Clouds
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
601
601
Strepsiades.
601
The man whose cloak you have taken.
602
602
2nd Disciple.
602
(from within). You will destroy us! You will destroy us!
603
unless my mattock deceive my hopes, or I should somehow fall first and break my neck.
604
604
Socrates.
604
(from within). Hollo you! What are you doing, pray, you fellow on the roof?
605
605
Strepsiades.
605
I am walking on air, and speculating about the sun.
606
606
Socrates.
606
Ah me, unhappy! I shall be suffocated, wretched man!
607
607
Chaerephon.
607
And I, miserable man, shall be burnt to death!
608
608
Strepsiades.
608
For what has come into your heads that you acted insolently toward the gods, and pried into the seat of the moon?
609
609
Hermes
609
These lines attributed to Strepsiades in the English. Chase, pelt, smite them, for many reasons, but especially because you know that they offended against the gods!
610
610
Chorus.
610
Lead the way out; for we have sufficiently acted as chorus for today.
35b
35b
Phidippides.
35b
Pray, father, why are you peevish, and toss about the whole night?
58b
58b
Servant.
58b
For what, pray, shall I weep?
80b
80b
Phidippides.
80b
What, father?
82b
82b
Strepsiades.
82b
Tell me, do you love me?
87b
87b
Phidippides.
87b
In what then, pray, shall I obey you?
90b
90b
Strepsiades.
90b
And will you obey me at all?
90c
90c
Phidippides.
90c
By Bacchus, I will obey you.
91b
91b
Strepsiades.
91b
Look this way then! Do you see this little door and little house?
100b
100b
Strepsiades.
100b
I do not know the name accurately. They are minute philosophers, noble and excellent.
111b
111b
Phidippides.
111b
Why, what shall I learn?
148b
148b
Disciple.
148b
Most cleverly. He melted some wax; and then took the flea
155b
155b
Strepsiades.
155b
Of what kind? Tell me, I beseech you!
170b
170b
Strepsiades.
170b
In what way? Tell me.
188b
188b
Strepsiades.
188b
Then they are searching for roots. Do not, then, trouble yourselves about this;
201b
201b
Strepsiades.
201b
But what is this?
202b
202b
Strepsiades.
202b
What then is the use of this?
203b
203b
Strepsiades.
203b
What belongs to an allotment?
204b
204b
Strepsiades.
204b
You tell me a clever notion; for the contrivance is democratic and useful.
207b
207b
Strepsiades.
207b
What say you? I don’t believe you; for I do not see the Dicasts sitting.
214b
214b
Disciple.
214b
Where is it? Here it is.
217b
217b
Strepsiades.
217b
Then you will weep for it. Looking up and discovering Socrates. Come, who is this man who is in the basket?
219b
219b
Strepsiades.
219b
Who’s Himself?
219c
219c
Disciple.
219c
Socrates.
219d
219d
Strepsiades.
219d
O Socrates! Come, you sir, call upon him loudly for me.
220a
220a
Disciple.
220a
Nay, rather, call him yourself; for I have no leisure.
227b
227b
Socrates.
227b
For I should not have rightly discovered things celestial if I had not suspended the intellect, and
239b
239b
Strepsiades.
239b
Wishing to learn to speak; for by reason of usury, and most ill-natured creditors, I am pillaged and plundered, and have my goods seized for debt.
248b
248b
Strepsiades.
248b
By what do you swear? By iron money, as in Byzantium?
251b
251b
Strepsiades.
251b
Yes, by Jupiter, if it be possible!
253b
253b
Strepsiades.
253b
By all means.
255b
255b
Socrates.
255b
Take, then, this chaplet.
256b
256b
Strepsiades.
256b
For what purpose a chaplet? Ah me! Socrates, see that you do not sacrifice me like Athamas!
259b
259b
Strepsiades.
259b
Then what shall I gain, pray?
261b
261b
Strepsiades.
261b
By Jupiter! You will not deceive me; for if I am besprinkled, I shall become fine flour.
324b
324b
Strepsiades.
324b
Pray where? Show me.
324c
324c
Socrates.
324c
See! There they come in great numbers through the hollows and thickets; there, obliquely.
325b
325b
Strepsiades.
325b
What’s the matter? For I can’t see them.
326b
326b
Socrates.
326b
By the entrance.
326c
326c
Strepsiades.
326c
Now at length with difficulty I just see them.
340b
340b
Strepsiades.
340b
Tell me, pray, if they are really clouds, what ails them, that they resemble mortal women? For they are not such.
342b
342b
Socrates.
342b
Pray, of what nature are they?
345b
345b
Strepsiades.
345b
Then say quickly what you wish.
347b
347b
Strepsiades.
