδίδου τὴν νύκτα σοι;

Γραῦς

ἀλλʼ οὐδέποτέ με ζῶσαν ἀπολείψειν ἔφη.

Χρεμύλος

ὀρθῶς γε· νῦν δέ γʼ οὐκέτι ζῆν σʼ οἴεται.

Γραῦς

ὑπὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἄλγους κατατέτηκʼ ὦ φίλτατε.

Χρεμύλος

οὐκ ἀλλὰ κατασέσηπας, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς.
1035

Γραῦς

διὰ δακτυλίου μὲν οὖν ἔμεγʼ ἂν διελκύσαις.

Χρεμύλος

εἰ τυγχάνοι γʼ ὁ δακτύλιος ὢν τηλία.

Γραῦς

καὶ μὴν τὸ μειράκιον τοδὶ προσέρχεται,

οὗπερ πάλαι κατηγοροῦσα τυγχάνω·

ἔοικε δʼ ἐπὶ κῶμον βαδίζειν.
1040

Χρεμύλος

φαίνεται.

στέφανόν γέ τοι καὶ δᾷδʼ ἔχων πορεύεται.

Νεανίας

ἀσπάζομαί σε.

Γραῦς

τί φησιν;

Νεανίας

ἀρχαία φίλη,

πολιὰ γεγένησαι ταχύ γε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.

Γραῦς

τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ τῆς ὕβρεος ἧς ὑβρίζομαι.

Χρεμύλος

ἔοικε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου σʼ ἑορακέναι.
1045

Γραῦς

ποίου χρόνου ταλάνταθʼ, ὃς παρʼ ἐμοὶ χθὲς ἦν;

Χρεμύλος

τοὐναντίον πέπονθε τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄρα·

μεθύων γάρ, ὡς ἔικεν, ὀξύτερον βλέπει.

Γραῦς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀκόλαστός ἐστιν ἀεὶ τοὺς τρόπους.

Νεανίας

ὦ Ποντοπόσειδον καὶ θεοὶ πρεσβυτικοί,
1050

ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν ῥυτίδων ὅσας ἔχει.

Wealth. 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

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

Translations (2)

Wealth (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1003 focus

Chremylus

An honest lad, indeed! What do you expect? 1005 When poor, he would devour anything; now he is rich, he no longer cares for lentils.

Old Woman

Formerly he came to me every day.

Chremylus

To see if you were being buried?

Old Woman

No! he longed to hear the sound of my voice.

Chremylus
aside

And to carry off some present.

Old Woman

1010 If I was downcast, he would call me his little duck or his little dove in a most tender manner ...

Chremylus
aside

And then would ask for the money to buy a pair of sandals.

Old Woman

When I was at the Mysteries of Eleusis in a carriage, someone made eyes at me; he was so jealous 1015 that he beat me the whole of that day.

Chremylus
aside

That was because he liked to feed alone.

Old Woman

He told me I had very beautiful hands.

Chremylus
aside

Aye, no doubt, when they handed him twenty drachmae.

Old Woman

1020 That my whole body breathed a sweet perfume.

Chremylus
aside

Yes, like enough, if you poured him out Thasian wine.

Old Woman

That my glance was gentle and charming.

Chremylus
aside

He was no fool. He knew how to drag drachmae from a sex-starved old woman.

Old Woman

1025 Ah! the god has done very, very wrong, saying he would support the victims of injustice.

Chremylus

Well, what should he do? Speak, and it shall be done.

Old Woman

Compel him, whom I have loaded with benefits, to repay them in his turn; 1030 if not, he does not merit the least of the god's favours.

Chremylus

And did he not do this every night?

Old Woman

He swore he would never leave me, as long as I lived.

Chremylus

Aye, rightly; but he thinks you are no longer alive.

Old Woman

Ah! friend, I am pining away with grief.

Chremylus
aside

1035 You are rotting away, it seems to me.

Old Woman

I have grown so thin, I could slip through a ring.

