Ἀριστοφάνους Λυσιστράτη / Aristofane: Lisistrata / Aristophanes: Lysistrata
LA CCG NUMERO 25000 / AWS NUMBER 25000Originale | Versione inglese (traduttore anonimo) |
ἈΡΙΣΤΟΦΆΝΟΥΣ ΛΥΣΙΣΤΡΆΤΗ / ARISTOFANE: LISISTRATA / ARISTOPHANES: LYSISTRATA Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἐς Βακχεῖον αὐτὰς ἐκάλεσεν, ἢ ᾽ς Πανὸς ἢ ᾽πὶ Κωλιάδ᾽ ἢ ᾽ς Γενετυλλίδος, οὐδ᾽ ἂν διελθεῖν ἦν ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν τυμπάνων. νῦν δ᾽ οὐδεμία πάρεστιν ἐνταυθοῖ γυνή· πλὴν ἥ γ᾽ ἐμὴ κωμῆτις ἥδ᾽ ἐξέρχεται. 5 χαῖρ᾽ ὦ Καλονίκη. Καλονίκη καὶ σύ γ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη. τί συντετάραξαι; μὴ σκυθρώπαζ᾽ ὦ τέκνον. οὐ γὰρ πρέπει σοι τοξοποιεῖν τὰς ὀφρῦς. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ ὦ Καλονίκη κάομαι τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ πόλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ἄχθομαι, 10 ὁτιὴ παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν νενομίσμεθα εἶναι πανοῦργοι-- Καλονίκη καὶ γάρ ἐσμεν νὴ Δία. Λυσιστράτη εἰρημένον δ᾽ αὐταῖς ἀπαντᾶν ἐνθάδε βουλευσομέναισιν οὐ περὶ φαύλου πράγματος, εὕδουσι κοὐχ ἥκουσιν. 15 Καλονίκη ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φιλτάτη ἥξουσι· χαλεπή τοι γυναικῶν ἔξοδος. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν περὶ τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐκύπτασεν, ἡ δ᾽ οἰκέτην ἤγειρεν, ἡ δὲ παιδίον κατέκλινεν, ἡ δ᾽ ἔλουσεν, ἡ δ᾽ ἐψώμισεν. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερά τἄρ᾽ ἦν τῶνδε προὐργιαίτερα 20 αὐταῖς. Καλονίκη τί δ᾽ ἐστὶν ὦ φίλη Λυσιστράτη, ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι ποθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὰς γυναῖκας συγκαλεῖς; τί τὸ πρᾶγμα; πηλίκον τι; Λυσιστράτη μέγα. Καλονίκη μῶν καὶ παχύ; Λυσιστράτη καὶ νὴ Δία παχύ. Καλονίκη κᾆτα πῶς οὐχ ἥκομεν; Λυσιστράτη οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος· ταχὺ γὰρ ἂν ξυνήλθομεν. 25 ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἀνεζητημένον πολλαῖσί τ᾽ ἀγρυπνίαισιν ἐῤῥιπτασμένον. Καλονίκη ἦ πού τι λεπτόν ἐστι τοὐῤῥιπτασμένον. Λυσιστράτη οὕτω γε λεπτὸν ὥσθ᾽ ὅλης τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία. 30 Καλονίκη ἐν ταῖς γυναιξίν; ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγου γ᾽ ὠχεῖτ᾽ ἄρα. Λυσιστράτη ὡς ἔστ᾽ ἐν ἡμῖν τῆς πόλεως τὰ πράγματα, ἢ μηκέτ᾽ εἶναι μήτε Πελοποννησίους-- Καλονίκη βέλτιστα τοίνυν μηκέτ᾽ εἶναι νὴ Δία. Λυσιστράτη Βοιωτίους τε πάντας ἐξολωλέναι. 35 Καλονίκη μὴ δῆτα πάντας γ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἄφελε τὰς ἐγχέλεις. strong>Λυσιστράτη περὶ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν δ᾽ οὐκ ἐπιγλωττήσομαι τοιοῦτον οὐδέν· ἀλλ᾽ ὑπονόησον σύ μοι. ἢν δὲ ξυνέλθωσ᾽ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐνθάδε αἵ τ᾽ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν αἵ τε Πελοποννησίων 40 ἡμεῖς τε, κοινῇ σώσομεν τὴν Ἑλλάδα. Καλονίκη τί δ᾽ ἂν γυναῖκες φρόνιμον ἐργασαίατο ἢ λαμπρόν, αἳ καθήμεθ᾽ ἐξηνθισμέναι, κροκωτοφοροῦσαι καὶ κεκαλλωπισμέναι καὶ Κιμμερίκ᾽ ὀρθοστάδια καὶ περιβαρίδας; 45 Λυσιστράτη ταῦτ᾽ αὐτὰ γάρ τοι κἄσθ᾽ ἃ σώσειν προσδοκῶ, τὰ κροκωτίδια καὶ τὰ μύρα χαἰ περιβαρίδες χἤγχουσα καὶ τὰ διαφανῆ χιτώνια. Καλονίκη τίνα δὴ τρόπον ποθ᾽; Λυσιστράτη ὥστε τῶν νῦν μηδένα ἀνδρῶν ἐπ᾽ ἀλλήλοισιν ἄρεσθαι δόρυ-- 50 Καλονίκη κροκωτὸν ἄρα νὴ τὼ θεὼ ᾽γὼ βάψομαι. Λυσιστράτη μηδ᾽ ἀσπίδα λαβεῖν-- Καλονίκη Κιμμερικὸν ἐνδύσομαι. Λυσιστράτη μηδὲ ξιφίδιον. Καλονίκη κτήσομαι περιβαρίδας. Λυσιστράτη ἆρ᾽ οὐ παρεῖναι τὰς γυναῖκας δῆτ᾽ ἐχρῆν; Καλονίκη οὐ γὰρ μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ πετομένας ἥκειν πάλαι. 55 Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ ὦ μέλ᾽ ὄψει τοι σφόδρ᾽ αὐτὰς Ἀττικάς, ἅπαντα δρώσας τοῦ δέοντος ὕστερον. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ Παράλων οὐδεμία γυνὴ πάρα, οὐδ᾽ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος. Καλονίκη ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖναί γ᾽ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι ἐπὶ τῶν κελήτων διαβεβήκασ᾽ ὄρθριαι. 60 Λυσιστράτη οὐδ᾽ ἃς προσεδόκων κἀλογιζόμην ἐγὼ πρώτας παρέσεσθαι δεῦρο τὰς Ἀχαρνέων γυναῖκας, οὐχ ἥκουσιν. Καλονίκη ἡ γοῦν Θεογένους ὡς δεῦρ᾽ ἰοῦσα θοὐκάταιον ἤρετο. ἀτὰρ αἵδε καὶ δή σοι προσέρχονταί τινες. 65 Λυσιστράτη αἱδί θ᾽ ἕτεραι χωροῦσί τινες. Καλονίκη ἰοὺ ἰού, πόθεν εἰσίν; Λυσιστράτη Ἀναγυρουντόθεν. Καλονίκη νὴ τὸν Δία· ὁ γοῦν ἀνάγυρός μοι κεκινῆσθαι δοκεῖ. Μυῤῥίνη μῶν ὕστεραι πάρεσμεν ὦ Λυσιστράτη; τί φῄς; τί σιγᾷς; 70 Λυσιστράτη οὔ σ᾽ ἐπαινῶ Μυῤῥίνη ἥκουσαν ἄρτι περὶ τοιούτου πράγματος. Μυῤῥίνη μόλις γὰρ ηὗρον ἐν σκότῳ τὸ ζώνιον. ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τι πάνυ δεῖ, ταῖς παρούσαισιν λέγε. Λυσιστράτη μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαναμείνωμεν ὀλίγου γ᾽ οὕνεκα τάς τ᾽ ἐκ Βοιωτῶν τάς τε Πελοποννησίων 75 γυναῖκας ἐλθεῖν. Μυῤῥίνη πολὺ σὺ κάλλιον λέγεις. ἡδὶ δὲ καὶ δὴ Λαμπιτὼ προσέρχεται. Λυσιστράτη ὦ φιλτάτη Λάκαινα χαῖρε Λαμπιτοῖ. οἷον τὸ κάλλος γλυκυτάτη σου φαίνεται. ὡς δ᾽ εὐχροεῖς, ὡς δὲ σφριγᾷ τὸ σῶμά σου. 80 κἂν ταῦρον ἄγχοις. Λαμπιτῶ μάλα γ᾽ οἰῶ ναὶ τὼ σιώ· γυμνάδδομαι γὰρ καὶ ποτὶ πυγὰν ἅλλομαι. Καλονίκη ὡς δὴ καλὸν τὸ χρῆμα τιτθίων ἔχεις. Λαμπιτῶ περ ἱερεῖόν τοί μ᾽ ὑποψαλάσσετε. Λυσιστράτη ἡδὶ δὲ ποδαπή ᾽σθ᾽ ἡ νεᾶνις ἡτέρα; 85 Λαμπιτῶ πρέσβειρά τοι ναὶ τὼ σιὼ Βοιωτία ἵκει ποθ᾽ ὑμέ. Μυῤῥίνη νὴ μὰ Δία Βοιωτία, καλόν γ᾽ ἔχουσα τὸ πεδίον. Καλονίκη καὶ νὴ Δία κομψότατα τὴν βληχώ γε παρατετιλμένη. Λυσιστράτη τίς δ᾽ ἡτέρα παῖς; 90 Λαμπιτῶ χαΐα ναὶ τὼ σιώ, Κορινθία δ᾽ αὖ. Καλονίκη χαΐα νὴ τὸν Δία δήλη ᾽στὶν οὖσα ταυταγὶ τἀντευθενί. Λαμπιτῶ τίς δ᾽ αὖ ξυναλίαξε τόνδε τὸν στόλον τὸν τᾶν γυναικῶν; Λυσιστράτη ἥδ᾽ ἐγώ. Λαμπιτῶ μύσιδδέ τοι ὅ τι λῇς ποθ᾽ ἁμέ. 95 Καλονίκη νὴ Δί᾽ ὦ φίλη γύναι, λέγε δῆτα τὸ σπουδαῖον ὅ τι τοῦτ᾽ ἐστί σοι. Λυσιστράτη λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν ἤδη. πρὶν λέγειν <δ᾽>, ὑμᾶς τοδὶ ἐπερήσομαί τι μικρόν. Καλονίκη ὅ τι βούλει γε σύ. Λυσιστράτη τοὺς πατέρας οὐ ποθεῖτε τοὺς τῶν παιδίων ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς ἀπόντας; εὖ γὰρ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι 100 πάσαισιν ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἀποδημῶν ἀνήρ. Καλονίκη ὁ γοῦν ἐμὸς ἀνὴρ πέντε μῆνας ὦ τάλαν ἄπεστιν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης φυλάττων Εὐκράτη. Μυῤῥίνη ὁ δ᾽ ἐμός γε τελέους ἑπτὰ μῆνας ἐν Πύλῳ. Λαμπιτῶ ὁ δ᾽ ἐμός γα καἴ κ᾽ ἐκ τᾶς ταγᾶς ἔλσῃ ποκά, 105 πορπακισάμενος φροῦδος ἀμπτάμενος ἔβα. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ μοιχοῦ καταλέλειπται φεψάλυξ. ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἡμᾶς προὔδοσαν Μιλήσιοι, οὐκ εἶδον οὐδ᾽ ὄλισβον ὀκτωδάκτυλον, ὃς ἦν ἂν ἡμῖν σκυτίνη ᾽πικουρία. 110 ἐθέλοιτ᾽ ἂν οὖν, εἰ μηχανὴν εὕροιμ᾽ ἐγώ, μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ καταλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον; Καλονίκη νὴ τὼ θεώ· ἔγωγ᾽ ἂν <οὖν> κἂν εἴ με χρείη τοὔγκυκλον τουτὶ καταθεῖσαν ἐκπιεῖν αὐθημερόν. Μυῤῥίνη ἐγὼ δέ γ᾽ ἂν κἂν ὡσπερεὶ ψῆτταν δοκῶ 115 δοῦναι ἂν ἐμαυτῆς παρατεμοῦσα θἤμισυ. Λαμπιτῶ ἐγὼ δὲ καί κα ποττὸ Ταΰγετόν γ᾽ ἄνω ἔλσοιμ᾽ ὅπᾳ μέλλοιμί γ᾽ εἰράναν ἰδεῖν. Λυσιστράτη λέγοιμ᾽ ἄν· οὐ δεῖ γὰρ κεκρύφθαι τὸν λόγον. ἡμῖν γὰρ ὦ γυναῖκες, εἴπερ μέλλομεν 120 ἀναγκάσειν τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰρήνην ἄγειν, ἀφεκτέ᾽ ἐστὶ-- Καλονίκη τοῦ; φράσον. Λυσιστράτη ποιήσετ᾽ οὖν; Καλονίκη ποιήσομεν, κἂν ἀποθανεῖν ἡμᾶς δέῃ. Λυσιστράτη ἀφεκτέα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡμῖν τοῦ πέους. τί μοι μεταστρέφεσθε; ποῖ βαδίζετε; 125 αὗται τί μοιμυᾶτε κἀνανεύετε; τί χρὼς τέτραπται; τί δάκρυον κατείβεται; ποιήσετ᾽ ἢ οὐ ποιήσετ᾽; ἢ τί μέλλετε; Καλονίκη οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιμ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω. Μυῤῥίνη μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐγὼ γάρ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πόλεμος ἑρπέτω. 130 Λυσιστράτη ταυτὶ σὺ λέγεις ὦ ψῆττα; καὶ μὴν ἄρτι γε ἔφησθα σαυτῆς κἂν παρατεμεῖν θἤμισυ. Καλονίκη ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ ὅ τι βούλει· κἄν με χρῇ διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐθέλω βαδίζειν· τοῦτο μᾶλλον τοῦ πέους. οὐδὲν γὰρ οἷον ὦ φίλη Λυσιστράτη. 135 Λυσιστράτη τί δαὶ σύ; Ἄλλη κἀγὼ βούλομαι διὰ τοῦ πυρός. Λυσιστράτη ὦ παγκατάπυγον θἠμέτερον ἅπαν γένος, οὐκ ἐτὸς ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰσιν αἱ τραγῳδίαι. οὐδὲν γάρ ἐσμεν πλὴν Ποσειδῶν καὶ σκάφη. ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φίλη Λάκαινα, σὺ γὰρ ἐὰν γένῃ 140 μόνη μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ, τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἀνασωσαίμεσθ᾽ ἔτ᾽ <ἄν>, ξυμψήφισαί μοι. Λαμπιτῶ χαλεπὰ μὲν ναὶ τὼ σιὼ γυναῖκάς ἐσθ᾽ ὑπνῶν ἄνευ ψωλᾶς μόνας. ὅμως γα μάν· δεῖ τᾶς γὰρ εἰράνας μάλ᾽ αὖ. Λυσιστράτη ὦ φιλτάτη σὺ καὶ μόνη τούτων γυνή. 145 Καλονίκη εἰ δ᾽ ὡς μάλιστ᾽ ἀπεχοίμεθ᾽ οὗ σὺ δὴ λέγεις, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, μᾶλλον ἂν διὰ τουτογὶ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν εἰρήνη; Λυσιστράτη πολύ γε νὴ τὼ θεώ. εἰ γὰρ καθοίμεθ᾽ ἔνδον ἐντετριμμέναι, κἀν τοῖς χιτωνίοισι τοῖς Ἀμοργίνοις 150 γυμναὶ παρίοιμεν δέλτα παρατετιλμέναι, στύοιντο δ᾽ ἅνδρες κἀπιθυμοῖεν σπλεκοῦν, ἡμεῖς δὲ μὴ προσίοιμεν ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεχοίμεθα, σπονδὰς ποιήσαιντ᾽ ἂν ταχέως, εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι. Λαμπιτῶ ὁ γῶν Μενέλαος τᾶς Ἑλένας τὰ μᾶλά πᾳ 155 γυμνᾶς παραϊδὼν ἐξέβαλ᾽, οἰῶ, τὸ ξίφος. Καλονίκη τί δ᾽ ἢν ἀφιῶσ᾽ ἅνδρες ἡμᾶς ὦ μέλε; Λυσιστράτη τὸ τοῦ Φερεκράτους, κύνα δέρειν δεδαρμένην. Καλονίκη φλυαρία ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶ τὰ μεμιμημένα. ἐὰν λαβόντες δ᾽ ἐς τὸ δωμάτιον βίᾳ 160 ἕλκωσιν ἡμᾶς; Λυσιστράτη ἀντέχου σὺ τῶν θυρῶν. Καλονίκη ἐὰν δὲ τύπτωσιν; Λυσιστράτη παρέχειν χρὴ κακὰ κακῶς. οὐ γὰρ ἔνι τούτοις ἡδονὴ τοῖς πρὸς βίαν. κἄλλως ὀδυνᾶν χρή· κἀμέλει ταχέως πάνυ ἀπεροῦσιν. οὐ γὰρ οὐδέποτ᾽ εὐφρανθήσεται 165 ἀνήρ, ἐὰν μὴ τῇ γυναικὶ συμφέρῃ. Καλονίκη εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σφῷν ταῦτα, χἠμῖν ξυνδοκεῖ. Λαμπιτῶ καὶ τὼς μὲν ἁμῶν ἄνδρας ἁμὲς πείσομες παντᾷ δικαίως ἄδολον εἰράναν ἄγειν· τὸν τῶν Ἀσαναίων γα μὰν ῥυάχετον 170 πᾷ κά τις ἀμπείσειεν αὖ μὴ πλαδδιῆν; Λυσιστράτη ἡμεῖς ἀμέλει σοι τά γε παρ᾽ ἡμῖν πείσομεν. Λαμπιτῶ οὐχ ἇς πόδας κ᾽ ἔχωντι ταὶ τριήρεες, καὶ τὠργύριον τὤβυσσον ᾖ πὰρ τᾷ σιῷ. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ ἔστι καὶ τοῦτ᾽ εὖ παρεσκευασμένον· 175 καταληψόμεθα γὰρ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τήμερον. ταῖς πρεσβυτάταις γὰρ προστέτακται τοῦτο δρᾶν, ἕως ἂν ἡμεῖς ταῦτα συντιθώμεθα, θύειν δοκούσαις καταλαβεῖν τὴν ἀκρόπολιν. Λαμπιτῶ παντᾷ κ᾽ ἔχοι, καὶ τᾷδε γὰρ λέγεις καλῶς. 180 Λυσιστράτη τί δῆτα ταῦτ᾽ οὐχ ὡς τάχιστ᾽ ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ ξυνωμόσαμεν, ὅπως ἂν ἀῤῥήκτως ἔχῃ; Λαμπιτῶ πάρφαινε μὰν τὸν ὅρκον, ὡς ὀμιόμεθα. Λυσιστράτη καλῶς λέγεις. ποῦ ᾽σθ᾽ ἡ Σκύθαινα; ποῖ βλέπεις; θὲς ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ὑπτίαν τὴν ἀσπίδα, 185 καί μοι δότω τὰ τόμιά τις. Καλονίκη Λυσιστράτη τίν᾽ ὅρκον ὁρκώσεις ποθ᾽ ἡμᾶς; Λυσιστράτη ὅντινα; εἰς ἀσπίδ᾽, ὥσπερ φάσ᾽ ἐν Αἰσχύλῳ ποτέ, μηλοσφαγούσας. Καλονίκη μὴ σύ γ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη εἰς ἀσπίδ᾽ ὀμόσῃς μηδὲν εἰρήνης πέρι. 190 Λυσιστράτη τίς ἂν οὖν γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ὅρκος; Καλονίκη εἰ λευκόν ποθεν ἵππον λαβοῦσαι τόμιον ἐντεμοίμεθα. Λυσιστράτη ποῖ λευκὸν ἵππον; Καλονίκη ἀλλὰ πῶς ὀμούμεθα ἡμεῖς; Λυσιστράτη ἐγώ σοι νὴ Δί᾽, ἢν βούλῃ, φράσω. θεῖσαι μέλαιναν κύλικα μεγάλην ὑπτίαν, 195 μηλοσφαγοῦσαι Θάσιον οἴνου σταμνίον ὀμόσωμεν ἐς τὴν κύλικα μὴ ᾽πιχεῖν ὕδωρ. Λαμπιτῶ φεῦ δᾶ τὸν ὅρκον ἄφατον ὡς ἐπαινίω. Λυσιστράτη φερέτω κύλικά τις ἔνδοθεν καὶ σταμνίον. Μυῤῥίνη ὦ φίλταται γυναῖκες, <ὁ> κεραμεὼν ὅσος. 200 Καλονίκη ταύτην μὲν ἄν τις εὐθὺς ἡσθείη λαβών. Λυσιστράτη καταθεῖσα ταύτην προσλαβοῦ μοι τοῦ κάπρου. δέσποινα Πειθοῖ καὶ κύλιξ φιλοτησία, τὰ σφάγια δέξαι ταῖς γυναιξὶν εὐμενής. Καλονίκη εὔχρων γε θαἶμα κἀποπυτίζει καλῶς. 205 Λαμπιτῶ καὶ μὰν ποτόδδει γ᾽ ἁδὺ ναὶ τὸν Κάστορα. Μυῤῥίνη ἐᾶτε πρώτην μ᾽ ὦ γυναῖκες ὀμνύναι. Καλονίκη μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὔκ, ἐάν γε μὴ λάχῃς. Λυσιστράτη λάζυσθε πᾶσαι τῆς κύλικος ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ· λεγέτω δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν μί᾽ ἅπερ ἂν κἀγὼ λέγω· 210 ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ἐπομεῖσθε ταὐτὰ κἀμπεδώσετε. οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς οὔτε μοιχὸς οὔτ᾽ ἀνήρ-- Καλονίκη οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς οὔτε μοιχὸς οὔτ᾽ ἀνήρ-- Λυσιστράτη ὅστις πρὸς ἐμὲ πρόσεισιν ἐστυκώς. λέγε. Καλονίκη ὅστις πρὸς ἐμὲ πρόσεισιν ἐστυκώς. παπαῖ 215 ὑπολύεταί μου τὰ γόνατ᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη. Λυσιστράτη οἴκοι δ᾽ ἀταυρώτη διάξω τὸν βίον-- Καλονίκη οἴκοι δ᾽ ἀταυρώτη διάξω τὸν βίον-- Λυσιστράτη κροκωτοφοροῦσα καὶ κεκαλλωπισμένη,-- Καλονίκη κροκωτοφοροῦσα καὶ κεκαλλωπισμένη,-- 220 Λυσιστράτη ὅπως ἂν ἁνὴρ ἐπιτυφῇ μάλιστά μου· Καλονίκη ὅπως ἂν ἁνὴρ ἐπιτυφῇ μάλιστά μου· Λυσιστράτη κοὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκοῦσα τἀνδρὶ τὠμῷ πείσομαι. Καλονίκη κοὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκοῦσα τἀνδρὶ τὠμῷ πείσομαι. Λυσιστράτη ἐὰν δέ μ᾽ ἄκουσαν βιάζηται βίᾳ,-- 225 Καλονίκη ἐὰν δέ μ᾽ ἄκουσαν βιάζηται βίᾳ,-- Λυσιστράτη κακῶς παρέξω κοὐχὶ προσκινήσομαι. Καλονίκη κακῶς παρέξω κοὐχὶ προσκινήσομαι. Λυσιστράτη οὐ πρὸς τὸν ὄροφον ἀνατενῶ τὼ Περσικά. Καλονίκη οὐ πρὸς τὸν ὄροφον ἀνατενῶ τὼ Περσικά. 230 Λυσιστράτη οὐ στήσομαι λέαιν᾽ ἐπὶ τυροκνήστιδος. Καλονίκη οὐ στήσομαι λέαιν᾽ ἐπὶ τυροκνήστιδος. Λυσιστράτη ταῦτ᾽ ἐμπεδοῦσα μὲν πίοιμ᾽ ἐντευθενί· Καλονίκη ταῦτ᾽ ἐμπεδοῦσα μὲν πίοιμ᾽ ἐντευθενί· Λυσιστράτη εἰ δὲ παραβαίην, ὕδατος ἐμπλῇθ᾽ ἡ κύλιξ. 235 Καλονίκη εἰ δὲ παραβαίην, ὕδατος ἐμπλῇθ᾽ ἡ κύλιξ. Λυσιστράτη συνεπόμνυθ᾽ ὑμεῖς ταῦτα πᾶσαι; Πᾶσαι νὴ Δία. Λυσιστράτη φέρ᾽ ἐγὼ καθαγίσω τήνδε. Καλονίκη τὸ μέρος γ᾽ ὦ φίλη, ὅπως ἂν ὦμεν εὐθὺς ἀλλήλων φίλαι. Λαμπιτῶ τίς ὡλολυγά; 240 Λυσιστράτη τοῦτ᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ οὑγὼ ᾽λεγον· αἱ γὰρ γυναῖκες τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῆς θεοῦ ἤδη κατειλήφασιν. ἀλλ᾽ ὦ Λαμπιτοῖ σὺ μὲν βάδιζε καὶ τὰ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν εὖ τίθει, τασδὶ δ᾽ ὁμήρους κατάλιφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐνθάδε· ἡμεῖς δὲ ταῖς ἄλλαισι ταῖσιν ἐν πόλει 245 ξυνεμβάλωμεν εἰσιοῦσαι τοὺς μοχλούς. Καλονίκη οὔκουν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ξυμβοηθήσειν οἴει τοὺς ἄνδρας εὐθύς; Λυσιστράτη ὀλίγον αὐτῶν μοι μέλει. οὐ γὰρ τοσαύτας οὔτ᾽ ἀπειλὰς οὔτε πῦρ ἥξουσ᾽ ἔχοντες ὥστ᾽ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς πύλας 250 ταύτας, ἐὰν μὴ ᾽φ᾽ οἷσιν ἡμεῖς εἴπομεν. Καλονίκη μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὐδέποτέ γ᾽· ἄλλως γὰρ ἂν ἄμαχοι γυναῖκες καὶ μιαραὶ κεκλῄμεθ᾽ ἄν. Χορὸς Γερόντων χώρει Δράκης, ἡγοῦ βάδην, εἰ καὶ τὸν ὦμον ἀλγεῖς κορμοῦ τοσουτονὶ βάρος χλωρᾶς φέρων ἐλάας. 255 Χορὸς Γερόντων ἦ πόλλ᾽ ἄελπτ᾽ ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ βίῳ φεῦ, ἐπεὶ τίς ἄν ποτ᾽ ἤλπισ᾽ ὦ Στρυμόδωρ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι γυναῖκας, ἃς ἐβόσκομεν 260 κατ᾽ οἶκον ἐμφανὲς κακόν, κατὰ μὲν ἅγιον ἔχειν βρέτας, κατὰ δ᾽ ἀκρόπολιν ἐμὰν λαβεῖν μοχλοῖς δὲ καὶ κλῄθροισι τὰ προπύλαια πακτοῦν; 265 Χορὸς Γερόντων ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς πόλιν σπεύσωμεν ὦ Φιλοῦργε, ὅπως ἄν, αὐταῖς ἐν κύκλῳ θέντες τὰ πρέμνα ταυτί, ὅσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτ᾽ ἐνεστήσαντο καὶ μετῆλθον, μίαν πυρὰν νήσαντες ἐμπρήσωμεν αὐτόχειρες πάσας, ὑπὸ ψήφου μιᾶς, πρώτην δὲ τὴν Λύκωνος. 270 Χορὸς Γερόντων οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν Δήμητρ᾽ ἐμοῦ ζῶντος ἐγχανοῦνται· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ Κλεομένης, ὃς αὐτὴν κατέσχε πρῶτος, ἀπῆθεν ἀψάλακτος, ἀλλ᾽ 275 ὅμως Λακωνικὸν πνέων ᾤχετο θὤπλα παραδοὺς ἐμοί, σμικρὸν ἔχων πάνυ τριβώνιον, πινῶν ῥυπῶν ἀπαράτιλτος, ἓξ ἐτῶν ἄλουτος. 280 Χορὸς Γερόντων οὕτως ἐπολιόρκησ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὠμῶς ἐφ᾽ ἑπτακαίδεκ᾽ ἀσπίδων πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις καθεύδων. τασδὶ δὲ τὰς Εὐριπίδῃ θεοῖς τε πᾶσιν ἐχθρὰς ἐγὼ οὐκ ἄρα σχήσω παρὼν τολμήματος τοσούτου; μή νυν ἔτ᾽ ἐν <τῇ> τετραπόλει τοὐμὸν τροπαῖον εἴη. 285 Χορὸς Γερόντων ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ γάρ μοι τῆς ὁδοῦ λοιπόν ἐστι χωρίον τὸ πρὸς πόλιν τὸ σιμόν, οἷ σπουδὴν ἔχω· χὤπως ποτ᾽ ἐξαμπρεύσομεν τοῦτ᾽ ἄνευ κανθηλίου. 290 ὡς ἐμοῦ γε τὼ ξύλω τὸν ὦμον ἐξιπώκατον· ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως βαδιστέον, καὶ τὸ πῦρ φυσητέον, μή μ᾽ ἀποσβεσθὲν λάθῃ πρὸς τῇ τελευτῇ τῆς ὁδοῦ. φῦ φῦ. ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ. 295 Χορὸς Γερόντων ὡς δεινὸν ὦναξ Ἡράκλεις προσπεσόν μ᾽ ἐκ τῆς χύτρας ὥσπερ κύων λυττῶσα τὠφθαλμὼ δάκνει· κἄστιν γε Λήμνιον τὸ πῦρ τοῦτο πάσῃ μηχανῇ. 300 οὐ γὰρ <ἄν> ποθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ὀδὰξ ἔβρυκε τὰς λήμας ἐμοῦ. σπεῦδε πρόσθεν ἐς πόλιν καὶ βοήθει τῇ θεῷ. ἢ πότ᾽ αὐτῇ μᾶλλον ἢ νῦν ὦ Λάχης ἀρήξομεν; φῦ φῦ. ἰοὺ ἰοὺ τοῦ καπνοῦ. 305 Χορὸς Γερόντων τουτὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐγρήγορεν θεῶν ἕκατι καὶ ζῇ. οὔκουν ἄν, εἰ τὼ μὲν ξύλω θείμεσθα πρῶτον αὐτοῦ, τῆς ἀμπέλου δ᾽ ἐς τὴν χύτραν τὸν φανὸν ἐγκαθέντες ἅψαντες εἶτ᾽ ἐς τὴν θύραν κριηδὸν ἐμπέσοιμεν; κἂν μὴ καλούντων τοὺς μοχλοὺς χαλῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες, 310 ἐμπιμπράναι χρὴ τὰς θύρας καὶ τῷ καπνῷ πιέζειν. θώμεσθα δὴ τὸ φορτίον. φεῦ τοῦ καπνοῦ βαβαιάξ. τίς ξυλλάβοιτ᾽ ἂν τοῦ ξύλου τῶν ἐν Σάμῳ στρατη γῶν; ταυτὶ μὲν ἤδη τὴν ῥάχιν θλίβοντά μου πέπαυται. σὸν δ᾽ ἔργον ἐστὶν ὦ χύτρα τὸν ἄνθρακ᾽ ἐξεγείρειν, 315 τὴν λαμπάδ᾽ ἡμμένην ὅπως πρώτιστ᾽ ἐμοὶ προσοίσεις. δέσποινα Νίκη ξυγγενοῦ τῶν τ᾽ ἐν πόλει γυναικῶν τοῦ νῦν παρεστῶτος θράσους θέσθαι τροπαῖον ἡμᾶς. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν λιγνὺν δοκῶ μοι καθορᾶν καὶ καπνὸν ὦ γυναῖκες ὥσπερ πυρὸς καομένου· σπευστέον ἐστὶ θᾶττον. 320 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν πέτου πέτου Νικοδίκη, πρὶν ἐμπεπρῆσθαι Καλύκην τε καὶ Κρίτυλλαν περιφυσήτω ὑπό τε νόμων ἀργαλέων ὑπό τε γερόντων ὀλέθρων. 