Aristophanes Lysistrata

ΑΡΙΣΤΟΦΑΝΟΥΣ ARISTOPHANES’
Λυσιστράτη Lysistrata
A Dual Language Edition
Greek Text Edited by

F. W. Hall and W. M. Geldart
English Translation and Notes by
Ian Johnston
Edited by
Evan Hayes and Stephen Nimis
Faenum Publishing
Oxford, Ohio
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata: A Dual Language Edition
First Edition
for Geoffrey (1974-1997)
© 2017 by Faenum Publishing
οἵη περ φύλλων γενεὴ τοίη δὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
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copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law
and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission Generations of men are like the leaves.
from the publisher. In winter, winds blow them down to earth,
but then, when spring season comes again,
the budding wood grows more. And so with men:
A version of this work has been made available under a Creative Commons one generation grows, another dies away. (Iliad 6)
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ISBN-10: 1940997976
ISBN-13: 9781940997971
Published by Faenum Publishing, Ltd.

Cover Design: Evan Hayes
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editors’ Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Historical Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
v
EDITORS’ NOTE
This book presents the Greek text of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata with a
facing English translation. The Greek text is that of F. W. Hall and W. M.
Geldart (1907), from the Oxford Classical Texts series, which is in the
public domain and available as a pdf. This text has also been digitized by
the Perseus Project (perseus.tufts.edu). The English translation and accom-
panying notes are those of Ian Johnston of Vancouver Island University,
Nanaimo, BC. This translation is available freely online (records.viu.ca/~-
johnstoi/). We have reset both texts, making a number of very minor cor-
rections, and placed them on opposing pages. This facing-page format will
be useful to those wishing to read the English translation while looking at
the Greek version, or vice versa.
Note that some discrepancies exists between the Greek text and
English translation. Occasionally readings from other editions of or com-
mentaries on Aristophanes’ Greek text are used, accounting for some minor
departures from Hall and Geldart’s edition.
vii
HISTORICAL NOTE
Aristophanes (c. 446 BC to c. 386 BC) was the foremost writer of
Old Comedy in classical Athens. His play Lysistrata was first performed in
Athens in 411 BC, two years after the disastrous Sicilian Expedition, where
Athens suffered an enormous defeat in the continuing war with Sparta and
its allies (a conflict with lasted from 431 BC to 404 BC).
ix
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ LYSISTRATA
ΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΔΡΑΜΑΤΟΣ ΠΡΟΣΩΠΑ* DRAMATIS PERSONAE
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ LYSISTRATA: a young Athenian wife

CALONICE: a mature married woman
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
MYRRHINE: a very attractive teenage wife
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
LAMPITO: a strong young country wife from Sparta
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ ISMENIA: a women from Thebes
ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΣ SCYTHIAN GIRL: one of Lysistrata’s slaves

MAGISTRATE: an elderly Athenian with white hair
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
CINESIAS: husband of Myrrhine
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ CHILD: infant son of Myrrhine and Cinesias
ΠΑΙΣ ΚΙΝΗΣΙΟΥ MANES: servant nurse of the Child
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ HERALD: A Spartan envoy

CHORUS OF OLD MEN
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ
CHORUS OF OLD WOMEN
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ ATHENIAN AMBASSADOR
ΠΡΕΣΒΕΙΣ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ SPARTAN AMBASSADOR
WOMAN A: one of the wives following Lysistrata
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΙ ΤΙΝΕΣ
WOMAN B: one of the wives following Lysistrata
WOMAN C: one of the wives following Lysistrata
ARMED GUARDS: four police officials attending on the Magistrate
WOMEN: followers of Lysistrata
RECONCILIATION: a goddess of harmony
ATHENIAN DELEGATES
* In his translation, Johnston further divides the roles into more specific SPARTAN DELEGATES
ones, such as Woman A, Woman B, Chorus Leader, etc., and includes
directions for non-speaking parts. Further discussion of roles and line SLAVES AND ATTENDANTS
attributions may be found in the notes.
Λυσιστράτη Lysistrata
[The action of the play takes place in a street in Athens, with the citadel on the
Acropolis in the back, its doors facing the audience]
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ
ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἐς Βακχεῖον αὐτὰς ἐκάλεσεν, Lysistrata
ἢ ᾽ς Πανὸς ἢ ᾽πὶ Κωλιάδ᾽ ἢ ᾽ς Γενετυλλίδος, If they’d called a Bacchic celebration
οὐδ᾽ ἂν διελθεῖν ἦν ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν τυμπάνων. or some festival for Pan or Colias
νῦν δ᾽ οὐδεμία πάρεστιν ἐνταυθοῖ γυνή. or for Genetyllis, you’d not be able
πλὴν ἥ γ᾽ ἐμὴ κωμῆτις ἥδ᾽ ἐξέρχεται. 5 to move around through all the kettle drums.
But as it is, there are no women here.
χαῖρ᾽ ὦ Καλονίκη.
[Calonice enters, coming to meet Lysistrata]
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
καὶ σύ γ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη. Ah, here’s my neighbour—at least she’s come.1
τί συντετάραξαι; μὴ σκυθρώπαζ᾽ ὦ τέκνον. Hello, Calonice.
οὐ γὰρ πρέπει σοι τοξοποιεῖν τὰς ὀφρῦς. Calonice
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Hello, Lysistrata.
What’s bothering you, child? Don’t look so annoyed.
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ Καλονίκη κάομαι τὴν καρδίαν,
It doesn’t suit you. Your eyes get wrinkled.
καὶ πόλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ἄχθομαι, 10
ὁτιὴ παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν νενομίσμεθα Lysistrata
εἶναι πανοῦργοι— My heart’s on fire, Calonice—I’m so angry
at married women, at us, because, [10]
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ although men say we’re devious characters . . .
καὶ γάρ ἐσμεν νὴ Δία.
Calonice [interrupting]
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Because, by god, we are!
εἰρημένον δ᾽ αὐταῖς ἀπαντᾶν ἐνθάδε
Lysistrata [continuing]
βουλευσομέναισιν οὐ περὶ φαύλου πράγματος,
. . . when I call them all
εὕδουσι κοὐχ ἥκουσιν. 15
to meet here to discuss some serious business,
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ they just stay in bed and don’t show up.
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φιλτάτη Calonice
.
ἥξουσι χαλεπή τοι γυναικῶν ἔξοδος. Ah, my dear, they’ll come. It’s not so easy
ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν περὶ τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐκύπτασεν, for wives to get away. We’ve got to fuss
ἡ δ᾽ οἰκέτην ἤγειρεν, ἡ δὲ παιδίον about our husbands, wake up the servants,
κατέκλινεν, ἡ δ᾽ ἔλουσεν, ἡ δ᾽ ἐψώμισεν. calm and wash the babies, then give them food.
4 5
Aristophanes Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata
ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερά τἄρ᾽ ἦν τῶνδε προὐργιαίτερα 20 But there are other things they need to do— [20]
αὐταῖς. more important issues.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
My dear Lysistrata,
τί δ᾽ ἐστὶν ὦ φίλη Λυσιστράτη, why have you asked the women to meet here?
ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι ποθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὰς γυναῖκας συγκαλεῖς; What’s going on? Is it something big?
τί τὸ πρᾶγμα; πηλίκον τι;
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ It’s huge.
μέγα.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ And hard as well?
μῶν καὶ παχύ; Lysistrata
Yes, by god, really hard.
καὶ νὴ Δία παχύ. Calonice
Then why aren’t we all here?
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
κᾆτα πῶς οὐχ ἥκομεν; Lysistrata
I don’t mean that!
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ If that were it, they’d all be charging here so fast.
οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος. ταχὺ γὰρ ἂν ξυνήλθομεν. 25 No. It’s something I’ve been playing with—
wrestling with for many sleepless nights.
ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἀνεζητημένον
πολλαῖσί τ᾽ ἀγρυπνίαισιν ἐριπτασμένον. Calonice
If you’ve been working it like that, by now
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ it must have shrivelled up.
ἦ πού τι λεπτόν ἐστι τοὐριπτασμένον.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Yes, so shrivelled up
οὕτω γε λεπτὸν ὥσθ᾽ ὅλης τῆς Ἑλλάδος that the salvation of the whole of Greece [30]
ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία. 30 is now in women’s hands.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
In women’s hands?
ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν; ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγου γ᾽ ὠχεῖτ᾽ ἄρα. Then it won’t be long before we done for.
ὡς ἔστ᾽ ἐν ἡμῖν τῆς πόλεως τὰ πράγματα, It’s up to us to run the state’s affairs—
ἢ μηκέτ᾽ εἶναι μήτε Πελοποννησίους the Spartans would no longer be around.
6 7
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Calonice
βέλτιστα τοίνυν μηκέτ᾽ εἶναι νὴ Δία. If they weren’t there, by god, not any more,
that would be good news.
Lysistrata
Βοιωτίους τε πάντας ἐξολωλέναι. 35 And then if all Boeotians
were totally destroyed!
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
μὴ δῆτα πάντας γ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἄφελε τὰς ἐγχέλεις. Calonice
Not all of them—
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ you’d have to save the eels.2
περὶ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν δ᾽ οὐκ ἐπιγλωττήσομαι
Lysistrata
τοιοῦτον οὐδέν. ἀλλ᾽ ὑπονόησον σύ μοι.
As for Athens,
ἢν δὲ ξυνέλθωσ᾽ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐνθάδε I won’t say anything as bad as that.
αἵ τ᾽ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν αἵ τε Πελοποννησίων 40 You can imagine what I’d say. But now,
ἡμεῖς τε, κοινῇ σώσομεν τὴν Ἑλλάδα. if only all the women would come here
from Sparta and Boeotia, join up with us, [40]
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ if we worked together, we’d save Greece.
τί δ᾽ ἂν γυναῖκες φρόνιμον ἐργασαίατο
Calonice
ἢ λαμπρόν, αἳ καθήμεθ᾽ ἐξηνθισμέναι, But what sensible or splendid act
κροκωτοφοροῦσαι καὶ κεκαλλωπισμέναι could women do? We sit around playing
καὶ Κιμμερίκ᾽ ὀρθοστάδια καὶ περιβαρίδας; 45 with our cosmetics, wearing golden clothes,
posing in Cimmerian silks and slippers.
ταῦτ᾽ αὐτὰ γάρ τοι κἄσθ᾽ ἃ σώσειν προσδοκῶ, Lysistrata
Those are the very things which I assume
τὰ κροκωτίδια καὶ τὰ μύρα χαἰ περιβαρίδες
will save us—short dresses, perfumes, slippers,
χἤγχουσα καὶ τὰ διαφανῆ χιτώνια. make up, and clothing men can see through.
τίνα δὴ τρόπον ποθ᾽; How’s that going to work?
No man living
ὥστε τῶν νῦν μηδένα
will lift his spear against another man . . . [50]
ἀνδρῶν ἐπ᾽ ἀλλήλοισιν ἄρεσθαι δόρυ— 50
Calonice [interrupting]
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ By the two goddesses, I must take my dress
κροκωτὸν ἄρα νὴ τὼ θεὼ ᾽γὼ βάψομαι. and dye it yellow.3
8 9
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [continuing]
μηδ᾽ ἀσπίδα λαβεῖν— . . . or pick up a shield . . .
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Calonice [interrupting again]

Κιμμερικὸν ἐνδύσομαι. I’ll have to wear my very best silk dress.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [continuing]
μηδὲ ξιφίδιον. . . . or pull out his sword.
κτήσομαι περιβαρίδας. I need to get some shoes.
ἆρ᾽ οὐ παρεῖναι τὰς γυναῖκας δῆτ᾽ ἐχρῆν; O these women, they should be here by now!
οὐ γὰρ μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ πετομένας ἥκειν πάλαι. 55 Yes, by god! They should have sprouted wings
and come here hours ago.
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ μέλ᾽ ὄψει τοι σφόδρ᾽ αὐτὰς Ἀττικάς, Lysistrata
ἅπαντα δρώσας τοῦ δέοντος ὕστερον. They’re true Athenians,
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ Παράλων οὐδεμία γυνὴ πάρα, you’ll see—everything they should be doing
οὐδ᾽ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος. they postpone till later. But no one’s come
from Salamis or those towns on the coast.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖναί γ᾽ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι Calonice [with an obscene gesture]
I know those women—they were up early
ἐπὶ τῶν κελήτων διαβεβήκασ᾽ ὄρθριαι. 60
on their boats riding the mizzen mast. [60]
οὐδ᾽ ἃς προσεδόκων κἀλογιζόμην ἐγὼ Lysistrata
I’d have bet
πρώτας παρέσεσθαι δεῦρο τὰς Ἀχαρνέων
those women from Acharnia would come
γυναῖκας, οὐχ ἥκουσιν.
and get here first. But they’ve not shown up.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Calonice
ἡ γοῦν Θεογένους
Well, Theogenes’ wife will be here.
ὡς δεῦρ᾽ ἰοῦσα θοὐκάταιον ἤρετο. I saw her hoisting sail to come.4 Hey, look!
ἀτὰρ αἵδε καὶ δή σοι προσέρχονταί τινες. 65 Here’s a group of women coming for you.
αἱδί θ᾽ ἕτεραι χωροῦσί τινες. ἰοὺ ἰού, And there’s another one, as well. Hello!
πόθεν εἰσίν; Hello there! Where they from?
[Various women start arriving from all directions]