Chremylus

Yes, if it were as large as the hoop of a sieve.

A young man enters, wearing a garland on his head and carrying a torch in his hand.

Old Woman

But here is the youth, the cause of my complaint; 1040 he looks as though he were going to a festival.

Chremylus

Yes, if his chaplet and his torch are any guides.

Youth
To the Old Woman, with cool politeness

Greeting to you.

Old Woman
in a puzzled tone

What was that he said?

Youth

My ancient old dear, you have grown white very quickly, by heaven!

Old Woman

Oh! what an insult!

Chremylus

1045 It is a long time, then, since he saw you?

Old Woman

A long time? My god! he was with me yesterday.

Chremylus

It must be, then, that, unlike other people, he sees more clearly when he's drunk.

Old Woman

No, but I have always known him for an insolent fellow.

Youth

1050 Oh! divine Poseidon! Oh, ye gods of old age! what wrinkles she has on her face!

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.) — 1003 focus

Chremylus: It is clear that someone was not a base person.

Chremylus: Then, once he is rich, he no longer delights in lentil soup.

Chremylus: but before this, he was devoured by poverty in every way.

1005

OLD WOMAN: And indeed, before that, every day, by the two goddesses,

Old Woman: She was always walking to my door.

Chremylus: To the funeral?

OLD WOMAN: By Zeus, but only the voice

Old Woman: I want to hear.

Chremylus: Well then, to be grateful.

Old Woman: And by Zeus, if he were to realize that I am grieving,

1010

Old Woman: she would have been washing the tub and the basin.

Chremylus: Then perhaps he would have asked you for shoes.

Old Woman: carried off by the great mysteries.

Old Woman: 'Why is someone looking at the wagon?'

Old Woman: I was beaten all day long because of this.

1015

Old Woman: So very jealous was the young man.

Chremylus: for he eats alone, it seems.

Old Woman: And she taught me to have very fine hands.

Chremylus: Whenever he offered even twenty drachmas.

Old Woman: She said that my skin had a sweet smell.

1020

Chremylus: If you have a Thasian [wine], by Zeus, it is only natural.

Old Woman: I wish that my glance were soft and beautiful.

Chremylus: He was not an ignorant man, but he knew.

Chremylus: A shrewish old woman is devouring my provisions.

Old Woman: Therefore, this is not how the god is acting, my dear man,

1025

Old Woman: claiming always to help those who are wronged.

Chremylus: For what will he do? Tell me, and it will be accomplished.

Old Woman: It is just, by Zeus, to force.

Old Woman: that after suffering well at my hands he should again make me a partner in his misfortunes,

Old Woman: Or is it not just to have anything good at all?

1030

Chremylus: Did he not, then, pay you back every night?

Woman: but she said that she would never leave me while I was still alive.

Chremylus: True. But now he thinks that you are no longer alive.

Old Woman: For indeed the pain has melted me away, dearest friend.

Chremylus: No, but you have rotted completely, at least it seems to me.

1035

Old Woman: Therefore, you would certainly have dragged me through a ring.

Chremylus: If, by chance, the ring were indeed a ring.

Old Woman: And indeed, this young man is approaching,

Old Woman: for whom I have long been a prosecutor;

Old Woman: It seems that we are to go to a feast.

1040

Chremylus: It seems.

Chremylus: he goes along wearing a wreath and carrying a torch.

Young man: I greet you.

Old Woman: What does he say?

Young Man: "old friend,"

Young man: You have become white very quickly, by heaven.

Old Woman: Wretched am I of the insolence with which I am insulted.

Chremylus: It seems I have seen you after a long time.

1045

Old Woman: Whose talent was it, the one that was with me yesterday?

Chremylus: On the contrary, it has happened to the many, then;

Chremylus: for, as it seems, a drunkard sees more sharply.

Old Woman: No, but she is always undisciplined in her ways.

Young man: O Pontoposeidon and old gods,

1050

Young Man: the number of wrinkles in his face.

