Clouds
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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Strepsiades.
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Ha! Whoever is this, who is lamenting? Surely it was not one of Carcinus’ deities that spoke.
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502
Amynias.
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But why do you wish to know this, who I am?-A miserable man.
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503
Amynias.
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O harsh fortune! O Fates, breaking the wheels of my horses! O Pallas, how you have destroyed me!
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Strepsiades.
504
What evil, pray, has Tlepolemus ever done you?
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Amynias.
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Do not jeer me, my friend; but order your son to pay me the money which he received; especially as I have been unfortunate.
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Strepsiades.
506
What money is this?
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507
Strepsiades.
507
Then you were really unlucky, as I think.
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Amynias.
508
By the gods, I fell while driving my horses.
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Strepsiades.
509
Why, pray, do you talk nonsense, as if you had fallen from an ass?
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Amynias.
510
Do I talk nonsense if I wish to recover my money?
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Strepsiades.
511
You can’t be in your senses yourself.
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Strepsiades.
512
You appear to me to have had your brains shaken as it were.
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513
Amynias.
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And you appear to me, by Hermes, to be going to be summoned, if you will not pay me the money?
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always rains fresh rain on each occasion, or that the sun draws from below the same water back again?
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Amynias.
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I know not which; nor do I care.
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Strepsiades.
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How then is it just that you should recover your money, if you know nothing of meteorological matters?
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Amynias.
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Well, if you are in want, pay me the interest of my money.
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518
Amynias.
518
Most assuredly the money is always becoming more and more every month and every day as the time slips away.
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seek to increase your money? Will you not take yourself off from my house? Bring me the goad.
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Strepsiades.
520
Go! Why do you delay? Won’t you march, Mr. Blood-horse?
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Amynias.
521
Is not this an insult, pray?
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Chorus.
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What a thing it is to love evil courses! For this old man, having loved them,
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wishes to withhold the money that he borrowed. And he will certainly meet with something today, which will perhaps cause this sophist
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to suddenly receive some misfortune, in return for the knaveries he has begun.
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Chorus.
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For I think that he will presently find what has been long boiling up, that his son is skilful to speak opinions
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opposed to justice, so as to overcome all with whomsoever he holds converse, even if he advance most villainous doctrines;
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and perhaps, perhaps his father will wish that he were even speechless.
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Strepsiades.
528
(running out of the house pursued by his son). Hollo! Hollo! O neighbours, and kinsfolk, and fellow-tribesmen, defend me, by all means, who am being beaten! Ah me, unhappy man, for my head and jaw! Wretch! Do you beat your father?
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Strepsiades.
529
You see him owning that he beats me.
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Strepsiades.
530
O wretch, and parricide, and house-breaker!
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Phidippides.
531
Say the same things of me again, and more. Do you know that I take pleasure in being much abused?
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Strepsiades.
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You blackguard!
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Strepsiades.
533
Do you beat your father?
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Phidippides.
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I will demonstrate it, and will overcome you in argument.
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Strepsiades.
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Will you overcome me in this?
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Strepsiades.
536
Of what two Causes?
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537
Strepsiades.
537
Marry, I did get you taught to speak against justice, by Jupiter, my friend, if you are
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going to persuade me of this, that it is just and honourable for a father to be beaten by his sons!
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Phidippides.
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I think I shall certainly persuade you; so that, when you have heard, not even you yourself will say anything against it.
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Strepsiades.
540
Well, now, I am willing to hear what you have to say.
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Chorus.
541
It is your business, old man, to consider in what way you shall conquer the man; for if he were not relying upon something, he would not be so licentious. But he is emboldened by something; the boldness of the man
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is evident.
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Chorus.
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Now you ought to tell to the Chorus from what the contention first arose. And this you must do by all means.
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Strepsiades.
544
Well, now, I will tell you from what we first began to rail at one another. After we had feasted, as you know,
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I first bade him take a lyre, and sing a song of Simonides, The Shearing of the Ram. But he immediately said it was old-fashioned to play on the lyre and sing while drinking, like a woman grinding parched barley.
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Phidippides.
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For ought you not then immediately to be beaten and trampled on, bidding me sing, just as if you were entertaining cicadae?
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Strepsiades.
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He expressed, however, such opinions then too within, as he does now; and he asserted that Simonides was a bad poet. I bore it at first, with difficulty indeed, yet nevertheless I bore it. And then I bade him at least take a myrtle-wreath
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and recite to me some portion of Aeschylus; and then he immediately said, Shall I consider Aeschylus the first among the poets, full of empty sound, unpolished, bombastic, using rugged words? And hereupon you can’t think how my heart panted. But, nevertheless, I restrained my passion, and said, At least recite some passage
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of the more modern poets, of whatever kind these clever things be. And he immediately sang a passage of Euripides, how a brother, O averter of ill! Debauched his uterine sister. And I bore it no longer, but immediately assailed him with many abusive reproaches. And then, after that, as was natural,
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we hurled word upon word. Then he springs upon me; and then he was wounding me, and beating me, and throttling me.
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Phidippides.
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Were you not therefore justly beaten, who do not praise Euripides, the wisest of poets?
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Strepsiades.
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He the wisest! Oh, what shall I call you? But I shall be beaten again.
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Strepsiades.