10 11
Ἀναγυρουντόθεν. Those? From Anagyrus.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
My god, it seems we’re kicking up a stink.5
νὴ τὸν Δία.
ὁ γοῦν ἀνάγυρός μοι κεκινῆσθαι δοκεῖ. [Enter Myrrhine]
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Myrrhine
Hey, Lysistrata, did we get here late?
μῶν ὕστεραι πάρεσμεν ὦ Λυσιστράτη;
What’s the matter? Why are you so quiet?
τί φῄς; τί σιγᾷς;
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ I’m not pleased with you, Myrrhine. You’re late. [70]
οὔ σ᾽ ἐπαινῶ Μυρίνη 70 And this is serious business.
ἥκουσαν ἄρτι περὶ τοιούτου πράγματος.
Myrrhine
It was dark.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
I had trouble tracking down my waist band.
μόλις γὰρ ηὗρον ἐν σκότῳ τὸ ζώνιον. If it’s such a big deal, tell these women.
ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τι πάνυ δεῖ, ταῖς παρούσαισιν λέγε.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ No, let’s wait a while until the women
μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαναμείνωμεν ὀλίγου γ᾽ οὕνεκα from Sparta and Boeotia get here.
τάς τ᾽ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν τάς τε Πελοποννησίων 75 Myrrhine
γυναῖκας ἐλθεῖν. All right. That sounds like the best idea.
Hey, here comes Lampito.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
πολὺ σὺ κάλλιον λέγεις. [Lampito enters with some other Spartan women and with Ismenia, a
woman from Thebes]
ἡδὶ δὲ καὶ δὴ Λαμπιτὼ προσέρχεται.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Hello Lampito,
ὦ φιλτάτη Λάκαινα χαῖρε Λαμπιτοῖ. my dear friend from Sparta. How beautiful
οἷον τὸ κάλλος γλυκυτάτη σου φαίνεται. you look, so sweet, such a fine complexion. [80]
ὡς δ᾽ εὐχροεῖς, ὡς δὲ σφριγᾷ τὸ σῶμά σου. 80 And your body looks so fit, strong enough
to choke a bull.
κἂν ταῦρον ἄγχοις.
Lampito6
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ Yes, by the two gods,
μάλα γ᾽ οἰῶ ναὶ τὼ σιώ. I could pull that off.7 I do exercise
γυμνάδδομαι γὰρ καὶ ποτὶ πυγὰν ἅλλομαι. and work out to keep my butt well toned.
12 13
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Calonice [fondling Lampito’s bosom]
ὡς δὴ καλὸν τὸ χρῆμα τιτθίων ἔχεις. What an amazing pair of breasts you’ve got!
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ Lampito
ᾇπερ ἱερεῖόν τοί μ᾽ ὑποψαλάσσετε. O, you stroke me like I’m a sacrifice.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [looking at Ismenia]
ἡδὶ δὲ ποδαπή ᾽σθ᾽ ἡ νεᾶνις ἡτέρα; 85 And this young woman—where’s she from? [90]
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
Lampito
πρέσβειρά τοι ναὶ τὼ σιὼ Βοιωτία
By the twin gods, she’s an ambassador—
ἵκει ποθ᾽ ὑμέ.
she’s from Boeotia.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
νὴ μὰ Δία Βοιωτία, Myrrhine [looking down Ismenia’s elegant clothes]
καλόν γ᾽ ἔχουσα τὸ πεδίον. Of course, from Boeotia.
She’s got a beautiful lowland region.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
καὶ νὴ Δία Calonice [peering down Ismenia’s dress to see her pubic hair]
κομψότατα τὴν βληχώ γε παρατετιλμένη. Yes. By god, she keeps that territory
elegantly groomed.
τίς δ᾽ ἡτέρα παῖς; 90 Lysistrata
Who’s the other girl?
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
χαΐα ναὶ τὼ σιώ, Lampito
Κορινθία δ᾽ αὖ. A noble girl, by the two gods, from Corinth.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Calonice [inspecting the girl’s bosom and buttocks]
χαΐα νὴ τὸν Δία
A really noble girl, by Zeus—it’s clear
δήλη ᾽στὶν οὖσα ταυταγὶ τἀντευθενί.
she’s got good lines right here, back here as well.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
τίς δ᾽ αὖ ξυναλίαξε τόνδε τὸν στόλον Lampito
All right, who’s the one who called the meeting
τὸν τᾶν γυναικῶν;
and brought this bunch of women here?
ἥδ᾽ ἐγώ. Lysistrata
I did.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
μύσιδδέ τοι Lampito
ὅ τι λῇς ποθ᾽ ἁμέ. 95 Then lay out what it is you want from us.
14 15
νὴ Δί᾽ ὦ φίλη γύναι, Come on, dear lady, tell us what’s going on,
λέγε δῆτα τὸ σπουδαῖον ὅ τι τοῦτ᾽ ἐστί σοι. what’s so important to you.
λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν ἤδη. πρὶν λέγειν <δ᾽>, ὑμᾶς τοδὶ In a minute.
ἐπερήσομαί τι μικρόν. Before I say it, I’m going to ask you
one small question.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
ὅ τι βούλει γε σύ. Calonice
Ask whatever you want.
τοὺς πατέρας οὐ ποθεῖτε τοὺς τῶν παιδίων Lysistrata
ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς ἀπόντας; εὖ γὰρ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι 100 Don’t you miss the fathers of your children
when they go off to war? I understand [100]
πάσαισιν ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἀποδημῶν ἀνήρ.
you all have husbands far away from home.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Calonice
ὁ γοῦν ἐμὸς ἀνὴρ πέντε μῆνας ὦ τάλαν
My dear, it’s five full months my man’s been gone—
ἄπεστιν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης φυλάττων Εὐκράτη.
off in Thrace taking care of Eucrates.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
ὁ δ᾽ ἐμός γε τελέους ἑπτὰ μῆνας ἐν Πύλῳ.
And mine’s been stuck in Pylos seven whole months.8
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
Lampito
ὁ δ᾽ ἐμός γα καἴ κ᾽ ἐκ τᾶς ταγᾶς ἔλσῃ ποκά, 105
And mine—as soon as he gets home from war
πορπακισάμενος φροῦδος ἀμπτάμενος ἔβα.
he grabs his shield and buggers off again.
Lysistrata
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ μοιχοῦ καταλέλειπται φεψάλυξ. As for old flames and lovers—they’re none left.
ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἡμᾶς προὔδοσαν Μιλήσιοι, And since Milesians went against us,
οὐκ εἶδον οὐδ᾽ ὄλισβον ὀκτωδάκτυλον, I’ve not seen a decent eight-inch dildo.
ὃς ἦν ἂν ἡμῖν σκυτίνη ᾽πικουρία. 110 Yes, it’s just leather, but it helps us out.9 [110]
ἐθέλοιτ᾽ ἂν οὖν, εἰ μηχανὴν εὕροιμ᾽ ἐγώ, So would you be willing, if I found a way,
μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ καταλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον; to work with me to make this fighting end?
νὴ τὼ θεώ. By the twin goddesses, yes. Even if
ἔγωγ᾽ ἂν <οὖν> κἂν εἴ με χρείη τοὔγκυκλον in just one day I had to pawn this dress
τουτὶ καταθεῖσαν ἐκπιεῖν αὐθημερόν. and drain my purse.
16 17
ἐγὼ δέ γ᾽ ἂν κἂν ὡσπερεὶ ψῆτταν δοκῶ 115 Me too—they could slice me up
like a flat fish, then use one half of me
δοῦναι ἂν ἐμαυτῆς παρατεμοῦσα θἤμισυ.
to get a peace.
ἐγὼ δὲ καί κα ποττὸ Ταΰγετόν γ᾽ ἄνω I’d climb up to the top
ἔλσοιμ᾽ ὅπᾳ μέλλοιμί γ᾽ εἰράναν ἰδεῖν. of Taygetus to get a glimpse of peace.10
λέγοιμ᾽ ἄν. οὐ δεῖ γὰρ κεκρύφθαι τὸν λόγον. All right I’ll tell you. No need to keep quiet
about my plan. Now, ladies, if we want [120]
ἡμῖν γὰρ ὦ γυναῖκες, εἴπερ μέλλομεν 120
to force the men to have a peace, well then,
ἀναγκάσειν τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰρήνην ἄγειν, we must give up . . .
ἀφεκτέ᾽ ἐστὶ—
Myrrhine [interrupting]
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Give up what? Tell us!
τοῦ; φράσον. Lysistrata
Then, will you do it?
ποιήσετ᾽ οὖν; Myrrhine
Of course, we’ll do it,
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ even if we have to die.
ποιήσομεν, κἂν ἀποθανεῖν ἡμᾶς δέῃ.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ All right then—
we have to give up all male penises.
ἀφεκτέα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡμῖν τοῦ πέους.
τί μοι μεταστρέφεσθε; ποῖ βαδίζετε; 125 [The women react with general consternation]
αὗται τί μοιμυᾶτε κἀνανεύετε; Why do you turn away? Where are you going?
τί χρὼς τέτραπται; τί δάκρυον κατείβεται; How come you bite your lips and shake your heads?
ποιήσετ᾽ ἢ οὐ ποιήσετ᾽; ἢ τί μέλλετε; And why so pale? How come you’re crying like that?
Will you do it or not? What will it be?
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιμ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω. I won’t do it. So let the war drag on.
μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐγὼ γάρ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω. 130 I won’t either. The war can keep on going. [130]
18 19
ταυτὶ σὺ λέγεις ὦ ψῆττα; καὶ μὴν ἄρτι γε How can you say that, you flatfish? Just now
ἔφησθα σαυτῆς κἂν παρατεμεῖν θἤμισυ. you said they could slice you into halves.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Ask what you like, but not that! If I had to,
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ ὅ τι βούλει. κἄν με χρῇ διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς I’d be willing to walk through fire—sooner that
ἐθέλω βαδίζειν. τοῦτο μᾶλλον τοῦ πέους. than give up screwing. There’s nothing like it,
οὐδὲν γὰρ οἷον ὦ φίλη Λυσιστράτη. 135 dear Lysistrata.
τί δαὶ σύ; And what about you?
κἀγὼ βούλομαι διὰ τοῦ πυρός. I’d choose the fire, too.
Lysistrata
What a debased race
ὦ παγκατάπυγον θἠμέτερον ἅπαν γένος, we women are! It’s no wonder men write
οὐκ ἐτὸς ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰσιν αἱ τραγῳδίαι. tragedies about us. We’re good for nothing
οὐδὲν γάρ ἐσμεν πλὴν Ποσειδῶν καὶ σκάφη. but screwing Poseidon in the bath tub.
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φίλη Λάκαινα, σὺ γὰρ ἐὰν γένῃ 140 But my Spartan friend, if you were willing, [140]
μόνη μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ, τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἀνασωσαίμεσθ᾽ ἔτ᾽ <ἄν>, just you and me, we still could pull it off.
ξυμψήφισαί μοι. So help me out.
Lampito
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
By the twin gods, it’s hard
χαλεπὰ μὲν ναὶ τὼ σιὼ for women to sleep all by themselves
γυναῖκάς ἐσθ᾽ ὑπνῶν ἄνευ ψωλᾶς μόνας. without a throbbing cock. But we must try.
ὅμως γα μάν. δεῖ τᾶς γὰρ εἰράνας μάλ᾽ αὖ. We’ve got to have a peace.
ὦ φιλτάτη σὺ καὶ μόνη τούτων γυνή. 145 O you’re a true friend!
The only real woman in this bunch.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
εἰ δ᾽ ὡς μάλιστ᾽ ἀπεχοίμεθ᾽ οὗ σὺ δὴ λέγεις, Calonice
If we really do give up what you say—
ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, μᾶλλον ἂν διὰ τουτογὶ
I hope it never happens!—would doing that
γένοιτ᾽ ἂν εἰρήνη; make peace more likely?
πολύ γε νὴ τὼ θεώ. By the two goddesses, yes,
εἰ γὰρ καθοίμεθ᾽ ἔνδον ἐντετριμμέναι, much more likely. If we sit around at home
20 21
κἀν τοῖς χιτωνίοισι τοῖς Ἀμοργίνοις 150 with all our make up on and in those gowns
γυμναὶ παρίοιμεν δέλτα παρατετιλμέναι, made of Amorgos silk, naked underneath, [150]
στύοιντο δ᾽ ἅνδρες κἀπιθυμοῖεν σπλεκοῦν, with our crotches neatly plucked, our husbands
will get hard and want to screw. But then,
ἡμεῖς δὲ μὴ προσίοιμεν ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεχοίμεθα,
if we stay away and won’t come near them,
σπονδὰς ποιήσαιντ᾽ ἂν ταχέως, εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι. they’ll make peace soon enough. I’m sure of it.
ὁ γῶν Μενέλαος τᾶς Ἑλένας τὰ μᾶλά πᾳ 155 Yes, just like they say—when Menelaus
γυμνᾶς παραϊδὼν ἐξέβαλ᾽, οἰῶ, τὸ ξίφος. saw Helen’s naked tits, he dropped his sword.11
But my friend, what if our men ignore us?
τί δ᾽ ἢν ἀφιῶσ᾽ ἅνδρες ἡμᾶς ὦ μέλε;
Lysistrata
Well then, in the words of Pherecrates,
τὸ τοῦ Φερεκράτους, κύνα δέρειν δεδαρμένην. you’ll find another way to skin the dog.12
φλυαρία ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶ τὰ μεμιμημένα. But fake penises aren’t any use at all.
ἐὰν λαβόντες δ᾽ ἐς τὸ δωμάτιον βίᾳ 160 What if they grab us and haul us by force [160]
ἕλκωσιν ἡμᾶς; into the bedroom.
Lysistrata
Just grab the door post.
ἀντέχου σὺ τῶν θυρῶν.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ And if they beat us?
ἐὰν δὲ τύπτωσιν;
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Then you must submit—
παρέχειν χρὴ κακὰ κακῶς. but do it grudgingly, don’t cooperate.
οὐ γὰρ ἔνι τούτοις ἡδονὴ τοῖς πρὸς βίαν. There’s no enjoyment for them when they just
κἄλλως ὀδυνᾶν χρή. κἀμέλει ταχέως πάνυ
force it in. Besides, there are other ways
to make them suffer. They’ll soon surrender.
ἀπεροῦσιν. οὐ γὰρ οὐδέποτ᾽ εὐφρανθήσεται 165
No husband ever had a happy life
ἀνήρ, ἐὰν μὴ τῇ γυναικὶ συμφέρῃ. if he did not get on well with his wife.
εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σφῷν ταῦτα, χἠμῖν ξυνδοκεῖ. Well, if you two think it’s good, we do, too.
22 23
I’m sure we can persuade our men to work
καὶ τὼς μὲν ἁμῶν ἄνδρας ἁμὲς πείσομες
for a just peace in everything, no tricks.
παντᾷ δικαίως ἄδολον εἰράναν ἄγειν. But how’ll you convince the Athenian mob? [170]
τὸν τῶν Ἀσαναίων γα μὰν ῥυάχετον 170 They’re mad for war.
πᾷ κά τις ἀμπείσειεν αὖ μὴ πλαδδιῆν; Lysistrata
That’s not your worry.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ We’ll win them over.
ἡμεῖς ἀμέλει σοι τά γε παρ᾽ ἡμῖν πείσομεν. Lampito
I don’t think so—
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ not while they have triremes under sail
οὐχ ἇς πόδας κ᾽ ἔχωντι ταὶ τριήρεες, and that huge treasure stashed away
where your goddess makes her home.13
καὶ τὠργύριον τὤβυσσον ᾖ πὰρ τᾷ σιῷ.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ But that’s all been well taken care of.
Today we’ll capture the Acropolis.
ἀλλ᾽ ἔστι καὶ τοῦτ᾽ εὖ παρεσκευασμένον. 175 The old women have been assigned the task.
καταληψόμεθα γὰρ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τήμερον. While we sit here planning all the details,
ταῖς πρεσβυτάταις γὰρ προστέτακται τοῦτο δρᾶν, they’ll pretend they’re going there to sacrifice
and seize the place.
ἕως ἂν ἡμεῖς ταῦτα συντιθώμεθα,
Lampito
θύειν δοκούσαις καταλαβεῖν τὴν ἀκρόπολιν.
You’ve got it all worked out. [180]
What you say sounds good.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
παντᾷ κ᾽ ἔχοι, καὶ τᾷδε γὰρ λέγεις καλῶς. 180 Lysistrata
All right Lampito,
let’s swear an oath as quickly as we can.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ That way we’ll be united.
τί δῆτα ταῦτ᾽ οὐχ ὡς τάχιστ᾽ ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ
Lampito
ξυνωμόσαμεν, ὅπως ἂν ἀρήκτως ἔχῃ; Recite the oath.
Then we’ll all swear to it.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
Lysistrata
πάρφαινε μὰν τὸν ὅρκον, ὡς ὀμιόμεθα. That’s good advice.
Where’s that girl from Scythia?
[The Scythian slave steps forward. She’s holding a small shield]
καλῶς λέγεις. ποῦ ᾽σθ᾽ ἡ Σκύθαινα; ποῖ βλέπεις;
Why stare like that?
θὲς ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ὑπτίαν τὴν ἀσπίδα, 185 Put down your shield, the hollow part on top.
καί μοι δότω τὰ τόμιά τις. Now, someone get me a victim’s innards.
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Λυσιστράτη Lysistrata, what sort of oath is this
τίν᾽ ὅρκον ὁρκώσεις ποθ᾽ ἡμᾶς; we’re going to swear?
ὅντινα; What sort of oath?
One on a shield, just like they did back then
εἰς ἀσπίδ᾽, ὥσπερ φάσ᾽ ἐν Αἰσχύλῳ ποτέ,
in Aeschylus’ play—with slaughtered sheep.
μηλοσφαγούσας.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
You can’t, Lysistrata, not on a shield,
μὴ σύ γ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη you can’t swear an oath for peace on that. [190]
εἰς ἀσπίδ᾽ ὀμόσῃς μηδὲν εἰρήνης πέρι. 190
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ What should the oath be, then?
τίς ἂν οὖν γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ὅρκος;
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Let’s get a stallion,
εἰ λευκόν ποθεν a white one, and then offer up its guts!
ἵππον λαβοῦσαι τόμιον ἐντεμοίμεθα.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Why a white horse?
ποῖ λευκὸν ἵππον;
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Then how will we make our oath?
ἀλλὰ πῶς ὀμούμεθα
ἡμεῖς; Lysistrata
I’ll tell you, by god, if you want to hear.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Put a large dark bowl down on the ground,
ἐγώ σοι νὴ Δί᾽, ἢν βούλῃ, φράσω. then sacrifice a jug of Thasian wine,
θεῖσαι μέλαιναν κύλικα μεγάλην ὑπτίαν, 195 and swear we’ll never pour in water.
μηλοσφαγοῦσαι Θάσιον οἴνου σταμνίον Lampito
ὀμόσωμεν ἐς τὴν κύλικα μὴ ᾽πιχεῖν ὕδωρ. Now, if you ask me, that’s a super oath!
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ Lysistrata
φεῦ δᾶ τὸν ὅρκον ἄφατον ὡς ἐπαινίω. Someone get the bowl and a jug of wine.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ [The Scythian girl goes back in the house and returns with a bowl and a
φερέτω κύλικά τις ἔνδοθεν καὶ σταμνίον. jug of wine. Calonice takes the bowl]
ὦ φίλταται γυναῖκες, <ὁ> κεραμεὼν ὅσος. 200 Look, dear ladies, at this splendid bowl. [200]
ταύτην μὲν ἄν τις εὐθὺς ἡσθείη λαβών. Just touching this gives instant pleasure.
26 27
καταθεῖσα ταύτην προσλαβοῦ μοι τοῦ κάπρου. Put it down. Now join me and place your hands
on our sacrificial victim.
δέσποινα Πειθοῖ καὶ κύλιξ φιλοτησία,
[The women gather around the bowl and lay their hands on the wine
τὰ σφάγια δέξαι ταῖς γυναιξὶν εὐμενής. jug. Lysistrata starts the ritual prayer]
O you,
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Goddess of Persuasion and the bowl
εὔχρων γε θαἶμα κἀποπυτίζει καλῶς. 205 which we so love, accept this sacrifice,
a women’s offering, and be kind to us.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ
[Lysistrata opens the wine jug and lets the wine pour out into the bowl]
καὶ μὰν ποτόδδει γ᾽ ἁδὺ ναὶ τὸν Κάστορα.
Calonice
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Such healthy blood spurts out so beautifully!
ἐᾶτε πρώτην μ᾽ ὦ γυναῖκες ὀμνύναι. Lampito
By Castor, that’s a mighty pleasant smell.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
Myrrhine
μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὔκ, ἐάν γε μὴ λάχῃς. Ladies, let me be the first to swear the oath.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Calonice
No, by Aphrodite, no—not unless
λάζυσθε πᾶσαι τῆς κύλικος ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ. your lot is drawn.
λεγέτω δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν μί᾽ ἅπερ ἂν κἀγὼ λέγω. 210
Lysistrata [holds up a bowl full of wine]
ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ἐπομεῖσθε ταὐτὰ κἀμπεδώσετε. Grab the brim, Lampito,
οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς οὔτε μοιχὸς οὔτ᾽ ἀνήρ— you and all the others. Someone repeat [210]
for all the rest of you the words I say—
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ that way you’ll pledge your firm allegiance:
No man, no husband and no lover . . .
οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς οὔτε μοιχὸς οὔτ᾽ ἀνήρ—
Calonice [taking the oath]
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ No man, no husband and no lover . . .
ὅστις πρὸς ἐμὲ πρόσεισιν ἐστυκώς. λέγε. Lysistrata
. . . will get near me with a stiff prick. . . Come on . . .
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Say it!
ὅστις πρὸς ἐμὲ πρόσεισιν ἐστυκώς. παπαῖ 215 Calonice
ὑπολύεταί μου τὰ γόνατ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη. . . . will get near me with a stiff prick.
O Lysistrata, my knees are getting weak!
οἴκοι δ᾽ ἀταυρώτη διάξω τὸν βίον— At home I’ll live completely without sex . . .
28 29
οἴκοι δ᾽ ἀταυρώτη διάξω τὸν βίον— At home I’ll live completely without sex . . .
κροκωτοφοροῦσα καὶ κεκαλλωπισμένη,—
. . . wearing saffron silks, with lots of make up . . .
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
κροκωτοφοροῦσα καὶ κεκαλλωπισμένη,— 220 Calonice
. . . wearing saffron silks, with lots of make up . . . [220]
ὅπως ἂν ἁνὴρ ἐπιτυφῇ μάλιστά μου. Lysistrata
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ . . . to make my man as horny as I can.
ὅπως ἂν ἁνὴρ ἐπιτυφῇ μάλιστά μου.
Calonice
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ . . . to make my man as horny as I can.
κοὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκοῦσα τἀνδρὶ τὠμῷ πείσομαι.
Lysistrata
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
If against my will he takes me by force . . .
κοὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκοῦσα τἀνδρὶ τὠμῷ πείσομαι.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Calonice
ἐὰν δέ μ᾽ ἄκουσαν βιάζηται βίᾳ,— 225 If against my will he takes me by force . . .
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Lysistrata
ἐὰν δέ μ᾽ ἄκουσαν βιάζηται βίᾳ,—
. . . I’ll be a lousy lay, not move a limb.
κακῶς παρέξω κοὐχὶ προσκινήσομαι. Calonice
. . . I’ll be a lousy lay, not move a limb.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
κακῶς παρέξω κοὐχὶ προσκινήσομαι. Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ I’ll not raise my slippers up towards the roof . . .
οὐ πρὸς τὸν ὄροφον ἀνατενῶ τὼ Περσικά.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ I’ll not raise my slippers up towards the roof . . . [230]
οὐ πρὸς τὸν ὄροφον ἀνατενῶ τὼ Περσικά. 230
Lysistrata
. . . nor crouch down like a lioness on all fours.
οὐ στήσομαι λέαιν᾽ ἐπὶ τυροκνήστιδος.
οὐ στήσομαι λέαιν᾽ ἐπὶ τυροκνήστιδος. . . . nor crouch down like a lioness on all fours.
30 31
ταῦτ᾽ ἐμπεδοῦσα μὲν πίοιμ᾽ ἐντευθενί. If I do all this, then I may drink this wine.
ταῦτ᾽ ἐμπεδοῦσα μὲν πίοιμ᾽ ἐντευθενί. If I do all this, then I may drink this wine.
Lysistrata
If I fail, may this glass fill with water.
εἰ δὲ παραβαίην, ὕδατος ἐμπλῇθ᾽ ἡ κύλιξ. 235
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ If I fail, may this glass fill with water.
εἰ δὲ παραβαίην, ὕδατος ἐμπλῇθ᾽ ἡ κύλιξ.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Do all you women swear this oath?
συνεπόμνυθ᾽ ὑμεῖς ταῦτα πᾶσαι;
All
ΠΑΣΑΙ We do.
νὴ Δία.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ All right. I’ll make the offering.
φέρ᾽ ἐγὼ καθαγίσω τήνδε. [Lysistrata drinks some of the wine in the bowl]
τὸ μέρος γ᾽ ὦ φίλη, Just your share,
ὅπως ἂν ὦμεν εὐθὺς ἀλλήλων φίλαι. my dear, so we all stay firm friends.
ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ [A sound of shouting is heard from offstage]

τίς ὡλολυγά; 240
Lampito
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ What’s that noise? [240]
τοῦτ᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ οὑγὼ ᾽λεγον.
Lysistrata
αἱ γὰρ γυναῖκες τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῆς θεοῦ It’s what I said just now—the women
ἤδη κατειλήφασιν. ἀλλ᾽ ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ have already captured the Acropolis.
σὺ μὲν βάδιζε καὶ τὰ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν εὖ τίθει, So, Lampito, you return to Sparta—
τασδὶ δ᾽ ὁμήρους κατάλιφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐνθάδε. do good work among your people there.
Leave these women here as hostages.
ἡμεῖς δὲ ταῖς ἄλλαισι ταῖσιν ἐν πόλει 245
We’ll go in the citadel with the others
ξυνεμβάλωμεν εἰσιοῦσαι τοὺς μοχλούς. and help them as they barricade the doors.
οὔκουν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ξυμβοηθήσειν οἴει Don’t you think the men will band together
τοὺς ἄνδρας εὐθύς; and march against us—and quickly, too.
32 33
I’m not so worried about them. They’ll come
ὀλίγον αὐτῶν μοι μέλει.
carrying their torches and making threats,
οὐ γὰρ τοσαύτας οὔτ᾽ ἀπειλὰς οὔτε πῦρ but they’ll not pry these gates of ours apart, [250]
ἥξουσ᾽ ἔχοντες ὥστ᾽ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς πύλας 250 not unless they agree to our demands.
ταύτας, ἐὰν μὴ ᾽φ᾽ οἷσιν ἡμεῖς εἴπομεν. Calonice

Yes, by Aphrodite, that’s right. If not,
we’ll be labelled weak and gutless women.
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὐδέποτέ γ᾽. ἄλλως γὰρ ἂν [The women enter the citadel. The Chorus of Old Men enters slowly, for
they are quite decrepit. They are carrying wood for a fire, glowing coals
ἄμαχοι γυναῖκες καὶ μιαραὶ κεκλῄμεθ᾽ ἄν. to start the blaze, and torches to light.]
Leader of Men’s Chorus
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Keep moving, Draces, pick up the pace,
χώρει Δράκης, ἡγοῦ βάδην, εἰ καὶ τὸν ὦμον ἀλγεῖς even if your shoulder’s tired lugging
κορμοῦ τοσουτονὶ βάρος χλωρᾶς φέρων ἐλάας. 255 all this heavy fresh-cut olive wood.
Chorus of Old Men
— ἦ πόλλ᾽ ἄελπτ᾽ ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ βίῳ φεῦ, Alas, so many unexpected things
take place in a long life. O Strymodorus,
ἐπεὶ τίς ἄν ποτ᾽ ἤλπισ᾽ ὦ Στρυμόδωρ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι
who’d ever think they’d hear such news
γυναῖκας, ἃς ἐβόσκομεν 260 about our women—the ones we fed [260]
κατ᾽ οἶκον ἐμφανὲς κακόν, in our own homes are truly bad.
The sacred statue is in their hands,
κατὰ μὲν ἅγιον ἔχειν βρέτας, they’ve seized my own Acropolis
κατὰ δ᾽ ἀκρόπολιν ἐμὰν λαβεῖν and block the doors with bolts and bars.
μοχλοῖς δὲ καὶ κλῄθροισι Leader of Men’s Chorus
Come on Philurgus, let’s hurry there
τὰ προπύλαια πακτοῦν; 265
as fast as we can go up to the city.
We’ll set these logs down in a circle,
— ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς πόλιν σπεύσωμεν ὦ Φιλοῦργε, stack them so we keep them bottled up,
ὅπως ἄν, αὐταῖς ἐν κύκλῳ θέντες τὰ πρέμνα ταυτί, those women who’ve combined to do this.
Then with our own hands we’ll set alight
ὅσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτ᾽ ἐνεστήσαντο καὶ μετῆλθον, a single fire and, as we all agreed
μίαν πυρὰν νήσαντες ἐμπρήσωμεν αὐτόχειρες in the vote we took, we’ll burn them all,
beginning first with Lycon’s wife.14 [270]
πάσας, ὑπὸ ψήφου μιᾶς, πρώτην δὲ τὴν Λύκωνος. 270
Chorus of Old Men
— οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν Δήμητρ᾽ ἐμοῦ ζῶντος ἐγχανοῦνται. They’ll won’t be making fun of me,
by Demeter, not while I’m still alive.
ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ Κλεομένης, ὃς αὐτὴν κατέσχε πρῶτος, That man Cleomenes, who was the first
ἀπῆθεν ἀψάλακτος, ἀλλ᾽ 275 to take our citadel, went back unharmed.
34 35
ὅμως Λακωνικὸν πνέων Snorting Spartan pride he went away,
ᾤχετο θὤπλα παραδοὺς ἐμοί, once he’d handed me his weapons,
wearing a really tiny little cloak,
σμικρὸν ἔχων πάνυ τριβώνιον,
hungry, filthy, with his hairy face.
πινῶν ῥυπῶν ἀπαράτιλτος, He’d gone six years without a bath.15 [280]
ἓξ ἐτῶν ἄλουτος. 280
That’s how I fiercely hemmed him in,
οὕτως ἐπολιόρκησ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὠμῶς our men in ranks of seventeen
ἐφ᾽ ἑπτακαίδεκ᾽ ἀσπίδων πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις καθεύδων. we even slept before the gates.
So with these foes of all the gods
τασδὶ δὲ τὰς Εὐριπίδῃ θεοῖς τε πᾶσιν ἐχθρὰς
and of Euripides, as well,
ἐγὼ οὐκ ἄρα σχήσω παρὼν τολμήματος τοσούτου; will I not check their insolence?
μή νυν ἔτ᾽ ἐν <τῇ> τετραπόλει τοὐμὸν τροπαῖον εἴη. 285 If I do not, then let my trophies
all disappear from Marathon.16
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ γάρ μοι τῆς ὁδοῦ
λοιπόν ἐστι χωρίον The rest of the journey I have to make
τὸ πρὸς πόλιν τὸ σιμόν, οἷ σπουδὴν ἔχω. is uphill to the Acropolis.
We must move fast, but how do we haul
χὤπως ποτ᾽ ἐξαμπρεύσομεν
this wood up there without a donkey?
τοῦτ᾽ ἄνευ κανθηλίου. 290 This pair of logs makes my shoulders sore.
ὡς ἐμοῦ γε τὼ ξύλω τὸν ὦμον ἐξιπώκατον. But still we’ve got to soldier on
ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως βαδιστέον, giving our fire air to breathe.
καὶ τὸ πῦρ φυσητέον, It may go out when I’m not looking
just as I reach my journey’s end.
μή μ᾽ ἀποσβεσθὲν λάθῃ πρὸς τῇ τελευτῇ τῆς ὁδοῦ.
φῦ φῦ. [They blow on the coals to keep them alight. The smoke comes blowing up in
ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ. 295 their faces. The Old Men fall back, coughing and rubbing their eyes]
O the smoke!

ὡς δεινὸν ὦναξ Ἡράκλεις
Lord Hercules, how savagely
προσπεσόν μ᾽ ἐκ τῆς χύτρας it jumped out from the pot right in my face
ὥσπερ κύων λυττῶσα τὠφθαλμὼ δάκνει. and bit my eyes like a raving bitch.
κἄστιν γε Λήμνιον τὸ πῦρ It works just like a Lemnian fire [300]
τοῦτο πάσῃ μηχανῇ. 300 or else it wouldn’t use its teeth
to feed on fluids in my eye.
οὐ γὰρ <ἄν> ποθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ὀδὰξ ἔβρυκε τὰς λήμας ἐμοῦ.
We need to hurry to the citadel
σπεῦδε πρόσθεν ἐς πόλιν and save the goddess. If not now,
καὶ βοήθει τῇ θεῷ. O Laches, when should we help her out?17
ἢ πότ᾽ αὐτῇ μᾶλλον ἢ νῦν ὦ Λάχης ἀρήξομεν;
[The men blow on the coals and are again overpowered by the smoke]
φῦ φῦ.
ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ. 305 Damn and blast this smoke!
36 37
— τουτὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐγρήγορεν θεῶν ἕκατι καὶ ζῇ. Leader of Men’s Chorus
Thanks to the gods, the fire’s up again—
οὔκουν ἄν, εἰ τὼ μὲν ξύλω θείμεσθα πρῶτον αὐτοῦ, a lively flame. So what if, first of all,
we placed our firewood right down here, then put
τῆς ἀμπέλου δ᾽ ἐς τὴν χύτραν τὸν φανὸν ἐγκαθέντες a vine branch in the pot, set it alight,
ἅψαντες εἶτ᾽ ἐς τὴν θύραν κριηδὸν ἐμπέσοιμεν; and charged the door like a battering ram?
We’ll order women to remove the bars, [310]
κἂν μὴ καλούντων τοὺς μοχλοὺς χαλῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες,310 and, if they refuse, we’ll burn down the doors.
We’ll overpower them with the smoke.
ἐμπιμπράναι χρὴ τὰς θύρας καὶ τῷ καπνῷ πιέζειν. All right, put down your loads.
θώμεσθα δὴ τὸ φορτίον. φεῦ τοῦ καπνοῦ βαβαιάξ. [The men set down their logs. Once again the smoke is too much for them]
τίς ξυλλάβοιτ᾽ ἂν τοῦ ξύλου τῶν ἐν Σάμῳ στρατη γῶν; This bloody smoke!
Is there any general here from Samos
ταυτὶ μὲν ἤδη τὴν ῥάχιν θλίβοντά μου πέπαυται. who’ll help us with this wood?18
σὸν δ᾽ ἔργον ἐστὶν ὦ χύτρα τὸν ἄνθρακ᾽ ἐξεγείρειν, 315 [He sets down his load of wood]
Ah, that’s better.
τὴν λαμπάδ᾽ ἡμμένην ὅπως πρώτιστ᾽ ἐμοὶ προσοίσεις.
They’re not shrinking my spine any more.
δέσποινα Νίκη ξυγγενοῦ τῶν τ᾽ ἐν πόλει γυναικῶν All right, pot, it’s now your job to arouse
a fire from those coals, so first of all,
τοῦ νῦν παρεστῶτος θράσους θέσθαι τροπαῖον ἡμᾶς. I’ll have a lighted torch and lead the charge.
O lady Victory, stand with us here,
so we can set our trophy up in there,
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ defeat those women in our citadel
put down this present insolence of theirs.
λιγνὺν δοκῶ μοι καθορᾶν καὶ καπνὸν ὦ γυναῖκες
ὥσπερ πυρὸς καομένου. σπευστέον ἐστὶ θᾶττον. 320 [The Old Men stack their logs in a pile and start lighting their torches on the
coals. The Chorus of Old Women enters. They are carrying pitchers of water]
— πέτου πέτου Νικοδίκη, Leader of Women’s Chorus

Ladies, I think I see some flames and smoke,
πρὶν ἐμπεπρῆσθαι Καλύκην as if a fire was burning. We’d better hurry. [320]
τε καὶ Κρίτυλλαν περιφυσήτω Chorus of Old Women