325 ἀλλὰ φοβοῦμαι τόδε, μῶν ὑστερόπους βοηθῶ. νῦν δὴ γὰρ ἐμπλησαμένη τὴν ὑδρίαν κνεφαία μόλις ἀπὸ κρήνης ὑπ᾽ ὄχλου καὶ θορύβου καὶ πατάγου χυτρείου, δούλαισιν ὠστιζομένη 330 στιγματίαις θ᾽, ἁρπαλέως ἀραμένη ταῖσιν ἐμαῖς δημότισιν καομέναις φέρουσ᾽ ὕδωρ βοηθῶ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἤκουσα γὰρ τυφογέροντας ἄνδρας ἔῤῥειν, στελέχη 336 φέροντας ὥσπερ βαλανεύσοντας ἐς πόλιν ὡς τριτάλαντον βάρος, δεινότατ᾽ ἀπειλοῦντας ἐπῶν ὡς πυρὶ χρὴ τὰς μυσαρὰς γυναῖκας ἀνθρακεύειν· 340 ἃς ὦ θεὰ μή ποτ᾽ ἐγὼ πιμπραμένας ἴδοιμι, ἀλλὰ πολέμου καὶ μανιῶν ῥυσαμένας Ἑλλάδα καὶ πολίτας, ἐφ᾽ οἷσπερ ὦ χρυσολόφα πολιοῦχε σὰς ἔσχον ἕδρας. 345 καί σε καλῶ ξύμμαχον ὦ Τριτογένει᾽, εἴ τις ἐκείνας ὑποπίμπρησιν ἀνήρ, φέρειν ὕδωρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἔασον ὦ. τουτὶ τί ἦν; ὦνδρες πόνῳ πόνηροι· 350 οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἂν χρηστοί γ᾽ ἔδρων οὐδ᾽ εὐσεβεῖς τάδ᾽ ἄνδρες. Χορὸς Γερόντων τουτὶ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν ἀπροσδόκητον ἥκει· ἑσμὸς γυναικῶν οὑτοσὶ θύρασιν αὖ βοηθεῖ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν τί βδύλλεθ᾽ ἡμᾶς; οὔ τί που πολλαὶ δοκοῦμεν εἶναι; καὶ μὴν μέρος γ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁρᾶτ᾽ οὔπω τὸ μυριοστόν. 355 Χορὸς Γερόντων ὦ Φαιδρία ταύτας λαλεῖν ἐάσομεν τοσαυτί; οὐ περικατᾶξαι τὸ ξύλον τύπτοντ᾽ ἐχρῆν τιν᾽ αὐταῖς; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν θώμεσθα δὴ τὰς κάλπιδας χἠμεῖς χαμᾶζ᾽, ὅπως ἂν ἢν προσφέρῃ τὴν χεῖρά τις μὴ τοῦτό μ᾽ ἐμποδίζῃ. Χορὸς Γερόντων εἰ νὴ Δἴ ἤδη τὰς γνάθους τούτων τις ἢ δὶς ἢ τρὶς 360 ἔκοψεν ὥσπερ Βουπάλου, φωνὴν ἂν οὐκ ἂν εἶχον. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν καὶ μὴν ἰδοὺ παταξάτω τις· στᾶσ᾽ ἐγὼ παρέξω, κοὐ μή ποτ᾽ ἄλλη σου κύων τῶν ὄρχεων λάβητα. Χορὸς Γερόντων εἰ μὴ σιωπήσει, θενών σου ᾽κκοκκιῶ τὸ γῆρας. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἅψαι μόνον Στρατυλλίδος τῷ δακτύλῳ προσελθών. 365 Χορὸς Γερόντων τί δ᾽ ἢν σποδῶ τοῖς κονδύλοις; τί μ᾽ ἐργάσει τὸ δεινόν; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν βρύκουσά σου τοὺς πλεύμονας καὶ τἄντερ᾽ ἐξαμήσω. Χορὸς Γερόντων οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἀνὴρ Εὐριπίδου σοφώτερος ποιητής· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω θρέμμ᾽ ἀναιδές ἐστιν ὡς γυναῖκες. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν αἰρώμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς θοὔδατος τὴν κάλπιν ὦ ῾Ροδίππη. 370 Χορὸς Γερόντων τί δ᾽ ὦ θεοῖς ἐχθρὰ σὺ δεῦρ᾽ ὕδωρ ἔχουσ᾽ ἀφίκου; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν τί δαὶ σὺ πῦρ ὦ τύμβ᾽ ἔχων; ὡς σαυτὸν ἐμπυρεύσων; Χορὸς Γερόντων ἐγὼ μὲν ἵνα νήσας πυρὰν τὰς σὰς φίλας ὑφάψω. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἐγὼ δέ γ᾽ ἵνα τὴν σὴν πυρὰν τούτῳ κατασβέσαιμι. Χορὸς Γερόντων τοὐμὸν σὺ πῦρ κατασβέσεις; 375 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν τοὔργον τάχ᾽ αὐτὸ δείξει. Χορὸς Γερόντων οὐκ οἶδά σ᾽ εἰ τῇδ᾽ ὡς ἔχω τῇ λαμπάδι σταθεύσω. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν εἰ ῥύμμα τυγχάνεις ἔχων, λουτρόν <γ᾽> ἐγὼ παρέξω. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἐμοὶ σὺ λουτρὸν ὦ σαπρά; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν καὶ ταῦτα νυμφικόν γε. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἤκουσας αὐτῆς τοῦ θράσους; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἐλευθέρα γάρ εἰμι. Χορὸς Γερόντων σχήσω σ᾽ ἐγὼ τῆς νῦν βοῆς. 380 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ οὐκέθ᾽ ἡλιάζει. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἔμπρησον αὐτῆς τὰς κόμας. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν σὸν ἔργον ὦχελῷε. Χορὸς Γερόντων οἴμοι τάλας. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν μῶν θερμὸν ἦν; Χορὸς Γερόντων ποῖ θερμόν; οὐ παύσει; τί δρᾷς; Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἄρδω σ᾽ ὅπως ἂν βλαστάνῃς. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἀλλ᾽ αὖός εἰμ᾽ ἤδη τρέμων. 385 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἔχεις, σὺ χλιανεῖς σεαυτόν. Πρόβουλος ἆρ᾽ ἐξέλαμψε τῶν γυναικῶν ἡ τρυφὴ χὠ τυμπανισμὸς χοἰ πυκνοὶ Σαβάζιοι, ὅ τ᾽ Ἀδωνιασμὸς οὗτος οὑπὶ τῶν τεγῶν, οὗ ᾽γώ ποτ᾽ ὢν ἤκουον ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ; 390 ἔλεγε δ᾽ ὁ μὴ ὥρασι μὲν Δημόστρατος πλεῖν ἐς Σικελίαν, ἡ γυνὴ δ᾽ ὀρχουμένη “αἰαῖ Ἄδωνιν” φησίν, ὁ δὲ Δημόστρατος ἔλεγεν ὁπλίτας καταλέγειν Ζακυνθίων· ἡ δ᾽ ὑποπεπωκυῖ᾽ ἡ γυνὴ ᾽πὶ τοῦ τέγους 395 “κόπτεσθ᾽ Ἄδωνιν” φησίν· ὁ δ᾽ ἐβιάζετο ὁ θεοῖσιν ἐχθρὸς καὶ μιαρὸς Χολοζύγης. τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἀκόλαστ᾽ ᾄσματα. Χορὸς Γερόντων τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν εἰ πύθοιο καὶ τὴν τῶνδ᾽ ὕβριν; αἳ τἄλλα θ᾽ ὑβρίκασι κἀκ τῶν καλπίδων 400 ἔλουσαν ἡμᾶς, ὥστε θαἰματίδια σείειν πάρεστιν ὥσπερ ἐνεουρηκότας. Πρόβουλος νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τὸν ἁλυκὸν δίκαιά γε. ὅταν γὰρ αὐτοὶ ξυμπονηρευώμεθα ταῖσιν γυναιξὶ καὶ διδάσκωμεν τρυφᾶν, 405 τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν βλαστάνει βουλεύματα. οἳ λέγομεν ἐν τῶν δημιουργῶν τοιαδί· “ὦ χρυσοχόε τὸν ορμον ὃν ἐπεσκεύασας, ὀρχουμένης μου τῆς γυναικὸς ἑσπέρας ἡ βάλανος ἐκπέπτωκεν ἐκ τοῦ τρήματος. 410 ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ἔστ᾽ ἐς Σαλαμῖνα πλευστέα· σὺ δ᾽ ἢν σχολάσῃς, πάσῃ τέχνῃ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἐλθὼν ἐκείνῃ τὴν βάλανον ἐνάρμοσον.” ἕτερος δέ τις πρὸς σκυτοτόμον ταδὶ λέγει νεανίαν καὶ πέος ἔχοντ᾽ οὐ παιδικόν· 415 “ὦ σκυτοτόμε μου τῆς γυναικὸς τοῦ ποδὸς τὸ δακτυλίδιον ξυμπιέζει τὸ ζυγὸν ἅθ᾽ ἁπαλὸν ὄν· τοῦτ᾽ οὖν σὺ τῆς μεσημβρίας ἐλθὼν χάλασον, ὅπως ἂν εὐρυτέρως ἔχῃ.” τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπήντηκ᾽ ἐς τοιαυτὶ πράγματα, 420 ὅτε γ᾽ ὢν ἐγὼ πρόβουλος, ἐκπορίσας ὅπως κωπῆς ἔσονται, τἀργυρίου νυνὶ δέον, ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν ἀποκέκλῃμαι ταῖς πύλαις. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔργον ἑστάναι. φέρε τοὺς μοχλούς, ὅπως ἂν αὐτὰς τῆς ὕβρεως ἐγὼ σχέθω. 425 τί κέχηνας ὦ δύστηνε; ποῖ δ᾽ αὖ σὺ βλέπεις, οὐδὲν ποιῶν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ καπηλεῖον σκοπῶν; οὐχ ὑποβαλόντες τοὺς μοχλοὺς ὑπὸ τὰς πύλας ἐντεῦθεν ἐκμοχλεύσετ᾽; ἐνθενδὶ δ᾽ ἐγὼ ξυνεκμοχλεύσω. 430 Λυσιστράτη μηδὲν ἐκμοχλεύετε· ἐξέρχομαι γὰρ αὐτομάτη. τί δεῖ μοχλῶν; οὐ γὰρ μοχλῶν δεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ νοῦ καὶ φρενῶν. Πρόβουλος ἄληθες ὦ μιαρὰ σύ; ποῦ ᾽σθ᾽ ὁ τοξότης; ξυλλάμβαν᾽ αὐτὴν κὠπίσω τὼ χεῖρε δεῖ. Λυσιστράτη εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν τὴν χεῖρά μοι 435 ἄκραν προσοίσει δημόσιος ὤν, κλαύσεται. Πρόβουλος ἔδεισας οὗτος; οὐ ξυναρπάσει μέσην καὶ σὺ μετὰ τούτου κἀνύσαντε δήσετον; Γυνὴ Α' εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Πάνδροσον ταύτῃ μόνον τὴν χεῖρ᾽ ἐπιβαλεῖς, ἐπιχεσεῖ πατούμενος. 440 Πρόβουλος ἰδού γ᾽ἐπιχεσεῖ. ποῦ ᾽στιν ἕτερος τοξότης; ταύτην προτέραν ξύνδησον, ὁτιὴ καὶ λαλεῖ. Γυνὴ Β' εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Φωσφόρον τὴν χεῖρ᾽ ἄκραν ταύτῃ προσοίσεις, κύαθον αἰτήσεις τάχα. Πρόβουλος τουτὶ τί ἦν; ποῦ τοξότης; ταύτης ἔχου. 445 παύσω τιν᾽ ὑμῶν τῆσδ᾽ ἐγὼ τῆς ἐξόδου. Γυνὴ Γ' εἴ τἄρα νὴ τὴν Ταυροπόλον ταύτῃ πρόσει, ἐκκοκκιῶ σου τὰς στενοκωκύτους τρίχας. Πρόβουλος οἴμοι κακοδαίμων· ἐπιλέλοιφ᾽ ὁ τοξότης. ἀτὰρ οὐ γυναικῶν οὐδέποτ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ἡττητέα 450 ἡμῖν· ὁμόσε χωρῶμεν αὐταῖς ὦ Σκύθαι ξυνταξάμενοι. Λυσιστράτη νὴ τὼ θεὼ γνώσεσθ᾽ ἄρα ὅτι καὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν εἰσι τέτταρες λόχοι μαχίμων γυναικῶν ἔνδον ἐξωπλισμένων. Πρόβουλος ἀποστρέφετε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ὦ Σκύθαι. 455 Λυσιστράτη ὦ ξύμμαχοι γυναῖκες ἐκθεῖτ᾽ ἔνδοθεν, ὦ σπερμαγοραιολεκιθολαχανοπώλιδες, ὦ σκοροδοπανδοκευτριαρτοπώλιδες, οὐχ ἕλξετ᾽, οὐ παιήσετ᾽, οὐκ ἀράξετε; οὐ λοιδορήσετ᾽, οὐκ ἀναισχυντήσετε; 460 παύσασθ᾽, ἐπαναχωρεῖτε, μὴ σκυλεύετε. Πρόβουλος οἴμ᾽ ὡς κακῶς πέπραγέ μου τὸ τοξικόν. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλὰ τί γὰρ ᾤου; πότερον ἐπὶ δούλας τινὰς ἥκειν ἐνόμισας, ἢ γυναιξὶν οὐκ οἴει χολὴν ἐνεῖναι; 465 Πρόβουλος νὴ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ μάλα πολλήν γ᾽, ἐάνπερ πλησίον κάπηλος ᾖ. Χορὸς Γερόντων ὦ πόλλ᾽ ἀναλώσας ἔπη πρόβουλε τῆσδε <τῆς> γῆς, τί τοῖσδε σαυτὸν ἐς λόγους τοῖς θηρίοις συνάπτεις; οὐκ οἶσθα λουτρὸν οἷον αἵδ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἔλουσαν ἄρτι ἐν τοῖσιν ἱματιδίοις, καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἄνευ κονίας; 470 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ ὦ μέλ᾽ οὐ χρὴ προσφέρειν τοῖς πλησίοισιν εἰκῇ τὴν χεῖρ᾽· ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτο δρᾷς, κυλοιδιᾶν ἀνάγκη. ἐπεὶ ᾽θέλω ᾽γὼ σωφρόνως ὥσπερ κόρη καθῆσθαι, λυποῦσα μηδέν᾽ ἐνθαδί, κινοῦσα μηδὲ κάρφος, ἢν μή τις ὥσπερ σφηκιὰν βλίττῃ με κἀρεθίζῃ. 475 Χορὸς Γερόντων ὦ Ζεῦ τί ποτε χρησόμεθα τοῖσδε τοῖς κνωδάλοις; ου᾽ γὰρ ἔτ᾽ ἀνεκτὰ τάδε γ᾽, ἀλλὰ βασανιστέον τόδε σοι τὸ πάθος μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὅ τι βουλόμεναί ποτε τὴν 480 Κραναὰν κατέλαβον, ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι τε μεγαλόπετρον ἄβατον ἀκρόπολιν ἱερὸν τέμενος. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἀλλ᾽ ἀνερώτα καὶ μὴ πείθου καὶ πρόσφερε πάντας ἐλέγχους, ὡς αἰσχρὸν ἀκωδώνιστον ἐᾶν τὸ τοιοῦτον πρᾶγμα μεθέντας. 485 Πρόβουλος καὶ μὴν αὐτῶν τοῦτ᾽ ἐπιθυμῶ νὴ τὸν Δία πρῶτα πυθέσθαι, ὅ τι βουλόμεναι τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἀπεκλῄσατε τοῖσι μοχλοῖσιν. Λυσιστράτη ἵνα τἀργύριον σῶν παρέχοιμεν καὶ μὴ πολεμοῖτε δι᾽ αὐτό. Πρόβουλος διὰ τἀργύριον πολεμοῦμεν γάρ; Λυσιστράτη καὶ τἄλλα γε πάντ᾽ ἐκυκήθη. ἵνα γὰρ Πείσανδρος ἔχοι κλέπτειν χοἰ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ἐπέχοντες, 490 ἀεί τινα κορκορυγὴν ἐκύκων. οἱ δ᾽ οὖν τοῦδ᾽ οὕνεκα δρώντων ὅ τι βούλονται· τὸ γὰρ ἀργύριον τοῦτ᾽ οὐκέτι μὴ καθέλωσιν. Πρόβουλος ἀλλὰ τί δράσεις; Λυσιστράτη τοῦτό μ᾽ ἐρωτᾷς; ἡμεῖς ταμιεύσομεν αὐτό. Πρόβουλος ὑμεῖς ταμιεύσετε τἀργύριον; Λυσιστράτη τί <δὲ> δεινὸν τοῦτο νομίζεις; οὐ καὶ τἄνδον χρήματα πάντως ἡμεῖς ταμιεύομεν ὑμῖν; 495 Πρόβουλος ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ταὐτόν. Λυσιστράτη πῶς οὐ ταὐτόν; Πρόβουλος πολεμητέον ἔστ᾽ ἀπὸ τούτου. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν δεῖ πρῶτον πολεμεῖν. Πρόβουλος πῶς γὰρ σωθησόμεθ᾽ ἄλλως; Λυσιστράτη ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς σώσομεν. Πρόβουλος ὑμεῖς; Λυσιστράτη ἡμεῖς μέντοι. Πρόβουλος σχέτλιόν γε. Λυσιστράτη ὡς σωθήσει, κἂν μὴ βούλῃ. Πρόβουλος δεινόν <γε> λέγεις. Λυσιστράτη ἀγανακτεῖς. ἀλλὰ ποιητέα ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν ὅμως. 500 Πρόβουλος νὴ τὴν Δήμητρ᾽ ἄδικόν γε. Λυσιστράτη σωστέον ὦ τᾶν. Πρόβουλος κεἰ μὴ δέομαι; Λυσιστράτη τοῦδ᾽ οὕνεκα καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον. Πρόβουλος ὑμῖν δὲ πόθεν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου τῆς τ᾽ εἰρήνης ἐμέλησεν; Λυσιστράτη ἡμεῖς φράσομεν. Πρόβουλος λέγε δὴ ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ κλάῃς, Λυσιστράτη ἀκροῶ δή, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας πειρῶ κατέχειν. Πρόβουλος ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δύναμαι· χαλεπὸν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτὰς ἴσχειν. 505 Γυνὴ Α' κλαύσει τοίνυν πολὺ μᾶλλον. Πρόβουλος τοῦτο μὲν ὦ γραῦ σαυτῇ κρώξαις· σὺ δέ μοι λέγε. Λυσιστράτη ταῦτα ποιήσω. ἡμεῖς τὸν μὲν πρότερον πόλεμον καὶ τὸν χρόνον ἠνεσχόμεθα ὑπὸ σωφροσύνης τῆς ἡμετέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἅττ᾽ ἐποιεῖτε. οὐ γὰρ γρύζειν εἰᾶθ᾽ ἡμᾶς. καίτοὐκ ἠρέσκετέ γ᾽ ἡμᾶς. ἀλλ᾽ ᾐσθανόμεσθα καλῶς ὑμῶν, καὶ πολλάκις ἔνδον ἂν οὖσαι 510 ἠκούσαμεν ἄν τι κακῶς ὑμᾶς βουλευσαμένους μέγα πρᾶγμα· εἶτ᾽ ἀλγοῦσαι τἄνδοθεν ὑμᾶς ἐπανηρόμεθ᾽ ἂν γελάσασαι, “τί βεβούλευται περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἐν τῇ στήλῃ παραγράψαι ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τήμερον ὑμῖν;” “τίδὲ σοὶ ταῦτ᾽;” ἦ δ᾽ ὃς ἂν ἁνήρ. “οὐ σιγήσει;” κἀγὼ ἐσίγων. 515 Γυνὴ Β' ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ ποτ᾽ ἐσίγων. Πρόβουλος κἂν ᾤμωζές γ᾽, εἰ μὴ ᾽σίγας. Λυσιστράτη τοιγὰρ ἔγωγ᾽ ἔνδον ἐσίγων. . . . ἔτερόν τι πονηρότερον βούλευμ᾽ ἐπεπύσμεθ᾽ ἂν ὑμῶν· εἶτ᾽ ἠρόμεθ᾽ ἄν· “πῶς ταῦτ᾽ ὦνερ διαπράττεσθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἀνοήτως;” ὁ δέ μ᾽ εὐθὺς ὑποβλέψας <ἂν> ἔφασκ᾽, εἰ μὴ τὸν στήμονα νήσω, ὀτοτύξεσθαι μακρὰ τὴν κεφαλήν· “πόλεμος δ᾽ ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει.” Πρόβουλος ὀρθῶς γε λέγων νὴ Δί᾽ ἐκεῖνος. 520 Λυσιστράτη πῶς ὀρθῶς ὦ κακόδαιμον, εἰ μηδὲ κακῶς βουλευομένοις ἐξῆν ὑμῖν ὑποθέσθαι; ὅτε δὴ δ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖσιν ὁδοῖς φανερῶς ἠκούομεν ἤδη, “οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ;“ “μὰ Δί᾽ οὐ δῆτ᾽,” <εἶφ᾽> ἕτερός τις· μετὰ ταῦθ᾽ ἡμῖν εὐθὺς ἔδοξεν σῶσαι τὴν Ἑλλάδα κοινῇ 525 ταῖσι γυναιξὶν συλλεχθείσαις. ποῖ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν ἀναμεῖναι; ἢν οὖν ἡμῶν χρηστὰ λεγουσῶν ἐθελήσητ᾽ ἀντακροᾶσθαι κἀντισιωπᾶθ᾽ ὥσπερ χἠμεῖς, ἐπανορθώσαιμεν ἂν ὑμᾶς. Πρόβουλος ὑμεῖς ἡμᾶς; δεινόν γε λέγεις κοὐ τλητὸν ἔμοιγε. Λυσιστράτη σιώπα. Πρόβουλος σοί γ᾽ ὦ κατάρατε σιωπῶ ᾽γώ, καὶ ταῦτα κάλυμμα φορούσῃ 530 περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν; μή νυν ζῴην. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ εἰ τοῦτ᾽ ἐμπόδιόν σοι, παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ τουτὶ τὸ κάλυμμα λαβὼν ἔχε καὶ περίθου περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, κᾆτα σιώπα Γυνὴ Γ' καὶ τοῦτον τὸν καλαθίσκον. 535 Λυσιστράτη κᾆτα ξαίνειν ξυζωσάμενος κυάμους τρώγων· πόλεμος δὲ γυναιξὶ μελήσει. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν αἰρώμεθ᾽ ὦ γυναῖκες ἀπὸ τῶν καλπίδων, ὅπως ἂν ἐν τῷ μέρει χἠμεῖς τι ταῖς φίλαισι συλλάβωμεν. 540 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἔγωγε γὰρ <ἂν> οὔποτε κάμοιμ᾽ ἂν ὀρχουμένη, οὐδὲ τὰ γόνατα κόπος ἕλοι μου καματηρός· ἐθέλω δ᾽ ἐπὶ πᾶν ἰέναι μετὰ τῶνδ᾽ ἀρετῆς ἕνεχ᾽, αἷς ἔνι φύσις, ἔνι χάρις, ἔνι θράσος, 545 ἔνι δὲ σοφόν, ἔνι <δὲ> φιλόπολις ἀρετὴ φρόνιμος. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ ὦ τηθῶν ἀνδρειοτάτων καὶ μητριδίων ἀκαληφῶν, χωρεῖτ᾽ ὀργῇ καὶ μὴ τέγγεσθ᾽· ἔτι γὰρ νῦν οὔρια θεῖτε. 550 Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ ἤνπερ ὅ <τε> γλυκύθυμος Ἔρως χἠ Κυπρογένει᾽ Ἀφροδίτη ἵμερον ἡμῶν κατὰ τῶν κόλπων καὶ τῶν μηρῶν καταπνεύσῃ, κᾆτ᾽ ἐντήξῃ τέτανον τερπνὸν τοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ ῥοπαλισμούς, οἶμαί ποτε Λυσιμάχας ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι καλεῖσθαι. Πρόβουλος τί ποιησάσας; 555 Λυσιστράτη ἢν παύσωμεν πρώτιστον μὲν ξὺν ὅπλοισιν ἀγοράζοντας καὶ μαινομένους. Γυνὴ Α' νὴ τὴν Παφίαν Ἀφροδίτην. Λυσιστράτη νῦν μὲν γὰρ δὴ κἀν ταῖσι χύτραις κἀν τοῖς λαχάνοισιν ὁμοίως περιέρχονται κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ξὺν ὅπλοις ὥσπερ Κορύβαντες. Πρόβουλος νὴ Δία· χρὴ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνδρείους. Λυσιστράτη καὶ μὴν τό γε πρᾶγμα γέλοιον, ὅταν ἀσπίδ᾽ ἔχων καὶ Γοργόνα τις κᾆτ᾽ ὠνῆται κορακίνους. 560 Γυνὴ Β' νὴ Δί᾽ ἐγὼ γοῦν ἄνδρα κομήτην φυλαρχοῦντ᾽ εἶδον ἐφ᾽ ἵππου ἐς τὸν χαλκοῦν ἐμβαλλόμενον πῖλον λέκιθον παρὰ γραός· ἕτερος δ᾽ <αὖ> Θρᾷξ πέλτην σείων κἀκόντιον ὥσπερ ὁ Τηρεύς, ἐδεδίσκετο τὴν ἰσχαδόπωλιν καὶ τὰς δρυπεπεῖς κατέπινεν. Πρόβουλος πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς δυναταὶ παῦσαι τεταραγμένα πράγματα πολλὰ 565 ἐν ταῖς χώραις καὶ διαλῦσαι; Λυσιστράτη φαύλως πάνυ. Πρόβουλος πῶς; ἀπόδειξον. Λυσιστράτη ὥσπερ κλωστῆρ᾽, ὅταν ἡμῖν ᾖ τεταραγμένος, ὧδε λαβοῦσαι, ὑπενεγκοῦσαι τοῖσιν ἀτράκτοις τὸ μὲν ἐνταυθοῖ τὸ δ᾽ ἐκεῖσε, οὕτως καὶ τὸν πόλεμον τοῦτον διαλύσομεν, ἤν τις ἐάσῃ, διενεγκοῦσαι διὰ πρεσβειῶν τὸ μὲν ἐνταυθοῖ τὸ δ᾽ ἐκεῖσε. 570 Πρόβουλος ἐξ ἐρίων δὴ καὶ κλωστήρων καὶ ἀτράκτων πράγματα δεινὰ παύσειν οἴεσθ᾽ ὦ ἀνόητοι; Λυσιστράτη κἂν ὑμῖν γ᾽ εἴ τις ἐνῆν νοῦς, ἐκ τῶν ἐρίων τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπολιτεύεσθ᾽ ἂν ἅπαντα. Πρόβουλος πῶς δή; φέρ᾽ ἴδω. Λυσιστράτη πρῶτον μὲν ἐχρῆν, ὥσπερ πόκου ἐν βαλανείῳ ἐκπλύναντας τὴν οἰσπώτην, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ κλίνης 575 ἐκραβδίζειν τοὺς μοχθηροὺς καὶ τοὺς τριβόλους ἀπολέξαι, καὶ τούς γε συνισταμένους τούτους καὶ τοὺς πιλοῦντας ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀρχαῖσι διαξῆναι καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτῖλαι· εἶτα ξαίνειν ἐς καλαθίσκον κοινὴν εὔνοιαν, ἅπαντας καταμιγνύντας τούς τε μετοίκους κεἴ τις ξένος ἢ φίλος ὑμῖν, 580 κεἴ τις ὀφείλει τῷ δημοσίῳ, καὶ τούτους ἐγκαταμεῖξαι· καὶ νὴ Δία τάς γε πόλεις, ὁπόσαι τῆς γῆς τῆσδ᾽ εἰσὶν ἄποικοι, διαγιγνώσκειν ὅτι ταῦθ᾽ ἡμῖν ὥσπερ τὰ κατάγματα κεῖται χωρὶς ἕκαστον· κᾆτ᾽ ἀπὸ τούτων πάντων τὸ κάταγμα λαβόντας δεῦρο ξυνάγειν καὶ συναθροίξειν εἰς ἕν, κἄπειτα ποιῆσαι 585 τολύπην μεγάλην κᾆτ᾽ ἐκ ταύτης τῷ δήμῳ χλαῖναν ὑφῆναι. Πρόβουλος οὔκουν δεινὸν ταυτὶ ταύτας ῥαβδίξειν καὶ τολυπεύειν, αἶς οὐδὲ μετῆν πάνυ τοῦ πολέμου; Λυσιστράτη καὶ μὴν ὦ παγκατάρατε πλεῖν ἤ γε διπλοῦν αὐτὸν φέρομεν, πρώτιστον μέν γε τεκοῦσαι κἀκπέμψασαι παῖδας ὁπλίτας. 590 Πρόβουλος σίγα, μὴ μνησικακήσῃς. Λυσιστράτη εἶθ᾽ ἡνίκα χρῆν εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τῆς ἥβης ἀπολαῦσαι, μονοκοιτοῦμεν διὰ τὰς στρατιάς. καὶ θἠμέτερον μὲν ἐᾶτε, περὶ τῶν δὲ κορῶν ἐν τοῖς θαλάμοις γηρασκουσῶν ἀνιῶμαι. Πρόβουλος οὔκουν χἄνδρες γηράσκουσιν; Λυσιστράτη μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ εἶπας ὅμοιον. ὁ μὲν ἥκων γάρ, κἂν ᾖ πολιός, ταχὺ παῖδα κόρην γεγάμηκεν· 595 τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς σμικρὸς ὁ καιρός, κἂν τούτου μὴ ᾽πιλάβηται, οὐδεὶς ἐθέλει γῆμαι ταύτην, ὀττευομένη δὲ κάθηται. Πρόβουλος ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις ἔτι στῦσαι δυνατὸς-- Λυσιστράτη σὺ δὲ δὴ τί μαθὼν οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκεις; χωρίον ἐστί· σορὸν ὠνήσει· 600 μελιτοῦτταν ἐγὼ καὶ δὴ μάξω. λαβὲ ταυτὶ καὶ στεφάνωσαι. Γυνὴ Ξ' καὶ ταυτασὶ δέξαι παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ. Γυνὴ Α' καὶ τουτονγὶ λαβὲ τὸν στέφανον. Λυσιστράτη τοῦ δεῖ; τί ποθεῖς; χώρει ᾽ς τὴν ναῦν· 605 ὁ Χάρων σε καλεῖ, σὺ δὲ κωλύεις ἀνάγεσθαι. Πρόβουλος εἶτ᾽ οὐχὶ ταῦτα δεινὰ πάσχειν ἔστ᾽ ἐμέ; νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ τοῖς προβούλοις ἄντικρυς ἐμαυτὸν ἐπιδείξω βαδίζων ὡς ἔχω. 610 Λυσιστράτη μῶν ἐγκαλεῖς ὅτι οὐχὶ προὐθέμεσθά σε; ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τρίτην γοῦν ἡμέραν σοὶ πρῲ πάνυ ἥξει παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τὰ τρίτ᾽ ἐπεσκευασμένα. Χορὸς Γερόντων οὐκέτ᾽ ἔργον ἐγκαθεύδειν ὅστις ἔστ᾽ ἐλεύθερος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαποδυώμεθ᾽ ἄνδρες τουτῳὶ τῷ πράγματι. 