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Carion: If you need anything at all, I will help you in any way I am able.

1135

Hermes: if you were to procure for me some well-preserved bread

Hermes: may you eat up even young meat.

Hermes: Sacrifice these things inside.

Carion: but it is not a funeral procession.

Hermes: And indeed, whenever some little utensil of the master

Hermes: I wish I had been, I was always making you slip from your mind.

1140

Carion: on the condition that you too should be a wall-climber.

Charon: For a well-packed vessel would have come to you.

Hermes: Then you yourself would have eaten that.

Carion: for you did not share the equal blows with me,

Carion: Whenever I had been caught having acted cunningly.

1145

Hermes: Do not bear a grudge, if you have seized Phyle.

Hermes: But by the gods, let a fellow dweller receive me.

Charon: And having left the gods, will you remain here?

Hermes: For the things here with you are much better.

Carion: But what about it? Do you think that it is witty to come with the same story?

1150

Hermes: For every homeland is wherever one may prosper.

Carion: But what good would you be to us, being here?

Hermes: Set me down in a corner by the door.

Carion: a twist? But it is not at all a task of twisting.

Hermes: But it is a bargain.

1155

Chario: But we are rich; so what?

Carion: Must we keep raising Hermes the swindler?

Hermes: But it is indeed a trick.

Carion: Deceitful? By no means.

Carion: for it is not a deed of deceit now, but of simple ways.

Hermes: But, a leader!

Carion: But the god already sees,

Carion: so that we shall need no leader anymore.

1160

Hermes: Then I shall be an athlete. What, then, will you say?

Hermes: For this is most fortunate for Wealth.

Hermes: to hold musical and gymnastic contests.

Carion: how good it is to have many names!

Carion: for he has found for himself a livelihood.

1165

Carion: It is not the year, all the judges often.

Chario: They are hurrying that it has been written in many letters.

Hermes: So, am I to go on these terms?

Carion: And wash it, then.

Carion: approaching the well himself, the bellies,

Carion: so that you may seem to be a servant right away.

1170

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.) — 1135 focus

Καρίων

εἴ του δέει γʼ ὧν δυνατός εἰμί σʼ ὠφελεῖν.
1135

Ἑρμῆς

εἴ μοι πορίσας ἄρτον τινʼ εὖ πεπεμμένον

δοίης καταφαγεῖν καὶ κρέας νεανικὸν

ὧν θύεθʼ ὑμεῖς ἔνδον.

Καρίων

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκφορά.

Ἑρμῆς

καὶ μὴν ὁπότε τι σκευάριον τοῦ δεσπότου

ὑφέλοιʼ, ἐγώ σε λανθάνειν ἐποίουν ἀεί.
1140

Καρίων

ἐφʼ ᾧ τε μετέχειν καὐτὸς ὦ τοιχωρύχε.

ἧκεν γὰρ ἄν σοι ναστὸς εὖ πεπεμμένος.

Ἑρμῆς

ἔπειτα τοῦτόν γʼ αὐτὸς ἂν κατήσθιες.

Καρίων

οὐ γὰρ μετεῖχες τὰς ἴσας πληγὰς ἐμοί,

ὁπότε τι ληφθείην πανουργήσας ἐγώ.
1145

Ἑρμῆς

μὴ μνησικακήσῃς, εἰ σὺ Φυλὴν κατέλαβες.

ἀλλὰ ξύνοικον πρὸς θεῶν δέξασθέ με.

Καρίων

ἔπειτʼ ἀπολιπὼν τοὺς θεοὺς ἐνθάδε μενεῖς;

Ἑρμῆς

τὰ γὰρ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐστι βελτίω πολύ.

Καρίων

τί δέ; ταὐτομολεῖν ἀστεῖον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ;
1150

Ἑρμῆς

πατρὶς γάρ ἐστι πᾶσʼ ἵνʼ ἂν πράττῃ τις εὖ.

Καρίων

τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴης ὄφελος ἡμῖν ἐνθάδʼ ὤν;

Ἑρμῆς

παρὰ τὴν θύραν στροφαῖον ἱδρύσασθέ με.

Καρίων

στροφαῖον; ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔργον ἔστʼ οὐδὲν στροφῶν.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ ἐμπολαῖον.
1155

Καρίων

ἀλλὰ πλουτοῦμεν· τί οὖν

Ἑρμῆν παλιγκάπηλον ἡμᾶς δεῖ τρέφειν;

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλὰ δόλιον τοίνυν.

Καρίων

δόλιον; ἥκιστά γε·

οὐ γὰρ δόλου νῦν ἔργον, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶν τρόπων.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ ἡγεμόνιον.