We have to fly, Nicodice, fly
ὑπό τε νόμων ἀργαλέων before Critylla is burned up
and Calyce, too, by nasty winds
ὑπό τε γερόντων ὀλέθρων. 325
and old men keen to wipe them out.
ἀλλὰ φοβοῦμαι τόδε, μῶν ὑστερόπους βοηθῶ. But I’m afraid I’ll be too late
to help them out. I’ve only just
νῦν δὴ γὰρ ἐμπλησαμένη τὴν ὑδρίαν κνεφαία filled up my pitcher in the dark.
38 39
μόλις ἀπὸ κρήνης ὑπ᾽ ὄχλου καὶ θορύβου καὶ πατάγου It was not easy—at the well
χυτρείου, the place was jammed and noisy too
with clattering pots, pushy servants,
δούλαισιν ὠστιζομένη 330 and tattooed slaves. But I was keen
. . . to carry water to these fires
στιγματίαις θ᾽, ἁρπαλέως to help my country’s women.
ἀραμένη ταῖσιν ἐμαῖς I’ve heard some dim and dull old men
δημότισιν καομέναις are creeping here and carrying logs—
a great big load—to our fortress,
φέρουσ᾽ ὕδωρ βοηθῶ. as if to warm our public baths.
They’re muttering the most awful things
ἤκουσα γὰρ τυφογέροντας 335 how with their fire they need to turn [340]
ἄνδρας ἔρειν, στελέχη these hateful women into ash.
But, goddess, may I never see
φέροντας ὥσπερ βαλανεύσοντας
them burned like that—but witness how
ἐς πόλιν ὡς τριτάλαντον βάρος, they rescue cities, all of Greece,
δεινότατ᾽ ἀπειλοῦντας ἐπῶν from war and this insanity.
ὡς πυρὶ χρὴ τὰς μυσαρὰς γυναῖκας ἀνθρακεύειν. 340 That’s why, golden-crested goddess
who guards our city, these women
ἃς ὦ θεὰ μή ποτ᾽ ἐγὼ πιμπραμένας ἴδοιμι, now have occupied your shrine.
ἀλλὰ πολέμου καὶ μανιῶν ῥυσαμένας Ἑλλάδα καὶ O Tritogeneia, I summon you
πολίτας, to be my ally—if any man
sets them on fire, help us out
ἐφ᾽ οἷσπερ ὦ χρυσολόφα as we carry this water up.19
πολιοῦχε σὰς ἔσχον ἕδρας. 345
[The Old Men have lit their torches and are about to move against the
καί σε καλῶ ξύμμαχον ὦ Acropolis. The Old Women are blocking their way.]
Τριτογένει᾽, εἴ τις ἐκείνας
Leader of Women’s Chorus
ὑποπίμπρησιν ἀνήρ, Hold on, ladies. What this I see? Men— [350]
φέρειν ὕδωρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν. dirty old men—hard at work. Honest types,
useful, god-fearing men, could never do
— ἔασον ὦ. τουτὶ τί ἦν; ὦνδρες πόνῳ πόνηροι. 350 the things you do.
οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἂν χρηστοί γ᾽ ἔδρων οὐδ᾽ εὐσεβεῖς τάδ᾽ ἄνδρες. Leader of Men’s Chorus
What’s happening here
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ is something we did not expect to see—
τουτὶ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν ἀπροσδόκητον ἥκει.
a swarm of women standing here like this
to guard the doors.
ἑσμὸς γυναικῶν οὑτοσὶ θύρασιν αὖ βοηθεῖ.
So you’re afraid of us?
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ
Does it look like there’s a huge crowd of us?
τί βδύλλεθ᾽ ἡμᾶς; οὔ τί που πολλαὶ δοκοῦμεν εἶναι; You’re seeing just a fraction of our size—
καὶ μὴν μέρος γ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁρᾶτ᾽ οὔπω τὸ μυριοστόν. 355 there are thousands more.
40 41
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus
ὦ Φαιδρία ταύτας λαλεῖν ἐάσομεν τοσαυτί; Hey there, Phaedrias!
Shall we stop her nattering on like this?
οὐ περικατᾶξαι τὸ ξύλον τύπτοντ᾽ ἐχρῆν τιν᾽ αὐταῖς; Someone hit her, smack her with a log.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

Let’s put our water jugs down on the ground,
θώμεσθα δὴ τὰς κάλπιδας χἠμεῖς χαμᾶζ᾽, ὅπως ἂν
in case they want to lay their hands on us.
ἢν προσφέρῃ τὴν χεῖρά τις μὴ τοῦτό μ᾽ ἐμποδίζῃ. Down there they won’t get in our way.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ [The Old Women set down their water jugs]
εἰ νὴ Δἴ ἤδη τὰς γνάθους τούτων τις ἢ δὶς ἢ τρὶς 360 Leader of Men’s Chorus
ἔκοψεν ὥσπερ Βουπάλου, φωνὴν ἂν οὐκ ἂν εἶχον. By god, someone should hit them on the jaw, [360]
two or three times, and then, like Boupalus,
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ they’ll won’t have anything much more to say.20
καὶ μὴν ἰδοὺ παταξάτω τις. στᾶσ᾽ ἐγὼ παρέξω, Leader of Women’s Chorus
κοὐ μή ποτ᾽ ἄλλη σου κύων τῶν ὄρχεων λάβητα. Come on then—strike me. I’m here, waiting.
No other bitch will ever grab your balls.
εἰ μὴ σιωπήσει, θενών σου ᾽κκοκκιῶ τὸ γῆρας. Shut up, or I hit you—snuff out your old age.

Try coming up and touching Stratyllis
ἅψαι μόνον Στρατυλλίδος τῷ δακτύλῳ προσελθών. 365 with your finger tips!

What if I thrashed you
τί δ᾽ ἢν σποδῶ τοῖς κονδύλοις; τί μ᾽ ἐργάσει τὸ δεινόν;
with my fists? Would you do something nasty?
βρύκουσά σου τοὺς πλεύμονας καὶ τἄντερ᾽ ἐξαμήσω. With my teeth I’ll rip out your lungs and guts!

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Euripides is such a clever poet—
οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἀνὴρ Εὐριπίδου σοφώτερος ποιητής. the man who says there’s no wild animal
οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω θρέμμ᾽ ἀναιδές ἐστιν ὡς γυναῖκες. more shameless than a woman.

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Come on then,
αἰρώμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς θοὔδατος τὴν κάλπιν ὦ ῾ Ροδίππη. 370 Rhodippe, let’s pick up our water jugs. [370]
[The Old Women pick up their water jugs again]

42 43
τί δ᾽ ὦ θεοῖς ἐχθρὰ σὺ δεῦρ᾽ ὕδωρ ἔχουσ᾽ ἀφίκου; Why have you damned women even come here
carrying this water?
τί δαὶ σὺ πῦρ ὦ τύμβ᾽ ἔχων; ὡς σαυτὸν ἐμπυρεύσων; And why are you
bringing fire, you old corpse? Do you intend
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ to set yourself on fire?
ἐγὼ μὲν ἵνα νήσας πυρὰν τὰς σὰς φίλας ὑφάψω. Leader of Men’s Chorus
Me? To start a blaze
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ and roast your friends.
ἐγὼ δέ γ᾽ ἵνα τὴν σὴν πυρὰν τούτῳ κατασβέσαιμι.
I’m here to douse your fire.
τοὐμὸν σὺ πῦρ κατασβέσεις; 375 Leader of Men’s Chorus
You’ll put out my fire?
τοὔργον τάχ᾽ αὐτὸ δείξει. Yes I will. You’ll see.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus [waving his torch]

I don’t know why I’m not just doing it,
οὐκ οἶδά σ᾽ εἰ τῇδ᾽ ὡς ἔχω τῇ λαμπάδι σταθεύσω. frying you in this flame.

εἰ ῥύμμα τυγχάνεις ἔχων, λουτρόν <γ᾽> ἐγὼ παρέξω. Get yourself some soap.
I’m giving you a bath.
ἐμοὶ σὺ λουτρὸν ὦ σαπρά; You’ll wash me,
you old wrinkled prune?
καὶ ταῦτα νυμφικόν γε. Yes, it will be
just like your wedding night.
ἤκουσας αὐτῆς τοῦ θράσους; Listen to her!
She’s a nervy bitch!
ἐλευθέρα γάρ εἰμι. Leader of Women’s Chorus
I’m a free woman.
σχήσω σ᾽ ἐγὼ τῆς νῦν βοῆς. I’ll make you shut up!
44 45
You don’t judge these things. [380]
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκέθ᾽ ἡλιάζει. 380
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Set her hair on fire!
ἔμπρησον αὐτῆς τὰς κόμας. Leader of Women’s Chorus
Get to work, Achelous.21
[She throws her jar of water over the Leader of the Men’s Chorus, and,
σὸν ἔργον ὦχελῷε. following the leader’s example, the women throw water all over the old
men]
οἴμοι τάλας. O, that’s bad!

Was that hot enough?
μῶν θερμὸν ἦν;
[The women continue to throw water on the old men]
ποῖ θερμόν; οὐ παύσει; τί δρᾷς; Hot enough?
Won’t you stop doing that? What are you doing?
ἄρδω σ᾽ ὅπως ἂν βλαστάνῃς. I’m watering you to make you bloom.

I’m too old and withered. I’m shaking.
ἀλλ᾽ αὖός εἰμ᾽ ἤδη τρέμων. 385
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Well, you’ve got your fire. Warm yourselves up.
οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἔχεις, σὺ χλιανεῖς σεαυτόν. [A Magistrate enters with an armed escort of four public guards and
slaves with crowbars and some attendant soldiers]
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Magistrate
ἆρ᾽ ἐξέλαμψε τῶν γυναικῶν ἡ τρυφὴ Has not our women’s lewdness shown itself
in how they beat their drums for Sabazius,
χὠ τυμπανισμὸς χοἰ πυκνοὶ Σαβάζιοι,
that god of excess, or on their rooftops
ὅ τ᾽ Ἀδωνιασμὸς οὗτος οὑπὶ τῶν τεγῶν, shed tears for Adonis? That’s what I heard [390]
οὗ ᾽γώ ποτ᾽ ὢν ἤκουον ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ; 390 one time in our assembly. Demostrates—
what a stupid man he is—was arguing
ἔλεγε δ᾽ ὁ μὴ ὥρασι μὲν Δημόστρατος that we should sail to Sicily. Meanwhile,
πλεῖν ἐς Σικελίαν, ἡ γυνὴ δ᾽ ὀρχουμένη his wife was dancing round and screaming out
46 47
‘αἰαῖ Ἄδωνιν’ φησίν, ὁ δὲ Δημόστρατος “Alas, Adonis!” While Demostrates talked,
ἔλεγεν ὁπλίτας καταλέγειν Ζακυνθίων. saying we should levy soldiers from Zacynthus,
the woman was on the roof top, getting drunk
ἡ δ᾽ ὑποπεπωκυῖ᾽ ἡ γυνὴ ᾽πὶ τοῦ τέγους 395
and yelling out “Weep for Adonis! Weep.”22
‘κόπτεσθ᾽ Ἄδωνιν’ φησίν. ὁ δ᾽ ἐβιάζετο But he kept on forcing his opinion through,
ὁ θεοῖσιν ἐχθρὸς καὶ μιαρὸς Χολοζύγης. that mad brutal ox, whom the gods despise.
τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἀκόλαστ᾽ ᾄσματα. That’s just the kind of loose degenerate stuff
that comes from women.
τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν εἰ πύθοιο καὶ τὴν τῶνδ᾽ ὕβριν;
Wait until I tell you
αἳ τἄλλα θ᾽ ὑβρίκασι κἀκ τῶν καλπίδων 400 the insolent things these women did to us—
ἔλουσαν ἡμᾶς, ὥστε θαἰματίδια all their abuse—they dumped their water jugs [400]
σείειν πάρεστιν ὥσπερ ἐνεουρηκότας. on us. So now we have to dry our clothes.
We look as if we’ve pissed ourselves.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τὸν ἁλυκὸν δίκαιά γε. By Poseidon,
ὅταν γὰρ αὐτοὶ ξυμπονηρευώμεθα god of the salt seas, it serves you right.
ταῖσιν γυναιξὶ καὶ διδάσκωμεν τρυφᾶν, 405 We men ourselves share in the blame for this.
τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν βλαστάνει βουλεύματα. We teach our wives their free and easy life,
οἳ λέγομεν ἐν τῶν δημιουργῶν τοιαδί. and so intrigues come flowering out from them.
Here’s what we tell some working artisan,
‘ὦ χρυσοχόε τὸν ορμον ὃν ἐπεσκεύασας, “O goldsmith, about that necklace I bought here—
ὀρχουμένης μου τῆς γυναικὸς ἑσπέρας last night my wife was dancing and the bolt [410]
ἡ βάλανος ἐκπέπτωκεν ἐκ τοῦ τρήματος. 410 slipped from its hole. I have to take a boat
ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ἔστ᾽ ἐς Σαλαμῖνα πλευστέα. to Salamis. If you’ve got time tonight,
σὺ δ᾽ ἢν σχολάσῃς, πάσῃ τέχνῃ πρὸς ἑσπέραν you could visit her with that tool of yours
and fix the way the bolt sits in her hole.”
ἐλθὼν ἐκείνῃ τὴν βάλανον ἐνάρμοσον.’
Another man goes to the shoemaker,
ἕτερος δέ τις πρὸς σκυτοτόμον ταδὶ λέγει a strapping lad with an enormous prick,
νεανίαν καὶ πέος ἔχοντ᾽ οὐ παιδικόν. 415 and says, “O shoemaker, a sandal strap
‘ὦ σκυτοτόμε μου τῆς γυναικὸς τοῦ ποδὸς is pinching my wife’s tender little toe.
τὸ δακτυλίδιον ξυμπιέζει τὸ ζυγὸν Could you come at noon and rub her strap,
ἅθ᾽ ἁπαλὸν ὄν. τοῦτ᾽ οὖν σὺ τῆς μεσημβρίας stretch it really wide?” That’s the sort of thing [420]
that leads to all this trouble. Look at me,
ἐλθὼν χάλασον, ὅπως ἂν εὐρυτέρως ἔχῃ.’ a magistrate in charge of finding oars
τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπήντηκ᾽ ἐς τοιαυτὶ πράγματα, 420 and thus in need of money now—these women
ὅτε γ᾽ ὢν ἐγὼ πρόβουλος, ἐκπορίσας ὅπως have shut the treasury doors to keep me out.
κωπῆς ἔσονται, τἀργυρίου νυνὶ δέον, But standing here’s no use.
ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν ἀποκέκλῃμαι ταῖς πύλαις. [He calls out to his two slaves]
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔργον ἑστάναι. φέρε τοὺς μοχλούς, Bring the crow bars.
ὅπως ἂν αὐτὰς τῆς ὕβρεως ἐγὼ σχέθω. 425 I’ll stop these women’s insolence myself.
48 49
[He turns to the armed guards he has brought with him]
τί κέχηνας ὦ δύστηνε; ποῖ δ᾽ αὖ σὺ βλέπεις, What are you gaping at, you idiot!
οὐδὲν ποιῶν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ καπηλεῖον σκοπῶν; And you—what are you looking at?
Why are you doing nothing—just staring round
οὐχ ὑποβαλόντες τοὺς μοχλοὺς ὑπὸ τὰς πύλας
looking for a tavern? Take these crowbars
ἐντεῦθεν ἐκμοχλεύσετ᾽; ἐνθενδὶ δ᾽ ἐγὼ to the doors there, and then pry them open.
ξυνεκμοχλεύσω. 430 Come, I’ll work to force them with you.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [opening the doors and walking out]

No need to use those crowbars. I’m coming out— [430]
μηδὲν ἐκμοχλεύετε. and of my own free will. Why these crowbars?
ἐξέρχομαι γὰρ αὐτομάτη. τί δεῖ μοχλῶν; This calls for brains and common sense, not force.
οὐ γὰρ μοχλῶν δεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ νοῦ καὶ φρενῶν.
Magistrate
Is that so, you slut? Where’s that officer?
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Seize that woman! Tie her hands!
ἄληθες ὦ μιαρὰ σύ; ποῦ ᾽σθ᾽ ὁ τοξότης;
Lysistrata
ξυλλάμβαν᾽ αὐτὴν κὠπίσω τὼ χεῖρε δεῖ.
By Artemis,
he may be a public servant, but if
he lays a finger on me, he’ll be sorry.
εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν τὴν χεῖρά μοι 435
ἄκραν προσοίσει δημόσιος ὤν, κλαύσεται. Magistrate [to the first armed guard]
Are you scared of her? Grab her round the waist!
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ You there, help him out! And tie her up!
ἔδεισας οὗτος; οὐ ξυναρπάσει μέσην Old Woman A23

καὶ σὺ μετὰ τούτου κἀνύσαντε δήσετον; By Pandrosus, if you lift a hand to her,
I’ll beat you until you shit yourself! [440]
ΓΥΝΗ Α [The armed guard is so terrified he shits]
εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Πάνδροσον ταύτῃ μόνον
Magistrate
τὴν χεῖρ᾽ ἐπιβαλεῖς, ἐπιχεσεῖ πατούμενος. 440
Look at the mess you made! Where is he,
that other officer?
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
ἰδού γ᾽ ἐπιχεσεῖ. ποῦ ᾽στιν ἕτερος τοξότης; [The Magistrate turns to a third armed officer]
ταύτην προτέραν ξύνδησον, ὁτιὴ καὶ λαλεῖ. Tie up this one first,
the one who’s got such a dirty mouth.
ΓΥΝΗ Β
Old Woman B
εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Φωσφόρον τὴν χεῖρ᾽ ἄκραν By the god of light, if you just touch her,
ταύτῃ προσοίσεις, κύαθον αἰτήσεις τάχα. you’ll quickly need a cup to fix your eyes.24
50 51
[This officer shits his pants and runs off. The Magistrate turns to a fourth officer]
Who’s this here? Arrest her! I’ll put a stop
τουτὶ τί ἦν; ποῦ τοξότης; ταύτης ἔχου. 445 to all women in this demonstration!
παύσω τιν᾽ ὑμῶν τῆσδ᾽ ἐγὼ τῆς ἐξόδου.
Old Women C
By bull-bashing Artemis, if you move
ΓΥΝΗ Γ to touch her, I’ll rip out all your hair
εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Ταυροπόλον ταύτῃ πρόσει, until you yelp in pain.
ἐκκοκκιῶ σου τὰς στενοκωκύτους τρίχας. [The fourth officer shits himself and runs off in terror]
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ This is getting bad.
οἴμοι κακοδαίμων. ἐπιλέλοιφ᾽ ὁ τοξότης. There’re no officers left. We can’t let ourselves [450]
be beaten back by women. Come on then,
ἀτὰρ οὐ γυναικῶν οὐδέποτ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ἡττητέα 450 you Scythians, form up your ranks.25 Then charge.
ἡμῖν. ὁμόσε χωρῶμεν αὐταῖς ὦ Σκύθαι Go at them!
ξυνταξάμενοι. Lysistrata
By the two goddesses, you’ll see—
we’ve got four companies of women inside,
all fighting fit and fully armed.
νὴ τὼ θεὼ γνώσεσθ᾽ ἄρα
Magistrate
ὅτι καὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν εἰσι τέτταρες λόχοι Come on,
μαχίμων γυναικῶν ἔνδον ἐξωπλισμένων. Scythians, twist their arms behind them!
Lysistrata [shouting behind her]

ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Come out here from where you are in there,
ἀποστρέφετε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ὦ Σκύθαι. 455 all you female allies, on the double—
you market women who sell grain and eggs,
garlic and vegetables, and those who run
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ our bakeries and taverns, to the attack!
ὦ ξύμμαχοι γυναῖκες ἐκθεῖτ᾽ ἔνδοθεν,
[Many women emerge from the Acropolis, armed in various ways]
ὦ σπερμαγοραιολεκιθολαχανοπώλιδες,
Hit them, stomp on them, scratch their eyeballs,
ὦ σκοροδοπανδοκευτριαρτοπώλιδες, cover them with your abuse! Don’t hold back! [460]
οὐχ ἕλξετ᾽, οὐ παιήσετ᾽, οὐκ ἀράξετε; [A general tumult occurs in which the women beat back the Scythian guards]
οὐ λοιδορήσετ᾽, οὐκ ἀναισχυντήσετε; 460
That’s enough! Back off! Don’t strip the armour
παύσασθ᾽, ἐπαναχωρεῖτε, μὴ σκυλεύετε. from those you have defeated.
52 53
[The armed women return into the Acropolis]
Disaster!
οἴμ᾽ ὡς κακῶς πέπραγέ μου τὸ τοξικόν.
My guards have acted quite disgracefully.
ἀλλὰ τί γὰρ ᾤου; πότερον ἐπὶ δούλας τινὰς What did you expect? Did you really think
ἥκειν ἐνόμισας, ἢ γυναιξὶν οὐκ οἴει you were facing a bunch of female slaves?
χολὴν ἐνεῖναι; 465 Or is it your belief that mere women
have no spirit in them?
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ μάλα Spirit? By Apollo, yes!
πολλήν γ᾽, ἐάνπερ πλησίον κάπηλος ᾖ. If they’re near any man who’s got some wine.

ὦ πόλλ᾽ ἀναλώσας ἔπη πρόβουλε τῆσδε <τῆς> γῆς, In this land you’re a magistrate, but here
your words are useless. Why even try
τί τοῖσδε σαυτὸν ἐς λόγους τοῖς θηρίοις συνάπτεις; to have a conversation with these bitches?
οὐκ οἶσθα λουτρὸν οἷον αἵδ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἔλουσαν ἄρτι Don’t you know they’ve just given us a bath
ἐν τοῖσιν ἱματιδίοις, καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἄνευ κονίας; 470 in our own cloaks? And they did not use soap! [470]

Listen, friend. You should never raise your hand
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ μέλ᾽ οὐ χρὴ προσφέρειν τοῖς πλησίοισιν εἰκῇ
against your neighbour. If you do, then I
τὴν χεῖρ᾽. ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτο δρᾷς, κυλοιδιᾶν ἀνάγκη. will have to punch you in the eye. I’d prefer
ἐπεὶ ᾽θέλω ᾽γὼ σωφρόνως ὥσπερ κόρη καθῆσθαι, to sit quietly at home, like a young girl,
λυποῦσα μηδέν᾽ ἐνθαδί, κινοῦσα μηδὲ κάρφος, and not come here to injure anyone
ἢν μή τις ὥσπερ σφηκιὰν βλίττῃ με κἀρεθίζῃ. 475 or agitate the nest, unless someone
disturbs the hive and makes me angry.
Chorus of Old Men
ὦ Ζεῦ τί ποτε χρησόμεθα τοῖσδε τοῖς κνωδάλοις; O Zeus, however will we find a way
ου᾽ γὰρ ἔτ᾽ ἀνεκτὰ τάδε γ᾽, ἀλλὰ βασανιστέον to deal with these wild beasts? What’s going on
τόδε σοι τὸ πάθος μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ is no longer something we can bear.
ὅ τι βουλόμεναί ποτε τὴν 480 But we must question them and find out why
they are so angry with us, why they wish [480]
Κραναὰν κατέλαβον, ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι τε to seize the citadel of Cranaus,
μεγαλόπετρον ἄβατον ἀκρόπολιν the holy ground where people do not go,
ἱερὸν τέμενος. on the great rock of the Acropolis.26
54 55
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of the Men’s Chorus [to Magistrate]
ἀλλ᾽ ἀνερώτα καὶ μὴ πείθου καὶ πρόσφερε πάντας So ask her. Don’t let them win you over.
ἐλέγχους, Challenge everything they say. If we left
ὡς αἰσχρὸν ἀκωδώνιστον ἐᾶν τὸ τοιοῦτον πρᾶγμα this matter without seeking out the cause
that would be disgraceful.
μεθέντας. 485
Magistrate [turning to Lysistrata]
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Well then, by god,
καὶ μὴν αὐτῶν τοῦτ᾽ ἐπιθυμῶ νὴ τὸν Δία πρῶτα πυθέσθαι, first of all I’d like to know the reason
ὅ τι βουλόμεναι τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἀπεκλῄσατε τοῖσι why you planned to use these barriers here
μοχλοῖσιν. to barricade our citadel.
ἵνα τἀργύριον σῶν παρέχοιμεν καὶ μὴ πολεμοῖτε δι᾽ αὐτό. To get your money
so you couldn’t keep on paying for war.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
διὰ τἀργύριον πολεμοῦμεν γάρ; Magistrate
Is it money that’s the cause of war?
Lysistrata
καὶ τἄλλα γε πάντ᾽ ἐκυκήθη.
Yes, and all the rest of the corruption.
ἵνα γὰρ Πείσανδρος ἔχοι κλέπτειν χοἰ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς Peisander and our leading politicians [490]
ἐπέχοντες, 490 need a chance to steal. That’s the reason
ἀεί τινα κορκορυγὴν ἐκύκων. οἱ δ᾽ οὖν τοῦδ᾽ οὕνεκα they’re always stirring up disturbances.27
δρώντων Well, let the ones who wish to do this
ὅ τι βούλονται. τὸ γὰρ ἀργύριον τοῦτ᾽ οὐκέτι μὴ καθέλωσιν. do what they want, but from this moment on
they’ll get no more money.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
ἀλλὰ τί δράσεις; Magistrate
What will you do?
Lysistrata
τοῦτό μ᾽ ἐρωτᾷς; ἡμεῖς ταμιεύσομεν αὐτό.
You ask me that? We’ll control it.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
ὑμεῖς ταμιεύσετε τἀργύριον; You mean
you’re going to manage all the money?
τί <δὲ> δεινὸν τοῦτο νομίζεις; Lysistrata
οὐ καὶ τἄνδον χρήματα πάντως ἡμεῖς ταμιεύομεν You consider that so strange? Isn’t it true
ὑμῖν; 495 we take care of all the household money?
56 57
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ταὐτόν. That’s not the same.
Why not?
πῶς οὐ ταὐτόν;
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ We need the cash
πολεμητέον ἔστ᾽ ἀπὸ τούτου. to carry on the war.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν δεῖ πρῶτον πολεμεῖν. Well, first of all,
there should be no fighting.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
πῶς γὰρ σωθησόμεθ᾽ ἄλλως;
But without war
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ how will we save ourselves?
ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς σώσομεν. Lysistrata
We’ll do that.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
ὑμεῖς; Magistrate
You?
ἡμεῖς μέντοι. Lysistrata
That’s right—us.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
σχέτλιόν γε. This is outrageous!
ὡς σωθήσει, κἂν μὴ βούλῃ. We’ll save you,
even if that goes against your wishes.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
δεινόν <γε> λέγεις. Magistrate
What you’re saying is madness!
Lysistrata
ἀγανακτεῖς.
You’re angry,
ἀλλὰ ποιητέα ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν ὅμως. 500 but nonetheless we have to do it.
νὴ τὴν Δήμητρ᾽ ἄδικόν γε. By Demeter, this is against the law! [500]
58 59
σωστέον ὦ τᾶν. My dear fellow, we have to rescue you.
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
And if I don’t agree?
κεἰ μὴ δέομαι;
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Then our reasons
τοῦδ᾽ οὕνεκα καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον. are that much more persuasive.
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Is it true
ὑμῖν δὲ πόθεν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου τῆς τ᾽ εἰρήνης ἐμέλησεν; you’re really going to deal with peace and war?
ἡμεῖς φράσομεν. We’re going to speak to that.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Magistrate [with a threatening gesture]