615 ἤδη γὰρ ὄζειν ταδὶ πλειόνων καὶ μειζόνων Χορὸς Γερόντων πραγμάτων μοι δοκεῖ, καὶ μάλιστ᾽ ὀσφραίνομαι τῆς Ἱππίου τυραννίδος· καὶ πάνυ δέδοικα μὴ τῶν Λακώνων τινὲς 620 δεῦρο συνεληλυθότες ἄνδρες ἐς Κλεισθένους τὰς θεοῖς ἐχθρὰς γυναῖκας ἐξεπαίρωσιν δόλῳ καταλαβεῖν τὰ χρήμαθ᾽ ἡμῶν τόν τε μισθόν, ἔνθεν ἔζων ἐγώ. 625 Χορὸς Γερόντων δεινὰ γάρ τοι τάσδε γ᾽ ἤδη τοὺς πολίτας νουθετεῖν, καὶ λαλεῖν γυναῖκας οὔσας ἀσπίδος χαλκῆς πέρι, καὶ διαλλάττειν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνδράσιν Λακωνικοῖς, οἷσι πιστὸν οὐδὲν εἰ μή περ λύκῳ κεχηνότι. ἀλλὰ ταῦθ᾽ ὕφηναν ἡμῖν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ τυραννίδι. 630 ἀλλ᾽ ἐμοῦ μὲν οὐ τυραννεύσουσ᾽, ἐπεὶ φυλάξομαι καὶ φορήσω τὸ ξίφος τὸ λοιπὸν ἐν μύρτου κλαδί, ἀγοράσω τ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἑξῆς Ἀριστογείτονι, ὧδέ θ᾽ ἑστήξω παρ᾽ αὐτόν· αὐτὸς γάρ μοι γίγνεται τῆς θεοῖς ἐχθρᾶς πατάξαι τῆσδε γραὸς τὴν γνάθον. 635 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν οὐκ ἄρ᾽ εἰσιόντα σ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἡ τεκοῦσα γνώσεται. ἀλλὰ θώμεσθ᾽ ὦ φίλαι γρᾶες ταδί πρῶτον χαμαί. ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὦ πάντες ἀστοὶ λόγων κατάρχομεν τῇ πόλει χρησίμων· εἰκότως, ἐπεὶ χλιδῶσαν ἀγλαῶς ἔθρεψέ με. 640 ἑπτὰ μὲν ἔτη γεγῶσ᾽ εὐθὺς ἠῤῥηφόρουν· εἶτ᾽ ἀλετρὶς ἦ δεκέτις οὖσα τἀρχηγέτι· κᾆτ᾽ ἔχουσα τὸν κροκωτὸν ἄρκτος ἦ Βραυρωνίοις· 645 κἀκανηφόρουν ποτ᾽ οὖσα παῖς καλὴ ᾽χουσ᾽ ἰσχάδων ὁρμαθόν· Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἆρα προὐφείλω τι χρηστὸν τῇ πόλει παραινέσαι; εἰ δ᾽ ἐγὼ γυνὴ πέφυκα, τοῦτο μὴ φθονεῖτέ μοι, ἢν ἀμείνω γ᾽ εἰσενέγκω τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων. 650 τοὐράνου γάρ μοι μέτεστι· καὶ γὰρ ἄνδρας ἐσφέρω, τοῖς δὲ δυστήνοις γέρουσιν οὐ μέτεσθ᾽ ὑμῖν, ἐπεὶ τὸν ἔρανον τὸν λεγόμενον παππῷον ἐκ τῶν Μηδικῶν εἶτ᾽ ἀναλώσαντες οὐκ ἀντεσφέρετε τὰς ἐσφοράς, ἀλλ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν διαλυθῆναι προσέτι κινδυνεύομεν. 655 ἆρα γρυκτόν ἐστιν ὑμῖν; εἰ δὲ λυπήσεις τί με, τῷδέ γ᾽ ἀψήκτῳ πατάξω τῷ κοθόρνῳ τὴν γνάθον. Χορὸς Γερόντων ταῦτ᾽ οὖν οὐχ ὕβρις τὰ πράγματ᾽ ἐστὶ πολλή; κἀπιδώσειν μοι δοκεῖ τὸ χρῆμα μᾶλλον. 660 ἀλλ᾽ ἀμυντέον τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ὅστις γ᾽ ἐνόρχης ἔστ᾽ ἀνήρ. ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδ᾽ ἐκδυώμεθ᾽, ὡς τὸν ἄνδρα δεῖ ἀνδρὸς ὄζειν εὐθύς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐν ἐντεθριῶσθαι πρέπει. ἀλλ᾽ ἄγετε λευκόποδες, οἵπερ επὶ Λείψύδριον ἤλθομεν ὅτ᾽ ἦμεν ἔτι, 665 νῦν δεῖ νῦν ἀνηβῆσαι πάλιν κἀναπτερῶσαι πᾶν τὸ σῶμα κἀποσείσασθαι τὸ γῆρας τόδε. 670 Χορὸς Γερόντων εἰ γὰρ ἐνδώσει τις ἡμῶν ταῖσδε κἂν σμικρὰν λαβήν, οὐδὲν ἐλλείψουσιν αὗται λιπαροῦς χειρουργίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ναῦς τεκτανοῦνται, κἀπιχειρήσουσ᾽ ἔτι ναυμαχεῖν καὶ πλεῖν ἐφ᾽ ἡμἁς ὥσπε, Ἀρτεμισία. 675 ἢν δ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἱππικὴν τράπωνται, διαγράφω τοὺς ἱππέας. ἱππικώτατον γάρ ἐστι χρῆμα κἄποχον γυνή, κοὐκ ἂν ἀπολίσθοι τρέχοντος· τὰς δ᾽ Ἀμαζόνας σκόπει, ἃς Μίκων ἔγραψ᾽ ἐθ᾽ ἵππων μαχομένας τοῖς ἀνδράσιν. ἀλλὰ τούτων χρῆν ἁπασῶν ἐς τετρημένον ξύλον 680 ἐγκαθαρμόσαι λαβόντας τουτονὶ τὸν αὐχένα. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν εἰ νὴ τὼ θεώ με ζωπυρήσεις, λύσω τὴν ἐμαυτῆς ὗν ἐγὼ δή, καὶ ποιήσω τήμερον τοὺς δημότας βωστρεῖν σ᾽ ἐγὼ πεκτούμενον. 685 ἀλλὰ χἠμεῖς ὦ γυναῖκες θᾶττον ἐκδυώμεθα, ὡς ἂν ὄζωμεν γυναικῶν αὐτοδὰξ ὠργισμένων. νῦν πρὸς ἔμ᾽ ἴτω τις, ἵνα μή ποτε φάγῃ σκόροδα, μηδὲ κυάμους μέλανας. 690 ὡς εἰ καὶ μόνον κακῶς ἐρεῖς, ὑπερχολῶ γάρ, αἰετὸν τίκτοντα κάνθαρός σε μαιεύσομαι. 695 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν οὐ γὰρ ὑμῶν φροντίσαιμ᾽ ἄν, ἢν ἐμοὶ ζῇ Λαμπιτὼ ἥ τε Θηβαία φίλη παῖς εὐγενὴς Ἰσμηνία. οὐ γὰρ ἔσται δύναμις, οὐδ᾽ ἢν ἑπτάκις σὺ ψηφίσῃ, ὅστις ὦ δύστην᾽ ἀπήχθου πᾶσι καὶ τοῖς γείτοσιν. ὥστε κἀχθὲς θἠκάτῃ ποιοῦσα παιγνίαν ἐγὼ 700 τοῖσι παισὶ τὴν ἑταίραν ἐκάλεσ᾽ ἐκ τῶν γειτόνων, παῖδα χρηστὴν κἀγαπητὴν ἐκ Βοιωτῶν ἔγχελυν· οἱ δὲ πέμψειν οὐκ ἔφασκον διὰ τὰ σὰ ψηφίσματα. κοὐχὶ μὴ παύσησθε τῶν ψηφισμάτων τούτων, πρὶν ἂν τοῦ σκέλους ὑμᾶς λαβών τις ἐκτραχηλίσῃ φέρων. 705 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἄνασσα πράγους τοῦδε καὶ βουλεύματος, τί μοι σκυθρωπὸς ἐξελήλυθας δόμων; Λυσιστράτη κακῶν γυναικῶν ἔργα καὶ θήλεια φρὴν ποιεῖ μ᾽ ἄθυμον περιπατεῖν τ᾽ ἄνω κάτω. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν τί φῄς; τί φῄς; 710 Λυσιστράτη ἀληθῆ, ἀληθῆ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ δεινόν; φράζε ταῖς σαυτῆς φίλαις. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ αἰσχρὸν εἰπεῖν καὶ σιωπῆσαι βαρύ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν μή νύν με κρύψῃς ὅ τι πεπόνθαμεν κακόν. Λυσιστράτη βινητιῶμεν, ᾗ βράχιστον τοῦ λόγου. 715 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἰὼ Ζεῦ. Λυσιστράτη τί Ζῆν᾽ ἀυτεῖς; ταῦτα δ᾽ οὖν οὕτως ἔχει. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αὐτὰς ἀποσχεῖν οὐκέτι οἵα τ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν· διαδιδράσκουσι γάρ. τὴν μέν γε πρώτην διαλέγουσαν τὴν ὀπὴν 720 κατέλαβον ᾗ τοῦ Πανός ἐστι ταὐλίον, τὴν δ᾽ ἐκ τροχιλείας αὖ κατειλυσπωμένην, τὴν δ᾽ αὐτομολοῦσαν, τὴν δ᾽ ἐπὶ στρούθου μίαν ἤδη πέτεσθαι διανοουμένην κάτω ἐς Ὀρσιλόχου χθὲς τῶν τριχῶν κατέσπασα. 725 πάσας τε προφάσεις ὥστ᾽ ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε ἕλκουσιν. ἤδη γοῦν τις αὐτῶν ἔρχεται. αὕτη σὺ ποῖ θεῖς; Γυνὴ Α' οἴκαδ᾽ ἐλθεῖν βούλομαι. οἴκοι γάρ ἐστιν ἔριά μοι Μιλήσια ὑπὸ τῶν σέων κατακοπτόμενα. 730 Λυσιστράτη ποίων σέων; οὐκ εἶ πάλιν; Γυνὴ Α' ἀλλ᾽ ἥξω ταχέως νὴ τὼ θεὼ ὅσον διαπετάσασ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης μόνον. Λυσιστράτη μὴ διαπετάννυ, μηδ᾽ ἀπέλθῃς μηδαμῇ. Γυνὴ Α' ἀλλ᾽ ἐῶ ᾽πολέσθαι τἄρι᾽; Λυσιστράτη ἢν τούτου δέῃ. Γυνὴ Β' τάλαιν᾽ ἐγώ, τάλαινα τῆς Ἀμοργίδος, 735 ἣν ἄλοπον οἴκοι καταλέλοιφ᾽. Λυσιστράτη αὕθἠτέρα ἐπὶ τὴν Ἄμοργιν τὴν ἄλοπον ἐξέρχεται. χώρει πάλιν δεῦρ᾽. Γυνὴ Β' ἀλλὰ νὴ τὴν Φωσφόρον ἔγωγ᾽ ἀποδείρασ᾽ αὐτίκα μάλ᾽ ἀνέρχομαι. Λυσιστράτη μή μἀποδείρῃς. ἢν γὰρ ἄρξῃς τοῦτο σύ, 740 ἑτέρα γυνὴ ταὐτὸν ποιεῖν βουλήσεται. Γυνὴ Γ' ὦ πότνι᾽ Εἰλείθυι᾽ ἐπίσχες τοῦ τόκου, ἕως ἂν εἰς ὅσιον μόλω ᾽γὼ χωρίον. Λυσιστράτη τί ταῦτα ληρεῖς; Γυνὴ Γ' αὐτίκα μάλα τέξομαι. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐκύεις σύ γ᾽ ἐχθές. 745 Γυνὴ Γ' ἀλλὰ τήμερον. ἀλλ᾽ οἴκαδέ μ᾽ ὡς τὴν μαῖαν ὦ Λυσιστράτη ἀπόπεμψον ὡς τάχιστα. Λυσιστράτη τίνα λόγον λέγεις; τί τοῦτ᾽ ἔχεις τὸ σκληρόν; Γυνὴ Γ' ἄῤῥεν παιδίον. Λυσιστράτη μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὐ σύ γ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ χαλκίον ἔχειν τι φαίνει κοῖλον· εἴσομαι δ᾽ ἐγώ. 750 ὦ καταγέλαστ᾽ ἔχουσα τὴν ἱερὰν κυνῆν κυεῖν ἔφασκες; Γυνὴ Γ' καὶ κυῶ γε νὴ Δία. Λυσιστράτη τί δῆτα ταύτην εἶχες; Γυνὴ Γ' ἵνα μ᾽ εἰ καταλάβοι ὁ τόκος ἔτ᾽ ἐν πόλει, τέκοιμ᾽ ἐς τὴν κυνῆν ἐσβᾶσα ταύτην, ὥσπερ αἱ περιστεραί. 755 Λυσιστράτη τί λέγεις; προφασίζει· περιφανῆ τὰ πράγματα. οὐ τἀμφιδρόμια τῆς κυνῆς αὐτοῦ μενεῖς; Γυνὴ Γ' ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δύναμαι ᾽γωγ᾽ οὐδὲ κοιμᾶσθ᾽ ἐν πόλει, ἐξ οὗ τὸν ὄφιν εἶδον τὸν οἰκουρόν ποτε. Γυνὴ Δ' ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶν γλαυκῶν γε τάλαιν᾽ ἀπόλλυμαι 760 ταῖς ἀγρυπνίαισι κακκαβαζουσῶν ἀεί. Λυσιστράτη ὦ δαιμόνιαι παύσασθε τῶν τερατευμάτων. ποθεῖτ᾽ ἴσως τοὺς ἄνδρας· ἡμᾶς δ᾽ οὐκ οἴει ποθεῖν ἐκείνους; ἀργαλέας γ᾽ εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι ἄγουσι νύκτας. ἀλλ᾽ ἀνάσχεσθ᾽ ὦγαθαί, 765 καὶ προσταλαιπωρήσατ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ὀλίγον χρόνον, ὡς χρησμὸς ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἐπικρατεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ στασιάσωμεν· ἔστι δ᾽ ὁ χρησμὸς οὑτοσί. Γυνὴ Α' λέγ᾽ αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ὅ τι λέγει. Λυσιστράτη σιγᾶτε δή. ἀλλ᾽ ὁπόταν πτήξωσι χελιδόνες εἰς ἕνα χῶρον, 770 τοὺς ἔποπας φεύγουσαι, ἀπόσχωνταί τε φαλήτων, παῦλα κακῶν ἔσται, τὰ δ᾽ ὑπέρτερα νέρτερα θήσει Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης-- Γυνὴ Β' ἐπάνω κατακεισόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς; Λυσιστράτη ἢν δὲ διαστῶσιν καὶ ἀναπτῶνται πτερύγεσσιν ἐξ ἱεροῦ ναοῖο χελιδόνες, οὐκέτι δόξει 775 ὄρνεον οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν καταπυγωνέστερον εἶναι. Γυνὴ Α' σαφής γ᾽ ὁ χρησμὸς νὴ Δί᾽. Λυσιστράτη ὦ πάντες θεοί, μή νυν ἀπείπωμεν ταλαιπωρούμεναι, ἀλλ᾽ εἰσίωμεν. καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τουτογὶ ὦ φίλταται, τὸν χρησμὸν εἰ προδώσομεν. 780 Χορὸς Γερόντων μῦθον βούλομαι λέξαι τιν᾽ ὑμῖν, ὅν ποτ᾽ ἤκουσ᾽ αὐτὸς ἔτι παῖς ὤν. οὕτως ἦν νεανίσκος Μελανίων τις, 785 ὃς φεύγων γάμον ἀφίκετ᾽ ἐς ἐρημίαν, κἀν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ᾤκει· κᾆτ᾽ ἐλαγοθήρει πλεξάμενος ἄρκυς, 790 καὶ κύνα τιν᾽ εἶχεν, κοὐκέτι κατῆλθε πάλιν οἴκαδ᾽ ὑπὸ μίσους. οὕτω τὰς γυναῖκας ἐβδελύχθη ᾽κεῖνος, ἡμεῖς τ᾽ οὐδὲν ἧττον 795 τοῦ Μελανίωνος οἱ σώφρονες. Γέρων βούλομαί σε γραῦ κύσαι-- Γυνή κρόμμυόν τἄρ᾽ οὐκ ἔδει. Γέρων κἀνατείνας λακτίσαι. Γυνή τὴν λόχμην πολλὴν φορεῖς. 800 Χορὸς Γερόντων καὶ Μυρωνίδης γὰρ ἦν τραχὺς ἐντεῦθεν μελάμπυγός τε τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἅπασιν, ὥς δὲ καὶ Φορμίων. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν κἀγὼ βούλομαι μῦθόν τιν᾽ ὑμῖν ἀντιλέξαι 805 τῷ Μελανίωνι. Τίμων ἦν ἀίδρυτός τις ἀβάτοισιν ἐν σκώλοισι τὸ πρόσωπον περιειργμένος, 810 Ἐρινύων ἀποῤῥώξ. οὗτος οὖν ὁ Τίμων ᾤχεθ᾽ ὑπὸ μίσους πολλὰ καταρασάμενος ἀνδράσι πονηροῖς. 815 οὕτω ᾽κεῖνος ὑμῶν ἀντεμίσει τοὺς πονηροὺς ἄνδρας ἀεί, ταῖσι δὲ γυναιξὶν ἦν φίλτατος. 820 Γυνή τὴν γνάθον βούλει θένω; Γέρων μηδαμῶς· ἔδεισά γε. Γυνή ἀλλὰ κρούσω τῷ σκέλει; Γέρων τὸν σάκανδρον ἐκφανεῖς. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἂν οὐκ ἴδοις 825 καίπερ οὔσης γραὸς ὄντ᾽ αὐτὸν κομήτην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεψιλωμένον τῷ λύχνῳ. Λυσιστράτη ἰοὺ ἰοὺ γυναῖκες ἴτε δεῦρ᾽ ὡς ἐμὲ ταχέως. 830 Γυνή τί δ᾽ ἔστιν; εἰπέ μοι τίς ἡ βοή; Λυσιστράτη ἄνδρ᾽ <ἄνδρ᾽> ὁρῶ προσιόντα παραπεπληγμένον, τοῖς τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ὀργίοις εἰλημμένον. ὦ πότνια Κύπρου καὶ Κυθήρων καὶ Πάφου μεδέουσ᾽, ἴθ᾽ ὀρθὴν ἥνπερ ἔρχι τὴν ὁδόν. Γυνή ποῦ δ᾽ ἐστὶν ὅστις ἐστί; 835 Λυσιστράτη παρὰ τὸ τῆς Χλόης. Γυνὴ ὢ νὴ Δί᾽ ἔστι δῆτα. τίς κἀστίν ποτε; Λυσιστράτη ὁρᾶτε· γιγνώσκει τις ὑμῶν; Μυῤῥίνη νὴ Δία ἔγωγε· κἀστὶν οὑμὸς ἀνὴρ Κινησίας. Λυσιστράτη σὸν ἔργον ἤδη τοῦτον ὀπτᾶν καὶ στρέφειν κἀξηπεροπεύειν καὶ φιλεῖν καὶ μὴ φιλεῖν, 840 καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὑπέχειν πλὴν ὧν σύνοιδεν ἡ κύλιξ. Μυῤῥίνη ἀμέλει ποιήσω ταῦτ᾽ ἐγώ. Λυσιστράτη καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ ξυνηπεροπεύσω <σοι> παραμένουσ᾽ ἐνθαδί, καὶ ξυσταθεύσω τοῦτον. ἀλλ᾽ ἀπέλθετε. Κινησίας οἴμοι κακοδαίμων, οἷος ὁ σπασμός μ᾽ ἔχει 845 χὠ τέτανος ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τροχοῦ στρεβλούμενον. Λυσιστράτη τίς οὗτος οὑντὸς τῶν φυλάκων ἑστώς; Κινησίας ἐγώ. Λυσιστράτη ἀνήρ; Κινησίας ἀνὴρ δῆτ᾽. Λυσιστράτη οὐκ ἄπει δῆτ᾽ ἐκποδών; Κινησίας σὺ δ᾽ εἶ τίς ἡκβάλλουσά μ᾽; Λυσιστράτη ἡμεροσκόπος. Κινησίας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν νυν ἐκκάλεσόν μοι Μυῤῥίνην. 850 Λυσιστράτη ἰδοὺ καλέσω ᾽γὼ Μυῤῥίνην σοι; σὺ δὲ τίς εἶ; Κινησίας ἀνὴρ ἐκείνης, Παιονίδης Κινησίας. Λυσιστράτη ὦ χαῖρε φίλτατ᾽· οὐ γὰρ ἀκλεὲς τοὔνομα τὸ σὸν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἀνώνυμον. ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡ γυνή σ᾽ ἔχει διὰ στόμα. 855 κἂν ᾠὸν ἢ μῆλον λάβῃ, “Κινησίᾳ τουτὶ γένοιτο,” φησίν. Κινησίας ὢ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν. Λυσιστράτη νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην· κἂν περὶ ἀνδρῶν γ᾽ ἐμπέσῃ λόγος τις, εἴρηκ᾽ εὐθέως ἡ σὴ γυνὴ ὅτι λῆρός ἐστι τἄλλα πρὸς Κινησίαν. 860 Κινησίας ἴθι νυν κάλεσον αὐτήν. Λυσιστράτη τί οὖν; δώσεις τί μοι; Κινησίας ἔγωγέ <σοι> νὴ τὸν Δί᾽, ἢν βούλῃ γε σύ· ἔχω δὲ τοῦθ᾽· ὅπερ οὖν ἔχω, δίδωμί σοι. Λυσιστράτη φέρε νυν καλέσω καταβᾶσά σοι. Κινησίας ταχύ νυν πάνυ. ὡς οὐδεμίαν ἔχω γε τῷ βίῳ χάριν, 865 ἐξ οὗπερ αὕτη ᾽ξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας· ἀλλ᾽ ἄχθομαι μὲν εἰσιών, ἔρημα δὲ εἶναι δοκεῖ μοι πάντα, τοῖς δὲ σιτίοις χάριν οὐδεμίαν οἶδ᾽ ἐσθίων· ἔστυκα γάρ. Μυῤῥίνη φιλῶ φιλῶ ᾽γὼ τοῦτον· ἀλλ᾽ οὐ βούλεται 870 ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ φιλεῖσθαι. σὺ δ᾽ ἐμὲ τούτῳ μὴ κάλει. Κινησίας ὦ γλυκύτατον Μυῤῥινίδιον τί ταῦτα δρᾷς; κατάβηθι δεῦρο. Μυῤῥίνη μὰ Δί᾽ ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτόσ᾽ οὔ. Κινησίας ἐμοῦ καλοῦντος οὐ καταβήσει Μυῤῥίνη; Μυῤῥίνη οὐ γὰρ δεόμενος οὐδὲν ἐκκαλεῖς ἐμέ. 875 Κινησίας ἐγὼ οὐ δεόμενος; ἐπιτετριμμένος μὲν οὖν. Μυῤῥίνη ἄπειμι. Κινησίας μὴ δῆτ᾽, ἀλλὰ τῷ γοῦν παιδίῳ ὑπάκουσον· οὗτος οὐ καλεῖς τὴν μαμμίαν; Παῖς Κινησίου μαμμία, μαμμία, μαμμία. Κινησίας αὕτη τί πάσχεις; οὐδ᾽ ἐλεεῖς τὸ παιδίον 880 ἄλουτον ὂν κἄθηλον ἕκτην ἡμέραν; Μυῤῥίνη ἔγωγ᾽ ἐλεῶ δῆτ᾽· ἀλλ᾽ ἀμελὴς αὐτῷ πατὴρ ἔστιν. Κινησίας κατάβηθ᾽ ὦ δαιμονία τῷ παιδίῳ. Μυῤῥίνη οἷον τὸ τεκεῖν· καταβατέον. τί γὰρ πάθω; Κινησίας ἐμοὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ νεωτέρα δοκεῖ 885 πολλῷ γεγενῆσθαι κἀγανώτερον βλέπειν· χἂ δυσκολαίνει πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ βρενθύεται, ταῦτ᾽ αὐτὰ δή ᾽σθ᾽ ἃ κἄμ᾽ ἐπιτρίβει τῷ πόθῳ. Μυῤῥίνη ὦ γλυκύτατον σὺ τεκνίδιον κακοῦ πατρός, φέρε σε φιλήσω γλυκύτατον τῇ μαμμίᾳ. 890 Κινησίας τί ὦ πονήρα ταῦτα ποιεῖς χἀτέραις πείθει γυναιξί, κἀμέ τ᾽ ἄχθεσθαι ποιεῖς αὐτή τε λυπεῖ; Μυῤῥίνη μὴ πρόσαγε τὴν χεῖρά μοι. Κινησίας τὰ δ᾽ ἔνδον ὄντα τἀμὰ καὶ σὰ χρήματα χεῖρον διατίθης. 895 Μυῤῥίνη ὀλίγον αὐτῶν μοι μέλει. Κινησίας ὀλίγον μέλει σοι τῆς κρόκης φορουμένης ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων; Μυῤῥίνη ἔμοιγε νὴ Δία. Κινησίας τὰ <δὲ> τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἱέρ᾽ ἀνοργίαστά σοι χρόνον τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν. οὐ βαδιεῖ πάλιν; Μυῤῥίνη μὰ Δί᾽ οὐκ ἔγωγ᾽, ἢν μὴ διαλλαχθῆτέ γε 900 καὶ τοῦ πολέμου παύσησθε. Κινησίας τοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, ποιήσομεν καὶ ταῦτα. Μυῤῥίνη τοιγάρ, ἢν δοκῇ, κἄγωγ᾽ ἄπειμ᾽ ἐκεῖσε· νῦν δ᾽ ἀπομώμοκα. Κινησίας σὺ δ᾽ ἀλλὰ κατακλίνηθι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ διὰ χρόνου. Μυῤῥίνη οὐ δῆτα· καίτοι σ᾽ οὐκ ἐρῶ γ᾽ ὡς οὐ φιλῶ. 905 Κινησίας φιλεῖς; τί οὖν οὐ κατεκλίνης ὦ Μύῤῥιον; Μυῤῥίνη ὦ καταγέλαστ᾽ ἐναντίον τοῦ παιδίου; Κινησίας μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ὦ Μανῆ φέρε. ἰδοὺ τὸ μέν σοι παιδίον καὶ δὴ ᾽κποδών, σὺ δ᾽ οὐ κατακλίνει. 910 Μυῤῥίνη ποῦ γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ τάλαν δράσειε τοῦθ᾽; Κινησίας ὅπου; τὸ τοῦ Πανὸς καλόν. Μυῤῥίνη καὶ πῶς ἔθ᾽ ἁγνὴ δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἔλθοιμ᾽ ἐς πόλιν; Κινησίας κάλλιστα δήπου λουσαμένη τῇ Κλεψύδρᾳ. Μυῤῥίνη ἔπειτ᾽ ὀμόσασα δῆτ᾽ ἐπιορκήσω τάλαν; Κινησίας εἰς ἐμὲ τράποιτο· μηδὲν ὅρκου φροντίσῃς. 915 Μυῤῥίνη φέρε νυν ἐνέγκω κλινίδιον νῷν. Κινησίας μηδαμῶς. ἀρκεῖ χαμαὶ νῷν. Μυῤῥίνη μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μή σ᾽ ἐγὼ καίπερ τοιοῦτον ὄντα κατακλινῶ χαμαί. Κινησίας ἥ τοι γυνὴ φιλεῖ με, δήλη ᾽στὶν καλῶς. Μυῤῥίνη ἰδοὺ κατάκεισ᾽ ἀνύσας τι, κἀγὼ ᾽κδύομαι. 920 καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, ψίαθός ἐστ᾽ ἐξοιστέα. Κινησίας ποία ψίαθος; μὴ μοί γε. Μυῤῥίνη νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν, αἰσχρὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ τόνου γε. Κινησίας δός μοί νυν κύσαι. Μυῤῥίνη ἰδού. Κινησίας παπαιάξ· ἧκέ νυν ταχέως πάνυ. Μυῤῥίνη ἰδοὺ ψίαθος· κατάκεισο, καὶ δὴ ᾽κδύομαι. 925 καίτοι, τὸ δεῖνα, προσκεφάλαιον οὐκ ἔχεις. Κινησίας ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ δέομ᾽ ἔγωγε. Μυῤῥίνη νὴ Δί᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώ. Κινησίας ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τὸ πέος τόδ᾽ Ἡρακλῆς ξενίζεται. Μυῤῥίνη ἀνίστασ᾽, ἀναπήδησον. ἤδη πάντ᾽ ἔχω. Κινησίας ἅπαντα δῆτα. δεῦρό νυν ὦ χρύσιον. 930 Μυῤῥίνη τὸ στρόφιον ἤδη λύομαι. μέμνησό νυν· μή μ᾽ ἐξαπατήσῃς τὰ περὶ τῶν διαλλαγῶν. Κινησίας νὴ Δί᾽ ἀπολοίμην ἆρα. Μυῤῥίνη σισύραν οὐκ ἔχεις. Κινησίας μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδὲ δέομαί γ᾽, ἀλλὰ βινεῖν βούλομαι. Μυῤῥίνη ἀμέλει ποιήσεις τοῦτο· ταχὺ γὰρ ἔρχομαι. 935 Κινησίας ἅνθρωπος ἐπιτρίψει με διὰ τὰ στρώματα. Μυῤῥίνη ἔπαιρε σαυτόν. Κινησίας ἀλλ᾽ ἐπῆρται τοῦτό γε. Μυῤῥίνη βούλει μυρίσω σε; Κινησίας μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω μὴ μέ γε. Μυῤῥίνη νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἤν τε βούλῃ γ᾽ ἤν τε μή. Κινησίας εἴθ᾽ ἐκχυθείη τὸ μύρον ὦ Ζεῦ δέσποτα. 940 Μυῤῥίνη πρότεινέ νυν τὴν χεῖρα κἀλείφου λαβών. Κινησίας οὐχ ἡδὺ τὸ μύρον μὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τουτογί, εἰ μὴ διατριπτικόν γε κοὐκ ὄζον γάμων. Μυῤῥίνη τάλαιν᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ ῾Ρόδιον ἤνεγκον μύρον. Κινησίας ἀγαθόν· ἔα αὔτ᾽ ὦ δαιμονία. 945 Μυῤῥίνη ληρεῖς ἔχων. Κινησίας κάκιστ᾽ ἀπόλοιθ᾽ ὁ πρῶτος ἑψήσας μύρον. Μυῤῥίνη λαβὲ τόνδε τὸν ἀλάβαστον. Κινησίας ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερον ἔχω. ἀλλ᾽ ᾠζυρὰ κατάκεισο καὶ μή μοι φέρε μηδέν. Μυῤῥίνη ποιήσω ταῦτα νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν. ὑπολύομαι γοῦν. ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε 950 σπονδὰς ποιεῖσθαι ψηφιεῖ. Κινησίας βουλεύσομαι. ἀπολώλεκέν με κἀπιτέτριφεν ἡ γυνὴ τά τ᾽ ἄλλα πάντα κἀποδείρασ᾽ οἴχεται. Κινησίας οἴμοι τί πάθω; τίνα βινήσω τῆς καλλίστης πασῶν ψευσθείς; 955 πῶς ταυτηνὶ παιδοτροφήσω; ποῦ Κυναλώπηξ; μίσθωσόν μοι τὴν τίτθην. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἐν δεινῷ γ᾽ ὦ δύστηνε κακῷ τείρει ψυχὴν ἐξαπατηθείς. 960 κἄγωγ᾽ οἰκτίρω σ᾽ αἰαῖ. ποῖος γὰρ ἂν ἢ νέφρος ἀντίσχοι, ποία ψυχή, ποῖοι δ᾽ ὄρχεις, ποία δ᾽ ὀσφῦς, ποῖος δ᾽ ὄῤῥος κατατεινόμενος 965 καὶ μὴ βινῶν τοὺς ὄρθρους; Κινησίας ὦ Ζεῦ δεινῶν ἀντισπασμῶν. Χορὸς Γερόντων ταυτὶ μέντοι νυνί σ᾽ ἐποίησ᾽ ἡ παμβδελυρὰ καὶ παμμυσαρά. Κινησίας μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ φίλη καὶ παγγλυκερά. 970 Χορὸς Γερόντων ποία γλυκερά; μιαρὰ μιαρά. Κινησίας <μιαρὰ> δῆτ᾽ ὦ Ζεῦ ὦ Ζεῦ· εἴθ᾽ αὐτὴν ὥσπερ τοὺς θωμοὺς μεγάλῳ τυφῷ καὶ πρηστῆρι ξυστρέψας καὶ ξυγγογγύλας 975 οἴχοιο φέρων, εἶτα μεθείης, ἡ δὲ φέροιτ᾽ αὖ πάλιν ἐς τὴν γῆν, κᾆτ᾽ ἐξαίφνης περὶ τὴν ψωλὴν περιβαίη. Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων πᾷ τᾶν Ἀσανᾶν ἐστιν ἁ γερωχία 980 ἢ τοὶ πρυτάνιες; λῶ τι μυσίξαι νέον. Κινησίας σὺ δ᾽ εἶ πότερον ἄνθρωπος ἢ κονίσαλος; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων κᾶρυξ ἐγὼν ὦ κυρσάνιε ναὶ τὼ σιὼ ἔμολον ἀπὸ Σπάρτας περὶ τᾶν διαλλαγᾶν. Κινησίας κἄπειτα δόρυ δῆθ᾽ ὑπὸ μάλης ἥκεις ἔχων; 985 Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων οὐ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐκ ἐγών γα. Κινησίας ποῖ μεταστρέφει; τί δὴ προβάλλει τὴν χλαμύδ᾽; ἢ βουβωνιᾷς ὑπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων παλαιόρ γα ναὶ τὸν Κάστορα ὥνθρωπος. Κινησίας ἀλλ᾽ ἔστυκας ὦ μιαρώτατε. Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων οὐ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐκ ἐγών γα· μηδ᾽ αὖ πλαδδίη. 990 Κινησίας τί δ᾽ ἐστί σοι τοδί; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων σκυτάλα Λακωνικά. Κινησίας εἴπερ γε χαὔτη ᾽στὶ σκυτάλη Λακωνική. ἀλλ᾽ ὡς πρὸς εἰδότ᾽ ἐμὲ σὺ τἀληθῆ λέγε. τί τὰ πράγμαθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐστι τἀν Λακεδαίμονι; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων ὀρσὰ Λακεδαίμων πᾶα καὶ τοὶ σύμμαχοι 995 ἅπαντες ἐστύκαντι· Πελλάνας δὲ δεῖ. Κινησίας ἀπὸ τοῦ δὲ τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν ὑμῖν ἐνέπεσεν; ἀπὸ Πανός; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ἆρχεν οἰῶ Λαμπιτώ, ἔπειτα τἄλλαι ταὶ κατὰ Σπάρταν ἅμα γυναῖκες περ ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὑσπλαγίδος 1000 ἀπήλααν τὼς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν ὑσσάκων. Κινησίας πῶς οὖν ἔχετε; Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων μογίομες. ἂν γὰρ τὰν πόλιν περ λυχνοφορίοντες ἐπικεκύφαμες. ταὶ γὰρ γυναῖκες οὐδὲ τῶ μύρτω σιγεῖν ἐῶντι, πρίν γ᾽ ἅπαντες ἐξ ἑνὸς λόγω 1005 σπονδὰς ποιησώμεσθα ποττὰν Ἑλλάδα. Κινησίας τουτὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα πανταχόθεν ξυνομώμοται ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν· ἄρτι νυνὶ μανθάνω. ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα φράζε περὶ διαλλαγῶν αὐτοκράτορας πρέσβεις ἀποπέμπειν ἐνθαδί. 1010 ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἑτέρους ἐνθένδε τῇ βουλῇ φράσω πρέσβεις ἑλέσθαι τὸ πέος ἐπιδείξας τοδί. Κῆρυξ Λακεδαιμονίων ποτάομαι· κράτιστα γὰρ παντᾷ λέγεις. Χορὸς Γερόντων οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον, οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις. 1015 Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ταῦτα μέντοι <σὺ> ξυνιεὶς εἶτα πολεμεῖς ἐμοί, ἐξὸν ὦ πόνηρε σοὶ βέβαιον ἔμ᾽ ἔχειν φίλην; Χορὸς Γερόντων ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν βούλῃ σύ· νῦν δ᾽ οὖν οὔ σε περιόψομαι γυμνὸν ὄνθ᾽ οὕτως. ὁρῶ γὰρ ὡς καταγέλαστος εἶ. 1020 ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδ᾽ ἐνδύσω σε προσιοῦσ᾽ ἐγώ. Χορὸς Γερόντων τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δί᾽ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε· ἀλλ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότ᾽ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν πρῶτα μὲν φαίνει γ᾽ ἀνήρ, εἶτ᾽ οὐ καταγέλαστος εἶ. κεἴ με μὴ ᾽λύπεις, ἐγώ σου κἂν τόδε τὸ θηρίον 1025 τοὐπὶ τὠφθαλμῷ λαβοῦσ᾽ ἐξεῖλον ἂν ὃ νῦν ἔνι. Χορὸς Γερόντων τοῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί· ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι· ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλὰ δράσω ταῦτα· καίτοι δύσκολος ἔφυς ἀνήρ. 1030 ἦ μέγ᾽ ὦ Ζεῦ χρῆμ᾽ ἰδεῖν τῆς ἐμπίδος ἔνεστί σοι. οὐχ ὁρᾷς; οὐκ ἐμπίς ἐστιν ἥδε Τρικορυσία; Χορὸς Γερόντων νὴ Δί᾽ ὤνησάς γέ μ᾽, ὡς πάλαι γέ μ᾽ ἐφρεωρύχει, ὥστ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ᾽ξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἀλλ᾽ ἀποψήσω σ᾽ ἐγώ, καίτοι πάνυ πονηρὸς εἶ, 1035 καὶ φιλήσω. Χορὸς Γερόντων μὴ φιλήσῃς. Χορὸς Γυναικῶν ἤν τε βούλῃ γ᾽ ἤν τε μή. Χορὸς Γερόντων ἀλλὰ μὴ ὥρασ᾽ ἵκοισθ᾽· ὡς ἐστὲ θωπικαὶ φύσει, κἄστ᾽ ἐκεῖνο τοὔπος ὀρθῶς κοὐ κακῶς εἰρημένον, οὔτε σὺν πανωλέθροισιν οὔτ᾽ ἄνευ πανωλέθρων. ἀλλὰ νυνὶ σπένδομαί σοι, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι 1040 οὔτε δράσω φλαῦρον οὐδὲν οὔθ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν πείσομαι. ἀλλὰ κοινῇ συσταλέντες τοῦ μέλους ἀρξώμεθα. Χορός οὐ παρασκευαζόμεσθα τῶν πολιτῶν οὐδέν᾽ ὦνδρες φλαῦρον εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ ἕν. 1045 ἀλλὰ πολὺ τοὔμπαλιν πάντ᾽ ἀγαθὰ καὶ λέγειν καὶ δρᾶν· ἱκανὰ γὰρ τὰ κακὰ καὶ τὰ παρακείμενα. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαγγελλέτω πᾶς ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνή, εἴ τις ἀργυρίδιον δεῖται 1050 λαβεῖν μνᾶς ἢ δύ᾽ ἢ τρεῖς, ὡς πόλλ᾽ ἔσω ᾽στὶν κἄχομεν βαλλάντια. κἄν ποτ᾽ εἰρήνη φανῇ, ὅστις ἂν νυνὶ δανείσηται 1055 παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἃν λάβῃ μηκέτ᾽ ἀποδῷ. Χορός ἑστιᾶν δὲ μέλλομεν ξένους τινὰς Καρυστίους, ἄν- δρας καλούς τε κἀγαθούς. 1060 κἄστιν <ἔτ᾽> ἔτνος τι· καὶ δελφάκιον ἦν τί μοι, καὶ τοῦτο τέθυχ᾽, ὡς τὰ κρέ᾽ ἔδεσθ᾽ ἁπαλὰ καὶ καλά. ἥκετ᾽ οὖν εἰς ἐμοῦ τήμερον· πρῲ δὲ χρὴ τοῦτο δρᾶν λελουμένους αὔ- τούς τε καὶ τὰ παιδί᾽, εἶτ᾽ εἴσω βαδίζειν, 1065 μηδ᾽ ἐρέσθαι μηδένα, ἀλλὰ χωρεῖν ἄντικρυς ὥσπερ οἴκαδ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτῶν γεννικῶς, ὡς 1070 ἡ θύρα κεκλῄσεται. Χορός καὶ μὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Σπάρτης οἱδὶ πρέσβεις ἕλκοντες ὑπήνας χωροῦσ᾽, ὥσπερ χοιροκομεῖον περὶ τοῖς μηροῖσιν ἔχοντες. ἄνδρες Λάκωνες πρῶτα μέν μοι χαίρετε, εἶτ᾽ εἴπαθ᾽ ἡμῖν πῶς ἔχοντες ἥκετε. 1075 Λάκων τί δεῖ ποθ᾽ ὑμὲ πολλὰ μυσίδδειν ἔπη; ὁρῆν γὰρ ἔξεσθ᾽ ὡς ἔχοντες ἵκομες. Χορός βαβαί· νενεύρωται μὲν ἥδε συμφορὰ δεινῶς, τεθερμῶσθαί γε χεῖρον φαίνεται. Λάκων ἄφατα. τί κα λέγοι τις; ἀλλ᾽ ὅπᾳ σέλει 1080 παντᾷ τις ἐλσὼν ἁμὶν εἰράναν σέτω. Χορός καὶ μὴν ὁρῶ καὶ τούσδε τοὺς αὐτόχθονας ὥσπερ παλαιστὰς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν γαστέρων θαἰμάτι᾽ ἀποστέλλοντας· ὥστε φαίνεται ἀσκητικὸν τὸ χρῆμα τοῦ νοσήματος. 1085 'Αθηναίος τίς ἂν φράσεις ποῦ᾽ στιν ἡ Λυσιστράτη; ὡς ἄνδρες ἡμεῖς οὑτοιὶ τοιουτοιί. Χορός χαὔτη ξυνᾴδει χἠτέρα ταύτῃ νόσῳ. ἦ που πρὸς ὄρθρον σπασμὸς ὑμᾶς λαμβάνει; 'Αθηναίος μὰ Δί᾽ ἀλλὰ ταυτὶ δρῶντες ἐπιτετρίμμεθα. 1090 ὥστ᾽ εἴ τις ἡμᾶς μὴ διαλλάξει ταχύ, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως οὐ Κλεισθένη βινήσομεν. Χορός εἰ σωφρονεῖτε, θαἰμάτια λήψεσθ᾽, ὅπως τῶν Ἑρμοκοπιδῶν μή τις ὑμᾶς ὄψεται. 'Αθηναίος νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ εὖ μέντοι λέγεις. 1095 Λάκων ναὶ τὼ σιὼ παντᾷ γα. φέρε τὸ ἔσθος ἀμβαλώμεθα. 'Αθηναίος ὢ χαίρετ᾽ ὦ Λάκωνες· αἰσχρά γ᾽ ἐπάθομεν. Λάκων ὦ Πολυχαρείδα δεινά κ᾽ αὖ ᾽πεπόνθεμες, αἰ εἶδον ἁμὲ τὤνδρες ἀμπεφλασμένως. 'Αθηναίος ἄγε δὴ Λάκωνες αὔθ᾽ ἕκαστα χρὴ λέγειν. 1100 ἐπὶ τί πάρεστε δεῦρο; Λάκων περὶ διαλλαγᾶν πρέσβεις. 'Αθηναίος καλῶς δὴ λέγετε· χἠμεῖς τουτογί. τί οὐ καλοῦμεν δῆτα τὴν Λυσιστράην, ἥπερ διαλλάξειεν ἡμᾶς ἂν μόνη; Λάκων ναὶ τὼ σιὼ κἂν λῆτε τὸν Λυσίστρατον. 1105 'Αθηναίος ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἔοικε, δεῖ καλεῖν· αὐτὴ γάρ, ὡς ἤκουσεν, ἥδ᾽ ἐξέρχεται. Χορός χαῖρ᾽ ὦ πασῶν ἀνδρειοτάτη· δεῖ δὴ νυνί σε γενέσθαι δεινὴν <δειλὴν> ἀγαθὴν φαύλην σεμνὴν ἀγανὴν πολύπειρον· ὡς οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων τῇ σῇ ληφθέντες ἴυγγι 1110 συνεχώρησάν σοι καὶ κοινῇ τἀγκλήματα πάντ᾽ ἐπέτρεψαν. Λυσιστράτη ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ χαλεπὸν τοὔργον, εἰ λάβοι γέ τις ὀργῶντας ἀλλήλων τε μὴ ᾽κπειρωμένους. τάχα δ᾽ εἴσομαι ᾽γώ. ποῦ ᾽στιν ἡ Διαλλαγή; πρόσαγε λαβοῦσα πρῶτα τοὺς Λακωνικούς, 1115 καὶ μὴ χαλεπῇ τῇ χειρὶ μηδ᾽ αὐθαδικῇ, μηδ᾽ ὥσπερ ἡμῶν ἅνδρες ἀμαθῶς τοῦτ᾽ ἔδρων, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς γυναῖκας εἰκός, οἰκείως πάνυ, ἢν μὴ διδῷ τὴν χεῖρα, τῆς σάθης ἄγε. ἴθι καὶ σὺ τούτους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἄγε, 1120 οὗ δ᾽ ἂν διδῶσι πρόσαγε τούτους λαβομένη. ἄνδρες Λάκωνες στῆτε παρ᾽ ἐμὲ πλησίον, ἐνθένδε δ᾽ ὑμεῖς, καὶ λόγων ἀκούσατε. ἐγὼ γυνὴ μέν εἰμι, νοῦς δ᾽ ἔνεστί μοι, αὐτὴ δ᾽ ἐμαυτῆς οὐ κακῶς γνώμης ἔχω, 1125 τοὺς δ᾽ ἐκ πατρός τε καὶ γεραιτέρων λόγους πολλοὺς ἀκούσασ᾽ οὐ μεμούσωμαι κακῶς. λαβοῦσα δ᾽ ὑμᾶς λοιδορῆσαι βούλομαι κοινῇ δικαίως, οἳ μιᾶς ἐκ χέρνιβος βωμοὺς περιῤῥαίνοντες ὥσπερ ξυγγενεῖς 1130 Ὀλυμπίασιν, ἐν Πύλαις, Πυθοῖ (πόσους εἴποιμ᾽ ἂν ἄλλους, εἴ με μηκύνειν δέοι;) ἐχθρῶν παρόντων βαρβάρων στρατεύματι Ἕλληνας ἄνδρας καὶ πόλεις ἀπόλλυτε. εἷς μὲν λόγος μοι δεῦρ᾽ ἀεὶ περαίνεται. 1135 'Αθηναίος ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἀπόλλυμαί γ᾽ ἀπεψωλημένος. Λυσιστράτη εἶτ᾽ ὦ Λάκωνες, πρὸς γὰρ ὑμᾶς τρέψομαι, οὐκ ἴσθ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐλθὼν δεῦρο Περικλείδας ποτὲ ὁ Λάκων Ἀθηναίων ἱκέτης καθέζετο ἐπὶ τοῖσι βωμοῖς ὠχρὸς ἐν φοινικίδι 1140 στρατιὰν προσαιτῶν; ἡ δὲ Μεσσήνη τότε ὑμῖν ἐπέκειτο χὠ θεὸς σείων ἅμα. ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν ὁπλίταισι τετρακισχιλίοις Κίμων ὅλην ἔσωσε τὴν Λακεδαίμονα. ταυτὶ παθόντες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὕπο 1145 δῃοῦτε χώραν, ἧς ὑπ᾽ εὖ πεπόνθατε; 'Αθηναίος ἀδικοῦσιν οὗτοι νὴ Δί᾽ ὦ Λυσιστράτη. Λάκων ἀδικίομες· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πρωκτὸς ἄφατον ὡς καλός. Λυσιστράτη ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἀφήσειν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους <μ᾽> οἴει; οὐκ ἴσθ᾽ ὅθ᾽ ὑμᾶς οἱ Λάκωνες αὖθις αὖ 1150 κατωνάκας φοροῦντας ἐλθόντες δορὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας Θετταλῶν ἀπώλεσαν, πολλοὺς δ᾽ ἑταίρους Ἱππίου καὶ ξυμμάχους, ξυνεκμαχοῦντες τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ μόνοι, κἠλευθέρωσαν κἀντὶ τῆς κατωνάκης 1155 τὸν δῆμον ὑμῶν χλαῖναν ἠμπέσχον πάλιν; Λάκων οὔπα γυναῖκ᾽ ὄπωπα χαϊωτεραν. 'Αθηναίος ἐγὼ δὲ κύσθον γ᾽ οὐδέπω καλλίονα. Λυσιστράτη τί δῆθ᾽ υπηργμένων γε πολλῶν κἀγαθῶν μάχεσθε κοὐ παύεσθε τῆς μοχθηρίας; 1160 τί δ᾽ οὐ διηλλάγητε; φέρε τί τοὐμποδών; Λάκων ἁμές γε λῶμες, αἴ τις ἁμὶν τὤγκυκλον λῇ τοῦτ᾽ ἀποδόμεν. Λυσιστράτη ποῖον ὦ τᾶν; Λάκων τὰν Πύλον, ἇσπερ πάλαι δεόμεθα καὶ βλιμάττομες. 'Αθηναίος μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ τοῦτο μέν γ᾽ οὐ δράσετε. 1165 Λυσιστράτη ἄφετ᾽ ὦγάθ᾽ αὐτοῖς. 'Αθηναίος κᾆτα τίνα κινήσομεν; Λυσιστράτη ἕτερόν γ᾽ ἀπαιτεῖτ᾽ ἀντὶ τούτου χωρίον. 'Αθηναίος τὸ δεῖνα τοίνυν παράδοθ᾽ ἡμῖν τουτονὶ πρώτιστα τὸν Ἐχινοῦντα καὶ τὸν Μηλιᾶ κόλπον τὸν ὄπισθεν καὶ τὰ Μεγαρικὰ σκέλη. 1170 Λάκων οὐ τὼ σιὼ οὐχὶ πάντα γ᾽ ὦ λισσάνιε. Λυσιστράτη ἐᾶτε, μηδὲν διαφέρου περὶ σκελοῖν. 'Αθηναίος ἤδη γεωργεῖν γυμνὸς ἀποδὺς βούλομαι. Λάκων ἐγὼ δὲ κοπραγωγεῖν γα πρῶτα ναὶ τὼ σιώ. Λυσιστράτη ἐπὴν διαλλαγῆτε, ταῦτα δράσετε. 1175 ἀλλ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα, βουλεύσασθε καὶ τοῖς ξυμμάχοις ἐλθόντες ἀνακοινώσατε. 'Αθηναίος ποίοισιν ὦ τᾶν ξυμμάχοις; ἐστύκαμεν. οὐ ταὐτὰ δόξει τοῖσι συμμάχοισι νῷν βινεῖν ἅπασιν; 1180 Λάκων τοῖσι γῶν ναὶ τὼ σιὼ ἁμοῖσι. 'Αθηναίος καὶ γὰρ ναὶ μὰ Δία Καρυστίοις. Λυσιστράτη καλῶς λέγετε. νῦν οὖν ὅπως ἁγνεύσετε, ὅπως ἂν αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμᾶς ἐν πόλει ξενίσωμεν ὧν ἐν ταῖσι κίσταις εἴχομεν. ὅρκους δ᾽ ἐκεῖ καὶ πίστιν ἀλλήλοις δότε. 1185 κἄπειτα τὴν αὑτοῦ γυναῖχ᾽ ὑμῶν λαβὼν ἄπεισ᾽ ἕκαστος. 'Αθηναίος ἀλλ᾽ ἴωμεν ὡς τάχος. Λάκων ἄγ᾽ ὅπᾳ τυ λῇς. 'Αθηναίος νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ὡς τάχιστ᾽ ἄγε. Χορός στρωμάτων δὲ ποικίλων καὶ χλανιδίων καὶ ξυστίδων καὶ 1190 χρυσίων, ὅσ᾽ ἐστί μοι, οὐ φθόνος ἔνεστί μοι πᾶσι παρέχειν φέρειν τοῖς παισίν, ὁπόταν τε θυγάτηρ τινὶ κανηφορῇ. πᾶσιν ὑμῖν λέγω λαμβάνειν τῶν ἐμῶν χρημάτων νῦν ἔνδοθεν, καὶ 1195 μηδὲν οὕτως εὖ σεσημάν- θαι τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ τοὺς ῥύπους ἀνασπάσαι, χἄττ᾽ <ἂν> ἔνδον ᾖ φορεῖν. ὄψεται δ᾽ οὐδὲν σκοπῶν, εἰ 1200 μή τις ὑμῶν ὀξύτερον ἐμοῦ βλέπει. Χορός εἰ δέ τῳ μὴ σῖτος ὑμῶν ἔστι, βόσκει δ᾽ οἰκέτας καὶ σμικρὰ πολλὰ παιδία, 1205 ἔστι παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν πυρίδια λεπτὰ μέν, ὁ δ᾽ ἄρτος ἀπὸ χοίνικος ἰδεῖν μάλα νεανίας. ὅστις οὖν βούλεται τῶν πενήτων ἴτω εἰς ἐμοῦ σάκκους ἔχων καὶ κωρύκους, ὡς λήψεται πυ- 1210 ρούς· ὁ Μανῆς δ᾽ οὑμὸς αὐτοῖς ἐμβαλεῖ. πρός γε μέντοι τὴν θύραν προαγορεύω μὴ βαδίζειν τὴν ἐμήν, ἀλλ᾽ εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὴν κύνα. 1215 'Αθηναίος Α' ἄνοιγε τὴν θύραν· παραχωρεῖν οὐ θέλεις; ὑμεῖς τί κάθησθε; μῶν ἐγὼ τῇ λαμπάδι ὑμᾶς κατακαύσω; φορτικὸν τὸ χωρίον. οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιμ᾽. εἰ δὲ πάνυ δεῖ τοῦτο δρᾶν, ὑμῖν χαρίσασθαι, προσταλαιπωρήσομεν. 1220 'Αθηναίος Β' χἠμεῖς γε μετὰ σοῦ ξυνταλαιπωρήσομεν. Αθηναίος Α' οὐκ ἄπιτε; κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά. οὐκ ἄπιθ᾽, ὅπως ἂν οἱ Λάκωνες ἔνδοθεν καθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν ἀπίωσιν εὐωχημένοι; 'Αθηναίος Β' οὔπω τοιοῦτον συμπόσιον ὄπωπ᾽ ἐγώ. 1225 ἦ καὶ χαρίεντες ἦσαν οἱ Λακωνικοί· ἡμεῖς δ᾽ ἐν οἴνῳ συμπόται σοφώτατοι. Αθηναίος Α' ὀρθῶς γ᾽, ὁτιὴ νήφοντες οὐχ ὑγιαίνομεν· ἢν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐγὼ πείσω λέγων, μεθύοντες ἀεὶ πανταχοῖ πρεσβεύσομεν. 1230 νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἔλθωμεν ἐς Λακεδαίμονα νήφοντες, εὐθὺς βλέπομεν ὅ τι ταράξομεν· ὥσθ᾽ ὅ τι μὲν ἂν λέγωσιν οὐκ ἀκούομεν, ἃ δ᾽ οὐ λέγουσι, ταῦθ᾽ ὑπονενοήκαμεν, ἀγγέλλομεν δ᾽ οὐ ταὐτὰ τῶν αὐτῶν πέρι. 1235 νυνὶ δ᾽ ἅπαντ᾽ ἤρεσκεν· ὥστ᾽ εἰ μέν γέ τις ᾄδοι Τελαμῶνος, Κλειταγόρας ᾄδειν δέον, ἐπῃνέσαμεν ἂν καὶ προσεπιωρκήσαμεν. ἀλλ᾽ οὑτοιὶ γὰρ αὖθις ἔρχονται πάλιν ἐς ταὐτόν. οὐκ ἐῤῥήσετ᾽ ὦ μαστιγίαι; 1240 Αθηναίος Β' νὴ τὸν Δί᾽ ὡς ἤδη γε χωροῦσ᾽ ἔνδοθεν. Λάκων ὦ Πολυχαρείδα λαβὲ τὰ φυσατήρια, ἵν᾽ ἐγὼ διποδιάξω τε κἀείσω καλὸν ἐς τὼς Ἀσαναίως τε καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἅμα. 'Αθηναίος λαβὲ δῆτα τὰς φυσαλλίδας πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, 1245 ὡς ἥδομαί γ᾽ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶν ὀρχουμένους. Χορὸς Λακεδαιμονίων ὅρμαον τὼς κυρσανίως ὦ Μναμοΰνα τάν τ᾽ ἐμὰν Μῶαν, ἅτις οἶδεν ἁμὲ τώς τ᾽ Ἀσαναίως, 1250 ὅκα τοὶ μὲν ἐπ᾽ Ἀρταμιτίῳ πρὤκροον σιοείκελοι ποττὰ κᾶλα τὼς Μήδως τ᾽ ἐνίκων, ἁμὲ δ᾽ αὖ Λεωνίδας ἆγεν περ τὼς κάπρως 1255 θάγοντας οἰῶ τὸν ὀδόντα· πολὺς δ᾽ ἀμφὶ τὰς γένυας ἀφρὸς ἤνσει, πολὺς δ᾽ ἁμᾷ καττῶν σκελῶν ἀφρὸς ἵετο. ἦν γὰρ τὤνδρες οὐκ ἐλάσσως 1260 τᾶς ψάμμας τοὶ Πέρσαι. ἀγροτέρα σηροκτόνε μόλε δεῦρο παρσένε σιὰ ποττὰς σπονδάς, ὡς συνέχῃς πολὺν ἁμὲ χρόνον. 1265 νῦν δ᾽ αὖ φιλία τ᾽ αἰὲς εὔπορος εἴη ταῖς συνθήκαις, καὶ τᾶν αἱμυλᾶν ἀλωπέκων παυσαίμεθα. ὢ δεῦρ᾽ ἴθι δεῦρ᾽ ὦ κυναγὲ παρσένε. 1270 'Αθηναίος ἄγε νυν ἐπειδὴ τἄλλα πεποίηται καλῶς, ἀπάγεσθε ταύτας ὦ Λάκωνες, τάσδε τε ὑμεῖς· ἀνὴρ δὲ παρὰ γυναῖκα καὶ γυνὴ 1275 στήτω παρ᾽ ἄνδρα, κᾆτ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθαῖς συμφοραῖς ὀρχησάμενοι θεοῖσιν εὐλαβώμεθα τὸ λοιπὸν αὖθις μὴ ᾽ξαμαρτάνειν ἔτι. Χορὸς 'Αθηναίων πρόσαγε χορόν, ἔπαγε <δὲ> Χάριτας, ἐπὶ δὲ κάλεσον Ἄρτεμιν, 1280 ἐπὶ δὲ δίδυμον ἀγέχορον Ἰήιον εὔφρον᾽, ἐπὶ δὲ Νύσιον, ὃς μετὰ μαινάσι Βάκχιος ὄμμασι δαίεται, Δία τε πυρὶ φλεγόμενον, ἐπί τε 1285 πότνιαν ἄλοχον ὀλβίαν· εἶτα δὲ δαίμονας, οἷς ἐπιμάρτυσι χρησόμεθ᾽ οὐκ ἐπιλήσμοσιν Ἡσυχίας πέρι τῆς ἀγανόφρονος, ἣν ἐποίησε θεὰ Κύπρις. 1290 ἀλαλαὶ ἰὴ παιήων· αἴρεσθ᾽ ἄνω ἰαί, ὡς ἐπὶ νίκῃ ἰαί. εὐοῖ εὐοῖ, εὐαί εὐαί. 'Αθηναίος πρόφαινε δὴ σὺ Μοῦσαν ἐπὶ νέᾳ νέαν. 1295 Χορὸς Λακεδαιμονίων Ταΰγετον αὖτ᾽ ἐραννὸν ἐκλιπῶα Μῶα μόλε Λάκαινα πρεπτὸν ἁμὶν κλέωα τὸν Ἀμύκλαις σιὸν καὶ χαλκίοικον Ἀσάναν, 1300 Τυνδαρίδας τ᾽ ἀγασώς, τοὶ δὴ πὰρ Εὐρώταν ψιάδδοντι. εἶα μάλ᾽ ἔμβη ὢ εἶα κοῦφα πάλλων, ὡς Σπάρταν ὑμνίωμες, 1305 τᾷ σιῶν χοροὶ μέλοντι καὶ ποδῶν κτύπος, τε πῶλοι ταὶ κόραι πὰρ τὸν Εὐρωταν ἀμπάλλοντι πυκνὰ ποδοῖν 1310 ἀγκονίωαι, ταὶ δὲ κόμαι σείονθ᾽ περ Βακχᾶν θυρσαδδωᾶν καὶ παιδδωᾶν. ἁγεῖται δ᾽ ἁ Λήδας παῖς ἁγνὰ χοραγὸς εὐπρεπής. 1315 ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε κόμαν παραμπύκιδδε χερί, ποδοῖν τε πάδη τις ἔλαφος· κρότον δ᾽ ἁμᾷ ποίει χορωφελήταν. καὶ τὰν σιὰν δ᾽ αὖ τὰν κρατίσταν Χαλκίοικον ὕμνει τὰν πάμμαχον. 1320 | (SCENE:-At the base of the Orchestra are two buildings, the house of LYSISTRATA and the entrance to the Acropolis; a winding and narrow path leads up to the latter. Between the two buildings is the opening of the Cave of Pan. LYSISTRATA is pacing up and down in front of her house.) LYSISTRATA Ah! if only they had been invited to a Bacchic revelling, or a feast of Pan or Aphrodite or Genetyllis, why! the streets would have been impassable for the thronging tambourines! Now there's never a woman here-ah! except my neighbour Cleonice, whom I see approaching yonder.... Good day, Cleonice. CLEONICE Good day, Lysistrata; but pray, why this dark, forbidding face, my dear? Believe me, you don't look a bit pretty with those black lowering brows. LYSISTRATA Oh, Cleonice, my heart is on fire; I blush for our sex. Men will have it we are tricky and sly.... CLEONICE And they are quite right, upon my word! LYSISTRATA Yet, look you, when the women are summoned to meet for a matter of the greatest importance, they lie in bed instead of coming. CLEONICE Oh! they will come, my dear; but it's not easy, you know, for women to leave the house. One is busy pottering about her husband; another is getting the servant up; a third is putting her child asleep or washing the brat or feeding it. LYSISTRATA But I tell you, the business that calls them here is far and away more urgent. CLEONICE And why do you summon us, dear Lysistrata? What is it all about? LYSISTRATA About a big thing. CLEONICE (wearily) And is it thick too? LYSISTRATA Yes, very thick. CLEONICE And we are not all on the spot! Imagine! LYSISTRATA (wearily) Oh! if it were what you suppose, there would be never an absentee. No, no, it concerns a thing I have turned about and about this way and that so many sleepless nights. CLEONICE (still unable to be serious) It must be something mighty fine and subtle for you to have turned it about so! LYSISTRATA So fine, it means just this, Greece saved by the women! CLEONICE By the women! Why, its salvation hangs on a poor thread then! LYSISTRATA Our country's fortunes depend on us-it is with us to undo utterly the Peloponnesians. CLEONICE That would be a noble deed truly! LYSISTRATA To exterminate the Boeotians to a man! CLEONICE But surely you would spare the eels. LYSISTRATA For Athens' sake I will never threaten so fell a doom; trust me for that. However, if the Boeotian and Peloponnesian women join us, Greece is saved. CLEONICE But how should women perform so wise and glorious an achievement, we women who dwell in the retirement of the household, clad in diaphanous garments of yellow silk and long flowing gowns, decked out with flowers and shod with dainty little slippers? LYSISTRATA Ah, but those are the very sheet-anchors of our salvation-those