Καρίων

ἀλλʼ ὁ θεὸς ἤδη βλέπει,

ὥσθʼ ἡγεμόνος οὐδὲν δεησόμεσθʼ ἔτι.
1160

Ἑρμῆς

ἐναγώνιος τοίνυν ἔσομαι. τί δῆτʼ ἐρεῖς;

Πλούτῳ γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο συμφορώτατον

ποιεῖν ἀγῶνας μουσικοὺς καὶ γυμνικούς.

Καρίων

ὡς ἀγαθόν ἐστʼ ἐπωνυμίας πολλὰς ἔχειν·

οὗτος γὰρ ἐξηύρηκεν αὑτῷ βιότιον.
1165

οὐκ ἐτὸς ἅπαντες οἱ δικάζοντες θαμὰ

σπεύδουσιν ἐν πολλοῖς γεγράφθαι γράμμασιν.

Ἑρμῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰσίω;

Καρίων

καὶ πλῦνέ γε

αὐτὸς προσελθὼν πρὸς τὸ φρέαρ τὰς κοιλίας,

ἵνʼ εὐθέως διακονικὸς εἶναι δοκῇς.
1170

Χοροῦ

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.) — 1135 focus

Cario

1135 Willingly, if I can.

Hermes

Give me some well-baked bread and a big hunk of the victims they are sacrificing in your house.

Cario

That would be stealing.

Hermes

Do you forget, then, 1140 how I used to take care he knew nothing about it when you were stealing something from your master?

Cario

Because I used to share it with you, you rogue; some cake or other always came your way.

Hermes

Which afterwards you ate up all by yourself.

Cario

But then you did not share the blows 1145 when I was caught.

Hermes

Forget past injuries, now you have taken Phyle . Ah! how I should like to live with you! Take pity and receive me.

Cario

You would leave the gods to stop here?

Hermes

One is much better off among you.

Cario

1150 What! you would desert! Do you think that is honest?

Hermes

“Where I live well, there is my country.”

Cario

But how could we employ you here?

Hermes

Place me near the door; I am the watchman god and would shift off the robbers.

Cario

Shift off! Ah! but we have no love for shifts.

Hermes

1155 Entrust me with business dealings.

Cario

But we are rich; why should we keep a haggling Hermes?

Hermes

Let me intrigue for you.

Cario

No, no, intrigues are forbidden; we believe in good faith.

Hermes

I will work for you as a guide.

Cario

But the god sees clearly now, 1160 so we no longer want a guide.

Hermes

Well then, I will preside over the games. Ah! what can you object to in that? Nothing is fitter for Plutus than to give scenic and gymnastic games.

Cario

How useful it is to have so many names! 1165 Here you have found the means of earning your bread. I don't wonder the jurymen so eagerly try to get entered for many tribunals.

Hermes

So then, you admit me on these terms?

Cario

Go and wash the entrails of the victims at the well, 1170 so that you may show yourself serviceable at once.

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

1156. mvp-tlg0019-tlg011-sanjaya-com-eng1-31

Line 1156

Ἑρμῆν παλιγκάπηλον ἡμᾶς δεῖ τρέφειν;

The compound adjective παλιγκάπηλος (paligkápēlos) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, appearing only here in the surviving corpus. It is a rare formation combining παλίν ('again' or 'back') with κάπηλος ('huckster' or 'retailer'), effectively meaning 'a huckster who turns back' or 'a double-dealing merchant.' In this context, Chremylus uses it to describe Hermes not merely as a liar, but as a figure who repeatedly reverses his stance or deals in falsehoods, reflecting the play's central theme of economic instability and the capricious nature of divine favor. The term's novelty here underscores the satirical intensity of the accusation against the god.

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Current edition Experimental

Καρίων εἴ του δέει γʼ ὧν δυνατός εἰμί σʼ ὠφελεῖν. 1135

Ἑρμῆς εἴ μοι πορίσας ἄρτον τινʼ εὖ πεπεμμένον δοίης καταφαγεῖν καὶ κρέας νεανικὸν ὧν θύεθʼ ὑμεῖς ἔνδον.

Καρίων ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκφορά.

Ἑρμῆς καὶ μὴν ὁπότε τι σκευάριον τοῦ δεσπότου ὑφέλοιʼ, ἐγώ σε λανθάνειν ἐποίουν ἀεί. 1140

Καρίων ἐφʼ ᾧ τε μετέχειν καὐτὸς ὦ τοιχωρύχε. ἧκεν γὰρ ἄν σοι ναστὸς εὖ πεπεμμένος.

Ἑρμῆς ἔπειτα τοῦτόν γʼ αὐτὸς ἂν κατήσθιες.