Then speak fast,
λέγε δὴ ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ κλάῃς,
or else you may well start to cry.
ἀκροῶ δή, Then listen—
καὶ τὰς χεῖρας πειρῶ κατέχειν. and try to keep your fists controlled.
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
I can’t.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δύναμαι. χαλεπὸν γὰρ I find it difficult to hold my temper.
ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτὰς ἴσχειν. 505
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ It’s more likely you’re the one who’ll weep.
κλαύσει τοίνυν πολὺ μᾶλλον. Magistrate
Shut up your croaking, you old bag.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
τοῦτο μὲν ὦ γραῦ σαυτῇ κρώξαις. σὺ δέ μοι λέγε. [To Lysistrata]
You—talk to me.
ταῦτα ποιήσω. Lysistrata
I’ll do that. Up to now through this long war
ἡμεῖς τὸν μὲν πρότερον πόλεμον καὶ τὸν χρόνον
we kept silent about all those things
ἠνεσχόμεθα you men were doing. We were being modest.
ὑπὸ σωφροσύνης τῆς ἡμετέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἅττ᾽ ἐποιεῖτε. And you did not allow us to speak up,
οὐ γὰρ γρύζειν εἰᾶθ᾽ ἡμᾶς. καίτοὐκ ἠρέσκετέ γ᾽ ἡμᾶς. although we were not happy. But still,
60 61
ἀλλ᾽ ᾐσθανόμεσθα καλῶς ὑμῶν, καὶ πολλάκις ἔνδον ἂν we listened faithfully to you, and often [510]
οὖσαι 510 inside the house we heard your wretched plans
for some great deed. And if we ached inside,
ἠκούσαμεν ἄν τι κακῶς ὑμᾶς βουλευσαμένους μέγα
we’d force a smile and simply ask, “Today
πρᾶγμα.
in the assembly did the men propose
εἶτ᾽ ἀλγοῦσαι τἄνδοθεν ὑμᾶς ἐπανηρόμεθ᾽ ἂν γελάσασαι, a treaty carved in stone decreeing peace?”
‘τί βεβούλευται περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἐν τῇ στήλῃ But our husbands said, “Is that your business?
παραγράψαι Why don’t you shut up?” And I’d stay silent.
ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τήμερον ὑμῖν;’ ‘τίδὲ σοὶ ταῦτ᾽;’ ἦ δ᾽ ὃς ἂν ἁνήρ.
Old Woman
‘οὐ σιγήσει;’ κἀγὼ ἐσίγων. I’d not have kept my mouth shut.
ΓΥΝΗ Β Magistrate [to Lysistrata]
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ ποτ᾽ ἐσίγων. 515 You’d have been smacked
if you hadn’t been quiet and held your tongue.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
κἂν ᾤμωζές γ᾽, εἰ μὴ ᾽σίγας. Lysistrata
So there I am at home, saying nothing.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Then you’d tell us of another project,
τοιγὰρ ἔγωγ᾽ ἔνδον ἐσίγων. even stupider than before. We’d say,
“How can you carry out a scheme like that?
. . . ἔτερόν τι πονηρότερον βούλευμ᾽ ἐπεπύσμεθ᾽ ἂν ὑμῶν.
It’s foolish.” Immediately he’d frown
εἶτ᾽ ἠρόμεθ᾽ ἄν. ‘πῶς ταῦτ᾽ ὦνερ διαπράττεσθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἀνοήτως;’ and say to me, “If you don’t spin your thread,
ὁ δέ μ᾽ εὐθὺς ὑποβλέψας <ἂν> ἔφασκ᾽, εἰ μὴ τὸν στήμονα you’ll get a major beating on your head. [520]
νήσω, War is men’s concern.”
ὀτοτύξεσθαι μακρὰ τὴν κεφαλήν. ‘πόλεμος δ᾽ ἄνδρεσσι
Magistrate
μελήσει.’ 520
Yes, by god!
That man spoke the truth.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
ὀρθῶς γε λέγων νὴ Δί᾽ ἐκεῖνος. Lysistrata
You idiot!
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Is that sensible—not to take advice
πῶς ὀρθῶς ὦ κακόδαιμον, when what you’re proposing is so silly?
εἰ μηδὲ κακῶς βουλευομένοις ἐξῆν ὑμῖν ὑποθέσθαι; Then we heard you speaking in the streets,
ὅτε δὴ δ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖσιν ὁδοῖς φανερῶς ἠκούομεν ἤδη, asking openly, “Are there any men
still left here in our land?” and someone said,
‘οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ;‘ ‘μὰ Δί᾽ οὐ δῆτ᾽,’ <εἶφ᾽> ἕτερός
“By god, there’s no one.” Well then, after that
τις. 524 it seemed to us we had to rescue Greece
μετὰ ταῦθ᾽ ἡμῖν εὐθὺς ἔδοξεν σῶσαι τὴν Ἑλλάδα κοινῇ by bringing wives into a single group
ταῖσι γυναιξὶν συλλεχθείσαις. ποῖ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν ἀναμεῖναι; with one shared aim. Why should we delay?
62 63
ἢν οὖν ἡμῶν χρηστὰ λεγουσῶν ἐθελήσητ᾽ ἀντακροᾶσθαι If you’d like to hear us give some good advice,
κἀντισιωπᾶθ᾽ ὥσπερ χἠμεῖς, ἐπανορθώσαιμεν ἂν ὑμᾶς. then start to listen, keep your mouths quite shut,
the way we did. We’ll save you from yourselves.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Magistrate
ὑμεῖς ἡμᾶς; δεινόν γε λέγεις κοὐ τλητὸν ἔμοιγε.
You’ll save us? What you’re saying is madness.
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ I’m not going to put up with it!
σιώπα. Lysistrata
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Shut up!
σοί γ᾽ ὦ κατάρατε σιωπῶ ᾽γώ, καὶ ταῦτα κάλυμμα Magistrate
φορούσῃ 530 Should I shut up for you, you witch, someone [530]
περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν; μή νυν ζῴην. with a scarf around her head? I’d sooner die!
If this scarf of mine really bothers you,
ἀλλ᾽ εἰ τοῦτ᾽ ἐμπόδιόν σοι,
take it and wrap it round your head. Here—
παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ τουτὶ τὸ κάλυμμα λαβὼν
ἔχε καὶ περίθου περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, [Lysistrata takes off her scarf and wraps it over the Magistrate’s head.]
κᾆτα σιώπα Now keep quiet!
ΓΥΝΗ Α Old Woman A
καὶ τοῦτον τὸν καλαθίσκον. 535 And take this basket, too!
κᾆτα ξαίνειν ξυζωσάμενος Now put on a waist band, comb out wool,
κυάμους τρώγων. and chew some beans. This business of the war
we women will take care of.
πόλεμος δὲ γυναιξὶ μελήσει.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Come on, women,
αἰρώμεθ᾽ ὦ γυναῖκες ἀπὸ τῶν καλπίδων, ὅπως ἂν get up and leave those jars. It’s our turn now [540]
ἐν τῷ μέρει χἠμεῖς τι ταῖς φίλαισι συλλάβωμεν. 540 to join together with our friends.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Women’s Chorus
ἔγωγε γὰρ <ἂν> οὔποτε κάμοιμ᾽ ἂν ὀρχουμένη, With dancing I’ll never tire
οὐδὲ τὰ γόνατα κόπος ἕλοι μου καματηρός. weariness won’t grip my knees
ἐθέλω δ᾽ ἐπὶ πᾶν ἰέναι or wear me out. In everything
I’ll strive to match the excellence
μετὰ τῶνδ᾽ ἀρετῆς ἕνεχ᾽, αἷς
of these women here—in nature,
ἔνι φύσις, ἔνι χάρις, ἔνι θράσος, 545 wisdom, boldness, charm,
ἔνι δὲ σοφόν, ἔνι <δὲ> φιλόπολις and prudent virtue in the way
ἀρετὴ φρόνιμος. they love their country.
64 65
ἀλλ᾽ ὦ τηθῶν ἀνδρειοτάτων καὶ μητριδίων ἀκαληφῶν, You grandchildren of the bravest women,
χωρεῖτ᾽ ὀργῇ καὶ μὴ τέγγεσθ᾽. ἔτι γὰρ νῦν οὔρια θεῖτε. 550 sprung from fruitful stinging nettles,
let your passion drive you forward
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ and don’t hold back, for now you’ve got
the winds of fortune at your back. [550]
ἀλλ᾽ ἤνπερ ὅ <τε> γλυκύθυμος Ἔρως χἠ Κυπρογένει᾽
Ἀφροδίτη Lysistrata
ἵμερον ἡμῶν κατὰ τῶν κόλπων καὶ τῶν μηρῶν O Aphrodite born on Cyprus
καταπνεύσῃ, and, you, sweet passionate Eros, breathe
κᾆτ᾽ ἐντήξῃ τέτανον τερπνὸν τοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ sexual longing on our breasts and thighs
ῥοπαλισμούς, and fill our men with tortuous desire
and make their pricks erect. If so, I think
οἶμαί ποτε Λυσιμάχας ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι καλεῖσθαι.
we’ll win ourselves a name among the Greeks
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ as those who brought an end to warfare.
τί ποιησάσας; 555 Magistrate

What will you do?
ἢν παύσωμεν πρώτιστον μὲν ξὺν ὅπλοισιν Lysistrata
ἀγοράζοντας καὶ μαινομένους. For a start, we’ll stop
you men hanging around the market place
ΓΥΝΗ Α armed with spears and acting up like fools.
νὴ τὴν Παφίαν Ἀφροδίτην.
Old Woman A
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Yes, that’s right, by Paphian Aphrodite!
νῦν μὲν γὰρ δὴ κἀν ταῖσι χύτραις κἀν τοῖς λαχάνοισιν Lysistrata
ὁμοίως Right now in the market they stroll around
περιέρχονται κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ξὺν ὅπλοις ὥσπερ among the pots and vegetables, fully armed,
Κορύβαντες. like Corybantes.28
νὴ Δία. χρὴ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνδρείους.
Yes, that’s right—
it’s what brave men should do.
Lysistrata
καὶ μὴν τό γε πρᾶγμα γέλοιον, It looks so silly—
ὅταν ἀσπίδ᾽ ἔχων καὶ Γοργόνα τις κᾆτ᾽ ὠνῆται going off to purchase tiny little birds
κορακίνους. 560 while carrying a Gorgon shield.29 [560]
66 67
ΓΥΝΗ Α Old Woman A
νὴ Δί᾽ ἐγὼ γοῦν ἄνδρα κομήτην φυλαρχοῦντ᾽ εἶδον ἐφ᾽ By god,
ἵππου I myself saw a cavalry commander—
ἐς τὸν χαλκοῦν ἐμβαλλόμενον πῖλον λέκιθον παρὰ γραός. he had long hair and was on horseback—
pouring out some pudding he’d just bought
ἕτερος δ᾽ <αὖ> Θρᾷξ πέλτην σείων κἀκόντιον ὥσπερ ὁ
from an old woman into his helmet.
Τηρεύς,
Another Thracian was waving his spear
ἐδεδίσκετο τὴν ἰσχαδόπωλιν καὶ τὰς δρυπεπεῖς κατέπινεν. and his shield, as well, just like Tereus,
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ and terrifying the woman selling figs
while gobbling down the ripest ones she had.30
πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς δυναταὶ παῦσαι τεταραγμένα πράγματα
πολλὰ 565 Magistrate
ἐν ταῖς χώραις καὶ διαλῦσαι; And how will you find the power to stop
so many violent disturbances
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ throughout our states and then resolve them?
φαύλως πάνυ.
Lysistrata
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Very easily.
πῶς; ἀπόδειξον.
Magistrate
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ But how? Explain that.
ὥσπερ κλωστῆρ᾽, ὅταν ἡμῖν ᾖ τεταραγμένος, ὧδε
λαβοῦσαι, Lysistrata
ὑπενεγκοῦσαι τοῖσιν ἀτράκτοις τὸ μὲν ἐνταυθοῖ τὸ δ᾽ It’s like a bunch of yarn. When it’s tangled,
ἐκεῖσε, we take it and pass it through the spindle
οὕτως καὶ τὸν πόλεμον τοῦτον διαλύσομεν, ἤν τις back and forth—that’s how we’ll end the war,
if people let us try, by sending out [570]
ἐάσῃ,
ambassadors here and there, back and forth.
διενεγκοῦσαι διὰ πρεσβειῶν τὸ μὲν ἐνταυθοῖ τὸ δ᾽
ἐκεῖσε. 570 Magistrate
You’re an idiot! Do you really think
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
you can end such fearful acts with spindles,
ἐξ ἐρίων δὴ καὶ κλωστήρων καὶ ἀτράκτων πράγματα spools, and wool?
δεινὰ
παύσειν οἴεσθ᾽ ὦ ἀνόητοι; Lysistrata
If you had any common sense,
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ you’d deal with everything the way we do
κἂν ὑμῖν γ᾽ εἴ τις ἐνῆν νοῦς, when we handle yarn.
ἐκ τῶν ἐρίων τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπολιτεύεσθ᾽ ἂν ἅπαντα.
Magistrate
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ What does that mean?
πῶς δή; φέρ᾽ ἴδω. Tell me.
68 69
πρῶτον μὲν ἐχρῆν, ὥσπερ πόκου ἐν βαλανείῳ First of all, just as we wash the wool
ἐκπλύναντας τὴν οἰσπώτην, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ κλίνης 575 in a rinsing tub to remove the dirt,
you have to lay the city on a bed,
ἐκραβδίζειν τοὺς μοχθηροὺς καὶ τοὺς τριβόλους
beat out the rascals, and then drive away
ἀπολέξαι, the thorns and break apart the groups of men
καὶ τούς γε συνισταμένους τούτους καὶ τοὺς πιλοῦντας who join up together in their factions
ἑαυτοὺς seeking public office—pluck out their heads.
ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀρχαῖσι διαξῆναι καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτῖλαι. Then into a common basket of good will
εἶτα ξαίνειν ἐς καλαθίσκον κοινὴν εὔνοιαν, ἅπαντας comb out the wool, the entire compound mix,
καταμιγνύντας τούς τε μετοίκους κεἴ τις ξένος ἢ φίλος including foreigners, guests, and allies, [580]
ὑμῖν, 580 anyone useful to the public good.
κεἴ τις ὀφείλει τῷ δημοσίῳ, καὶ τούτους ἐγκαταμεῖξαι.
Bundle them together. As for those cities
which are colonies of this land, by god,
καὶ νὴ Δία τάς γε πόλεις, ὁπόσαι τῆς γῆς τῆσδ᾽ εἰσὶν you must see that, as far as we’re concerned,
ἄποικοι, each is a separate skein. From all of them,
διαγιγνώσκειν ὅτι ταῦθ᾽ ἡμῖν ὥσπερ τὰ κατάγματα take a piece of wool and bring it here.
κεῖται Roll them together into a single thing.
χωρὶς ἕκαστον. κᾆτ᾽ ἀπὸ τούτων πάντων τὸ κάταγμα Then you’ll have made one mighty ball of wool,
λαβόντας from which the public then must weave its clothes.
δεῦρο ξυνάγειν καὶ συναθροίξειν εἰς ἕν, κἄπειτα Magistrate
ποιῆσαι 585 So women beat wool and roll it in balls!
τολύπην μεγάλην κᾆτ᾽ ἐκ ταύτης τῷ δήμῳ χλαῖναν Isn’t that wonderful? That doesn’t mean
ὑφῆναι. they bear any part of what goes on in war.
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Lysistrata
You damned fool, of course it does—we endure
οὔκουν δεινὸν ταυτὶ ταύτας ῥαβδίξειν καὶ τολυπεύειν,
more than twice as much as you. First of all,
αἶς οὐδὲ μετῆν πάνυ τοῦ πολέμου; we bear children and then send them off
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ to serve as soldiers.
καὶ μὴν ὦ παγκατάρατε Magistrate
πλεῖν ἤ γε διπλοῦν αὐτὸν φέρομεν, πρώτιστον μέν γε All right, be quiet. [590]
τεκοῦσαι Don’t remind me of all that.
κἀκπέμψασαι παῖδας ὁπλίτας. 590
Lysistrata
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ And then,
σίγα, μὴ μνησικακήσῃς. when we should be having a good time,
enjoying our youth, we have to sleep alone
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ because our men are in the army.
εἶθ᾽ ἡνίκα χρῆν εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τῆς ἥβης ἀπολαῦσαι, Setting us aside, it distresses me
μονοκοιτοῦμεν διὰ τὰς στρατιάς. καὶ θἠμέτερον μὲν ἐᾶτε, that young unmarried girls are growing old
περὶ τῶν δὲ κορῶν ἐν τοῖς θαλάμοις γηρασκουσῶν ἀνιῶμαι. alone in their own homes.
70 71
Don’t men get old?
οὔκουν χἄνδρες γηράσκουσιν;
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ By god, that’s not the same at all. For men,
μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ εἶπας ὅμοιον. even old ones with white hair, can come back
ὁ μὲν ἥκων γάρ, κἂν ᾖ πολιός, ταχὺ παῖδα κόρην and quickly marry some young girl. For women
time soon runs out. If they don’t seize their chance,
γεγάμηκεν. 595 no one wants to marry them—they sit there
τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς σμικρὸς ὁ καιρός, κἂν τούτου μὴ waiting for an oracle.
᾽πιλάβηται, Magistrate
οὐδεὶς ἐθέλει γῆμαι ταύτην, ὀττευομένη δὲ κάθηται. But an old man
who can still get his prick erect . . .
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
Lysistrata [interrupting]
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις ἔτι στῦσαι δυνατὸς—
O you—
why not learn your lesson and just die? It’s time. [600]
Buy a funeral urn. I’ll prepare the dough
σὺ δὲ δὴ τί μαθὼν οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκεις; for honey cakes.31 Take this wreath.
χωρίον ἐστί. σορὸν ὠνήσει. 600
[Lysistrata throws some water over the Magistrate]
μελιτοῦτταν ἐγὼ καὶ δὴ μάξω.
λαβὲ ταυτὶ καὶ στεφάνωσαι. Old Woman A
This one, too—
ΓΥΝΗ Α it’s from me!
καὶ ταυτασὶ δέξαι παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ. [Old Woman A throws more water on the Magistrate]
ΓΥΝΗ Β Old Woman B

καὶ τουτονγὶ λαβὲ τὸν στέφανον. Here, take this garland!
[Old Woman B throws more water on the Magistrate]

τοῦ δεῖ; τί ποθεῖς; χώρει ᾽ς τὴν ναῦν. 605 Lysistrata
ὁ Χάρων σε καλεῖ, Well now,
what do you need? What are you waiting for?
σὺ δὲ κωλύεις ἀνάγεσθαι. Step aboard the boat. Charon’s calling you.
You’re preventing him from casting off.32
ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ
εἶτ᾽ οὐχὶ ταῦτα δεινὰ πάσχειν ἔστ᾽ ἐμέ; Magistrate
I don’t have to put up with these insults!
νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ τοῖς προβούλοις ἄντικρυς I’ll go to the other magistrates, by god,
ἐμαυτὸν ἐπιδείξω βαδίζων ὡς ἔχω. 610 and show myself exactly as I am! [620]
72 73
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ [The Magistrate exits with his attending slaves]
μῶν ἐγκαλεῖς ὅτι οὐχὶ προὐθέμεσθά σε; Lysistrata [calling out to him as he leaves]
Are you blaming us for not laying you out
ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τρίτην γοῦν ἡμέραν σοὶ πρῲ πάνυ for burial? Well then, on the third day,
we’ll come and offer up a sacrifice
ἥξει παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τὰ τρίτ᾽ ἐπεσκευασμένα. on your behalf first thing in the morning.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ [Lysistrata and the old women with her return inside the Acropolis]
οὐκέτ᾽ ἔργον ἐγκαθεύδειν ὅστις ἔστ᾽ ἐλεύθερος, Leader of the Men’s Chorus
You men, no more sleeping on the job
ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαποδυώμεθ᾽ ἄνδρες τουτῳὶ τῷ πράγματι. 615 for anyone born free! Let’s strip ourselves
for action on this issue. It seems to me
ἤδη γὰρ ὄζειν ταδὶ πλειόνων καὶ μειζόνων this business stinks—it’s large and getting larger.
πραγμάτων μοι δοκεῖ, [The Old Men strip down, taking almost all their clothes off]
Chorus of Old Men
— καὶ μάλιστ᾽ ὀσφραίνομαι τῆς Ἱππίου τυραννίδος. And I especially smelled some gas—
καὶ πάνυ δέδοικα μὴ τῶν Λακώνων τινὲς 620 the tyrant rule of Hippias.
I’ve a great fear that Spartan men
δεῦρο συνεληλυθότες ἄνδρες ἐς Κλεισθένους collected here with Cleisthenes,
have with their trickery stirred up
τὰς θεοῖς ἐχθρὰς γυναῖκας ἐξεπαίρωσιν δόλῳ these women, whom the gods all hate,
to seize the treasury and our pay,
καταλαβεῖν τὰ χρήμαθ᾽ ἡμῶν τόν τε μισθόν,
the funds I need to live my way.33
ἔνθεν ἔζων ἐγώ. 625 It’s terrible these women here
are thinking about politics
δεινὰ γάρ τοι τάσδε γ᾽ ἤδη τοὺς πολίτας νουθετεῖν, and prattling on about bronze spears—
they’re women!—and making peace
καὶ λαλεῖν γυναῖκας οὔσας ἀσπίδος χαλκῆς πέρι,
on our behalf with Spartan types,
καὶ διαλλάττειν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνδράσιν Λακωνικοῖς, whom I don’t trust, not any more
than gaping wolves. In this affair,
οἷσι πιστὸν οὐδὲν εἰ μή περ λύκῳ κεχηνότι. those men are weaving plots for us, [630]
so they can bring back tyranny.
ἀλλὰ ταῦθ᾽ ὕφηναν ἡμῖν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ τυραννίδι. 630 But me, I won’t give any ground,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐμοῦ μὲν οὐ τυραννεύσουσ᾽, ἐπεὶ φυλάξομαι not to a tyrant. I’ll stand guard,
from now on carrying a sword
καὶ φορήσω τὸ ξίφος τὸ λοιπὸν ἐν μύρτου κλαδί, inside my myrtle bough. I’ll march
with weapons in the market place
ἀγοράσω τ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἑξῆς Ἀριστογείτονι, with Aristogeiton at my side.34
ὧδέ θ᾽ ἑστήξω παρ᾽ αὐτόν. αὐτὸς γάρ μοι γίγνεται I’ll stand with him. And now it’s time
I struck those hostile to gods’ law
τῆς θεοῖς ἐχθρᾶς πατάξαι τῆσδε γραὸς τὴν γνάθον. 635 and hit that old hag on the jaw.
74 75
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ [The Old Men move to threaten the Old Women with their fists]
οὐκ ἄρ᾽ εἰσιόντα σ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἡ τεκοῦσα γνώσεται. Leader of Women’s Chorus