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

1036. mvp-tlg0019-tlg011-sanjaya-com-eng1-28

Line 1036

διὰ δακτυλίου μὲν οὖν ἔμεγʼ ἂν διελκύσαις.

The phrase διὰ δακτυλίου is a specific idiom for 'through a ring' (i.e., using a signet ring to stamp or authenticate a transaction or letter), functioning here as a metaphor for a trivial or easily manipulated means of control. While the idiom itself is known, its application in this context—where the character suggests he could be dragged out of poverty or a situation by such a minor token—highlights the satirical critique of how easily social status and wealth could be altered by bureaucratic or legal formalities in Athens. The construction διελκύσαις (aorist active subjunctive of διελκύω) with the preposition διὰ emphasizes the instrumentality of the ring as the means of extraction.

1037. mvp-tlg0019-tlg011-sanjaya-com-eng1-29

Line 1037

εἰ τυγχάνοι γʼ ὁ δακτύλιος ὢν τηλία.

The verb τυγχάνω, when followed by a participle (ὢν), typically denotes coincidence or chance occurrence ('happen to be'), but in the context of Aristophanic comedy, particularly in a passage concerning the god Wealth (Πλοῦτος), the phrase 'if the ring happens to be a talisman' (τηλία) likely plays on a specific folkloric or magical belief regarding the protective or luck-bringing properties of rings, possibly alluding to the story of Gyges or a specific local custom regarding rings as amulets (ἀμύλακες). The use of the optative (τυγχάνοι) with the particle γʼ suggests a hypothetical scenario that the speaker hopes will materialize, reflecting the play's broader theme of divine intervention or the capricious nature of fate in human affairs.

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Χρεμύλος δῆλον ὅτι τοὺς τρόπους τις οὐ μοχθηρὸς ἦν, ἔπειτα πλουτῶν οὐκέθʼ ἥδεται φακῇ· πρὸ τοῦ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας ἅπανθʼ ὑπήσθιεν. 1005

Γραῦς καὶ μὴν πρὸ τοῦ γʼ ὁσημέραι νὴ τὼ θεὼ ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐβάδιζεν ἀεὶ τὴν ἐμήν.

Χρεμύλος ἐπʼ ἐκφοράν;

Γραῦς μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τῆς φωνῆς μόνον ἐρῶν ἀκοῦσαι.

Χρεμύλος τοῦ λαβεῖν μὲν οὖν χάριν.

Γραῦς καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εἰ λυπουμένην γʼ αἴσθοιτό με, 1010 νηττάριον ἂν καὶ φάττιον ὑπεκορίζετο.

Χρεμύλος ἔπειτʼ ἴσως ᾔτει σʼ ἂν εἰς ὑποδήματα.

Χρεμύλος μόνος γὰρ ἥδεθʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐσθίων.

Γραῦς καὶ τάς γε χεῖρας παγκάλας ἔχειν μʼ ἔθη.

Χρεμύλος ὁπότε προτείνοιέν γε δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν.

Γραῦς ὄζειν τε τῆς χρόας ἔφασκεν ἡδύ μου. 1020

Χρεμύλος εἰ Θάσιον ἐνέχεις, εἰκότως γε νὴ Δία.

Γραῦς τὸ βλέμμα θʼ ὡς ἔχοιμι μαλακὸν καὶ καλόν.

Χρεμύλος οὐ σκαιὸς ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλʼ ἠπίστατο γραὸς καπρώσης τἀφόδια κατεσθίειν.

Γραῦς ταῦτʼ οὖν ὁ θεὸς ὦ φίλʼ ἄνερ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ποιεῖ, 1025 φάσκων βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀεί.

Χρεμύλος τί γὰρ ποιήσει; φράζε, καὶ πεπράξεται.

Γραῦς ἀναγκάσαι δίκαιόν ἐστι νὴ Δία τὸν εὖ παθόνθʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πάλιν μʼ ἀντευποιεῖν, ἢ μηδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀγαθὸν δίκαιόν ἐστʼ ἔχειν. 1030

Χρεμύλος οὔκουν καθʼ ἑκάστην ἀπεδίδου τὴν νύκτα σοι;

Γραῦς ἀλλʼ οὐδέποτέ με ζῶσαν ἀπολείψειν ἔφη.