Καρίων οὐ γὰρ μετεῖχες τὰς ἴσας πληγὰς ἐμοί, ὁπότε τι ληφθείην πανουργήσας ἐγώ. 1145

Ἑρμῆς μὴ μνησικακήσῃς, εἰ σὺ Φυλὴν κατέλαβες. ἀλλὰ ξύνοικον πρὸς θεῶν δέξασθέ με.

Καρίων ἔπειτʼ ἀπολιπὼν τοὺς θεοὺς ἐνθάδε μενεῖς;

Ἑρμῆς τὰ γὰρ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐστι βελτίω πολύ.

Καρίων τί δέ; ταὐτομολεῖν ἀστεῖον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ; 1150

Ἑρμῆς πατρὶς γάρ ἐστι πᾶσʼ ἵνʼ ἂν πράττῃ τις εὖ.

Καρίων τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴης ὄφελος ἡμῖν ἐνθάδʼ ὤν;

Ἑρμῆς παρὰ τὴν θύραν στροφαῖον ἱδρύσασθέ με.

Καρίων στροφαῖον; ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔργον ἔστʼ οὐδὲν στροφῶν.

Ἑρμῆς ἀλλʼ ἐμπολαῖον. 1155

Καρίων ἀλλὰ πλουτοῦμεν· τί οὖν Ἑρμῆν παλιγκάπηλον ἡμᾶς δεῖ τρέφειν;

Ἑρμῆς ἀλλὰ δόλιον τοίνυν.

Καρίων δόλιον; ἥκιστά γε· οὐ γὰρ δόλου νῦν ἔργον, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶν τρόπων.

Ἑρμῆς ἀλλʼ ἡγεμόνιον.

Καρίων ἀλλʼ ὁ θεὸς ἤδη βλέπει, ὥσθʼ ἡγεμόνος οὐδὲν δεησόμεσθʼ ἔτι. 1160

Ἑρμῆς ἐναγώνιος τοίνυν ἔσομαι. τί δῆτʼ ἐρεῖς; Πλούτῳ γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο συμφορώτατον ποιεῖν ἀγῶνας μουσικοὺς καὶ γυμνικούς.

Ἑρμῆς οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰσίω;

Καρίων καὶ πλῦνέ γε αὐτὸς προσελθὼν πρὸς τὸ φρέαρ τὰς κοιλίας, ἵνʼ εὐθέως διακονικὸς εἶναι δοκῇς. 1170

Cario 1135 Willingly, if I can.

Hermes Give me some well-baked bread and a big hunk of the victims they are sacrificing in your house.

Cario That would be stealing.

Hermes Do you forget, then, 1140 how I used to take care he knew nothing about it when you were stealing something from your master?

Cario Because I used to share it with you, you rogue; some cake or other always came your way.

Hermes Which afterwards you ate up all by yourself.

Cario But then you did not share the blows 1145 when I was caught.

Hermes Forget past injuries, now you have taken Phyle . Ah! how I should like to live with you! Take pity and receive me.

Cario You would leave the gods to stop here?

Hermes One is much better off among you.

Cario 1150 What! you would desert! Do you think that is honest?

Hermes “Where I live well, there is my country.”

Cario But how could we employ you here?

Hermes Place me near the door; I am the watchman god and would shift off the robbers.

Cario Shift off! Ah! but we have no love for shifts.

Hermes 1155 Entrust me with business dealings.

Cario But we are rich; why should we keep a haggling Hermes?

Hermes Let me intrigue for you.

Cario No, no, intrigues are forbidden; we believe in good faith.

Hermes I will work for you as a guide.

Cario But the god sees clearly now, 1160 so we no longer want a guide.

Hermes Well then, I will preside over the games. Ah! what can you object to in that? Nothing is fitter for Plutus than to give scenic and gymnastic games.

Cario How useful it is to have so many names! 1165 Here you have found the means of earning your bread. I don't wonder the jurymen so eagerly try to get entered for many tribunals.

Hermes So then, you admit me on these terms?

Cario Go and wash the entrails of the victims at the well, 1170 so that you may show yourself serviceable at once.

Commentary

Line 1156

Stable identifiers

Καρίων

εἴ του δέει γʼ ὧν δυνατός εἰμί σʼ ὠφελεῖν.
1135

Ἑρμῆς

εἴ μοι πορίσας ἄρτον τινʼ εὖ πεπεμμένον

δοίης καταφαγεῖν καὶ κρέας νεανικὸν

ὧν θύεθʼ ὑμεῖς ἔνδον.

Καρίων

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκφορά.