yellow tunics, those scents and slippers, those cosmetics and transparent robes. CLEONICE How so, pray? LYSISTRATA There is not a man will wield a lance against another... CLEONICE Quick, I will get me a yellow tunic from the dyer's. LYSISTRATA ...or want a shield. CLEONICE I'll run and put on a flowing gown. LYSISTRATA ...or draw a sword. CLEONICE I'll haste and buy a pair of slippers this instant. LYSISTRATA Now tell me, would not the women have done best to come? CLEONICE Why, they should have flown here! LYSISTRATA Ah! my dear, you'll see that like true Athenians, they will do everything too late.... Why, there's not a woman come from the shore, not one from Salamis. CLEONICE But I know for certain they embarked at daybreak. LYSISTRATA And the dames from Acharnae! why, I thought they would have been the very first to arrive. CLEONICE Theagenes' wife at any rate is sure to come; she has actually been to consult Hecate.... But look! here are some arrivals-and there are more behind. Ah! ha! now what countrywomen may they be? LYSISTRATA They are from Anagyra. CLEONICE Yes! upon my word, 'tis a levy en masse of all the female population of Anagyra! (MYRRHINE enters, followed by other women.) MYRRHINE Are we late, Lysistrata? Tell us, pray; what, not a word? LYSISTRATA I cannot say much for you, Myrrhine! you have not bestirred yourself overmuch for an affair of such urgency. MYRRHINE I could not find my girdle in the dark. However, if the matter is so pressing, here we are; so speak. CLEONICE No, let's wait a moment more, till the women of Boeotia arrive and those from the Peloponnese. LYSISTRATA Yes, that is best.... Ah! here comes Lampito. (LAMPITO, a husky Spartan damsel, enters with three others, two from Boeotia and one from Corinth.) Good day, Lampito, dear friend from Lacedaemon. How well and handsome you look! what a rosy complexion! and how strong you seem; why, you could strangle a bull surely! LAMPITO Yes, indeed, I really think I could. It's because I do gymnastics and practise the bottom-kicking dance. CLEONICE (opening LAMPITO'S robe and baring her bosom) And what superb breasts! LAMPITO La! you are feeling me as if I were a beast for sacrifice. LYSISTRATA And this young woman, where is she from? LAMPITO She is a noble lady from Boeotia. LYSISTRATA Ah! my pretty Boeotian friend, you are as blooming as a garden. CLEONICE (making another inspection) Yes, on my word! and her "garden" is so thoroughly weeded too! LYSISTRATA (pointing to the Corinthian) And who is this? LAMPITO 'Tis an honest woman, by my faith! she comes from Corinth. CLEONICE Oh! honest, no doubt then-as honesty goes at Corinth. LAMPITO But who has called together this council of women, pray? LYSISTRATA I have. LAMPITO Well then, tell us what you want of us. CLEONICE Yes, please tell us! What is this very important business you wish to inform us about? LYSISTRATA I will tell you. But first answer me one question. CLEONICE Anything you wish. LYSISTRATA Don't you feel sad and sorry because the fathers of your children are far away from you with the army? For I'll wager there is not one of you whose husband is not abroad at this moment. CLEONICE Mine has been the last five months in Thrace-looking after Eucrates. MYRRHINE It's seven long months since mine left for Pylos. LAMPITO As for mine, if he ever does return from service, he's no sooner home than he takes down his shield again and flies back to the wars. LYSISTRATA And not so much as the shadow of a lover! Since the day the Milesians betrayed us, I have never once seen an eight-inch gadget even, to be a leathern consolation to us poor widows.... Now tell me, if I have discovered a means of ending the war, will you all second me? CLEONICE Yes verily, by all the goddesses, I swear I will, though I have to put my gown in pawn, and drink the money the same day. MYRRHINE And so will I, though I must be split in two like a flat-fish, and have half myself removed. LAMPITO And I too; why to secure peace, I would climb to the top of Mount Taygetus. LYSISTRATA Then I will out with it at last, my mighty secret! Oh! sister women, if we would compel our husbands to make peace, we must refrain... CLEONICE Refrain from what? tell us, tell us! LYSISTRATA But will you do it? MYRRHINE We will, we will, though we should die of it. LYSISTRATA We must refrain from the male altogether.... Nay, why do you turn your backs on me? Where are you going? So, you bite your lips, and shake your heads, eh? Why these pale, sad looks? why these tears? Come, will you do it-yes or no? Do you hesitate? CLEONICE I will not do it, let the war go on. MYRRHINE Nor will I; let the war go on. LYSISTRATA (to MYRRHINE) And you say this, my pretty flat-fish, who declared just now they might split you in two? CLEONICE Anything, anything but that! Bid me go through the fire, if you will,-but to rob us of the sweetest thing in all the world, Lysistrata darling! LYSISTRATA (to MYRRHINE) And you? MYRRHINE Yes, I agree with the others; I too would sooner go through the fire. LYSISTRATA Oh, wanton, vicious sex! the poets have done well to make tragedies upon us; we are good for nothing then but love and lewdness! But you, my dear, you from hardy Sparta, if you join me, all may yet be well; help me, second me, I beg you. LAMPITO 'Tis a hard thing, by the two goddesses it is! for a woman to sleep alone without ever a strong male in her bed. But there, peace must come first. LYSISTRATA Oh, my darling, my dearest, best friend, you are the only one deserving the name of woman! CLEONICE But if-which the gods forbid-we do refrain altogether from what you say, should we get peace any sooner? LYSISTRATA Of course we should, by the goddesses twain! We need only sit indoors with painted cheeks, and meet our mates lightly clad in transparent gowns of Amorgos silk, and perfectly depilated; they will get their tools up and be wild to lie with us. That will be the time to refuse, and they will hasten to make peace, I am convinced of that! LAMPITO Yes, just as Menelaus, when he saw Helen's naked bosom, threw away his sword, they say. CLEONICE But, oh dear, suppose our husbands go away and leave us. LYSISTRATA Then, as Pherecrates says, we must "flay a skinned dog," that's all. CLEONICE Fiddlesticks! these proverbs are all idle talk.... But if our husbands drag us by main force into the bedchamber? LYSISTRATA Hold on to the door posts. CLEONICE But if they beat us? LYSISTRATA Then yield to their wishes, but with a bad grace; there is no pleasure in it for them, when they do it by force. Besides, there are a thousand ways of tormenting them. Never fear, they'll soon tire of the game; there's no satisfaction for a man, unless the woman shares it. CLEONICE Very well, if you must have it so, we agree. LAMPITO For ourselves, no doubt we shall persuade our husbands to conclude a fair and honest peace; but there is the Athenian populace, how are we to cure these folk of their warlike frenzy? LYSISTRATA Have no fear; we undertake to make our own people listen to reason. LAMPITO That's impossible, so long as they have their trusty ships and the vast treasures stored in the temple of Athene. LYSISTRATA Ah! but we have seen to that; this very day the Acropolis will be in our hands. That is the task assigned to the older women; while we are here in council, they are going, under pretence of offering sacrifice, to seize the citadel. LAMPITO Well said indeed! everything is going for the best. LYSISTRATA Come, quick, Lampito, and let us bind ourselves by an inviolable oath. LAMPITO Recite the terms; we will swear to them. LYSISTRATA With pleasure. Where is our Scythian policewoman? Now, what are you staring at, pray? Lay this shield on the earth before us, its hollow upwards, and someone bring me the victim's inwards. CLEONICE Lysistrata, say, what oath are we to swear? LYSISTRATA What oath? Why, in Aeschylus, they sacrifice a sheep, and swear over a buckler; we will do the same. CLEONICE No, Lysistrata, one cannot swear peace over a buckler, surely. LYSISTRATA What other oath do you prefer? CLEONICE Let's take a white horse, and sacrifice it, and swear on its entrails. LYSISTRATA But where shall we get a white horse? CLEONICE Well, what oath shall we take then? LYSISTRATA Listen to me. Let's set a great black bowl on the ground; let's sacrifice a skin of Thasian wine into it, and take oath not to add one single drop of water. LAMPITO Ah! that's an oath pleases me more than I can say. LYSISTRATA Let them bring me a bowl and a skin of wine. CLEONICE Ah! my dears, what a noble big bowl! what fun it will be to empty it LYSISTRATA Set the bowl down on the ground, and lay your hands on the victim. ....Almighty goddess, Persuasion, and thou, bowl, boon comrade of joy and merriment, receive this our sacrifice, and be propitious to us poor women! CLEONICE (as LYSISTRATA pours the wine into the bowl) Oh! the fine red blood! how well it flows! LAMPITO And what a delicious bouquet, by Castor! CLEONICE Now, my dears, let me swear first, if you please. LYSISTRATA No, by Aphrodite, unless it's decided by lot. But come, then, Lampito, and all of you, put your hands to the bowl; and do you, Cleonice, repeat for all the rest the solemn terms I am going to recite. Then you must all swear, and pledge yourselves by the same promises,-I will have naught to do whether with lover or husband... CLEONICE (faintly) I will have naught to do whether with lover or husband... LYSISTRATA Albeit he come to me with an erection... CLEONICE (her voice quavering) Albeit he come to me with an erection... (in despair) Oh! Lysistrata, I cannot bear it! LYSISTRATA (ignoring this outburst) I will live at home unbulled... CLEONICE I will live at home unbulled... LYSISTRATA Beautifully dressed and wearing a saffron-coloured gown CLEONICE Beautifully dressed and wearing a saffron-coloured gown... LYSISTRATA To the end I may inspire my husband with the most ardent longings. CLEONICE To the end I may inspire my husband with the most ardent longings. LYSISTRATA Never will I give myself voluntarily... CLEONICE Never will I give myself voluntarily... LYSISTRATA And if he has me by force... CLEONICE And if he has me by force... LYSISTRATA I will be cold as ice, and never stir a limb... CLEONICE I will be cold as ice, and never stir a limb... LYSISTRATA I will neither extend my Persian slippers toward the ceiling... CLEONICE I will neither extend my Persian slippers toward the ceiling... LYSISTRATA Nor will I crouch like the carven lions on a knife-handle. CLEONICE Nor will I crouch like the carven lions on a knife-handle. LYSISTRATA And if I keep my oath, may I be suffered to drink of this wine. CLEONICE (more courageously) And if I keep my oath, may I be suffered to drink of this wine. LYSISTRATA But if I break it, let my bowl be filled with water. CLEONICE But if I break it, let my bowl be filled with water. LYSISTRATA Will you all take this oath? ALL We do. LYSISTRATA Then I'll now consume this remnant. (She drinks.) CLEONICE (reaching for the cup) Enough, enough, my dear; now let us all drink in turn to cement our friendship. (They pass the cup around and all drink. A great commotion is heard off stage.) LAMPITO Listen! what do those cries mean? LYSISTRATA It's what I was telling you; the women have just occupied the Acropolis. So now, Lampito, you return to Sparta to organize the plot, while your comrades here remain as hostages. For ourselves, let us go and join the rest in the citadel, and let us push the bolts well home. CLEONICE But don't you think the men will march up against us? LYSISTRATA I laugh at them. Neither threats nor flames shall force our doors; they shall open only on the conditions I have named. CLEONICE Yes, yes, by Aphrodite; otherwise we should be called cowardly and wretched women. (She follows LYSISTRATA out.) (The scene shifts to the entrance of the Acropolis. The CHORUS OF OLD MEN slowly enters, carrying faggots and pots of fire.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Go easy, Draces, go easy; why, your shoulder is all chafed by these damned heavy olive stocks. But forward still, forward, man, as needs must. FIRST SEMI-CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) What unlooked-for things do happen, to be sure, in a long life! Ah! Strymodorus, who would ever have thought it? Here we have the women, who used, for our misfortune, to eat our bread and live in our houses, daring nowadays to lay hands on the holy image of the goddess, to seize the Acropolis and draw bars and bolts to keep any from entering! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Come, Philurgus, man, let's hurry there; let's lay our faggots all about the citadel, and on the blazing pile burn with our hands these vile conspiratresses, one and all-and Lycon's wife first and foremost! SECOND SEMI-CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) Nay, by Demeter, never will I let them laugh at me, whiles I have a breath left in my body. Cleomenes himself, the first who ever seized our citadel, had to quit it to his sore dishonour; spite his Lacedaemonian pride, he had to deliver me up his arms and slink off with a single garment to his back. My word! but he was filthy and ragged! and what an unkempt beard, to be sure! He had not had a bath for six long years! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Oh! but that was a mighty siege! Our men were ranged seventeen deep before the gate, and never left their posts, even to sleep. These women, these enemies of Euripides and all the gods, shall I do nothing to hinder their inordinate insolence? else let them tear down my trophies of Marathon. FIRST SEMI-CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) But look, to finish this toilsome climb only this last steep bit is left to mount. Truly, it's no easy job without beasts of burden, and how these logs do bruise my shoulder! Still let us carry on, and blow up our fire and see it does not go out just as we reach our destination. Phew! phew! (Blowing the fire) Oh! dear! what a dreadful smoke! SECOND SEMI-CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) It bites my eyes like a mad dog. It is Lemnian fire for sure, or it would never devour my eyelids like this. Come on, Laches, let's hurry, let's bring succour to the goddess; it's now or never! Phew! phew! (Blowing the fire) Oh dear! what a confounded smoke! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN There now, there's our fire all bright and burning, thank the gods! Now, why not first put down our loads here, then take a vine-branch, light it at the brazier and hurl it at the gate by way of battering-ram? If they don't answer our summons by pulling back the bolts, then we set fire to the woodwork, and the smoke will choke them. Ye gods! what a smoke! Pfaugh! Is there never a Samian general will help me unload my burden?-Ah! it shall not gall my shoulder any more. (Setting down the wood) Come, brazier, do your duty, make the embers flare, that I may kindle a brand; I want to be the first to hurl one. Aid me, heavenly Victory; let us punish for their insolent audacity the women who have seized our citadel, and may we raise a trophy of triumph for success! (They begin to build a fire. The CHORUS OF WOMEN now enters, carrying pots of water.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Oh! my dears, methinks I see fire and smoke; can it be a conflagration? Let us hurry all we can. FIRST SEMI-CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) Fly, fly, Nicodice, ere Calyce and Critylle perish in the fire, or are stifled in the smoke raised by these accursed old men and their pitiless laws. But, great gods, can it be I come too late? Rising at dawn, I had the utmost trouble to fill this vessel at the fountain. Oh! what a crowd there was, and what a din! What a rattling of water-pots! Servants and slave-girls pushed and thronged me! However, here I have it full at last; and I am running to carry the water to my fellow-townswomen, whom our foes are plotting to burn alive. SECOND SEMI-CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) News has been brought us that a company of old, doddering grey-beards, loaded with enormous faggots, as if they wanted to heat a furnace, have taken the field, vomiting dreadful threats, crying that they must reduce to ashes these horrible women. Suffer them not, oh! goddess, but, of thy grace, may I see Athens and Greece cured of their warlike folly. 'Tis to this end, oh! thou guardian deity of our city, goddess of the golden crest, that they have seized thy sanctuary. Be their friend and ally, Athene, and if any man hurl against them lighted firebrands, aid us to carry water to extinguish them. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN What is this I see, ye wretched old men? Honest and pious folk ye cannot be who act so vilely. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Ah, ha! here's something new! a swarm of women stand posted outside to defend the gates! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Fart at us, would you? we seem a mighty host, yet you do not see the ten-thousandth part of our sex. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Ho, Phaedrias! shall we stop their cackle? Suppose one of us were to break a stick across their backs, eh? LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Let us set down our water-pots on the ground, to be out of the way, if they should dare to offer us violence. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Let someone knock out two or three teeth for them, as they did to Bupalus; they won't talk so loud then. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Come on then; I wait you with unflinching foot, and no other bitch will ever grab your balls. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Silence! or my stick will cut short your days. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Now, just you dare to touch Stratyllis with the tip of your finger! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN And if I batter you to pieces with my fists, what will you do? LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I will tear out your lungs and entrails with my teeth. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Oh! what a clever poet is Euripides! how well he says that woman is the most shameless of animals. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Let's pick up our water-jars again, Rhodippe. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN You damned women, what do you mean to do here with your water? LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN And you, old death-in-life, with your fire? Is it to cremate yourself? LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN I am going to build you a pyre to roast your female friends upon. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN And I,-I am going to put out your fire. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN You put out my fire-you? LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Yes, you shall soon see. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN I don't know what prevents me from roasting you with this torch. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I am getting you a bath ready to clean off the filth. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN A bath for me, you dirty slut? LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Yes, indeed, a nuptial bath-tee heel LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN (turning to his followers) Do you hear that? What insolence! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I am a free woman, I tell you. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN I will make you hold your tongue, never fear! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Ah ha! you shall never sit any more amongst the Heliasts. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN (to his torch) Burn off her hair for her! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN (to her pot) Achelous, do your duty! (The women pitch the water in their water-pots over the old men.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Was it hot? LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Hot, great gods! Enough, enough! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I'm watering you, to make you bloom afresh. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Alas! I am too dry! Ah, me how! how I am trembling with cold! (A MAGISTRATE enters, with a few Scythian policemen.) MAGISTRATE These women, have they made din enough, I wonder, with their tambourines? bewept Adonis enough upon their terraces? I was listening to the speeches last assembly day, and Demostratus, whom heaven confound! was saying we must all go over to Sicily-and lo! his wife was dancing round repeating: "Alas! alas! Adonis, woe is me for Adonis!" Demostratus was saying we must levy hoplites at Zacynthus-and there was his wife, more than half drunk, screaming on the house-roof: "Weep, weep for Adonis!"-while that infamous Mad Ox was bellowing away on his side.-Do you not blush, you women, for your wild and uproarious doings? LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN But you don't know all their effrontery yet! They abused and insulted us; then soused us with the water in their water-pots, and have set us wringing out our clothes, for all the world as if we had bepissed ourselves. MAGISTRATE And well done too, by Posidon! We men must share the blame of their ill conduct; it is we who teach them to love riot and dissoluteness and sow the seeds of wickedness in their hearts. You see a husband go into a shop: "Look you, jeweller," says he, "you remember the necklace you made for my wife. Well, the other evening, when she was dancing, the catch came open. Now, I am bound to start for Salamis; will you make it convenient to go up to-night to make her fastening secure?" Another will go to the cobbler, a great, strong fellow, with a great, long tool, and tell him: "The strap of one of my wife's sandals presses her little toe, which is extremely sensitive; come in about midday to supple the thing and stretch it." Now see the results. Take my own case-as a Magistrate I have enlisted rowers; I want money to pay them, and the women slam the door in my face. But why do we stand here with arms crossed? Bring me a crowbar; I'll chastise their insolence!-Ho! there, my fine fellow! (to one of the Scythians) what are, you gaping at the crows for? looking for a tavern, I suppose, eh? Come on, bring crowbars here, and force open the gates. I will put a hand to the work myself. LYSISTRATA (opening the gate and walking out) No need to force the gates; I am coming out-here I am. And why bolts and bars? What we want here is not bolts and bars and locks, but common sense. MAGISTRATE (jumping nervously, then striving manfully to regain his dignity) Really, my fine lady! Where is my officer? I want him to tie that woman's hands behind her back. LYSISTRATA By Artemis, the virgin goddess! if he touches me with the tip of his finger, officer of the public peace though he be, let him look out for himself! (The first Scythian defecates in terror.) MAGISTRATE (to another officer) How now, are you afraid? Seize her, I tell you, round the body. Two of you at her, and have done with it! CLEONICE By Pandrosos! if you lay a hand on her, Ill trample you underfoot till the crap comes out of you! (The second Scythian defecates in terror.) MAGISTRATE Look at the mess you've made! Where is there another officer? (To the third Scythian) Bind that minx first, the one who speaks so prettily! MYRRHINE By Phoebe, if you touch her with one finger, you'd better call quick for a surgeon! (The third Scythian defecates in terror.) MAGISTRATE What's that? Where's the officer? (To the fourth Scythian) Lay hold of her. Oh! but I'm going to stop your foolishness for you all CLEONICE By the Tauric Artemis, if you go near her, I'll pull out your hair, scream as you like. (The fourth Scythian defecates in terror.) MAGISTRATE Ah! miserable man that I am! My own officers desert me. What ho! are we to let ourselves be bested by a mob of women? Ho! Scythians mine, close up your ranks, and forward! LYSISTRATA By the holy goddesses! you'll have to make acquaintance with four companies of women, ready for the fray and well armed to boot. MAGISTRATE Forward, Scythians, and bind them! (The Scythians advance reluctantly.) LYSISTRATA Forward, my gallant companions; march forth, ye vendors of grain and eggs, garlic and vegetables, keepers of taverns and bakeries, wrench and strike and tear; come, a torrent of invective and insult! (They beat the Scythians who retire in haste.) Enough, enough now retire, never rob the vanquished! (The women withdraw.) MAGISTRATE How unfortunate for my officers! LYSISTRATA Ah, ha! so you thought you had only to do with a set of slave-women! you did not know the ardour that fills the bosom of free-born dames. MAGISTRATE Ardour! yes, by Apollo, ardour enough-especially for the wine-cup! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Sir, sir what good are words? they are of no avail with wild beasts of this sort. Don't you know how they have just washed us down-and with no very fragrant soap! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN What would you have? You should never have laid rash hands on us. If you start afresh, I'll knock your eyes out. My delight is to stay at home as coy as a young maid, without hurting anybody or moving any more than a milestone; but ware the wasps, if you go stirring up the wasps nest!CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) Ah! great gods! how get the better of these ferocious creatures? 'tis past all bearing! But come, let us try to find out the reason of the dreadful scourge. With what end in view have they seized the citadel of Cranaus, the sacred shrine that is raised upon the inaccessible rock of the Acropolis? LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN (to the MAGISTRATE) Question them; be cautious and not too credulous. It would be culpable negligence not to pierce the mystery, if we may. MAGISTRATE (addressing the women) I would ask you first why you have barred our gates. LYSISTRATA To seize the treasury; no more money, no more war. MAGISTRATE Then money is the cause of the war? LYSISTRATA And of all our troubles. It was to find occasion to steal that Pisander and all the other agitators were forever raising revolutions. Well and good! but they'll never get another drachma here. MAGISTRATE What do you propose to do then, pray? LYSISTRATA You ask me that! Why, we propose to administer the treasury ourselves. MAGISTRATE You do? LYSISTRATA What is there in that to surprise you? Do we not administer the budget of household expenses? MAGISTRATE But that is not the same thing. LYSISTRATA How so-not the same thing? MAGISTRATE It is the treasury supplies the expenses of the war. LYSISTRATA That's our first principle-no war! MAGISTRATE What! and the safety of the city? LYSISTRATA We will provide for that. MAGISTRATE You? LYSISTRATA Yes, we! MAGISTRATE What a sorry business! LYSISTRATA Yes, we're going to save you, whether you like it or not. MAGISTRATE Oh! the impudence of the creatures! LYSISTRATA You seem annoyed! but it has to be done, nevertheless. MAGISTRATE But it's the very height of iniquity! LYSISTRATA (testily) We're going to save you, my good man. MAGISTRATE But if I don't want to be saved? LYSISTRATA Why, all the more reason! MAGISTRATE But what a notion, to concern yourselves with questions of peace and war! LYSISTRATA We will explain our idea. MAGISTRATE Out with it then; quick, or... (threatening her). LYSISTRATA (sternly) Listen, and never a movement, please! MAGISTRATE (in impotent rage) Oh! it is too much for me! I cannot keep my temper! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Then look out for yourself; you have more to fear than we have. MAGISTRATE Stop your croaking, you old crow! (To LYSISTRATA) Now you, say what you have to say. LYSISTRATA Willingly. All the long time the war has lasted, we have endured in modest silence all you men did; you never allowed us to open our lips. We were far from satisfied, for we knew how things were going; often in our homes we would hear you discussing, upside down and inside out, some important turn of affairs. Then with sad hearts, but smiling lips, we would ask you: Well, in today's Assembly did they vote peace?-But, "Mind your own business!" the husband would growl, "Hold your tongue, please!" And we would say no more. CLEONICE I would not have held my tongue though, not I! MAGISTRATE You would have been reduced to silence by blows then. LYSISTRATA Well, for my part, I would say no more. But presently I would come to know you had arrived at some fresh decision more fatally foolish than ever. "Ah! my dear man," I would say, "what madness next!" But he would only look at me askance and say: "Just weave your web, please; else your cheeks will smart for hours. War is men's business!" MAGISTRATE Bravo! well said indeed! LYSISTRATA How now, wretched man? not to let us contend against your follies was bad enough! But presently we heard you asking out loud in the open street: "Is there never a man left in Athens?" and, "No, not one, not one," you were assured in reply. Then, then we made up our minds without more delay to make common cause to save Greece. Open your ears to our wise counsels and hold your tongues, and we may yet put things on a better footing. MAGISTRATE You put things indeed! Oh! this is too much! The insolence of the creatures! LYSISTRATA Be still! MAGISTRATE May I die a thousand deaths ere I obey one who wears a veil! LYSISTRATA If that's all that troubles you, here, take my veil, wrap it round your head, and hold your tongue. CLEONICE Then take this basket; put on a girdle, card wool, munch beans. The war shall be women's business. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Lay aside your water-pots, we will guard them, we will help our friends and companions. CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) For myself, I will never weary of the dance; my knees will never grow stiff with fatigue. I will brave everything with my dear allies, on whom Nature has lavished virtue, grace, boldness, cleverness, and whose wisely directed energy is going to save the State. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Oh! my good, gallant Lysistrata, and all my friends, be ever like a bundle of nettles; never let your anger slacken; the winds of fortune blow our way. LYSISTRATA May gentle Love and the sweet Cyprian Queen shower seductive charms on our breasts and our thighs. If only we may stir so amorous a feeling among the men that they stand as firm as sticks, we shall indeed deserve the name of peace-makers among the Greeks. MAGISTRATE How will that be, pray? LYSISTRATA To begin with, we shall not see you any more running like mad fellows to the Market holding lance in fist. CLEONICE That will be something gained, anyway, by the Paphian goddess, it will! LYSISTRATA Now we see them, mixed up with saucepans and kitchen stuff, armed to the teeth, looking like wild Corybantes! MAGISTRATE Why, of course; that's what brave men should do. LYSISTRATA Oh! but what a funny sight, to behold a man wearing a Gorgon's-bead buckler coming along to buy fish! CLEONICE The other day in the Market I saw a phylarch with flowing ringlets; he was on horseback, and was pouring into his helmet the broth he had just bought at an old dame's still. There was a Thracian warrior too, who was brandishing his lance like Tereus in the play; he had scared a good woman selling figs into a perfect panic, and was gobbling up all her ripest fruit- MAGISTRATE And how, pray, would you propose to restore peace and order in all the countries of Greece? LYSISTRATA It's the easiest thing in the world! MAGISTRATE Come, tell us how; I am curious to know. LYSISTRATA When we are winding thread, and it is tangled, we pass the spool across and through the skein, now this way, now that way; even so, to finish of the war, we shall send embassies hither and thither and everywhere, to disentangle matters. MAGISTRATE And is it with your yarn, and your skeins, and your spools, you think to appease so many bitter enmities, you silly women? LYSISTRATA If only you had common sense, you would always do in politics the same as we do with our yarn. MAGISTRATE Come, how is that, eh? LYSISTRATA First we wash the yarn to separate the grease and filth; do the same with all bad citizens, sort them out and drive them forth with rods-they're the refuse of the city. Then for all such as come crowding up in search of employments and offices, we must card them thoroughly; then, to bring them all to the same standard, pitch them pell-mell into the same basket, resident aliens or no, allies, debtors to the State, all mixed up together. Then as for our Colonies, you must think of them as so many isolated hanks; find the ends of the separate threads, draw them to a centre here, wind them into one, make one great hank of the lot, out of which the public can weave itself a good, stout tunic. MAGISTRATE Is it not a sin and a shame to see them carding and winding the State, these women who have neither art nor part in the burdens of the war? LYSISTRATA What! wretched man! why, it's a far heavier burden to us than to you. In the first place, we bear sons who go off to fight far away from Athens. MAGISTRATE Enough said! do not recall sad and sorry memories! LYSISTRATA Then secondly, instead of enjoying the pleasures of love and making the best of our youth and beauty, we are left to languish far from our husbands, who are all with the army. But say no more of ourselves; what afflicts me is to see our girls growing old in lonely grief. MAGISTRATE Don't the men grow old too? LYSISTRATA That is not the same thing. When the soldier returns from the wars, even though he has white hair, he very soon finds a young wife. But a woman has only one summer; if she does not make hay while the sun shines, no one will afterwards have anything to say to her, and she spends her days consulting oracles that never send her a husband. MAGISTRATE But the old man who can still get an erection... LYSISTRATA But you, why don't you get done with it and die? You are rich; go buy yourself a bier, and I will knead you a honey-cake for Cerberus. Here, take this garland. (Drenching him with water.) CLEONICE And this one too. (Drenching him with water.) MYRRHINE And these fillets. (Drenching him with water.) LYSISTRATA What else do you need? Step aboard the boat; Charon is waiting for you, you're keeping him from pushing off. MAGISTRATE To treat me so scurvily! What an insult! I will go show myself to my fellow-magistrates just as I am. LYSISTRATA What! are you blaming us for not having exposed you according to custom? Nay, console yourself; we will not fail to offer up the third-day sacrifice for you, first thing in the morning. (She goes into the Acropolis, with CLEONICE and MYRRHINE.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Awake, friends of freedom; let us hold ourselves aye ready to act. CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) I suspect a mighty peril; I foresee another tyranny like Hippias'. I am sore afraid the Laconians assembled here with Clisthenes have, by a stratagem of war, stirred up these women, enemies of the gods, to seize upon our treasury and the funds whereby I lived. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Is it not a sin and a shame for them to interfere in advising the citizens, to prate of shields and lances, and to ally themselves with Laconians, fellows I trust no more than I would so many famished wolves? The whole thing, my friends, is nothing else but an attempt to re-establish tyranny. But I will never submit; I will be on my guard for the future; I will always carry a blade hidden under myrtle boughs; I will post myself in the public square under arms, shoulder to shoulder with Aristogiton; and now, to make a start, I must just break a few of that cursed old jade's teeth yonder. