games, in which the riders will ride side by side, or else the chariot

teams, thrown one on top of another, panting and whinnying, will
roll and knock against each other on the ground, while other rivals,

thrown out of their seats, will fall before reaching the goal, utterly
exhausted by their efforts.-Come, Prytanes, take Theoria. Oh! look-how

graciously yonder fellow has received her; you would not have been
in such a hurry to introduce her to the Senate, if nothing were coming

to you through it; you would not have failed to plead some holiday
as an excuse.

CHORUS (singing)
Such a man as you assures the happiness of all his

fellow-citizens.
TRYGAEUS (singing)

When you are gathering your vintages you will prize me even
better.

CHORUS (singing)
E'en from to-day we hail you as the deliverer of mankind.

TRYGAEUS (singing)
Wait until you have drunk a beaker of new wine, before you

appraise my true merits.
CHORUS (singing)

Excepting the gods, there is none greater than yourself, and
that will ever be our opinion.

TRYGAEUS (singing)
Yea, Trygaeus of Athmonia has deserved well of you, he has freed

both husbandman and craftsman from the most cruel ills; he has
vanquished Hyberbolus.

SERVANT
Well then, what must be done now?

TRYGAEUS
You must offer pots of green-stuff to the goddess to consecrate

her altars.
SERVANT

Pots of green-stuff as we do to poor Hermes-and even he thinks the
fare pretty mean?

TRYGAEUS
What will you offer them? A fatted bull?

SERVANT
Oh no! I don't want to start bellowing the battle-cry.

TRYGAEUS
A great fat swine then?

SERVANT
No, no.

TRYGAEUS
Why not?

SERVANT
We don't want any of the swinishness of Theagenes.

TRYGAEUS
What other victim do you prefer then?

SERVANT
A sheep.

TRYGAEUS
A sheep?

SERVANT
Yes.

TRYGAEUS
But that's the Ionic form of the word.

SERVANT
Purposely. So that if anyone in the assembly says, "We must go

to war," all may start bleating in alarm, "Oi, oi."
TRYGAEUS

A brilliant idea.
SERVANT

And we shall all be lambs one toward the other, yes, and milder
still toward the allies.

TRYGAEUS
Then go for the sheep and haste to bring it back with you; I

will prepare the altar for the sacrifice.
(They both leave.)

CHORUS (singing)
How everything succeeds to our wish, when the gods are willing and

Fortune favours us! how opportunely everything falls out.
TRYGAEUS (returning)

Nothing could be truer, for look! here stands the altar all
ready at my door.

(He enters his house.)
CHORUS (singing)

Hurry, hurry, for the winds are fickle; make haste, while the
divine will is set on stopping this cruel war and is showering on us

the most striking benefits.
TRYCAEUS (returning)

Here is the basket of barley-seed mingled with salt, the chaplet
and the sacred knife; and there is the fire; so we are only waiting

for the sheep.
CHORUS (singing)

Hasten, hasten, for, if Chaeris sees you, he will come without
bidding, he and his flute; and when you see him puffing and panting

and out of breath, you will have to give him something.
TRYGAEUS (to the SERVANT who has returned with a sheep and a vase

of water)
Come, seize the basket and take the lustral water and hurry to

circle round the altar to the right.
SERVANT

There! that's done. What is your next bidding?
TRYGAEUS

Wait. I take this fire-brand first and plunge it into the water.
Now quick, quick, you sprinkle the altar. Give me some barley-seed,

purify yourself and hand me the basin; then scatter the rest of the
barley among the audience.

SERVANT
Done.

TRYGAEUS
You have thrown it?

SERVANT
Yes, by Hermes! and all the spectators have had their share.

TRYGAEUS
At least the women got none.

SERVANT
Oh! their husbands will give them some this evening.

TRYGAEUS
Let us pray! Who is here? Are there any good men?

SERVANT
Come, give me the water, so that I may sprinkle these people.

Faith! they are indeed good, brave men.
(He throws the lustral water on hem.)

TRYGAEUS
You believe so?