Ἑρμῆς

καὶ μὴν ὁπότε τι σκευάριον τοῦ δεσπότου

ὑφέλοιʼ, ἐγώ σε λανθάνειν ἐποίουν ἀεί.
1140

Καρίων

ἐφʼ ᾧ τε μετέχειν καὐτὸς ὦ τοιχωρύχε.

ἧκεν γὰρ ἄν σοι ναστὸς εὖ πεπεμμένος.

Ἑρμῆς

ἔπειτα τοῦτόν γʼ αὐτὸς ἂν κατήσθιες.

Καρίων

οὐ γὰρ μετεῖχες τὰς ἴσας πληγὰς ἐμοί,

ὁπότε τι ληφθείην πανουργήσας ἐγώ.
1145

Ἑρμῆς

μὴ μνησικακήσῃς, εἰ σὺ Φυλὴν κατέλαβες.

ἀλλὰ ξύνοικον πρὸς θεῶν δέξασθέ με.

Καρίων

ἔπειτʼ ἀπολιπὼν τοὺς θεοὺς ἐνθάδε μενεῖς;

Ἑρμῆς

τὰ γὰρ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐστι βελτίω πολύ.

Καρίων

τί δέ; ταὐτομολεῖν ἀστεῖον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ;
1150

Ἑρμῆς

πατρὶς γάρ ἐστι πᾶσʼ ἵνʼ ἂν πράττῃ τις εὖ.

Καρίων

τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἴης ὄφελος ἡμῖν ἐνθάδʼ ὤν;

Ἑρμῆς

παρὰ τὴν θύραν στροφαῖον ἱδρύσασθέ με.

Καρίων

στροφαῖον; ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔργον ἔστʼ οὐδὲν στροφῶν.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ ἐμπολαῖον.
1155

Καρίων

ἀλλὰ πλουτοῦμεν· τί οὖν

Ἑρμῆν παλιγκάπηλον ἡμᾶς δεῖ τρέφειν;

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλὰ δόλιον τοίνυν.

Καρίων

δόλιον; ἥκιστά γε·

οὐ γὰρ δόλου νῦν ἔργον, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶν τρόπων.

Ἑρμῆς

ἀλλʼ ἡγεμόνιον.

Καρίων

ἀλλʼ ὁ θεὸς ἤδη βλέπει,

ὥσθʼ ἡγεμόνος οὐδὲν δεησόμεσθʼ ἔτι.
1160

Ἑρμῆς

ἐναγώνιος τοίνυν ἔσομαι. τί δῆτʼ ἐρεῖς;

Πλούτῳ γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο συμφορώτατον

ποιεῖν ἀγῶνας μουσικοὺς καὶ γυμνικούς.

Ἑρμῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰσίω;

Καρίων

καὶ πλῦνέ γε

αὐτὸς προσελθὼν πρὸς τὸ φρέαρ τὰς κοιλίας,

ἵνʼ εὐθέως διακονικὸς εἶναι δοκῇς.
1170

Cario

1135 Willingly, if I can.

Hermes

Give me some well-baked bread and a big hunk of the victims they are sacrificing in your house.

Cario

That would be stealing.

Hermes

Do you forget, then, 1140 how I used to take care he knew nothing about it when you were stealing something from your master?

Cario

Because I used to share it with you, you rogue; some cake or other always came your way.

Hermes

Which afterwards you ate up all by yourself.

Cario

But then you did not share the blows 1145 when I was caught.

Hermes

Forget past injuries, now you have taken Phyle . Ah! how I should like to live with you! Take pity and receive me.

Cario

You would leave the gods to stop here?

Hermes

One is much better off among you.

Cario

1150 What! you would desert! Do you think that is honest?

Hermes

“Where I live well, there is my country.”

Cario

But how could we employ you here?

Hermes

Place me near the door; I am the watchman god and would shift off the robbers.

Cario

Shift off! Ah! but we have no love for shifts.

Hermes

1155 Entrust me with business dealings.

Cario

But we are rich; why should we keep a haggling Hermes?

Hermes

Let me intrigue for you.

Cario

No, no, intrigues are forbidden; we believe in good faith.

Hermes

I will work for you as a guide.

Cario

But the god sees clearly now, 1160 so we no longer want a guide.

Hermes

Well then, I will preside over the games. Ah! what can you object to in that? Nothing is fitter for Plutus than to give scenic and gymnastic games.

Cario

How useful it is to have so many names! 1165 Here you have found the means of earning your bread. I don't wonder the jurymen so eagerly try to get entered for many tribunals.

Hermes

So then, you admit me on these terms?

Cario

Go and wash the entrails of the victims at the well, 1170 so that you may show yourself serviceable at once.