Χρεμύλος ὀρθῶς γε· νῦν δέ γʼ οὐκέτι ζῆν σʼ οἴεται.

Γραῦς ὑπὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἄλγους κατατέτηκʼ ὦ φίλτατε.

Χρεμύλος οὐκ ἀλλὰ κατασέσηπας, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς. 1035

Γραῦς διὰ δακτυλίου μὲν οὖν ἔμεγʼ ἂν διελκύσαις.

Χρεμύλος εἰ τυγχάνοι γʼ ὁ δακτύλιος ὢν τηλία.

Γραῦς καὶ μὴν τὸ μειράκιον τοδὶ προσέρχεται, οὗπερ πάλαι κατηγοροῦσα τυγχάνω· ἔοικε δʼ ἐπὶ κῶμον βαδίζειν. 1040

Χρεμύλος φαίνεται. στέφανόν γέ τοι καὶ δᾷδʼ ἔχων πορεύεται.

Νεανίας ἀσπάζομαί σε.

Γραῦς τί φησιν;

Νεανίας ἀρχαία φίλη, πολιὰ γεγένησαι ταχύ γε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.

Γραῦς τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ τῆς ὕβρεος ἧς ὑβρίζομαι.

Χρεμύλος ἔοικε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου σʼ ἑορακέναι. 1045

Γραῦς ποίου χρόνου ταλάνταθʼ, ὃς παρʼ ἐμοὶ χθὲς ἦν;

Χρεμύλος τοὐναντίον πέπονθε τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄρα· μεθύων γάρ, ὡς ἔικεν, ὀξύτερον βλέπει.

Γραῦς οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀκόλαστός ἐστιν ἀεὶ τοὺς τρόπους.

Νεανίας ὦ Ποντοπόσειδον καὶ θεοὶ πρεσβυτικοί, 1050 ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν ῥυτίδων ὅσας ἔχει.

Current edition Perseus

Chremylus An honest lad, indeed! What do you expect? 1005 When poor, he would devour anything; now he is rich, he no longer cares for lentils.

Old Woman Formerly he came to me every day.

Chremylus To see if you were being buried?

Old Woman No! he longed to hear the sound of my voice.

Chremylus aside And to carry off some present.

Old Woman 1010 If I was downcast, he would call me his little duck or his little dove in a most tender manner ...

Chremylus aside And then would ask for the money to buy a pair of sandals.

Old Woman When I was at the Mysteries of Eleusis in a carriage, someone made eyes at me; he was so jealous 1015 that he beat me the whole of that day.

Chremylus aside That was because he liked to feed alone.

Old Woman He told me I had very beautiful hands.

Chremylus aside Aye, no doubt, when they handed him twenty drachmae.

Old Woman 1020 That my whole body breathed a sweet perfume.

Chremylus aside Yes, like enough, if you poured him out Thasian wine.

Old Woman That my glance was gentle and charming.

Chremylus aside He was no fool. He knew how to drag drachmae from a sex-starved old woman.

Old Woman 1025 Ah! the god has done very, very wrong, saying he would support the victims of injustice.

Chremylus Well, what should he do? Speak, and it shall be done.

Old Woman Compel him, whom I have loaded with benefits, to repay them in his turn; 1030 if not, he does not merit the least of the god's favours.

Chremylus And did he not do this every night?

Old Woman He swore he would never leave me, as long as I lived.

Chremylus Aye, rightly; but he thinks you are no longer alive.

Old Woman Ah! friend, I am pining away with grief.

Chremylus aside 1035 You are rotting away, it seems to me.

Old Woman I have grown so thin, I could slip through a ring.

Chremylus Yes, if it were as large as the hoop of a sieve.

Old Woman But here is the youth, the cause of my complaint; 1040 he looks as though he were going to a festival.

