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　on