Aristophanes, Wealth, 1097

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Carion: Who is knocking on the door? What was that?

Cario: No one seems to [be here]; but, by the gods, the little door!

Charon: she is weeping as if she were making a sound.

Hermes: I am telling you this,

Hermes: Charon, wait.

1100

Charon: tell me this,

Carion: Are you knocking on the door so hard like this?

Hermes: By Zeus, but I was about to; then you opened me, having arrived first.

Hermes: But run quickly and call out the master,

Hermes: "Then the wife and the children,"

Hermes: "Then the servants, then the dog,"

1105

Hermes: Then yourself, then the sow.

Carion: "Tell me,"

Charon: What is it?

Hermes: Zeus, you wretch, wants to do this.

Hermes: having stirred you all together into a single pot.

Hermes: to throw all of them into the abyss.

Charon: The tongue of this herald is being cut out.

1110

Charon: But why, pray, is he plotting to do these things?

Charon: Us?

Hermes: for most cleverly of all things

Hermes: You have worked. For since you began to see from the beginning

Hermes: Wealth, no one [offers] frankincense, no [one offers] bay,

Hermes: not a piece of meat, not a sacrifice, not even a single one.

1115

Hermes: they still sacrifice to the gods on our behalf.

Charon: by Zeus, not at all.

Carion: Let him sacrifice, for he cared for us badly at that time.

Hermes: and of the other gods I care less,

Hermes: But I am ruined and worn out.

Carion: You are being sensible.

Hermes: for previously I had [it] at the wine-sellers'.

1120

Hermes: All good things at once from dawn, a wine-jar of honey.

Hermes: figs, as many as Hermes is wont to eat;

Hermes: But now, while I am hungry, I am resting as I go up.

Charon: Not justly, since you were causing damage.

Charon: sometimes having such good things?

1125

Hermes: Alas, wretched me,

Hermes: Alas for the pancake of the four-sided loaf that has been sliced.

Carion: you long for the one who is not present and you call him in vain.

Hermes: Alas for the leg I was eating!

Carion: I will fart right here in the courtyard.

Hermes: of the hot entrails which I was eating.

1130

Charon: It seems to me that pain is turning your entrails around.

Hermes: Alas! a cup mixed equal to equal.

Carion: Having drunk this, you would not catch up while running.

Hermes: Would you have been helpful to your own friend?

Wealth. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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)

Πλοῦτος Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1097 focus

Καρίων

τίς ἔσθʼ ὁ κόπτων τὴν θύραν; τουτὶ τί ἦν;

οὐδεὶς ἔοικεν· ἀλλὰ δῆτα τὸ θύριον

φθεγγόμενον ἄλλως κλαυσιᾷ.

Ἑρμῆς

σέ τοι λέγω,

ὁ Καρίων, ἀνάμεινον.
1100

Καρίων

οὗτος εἰπέ μοι,

σὺ τὴν θύραν ἔκοπτες οὑτωσὶ σφόδρα;

Ἑρμῆς

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἔμελλον· εἶτʼ ἀνέῳξάς με φθάσας.

ἀλλʼ ἐκκάλει τὸν δεσπότην τρέχων ταχύ,

ἒπειτα τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία,

ἔπειτα τοὺς θεράποντας, εἶτα τὴν κύνα,
1105

ἔπειτα σαυτόν, εἶτα τὴν ὗν.

Καρίων

εἰπέ μοι,

τί δʼ ἔστιν;

Ἑρμῆς

ὁ Ζεὺς ὦ πόνηρε βούλεται

ἐς ταὐτὸν ὑμᾶς συγκυκήσας τρύβλιον

ἁπαξάπαντας ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβαλεῖν.

Καρίων

ἡ γλῶττα τῷ κήρυκι τούτων τέμνεται.
1110

ἀτὰρ διὰ τί δὴ ταῦτʼ ἐπιβουλεύει ποιεῖν

ἡμᾶς;

Ἑρμῆς

ὁτιὴ δεινότατα πάντων πραγμάτων

εἴργασθʼ. ἀφʼ οὗ γὰρ ἤρξατʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς βλέπειν

ὁ Πλοῦτος, οὐδεὶς οὐ λιβανωτόν, οὐ δάφνην,

οὐ ψαιστόν, οὐχ ἱερεῖον, οὐκ ἄλλʼ οὐδὲ ἓν
1115

ἡμῖν ἔτι θύει τοῖς θεοῖς.