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Nay, never play the brave man, else when you go back home, your own mother won't know you. But, dear friends and allies, first let us lay our burdens down. CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) Then, citizens all, hear what I have to say. I have useful counsel to give our city, which deserves it well at my hands for the brilliant distinctions it has lavished on my girlhood. At seven years of age, I carried the sacred vessels; at ten, I pounded barley for the altar of Athene; next, clad in a robe of yellow silk, I played the bear to Artemis at the Brauronia; presently, when I was grown up, a tall, handsome maiden, they put a necklace of dried figs about my neck, and I was one of the Canephori. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN So surely I am bound to give my best advice to Athens. What matters that I was born a woman, if I can cure your misfortunes? I pay my share of tolls and taxes, by giving men to the State. But you, you miserable greybeards, you contribute nothing to the public charges; on the contrary, you have wasted the treasure of our forefathers, as it was called, the treasure amassed in the days of the Persian Wars. You pay nothing at all in return; and into the bargain you endanger our lives and liberties by your mistakes. Have you one word to say for yourselves?... Ah! don't irritate me, you there, or I'll lay my slipper across your jaws; and it's pretty heavy. CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) Outrage upon outrage! things are going from bad to worse. Let us punish the minxes, every one of us that has balls to boast of. Come, off with our tunics, for a man must savour of manhood; come, my friends, let us strip naked from head to foot. Courage, I say, we who in our day garrisoned Lipsydrion; let us be young again, and shake off eld. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN If we give them the least hold over us, that's the end! their audacity will know no bounds! We shall see them building ships, and fighting sea-fights, like Artemisia; and, if they want to mount and ride as cavalry, we had best cashier the knights, for indeed women excel in riding, and have a fine. firm seat for the gallop. Just think of all those squadrons of Amazons Micon has painted for us engaged in hand-to-hand combat with men. Come then, we must now fit collars to all these willing necks. CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) By the blessed goddesses, if you anger me, I will let loose the beast of my evil passions, and a very hailstorm of blows will set you yelling for help. Come, dames, off with your tunics, and quick's the word; women must smell the smell of women in the throes of passion.... Now just you dare to measure strength with me, old greybeard, and I warrant you you'll never eat garlic or black beans any more. No, not a word! my anger is at boiling point, and I'll do with you what the beetle did with the eagle's eggs. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I laugh at your threats, so long as I have on my side Lampito here, and the noble Theban, my dear Ismenia.... Pass decree on decree, you can do us no hurt, you wretch abhorred of all your fellows. Why, only yesterday, on occasion of the feast of Hecate, I asked my neighbours of Boeotia for one of their daughters for whom my girls have a lively liking -a fine, fat eel to wit; and if they did not refuse, all along of your silly decrees! We shall never cease to suffer the like, till some one gives you a neat trip-up and breaks your neck for you! (To LYSISTRATA as she comes out from the Acropolis) You, Lysistrata, you who are leader of our glorious enterprise, why do I see you coming towards me with so gloomy an air? LYSISTRATA It's the behaviour of these naughty women, it's the female heart and female weakness that so discourage me. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Tell us, tell us, what is it? LYSISTRATA I only tell the simple truth. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN What has happened so disconcerting? Come, tell your friends. LYSISTRATA Oh! the thing is so hard to tell-yet so impossible to conceal. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Never seek to hide any ill that has befallen our cause. LYSISTRATA To blurt it out in a word-we want laying! LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Oh! Zeus, oh! Zeus! LYSISTRATA What use calling upon Zeus? The thing is even as I say. I cannot stop them any longer from lusting after the men. They are all for deserting. The first I caught was slipping out by the postern gate near the cave of Pan; another was letting herself down by a rope and pulley; a third was busy preparing her escape; while a fourth, perched on a bird's back, was just taking wing for Orsilochus' house, when I seized her by the hair. One and all, they are inventing excuses to be off home. (Pointing to the gate) Look! there goes one, trying to get out! Halloa there! whither away so fast? FIRST WOMAN I want to go home; I have some Milesian wool in the house, which is getting all eaten up by the worms. LYSISTRATA Bah! you and your worms! go back, I say! FIRST WOMAN I will return immediately, I swear I will by the two goddesses! I only have just to spread it out on the bed. LYSISTRATA You shall not do anything of the kind! I say, you shall not go. FIRST WOMAN Must I leave my wool to spoil then? LYSISTRATA Yes, if need be. SECOND WOMAN Unhappy woman that I am! Alas for my flax! I've left it at home unstript! LYSISTRATA So, here's another trying to escape to go home and strip her flax! SECOND WOMAN Oh! I swear by the goddess of light, the instant I have put it in condition I will come straight back. LYSISTRATA You shall do nothing of the kind! If once you began, others would want to follow suit. THIRD WOMAN Oh! goddess divine, Ilithyia, patroness of women in labour, stay, stay the birth, till I have reached a spot less hallowed than Athene's mount! LYSISTRATA What mean you by these silly tales? THIRD WOMAN I am going to have a child-now, this minute! LYSISTRATA But you were not pregnant yesterday! THIRD WOMAN Well, I am to-day. Oh! let me go in search of the midwife, Lysistrata, quick, quick! LYSISTRATA What is this fable you are telling me? (Feeling her stomach) Ah! what have you got there so hard? THIRD WOMAN A male child. LYSISTRATA No, no, by Aphrodite! nothing of the sort! Why, it feels like something hollow-a pot or a kettle. (Opening her robe) Oh! you silly creature, if you have not got the sacred helmet of Pallas-and you said you were with child! THIRD WOMAN And so I am, by Zeus, I am! LYSISTRATA Then why this helmet, pray? THIRD WOMAN For fear my pains should seize me in the Acropolis; I mean to lay my eggs in this helmet, as the doves do. LYSISTRATA Excuses and pretences every word! the thing's as clear as daylight. Anyway, you must stay here now till the fifth day, your day of purification. THIRD WOMAN I cannot sleep any more in the Acropolis, now I have seen the snake that guards the temple. FOURTH WOMAN Ah! and those awful owls with their dismal hooting! I cannot get a wink of rest, and I'm just dying of fatigue. LYSISTRATA You wicked women, have done with your falsehoods! You want your husbands, that's plain enough. But don't you think they want you just as badly? They are spending dreadful nights, oh! I know that well enough. But hold out, my dears, hold out! A little more patience, and the victory will be ours. An oracle promises us success, if only we remain united. Shall I repeat the words? THIRD WOMAN Yes, tell us what the oracle declares. LYSISTRATA Silence then! Now-"Whenas the swallows, fleeing before the hoopoes, shall have all flocked together in one place, and shall refrain them from all amorous commerce, then will be the end of all the ills of life; yea, and Zeus, who doth thunder in the skies, shall set above what was erst below...." THIRD WOMAN What! shall the men be underneath? LYSISTRATA "But if dissension do arise among the swallows, and they take wing from the holy temple, it will be said there is never a more wanton bird in all the world." THIRD WOMAN Ye gods! the prophecy is clear. LYSISTRATA Nay, never let us be cast down by calamity! let us be brave to bear, and go back to our posts. It would be shameful indeed not to trust the promises of the oracle. (They all go back into the Acropolis.) CHORUS OF OLD MEN (singing) I want to tell you a fable they used to relate to me when I was a little boy. This is it: Once upon a time there was a young man called Melanion, who hated the thought of marriage so sorely that he fled away to the wilds. So he dwelt in the mountains, wove himself nets, and caught hares. He never, never came back, he had such a horror of women. As chaste as Melanion, we loathe the jades just as much as he did. AN OLD MAN (beginning a brief duet with one of the women) You dear old woman, I would fain kiss you. WOMAN I will set you crying without onions. OLD MAN And give you a sound kicking. WOMAN (pointing) Ah, ha! what a dense forest you have there! OLD MAN So was Myronides one of the bushiest of men of this side; his backside was all black, and he terrified his enemies as much as Phormio. CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) I want to tell you a fable too, to match yours about Melanion. Once there was a certain man called Timon, a tough customer, and a whimsical, a true son of the Furies, with a face that seemed to glare out of a thorn-bush. He withdrew from the world because he couldn't abide bad men, after vomiting a thousand curses at them. He had a holy horror of ill-conditioned fellows, but he was mighty tender towards women. WOMAN (beginning another duet) Suppose I up and broke your jaw for you! OLD MAN I am not a bit afraid of you. WOMAN Suppose I let fly a good kick at you? OLD MAN I should see your thing then. WOMAN You would see that, for all my age, it is very well plucked. LYSISTRATA (rushing out of the Acropolis) Ho there! come quick, come quick! ONE OF THE WOMEN What is it? Why these cries? LYSISTRATA A man! a man! I see him approaching all afire with the flames of love. Oh! divine Queen of Cyprus, Paphos and Cythera, I pray you still be propitious to our enterprise. WOMAN Where is he, this unknown foe? LYSISTRATA Over there-beside the Temple of Demeter. WOMAN Yes, indeed, I see him; but who is he? LYSISTRATA Look, look! do any of you recognize him? MYRRHINE (joyfully) I do, I do! it's my husband Cinesias. LYSISTRATA To work then! Be it your task to inflame and torture and torment him. Seductions, caresses, provocations, refusals, try every means! Grant every favour,-always excepting what is forbidden by our oath on the wine-bowl. MYRRHINE Have no fear, I'll do it. LYSISTRATA Well, I shall stay here to help you cajole the man and set his passions aflame. The rest of you withdraw. (CINESIAS enters, in obvious and extreme sexual excitement. A slave follows him carrying an infant.) CINESIAS Alas! alas! how I am tortured by spasm and rigid convulsion! Oh! I am racked on the wheel! LYSISTRATA Who is this that dares to pass our lines? CINESIAS It is I. LYSISTRATA What, a man? CINESIAS Very much so! LYSISTRATA Get out. CINESIAS But who are you that thus repulses me? LYSISTRATA The sentinel of the day. CINESIAS For the gods' sake, call Myrrhine. LYSISTRATA Call Myrrhine, you say? And who are you? CINESIAS I am her husband, Cinesias, son of Paeon. LYSISTRATA Ah! good day, my dear friend. Your name is not unknown amongst us. Your wife has it forever on her lips; and she never touches an egg or an apple without saying: "This is for Cinesias." CINESIAS Really and truly? LYSISTRATA Yes, indeed, by Aphrodite! And if we fall to talking of men, quick your wife declares: "Oh! all the rest, they're good for nothing compared with Cinesias." CINESIAS Oh! please, please go and call her to me! LYSISTRATA And what will you give me for my trouble? CINESIAS Anything I've got, if you like. (Pointing to the evidence of his condition) I will give you what I have here! LYSISTRATA Well, well, I will tell her to come. (She enters the Acropolis.) CINESIAS Quick, oh! be quick! Life has no more charms for me since she left my house. I am sad, sad, when I go indoors; it all seems so empty; my victuals have lost their savour. And all because of this erection that I can't get rid of! MYRRHINE (to LYSISTRATA, over her shoulder) I love him, oh! I love him; but he won't let himself be loved. No! I shall not come. CINESIAS Myrrhine, my little darling Myrrhine, what are you saying? Come down to me quick. MYRRHINE No indeed, not I. CINESIAS I call you, Myrrhine, Myrrhine; won't you please come? MYRRHINE Why should you call me? You do not want me. CINESIAS Not want you! Why, here I stand, stiff with desire! oMYRRHINE Good-bye. (She turns, as if to go.) CINESIAS Oh! Myrrhine, Myrrhine, in our child's name, hear me; at any rate hear the child! Little lad, call your mother. CHILD Mamma, mamma, mamma! CINESIAS There, listen! Don't you pity the poor child? It's six days now you've never washed and never fed the child. MYRRHINE Poor darling, your father takes mighty little care of you! CINESIAS Come down, dearest, come down for the child's sake. MYRRHINE Ah! what a thing it is to be a mother! Well, well, we must come down, I suppose. CINESIAS (as MYRRHINE approaches) Why, how much younger and prettier she looks! And how she looks at me so lovingly! Her cruelty and scorn only redouble my passion. MYRRHINE (ignoring him; to the child) You are as sweet as your father is provoking! Let me kiss you, my treasure, mother's darling! CINESIAS Ah! what a bad thing it is to let yourself be led away by other women! Why give me such pain and suffering, and yourself into the bargain? MYRRHINE (as he is about to embrace her) Hands off, sir! CINESIAS Everything is going to rack and ruin in the house. MYRRHINE I don't care. CINESIAS But your web that's all being pecked to pieces by the cocks and hens, don't you care for that? MYRRHINE Precious little. CINESIAS And Aphrodite, whose mysteries you have not celebrated for so long? Oh! won't you please come back home? MYRRHINE No, least, not till a sound treaty puts an end to the war. CINESIAS Well, if you wish it so much, why, we'll make it, your treaty. MYRRHINE Well and good! When that's done, I will come home. Till then, I am bound by an oath. CINESIAS At any rate, lie with me for a little while. MYRRHINE No, no, no! (she hesitates) but just the same I can't say I don't love you. CINESIAS You love me? Then why refuse to lie with me, my little girl, my sweet Myrrhine? MYRRHINE (pretending to be shocked) You must be joking! What, before the child! CINESIAS (to the slave) Manes, carry the lad home. There, you see, the child is gone; there's nothing to hinder us; won't you lie down now? MYRRHINE But, miserable man, where, where? CINESIAS In the cave of Pan; nothing could be better. MYRRHINE But how shall I purify myself before going back into the citadel? CINESIAS Nothing easier! you can wash at the Clepsydra. MYRRHINE But my oath? Do you want me to perjure myself? CINESIAS I'll take all responsibility; don't worry. MYRRHINE Well, I'll be off, then, and find a bed for us. CINESIAS There's no point in that; surely we can lie on the ground. MYRRHINE No, no! even though you are bad, I don't like your lying on the bare earth. (She goes back into the Acropolis.) CINESIAS (enraptured) Ah! how the dear girl loves me! MYRRHINE (coming back with a cot) Come, get to bed quick; I am going to undress. But, oh dear, we must get a mattress. CINESIAS A mattress? Oh! no, never mind about that! MYRRHINE No, by Artemis! lie on the bare sacking? never! That would be squalid. CINESIAS Kiss me! MYRRHINE Wait a minute! (She leaves him again.) CINESIAS Good god, hurry up MYRRHINE (coming back with a mattress) Here is a mattress. Lie down, I am just going to undress. But you've got no pillow. CINESIAS I don't want one either! MYRRHINE But I do. (She leaves him again.) CINESIAS Oh god, oh god, she treats my tool just like Heracles! MYRRHINE (coming back with a pillow) There, lift your head, dear! (Wondering what else to tantalize him with; to herself) Is that all, I wonder? CINESIAS (misunderstanding) Surely. there's nothing else. Come, my treasure. MYRRHINE I am just unfastening my girdle. But remember what you promised me about making peace; mind you keep your word. CINESIAS Yes, yes, upon my life I will. MYRRHINE Why, you have no blanket! CINESIAS My god, what difference does that make? What I want is to make love! MYRRHINE (going out again) Never fear-directly, directly! I'll be back in no time. CINESIAS The woman will kill me with her blankets! MYRRHINE (coming back with a blanket) Now, get yourself up. CINESIAS (pointing) I've got this up! MYRRHINE Wouldn't you like me to scent you? CINESIAS No, by Apollo, no, please don't! MYRRHINE Yes, by Aphrodite, but I will, whether you like it or not. (She goes out again.) CINESIAS God, I wish she'd hurry up and get through with all this! MYRRHINE (coming back with a flask of perfume) Hold out your hand; now rub it in. CINESIAS Oh! in Apollo's name, I don't much like the smell of it; but perhaps it will improve when it's well rubbed in. It does not somehow smack of the marriage bed! MYRRHINE Oh dear! what a scatterbrain I am; if I haven't gone and brought Rhodian perfumes! CINESIAS Never mind, dearest, let it go now. MYRRHINE You don't really mean that. (She goes.) CINESIAS Damn the man who invented perfumes! MYRRHINE (coming back with another flask) Here, take this bottle. CINESIAS I have a better one allready for you, darling. Come, you provoking creature, to bed with you, and don't bring another thing. MYRRHINE Coming, coming; I'm just slipping off my shoes. Dear boy, will you vote for peace? CINESIAS I'll think about it. (MYRRHINE runs away.) I'm a dead man, she is killing me! She has gone, and left me in torment! (in tragic style) I must have someone to lay, I must! Ah me! the loveliest of women has choused and cheated me. Poor little lad, how am I to give you what you want so badly? Where is Cynalopex? quick, man, get him a nurse, do! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Poor, miserable wretch, baulked in your amorousness! what tortures are yours! Ah! you fill me with pity. Could any man's back and loins stand such a strain. He stands stiff and rigid, and there's never a wench to help him! CINESIAS Ye gods in heaven, what pains I suffer! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Well, there it is; it's her doing, that abandoned hussy! CINESIAS No, no! rather say that sweetest, dearest darling. (He departs.