347b
By Jupiter, have I! But what of that?
367b
367b
Strepsiades.
367b
What do you say? Who rains then? For first of all explain this to me.
375b
375b
Strepsiades.
375b
In what way? you all-daring man!
380b
380b
Strepsiades.
380b
Vortex? It had escaped my notice that Jupiter did not exist, and that Vortex now reigned in his stead. But you have taught me nothing as yet concerning the clap and the thunder.
385b
385b
Socrates.
385b
I’ll teach you from your own case. Were you ever, after being stuffed with broth at the Panathenaic festival, then disturbed in your belly, and did a tumult suddenly rumble through it?
467b
467b
Chorus.
467b
Yea, so that many be always seated at your gates, wishing to communicate with you and come to a conference with you, to consult with you as to actions and affidavits of many talents, as is worthy of your abilities.
483b
483b
Strepsiades.
483b
In two ways, by Jove! If anything be owing to me, I have a very good memory; but if I owe unhappy man, I am very forgetful.
488b
488b
Strepsiades.
488b
Excellently, of course.
494b
494b
Strepsiades.
494b
I take the beating; and then, when I have waited a little while, I call witnesses to prove it; then again, after a short interval, I go to law.
497b
497b
Strepsiades.
497b
Have I done any wrong?
500b
500b
Strepsiades.
500b
The Greek here splits this line: (500b) Strep.: εἰπὲ δή νύν μοι· | (500c) Socr.: τὸ τί; | (501) Strep.: ἢν ἐπιμελὴς ὦ καὶ ... Now tell me this, pray.
506b
506b
Strepsiades.
506b
Then give me first into my hands a honeyed cake; for I am afraid of descending within, as if into the cave of Trophonius.
635b
635b
Strepsiades.
635b
Very well.
644b
644b
Strepsiades.
644b
Make a wager then with me, if the semisextarius be not a tetrameter.
652b
652b
Socrates.
652b
Tell me, pray.
655b
655b
Strepsiades.
655b
For I do not desire, you wretch, to learn any of these things.
656b
656b
Socrates.
656b
What then?
664b
664b
Socrates.
664b
How? The one with you is ἀλεκτρὺων, and the other is ἀλεκτρὺων also.
671b
671b
Strepsiades.
671b
In what way do I make κάρδοπος masculine?
672b
672b
Socrates.
672b
Most assuredly; just as if you were to say Κλεώνυμος.
673b
673b
Strepsiades.
673b
How pray? Tell me.
677b
677b
Socrates.
677b
How? Call it καρδόπη, as you call Σωστράτη.
679b
679b
Socrates.
679b
For so you speak it rightly.
683b
683b
Socrates.
683b
Tell me, pray.
685b
685b
Strepsiades.
685b
Thousands; Philoxenus, Melesias, Amynias.
688b
688b
Socrates.
688b
By no means; for how would you call Amynias, if you met him?
694b
694b
Strepsiades.
694b
What must I do?
698b
698b
Strepsiades.
698b
Unfortunate man that I am! What a penalty shall I this day pay to the bugs!
723b
723b
Strepsiades.
723b
I? Yea, by Neptune!
724b
724b
Socrates.
724b
And what, pray, have you thought?
726b
726b
Strepsiades.
726b
But, my good friend, I have already perished.
729b
729b
Strepsiades.
729b
Ah me! Would, pray, some one would throw over me a swindling contrivance from the sheep-skins.
732b
732b
Strepsiades.
732b
No, by Apollo, I am not!
733b
733b
Strepsiades.
733b
No; by Jupiter, certainly not!
733c
733c
Socrates.
733c
Nothing at all?
742b
742b
Strepsiades.
742b
Ah me, unhappy man!
746b
746b
Socrates.
746b
What, old man?
748b
748b
Strepsiades.
748b
The next three exchanges are combined as one in the print.Now tell me this—
748c
748c
Socrates.
748c
Pray?
753b
753b
Strepsiades.
753b
What? If the moon were to rise no longer anywhere, I should not pay the interest.
755b
755b
Socrates.
755b
Why so, pray?
766b
766b
Socrates.
766b
Of what description?
769b
769b
Socrates.
769b
Do you mean the burning-glass?
773b
773b
Strepsiades.
773b
Oh! How I am delighted, that a suit of five talents has been cancelled!
775b
775b
Strepsiades.
775b
What?
778b
778b
Socrates.
778b
Tell me, pray.
778c
778c
Strepsiades.
778c
Well now, I’ll tell you. If, while one suit was still pending, before mine was called on, I were to run away and hang myself.
781b
781b
Strepsiades.
781b
By the gods, would I! For no one will bring action against me when I am dead.