553
Why, how with justice? Who, O shameless fellow, reared you, understanding all your wishes, when you lisped what you meant? If you said bryn, I, understanding it, used to give you to drink. And when you asked for mamman, I used to come to you with bread. And you used no sooner to say caccan, than I used to take and
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carry you out of doors, and hold you before me.
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Strepsiades.
555
But you now, throttling me who was bawling and crying out because I wanted to ease myself, had not the heart to carry me forth out of doors, you wretch; but I did it there while I was being throttled.
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Chorus.
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I fancy the hearts of the youths are panting to hear what he will say. For if, after having done such things, he shall persuade him by speaking,
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I would not take the hide of the old folks, even at the price of a chick-pea.
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Chorus.
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It is thy business, thou author and upheaver of new words, to seek some means of persuasion, so that you shall seem to speak justly.
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Phidippides.
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How pleasant it is to be acquainted with new and clever things,
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and to be able to despise the established laws! For I, when I applied my mind to horsemanship alone, used not to be able to utter three words before I made a mistake; but now, since he himself has made me cease from these pursuits, and I am acquainted with subtle thoughts, and arguments, and speculations,
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I think I shall demonstrate that it is just to chastise one’s father.
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Strepsiades.
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Ride, then, by Jupiter! Since it is better for me to keep a team of four horses than to be killed with a beating.
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Phidippides.
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I will pass over to that part of my discourse where you interrupted me; and first I will ask you this: Did you beat me when I was a boy?
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Strepsiades.
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I did, through good-will and concern for you.
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The boys weep, and do you not think it is right that a father should weep? You will say that it is ordained by law that this should be the lot of boys. But I would reply, that old men are boys twice over, and that it is the more reasonable that the old should weep than the young, inasmuch as it is less just that they should err.
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Strepsiades.
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It is nowhere ordained by law that a father should suffer this.
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Phidippides.
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Was it not then a man like you and me, who first proposed this law, and by speaking persuaded the ancients? Why then is it less lawful for me also in turn to propose henceforth a new law for the sons, that they should beat their fathers in turn?
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But as many blows as we received before the law was made, we remit: and we concede to them our having been thrashed without return. Observe the cocks and these other animals, how they punish their fathers; and yet, in what do they differ from us, except that they do not write decrees?
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Strepsiades.
569
Why then, since you imitate the cocks in all things, do you not both eat dung and sleep on a perch?
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Phidippides.
570
It is not the same thing, my friend; nor would it appear so to Socrates.
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Strepsiades.
571
Therefore do not beat me; otherwise you will one day blame yourself.
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Phidippides.
572
Why, how?
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Strepsiades.
573
To me, indeed, O comrades, he seems to speak justly; and I think we ought to concede to them what is fitting. For it is proper that we should weep, if we do not act justly.
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Phidippides.
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Consider still another maxim.
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Phidippides.
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And yet perhaps you will not be vexed at suffering what you now suffer.
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Strepsiades.
576
How, pray? For inform me what good you will do me by this.
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577
Phidippides.
577
I will beat my mother, just as I have you.
578
578
Phidippides.
578
I shall conquer you in arguing, proving that it is right to beat one’s mother?
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579
Strepsiades.
579
Most assuredly, if you do this, nothing will hinder you from casting yourself
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and your Worse Cause into the pit along with Socrates.
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581
Strepsiades.
581
These evils have I suffered through you, O Clouds! Having intrusted all my affairs to you.
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582
Chorus.
582
Nay, rather, you are yourself the cause of these things, having turned yourself to wicked courses.
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Strepsiades.
583
Why, pray, did you not tell me this, then, but excited with hopes a rustic and aged man?
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Chorus.
584
We always do this to him whom we perceive to be a lover of wicked courses,
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until we precipitate him into misfortune, so that he may learn to fear the gods.
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Strepsiades.
586
Ah me ! it is severe, O Clouds! But it is just; for I ought not to have withheld the money which I borrowed. Now, therefore, come with me, my dearest son,
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that you may destroy the blackguard Chaerephon and Socrates, who deceived you and me.
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Phidippides.
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I will not injure my teachers.
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Strepsiades.
589
Yes, yes, reverence Paternal Jove.
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Phidippides.
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Paternal Jove quoth’a! How antiquated you are! Why, is there any Jove?
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Strepsiades.
591
He has not expelled him; but I fancied this, on account of this Vortex here. Ah me, unhappy man! When I even took you who are of earthenware for a god.
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Phidippides.
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Here rave and babble to yourself.
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Strepsiades.
593
Ah me, what madness! How mad, then, I was when I ejected the gods on account of Socrates! But O dear Hermes, by no means be wroth with me, nor destroy me; but pardon me,
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since I have gone crazy through prating. And become my adviser, whether I shall bring an action and prosecute them, or whatever you think. You advise me rightly, not permitting me to get up a lawsuit, but as soon as possible to set fire to the house
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of the prating fellows. Come hither, come hither, Xanthias! Come forth with a ladder and with a mattock and then mount upon the thinking-shop and dig down the roof, if you love your master, until you tumble the house upon them.
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But let some one bring me a lighted torch and I’ll make some of them this day suffer punishment, even if they be ever so much impostors.
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1st Disciple.
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(from within). Hollo! Hollo!
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Strepsiades.
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It is your business, O torch, to send forth abundant flame.
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1st Disciple.
599
What are you doing, fellow?
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2nd Disciple.
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(from within). Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?