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN That dearest darling? no, no, that hussy, say I! Zeus, thou god of the skies, canst not let loose a hurricane, to sweep them all up into the air, and whirl them round, then drop them down crash! and impale them on the point of this man's tool! (A Spartan HERALD enters; he shows signs of being in the same condition as CINESIAS.) HERALD Say, where shall I find the Senate and the Prytanes? I am bearer of despatches. (An Athenian MAGISTRATE enters.) MAGISTRATE Are you a man or a Priapus? HERALD (with an effort at officiousness) Don't be stupid! I am a herald, of course, I swear I am, and I come from Sparta about making peace. MAGISTRATE (pointing) But look, you are hiding a lance under your clothes, surely. HERALD (embarrassed) No, nothing of the sort. MAGISTRATE Then why do you turn away like that, and hold your cloak out from your body? Have you got swellings in the groin from your journey? HERALD By the twin brethren! the man's an old maniac. MAGISTRATE But you've got an erection! You lewd fellow! HERALD I tell you no! but enough of this foolery. MAGISTRATE (pointing) Well, what is it you have there then? HERALD A Lacedaemonian skytale. MAGISTRATE Oh, indeed, a skytale, is it? Well, well, speak out frankly; I know all about these matters. How are things going at Sparta now?HERALD Why, everything is turned upside down at Sparta; and all the allies have erections. We simply must have Pellene. MAGISTRATE What is the reason of it all? Is it the god Pan's doing? HERALD No, it's all the work of Lampito and the women who are acting at her instigation; they have kicked the men out from between their thighs. MAGISTRATE But what are you doing about it? HERALD We are at our wits' end; we walk bent double, just as if we were carrying lanterns in a wind. The jades have sworn we shall not so much as touch them till we have all agreed to conclude peace. MAGISTRATE Ah! I see now, it's a general conspiracy embracing all Greece. Go back to Sparta and bid them send envoys plenipotentiary to treat for peace. I will urge our Senators myself to name plenipotentiaries from us; and to persuade them, why, I will show them my own tool. HERALD What could be better? I fly at your command. (They go out in opposite directions.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN No wild beast is there, no flame of fire, more fierce and untamable than woman; the leopard is less savage and shameless. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN And yet you dare to make war upon me, wretch, when you might have me for your most faithful friend and ally. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Never, never can my hatred cease towards women. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Well, suit yourself. Still I cannot bear to leave you all naked as you are; folks would laugh at you. Come, I am going to put this tunic on you. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN You are right, upon my word! it was only in my confounded fit of rage that I took it off. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Now at any rate you look like a man, and they won't make fun of you. Ah! if you had not offended me so badly, I would take out that nasty insect you have in your eye for you. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Ah! so that's what was annoying me so Look, here's a ring, just remove the insect, and show it to me. By Zeus! it has been hurting my eye for a long time now. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Well, I agree, though your manners are not over and above pleasant. Oh I what a huge great gnat! just look! It's from Tricorythus, for sure. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN A thousand thanks! the creature was digging a regular well in my eye; now that it's gone, my tears can flow freely. LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN I will wipe them for you-bad, naughty man though you are. Now, just one kiss. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN A kiss? certainly not LEADER OF CHORUS OF WOMEN Just one, whether you like it or not. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Oh! those confounded women! how they do cajole us! How true the saying: " 'Tis impossible to live with the baggages, impossible to live without 'em!" Come, let us agree for the future not to regard each other any more as enemies; and to clinch the bargain, let us sing a choric song. COMBINED CHORUS OF WOMEN AND OLD MEN (singing) We desire, Athenians, to speak ill of no man; but on the contrary to say much good of everyone, and to do the like. We have had enough of misfortunes and calamities. If there is any man or woman who wants a bit of money-two or three minas or so; well, our purse is full. If only peace is concluded, the borrower will not have to pay back. Also I'm inviting to supper a few Carystian friends, who are excellently well qualified. I have still a drop of good soup left, and a young porker I'm going to kill, and the flesh will be sweet and tender. I shall expect you at my house to-day; but first away to the baths with you, you and your children; then come all of you, ask no one's leave, but walk straight up, as if you were at home; never fear, the door will be... shut in your faces! LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Ah! here come the envoys from Sparta with their long flowing beards; why, you would think they wore pigstyes between their thighs. (Enter the LACONIAN ENVOYS afflicted like their herald.) Hail to you, first of all, Laconians; then tell us how you fare. LACONIAN ENVOY No need for many words; you can see what a state we are in. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Alas! the situation grows more and more strained! the intensity of the thing is simply frightful. LACONIAN ENVOY It's beyond belief. But to work! summon your Commissioners, and let us patch up the best peace we may. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Ah! our men too, like wrestlers in the arena, cannot endure a rag over their bellies; it's an athlete's malady, which only exercise can remedy. (The MAGISTRATE returns; he too now has an evident reason to desire peace.) MAGISTRATE Can anybody tell us where Lysistrata is? Surely she will have some compassion on our condition. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN (pointing) Look! now he has the very same complaint. (To the MAGISTRATE) Don't you feel a strong nervous tension in the morning? MAGISTRATE Yes, and a dreadful, dreadful torture it is! Unless peace is made very soon, we shall find no recourse but to make love to Clisthenes. LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Take my advice, and arrange your clothes as best you can; one of the fellows who mutilated the Hermae might see you. MAGISTRATE Right, by Zeus. (He endeavours, not too successfully, to conceal his condition.) LACONIAN ENVOY Quite right, by the Dioscuri. There, I will put on my tunic. MAGISTRATE Oh! what a terrible state we are in! Greeting to you, Laconian fellow-sufferers. LACONIAN ENVOY (addressing one of his countrymen) Ah! my boy, what a terrible thing it would have been if these fellows had seen us just now when we were on full stand! MAGISTRATE Speak out, Laconians, what is it brings you here? LACONIAN ENVOY We have come to treat for peace. MAGISTRATE Well said; we are of the same mind. Better call Lysistrata, then; she is the only person will bring us to terms. LACONIAN ENVOY Yes, yes-and Lysistratus into the bargain, if you will. MAGISTRATE Needless to call her; she has heard your voices, and here she comes. (She comes out of the Acropolis.) LEADER OF CHORUS OF OLD MEN Hail, boldest and bravest of womankind! The time is come to show yourself in turn uncompromising and conciliatory, exacting and yielding, haughty and condescending. Call up all your skill and artfulness. Lo! the foremost men in Hellas, seduced by your fascinations, are agreed to entrust you with the task of ending their quarrels. LYSISTRATA It will be an easy task-if only they refrain from mutual indulgence in masculine love; if they do, I shall know the fact at once. Now, where is the gentle goddess Peace? (The goddess, in the form of a beautiful nude girl is brought in by the Machine.) Lead hither the Laconian envoys. But, look you, no roughness or violence; our husbands always behaved so boorishly. Bring them to me with smiles, as women should. If any refuse to give you his hand, then take hold of his tool. Bring up the Athenians too; you may lead them either way. Laconians, approach; and you, Athenians, on my other side. Now hearken all! I am but a woman; but I have good common sense; Nature has endowed me with discriminating judgment, which I have yet further developed, thanks to the wise teachings of my father and the elders of the city. First I must bring a reproach against you that applies equally to both sides. At Olympia, and Thermopylae, and Delphi, and a score of other places too numerous to mention, you celebrate before the same altars ceremonies common to all Hellenes; yet you go cutting each other's throats, and sacking Hellenic cities, when all the while the barbarian yonder is threatening you! That is my first point. MAGISTRATE (devouring the goddess with his eyes) Good god, this erection is killing me! LYSISTRATA Now it is to you I address myself, Laconians. Have you forgotten how Periclidas, your own countryman, sat a suppliant before our altars? How pale he was in his purple robes! He had come to crave an army of us; it was the time when Messenia was pressing you sore, and the Sea-god was shaking the earth. Cimon marched to your aid at the head of four thousand hoplites, and saved Lacedaemon. And, after such a service as that, you ravage the soil of your benefactors! MAGISTRATE They do wrong, very wrong, Lysistrata. LACONIAN ENVOY We do wrong, very wrong. (Looking at the goddess) Ah! great gods! what a lovely bottom Peace has! LYSISTRATA And now a word to the Athenians. Have you no memory left of how, in the days when you wore the tunic of slaves, the Laconians came, spear in hand, and slew a host of Thessalians and partisans of Hippias the tyrant? They, and they only, fought on your side on that eventful day; they delivered you from despotism, and thanks to them our nation could change the short tunic of the slave for the long cloak of the free man. LACONIAN ENVOY (looking at LYSISTRATA) I have never see a woman of more gracious dignity. MAGISTRATE (looking at PEACE) I have never seen a woman with a finer body! LYSISTRATA Bound by such ties of mutual kindness, how can you bear to be at war? Stop, stay the hateful strife, be reconciled; what hinders you? LACONIAN ENVOY We are quite ready, if they will give us back our rampart. LYSISTRATA What rampart, my dear man? LACONIAN ENVOY Pylos, which we have been asking for and craving for ever so long. MAGISTRATE In the Sea-god's name, you shall never have it! LYSISTRATA Agree, my friends, agree. MAGISTRATE But then what city shall we be able to stir up trouble in? LYSISTRATA Ask for another place in exchange. MAGISTRATE Ah! that's the ticket! Well, to begin with, give us Echinus, the Maliac gulf adjoining, and the two legs of Megara. LACONIAN ENVOY No, by the Dioscuri, surely not all that, my dear sir. LYSISTRATA Come to terms; never make a difficulty of two legs more or less! MAGISTRATE (his eye on PEACE) Well, I'm ready to strip down and get to work right now. (He takes off his mantle.) LACONIAN ENVOY (following out this idea) And I also, to dung it to start with. LYSISTRATA That's just what you shall do, once peace is signed. So, if you really want to make it, go consult your allies about the matter. MAGISTRATE What allies, I should like to know? Why, we are all erected; there's no one who is not mad to be mating. What we all want is to be in bed with our wives; how should our allies fail to second our project? LACONIAN ENVOY And ours too, for certain sure! MAGISTRATE The Carystians first and foremost by the gods! LYSISTRATA Well said, indeed! Now go and purify yourselves for entering the Acropolis, where the women invite you to supper; we will empty our provision baskets to do you honour. At table, you will exchange oaths and pledges; then each man will go home with his wife. MAGISTRATE Come along then, and as quick as may be. LACONIAN ENVOY Lead on; I'm your man. MAGISTRATE Quick, quick's the word, say I. (They follow LYSISTRATA into the Acropolis.) CHORUS OF WOMEN (singing) Embroidered stuffs, and dainty tunics, and flowing gowns, and golden ornaments, everything I have, I offer them to you with all my heart; take them all for your children, for your girls, in case they are chosen Canephori. I invite you every one to enter, come in and choose whatever you will; there is nothing so well fastened, you cannot break the seals, and carry away the contents. Look about you everywhere. . . you won't find a blessed thing, unless you have sharper eyes than mine. And if any of you lacks corn to feed his slaves and his young and numerous family, why, I have a few grains of wheat at home; let him take what I have to give, a big twelve-pound loaf included. So let my poorer neighbours all come with bags and wallets; my man, Manes, shall give them corn; but I warn them not to come near my door, but-beware the dog! (Another MAGISTRATE enters, and begins knocking at the gate.) SECOND MAGISTRATE I say, you, open the door! (To the WOMEN) Go your way, I tell you. (As the women sit down in front of the gate) Why, bless me, they're sitting down now; I shall have to singe 'em with my torch to make 'em stir! What impudence! I won't take this. Oh, well, if it's absolutely necessary, just to please you, we'll have to take the trouble. AN ATHENIAN And I'll share it with you. (He brandishes the torch he is carrying and the CHORUS OF WOMEN departs. The CHORUS OF OLD MEN follows shortly after.) SECOND MAGISTRATE No, no, you must be off-or I'll tear your hair out, I will; be off, I say, and don't annoy the Laconian envoys; they're just coming out from the banquet-ball. ATHENIAN Such a merry banquet I've never seen before! The Laconians were simply charming. After the drink is in, why, we're all wise men, every one of us. MAGISTRATE It's only natural, to be sure, for sober, we're all fools. Take my advice, my fellow-countrymen, our envoys should always be drunk. We go to Sparta; we enter the city sober; why, we must be picking a quarrel directly. We don't understand what they say to us, we imagine a lot they don't say at all, and we report home all wrong, all topsy-urvy. But, look you, to-day it's quite different; we're enchanted whatever happens; instead of Clitagora, they might sing us Telamon, and we should clap our hands just the same. A perjury or two into the bargain, why! What does that matter to merry companions in their cups? (The two CHORUSES return.) But here they are back again! Will you begone, you loafing scoundrels. (The CHORUSES retire again.) ATHENIAN Ah ha! here's the company coming out already. (Two choruses, one Laconian and one Athenian, enter, dancing to the music of flutes; they are followed by the women under the leadership of LYSISTRATA.) A LACONIAN My dear, sweet friend, come, take your flute in hand; I would fain dance and sing my best in honour of the Athenians and our noble selves. ATHENIAN Yes, take your flute, in the gods'name. What a delight to see him dance! LACONIAN (dancing and singing) Oh! Mnemosyne! inspire these men, inspire my muse who knows our exploits and those of the Athenians. With what a god-like ardour did they swoop down at Artemisium on the ships of the Medes! What a glorious victory was that! For the soldiers of Leonidas, they were like fierce boars whetting their tusks. The sweat ran down their faces, and drenched all their limbs, for verily the Persians were as many as the sands of the seashore. Oh! Artemis, huntress queen, whose arrows pierce the denizens of the woods, virgin goddess, be thou favourable to the peace we here conclude; through thee may our hearts be long united! May this treaty draw close for ever the bonds of a happy friendship! No more wiles and stratagems! Aid us, oh! aid us, maiden huntress! MAGISTRATE All is for the best; and now, Laconians, take your wives away home with you, and you, Athenians, yours. May husband live happily with wife, and wife with husband. Dance, dance, to celebrate our bliss, and let us be heedful to avoid like mistakes for the future. CHORUS OF ATHENIANS (singing) Appear, appear, dancers, and the Graces with you! Let us invoke, one and all, Artemis, and her heavenly brother, gracious Apollo, patron of the dance, and Dionysus, whose eye darts flame, as he steps forward surrounded by the Maenad maids, and Zeus, who wields the flashing lightning, and his august, thrice-blessed spouse, the Queen of Heaven! These let us invoke, and all the other gods, calling all the inhabitants of the skies to witness the noble Peace now concluded under the fond auspices of Aphrodite. Io Paean! Io Paean! dance, leap, as in honour of a victory won. Euoi! Euoi! Euai! Euai! MAGISTRATE And you, our Laconian guests, sing us a new and inspiring strain! LACONIAN (singing) Leave once more, oh! leave once more the noble height of Taygetus, oh! Muse of Lacedaemon, and join us in singing the praises of Apollo of Amyclae, and Athene of the Brazen House, and the gallant twin sons of Tyndareus, who practise arms on the banks of the Eurotas river. Haste, haste hither with nimble-footed pace, let us sing Sparta, the city that delights in choruses divinely sweet and graceful dances, when our maidens bound lightly by the river side, like frolicsome fillies, beating the ground with rapid steps and shaking their long locks in the wind, as Bacchantes wave their wands in the wild revels of the Wine-god. At their head, oh! chaste and beauteous goddess, daughter of Leto, Artemis, do thou lead the song and dance. With a fillet binding thy waving tresses, appear in thy loveliness; leap like a fawn, strike thy divine hands together to animate the dance, and aid us to renown the valiant goddess of battles, great Athene of the Brazen House! (All depart, singing and dancing.) THE END |