410　BC
  THE　THESMOPHORIAZUSAE
  by　Aristophanes
  anonymous　translator
  CHARACTERS　IN　THE　PLAY
  EURIPIDES
  MNESILOCHUS；　Father…in…law　of　Euripides
  AGATHON
  SERVANT　OF　AGATHON
  HERALD
  WOMEN
  CLISTHENES
  A　MAGISTRATE
  A　SCYTHIAN　POLICEMAN
  CHORUS　OF　THESMOPHORIAZUSAE…Women
  celebrating　the　THESMOPHORIA
  （SCENE：…Behind　the　orchestra　are　two　buildings；　one　the　house　of
  the　poet　AGATHON；　the　other　the　Thesmophorion。　EURIPIDES　enters
  from　the　right；　at　a　rapid　pace；　with　an　air　of　searching　for
  something；　his　father…in…law　MNESILOCHUS；　who　is　extremely　aged；
  follows　him　as　best　he　can；　with　an　obviously　painful　expenditure
  of　effort。）
  MNESILOCHUS
  Great　Zeus！　will　the　swallow　never　appear　to　end　the　winter　of
  my　discontent？　Why　the　fellow　has　kept　me　on　the　run　ever　since
  early　this　morning；　he　wants　to　kill　me；　that's　certain。　Before　I　lose
  my　spleen　antirely；　Euripides；　can　you　at　least　tell　me　where　you
  are　leading　me？
  EURIPIDES
  What　need　for　you　to　hear　what　you　are　going　to　see？
  MNESILOCHUS
  How　is　that？　Repeat　it。　No　need　for　me　to　hear。。。。
  EURIPIDES
  What　you　are　going　to　see。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Nor　consequently　to　see。。。。
  EURIPIDES
  What　you　have　to　hear。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What　is　this　wiseacre　stuff　you　are　telling　me？　I　must　neither　see
  nor　hear？
  EURIPIDES
  Ah！　but　you　have　two　things　there　that　are　essentially　distinct。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Seeing　and　hearing？
  EURIPIDES
  Undoubtedly。
  MNESILOCHUS
  In　what　way　distinct？
  EURIPIDES
  In　this　way。　Formerly；　when　Aether　separated　the　elements　and　bore
  the　animals　that　were　moving　in　her　bosom；　she　wished　to　endow　them
  with　sight；　and　so　made　the　eye　round　like　the　sun's　disc　and　bored
  ears　in　the　form　of　a　funnel。
  MNESILOCHUS
  And　because　of　this　funnel　I　neither　see　nor　hear。　Ah！　great　gods！
  I　am　delighted　to　know　it。　What　a　fine　thing　it　is　to　talk　with　wise
  men！
  EURIPIDES
  I　will　teach　you　many　another　thing　of　the　sort。
  MNESILOCHUS
  That's　well　to　know；　but　first　of　all　I　should　like　to　find　out
  how　to　grow　lame；　so　that　I　need　not　have　to　follow　you　all　about。
  EURIPIDES
  Come；　hear　and　give　heed！
  MNESILOCHUS
  I'm　here　and　waiting。
  EURIPIDES
  Do　you　see　that　little　door？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Yes；　certainly。
  EURIPIDES
  Silence！
  MNESILOCHUS
  Silence　about　what？　About　the　door？
  EURIPIDES
  Pay　attention！
  MNESILOCHUS
  Pay　attention　and　be　silent　about　the　door？　Very　well。
  EURIPIDES
  That　is　where　Agathon；　the　celebrated　tragic　poet；　dwells。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Who　is　this　Agathon？
  EURIPIDES
  He's　a　certain　Agathon。。。。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Swarthy；　robust　of　build？
  EURIPIDES
  No；　another。
  MNESILOCHUS
  I　have　never　seen　him。　He　has　a　big　beard？
  EURIPIDES
  Have　you　never　seen　him？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Never；　so　far　as　I　know。
  EURIPIDES
  And　yet　you　have　made　love　to　him。　Well；　it　must　have　been　without
  knowing　who　he　was。　（The　door　of　AGATHON'S　house　opens。）　Ah！　let　us
  step　aside；　here　is　one　of　his　slaves　bringing　a　brazier　and　some
  myrtle　branches；　no　doubt　he　is　going　to　offer　a　sacrifice　and　pray
  for　a　happy　poetical　inspiration　for　Agathon。
  SERVANT　OF　AGATHON　（standing　on　the　threshold；　solemnly）
  Silence！　oh；　people！　keep　your　mouths　sedately　shut！　The　chorus　of
  the　Muses　is　moulding　songs　at　my　master's　hearth。　Let　the　winds
  hold　their　breath　in　the　silent　Aether！　Let　the　azure　waves　cease
  murmuring　on　the　shore！。。。。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Bombax。
  EURIPIDES
  Be　still！　I　want　to　hear　what　he　is　saying。
  SERVANT
  。。。。Take　your　rest；　ye　winged　races；　and　you；　ye　savage
  inhabitants　of　the　woods；　cease　from　your　erratic　wandering。。。。
  MNESILOCHUS　（more　loudly）
  Bombalobombax。
  SERVANT
  。。。。for　Agathon；　our　master；　the　sweet…voiced　poet；　is　going。。。。
  MNESILOCHUS
  。。。。to　be　made　love　to？
  SERVANT
  Whose　voice　is　that？
  MNESILOCHUS
  It's　the　silent　Aether。
  SERVANT
  。。。。is　going　to　construct　the　framework　of　a　drama。　He　is　rounding
  fresh　poetical　forms；　he　is　polishing　them　in　the　lathe　and　is　welding
  them；　he　is　hammering　out　sentences　and　metaphors；　he　is　working　up
  his　subect　like　soft　wax。　First　he　models　it　and　then　he　casts　it　in