Chremylus Yes, if his chaplet and his torch are any guides.

Youth To the Old Woman, with cool politeness Greeting to you.

Old Woman in a puzzled tone What was that he said?

Youth My ancient old dear, you have grown white very quickly, by heaven!

Old Woman Oh! what an insult!

Chremylus 1045 It is a long time, then, since he saw you?

Old Woman A long time? My god! he was with me yesterday.

Chremylus It must be, then, that, unlike other people, he sees more clearly when he's drunk.

Old Woman No, but I have always known him for an insolent fellow.

Youth 1050 Oh! divine Poseidon! Oh, ye gods of old age! what wrinkles she has on her face!

Commentary

Line 1036

Line 1037

Stable identifiers

Χρεμύλος

δῆλον ὅτι τοὺς τρόπους τις οὐ μοχθηρὸς ἦν,

ἔπειτα πλουτῶν οὐκέθʼ ἥδεται φακῇ·

πρὸ τοῦ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας ἅπανθʼ ὑπήσθιεν.
1005

Γραῦς

καὶ μὴν πρὸ τοῦ γʼ ὁσημέραι νὴ τὼ θεὼ

ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐβάδιζεν ἀεὶ τὴν ἐμήν.

Χρεμύλος

ἐπʼ ἐκφοράν;

Γραῦς

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τῆς φωνῆς μόνον

ἐρῶν ἀκοῦσαι.

Χρεμύλος

τοῦ λαβεῖν μὲν οὖν χάριν.

Γραῦς

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εἰ λυπουμένην γʼ αἴσθοιτό με,
1010

νηττάριον ἂν καὶ φάττιον ὑπεκορίζετο.

Χρεμύλος

ἔπειτʼ ἴσως ᾔτει σʼ ἂν εἰς ὑποδήματα.

Χρεμύλος

μόνος γὰρ ἥδεθʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐσθίων.

Γραῦς

καὶ τάς γε χεῖρας παγκάλας ἔχειν μʼ ἔθη.

Χρεμύλος

ὁπότε προτείνοιέν γε δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν.

Γραῦς

ὄζειν τε τῆς χρόας ἔφασκεν ἡδύ μου.
1020

Χρεμύλος

εἰ Θάσιον ἐνέχεις, εἰκότως γε νὴ Δία.

Γραῦς

τὸ βλέμμα θʼ ὡς ἔχοιμι μαλακὸν καὶ καλόν.

Χρεμύλος

οὐ σκαιὸς ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλʼ ἠπίστατο

γραὸς καπρώσης τἀφόδια κατεσθίειν.

Γραῦς

ταῦτʼ οὖν ὁ θεὸς ὦ φίλʼ ἄνερ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ποιεῖ,
1025

φάσκων βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀεί.

Χρεμύλος

τί γὰρ ποιήσει; φράζε, καὶ πεπράξεται.

Γραῦς

ἀναγκάσαι δίκαιόν ἐστι νὴ Δία

τὸν εὖ παθόνθʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πάλιν μʼ ἀντευποιεῖν,

ἢ μηδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀγαθὸν δίκαιόν ἐστʼ ἔχειν.
1030

Χρεμύλος

οὔκουν καθʼ ἑκάστην ἀπεδίδου τὴν νύκτα σοι;

Γραῦς

ἀλλʼ οὐδέποτέ με ζῶσαν ἀπολείψειν ἔφη.

Χρεμύλος

ὀρθῶς γε· νῦν δέ γʼ οὐκέτι ζῆν σʼ οἴεται.

Γραῦς

ὑπὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἄλγους κατατέτηκʼ ὦ φίλτατε.

Χρεμύλος

οὐκ ἀλλὰ κατασέσηπας, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς.
1035

Γραῦς

διὰ δακτυλίου μὲν οὖν ἔμεγʼ ἂν διελκύσαις.

Χρεμύλος

εἰ τυγχάνοι γʼ ὁ δακτύλιος ὢν τηλία.