ἀλλὰ θώμεσθ᾽ ὦ φίλαι γρᾶες ταδί πρῶτον χαμαί. When you get back home, your own mother
won’t know who you are. Come on, old ladies,
you friends of mine, let’s first set our burdens
— ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὦ πάντες ἀστοὶ λόγων κατάρχομεν on the ground.
τῇ πόλει χρησίμων.
Women’s Chorus
εἰκότως, ἐπεὶ χλιδῶσαν ἀγλαῶς ἔθρεψέ με. 640 All you fellow citizens,
ἑπτὰ μὲν ἔτη γεγῶσ᾽ εὐθὺς ἠρηφόρουν.
we’ll start to give the city good advice
and rightly, since it raised us splendidly [640]
εἶτ᾽ ἀλετρὶς ἦ δεκέτις οὖσα τἀρχηγέτι. so we lived very well. At seven years old,
I carried sacred vessels, and at ten
κᾆτ᾽ ἔχουσα τὸν κροκωτὸν ἄρκτος ἦ Βραυρωνίοις. 645
I pounded barley for Athena’s shrine.
κἀκανηφόρουν ποτ᾽ οὖσα παῖς καλὴ ᾽χουσ᾽ Later as bear, I shed my yellow dress
for the rites of Brauronian Artemis.
ἰσχάδων ὁρμαθόν. And once I was a lovely full-grown girl,
ἆρα προὐφείλω τι χρηστὸν τῇ πόλει παραινέσαι; I wore strings of figs around my neck
and was one of those who carried baskets.35
εἰ δ᾽ ἐγὼ γυνὴ πέφυκα, τοῦτο μὴ φθονεῖτέ μοι, So I am indebted to the city.
ἢν ἀμείνω γ᾽ εἰσενέγκω τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων. 650 Why not pay it back with good advice?
I was born a woman, but don’t hold that
τοὐράνου γάρ μοι μέτεστι. καὶ γὰρ ἄνδρας ἐσφέρω, against me if I introduce a plan
τοῖς δὲ δυστήνοις γέρουσιν οὐ μέτεσθ᾽ ὑμῖν, ἐπεὶ to make our present situation better. [650]
For I make contributions to the state—
τὸν ἔρανον τὸν λεγόμενον παππῷον ἐκ τῶν Μηδικῶν I give birth to men. You miserable old farts,
εἶτ᾽ ἀναλώσαντες οὐκ ἀντεσφέρετε τὰς ἐσφοράς, you contribute nothing! That pile of cash
which we collected from the Persian Wars
ἀλλ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν διαλυθῆναι προσέτι κινδυνεύομεν. 655 you squandered. You don’t pay any taxes.
ἆρα γρυκτόν ἐστιν ὑμῖν; εἰ δὲ λυπήσεις τί με, What’s more, the way you act so stupidly
endangers all of us. What do you say?
τῷδέ γ᾽ ἀψήκτῳ πατάξω τῷ κοθόρνῳ τὴν γνάθον. Don’t get me riled up. I’ll take this filthy shoe
and smack you one right on the jaw.
Chorus of Old Men
ταῦτ᾽ οὖν οὐχ ὕβρις τὰ πράγματ᾽ ἐστὶ Is this not getting way too insolent?
I think it’s better if we paid them back. [660]
πολλή; κἀπιδώσειν μοι δοκεῖ τὸ χρῆμα μᾶλλον. 660
We have to fight this out. So any one
ἀλλ᾽ ἀμυντέον τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ὅστις γ᾽ ἐνόρχης ἔστ᾽ ἀνήρ. who’s got balls enough to be a man
76 77
ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδ᾽ ἐκδυώμεθ᾽, ὡς τὸν ἄνδρα δεῖ take off your clothes so we men can smell
the way we should—like men. We should strip.
ἀνδρὸς ὄζειν εὐθύς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐν ἐντεθριῶσθαι πρέπει. It’s not right to keep ourselves wrapped up.
ἀλλ᾽ ἄγετε λευκόποδες, οἵπερ επὶ Λείψύδριον ἤλθομεν ὅτ᾽ We’re the ones who’ve got white feet.
We marched to Leipsydrion years ago.36
ἦμεν ἔτι, 665 And now let’s stand erect again, aroused
νῦν δεῖ νῦν ἀνηβῆσαι πάλιν κἀναπτερῶσαι in our whole bodies—shake off our old age. [670]
πᾶν τὸ σῶμα κἀποσείσασθαι τὸ γῆρας τόδε. 670 [The Old Men take off their remaining clothes, hold up their shrivelled
phalluses, and threaten the women]
εἰ γὰρ ἐνδώσει τις ἡμῶν ταῖσδε κἂν σμικρὰν λαβήν,
If one of us gives them the slightest chance
οὐδὲν ἐλλείψουσιν αὗται λιπαροῦς χειρουργίας,
there’s nothing these women won’t continue
ἀλλὰ καὶ ναῦς τεκτανοῦνται, κἀπιχειρήσουσ᾽ ἔτι trying to work on—building fighting ships,
attacking us at sea like Artemesia.37
ναυμαχεῖν καὶ πλεῖν ἐφ᾽ ἡμἁς ὥσπε, Ἀρτεμισία. 675
If they switch to horses, I draw the line.
ἢν δ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἱππικὴν τράπωνται, διαγράφω τοὺς ἱππέας. For women are the best at riding bareback—
their shapely arses do a lovely job.
ἱππικώτατον γάρ ἐστι χρῆμα κἄποχον γυνή, They don’t slip off when grinding at a gallop.
κοὐκ ἂν ἀπολίσθοι τρέχοντος. τὰς δ᾽ Ἀμαζόνας σκόπει, Just look how Micon painted Amazons
fighting men on horseback hand to hand.38
ἃς Μίκων ἔγραψ᾽ ἐθ᾽ ἵππων μαχομένας τοῖς ἀνδράσιν. So we must take a piece of wood with holes, [680]
ἀλλὰ τούτων χρῆν ἁπασῶν ἐς τετρημένον ξύλον 680 and fit a yoke on them, around their necks.
ἐγκαθαρμόσαι λαβόντας τουτονὶ τὸν αὐχένα. Chorus of Old Women

By the two goddesses, if you get me roused,
I’ll let my wild sow’s passion loose and make
you yell to all the people here today
εἰ νὴ τὼ θεώ με ζωπυρήσεις, how I’m removing all your hair.
λύσω τὴν ἐμαυτῆς ὗν ἐγὼ δή, καὶ ποιήσω Leader of Women’s Chorus
You ladies,
τήμερον τοὺς δημότας βωστρεῖν σ᾽ ἐγὼ πεκτούμενον. 685
let’s not delay—let’s take off all our clothes,
so we can smell a woman’s passion
— ἀλλὰ χἠμεῖς ὦ γυναῖκες θᾶττον ἐκδυώμεθα, when we’re in a ferocious mood.
ὡς ἂν ὄζωμεν γυναικῶν αὐτοδὰξ ὠργισμένων. [The Old Women take off their clothes]
— νῦν πρὸς ἔμ᾽ ἴτω τις, ἵνα μή ποτε φάγῃ σκόροδα, μηδὲ Women’s Chorus
Now let any man step out against me—
κυάμους μέλανας. 690 he won’t be eating garlic any more, [690]
and no black beans. Just say something nasty,
ὡς εἰ καὶ μόνον κακῶς ἐρεῖς, ὑπερχολῶ γάρ,
I’m so boiling mad, I’ll treat you the same way
αἰετὸν τίκτοντα κάνθαρός σε μαιεύσομαι. 695 the beetle did the eagle—smash your eggs.39
78 79
— οὐ γὰρ ὑμῶν φροντίσαιμ᾽ ἄν, ἢν ἐμοὶ ζῇ Λαμπιτὼ Leader of Women’s Chorus
Not that I give a damn for you, not while
ἥ τε Θηβαία φίλη παῖς εὐγενὴς Ἰσμηνία. I have Lampito here—Ismenia, too,
my young Theban friend. You have no power,
οὐ γὰρ ἔσται δύναμις, οὐδ᾽ ἢν ἑπτάκις σὺ ψηφίσῃ,
not even with seven times as many votes.
ὅστις ὦ δύστην᾽ ἀπήχθου πᾶσι καὶ τοῖς γείτοσιν. You’re such a miserable old man, even those
who are you neighbours find you hateful.
ὥστε κἀχθὲς θἠκάτῃ ποιοῦσα παιγνίαν ἐγὼ 700 Just yesterday for the feast of Hecate, [700]
I planned a party, so I asked my neighbours
τοῖσι παισὶ τὴν ἑταίραν ἐκάλεσ᾽ ἐκ τῶν γειτόνων,
in Boeotia for one of their companions,
παῖδα χρηστὴν κἀγαπητὴν ἐκ Βοιωτῶν ἔγχελυν. a lovely girl—she was for my children—
a splendid pot of eels.40 But they replied
οἱ δὲ πέμψειν οὐκ ἔφασκον διὰ τὰ σὰ ψηφίσματα. they couldn’t send it because you’d passed
another one of your decrees. It doesn’t seem
κοὐχὶ μὴ παύσησθε τῶν ψηφισμάτων τούτων, πρὶν ἂν you’ll stop voting in these laws, not before
τοῦ σκέλους ὑμᾶς λαβών τις ἐκτραχηλίσῃ φέρων. 705 someone takes your leg, carries you off
and throws you out.
ἄνασσα πράγους τοῦδε καὶ βουλεύματος,
[Lysistrata comes out from the Acropolis, looking very worried and
τί μοι σκυθρωπὸς ἐξελήλυθας δόμων; angry. The leader of the Women’s Chorus addresses her]
Here’s our glorious leader,

ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ who does the planning for this enterprise.
κακῶν γυναικῶν ἔργα καὶ θήλεια φρὴν Why have you come here, outside the building,
and with such a sad expression on your face?
ποιεῖ μ᾽ ἄθυμον περιπατεῖν τ᾽ ἄνω κάτω.
Lysistrata
It’s the way these women act so badly,
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ together with their female hearts, that makes
τί φῄς; τί φῄς; 710 me lose my courage and walk in circles.

ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ What are you saying? What do you mean? [710]
ἀληθῆ, ἀληθῆ. Lysistrata

It’s true, so true.
What’s wrong? You can tell us—
τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ δεινόν; φράζε ταῖς σαυτῆς φίλαις. we’re friends of yours.
I’m ashamed to say,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰσχρὸν εἰπεῖν καὶ σιωπῆσαι βαρύ. but it’s hard to keep it quiet.
80 81
μή νύν με κρύψῃς ὅ τι πεπόνθαμεν κακόν. Don’t hide from me
bad news affecting all of us.
βινητιῶμεν, ᾗ βράχιστον τοῦ λόγου. 715 All right,
I’ll keep it short—we all want to get laid.
ἰὼ Ζεῦ. Leader of Women’s Chorus
O Zeus!
τί Ζῆν᾽ ἀυτεῖς; ταῦτα δ᾽ οὖν οὕτως ἔχει. What’s the point of calling Zeus?
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αὐτὰς ἀποσχεῖν οὐκέτι There’s nothing he can do about this mess.
οἵα τ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν. διαδιδράσκουσι γάρ. I can’t keep these women from their men,
not any longer—they’re all running off.
τὴν μέν γε πρώτην διαλέγουσαν τὴν ὀπὴν 720
First I caught one slipping through a hole [720]
κατέλαβον ᾗ τοῦ Πανός ἐστι ταὐλίον, beside the Cave of Pan, then another
τὴν δ᾽ ἐκ τροχιλείας αὖ κατειλυσπωμένην, trying it with a rope and pulley, a third
τὴν δ᾽ αὐτομολοῦσαν, τὴν δ᾽ ἐπὶ στρούθου μίαν deserting on her own, and yesterday
ἤδη πέτεσθαι διανοουμένην κάτω there was a woman on a giant bird
ἐς Ὀρσιλόχου χθὲς τῶν τριχῶν κατέσπασα. 725 intending to fly down to that place
run by Orsilochus.41 I grabbed her hair.
πάσας τε προφάσεις ὥστ᾽ ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε
They’re all inventing reasons to go home.
ἕλκουσιν. ἤδη γοῦν τις αὐτῶν ἔρχεται.
[A woman come out of the citadel, trying to sneak off]
αὕτη σὺ ποῖ θεῖς;
Here’s one of them on her way right now.
ΓΥΝΗ Α Where do you think you’re going?
οἴκαδ᾽ ἐλθεῖν βούλομαι. Woman A
οἴκοι γάρ ἐστιν ἔριά μοι Μιλήσια Who me?
ὑπὸ τῶν σέων κατακοπτόμενα. I want to get back home. Inside the house
I’ve got bolts of Milesian cloth, and worms
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ are eating them.
ποίων σέων; 730
Lysistrata
οὐκ εἶ πάλιν; What worms? Get back in there! [730]
ΓΥΝΗ Α Woman A
ἀλλ᾽ ἥξω ταχέως νὴ τὼ θεὼ I’ll come back right away, by god—I just
need to spread them on the bed.
ὅσον διαπετάσασ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης μόνον.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Spread them?
μὴ διαπετάννυ, μηδ᾽ ἀπέλθῃς μηδαμῇ. You won’t be doing that. You’re not leaving!
82 83
ΓΥΝΗ Α Woman A
ἀλλ᾽ ἐῶ ᾽πολέσθαι τἄρι᾽; My wool just goes to waste?
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ If that’s what it takes.
ἢν τούτου δέῃ.
[Woman A trudges back into the Acropolis. Woman B emerges]
ΓΥΝΗ Β Woman B
τάλαιν᾽ ἐγώ, τάλαινα τῆς Ἀμοργίδος, 735 I’m such a fool, I’ve left my wretched flax
ἣν ἄλοπον οἴκοι καταλέλοιφ᾽. back in my house unstripped.
Another one
αὕθἠτέρα
leaving here to go and strip her flax!
ἐπὶ τὴν Ἄμοργιν τὴν ἄλοπον ἐξέρχεται. Get back inside!
χώρει πάλιν δεῦρ᾽.
Woman B
ΓΥΝΗ Β By the goddess of light,
I’ll be right back, once I’ve rubbed its skin.
ἀλλὰ νὴ τὴν Φωσφόρον
ἔγωγ᾽ ἀποδείρασ᾽ αὐτίκα μάλ᾽ ἀνέρχομαι. Lysistrata
You’ll not rub anything. If you start that, [740]
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ some other woman will want to do the same.
μή μἀποδείρῃς. ἢν γὰρ ἄρξῃς τοῦτο σύ, 740 [Woman B returns dejected into the citadel. Woman C emerges from the
ἑτέρα γυνὴ ταὐτὸν ποιεῖν βουλήσεται. citadel, looking very pregnant]
ΓΥΝΗ Γ Woman C
ὦ πότνι᾽ Εἰλείθυι᾽ ἐπίσχες τοῦ τόκου, O sacred Eileithia, goddess of birth,
hold back my labour pains till I can find
ἕως ἂν εἰς ὅσιον μόλω ᾽γὼ χωρίον.
a place where I’m permitted to give birth.42
τί ταῦτα ληρεῖς; What are you moaning about?
ΓΥΝΗ Γ Woman C
It’s my time—
αὐτίκα μάλα τέξομαι. I’m going to have a child!
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐκύεις σύ γ᾽ ἐχθές. But yesterday
you weren’t even pregnant.
ΓΥΝΗ Γ
Woman C
ἀλλὰ τήμερον. 745 Well, today I am.
ἀλλ᾽ οἴκαδέ μ᾽ ὡς τὴν μαῖαν ὦ Λυσιστράτη Send me home, Lysistrata, and quickly.
ἀπόπεμψον ὡς τάχιστα. I need a midwife.
84 85
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [inspecting Woman C’s clothing]
τίνα λόγον λέγεις; What are you saying?
What’s this you’ve got here? It feels quite rigid.
τί τοῦτ᾽ ἔχεις τὸ σκληρόν;
Woman C
ΓΥΝΗ Γ A little boy.
ἄρεν παιδίον. Lysistrata
No, by Aphrodite,
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ I don’t think so. It looks like you’ve got [750]
μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὐ σύ γ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ χαλκίον some hollow metal here. I’ll have a look.
ἔχειν τι φαίνει κοῖλον. εἴσομαι δ᾽ ἐγώ. 750 [Lysistrata looks under the woman’s dress and pulls out a helmet]
ὦ καταγέλαστ᾽ ἔχουσα τὴν ἱερὰν κυνῆν You silly creature, you’ve got a helmet there,
κυεῖν ἔφασκες; Athena’s sacred helmet. Didn’t you say
you were pregnant.
ΓΥΝΗ Γ
Woman C
καὶ κυῶ γε νὴ Δία. Yes, and by god, I am.
τί δῆτα ταύτην εἶχες; Then why’ve you got this helmet?
Woman C
ΓΥΝΗ Γ Well, in case
ἵνα μ᾽ εἰ καταλάβοι I went into labour in the citadel.
ὁ τόκος ἔτ᾽ ἐν πόλει, τέκοιμ᾽ ἐς τὴν κυνῆν I could give birth right in the helmet,
lay it in there like a nesting pigeon.
ἐσβᾶσα ταύτην, ὥσπερ αἱ περιστεραί. 755
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ What are you talking about? You’re just
τί λέγεις; προφασίζει. περιφανῆ τὰ πράγματα. making an excuse—that’s so obvious.
You’ll stay here for at least five days
οὐ τἀμφιδρόμια τῆς κυνῆς αὐτοῦ μενεῖς; until your new child’s birth is purified.
ΓΥΝΗ Γ Woman C
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δύναμαι ᾽γωγ᾽ οὐδὲ κοιμᾶσθ᾽ ἐν πόλει, I can’t get any sleep in the Acropolis,
not since I saw the snake that guards the place.
ἐξ οὗ τὸν ὄφιν εἶδον τὸν οἰκουρόν ποτε.
[More women start sneaking out of the citadel]
ΓΥΝΗ Δ
Woman D
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶν γλαυκῶν γε τάλαιν᾽ ἀπόλλυμαι 760 Nor can I. I’m dying from lack of sleep [760]
ταῖς ἀγρυπνίαισι κακκαβαζουσῶν ἀεί. those wretched owls keep hooting all the time.
86 87
ὦ δαιμόνιαι παύσασθε τῶν τερατευμάτων. Come on ladies, stop all these excuses!
ποθεῖτ᾽ ἴσως τοὺς ἄνδρας. ἡμᾶς δ᾽ οὐκ οἴει All right, you miss your men. But don’t you see
they miss you, too? I’m sure the nights they spend
ποθεῖν ἐκείνους; ἀργαλέας γ᾽ εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι
don’t bring them any pleasure. But please, dear friends,
ἄγουσι νύκτας. ἀλλ᾽ ἀνάσχεσθ᾽ ὦγαθαί, 765 hold on—persevere a little longer.
καὶ προσταλαιπωρήσατ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ὀλίγον χρόνον, An oracle has said we will prevail,
ὡς χρησμὸς ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἐπικρατεῖν, ἐὰν if we stand together. That’s what it said.
μὴ στασιάσωμεν. ἔστι δ᾽ ὁ χρησμὸς οὑτοσί.
Woman A
ΓΥΝΗ Α Tell us what it prophesied.
λέγ᾽ αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ὅ τι λέγει.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Then, keep quiet.
“When the sparrows, as they fly away, [770]
σιγᾶτε δή.
escaping from the hoopoe birds, shall stay
ἀλλ᾽ ὁπόταν πτήξωσι χελιδόνες εἰς ἕνα χῶρον, 770 together in one place and shall say nay
τοὺς ἔποπας φεύγουσαι, ἀπόσχωνταί τε φαλήτων, to sexual encounters, then a bad day
παῦλα κακῶν ἔσται, τὰ δ᾽ ὑπέρτερα νέρτερα θήσει will be rare. High thundering Zeus will say
Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης— ‘What once was underneath on top I’ll lay.’”
ΓΥΝΗ Β Woman B [interrupting]

ἐπάνω κατακεισόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς; Women are going to lie on top of men?
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [continuing the oracle]

“ . . . but if the sparrows fight and fly away
ἢν δὲ διαστῶσιν καὶ ἀναπτῶνται πτερύγεσσιν
out of the holy shrine, people will say
ἐξ ἱεροῦ ναοῖο χελιδόνες, οὐκέτι δόξει 775
no bird is more promiscuous than they.”
ὄρνεον οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν καταπυγωνέστερον εἶναι.
Woman A
ΓΥΝΗ Α That oracle is clear enough, by god.
σαφής γ᾽ ὁ χρησμὸς νὴ Δί᾽.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ All you heavenly gods, can we stop talking
ὦ πάντες θεοί, of being in such distress. Let us go back in.
μή νυν ἀπείπωμεν ταλαιπωρούμεναι, For, my dearest friends, it will be a shame
ἀλλ᾽ εἰσίωμεν. καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τουτογὶ if we don’t live up to this prophecy. [780]
ὦ φίλταται, τὸν χρησμὸν εἰ προδώσομεν. 780 [Lysistrata and the women go back into the citadel, leaving the two choruses]
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Men’s Chorus
μῦθον βούλομαι λέξαι τιν᾽ ὑμῖν, ὅν ποτ᾽ ἤκουσ᾽ I’d like to tell you all a tale,
αὐτὸς ἔτι παῖς ὤν. which I heard once when I was young
88 89
οὕτως ἦν νεανίσκος Μελανίων τις, 785 about Melanion, a lad
ὃς φεύγων γάμον ἀφίκετ᾽ ἐς ἐρημίαν, who fled from marriage and then came
κἀν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ᾤκει. into the wilds and so he lived
κᾆτ᾽ ἐλαγοθήρει up in the hills. He wove some nets [790]
πλεξάμενος ἄρκυς, 790
and hunted hares. He had a dog.
καὶ κύνα τιν᾽ εἶχεν,
Not once did he return back home
κοὐκέτι κατῆλθε πάλιν οἴκαδ᾽ ὑπὸ μίσους.
He hated women—they made him sick.
οὕτω τὰς γυναῖκας ἐβδελύχθη
᾽κεῖνος, ἡμεῖς τ᾽ οὐδὲν ἧττον 795 And we are no less wise than he.
τοῦ Μελανίωνος οἱ σώφρονες.
ΓΕΡΩΝ Let’s kiss, old bag, give it a try.
βούλομαί σε γραῦ κύσαι—
ΓΥΝΗ Leader of Women’s Chorus
κρόμμυόν τἄρ᾽ οὐκ ἔδει. You won’t need onions to make you cry.
ΓΕΡΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