SERVANT
I am sure, and the proof of it is that we have flooded them with

lustral water and they have not budged an inch.
TRYGAEUS

Let us pray, then, as soon as we can.
SERVANT

Yes, let us pray.
TRYGAEUS

Oh! Peace, mighty queen, venerated goddess, thou, who presidest
over choruses and at nuptials, deign to accept the sacrifices we offer

thee.
SERVANT

Receive it, greatly honoured mistress, and behave not like the
courtesans, who half open the door to entice the gallants, draw back

when they are stared at, to return once more if a man passes on. But
do not thou act like this to us.

TRYGAEUS
No, but like an honest woman, show thyself to thy worshippers, who

are worn with regretting thee all these thirteen years. Hush the noise
of battle, be a true Lysimacha to us. Put an end to this

tittle-tattle, to this idle babble, that set us defying one another.
Cause the Greeks once more to taste the pleasant beverage of

friendship and temper all hearts with the gentle feeling of
forgiveness. Make excellent commodities flow to our markets, fine

heads of garlic, early cucumbers, apples, pomegranates and nice little
cloaks for the slaves; make them bring geese, ducks, pigeons and larks

from Boeotia and baskets of eels from Lake Copais; we shall all rush
to buy them, disputing their possession with Morychus, Teleas,

Glaucetes and every other glutton. Melanthius will arrive on the
market last of all; they'll say, "no more eels, all sold!" and then

he'll start groaning and exclaiming as in his monologue of Medea, "I
am dying, I am dying! Alas! I have let those hidden in the beet escape

me!" And won't we laugh? These are the wishes, mightygoddess, which
we pray thee to grant. (To the SERVANT) Take the knife and slaughter

the sheep like a finished cook.
SERVANT

No, the goddess does not wish it.
TRYGAEUS

And why not?
SERVANT

Blood cannot please Peace, so let us spill none upon her altar.
TRYGAEUS

Then go and sacrifice the sheep in the house, cut off the legs and
bring them here; thus the carcase will be saved for the Choregus.

(The SERVANT goes into the house with the sheep.)
CHORUS (singing)

You, who remain here, get chopped wood and everything needed for
the sacrifice ready.

TRYGAEUS
Don't I look like a diviner preparing his mystic fire?

CHORUS (singing)
Undoubtedly. Will anything that a wise man ought to know escape

you? Don't you know all that a man should know, who is distinguished
for his wisdom and inventive daring?

TRYGAEUS
There! the wood catches. Its smoke blinds poor Stilbides. I am now

going to bring the table and thus be my own slave.
(He goes into the house.)

CHORUS (singing)
You have braved a thousand dangers to save your sacred town. All

honour to you I your glory will be ever envied.
TRYGAEUS (returning with a table)

Wait. Here are the legs, place them upon the altar. For myself,
I mean to go back to the entrails and the cakes.

(He is about to go into the house.)
SERVANT (going in ahead of him)

I'll take care of them.
TRYGAEUS

But I want you here.
SERVANT (returning)

Well then, here I am. Do you think I have taken long?
TRYGAEUS

Just get this roasted. Ab who is this man, crowned with laurel,
who is coming to me?

SERVANT
He has a self-important look; is he some diviner?

TRYGAEUS
No, it's Hierocles, that oracle-monger from Oreus.

SERVANT
What is he going to tell us?

TRYGAEUS
Evidently he is coming to oppose the peace.

SERVANT
No, it's the odour of the fat that attracts him.

• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)
• victim [´viktim] n.牺牲者；受害者 (初中英语单词)
• assembly [ə´sembli] n.集会；装配；与会者 (初中英语单词)
• brilliant [´briliənt] a.灿烂的；杰出的 (初中英语单词)
• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• plunge [plʌndʒ] v.插进 n.投入；冲击 (初中英语单词)
• sprinkle [´spriŋkəl] v.撒，洒 n.细雨；微量 (初中英语单词)
• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)
• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)
• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)
• senate [´senit] n.参议院；上院 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)
• entice [in´tais] vt.诱惑；怂恿 (英语四级单词)
• babble [´bæbəl] v.&n.唠叨；胡言乱语 (英语四级单词)
• beverage [´bevəridʒ] n.饮料 (英语四级单词)
• deliverer [di´livərə] n.投递者；拯救者 (英语六级单词)
• fickle [´fikəl] a.轻浮的；多变的 (英语六级单词)
• garlic [´gɑ:lik] n.蒜，大蒜 (英语六级单词)
• mystic [´mistik] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (英语六级单词)