Γραῦς

καὶ μὴν τὸ μειράκιον τοδὶ προσέρχεται,

οὗπερ πάλαι κατηγοροῦσα τυγχάνω·

ἔοικε δʼ ἐπὶ κῶμον βαδίζειν.
1040

Χρεμύλος

φαίνεται.

στέφανόν γέ τοι καὶ δᾷδʼ ἔχων πορεύεται.

Νεανίας

ἀσπάζομαί σε.

Γραῦς

τί φησιν;

Νεανίας

ἀρχαία φίλη,

πολιὰ γεγένησαι ταχύ γε νὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.

Γραῦς

τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ τῆς ὕβρεος ἧς ὑβρίζομαι.

Χρεμύλος

ἔοικε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου σʼ ἑορακέναι.
1045

Γραῦς

ποίου χρόνου ταλάνταθʼ, ὃς παρʼ ἐμοὶ χθὲς ἦν;

Χρεμύλος

τοὐναντίον πέπονθε τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄρα·

μεθύων γάρ, ὡς ἔικεν, ὀξύτερον βλέπει.

Γραῦς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀκόλαστός ἐστιν ἀεὶ τοὺς τρόπους.

Νεανίας

ὦ Ποντοπόσειδον καὶ θεοὶ πρεσβυτικοί,
1050

ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν ῥυτίδων ὅσας ἔχει.

Chremylus

An honest lad, indeed! What do you expect? 1005 When poor, he would devour anything; now he is rich, he no longer cares for lentils.

Old Woman

Formerly he came to me every day.

Chremylus

To see if you were being buried?

Old Woman

No! he longed to hear the sound of my voice.

Chremylus
aside

And to carry off some present.

Old Woman

1010 If I was downcast, he would call me his little duck or his little dove in a most tender manner ...

Chremylus
aside

And then would ask for the money to buy a pair of sandals.

Old Woman

When I was at the Mysteries of Eleusis in a carriage, someone made eyes at me; he was so jealous 1015 that he beat me the whole of that day.

Chremylus
aside

That was because he liked to feed alone.

Old Woman

He told me I had very beautiful hands.

Chremylus
aside

Aye, no doubt, when they handed him twenty drachmae.

Old Woman

1020 That my whole body breathed a sweet perfume.

Chremylus
aside

Yes, like enough, if you poured him out Thasian wine.

Old Woman

That my glance was gentle and charming.

Chremylus
aside

He was no fool. He knew how to drag drachmae from a sex-starved old woman.

Old Woman

1025 Ah! the god has done very, very wrong, saying he would support the victims of injustice.

Chremylus

Well, what should he do? Speak, and it shall be done.

Old Woman

Compel him, whom I have loaded with benefits, to repay them in his turn; 1030 if not, he does not merit the least of the god's favours.

Chremylus

And did he not do this every night?

Old Woman

He swore he would never leave me, as long as I lived.

Chremylus

Aye, rightly; but he thinks you are no longer alive.

Old Woman

Ah! friend, I am pining away with grief.

Chremylus
aside

1035 You are rotting away, it seems to me.

Old Woman

I have grown so thin, I could slip through a ring.

Chremylus

Yes, if it were as large as the hoop of a sieve.

Old Woman

But here is the youth, the cause of my complaint; 1040 he looks as though he were going to a festival.

Chremylus

Yes, if his chaplet and his torch are any guides.

Youth
To the Old Woman, with cool politeness

Greeting to you.

Old Woman
in a puzzled tone

What was that he said?

Youth

My ancient old dear, you have grown white very quickly, by heaven!

Old Woman

Oh! what an insult!

Chremylus

1045 It is a long time, then, since he saw you?

Old Woman

A long time? My god! he was with me yesterday.

Chremylus

It must be, then, that, unlike other people, he sees more clearly when he's drunk.

Old Woman

No, but I have always known him for an insolent fellow.

Youth

1050 Oh! divine Poseidon! Oh, ye gods of old age! what wrinkles she has on her face!