κἀνατείνας λακτίσαι.
I’ll lift my leg—give you a kick.
ΓΥΝΗ
τὴν λόχμην πολλὴν φορεῖς. 800 Leader of Woman’s Chorus
Down there your pubic hair’s too thick. [800]
καὶ Μυρωνίδης γὰρ ἦν
τραχὺς ἐντεῦθεν μελάμπυγός
Myronides had a hairy dick
τε τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἅπασιν,
ὥς δὲ καὶ Φορμίων. and beat foes with his big black bum.
That Phormio was another one.43
κἀγὼ βούλομαι μῦθόν τιν᾽ ὑμῖν ἀντιλέξαι 805 Women’s Chorus
τῷ Μελανίωνι. To you I’d like to tell a tale
Τίμων ἦν ἀίδρυτός τις ἀβάτοισιν
to answer your Melanion.
ἐν σκώλοισι τὸ πρόσωπον περιειργμένος, 810
There was a man called Timon once,
Ἐρινύων ἀπορώξ.
οὗτος οὖν ὁ Τίμων a vagabond, the Furies’ child.
. . . Wild thistles covered his whole face. [810]
ᾤχεθ᾽ ὑπὸ μίσους He wandered off filled up with spite
πολλὰ καταρασάμενος ἀνδράσι πονηροῖς. 815 and always cursing evil types.
90 91
οὕτω ᾽κεῖνος ὑμῶν ἀντεμίσει But though he always hated men,
τοὺς πονηροὺς ἄνδρας ἀεί, those of you who are such rogues,
women he always really loved. [820]
ταῖσι δὲ γυναιξὶν ἦν φίλτατος. 820
ΓΥΝΗ
You’d like a punch right on the chin?
τὴν γνάθον βούλει θένω;
ΓΕΡΩΝ Not given the state of fear I’m in.
μηδαμῶς. ἔδεισά γε.
ΓΥΝΗ What if I kicked you with my toe?
ἀλλὰ κρούσω τῷ σκέλει;
ΓΕΡΩΝ We’d see your pussy down below.
τὸν σάκανδρον ἐκφανεῖς.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ And then you’d see, although I’m old
it’s not all matted hair down there,
ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἂν οὐκ ἴδοις 825
but singed by lamp and plucked with flair.
καίπερ οὔσης γραὸς ὄντ᾽ αὐτὸν
κομήτην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεψιλωμένον [Lysistrata appears on a balcony of the citadel, looking off in the distance.
τῷ λύχνῳ. Other women come out after her]
Hey, you women! Over here to me. Come quick!
ἰοὺ ἰοὺ γυναῖκες ἴτε δεῦρ᾽ ὡς ἐμὲ
ταχέως. Calonice
What’s going on? Why are you shouting? [830]
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
τί δ᾽ ἔστιν; εἰπέ μοι τίς ἡ βοή; 830 Lysistrata
A man!
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ I see a man approaching mad with love,
ἄνδρ᾽ <ἄνδρ᾽> ὁρῶ προσιόντα παραπεπληγμένον, seized with desire for Aphrodite’s rites.
τοῖς τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ὀργίοις εἰλημμένον. O holy queen of Cyprus, Cythera,
and Paphos, keep moving down the road,
ὦ πότνια Κύπρου καὶ Κυθήρων καὶ Πάφου
the straight path you’ve been travelling on.
μεδέουσ᾽, ἴθ᾽ ὀρθὴν ἥνπερ ἔρχι τὴν ὁδόν.
Calonice
ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Where is he, whoever he is?
ποῦ δ᾽ ἐστὶν ὅστις ἐστί; 835
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Over there,
παρὰ τὸ τῆς Χλόης. right beside the shrine of Chloe.
92 93
ὢ νὴ Δί᾽ ἔστι δῆτα. τίς κἀστίν ποτε; Oh yes,
there he is, by god. Who is he?
ὁρᾶτε. γιγνώσκει τις ὑμῶν; Have a look.
Do any of you know him?
νὴ Δία O god, I do.
ἔγωγε. κἀστὶν οὑμὸς ἀνὴρ Κινησίας. It’s my husband Cinesias.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ All right,
σὸν ἔργον ἤδη τοῦτον ὀπτᾶν καὶ στρέφειν your job is to torment him, be a tease,
make him hot, offer to have sex with him [840]
κἀξηπεροπεύειν καὶ φιλεῖν καὶ μὴ φιλεῖν, 840
and then refuse, try everything you can,
καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὑπέχειν πλὴν ὧν σύνοιδεν ἡ κύλιξ. except the things you swore to on the cup.
Don’t you worry. I’ll do that.
ἀμέλει ποιήσω ταῦτ᾽ ἐγώ.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ All right, then.
I’ll stay here to help you play with him.
καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ
We’ll warm him up together. You others,
ξυνηπεροπεύσω <σοι> παραμένουσ᾽ ἐνθαδί, go inside.
καὶ ξυσταθεύσω τοῦτον. ἀλλ᾽ ἀπέλθετε.
[The women go inside, including Myrrhine. Cinesias enters with a very
large erection. An attendant comes with him carrying a young baby]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
οἴμοι κακοδαίμων, οἷος ὁ σπασμός μ᾽ ἔχει 845 Cinesias
I’m in a dreadful way.
χὠ τέτανος ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τροχοῦ στρεβλούμενον. It’s all this throbbing. And the strain. I feel
as if I’m stretched out on the rack.
τίς οὗτος οὑντὸς τῶν φυλάκων ἑστώς; Lysistrata
Who’s there,
standing inside our line of sentinels?
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
ἐγώ. Cinesias
It’s me.
ἀνήρ; A man?
94 95
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Cinesias
ἀνὴρ δῆτ᾽. Yes, take a look at this!
Lysistrata
In that case leave. Go on your way.
οὐκ ἄπει δῆτ᾽ ἐκποδών;
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Who are you
σὺ δ᾽ εἶ τίς ἡκβάλλουσά μ᾽; to tell me to get out?
The daytime watch.
ἡμεροσκόπος.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Then, by the gods, call Myrrhine for me. [850]
πρὸς τῶν θεῶν νυν ἐκκάλεσόν μοι Μυρίνην. 850
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ You tell me to summon Myrrhine for you?
Who are you?
ἰδοὺ καλέσω ᾽γὼ Μυρίνην σοι; σὺ δὲ τίς εἶ;
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Cinesias, her husband,
ἀνὴρ ἐκείνης, Παιονίδης Κινησίας. from Paeonidae.44
ὦ χαῖρε φίλτατ᾽. οὐ γὰρ ἀκλεὲς τοὔνομ Welcome, dear friend, your name
is not unknown to us. Your wife always
τὸ σὸν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἀνώνυμον.
has you on her lips. Any time she licks
ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡ γυνή σ᾽ ἔχει διὰ στόμα. 855 an apple or an egg she says, “Ah me,
κἂν ᾠὸν ἢ μῆλον λάβῃ, ‘Κινησίᾳ if only this could be Cinesias.”
τουτὶ γένοιτο,’ φησίν.
[Lysistrata licks her fist obscenely]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
ὢ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν. O my god!
νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην. κἂν περὶ ἀνδρῶν γ᾽ ἐμπέσῃ Yes, by Aphrodite, yes. And when our talk
λόγος τις, εἴρηκ᾽ εὐθέως ἡ σὴ γυνὴ happens to deal with men, your wife speaks up
immediately, “O they’re all useless sorts [860]
ὅτι λῆρός ἐστι τἄλλα πρὸς Κινησίαν. 860
compared to my Cinesias.”
ἴθι νυν κάλεσον αὐτήν. Please call her out.
96 97
Why should I do that? What will you give me?
τί οὖν; δώσεις τί μοι;
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Whatever you want, by god. I have this . . .
ἔγωγέ <σοι> νὴ τὸν Δί᾽, ἢν βούλῃ γε σύ.
[Cinesias waves his erection in front of Lysistrata]
ἔχω δὲ τοῦθ᾽. ὅπερ οὖν ἔχω, δίδωμί σοι.
I’ll give you what I’ve got.
φέρε νυν καλέσω καταβᾶσά σοι. No thanks.
I think I’ll tell her to come out to you.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
[Lysistrata leaves to fetch Myrrhine]
ταχύ νυν πάνυ.
Cinesias
ὡς οὐδεμίαν ἔχω γε τῷ βίῳ χάριν, 865
Hurry up. I’ve had no pleasure in life
ἐξ οὗπερ αὕτη ᾽ξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας. since she’s been gone from home. I go out,
ἀλλ᾽ ἄχθομαι μὲν εἰσιών, ἔρημα δὲ but I’m in pain. To me now everything
seems empty. There’s no joy in eating food.
εἶναι δοκεῖ μοι πάντα, τοῖς δὲ σιτίοις
I’m just so horny.
χάριν οὐδεμίαν οἶδ᾽ ἐσθίων. ἔστυκα γάρ.
[Lysistrata appears dragging Myrrhine with her. Myrrhine is pretending
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ to be reluctant]
φιλῶ φιλῶ ᾽γὼ τοῦτον. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ βούλεται 870 Myrrhine [loudly so that Cinesias can hear]
ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ φιλεῖσθαι. σὺ δ᾽ ἐμὲ τούτῳ μὴ κάλει. I love him. I do.
But he’s unwilling to make love to me, [870]
to love me back. Don’t make me go to him.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
ὦ γλυκύτατον Μυρινίδιον τί ταῦτα δρᾷς; Cinesias
O my dear sweetest little Myrrhine,
κατάβηθι δεῦρο.
what are you doing? Come down here.
μὰ Δί᾽ ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτόσ᾽ οὔ. I’m not going there, by god.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ If I ask you,
ἐμοῦ καλοῦντος οὐ καταβήσει Μυρίνη; won’t you come down, Myrrhine?
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ You’ve got no reason to be calling me.
οὐ γὰρ δεόμενος οὐδὲν ἐκκαλεῖς ἐμέ. 875 You don’t want me.
98 99
ἐγὼ οὐ δεόμενος; ἐπιτετριμμένος μὲν οὖν. You don’t think I want you?
I’m absolutely dying for you!
ἄπειμι. I’m leaving.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Hold on! You might want to hear our child.
μὴ δῆτ᾽, ἀλλὰ τῷ γοῦν παιδίῳ Can you call out something to your mama?
ὑπάκουσον. οὗτος οὐ καλεῖς τὴν μαμμίαν;
Child
Mummy, mummy, mummy!
ΠΑΙΣ
μαμμία, μαμμία, μαμμία. Cinesias
What’s wrong with you? [880]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Don’t you feel sorry for the boy. It’s now
six days since he’s been washed or had some food.
αὕτη τί πάσχεις; οὐδ᾽ ἐλεεῖς τὸ παιδίον 880
ἄλουτον ὂν κἄθηλον ἕκτην ἡμέραν; Myrrhine
Ah yes, I pity him. But it’s quite clear
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ his father doesn’t.
ἔγωγ᾽ ἐλεῶ δῆτ᾽. ἀλλ᾽ ἀμελὴς αὐτῷ πατὴρ Cinesias
ἔστιν. My lovely wife,
come down here to the child.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Myrrhine
κατάβηθ᾽ ὦ δαιμονία τῷ παιδίῳ. Being a mother
is so demanding. I better go down.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ What I put up with!
οἷον τὸ τεκεῖν. καταβατέον. τί γὰρ πάθω;
[Myrrhine starts coming down from the Acropolis accentuating the
movement of her hips as she goes]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
ἐμοὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ νεωτέρα δοκεῖ 885 Cinesias
πολλῷ γεγενῆσθαι κἀγανώτερον βλέπειν.
She seems to me
to be much younger, easier on the eyes.
χἂ δυσκολαίνει πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ βρενθύεται, She was acting like a shrew and haughty,
ταῦτ᾽ αὐτὰ δή ᾽σθ᾽ ἃ κἄμ᾽ ἐπιτρίβει τῷ πόθῳ. but that just roused my passion even more.
Myrrhine [to the child]

ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
My dear sweet little boy. But your father—
ὦ γλυκύτατον σὺ τεκνίδιον κακοῦ πατρός, such rotten one. Come here. I’ll hold you. [890]
φέρε σε φιλήσω γλυκύτατον τῇ μαμμίᾳ. 890 Mummy’s little favourite.
100 101
τί ὦ πονήρα ταῦτα ποιεῖς χἀτέραις You dim-witted girl,
πείθει γυναιξί, κἀμέ τ᾽ ἄχθεσθαι ποιεῖς what are you doing, letting yourself
be led on by these other women,
αὐτή τε λυπεῖ;
causing me grief and injuring yourself?
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
μὴ πρόσαγε τὴν χεῖρά μοι. Don’t lay a hand on me!
τὰ δ᾽ ἔνδον ὄντα τἀμὰ καὶ σὰ χρήματα Inside our home
χεῖρον διατίθης. 895 things are a mess. You stopped doing anything.
ὀλίγον αὐτῶν μοι μέλει. I don’t care.
ὀλίγον μέλει σοι τῆς κρόκης φορουμένης You don’t care your weaving
is being picked apart by hens?
ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων;
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
So what?
ἔμοιγε νὴ Δία.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ You haven’t honoured holy Aphrodite
τὰ <δὲ> τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἱέρ᾽ ἀνοργίαστά σοι by having sex, not for a long time now.
χρόνον τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν. οὐ βαδιεῖ πάλιν; So won’t you come back?
μὰ Δί᾽ οὐκ ἔγωγ᾽, ἢν μὴ διαλλαχθῆτέ γε 900 No, by god, I won’t— [900]
καὶ τοῦ πολέμου παύσησθε. unless you give me something in return.
End this war.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
τοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, Cinesias
Well now, that’s something I’ll do,
ποιήσομεν καὶ ταῦτα.
when it seems all right.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
τοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, Well then, I’ll leave here,
κἄγωγ᾽ ἄπειμ᾽ ἐκεῖσε. νῦν δ᾽ ἀπομώμοκα. when it seems all right. But now I’m under oath.
σὺ δ᾽ ἀλλὰ κατακλίνηθι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ διὰ χρόνου. At least lie down with me a little while.
102 103
οὐ δῆτα. καίτοι σ᾽ οὐκ ἐρῶ γ᾽ ὡς οὐ φιλῶ. 905 I can’t. I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ You’d like to? Then, my little Myrrhine,
φιλεῖς; τί οὖν οὐ κατεκλίνης ὦ Μύριον; lie down right here.
You must be joking—
ὦ καταγέλαστ᾽ ἐναντίον τοῦ παιδίου;
in front of our dear baby child?
μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ὦ Μανῆ φέρε. No, by god.
ἰδοὺ τὸ μέν σοι παιδίον καὶ δὴ ᾽κποδών, [Cinesias turns toward the attendant]
σὺ δ᾽ οὐ κατακλίνει. Manes, take the boy back home. All right then,
the lad’s no longer in the way. Lie down.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
ποῦ γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ τάλαν 910 Myrrhine
But, you silly man, where do we do it? [910]
δράσειε τοῦθ᾽;
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Where? The Cave of Pan’s an excellent place.
ὅπου; τὸ τοῦ Πανὸς καλόν.
Myrrhine
How will I purify myself when I return
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
into the citadel?
καὶ πῶς ἔθ᾽ ἁγνὴ δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἔλθοιμ᾽ ἐς πόλιν;
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ You can wash yourself
κάλλιστα δήπου λουσαμένη τῇ Κλεψύδρᾳ. in the water clock. That would do the job.
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ What about the oath I swore? Should I become
ἔπειτ᾽ ὀμόσασα δῆτ᾽ ἐπιορκήσω τάλαν; a wretched perjurer?
I’ll deal with that.
εἰς ἐμὲ τράποιτο. μηδὲν ὅρκου φροντίσῃς. 915
Don’t worry about the oath.
φέρε νυν ἐνέγκω κλινίδιον νῷν. Well then,
I’ll go and get a bed for us.
μηδαμῶς. No, no.
ἀρκεῖ χαμαὶ νῷν. The ground will do.
104 105
No, by Apollo, no!
μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μή σ᾽ ἐγὼ
You may be a rascal, but on the ground?
καίπερ τοιοῦτον ὄντα κατακλινῶ χαμαί. No, I won’t make you lie down there.
[Myrrhine goes back into the Acropolis to fetch a bed]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
ἥ τοι γυνὴ φιλεῖ με, δήλη ᾽στὶν καλῶς.
Ah, my wife—
she really loves me. That’s so obvious.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
[Myrrhine reappears carrying a small bed]
ἰδοὺ κατάκεισ᾽ ἀνύσας τι, κἀγὼ ᾽κδύομαι. 920
Myrrhine
καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, ψίαθός ἐστ᾽ ἐξοιστέα.
Here we are. Get on there while I undress. [920]
O dear! I forgot to bring the mattress.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
ποία ψίαθος; μὴ μοί γε. Why a mattress? I don’t need that.
You can’t lie
νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν, on the bed cord. No, no, by Artemis,
αἰσχρὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ τόνου γε. that would be a great disgrace.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Give me a kiss—
δός μοί νυν κύσαι. right now!
Myrrhine [kissing him]
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ There you go.
ἰδού. [Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis to fetch the mattress]
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Oh my god—
παπαιάξ. ἧκέ νυν ταχέως πάνυ. get back here quickly!
[Myrrhine reappears with the mattress]
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
ἰδοὺ ψίαθος. κατάκεισο, καὶ δὴ ᾽κδύομαι.
Myrrhine
925
Here’s the mattress.
καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, προσκεφάλαιον οὐκ ἔχεις. You lie down on it. I’ll get my clothes off.
O dear me! You don’t have a pillow.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ δέομ᾽ ἔγωγε. But I don’t need a pillow!
106 107
By god, I do.
νὴ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώ.
[Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis for a pillow]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τὸ πέος τόδ᾽ Ἡρακλῆς ξενίζεται. This cock of mine is just like Hercules—
he’s being denied his supper.45
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
[Myrrhine returns with a pillow]
ἀνίστασ᾽, ἀναπήδησον. ἤδη πάντ᾽ ἔχω.
Myrrhine
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Lift up a bit.
Come on, up! There, I think that’s everything.
ἅπαντα δῆτα. δεῦρό νυν ὦ χρύσιον. 930
Cinesias
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ That’s all we need. Come here, my treasure. [930]
τὸ στρόφιον ἤδη λύομαι. μέμνησό νυν. Myrrhine

I’m taking off the cloth around my breasts.
μή μ᾽ ἐξαπατήσῃς τὰ περὶ τῶν διαλλαγῶν.
Now, don’t forget. Don’t you go lying to me
about that vote for peace.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
νὴ Δί᾽ ἀπολοίμην ἆρα.
O my god,
may I die before that happens!
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
σισύραν οὐκ ἔχεις.
There’s no blanket.
I don’t need one, by god! I want to get laid!
μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδὲ δέομαί γ᾽, ἀλλὰ βινεῖν βούλομαι.
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Don’t worry. You will be. I’ll be right back.
ἀμέλει ποιήσεις τοῦτο. ταχὺ γὰρ ἔρχομαι. 935 [Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis to fetch a blanket]
That woman’s killing me with all the bedding!
ἅνθρωπος ἐπιτρίψει με διὰ τὰ στρώματα.
[Myrrhine returns with a blanket]
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
Myrrhine
ἔπαιρε σαυτόν. All right, get up.
108 109
But it’s already up!
ἀλλ᾽ ἐπῆρται τοῦτό γε.
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ You want me to rub some scent on you?
βούλει μυρίσω σε; Cinesias
No, by Apollo. Not for me.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Myrrhine
μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μὴ μέ γε. I’ll do it,
whether you want it rubbed on there or not—
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ for Aphrodite’s sake.
νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἤν τε βούλῃ γ᾽ ἤν τε μή. [Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis to get the perfume]
O great lord Zeus, [940]
εἴθ᾽ ἐκχυθείη τὸ μύρον ὦ Ζεῦ δέσποτα. 940
pour the perfume out!
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ [Myrrhine returns with the perfume]

πρότεινέ νυν τὴν χεῖρα κἀλείφου λαβών. Myrrhine
Hold out your hand, now.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Take that and spread it round.
οὐχ ἡδὺ τὸ μύρον μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτογί, Cinesias [rubbing the perfume on himself]
εἰ μὴ διατριπτικόν γε κοὐκ ὄζον γάμων. By Apollo,
this stuff doesn’t smell so sweet, not unless
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ it’s rubbed on thoroughly—no sexy smell.
τάλαιν᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ ῾Ρόδιον ἤνεγκον μύρον. Myrrhine [inspecting the jar of perfume]

I’m such a fool. I brought the Rhodian scent!
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
ἀγαθόν. ἔα αὔτ᾽ ὦ δαιμονία. It’s fine. Just let it go, my darling.
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Myrrhine [getting up to leave]

You’re just saying that.
ληρεῖς ἔχων. 945
[Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis to get the right perfume]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Cinesias
κάκιστ᾽ ἀπόλοιθ᾽ ὁ πρῶτος ἑψήσας μύρον. Damn the wretch who first came up with perfume!
110 111
[Myrrhine comes back from the Acropolis with another box of perfume]
λαβὲ τόνδε τὸν ἀλάβαστον. Grab this alabaster thing.
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Cinesias [waving his cock]

ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερον ἔχω. You grab this alabaster cock.
ἀλλ᾽ ᾠζυρὰ κατάκεισο καὶ μή μοι φέρε Come lie down here, you tease. Don’t go and fetch
another thing for me.
μηδέν.
Myrrhine
ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ
By Artemis, I’ll grab it.
ποιήσω ταῦτα νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν.
I’m taking off my shoes. Now, my darling, [950]
ὑπολύομαι γοῦν. ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε 950 you will be voting to bring on a peace.
σπονδὰς ποιεῖσθαι ψηφιεῖ.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ I’m planning to.
βουλεύσομαι.
ἀπολώλεκέν με κἀπιτέτριφεν ἡ γυνὴ [Myrrhine goes back to the Acropolis. Cinesias turns and sees she’s gone]
τά τ᾽ ἄλλα πάντα κἀποδείρασ᾽ οἴχεται.
That woman’s killing me!
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ She teased me, got me all inflamed, then left.
οἴμοι τί πάθω; τίνα βινήσω
[Cinesias gets up and declaims in a parody of tragic style]
τῆς καλλίστης πασῶν ψευσθείς; 955
πῶς ταυτηνὶ παιδοτροφήσω; Alas, why suffer from such agony?
ποῦ Κυναλώπηξ; Who can I screw? Why’d she betray me,
μίσθωσόν μοι τὴν τίτθην. the most beautiful woman of them all?
Poor little cock, how can I care for you?
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Where’s that Cynalopex? I’ll pay him well
ἐν δεινῷ γ᾽ ὦ δύστηνε κακῷ to nurse this little fellow back to health.46
τείρει ψυχὴν ἐξαπατηθείς. 960
κἄγωγ᾽ οἰκτίρω σ᾽ αἰαῖ.
You poor man, in such a fix—your spirit
ποῖος γὰρ ἂν ἢ νέφρος ἀντίσχοι,
so tricked and in distress. I pity you. [960]
ποία ψυχή, ποῖοι δ᾽ ὄρχεις, How can your kidneys stand the strain,
ποία δ᾽ ὀσφῦς, ποῖος δ᾽ ὄρος your balls, your loins, your bum, your brain
κατατεινόμενος 965 endure an erection that’s hard for you,
καὶ μὴ βινῶν τοὺς ὄρθρους; without a chance of a morning screw.
ὦ Ζεῦ δεινῶν ἀντισπασμῶν. O mighty Zeus, it’s started throbbing once again.
112 113
ταυτὶ μέντοι νυνί σ᾽ ἐποίησ᾽ A dirty stinking bitch did this to you.
ἡ παμβδελυρὰ καὶ παμμυσαρά. Cinesias
No, by god, a loving girl, a sweet one, too. [970]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ φίλη καὶ παγγλυκερά. 970 Sweet? Not her. She’s a tease, a slut.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Cinesias

ποία γλυκερά; μιαρὰ μιαρά. All right, she is a tease, but—
O Zeus, Zeus, I wish
you’d sweep her up there
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
in a great driving storm,
<μιαρὰ> δῆτ᾽ ὦ Ζεῦ ὦ Ζεῦ. like dust in the air,
εἴθ᾽ αὐτὴν ὥσπερ τοὺς θωμοὺς whirl her around,
μεγάλῳ τυφῷ καὶ πρηστῆρι then fall to the ground.
And as she’s carried down,
ξυστρέψας καὶ ξυγγογγύλας 975
to earth one more time,
οἴχοιο φέρων, εἶτα μεθείης, let her fall right away
ἡ δὲ φέροιτ᾽ αὖ πάλιν ἐς τὴν γῆν, on this pecker of mine.
κᾆτ᾽ ἐξαίφνης [Enter the Spartan herald. He, too, has a giant erection, which he is
περὶ τὴν ψωλὴν περιβαίη. trying to hide under his cloak]
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ Spartan Herald

Where’s the Athenian Senate and the Prytanes?47 [980]
πᾷ τᾶν Ἀσανᾶν ἐστιν ἁ γερωχία 980 I come with fresh dispatches.
ἢ τοὶ πρυτάνιες; λῶ τι μυσίξαι νέον.
Cinesias [looking at the Herald’s erection]
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Are you a man,
or some phallic monster?
σὺ δ᾽ εἶ πότερον ἄνθρωπος ἢ κονίσαλος;
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ I’m a herald,
κᾶρυξ ἐγὼν ὦ κυρσάνιε ναὶ τὼ σιὼ by the twin gods. And my good man,
I come from Sparta with a proposal,
ἔμολον ἀπὸ Σπάρτας περὶ τᾶν διαλλαγᾶν. arrangements for a truce.
κἄπειτα δόρυ δῆθ᾽ ὑπὸ μάλης ἥκεις ἔχων; 985 If that’s the case,
why do you have a spear concealed in there?
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ Spartan Herald
οὐ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐκ ἐγών γα. I’m not concealing anything, by god.
114 115
ποῖ μεταστρέφει; Then why are you turning to one side?
τί δὴ προβάλλει τὴν χλαμύδ᾽; ἢ βουβωνιᾷς What that thing there, sticking from your cloak?
Has your journey made your groin inflamed?
ὑπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ;
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ By old Castor, this man’s insane!
παλαιόρ γα ναὶ τὸν Κάστορα
ὥνθρωπος. Cinesias
You rogue,
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ you’ve got a hard on!
ἀλλ᾽ ἔστυκας ὦ μιαρώτατε.
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ No I don’t, I tell you. [990]
οὐ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐκ ἐγών γα. μηδ᾽ αὖ πλαδδίη. 990
Let’s have no more nonsense.
Cinesias [pointing to the herald’s erection]

ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
Then what’s that?
τί δ᾽ ἐστί σοι τοδί;
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ It’s a Spartan herald’s stick.
σκυτάλα Λακωνικά.
Cinesias
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ O that’s what it is,
εἴπερ γε χαὔτη ᾽στὶ σκυτάλη Λακωνική. a Spartan herald stick. Let’s have a chat.
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς πρὸς εἰδότ᾽ ἐμὲ σὺ τἀληθῆ λέγε. Tell me the truth. How are things going for you
out there in Sparta?
τί τὰ πράγμαθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐστι τἀν Λακεδαίμονι;
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ Not good. The Spartans
ὀρσὰ Λακεδαίμων πᾶα καὶ τοὶ σύμμαχοι 995 are all standing tall and the allies, too—
ἅπαντες ἐστύκαντι. Πελλάνας δὲ δεῖ. everyone is firm and hard. We need a thrust
in someone’s rear.48
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ
ἀπὸ τοῦ δὲ τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν ὑμῖν ἐνέπεσεν; Cinesias
ἀπὸ Πανός; This trouble of yours—
where did it come from? Was it from Pan?49
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ
Spartan Herald
οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ἆρχεν οἰῶ Λαμπιτώ,
No. I think it started with Lampito.
ἔπειτα τἄλλαι ταὶ κατὰ Σπάρταν ἅμα Then, at her suggestion, other women
γυναῖκες περ ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὑσπλαγίδος 1000 in Sparta, as if from one starting gate,
ἀπήλααν τὼς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν ὑσσάκων. ran off to keep men from their honey pots.50 [1000]
116 117
πῶς οὖν ἔχετε; How are you doing?
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ
We’re all in pain.
μογίομες. ἂν γὰρ τὰν πόλιν We go around the city doubled up,
ᾇπερ λυχνοφορίοντες ἐπικεκύφαμες. like men who light the lamps.51 The women
ταὶ γὰρ γυναῖκες οὐδὲ τῶ μύρτω σιγεῖν won’t let us touch their pussies, not until
ἐῶντι, πρίν γ᾽ ἅπαντες ἐξ ἑνὸς λόγω 1005 we’ve made a peace with all of Greece.
σπονδὰς ποιησώμεσθα ποττὰν Ἑλλάδα. Cinesias
This matter
ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ is a female plot, a grand conspiracy
τουτὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα πανταχόθεν ξυνομώμοται affecting all of Greece. Now I understand.
ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν. ἄρτι νυνὶ μανθάνω. Return to Sparta as fast as you can go.
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα φράζε περὶ διαλλαγῶν Tell them they must send out ambassadors [1010]
with full authority to deal for peace.
αὐτοκράτορας πρέσβεις ἀποπέμπειν ἐνθαδί. 1010
I’ll tell out leaders here to make a choice
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἑτέρους ἐνθένδε τῇ βουλῇ φράσω of our ambassadors. I’ll show them my prick.
πρέσβεις ἑλέσθαι τὸ πέος ἐπιδείξας τοδί.
Spartan Herald
ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ All you’ve said is good advice. I must fly.
ποτάομαι. κράτιστα γὰρ παντᾷ λέγεις.
[Cinesias and the Spartan Herald exit in opposite directions]
οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον, There’s no wild animal harder to control
οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις. 1015 than women, not even blazing fire.
The panther itself displays more shame.
ταῦτα μέντοι <σὺ> ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί,
If you know that, then why wage war with me?
ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμ᾽ ἔχειν φίλην; You old scoundrel, we could be lasting friends.
ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι. But my hatred for women will not stop!

ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν βούλῃ σύ. νῦν δ᾽ οὖν οὔ σε περιόψομαι
Whatever you want. But I don’t much like
to look at you like this, without your clothes. [1020]
γυμνὸν ὄνθ᾽ οὕτως. ὁρῶ γὰρ ὡς καταγέλαστος εἶ. 1020 It makes me realize how silly you are.
ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδ᾽ ἐνδύσω σε προσιοῦσ᾽ ἐγώ. Look, I’ll come over and put your shirt on.
[The Leader of the Women’s Chorus picks up a tunic, goes over to the
Leader of the Men’s Chorus, and helps him put it on.]
118 119
τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε. By god, what you’ve just done is not so bad.
I took it off in a fit of stupid rage.
ἀλλ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότ᾽ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Now at least you look like a man again.
πρῶτα μὲν φαίνει γ᾽ ἀνήρ, εἶτ᾽ οὐ καταγέλαστος εἶ. And people won’t find you ridiculous.
κεἴ με μὴ ᾽λύπεις, ἐγώ σου κἂν τόδε τὸ θηρίον 1025 If you hadn’t been so nasty to me,
I’d grab that insect stuck in your eye
τοὐπὶ τὠφθαλμῷ λαβοῦσ᾽ ἐξεῖλον ἂν ὃ νῦν ἔνι. and pull it out. It’s still in there.
τοῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί. So that’s what’s been troubling me. Here’s a ring.
ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι.
Scrape it off. Get it out and show it to me.
God, that’s been bothering my eye for ages.
ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει.
[The Leader of the Women’s Chorus takes the ring and inspects the
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of the Men’s Chorus in the eye]
ἀλλὰ δράσω ταῦτα. καίτοι δύσκολος ἔφυς ἀνήρ. 1030 Leader of Women’s Chorus
ἦ μέγ᾽ ὦ Ζεῦ χρῆμ᾽ ἰδεῖν τῆς ἐμπίδος ἔνεστί σοι. I’ll do it. You men are born hard to please. [1030]
οὐχ ὁρᾷς; οὐκ ἐμπίς ἐστιν ἥδε Τρικορυσία; My god, you picked up a monstrous insect.
Have a look. That’s a Tricorynthus bug!52
νὴ Δί᾽ ὤνησάς γέ μ᾽, ὡς πάλαι γέ μ᾽ ἐφρεωρύχει, By Zeus, you’ve been a mighty help to me.
ὥστ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ᾽ξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ. That thing’s been digging wells in me a while.
Now it’s been removed, my eyes are streaming.
ἀλλ᾽ ἀποψήσω σ᾽ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ, 1035 I’ll wipe it for you, though you’re a scoundrel.
καὶ φιλήσω. I’ll give you a kiss.
I don’t want a kiss.
μὴ φιλήσῃς.
ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ I’ll will, whether it’s what you want or not.
ἤν τε βούλῃ γ᾽ ἤν τε μή. [She kisses him]

O you’ve got me. You’re born to flatter us.
ἀλλὰ μὴ ὥρασ᾽ ἵκοισθ᾽. ὡς ἐστὲ θωπικαὶ φύσει, That saying got it right—it states the case
κἄστ᾽ ἐκεῖνο τοὔπος ὀρθῶς κοὐ κακῶς εἰρημένον, quite well, “These women—one has no life
οὔτε σὺν πανωλέθροισιν οὔτ᾽ ἄνευ πανωλέθρων. with them, and cannot live without them.”
120 121
ἀλλὰ νυνὶ σπένδομαί σοι, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι 1040 But now I’ll make a truce with you. I won’t [1040]
οὔτε δράσω φλαῦρον οὐδὲν οὔθ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν πείσομαι. insult you any more in days to come,
ἀλλὰ κοινῇ συσταλέντες τοῦ μέλους ἀρξώμεθα. and you won’t make me suffer. So now,
let’s make a common group and sing a song.
ΧΟΡΟΣ
οὐ παρασκευαζόμεσθα [The Men’s and Women’s Choruses combine]
τῶν πολιτῶν οὐδέν᾽ ὦνδρες
Combined Chorus [addressing the audience]
φλαῦρον εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ ἕν. 1045
You citizens, we’re not inclined
ἀλλὰ πολὺ τοὔμπαλιν πάντ᾽ ἀγαθὰ καὶ λέγειν
with any of you to be unkind.
καὶ δρᾶν. ἱκανὰ γὰρ τὰ κακὰ καὶ τὰ παρακείμενα. Just the reverse—our words to you
ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαγγελλέτω πᾶς ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνή, will be quite nice. We’ll act well, too.
εἴ τις ἀργυρίδιον δεῖται 1050 For now we’ve had enough bad news.
λαβεῖν μνᾶς ἢ δύ᾽ ἢ τρεῖς, So if a man or woman here [1050]
ὡς πόλλ᾽ ἔσω ᾽στὶν needs ready cash, give out a cheer,
κἄχομεν βαλλάντια. and take some minae, two or three.
κἄν ποτ᾽ εἰρήνη φανῇ, Coins fill our purses now, you see.
ὅστις ἂν νυνὶ δανείση- 1055 And if we get a peace treaty,
ται παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, you take some money from the sack,
ἃν λάβῃ μηκέτ᾽ ἀποδῷ. and keep it. You don’t pay it back.
ἑστιᾶν δὲ μέλλομεν ξέ- I’m going to have a great shindig—

νους τινὰς Καρυστίους, ἄν- I’ve got some soup, I’ll kill a pig—
δρας καλούς τε κἀγαθούς. 1060 with friends of mine from Carystia.53 [1060]
.
κἄστιν <ἔτ᾽> ἔτνος τι καὶ δελφάκιον ἦν τί μοι, You’ll eat fine tender meat again.
καὶ τοῦτο τέθυχ᾽, ὡς τὰ κρέ᾽ ἔδεσθ᾽ ἁπαλὰ καὶ καλά. Come to my house this very day.
ἥκετ᾽ οὖν εἰς ἐμοῦ τήμερον. πρῲ δὲ χρὴ But first wash all the dirt away,
τοῦτο δρᾶν λελουμένους αὔ- you and your kids, then walk on by.
No need to ask a person why.
τούς τε καὶ τὰ παιδί᾽, εἶτ᾽ εἴ-
Just come straight in, as if my home
σω βαδίζειν, 1065
was like your own—for at my place [1070]
μηδ᾽ ἐρέσθαι μηδένα, we’ll shut the door right in your face.
ἀλλὰ χωρεῖν ἄντικρυς
ὥσπερ οἴκαδ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτῶν [A group of Spartans enters]
γεννικῶς, ὡς 1070
ἡ θύρα κεκλῄσεται. Leader of the Chorus
Ah, here come the Spartan ambassadors
— καὶ μὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Σπάρτης οἱδὶ πρέσβεις ἕλκοντες ὑπήνας trailing their long beards. They’ve got
χωροῦσ᾽, ὥσπερ χοιροκομεῖον περὶ τοῖς μηροῖσιν ἔχοντες. something like a pig pen between their thighs.
[The Spartan ambassadors enter, moving with difficulty because of their

enormous erections.]
122 123
ἄνδρες Λάκωνες πρῶτα μέν μοι χαίρετε, Men of Sparta, first of all, our greetings.
εἶτ᾽ εἴπαθ᾽ ἡμῖν πῶς ἔχοντες ἥκετε. 1075 Tell us how you are. Why have you come?
Spartan Ambassador
ΛΑΚΩΝ
Why waste a lot of words to tell you?
τί δεῖ ποθ᾽ ὑμὲ πολλὰ μυσίδδειν ἔπη; You see the state that brought us here.
ὁρῆν γὰρ ἔξεσθ᾽ ὡς ἔχοντες ἵκομες.
[The Spartans all display their erections with military precision]
ΧΟΡΟΣ Leader of the Chorus
βαβαί. νενεύρωται μὲν ἥδε συμφορὰ Oh my! The crisis has grown more severe.
δεινῶς, τεθερμῶσθαί γε χεῖρον φαίνεται. It seems the strain is worse than ever.
Spartan Ambassador
ΛΑΚΩΝ
It’s indescribable. What can I say? [1080]
ἄφατα. τί κα λέγοι τις; ἀλλ᾽ ὅπᾳ σέλει 1080 But let someone come, give us a peace
παντᾷ τις ἐλσὼν ἁμὶν εἰράναν σέτω. in any way he can.
ΧΟΡΟΣ Leader of the Chorus

Well now, I see
καὶ μὴν ὁρῶ καὶ τούσδε τοὺς αὐτόχθονας our own ambassadors—they look just like
ὥσπερ παλαιστὰς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν γαστέρων our wrestling men with their shirts sticking out
θαἰμάτι᾽ ἀποστέλλοντας. ὥστε φαίνεται around their bellies or like athletic types
ἀσκητικὸν τὸ χρῆμα τοῦ νοσήματος. 1085 who need to exercise to cure their sickness.
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Where’s Lysistrata? Can someone tell me?
τίς ἂν φράσεις ποῦ᾽ στιν ἡ Λυσιστράτη; We’re men here and, well, look . . .
ὡς ἄνδρες ἡμεῖς οὑτοιὶ τοιουτοιί.
[The Athenians pull back their cloaks and reveal that, like the Spartans,
ΧΟΡΟΣ they all have giant erections]
χαὔτη ξυνᾴδει χἠτέρα ταύτῃ νόσῳ. Leader of the Chorus
ἦ που πρὸς ὄρθρον σπασμὸς ὑμᾶς λαμβάνει; They’re clearly suffering from the same disease.
Hey, does it throb early in the morning?
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ
Athenian Ambassador
μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ ταυτὶ δρῶντες ἐπιτετρίμμεθα. 1090 By god, yes. What this is doing to me— [1090]
ὥστ᾽ εἴ τις ἡμᾶς μὴ διαλλάξει ταχύ, it’s torture. If we don’t get a treaty soon
οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως οὐ Κλεισθένη βινήσομεν. we’ll going to have to cornhole Cleisthenes.54
Leader of the Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ If you’re smart, keep it covered with your cloak.
εἰ σωφρονεῖτε, θαἰμάτια λήψεσθ᾽, ὅπως One of those men who chopped off Hermes’ dick
τῶν Ἑρμοκοπιδῶν μή τις ὑμᾶς ὄψεται. might see you.55
124 125
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Athenian Ambassador [pulling his cloak over his erection]
νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ εὖ μέντοι λέγεις. By god, that’s good advice.
Spartan Ambassador [doing the same]
ΛΑΚΩΝ
Yes, by the twin gods, excellent advice.
ναὶ τὼ σιὼ 1095 I’ll pull my mantle over it.
παντᾷ γα. φέρε τὸ ἔσθος ἀμβαλώμεθα.
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Greetings, Spartans.
ὢ χαίρετ᾽ ὦ Λάκωνες. αἰσχρά γ᾽ ἐπάθομεν. We’re both suffering disgracefully.
ΛΑΚΩΝ Spartan Ambassador

Yes, dear sir, we’d have been in real pain
ὦ Πολυχαρείδα δεινά κ᾽ αὖ ᾽πεπόνθεμες,
if one of those dick-clippers had seen us
αἰ εἶδον ἁμὲ τὤνδρες ἀμπεφλασμένως. with our peckers sticking up like this.
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Athenian Ambassador
ἄγε δὴ Λάκωνες αὔθ᾽ ἕκαστα χρὴ λέγειν. 1100 All right, Spartans, we each need to talk. [1100]
ἐπὶ τί πάρεστε δεῦρο; Why are you here?

Ambassadors for peace.
περὶ διαλλαγᾶν
πρέσβεις. Athenian Ambassador
Well said. We want the same. Why don’t we call
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Lysistrata. She’s the only one who’ll bring
καλῶς δὴ λέγετε. χἠμεῖς τουτογί. a resolution to our differences.
τί οὐ καλοῦμεν δῆτα τὴν Λυσιστράην, Spartan Ambassador
ἥπερ διαλλάξειεν ἡμᾶς ἂν μόνη; By the two gods, bring in Lysistratus,
if he’s the ambassador you want.
ΛΑΚΩΝ
ναὶ τὼ σιὼ κἂν λῆτε τὸν Λυσίστρατον. 1105 [Lysistrata emerges from the gates of the citadel]
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ It seems there is no need to summon her.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἔοικε, δεῖ καλεῖν. She’s heard us, and here she is in person.
αὐτὴ γάρ, ὡς ἤκουσεν, ἥδ᾽ ἐξέρχεται.
Leader of the Chorus
ΧΟΡΟΣ Hail to the bravest woman of them all.
χαῖρ᾽ ὦ πασῶν ἀνδρειοτάτη. δεῖ δὴ νυνί σε γενέσθαι You must now show that you’re resilient—
stern but yielding, with a good heart but mean,
δεινὴν <δειλὴν> ἀγαθὴν φαύλην σεμνὴν ἀγανὴν
stately but down-to-earth. The foremost men
πολύπειρον. in all of Greece in deference to your charms [1110]
ὡς οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων τῇ σῇ ληφθέντες ἴυγγι 1110 have come together here before you
συνεχώρησάν σοι καὶ κοινῇ τἀγκλήματα πάντ᾽ ἐπέτρεψαν. so you can arbitrate all their complaints.
126 127
That task should not be difficult, unless
ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ χαλεπὸν τοὔργον, εἰ λάβοι γέ τις they’re so aroused they screw each other.
I’ll quickly notice that. But where is she,
ὀργῶντας ἀλλήλων τε μὴ ᾽κπειρωμένους.
the young girl Reconciliation?
τάχα δ᾽ εἴσομαι ᾽γώ. ποῦ ᾽στιν ἡ Διαλλαγή; [The personification of the the goddess Reconciliation comes out. She’s
πρόσαγε λαβοῦσα πρῶτα τοὺς Λακωνικούς, 1115 completely naked. Lysistrata addresses her first]56
Come here,
καὶ μὴ χαλεπῇ τῇ χειρὶ μηδ᾽ αὐθαδικῇ, and first, take hold of those from Sparta,
μηδ᾽ ὥσπερ ἡμῶν ἅνδρες ἀμαθῶς τοῦτ᾽ ἔδρων, don’t grab too hard or be too rough, not like
our men who act so boorishly—instead
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς γυναῖκας εἰκός, οἰκείως πάνυ, do it as women do when they’re at home.
If they won’t extend their hands to you,
ἢν μὴ διδῷ τὴν χεῖρα, τῆς σάθης ἄγε. then grab their cocks.
ἴθι καὶ σὺ τούτους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἄγε, 1120 [Reconciliation takes two Spartans by their penises and leads them over
to Lysistrata]
οὗ δ᾽ ἂν διδῶσι πρόσαγε τούτους λαβομένη.
Now go and do the same [1120]
ἄνδρες Λάκωνες στῆτε παρ᾽ ἐμὲ πλησίον, for the Athenians. You can hold them
by whatever they stick out.
ἐνθένδε δ᾽ ὑμεῖς, καὶ λόγων ἀκούσατε.
[Reconciliation leads the Athenians over to Lysistrata]
ἐγὼ γυνὴ μέν εἰμι, νοῦς δ᾽ ἔνεστί μοι,
Now then,
αὐτὴ δ᾽ ἐμαυτῆς οὐ κακῶς γνώμης ἔχω, 1125 you men of Sparta, stand here close to me,
and you Athenians over here. All of you,
τοὺς δ᾽ ἐκ πατρός τε καὶ γεραιτέρων λόγους listen to my words. I am a woman,
πολλοὺς ἀκούσασ᾽ οὐ μεμούσωμαι κακῶς. but I have a brain, and my common sense
is not so bad—I picked it up quite well
λαβοῦσα δ᾽ ὑμᾶς λοιδορῆσαι βούλομαι from listening to my father and to speeches
from our senior men. Now I’ve got you here,
κοινῇ δικαίως, οἳ μιᾶς ἐκ χέρνιβος I wish to reprimand you, both of you,
and rightly so. At Olympia, Delphi, [1130]
βωμοὺς περιραίνοντες ὥσπερ ξυγγενεῖς 1130
and Thermopylae (I could mention
Ὀλυμπίασιν, ἐν Πύλαις, Πυθοῖ (πόσους many other places if I had a mind
to make it a long list) both of you
εἴποιμ᾽ ἂν ἄλλους, εἴ με μηκύνειν δέοι;) use the same cup when you sprinkle altars,
as if you share the same ancestral group.57
ἐχθρῶν παρόντων βαρβάρων στρατεύματι We’ve got barbarian enemies, and yet
Ἕλληνας ἄνδρας καὶ πόλεις ἀπόλλυτε. with your armed expeditions you destroy
Greek men and cities. At this point, I’ll end
εἷς μὲν λόγος μοι δεῦρ᾽ ἀεὶ περαίνεται. 1135 the first part of my speech.
128 129
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἀπόλλυμαί γ᾽ ἀπεψωλημένος. This erection—
it’s killing me!
εἶτ᾽ ὦ Λάκωνες, πρὸς γὰρ ὑμᾶς τρέψομαι, And now you Spartans,
οὐκ ἴσθ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐλθὼν δεῦρο Περικλείδας ποτὲ I’ll turn to you. Don’t you remember how,
ὁ Λάκων Ἀθηναίων ἱκέτης καθέζετο some time ago, Periclidias came,
a fellow Spartan, and sat down right here,
ἐπὶ τοῖσι βωμοῖς ὠχρὸς ἐν φοινικίδι 1140
a suppliant at these Athenian altars— [1140]
στρατιὰν προσαιτῶν; ἡ δὲ Μεσσήνη τότε he looked so pale there in his purple robes—
ὑμῖν ἐπέκειτο χὠ θεὸς σείων ἅμα. begging for an army? Messenians then
ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν ὁπλίταισι τετρακισχιλίοις were pressing you so hard, just at the time
god sent the earthquake. So Cimon set out
Κίμων ὅλην ἔσωσε τὴν Λακεδαίμονα.
with four thousand armed infantry and saved
ταυτὶ παθόντες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὕπο 1145 the whole of Sparta.58 After going through that,
δῃοῦτε χώραν, ἧς ὑπ᾽ εὖ πεπόνθατε; how can you ravage the Athenians’ land,
the ones who helped you out?
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ
Athenian Ambassador
ἀδικοῦσιν οὗτοι νὴ Δί᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη.
Lysistrata,
you’re right, by god. They’re in the wrong.
ΛΑΚΩΝ
ἀδικίομες. ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πρωκτὸς ἄφατον ὡς καλός. Spartan Ambassador [looking at Reconciliation]
Not true,
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ but look at that incredibly fine ass!
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἀφήσειν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους <μ᾽> οἴει;
Lysistrata
οὐκ ἴσθ᾽ ὅθ᾽ ὑμᾶς οἱ Λάκωνες αὖθις αὖ 1150 Do you Athenians think I’ll forget you?
κατωνάκας φοροῦντας ἐλθόντες δορὶ Don’t you remember how these Spartans men, [1150]
πολλοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας Θετταλῶν ἀπώλεσαν, back in the days when you were dressed as slaves
πολλοὺς δ᾽ ἑταίρους Ἱππίου καὶ ξυμμάχους, came here with spears and totally destroyed
those hordes from Thessaly and many friends
ξυνεκμαχοῦντες τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ μόνοι, of Hippias and those allied with him?
κἠλευθέρωσαν κἀντὶ τῆς κατωνάκης 1155 It took them just one day to drive them out
τὸν δῆμον ὑμῶν χλαῖναν ἠμπέσχον πάλιν; and set you free. At that point you exchanged
your slavish clothes for cloaks which free men wear.
ΛΑΚΩΝ
Spartan Ambassador
οὔπα γυναῖκ᾽ ὄπωπα χαϊωτεραν.
I’ve never seen a more gracious woman.
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Athenian Ambassador [looking at Reconciliation]
ἐγὼ δὲ κύσθον γ᾽ οὐδέπω καλλίονα. I’ve never seen a finer looking pussy.
130 131
τί δῆθ᾽ υπηργμένων γε πολλῶν κἀγαθῶν If you’ve done many good things for each other,
why go to war? Why not stop this conflict? [1160]
μάχεσθε κοὐ παύεσθε τῆς μοχθηρίας; 1160
Why not conclude a peace? What’s in the way?
τί δ᾽ οὐ διηλλάγητε; φέρε τί τοὐμποδών;
[In the negotiations which follow, the ambassadors use the body of
ΛΑΚΩΝ Reconciliation as a map of Greece, pointing to various parts to make
ἁμές γε λῶμες, αἴ τις ἁμὶν τὤγκυκλον their points]
λῇ τοῦτ᾽ ἀποδόμεν. Spartan Ambassador
We’re willing, but the part that’s sticking out
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ we want that handed back.
ποῖον ὦ τᾶν;
Lysistrata
Which one is that?
ΛΑΚΩΝ
τὰν Πύλον, Spartan Ambassador [pointing to Reconciliation’s buttocks]
ἇσπερ πάλαι δεόμεθα καὶ βλιμάττομες. This one here—that’s Pylos. We must have that—
we’ve been aching for it a long time now.59
μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τοῦτο μέν γ᾽ οὐ δράσετε. 1165 By Poseidon, you won’t be having that!
My good man, you’ll surrender it to them.
ἄφετ᾽ ὦγάθ᾽ αὐτοῖς.
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Then how do we make trouble, stir up shit?
κᾆτα τίνα κινήσομεν;
Lysistrata
Ask for something else of equal value.
ἕτερόν γ᾽ ἀπαιτεῖτ᾽ ἀντὶ τούτου χωρίον. Athenian Ambassador [inspecting Reconciliation’s body and pointing
to her public hair]
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Then give us this whole area in here—
τὸ δεῖνα τοίνυν παράδοθ᾽ ἡμῖν τουτονὶ first, there’s Echinous, and the Melian Gulf,
the hollow part behind it, and these legs [1170]
πρώτιστα τὸν Ἐχινοῦντα καὶ τὸν Μηλιᾶ which make up Megara.60
κόλπον τὸν ὄπισθεν καὶ τὰ Μεγαρικὰ σκέλη. 1170
Spartan Ambassador
ΛΑΚΩΝ By the twin gods,
οὐ τὼ σιὼ οὐχὶ πάντα γ᾽ ὦ λισσάνιε. my good man, you can’t have all that!
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Let it go.
ἐᾶτε, μηδὲν διαφέρου περὶ σκελοῖν. Don’t start fighting over a pair of legs.
132 133
ἤδη γεωργεῖν γυμνὸς ἀποδὺς βούλομαι. I’d like to strip and start ploughing naked.

