Ussher (1973) · Athenian Society (1912)

1 Πρ.Ὦ λαμπρὸν ὄμμα τοῦ τροχηλάτου λύχνου,

κάλλιστ' ἐν εὐστόχοισιν ἐξηυρημένον—

γονάς τε γὰρ σὰς καὶ τύχας δηλώσομεν·

τροχῷ γὰρ ἐλαθεὶς κεραμικῆς ῥύμης ἄπο

5 μυκτῆρσι λαμπρὰς ἡλίου τιμὰς ἔχεις—

ὅρμα φλογὸς σημεῖα τὰ ξυγκείμενα.

σοὶ γὰρ μόνῳ δηλοῦμεν εἰκότως, ἐπεὶ

κἀν τοῖσι δωματίοισιν Ἀφροδίτης τρόπων

πειρωμέναισι πλησίον παραστατεῖς,

10 λορδουμένων τε σωμάτων ἐπιστάτην

ὀφθαλμὸν οὐδεὶς τὸν σὸν ἐξείργει δόμων.

μόνος δὲ μηρῶν εἰς ἀπορρήτους μυχοὺς

λάμπεις ἀφεύων τὴν ἐπανθοῦσαν τρίχα·

στοάς τε καρποῦ Βακχίου τε νάματος

15 πλήρεις ὑποιγνύσαισι συμπαραστατεῖς·

καὶ ταῦτα συνδρῶν οὐ λαλεῖς τοῖς πλησίον.

ἀνθ' ὧν συνείσει καὶ τὰ νῦν βουλεύματα

ὅσα Σκίροις ἔδοξε ταῖς ἐμαῖς φίλαις.

ἀλλ' οὐδεμία πάρεστιν ἃς ἥκειν ἐχρῆν.

20 καίτοι πρὸς ὄρθρον γ' ἐστίν, ἡ δ' ἐκκλησία

αὐτίκα μάλ' ἔσται· καταλαβεῖν δ' ἡμᾶς ἕδρας

δεῖ τὰς ἑταίρας κῶλά θ' ἱζομένας λαθεῖν,

22 ἃς Φυρόμαχός ποτ' εἶπεν, εἰ μέμνησθ' ἔτι.

24 τί δῆτ' ἂν εἴη; πότερον οὐκ ἐρραμμένους

25 ἔχουσι τοὺς πώγωνας, οὓς εἴρητ' ἔχειν;

ἢ θαἰμάτια τἀνδρεῖα κλεψάσαις λαθεῖν

ἦν χαλεπὸν αὐταῖς; ἀλλ' ὁρῶ τονδὶ λύχνον

προσιόντα. φέρε νυν ἐπαναχωρήσω πάλιν,

μὴ καί τις ὢν ἀνὴρ ὁ προσιὼν τυγχάνῃ.

Praxagora(enters carrying a lamp in her hand) Oh! thou shining light of my earthenware lamp, from this high spot shalt thou look abroad. Oh! lamp, I will tell thee thine origin and thy future; 'tis the rapid whirl of the potter's wheel that has lent thee thy shape, and thy wick counterfeits the glory of the sun; mayst thou send the agreed signal flashing afar! In thee alone do we confide, and thou art worthy, for thou art near us when we practise the various postures in which Aphrodité delights upon our couches, and none dream even in the midst of her sports of seeking to avoid thine eye that watches our swaying bodies. Thou alone shinest into the depths of our most secret charms, and with thy flame dost singe the hairy growth of our privates. If we open some cellar stored with fruits and wine, thou art our companion, and never dost thou betray or reveal to a neighbour the secrets thou hast learned about us. Therefore thou shalt know likewise the whole of the plot that I have planned with my friends, the women, at the festival of the Scirophoria. I see none of those I was expecting, though dawn approaches; the Assembly is about to gather and we must take our seats in spite of Phyromachus, who forsooth would say, "It is meet the women sit apart and hidden from the eyes of the men." Why, have they not been able then to procure the false beards that they must wear, or to steal their husbands cloaks? Ah! I see a light approaching; let us draw somewhat aside, for fear it should be a man.

30 Γυ. Αὥρα βαδίζειν, ὡς ὁ κῆρυξ ἀρτίως

ἡμῶν προσιόντων δεύτερον κεκόκκυκεν.

First WomanLet us start, it is high time; as we left our dwellings, the cock was crowing for the second time.

Πρ.ἐγὼ δέ γ' ὑμᾶς προσδοκῶσ' ἐγρηγόρη

τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν. ἀλλὰ φέρε τὴν γείτονα

τήνδ' ἐκκαλέσωμαι θρυγανῶσα τὴν θύραν.