Καρίων

μὰ Δίʼ οὐδέ γε

θύσει. κακῶς γὰρ ἐπεμελεῖσθʼ ἡμῶν τότε.

Ἑρμῆς

καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων μοι θεῶν ἧττον μέλει,

ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπόλωλα κἀπιτέτριμμαι.

Καρίων

σωφρονεῖς.

Ἑρμῆς

πρότερον γὰρ εἶχον μὲν παρὰ ταῖς καπηλίσιν
1120

πάντʼ ἀγάθʼ ἕωθεν εὐθύς, οἰνοῦτταν μέλι

ἰσχάδας, ὅσʼ εἰκός ἐστιν Ἑρμῆν ἐσθίειν·

νυνὶ δὲ πεινῶν ἀναβάδην ἀναπαύομαι.

Καρίων

οὔκουν δικαίως, ὅστις ἐποίεις ζημίαν

ἐνίοτε τοιαῦτʼ ἀγάθʼ ἔχων;
1125

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι τάλας,

οἴμοι πλακοῦντος τοῦ νʼ τετράδι πεπεμμένου.

Καρίων

ποθεῖς τὸν οὐ παρόντα καὶ μάτην καλεῖς.

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι δὲ κωλῆς ἣν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον.

Καρίων

ἀσκωλίαζʼ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς τὴν αἰθρίαν.

Ἑρμῆς

σπλάγχνων τε θερμῶν ὧν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον.
1130

Καρίων

ὀδύνη σε περὶ τὰ σπλάγχνʼ ἔοικέ τι στρέφειν.

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι δὲ κύλικος ἴσον ἴσῳ κεκραμένης.

Καρίων

ταύτην ἐπιπιὼν ἀποτρέχων οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις.

Ἑρμῆς

ἆρʼ ὠφελήσαις ἄν τι τὸν σαυτοῦ φίλον;

Translations (1)

Wealth (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1097 focus

He follows them in. Interlude of dancing by the Chorus. Hermes enters and begins knocking on the door.

Cario
opening the door

Who is knocking at the door? Halloa! I see no one; it was then by chance it gave forth that plaintive tone.

Hermes
To Cario, who is about to close the door

1100 Cario! stop!

Cario

Eh! friend, was it you who knocked so loudly? Tell me.

Hermes

No, I was going to knock and you forestalled me by opening. Come, call your master quick, then his wife and his children, 1105 then his slave and his dog, then yourself and his pig.

Cario

And what's it all about?

Hermes

It's about this, rascal! Zeus wants to serve you all with the same sauce and hurl the lot of you into the Barathrum.

Cario
aside

1110 Have a care for your tongue, you bearer of ill tidings! To Hermes But why does he want to treat us in that scurvy fashion?

Hermes

Because you have committed the most dreadful crime. Since Plutus has recovered his sight, there is nothing for us other gods, neither incense, nor laurels, 1115 nor cakes, nor victims, nor anything in the world.

Cario

And you will never be offered anything more; you governed us too ill.

Hermes

I care nothing at all about the other gods, but it's myself. I tell you I am dying of hunger.

Cario

That's reasoning like a wise fellow.

Hermes

1120 Formerly, from earliest dawn, I was offered all sorts of good things in the wine-shops, —wine-cakes, honey, dried figs, in short, dishes worthy of Hermes. Now, I lie the livelong day on my back, with my legs in the air, famishing.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Καρίων τίς ἔσθʼ ὁ κόπτων τὴν θύραν; τουτὶ τί ἦν; οὐδεὶς ἔοικεν· ἀλλὰ δῆτα τὸ θύριον φθεγγόμενον ἄλλως κλαυσιᾷ.

Ἑρμῆς σέ τοι λέγω, ὁ Καρίων, ἀνάμεινον. 1100

Καρίων οὗτος εἰπέ μοι, σὺ τὴν θύραν ἔκοπτες οὑτωσὶ σφόδρα;

Καρίων εἰπέ μοι, τί δʼ ἔστιν;

Ἑρμῆς ὁ Ζεὺς ὦ πόνηρε βούλεται ἐς ταὐτὸν ὑμᾶς συγκυκήσας τρύβλιον ἁπαξάπαντας ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβαλεῖν.