ἐγὼ δὲ κοπραγωγεῖν γα πρῶτα ναὶ τὼ σιώ. By god, yes! But me first. I’ll fork manure.
You can do those things once you’ve made peace.
ἐπὴν διαλλαγῆτε, ταῦτα δράσετε. 1175
If these terms seem good, you’ll want your allies
ἀλλ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα, βουλεύσασθε καὶ to come here to join negotiations.
τοῖς ξυμμάχοις ἐλθόντες ἀνακοινώσατε.
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ What of our allies? We’ve all got hard ons.
ποίοισιν ὦ τᾶν ξυμμάχοις; ἐστύκαμεν. Our allies will agree this is just fine.
οὐ ταὐτὰ δόξει τοῖσι συμμάχοισι νῷν They’re all dying to get laid!
βινεῖν ἅπασιν; 1180 Spartan Ambassador
ΛΑΚΩΝ Ours, as well— [1180]
no doubt of that.
τοῖσι γῶν ναὶ τὼ σιὼ
ἁμοῖσι. Athenian Ambassador
And the Carystians—
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ they’ll also be on board, by Zeus.
καὶ γὰρ ναὶ μὰ Δία Καρυστίοις.
Lysistrata
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Well said. Now you must purify yourselves.
καλῶς λέγετε. νῦν οὖν ὅπως ἁγνεύσετε, We women will host a dinner for you
ὅπως ἂν αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμᾶς ἐν πόλει in the Acropolis. We’ll use the food
ξενίσωμεν ὧν ἐν ταῖσι κίσταις εἴχομεν. we brought here in our baskets. In there
ὅρκους δ᾽ ἐκεῖ καὶ πίστιν ἀλλήλοις δότε. 1185 you will make a oath and pledge your trust
in one another. Then each of you
κἄπειτα τὴν αὑτοῦ γυναῖχ᾽ ὑμῶν λαβὼν
can take his wife and go back home.
ἄπεισ᾽ ἕκαστος.
Athenian Ambassador
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Let’s go—
ἀλλ᾽ ἴωμεν ὡς τάχος. and hurry up.
ΛΑΚΩΝ Spartan Ambassador [to Lysistrata]
ἄγ᾽ ὅπᾳ τυ λῇς. Lead on. Wherever you wish.
νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ὡς τάχιστ᾽ ἄγε. All right by Zeus, as fast as we can go.
[Lysistrata and Reconciliation lead the Spartan and Athenian

delegations into the Acropolis]
134 135
ΧΟΡΟΣ Chorus
στρωμάτων δὲ ποικίλων καὶ Embroidered gowns and shawls,
robes and golden ornaments—
χλανιδίων καὶ ξυστίδων καὶ 1190
everything I own—I offer you
χρυσίων, ὅσ᾽ ἐστί μοι, with an open heart. Take these things
οὐ φθόνος ἔνεστί μοι πᾶσι παρέχειν φέρειν and let your children have them,
τοῖς παισίν, ὁπόταν τε θυγάτηρ τινὶ κανηφορῇ. if you’ve a daughter who will be
a basket bearer. I tell you all
πᾶσιν ὑμῖν λέγω λαμβάνειν τῶν ἐμῶν
take my possessions in my home—
χρημάτων νῦν ἔνδοθεν, καὶ 1195 nothing is so securely closed
μηδὲν οὕτως εὖ σεσημάν- you can’t break open all the seals
θαι τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ and take whatever’s there inside. [1200]
But if you look, you won’t see much
τοὺς ῥύπους ἀνασπάσαι,
unless your eyesight’s really keen,
χἄττ᾽ <ἂν> ἔνδον ᾖ φορεῖν. far sharper than my own.
ὄψεται δ᾽ οὐδὲν σκοπῶν, εἰ 1200
μή τις ὑμῶν If anyone is out of corn
to feed his many tiny children
ὀξύτερον ἐμοῦ βλέπει. and household slaves, at home
I’ve got a few fine grains of wheat—
εἰ δέ τῳ μὴ σῖτος ὑμῶν a quart of those will make some bread,
ἔστι, βόσκει δ᾽ οἰκέτας καὶ a fresh good-looking loaf. If there’s a man
σμικρὰ πολλὰ παιδία, 1205 who wants some bread and is in need [1210]
ἔστι παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν πυρίδια λεπτὰ μέν, let him come with his sacks and bags
to where I live to get his wheat.
ὁ δ᾽ ἄρτος ἀπὸ χοίνικος ἰδεῖν μάλα νεανίας. My servant Manes will pour it out.
ὅστις οὖν βούλεται τῶν πενήτων ἴτω But I should tell you not to come
εἰς ἐμοῦ σάκκους ἔχων καὶ too near my door—there’s a dog
κωρύκους, ὡς λήψεται πυ- 1210 you need to stay well clear of.
ρούς. ὁ Μανῆς δ᾽ Athenian Delegate A [from inside the citadel]
οὑμὸς αὐτοῖς ἐμβαλεῖ. Open the door!
πρός γε μέντοι τὴν θύραν
[The Athenian Delegate A comes staggering out of the citadel, evidently
προαγορεύω μὴ βαδίζειν drunk. He’s carrying a torch. Other delegates in the same condition
τὴν ἐμήν, ἀλλ᾽ come out behind him. Athenian Delegate A bumps into someone by
εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὴν κύνα. 1215 the door, probably one of a group of Spartan slaves standing around
waiting for their masters to come out]61
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Α
Athenian Delegate A
ἄνοιγε τὴν θύραν. παραχωρεῖν οὐ θέλεις;
Why don’t you get out of my way?
ὑμεῖς τί κάθησθε; μῶν ἐγὼ τῇ λαμπάδι Why are you lot sitting there? What if I
ὑμᾶς κατακαύσω; φορτικὸν τὸ χωρίον. burned you with this torch? That’s a stale routine!62
136 137
οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιμ᾽. εἰ δὲ πάνυ δεῖ τοῦτο δρᾶν, I won’t do that. Well, if I really must,
to keep you happy, I’ll go through with it. [1220]
ὑμῖν χαρίσασθαι, προσταλαιπωρήσομεν. 1220
[Athenian Delegate A chases an onlooker away with his torch]
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Β Athenian Delegate B [waving a torch]
χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν. We’ll be here with you to help you do it.
Why not just leave? You may soon be screaming
οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά. for that hair of yours.
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Α Athenian Delegate A

Go on, piss off!
οὐκ ἄπιθ᾽, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν So the Spartans inside there can come on out
καθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι; and go away in peace.
[The two Athenian delegates force the Spartan slaves away from the door]
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Β
Athenian Delegate B
οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπ᾽ ἐγώ. 1225 Well now,
ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί. I never seen a banquet quite like this.
The Spartans were delightful. As for us,
ἡμεῖς δ᾽ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι. we had too much wine, but as companions
we said lots of really clever things.
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Α Athenian Delegate A
ὀρθῶς γ᾽, ὁτιὴ νήφοντες οὐχ ὑγιαίνομεν. That’s right. When we’re sober, we lose our minds.
I’ll speak up and persuade Athenians
ἢν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐγὼ πείσω λέγων, what when our embassies go anywhere [1230]
μεθύοντες ἀεὶ πανταχοῖ πρεσβεύσομεν. 1230 they stay permanently drunk. As it is,
whenever we go sober off to Sparta,
νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἔλθωμεν ἐς Λακεδαίμονα right away we look to stir up trouble.
νήφοντες, εὐθὺς βλέπομεν ὅ τι ταράξομεν. So we just don’t hear what they have to say
and get suspicious of what they don’t state.
ὥσθ᾽ ὅ τι μὲν ἂν λέγωσιν οὐκ ἀκούομεν, Then we bring back quite different reports
ἃ δ᾽ οὐ λέγουσι, ταῦθ᾽ ὑπονενοήκαμεν, about the same events. But now these things
have all been sorted out. So if someone there
ἀγγέλλομεν δ᾽ οὐ ταὐτὰ τῶν αὐτῶν πέρι. 1235 sang “Telamon” when he should have sung
νυνὶ δ᾽ ἅπαντ᾽ ἤρεσκεν. ὥστ᾽ εἰ μέν γέ τις “Cleitagora,” we’d applaud the man
and even swear quite falsely that . . .63
ᾄδοι Τελαμῶνος, Κλειταγόρας ᾄδειν δέον,
[The Spartan slaves they forced away from the door are gradually coming back]
ἐπῃνέσαμεν ἂν καὶ προσεπιωρκήσαμεν.
Hey, those slaves
ἀλλ᾽ οὑτοιὶ γὰρ αὖθις ἔρχονται πάλιν
are coming here again. You whipping posts, [1240]
ἐς ταὐτόν. οὐκ ἐρήσετ᾽ ὦ μαστιγίαι; 1240 why can’t you go away?
138 139
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ Β Athenian Delegate B
νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσ᾽ ἔνδοθεν. By Zeus,
the ones in there are coming out again.
ΛΑΚΩΝ
[The Spartan delegates come out of the citadel. The Spartan ambassador
ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια,
is carrying a musical instrument]
ἵν᾽ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν
ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα. Spartan Ambassador
Here, my dear sir, take this wind instrument,
ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ so I can dance and sing a lovely song
λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, 1245 to honour both Athenians and ourselves.
ὡς ἥδομαί γ᾽ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους.
Athenian Ambassador [turning to one of the slaves]
ΛΑΚΩΝ Yes, by the gods, take the pipes. I love
to see you Spartans dance and sing.
ὅρμαον
τὼς κυρσανίως ὦ Μναμοΰνα [The music starts. The Spartan Ambassador sings and dances]
τάν τ᾽ ἐμὰν Μῶαν, ἅτις
οἶδεν ἁμὲ τώς τ᾽ Ἀσαναίως, 1250 Spartan Ambassador
O Memory, to this young man
ὅκα τοὶ μὲν ἐπ᾽ Ἀρταμιτίῳ
send down your child the Muse
πρὤκροον σιοείκελοι who knows the Spartans and Athenians.64 [1250]
ποττὰ κᾶλα τὼς Μήδως τ᾽ ἐνίκων, Back then at Artemesium
ἁμὲ δ᾽ αὖ Λεωνίδας they fought the ships like gods of war
ἆγεν περ τὼς κάπρως 1255 and overpowered the Medes,
θάγοντας οἰῶ τὸν ὀδόντα. while we, I know, led by Leonidas
whetted our teeth like boars
πολὺς δ᾽ ἀμφὶ τὰς γένυας ἀφρὸς ἤνσει,
with foaming mouths, which dripped
πολὺς δ᾽ ἁμᾷ καττῶν σκελῶν ἀφρὸς ἵετο. down on our legs. The Persian force
ἦν γὰρ τὤνδρες οὐκ ἐλάσσως 1260 possessed more fighting men
τᾶς ψάμμας τοὶ Πέρσαι. than grains of sea shore sand. [1260]
ἀγροτέρα σηροκτόνε O Artemis, queen of the wild,
μόλε δεῦρο παρσένε σιὰ slayer of beasts, chaste goddess,
ποττὰς σπονδάς, come here to bless our treaty,
to make us long united.
ὡς συνέχῃς πολὺν ἁμὲ χρόνον. 1265
May our peace be always blessed
νῦν δ᾽ αὖ φιλία τ᾽ αἰὲς εὔπορος εἴη with friendship and prosperity,
ταῖς συνθήκαις, and may we put an end
καὶ τᾶν αἱμυλᾶν ἀλωπέκων παυσαίμεθα. to all manipulating foxes. [1270]
ὢ δεῦρ᾽ ἴθι δεῦρ᾽ ὦ Come here, O come here,
κυναγὲ παρσένε. 1270 Virgin Goddess of the Hunt.
[Lysistrata emerges from the citadel bringing all the wives with her]
140 141
ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata65
ἄγε νυν ἐπειδὴ τἄλλα πεποίηται καλῶς, Come now, since everything has turned out well,
take these women back with you, you Spartans.
ἀπάγεσθε ταύτας ὦ Λάκωνες, τάσδε τε And, you Athenians, these ones are yours.
ὑμεῖς. ἀνὴρ δὲ παρὰ γυναῖκα καὶ γυνὴ 1275 Let each man stand beside his wife, each wife
στήτω παρ᾽ ἄνδρα, κᾆτ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθαῖς συμφοραῖς beside her man, and then to celebrate
ὀρχησάμενοι θεοῖσιν εὐλαβώμεθα good times let’s dance in honour of the gods.
And for all future time, let’s never make
τὸ λοιπὸν αὖθις μὴ ᾽ξαμαρτάνειν ἔτι. the same mistake again.
ΧΟΡΟΣ [The Chorus now sings to the assembled group, as the wives and
πρόσαγε χορόν, ἔπαγε <δὲ> Χάριτας, husbands are rejoined]
ἐπὶ δὲ κάλεσον Ἄρτεμιν, 1280
Chorus
ἐπὶ δὲ δίδυμον ἀγέχορον Lead on the dance, bring on the Graces,
Ἰήιον and summon Artemis and her twin, [1280]
εὔφρον᾽, ἐπὶ δὲ Νύσιον, Apollo, the god who heals us all,
call on Bacchus, Nysa’s god,
ὃς μετὰ μαινάσι Βάκχιος ὄμμασι δαίεται,
whose eyes blaze forth
Δία τε πυρὶ φλεγόμενον, ἐπί τε 1285 amid his Maenads’ ecstasy,
πότνιαν ἄλοχον ὀλβίαν. and Zeus alight with flaming fire,
εἶτα δὲ δαίμονας, οἷς ἐπιμάρτυσι and Hera, Zeus’ blessed wife,
and other gods whom we will use
χρησόμεθ᾽ οὐκ ἐπιλήσμοσιν
as witnesses who won’t forget
Ἡσυχίας πέρι τῆς ἀγανόφρονος, the meaning of the gentle Peace
ἣν ἐποίησε θεὰ Κύπρις. 1290 made her by goddess Aphrodite. [1290]
ἀλαλαὶ ἰὴ παιήων.
Alalai! Raise the cry of joy,
αἴρεσθ᾽ ἄνω ἰαί,
raise it high, iai!
ὡς ἐπὶ νίκῃ ἰαί. the cry of victory, iai!
εὐοῖ εὐοῖ, εὐαί εὐαί. Evoi, evoi, evoi, evoi!
Spartan, now offer us another song,
πρόφαινε δὴ σὺ Μοῦσαν ἐπὶ νέᾳ νέαν. 1295
match our new song with something new.
Ταΰγετον αὖτ᾽ ἐραννὸν ἐκλιπῶα Leave lovely Taygetus once again
Μῶα μόλε Λάκαινα πρεπτὸν ἁμὶν and, Spartan Muse, in some way
that is appropriate for us
κλέωα τὸν Ἀμύκλαις σιὸν
pay tribute to Amyclae’s god,
καὶ χαλκίοικον Ἀσάναν, 1300 and to bronze-housed Athena,
Τυνδαρίδας τ᾽ ἀγασώς, to Tyndareus’ splendid sons, [1300]
142 143
τοὶ δὴ πὰρ Εὐρώταν ψιάδδοντι. who play beside the Eurotas.
εἶα μάλ᾽ ἔμβη Step now, with many a nimble turn,
ὢ εἶα κοῦφα πάλλων, so we may sing a hymn to Sparta,
dancing in honour of the gods,
ὡς Σπάρταν ὑμνίωμες, 1305
with stamping feet in that place
τᾷ σιῶν χοροὶ μέλοντι
where by the river Eurotas
καὶ ποδῶν κτύπος, young maidens dance,
ᾇ τε πῶλοι ταὶ κόραι like fillies raising dust, [1310]
πὰρ τὸν Εὐρωταν tossing their manes,
ἀμπάλλοντι πυκνὰ ποδοῖν 1310 like bacchants who play
ἀγκονίωαι, and wave their thyrsus stalks,
ταὶ δὲ κόμαι σείονθ᾽ περ Βακχᾶν brought on by Leda’s lovely child,
θυρσαδδωᾶν καὶ παιδδωᾶν. their holy leader in the choral dance.66
ἁγεῖται δ᾽ ἁ Λήδας παῖς
But come let your hands bind up your hair.
ἁγνὰ χοραγὸς εὐπρεπής. 1315
Let your feet leap up like deer, sound out the beat
ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε κόμαν παραμπύκιδδε χερί, ποδοῖν τε πάδη to help our dance. Sing out a song of praise
ᾇ τις ἔλαφος. κρότον δ᾽ ἁμᾷ ποίει χορωφελήταν. for our most powerful bronze-house goddess,
καὶ τὰν σιὰν δ᾽ αὖ τὰν κρατίσταν Χαλκίοικον ὕμνει 1320 all-conquering Athena!
τὰν πάμμαχον.
[They all exit singing and dancing]
144 145
NOTES
1 Lysistrata is complaining that if the city had called a major festival all
the women would be in the streets enjoying themselves. But none of
them, it seems, has answered her invitation to a meeting (as we find
out a few lines further on).
2 At the time Lysistrata was first produced, the Athenians and Spartans had

been fighting for many years. The Boeotians were allies of the Spartans.
Boeotia was famous for its eels, considered a luxury item in Athens.
3 The two goddesses are Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The
Athenian women frequently invoke them.
4 Theogenes was a well-known merchant and ship owner.
5 Calonice is making an obscure joke on the name Anagyrus, a political

district named after a bad-smelling plant.
6 In Aristophanes’ text, Lampito and other Spartans use a parody of a

Spartan dialect, a style of speaking significantly different from (although
related to) Athenian Greek. Translators have dealt with this in different
ways, usually by giving the Spartans a recognizable English dialect,
for example, from the Southern States or Scotland, or English with a
foreign accent. The difference between the Spartans’ speech and the
language of the others reflects the political antagonism between the
Athenians and Spartans. Here I have not tried to follow this trend. My
main reasons for doing so are (in brief ) that, first, some dialects are
in places incomprehensible to some readers or have been made irrel-
evant (e.g., Jack Lindsay’s Scottish language in the Bantam edition of
Aristophanes or the erratic Russian English of the Perseus translation)
and, second, I wish to leave the choice of dialect or accent up to the
imagination of the readers or the directors of stage productions (who
might like to experiment with dialects which will connect with their
particular audiences more immediately than any one I might select).
7 Spartans commonly invoke the divine twins Castor and Pollux, brothers
of Helen and Clytaemnestra.
8 Thrace is a region to the north of Greece, a long way from Athens.

Eucrates was an Athenian commander in the region. Pylos is a small
147
area in the south Peloponnese which the Athenians had occupied for 21 The Achelous was a large well-known river in northern Greece.
a number of years.
22 Sabazius was a popular foreign god associated with drinking (like Diony-
9 Miletus had rebelled against Athens in the previous year. That city sus). Adonis was a mortal youth loved by Aphrodite. An annual festival
was associated with sexuality and (in this case) the manufacture of was celebrated in his memory. Demostrates was a politician promoting
sexual toys. the disastrous Athenian military expedition to Sicily. Zacynthus is an
island off the Peloponnese, an ally of Athens.
10 Taygetus was a high mountain in the Peloponnese.
23 OLD WOMAN A: In modern productions the old women who
11 In a famous story, Menelaus went storming through Troy looking for speak in this scene either come out of the gates to the Acropolis or are
his wife, Helen, in order to kill her. But when he found her, he was members of the Chorus. Alternatively the speeches could be assigned
so overcome by her beauty that he relented and took her back home to the characters we have met earlier (Myrrhine and Calonice), who
to Sparta. have emerged from the Acropolis behind Lysistrata.
12 Pherecrates was an Athenian comic dramatist. The line may be a 24 Black eyes were treated with a small cup placed over the eye to reduce
quotation from one of his plays. the swelling.
13 The financial reserves of the Athenian state were stored in the Acropolis 25 The armed guards accompanying the Magistrate are traditionally
14 Lycon’s wife was an Athenian famous for her promiscuity. Scythian archers.
15 Cleomenes, a king of Sparta, once came with a small army to Athens 26 Cranaus was a legendary king of Athens.
(in 508) to help the oligarch party. He had a very hostile reception 27 Peisander was a leading Athenian politician, suspected of favouring
and took refuge in the Acropolis, where he stayed under siege for two the war for selfish reasons.
days. A truce was arranged and the Spartans left peacefully.
28 Corybantes were divine attendants on the foreign goddess Cybele.
16 Euripides is the famous tragic dramatist, a younger contemporary They were associated with ecstatic music and dancing.
of Aristophanes. Marathon was the site of the great Greek victory of
the Persian expeditionary forces in 490 BC, a high point of Athenian 29 Shields with monstrous Gorgon’s heads depicted on them were com-
military achievement. mon in Athens.
17 The reference to Lemnian fire is not clear. The island of Lemnos per- 30 Tereus was a mythical king of Thrace and a popular figure with Athe-
haps had some volcanic activity, or else the reference is to the women nian dramatists.
of Lemnos who killed all their husbands. There is a pun on the Greek
word for Lemnos and the word in the same speech referring to material 31 A honey cake was traditionally part of the funeral service. It was given
in the eye. to make sure the dead shade reached Hades.
18 Samos is an important island near Athens. A number of the generals 32 Charon is the ferryman who transports the shades of the dead across
of Athenian forces came from there. the river into Hades.
19 Sommerstein observes (p. 171) that the epithet Tritogeneia (“Trito 33 Hippias was a tyrant in Athens from 528 to 510. Cleisthenes, an
born”) refers to Athena’s birth beside the River Triton or Lake Tritonis Athenian, was a favourite target of Aristophanes, ridiculed as a passive
in North Africa. homosexual. Here there’s an accusation that he is sympathetic to the
Spartans. The pay the old men refer to is a daily payment of three obols
20 Boupalus was a sculptor from Chios. from the state to jury men.
148 149
34 Aritogeiton and his friend Harmodius assassinated the tyrant Hip- 47 Prytanes was the business committee of the Athenian council.
parchus, the brother of Hippias. The two were celebrated as heroes of
48 The Greek reads “we need Pellene,” an area in the Peloponnese allied
democratic Athens.
with Sparta. But, as Sommerstein points out (p. 206), this is undoubt-
35 The Old Women are referring to many city activities and rituals in which edly a pun invoking a word meaning vagina or anus. In the exchanges
girls of noble families played important roles. The phrase “pounding which follow, the Spartans are depicted as having a decided preference
barley” refers to making cakes for sacrifices. for anal sex.
36 Leipsydrion was the site of a battle years before when the tyrant Hippias 49 Pan was a god associated with wild unrestrained sex in the wilderness.
besieged and defeated his opponents. The old men are treating the 50 The meaning of the Greek word hussakos (here translated as honey pots)
event as if they had been victorious. The detail about their white feet, is very obscure. Sommerstein translates as “pork barrels.”
Sommerstein suggests, refers to those who were hostile to Hippias and
the tyrants (hence, lovers of freedom). 51 Lamplighters had to walk along bent over in order to protect the flame
they carried.
37 Artemesia was queen of Halicarnassus in Asia Minor. She led ships
from her city as part of the Persian expedition against Athens in 480 52 Tricorynthus is a region in Attica, near Marathon. Presumably it was
and fought at the Battle of Salamis. famous for its insects.
38 Micon was a well-known Athenian painter. 53 Carystus is a state from Euboea, allied to Athens.
39 This is a reference to an old story in which the dung beetle got its re- 54 Cleisthenes was a well known Athenian, whom Aristophanes frequently
venge against an eagle by smashing its eggs. The old woman obviously ridicules as a passive homosexual.
threatens the man’s testicles as she says this. 55 In 415 the statues of Hermes in Athens were mutilated by having their
penises chopped off, a very sacrilegious act .
40 Hecate was a goddess whose worship was associated with, among other
things, birth and children. 56 In Aristophanes’ time, this character (Reconciliation) would be played
by a man with a body stocking prominently displaying female charac-
41 Orsilochus is either a well known seducer or someone who keeps a
teristics: breasts, pubic hair, buttocks.
brothel.
57 Lysistrata is listing some of the festivals where all the Greek states
42 To have a child in a holy place, like the Acropolis, was considered a
cooperated in the ritual celebrations.
sacrilege.
58 In 464 Sparta suffered a massive earthquake, which killed many citi-
43 Myronides and Phormio were two dead generals who fought for Athens. zens. Their slaves, who included the Messenians, rose in revolt. Sparta
44 Sommerstein (p. 200) points out that Paeonidae is a political district appealed to Athens for help, and the Athenians, after some debate,
in northern Attica. The name suggest the Greek verb paiein, meaning sent Cimon with an army to assist the Spartans.
to strike or copulate. Sommerstein offers the translation “Bangwell.” 59 Pylos was a small but important part of the south Peloponnese which
Jack Lindsay translates the place as “Bangtown.” the Athenians had seized in 425 and held onto ever since.
45 Hercules was famous for always being hungry and having an enormous 60 Echinous, Melian Gulf, and Megara are places relatively close to Athens.
appetite.
61 The stage business at this point is somewhat confusing. It’s not clear
46 Cynalopex (meaning “Fox Dog”) was the nickname of Philostratus whether the Athenian delegates who now appear are leaving the meet-
who apparently was a pimp. ing in the citadel or arriving and wanting to get in. Here I follow
150 151
Aristophanes
Sommerstein, who is following Henderson, and have the delegates
emerge from the meeting. The people hanging around the door are
probably the slaves who came with the Spartans and who are waiting
for their masters inside.
62 This comment is taking a swipe at other comic dramatists who use

a stock set of situations or actions, while at the same time the action
uses the stock technique (not an uncommon feature of Aristophanic
comedy).
63 ”Telamon” and “Cleitagora” are well known drinking songs.
64 The Spartan Ambassador is singing about two famous battles against the
Persians (both in 480), the Athenian naval victory at Artemisium and
the Spartan stand of the 300 at Thermopylae. This military campaign
was an important highlight of Greek unity.
65 There is some dispute about who this speech should be assigned to.
Sommerstein (p. 221) has a useful summary of the arguments.
66 Taygetus is an important mountain in Sparta. Amyclae’s god is Apollo

who had a shrine at Amyclae, near Sparta. Bronze-housed Athena is a
reference to the shrine of Athena in Sparta. Tyndareus’ splendid sons
are Castor and Pollux, the twin gods (brothers of Helen and Cly-
taemnestra). The Eurotas is a river near Sparta. The thyrsus stalk is a
plant stem held by the followers of Bacchus in their ecstatic dancing.
Leda’s child is Helen (wife of Menelaus, sister of Castor and Pollux
and Clytaemnestra, a child of Zeus).
152

Aristophanes Lysistrata

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ΑΡΙΣΤΟΦΑΝΟΥΣ ARISTOPHANES’

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Published by Faenum Publishing, Ltd.

ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ LYSISTRATA: a young Athenian wife

ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΣ SCYTHIAN GIRL: one of Lysistrata’s slaves

ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ HERALD: A Spartan envoy

ΚΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ Calonice [interrupting again]

[Various women start arriving from all directions]

ΛΑΜΠΙΤΩ [A sound of shouting is heard from offstage]

ταύτας, ἐὰν μὴ ᾽φ᾽ οἷσιν ἡμεῖς εἴπομεν. Calonice

O the smoke!

— πέτου πέτου Νικοδίκη, Leader of Women’s Chorus

τε καὶ Κρίτυλλαν περιφυσήτω Chorus of Old Women

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

Leader of Men’s Chorus

Leader of Women’s Chorus

[The Old Women pick up their water jugs again]

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus [waving his torch]

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [opening the doors and walking out]

ἔδεισας οὗτος; οὐ ξυναρπάσει μέσην Old Woman A23

Lysistrata [shouting behind her]

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Magistrate [with a threatening gesture]

τί ποιησάσας; 555 Magistrate

ΓΥΝΗ Β Old Woman B

[Old Woman B throws more water on the Magistrate]

οὐκ ἄρ᾽ εἰσιόντα σ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἡ τεκοῦσα γνώσεται. Leader of Women’s Chorus

ἐγκαθαρμόσαι λαβόντας τουτονὶ τὸν αὐχένα. Chorus of Old Women

Here’s our glorious leader,

Leader of Women’s Chorus

ἀληθῆ, ἀληθῆ. Lysistrata

ΓΥΝΗ Β Woman B [interrupting]

ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΗ Lysistrata [continuing the oracle]

ΓΕΡΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

Myrrhine [to the child]

τὸ στρόφιον ἤδη λύομαι. μέμνησό νυν. Myrrhine

ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ [Myrrhine returns with the perfume]

τάλαιν᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ ῾Ρόδιον ἤνεγκον μύρον. Myrrhine [inspecting the jar of perfume]

ΜΥΡΡΙΝΗ Myrrhine [getting up to leave]

ΚΙΝΗΣΙΑΣ Cinesias [waving his cock]

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Cinesias

ΚΗΡΥΞ ΛΑΚΕΔΑΙΜΟΝΙΩΝ Spartan Herald

Cinesias [pointing to the herald’s erection]

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Leader of Women’s Chorus

ΧΟΡΟΣ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΩΝ Leader of Men’s Chorus

ἑστιᾶν δὲ μέλλομεν ξέ- I’m going to have a great shindig—

[The Spartan ambassadors enter, moving with difficulty because of their

ΧΟΡΟΣ Leader of the Chorus

Leader of the Chorus

ΛΑΚΩΝ Spartan Ambassador

ΛΑΚΩΝ Spartan Ambassador

ΛΑΚΩΝ Spartan Ambassador

[Lysistrata and Reconciliation lead the Spartan and Athenian