35 δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρ' αὐτῆς λαθεῖν.

PraxagoraAnd I have spent the whole night waiting for you. But come, let us call our neighbour by scratching at her door; and gently too, so that her husband may hear nothing.

ὑποδουμένη τὸ κνῦμά σου τῶν δακτύλων,

ἅτ' οὐ καταδαρθοῦσ'. ὁ γὰρ ἀνήρ, ὦ φιλτάτη,

Σαλαμίνιος γάρ ἐστιν ᾧ ξύνειμ' ἐγώ,

τὴν νύχθ' ὅλην ἤλαυνέ μ' ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν,

40 ὥστ' ἄρτι τουτὶ θοἰμάτιον αὐτοῦ 'λαβον.

Second WomanI was putting on my shoes, when I heard you scratching, for I was not asleep, so there! Oh! my dear, my husband (he is a Salaminian) never left me an instant's peace, but was at me, for ever at me, all night long, so that it was only just now that I was able to filch his cloak.

Πρ.καὶ μὴν ὁρῶ καὶ Κλειναρέτην καὶ Σωστράτην

προσιοῦσαν ἤδη τήνδε καὶ Φιλαινέτην.

First WomanI see Clinareté coming too, along with Sostraté and their next-door neighbour Philaeneté.

Γυ. Αοὔκουν ἐπείξεσθ'; ὡς Γλύκη κατώμοσεν

τὴν ὑστάτην ἥκουσαν οἴνου τρεῖς χοᾶς

45 ἡμῶν ἀποτείσειν κἀρεβίνθων χοίνικα.

PraxagoraHurry yourselves then, for Glycé has sworn that the last comer shall forfeit three measures of wine and a choenix of pease.

Γυ. Βτὴν Σμικυθίωνος δ' οὐχ ὁρᾷς Μελιστίχην

σπεύδουσαν ἐν ταῖς ἐμβάσιν;

κατὰ σχολὴν παρὰ τἀνδρὸς ἐξελθεῖν μόνη.

First WomanDon't you see Melisticé, the wife of Smicythion, hurrying hither in her great shoes? Methinks she is the only one of us all who has had no trouble in getting rid of her husband.

Γυ. Βτὴν τοῦ καπήλου δ' οὐχ ὁρᾷς Γευσιστράτην

50 ἔχουσαν ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ τὴν λαμπάδα;

Second WomanAnd can't you see Gusistraté, the tavern-keeper's wife, with a lamp in her hand, and the wives of Philodoretus and Chaeretades?

Γυ. Ακαὶ τὴν Φιλοδωρήτου τε καὶ Χαιρητάδου

ὁρῶ προσιούσας χἀτέρας πολλὰς πάνυ

γυναῖκας, ὅ τι πέρ ἐστ' ὄφελος ἐν τῇ πόλει.

PraxagoraI can see many others too, indeed the whole of the flower of Athens.

Χο.καὶ πάνυ ταλαιπώρως ἔγωγ', ὦ φιλτάτη,

55 ἐκδρᾶσα παρέδυν. ὁ γὰρ ἀνὴρ τὴν νύχθ' ὅλην

ἔβηττε τριχίδων ἑσπέρας ἐμπλήμενος.

Third WomanOh! my dear, I have had such trouble in getting away! My husband ate such a surfeit of sprats last evening that he was coughing and choking the whole night long.

Πρ.κάθησθε τοίνυν, ὡς ⟨ἂν⟩ ἀνέρωμαι τάδε

ὑμᾶς, ἐπειδὴ συλλελεγμένας ὁρῶ,

ὅσα Σκίροις ἔδοξεν εἰ δεδράκατε.

PraxagoraTake your seats, and, since you are all gathered here at last, let us see if what we decided on at the feast of the Scirophoria has been duly done.

60 Γυ. Αἔγωγε. πρῶτον μέν γ' ἔχω τὰς μασχάλας

λόχμης δασυτέρας, καθάπερ ἦν ξυγκείμενον.

ἔπειθ' ὁπόθ' ἁνὴρ εἰς ἀγορὰν οἴχοιτό μου

ἀλειψαμένη τὸ σῶμ' ὅλον δι' ἡμέρας

ἐχραινόμην ἑστῶσα πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον.

Fourth WomanYes. Firstly, as agreed, I have let the hair under my armpits grow thicker than a bush; furthermore, whilst my husband was at the Assembly, I rubbed myself from head to foot with oil and then stood the whole day long in the sun.

Aristophanes, Assemblywomen — Greek text with English translation