Καρίων ἡ γλῶττα τῷ κήρυκι τούτων τέμνεται. 1110 ἀτὰρ διὰ τί δὴ ταῦτʼ ἐπιβουλεύει ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς;

Καρίων μὰ Δίʼ οὐδέ γε θύσει. κακῶς γὰρ ἐπεμελεῖσθʼ ἡμῶν τότε.

Ἑρμῆς καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων μοι θεῶν ἧττον μέλει, ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπόλωλα κἀπιτέτριμμαι.

Καρίων σωφρονεῖς.

Καρίων οὔκουν δικαίως, ὅστις ἐποίεις ζημίαν ἐνίοτε τοιαῦτʼ ἀγάθʼ ἔχων; 1125

Ἑρμῆς οἴμοι τάλας, οἴμοι πλακοῦντος τοῦ νʼ τετράδι πεπεμμένου.

Καρίων ποθεῖς τὸν οὐ παρόντα καὶ μάτην καλεῖς.

Ἑρμῆς οἴμοι δὲ κωλῆς ἣν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον.

Καρίων ἀσκωλίαζʼ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς τὴν αἰθρίαν.

Ἑρμῆς σπλάγχνων τε θερμῶν ὧν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον. 1130

Καρίων ὀδύνη σε περὶ τὰ σπλάγχνʼ ἔοικέ τι στρέφειν.

Ἑρμῆς οἴμοι δὲ κύλικος ἴσον ἴσῳ κεκραμένης.

Καρίων ταύτην ἐπιπιὼν ἀποτρέχων οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις.

Ἑρμῆς ἆρʼ ὠφελήσαις ἄν τι τὸν σαυτοῦ φίλον;

Cario opening the door Who is knocking at the door? Halloa! I see no one; it was then by chance it gave forth that plaintive tone.

Hermes To Cario, who is about to close the door 1100 Cario! stop!

Cario Eh! friend, was it you who knocked so loudly? Tell me.

Hermes No, I was going to knock and you forestalled me by opening. Come, call your master quick, then his wife and his children, 1105 then his slave and his dog, then yourself and his pig.

Cario And what's it all about?

Hermes It's about this, rascal! Zeus wants to serve you all with the same sauce and hurl the lot of you into the Barathrum.

Cario aside 1110 Have a care for your tongue, you bearer of ill tidings! To Hermes But why does he want to treat us in that scurvy fashion?

Hermes Because you have committed the most dreadful crime. Since Plutus has recovered his sight, there is nothing for us other gods, neither incense, nor laurels, 1115 nor cakes, nor victims, nor anything in the world.

Cario And you will never be offered anything more; you governed us too ill.

Hermes I care nothing at all about the other gods, but it's myself. I tell you I am dying of hunger.

Cario That's reasoning like a wise fellow.

Hermes 1120 Formerly, from earliest dawn, I was offered all sorts of good things in the wine-shops, —wine-cakes, honey, dried figs, in short, dishes worthy of Hermes. Now, I lie the livelong day on my back, with my legs in the air, famishing.

Cario And quite right too, for you 1125 often had them punished who treated you so well.

Hermes Ah! the lovely cake they used to knead for me on the fourth of the month!

Cario You recall it vainly; your regrets are useless!

Hermes Ah! the ham I was wont to devour!

Cario Well then! make use of your legs and hop on one leg upon the wineskin, to while away the time.

Hermes 1130 Oh! the grilled entrails I used to swallow down!

Cario Your own have got the colic, I think.

Hermes Oh! the delicious tipple, half-wine, half-water!

Cario Here, take this and be off.

Hermes in tragic style Would you render service to the friend that loves you?

Stable identifiers

Καρίων

τίς ἔσθʼ ὁ κόπτων τὴν θύραν; τουτὶ τί ἦν;

οὐδεὶς ἔοικεν· ἀλλὰ δῆτα τὸ θύριον

φθεγγόμενον ἄλλως κλαυσιᾷ.