  bronze。。。。
  MNESILOCHUS
  。。。。and　sways　his　buttocks　amorously。
  SERVANT
  Who　is　the　rustic　that　approaches　this　sacred　enclosure？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Take　care　of　yourself　and　of　your　sweet…voiced　poet！　I　have　a
  strong　tool　here　both　well　rounded　and　well　polished；　which　will
  pierce　your　enclosure　and　penetrate　you。
  SERVANT
  Old　man；　you　must　have　been　a　very　insolent　fellow　in　your　youth！
  EURIPIDES　（to　the　SERVANT）
  Let　him　be；　friend；　and；　quick；　go　and　call　Agathon　to　me。
  SERVANT
  It's　not　worth　the　trouble；　for　he　will　soon　be　here　himself。　He
  has　started　to　compose；　and　in　winter　it　is　never　possible　to　round
  off　strophes　without　coming　to　the　sun　to　excite　the　imagination。
  EURIPIDES
  And　what　am　I　to　do？
  SERVANT
  Wait　till　he　gets　here。
  （He　goes　into　the　house。）
  EURIPIDES
  Oh；　Zeus！　what　hast　thou　in　store　for　me　to…day？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Great　gods；　what　is　the　matter　now？　What　are　you　grumbling　and
  groaning　for？　Tell　me；　you　must　not　conceal　anything　from　your
  father…in…law。
  EURIPIDES
  Some　great　misfortune　is　brewing　against　me。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What　is　it？
  EURIPIDES
  This　day　will　decide　whether　it　is　all　over　with　Euripides　or　not。
  MNESILOCHUS
  But　how？　Neither　the　tribunals　nor　the　Senate　are　sitting；　for
  it　is　the　third　day　of　the　Thesmophoria。
  EURIPIDES
  That　is　precisely　what　makes　me　tremble；　the　women　have　plotted　my
  ruin；　and　to…day　they　are　to　gather　in　the　Temple　of　Demeter　to
  execute　their　decision。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What　have　they　against　you？
  EURIPIDES
  Because　I　mishandle　them　in　my　tragedies。
  MNESILOCHUS
  By　Posidon；　you　would　seem　to　have　thoroughly　deserved　your
  fate。　But　how　are　you　going　to　get　out　of　the　mess？
  EURIPIDES
  I　am　going　to　beg　Agathon；　the　tragic　poet；　to　go　to　the
  Thesmophoria。
  MNESILOCHUS
  And　what　is　he　to　do　there？
  EURIPIDES
  He　would　mingle　with　the　women；　and　stand　up　for　me；　if　needful。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Would　be　present　or　secretly？
  EURIPIDES
  Secretly；　dressed　in　woman's　clothes。
  MNESILOCHUS
  That's　a　clever　notion；　thoroughly　worthy　of　you。　The　prize　for
  trickery　is　ours。
  （The　door　of　AGATHON'S　house　opens。）
  EURIPIDES
  Silence！
  MNESILOCHUS
  What's　the　matter？
  EURIPIDES
  Here　comes　Agathon。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Where；　where？
  EURIPIDES
  That's　the　man　they　are　bringing　out　yonder　on　the　eccyclema。
  （AGATHON　appears　on　the　eccyclema；　softly　reposing　on　a　bed；
  clothed　in　a　saffron　tunic；　and　surrounded　with　feminine　toilet
  articles。）
  MNESILOCHUS
  I　am　blind　then！　I　see　no　man　here；　I　only　see　Cyrene。
  EURIPIDES
  Be　still！　He　is　getting　ready　to　sing。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What　subtle　trill；　I　wonder；　is　he　going　to　warble　to　us？
  AGATHON
  （He　now　sings　a　selection　from　one　of　his　tragedies；　taking　first
  the　part　of　the　leader　of　the　chorus　and　then　that　of　the　whole
  chorus。）
  （As　LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS）
  Damsels；　with　the　sacred　torch　in　hand；　unite　your　dance　to　shouts
  of　joy　in　honour　of　the　nether　goddesses；　celebrate　the　freedom　of
  your　country。
  （As　CHORUS）
  To　what　divinity　is　your　homage　addressed？　I　wish　to　mingle　mine
  with　it。
  （As　LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS）
  Oh！　Muse！　glorify　Phoebus　with　his　golden　bow；　who　erected　the
  walls　of　the　city　of　the　Simois。
  （As　CHORUS）
  To　thee；　oh　Phoebus；　I　dedicate　my　most　beauteous　songs；　to
  thee；　the　sacred　victor　in　the　poetical　contests。
  （As　LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS）
  And　praise　Artemis　too；　the　maiden　huntress；　who　wanders　on　the
  mountains　and　through　the　woods。。。。
  （As　CHORUS）
  I；　in　my　turn；　celebrate　the　everlasting　happiness　of　the　chaste
  Artemis；　the　mighty　daughter　of　Leto！
  （As　LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS）
  。。。。and　Leto　and　the　tones　of　the　Asiatic　lyre；　which　wed　so
  well　with　the　dances　of　the　Phrygian　Graces。
  （As　CHORUS）
  I　do　honour　to　the　divine　Leto　and　to　the　lyre；　the　mother　of
  songs　of　male　and　noble　strains。　The　eyes　of　the　goddess　sparkle　while
  listening　to　our　enthusiastic　chants。　Honour　to　the　powerful
  Phoebus！　Hail！　thou　blessed　son　of　Leto。
  MNESILOCHUS