Ἑρμῆς

σέ τοι λέγω,

ὁ Καρίων, ἀνάμεινον.
1100

Καρίων

οὗτος εἰπέ μοι,

σὺ τὴν θύραν ἔκοπτες οὑτωσὶ σφόδρα;

Καρίων

εἰπέ μοι,

τί δʼ ἔστιν;

Ἑρμῆς

ὁ Ζεὺς ὦ πόνηρε βούλεται

ἐς ταὐτὸν ὑμᾶς συγκυκήσας τρύβλιον

ἁπαξάπαντας ἐς τὸ βάραθρον ἐμβαλεῖν.

Καρίων

ἡ γλῶττα τῷ κήρυκι τούτων τέμνεται.
1110

ἀτὰρ διὰ τί δὴ ταῦτʼ ἐπιβουλεύει ποιεῖν

ἡμᾶς;

Καρίων

μὰ Δίʼ οὐδέ γε

θύσει. κακῶς γὰρ ἐπεμελεῖσθʼ ἡμῶν τότε.

Ἑρμῆς

καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων μοι θεῶν ἧττον μέλει,

ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπόλωλα κἀπιτέτριμμαι.

Καρίων

σωφρονεῖς.

Καρίων

οὔκουν δικαίως, ὅστις ἐποίεις ζημίαν

ἐνίοτε τοιαῦτʼ ἀγάθʼ ἔχων;
1125

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι τάλας,

οἴμοι πλακοῦντος τοῦ νʼ τετράδι πεπεμμένου.

Καρίων

ποθεῖς τὸν οὐ παρόντα καὶ μάτην καλεῖς.

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι δὲ κωλῆς ἣν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον.

Καρίων

ἀσκωλίαζʼ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς τὴν αἰθρίαν.

Ἑρμῆς

σπλάγχνων τε θερμῶν ὧν ἐγὼ κατήσθιον.
1130

Καρίων

ὀδύνη σε περὶ τὰ σπλάγχνʼ ἔοικέ τι στρέφειν.

Ἑρμῆς

οἴμοι δὲ κύλικος ἴσον ἴσῳ κεκραμένης.

Καρίων

ταύτην ἐπιπιὼν ἀποτρέχων οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις.

Ἑρμῆς

ἆρʼ ὠφελήσαις ἄν τι τὸν σαυτοῦ φίλον;

Cario
opening the door

Who is knocking at the door? Halloa! I see no one; it was then by chance it gave forth that plaintive tone.

Hermes
To Cario, who is about to close the door

1100 Cario! stop!

Cario

Eh! friend, was it you who knocked so loudly? Tell me.

Hermes

No, I was going to knock and you forestalled me by opening. Come, call your master quick, then his wife and his children, 1105 then his slave and his dog, then yourself and his pig.

Cario

And what's it all about?

Hermes

It's about this, rascal! Zeus wants to serve you all with the same sauce and hurl the lot of you into the Barathrum.

Cario
aside

1110 Have a care for your tongue, you bearer of ill tidings! To Hermes But why does he want to treat us in that scurvy fashion?

Hermes

Because you have committed the most dreadful crime. Since Plutus has recovered his sight, there is nothing for us other gods, neither incense, nor laurels, 1115 nor cakes, nor victims, nor anything in the world.

Cario

And you will never be offered anything more; you governed us too ill.

Hermes

I care nothing at all about the other gods, but it's myself. I tell you I am dying of hunger.

Cario

That's reasoning like a wise fellow.

Hermes

1120 Formerly, from earliest dawn, I was offered all sorts of good things in the wine-shops, —wine-cakes, honey, dried figs, in short, dishes worthy of Hermes. Now, I lie the livelong day on my back, with my legs in the air, famishing.

Cario

And quite right too, for you 1125 often had them punished who treated you so well.

Hermes

Ah! the lovely cake they used to knead for me on the fourth of the month!

Cario

You recall it vainly; your regrets are useless!

Hermes

Ah! the ham I was wont to devour!

Cario

Well then! make use of your legs and hop on one leg upon the wineskin, to while away the time.

Hermes

1130 Oh! the grilled entrails I used to swallow down!

Cario

Your own have got the colic, I think.

Hermes

Oh! the delicious tipple, half-wine, half-water!

Cario

Here, take this and be off.

Hermes
in tragic style

Would you render service to the friend that loves you?