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Aristophanes · Frogs Βάτραχοι

Aristophanes, Frogs 280–306d: Episode: Xanthias and the Empusa

Ancient Sources / Aristophanes / Frogs / 280–306d

Dionysus boasts of his courage and says that he would like an adventure worthy of their journey. Xanthias then cries that he sees a monster that changes shape, and Dionysus hides behind his priest's seat and begs for protection. Xanthias announces that the Empusa has gone, and Dionysus makes him swear it three times.

Lines 280–306d · 283 words · click a number to copy its link
280–295
Διόνυσος 280ἠλαζονεύεθʼ ἵνα φοβηθείην ἐγώ, εἰδώς με μάχιμον ὄντα φιλοτιμούμενος. οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω γαῦρόν ἐσθʼ ὡς Ἡρακλῆς. ἐγὼ δέ γʼ εὐξαίμην ἂν ἐντυχεῖν τινι λαβεῖν τʼ ἀγώνισμʼ ἄξιόν τι τῆς ὁδοῦ. Ξανθίας 285νὴ τὸν Δία καὶ μὴν αἰσθάνομαι ψόφου τινός. Διόνυσος ποῦ ποῦ ʼστιν; Ξανθίας ἐξόπισθεν. Διόνυσος ἐξόπισθʼ ἴθι. Ξανθίας ἀλλʼ ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ πρόσθε. Διόνυσος πρόσθε νυν ἴθι. Ξανθίας καὶ μὴν ὁρῶ νὴ τὸν Δία θηρίον μέγα. Διόνυσος ποῖόν τι; Ξανθίας δεινόν· παντοδαπὸν γοῦν γίγνεται 290τοτὲ μέν γε βοῦς, νυνὶ δʼ ὀρεύς, τοτὲ δʼ αὖ γυνὴ ὡραιοτάτη τις. Διόνυσος ποῦ ʼστι; φέρʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἴω. Ξανθίας ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ αὖ γυνή ʼστιν, ἀλλʼ ἤδη κύων. Διόνυσος Ἔμπουσα τοίνυν ἐστί. Ξανθίας πυρὶ γοῦν λάμπεται ἅπαν τὸ πρόσωπον. Διόνυσος καὶ σκέλος χαλκοῦν ἔχει; Ξανθίας 295νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ, καὶ βολίτινον θάτερον,

DIONYSUS There’s no such swaggerer lives as Heracles. Why, I’d like nothing better than to achieve Some bold adventure, worthy of our trip.

XANTHIAS I know you would. Hallo! I hear a noise.

DIONYSUS Where? what?

XANTHIAS Behind us, there.

DIONYSUS Get you behind.

XANTHIAS No, it’s in front.

DIONYSUS Get you in front directly.

XANTHIAS And now I see the most ferocious monster.

DIONYSUS O, what’s it like?

XANTHIAS Like everything by turns. Now it’s a bull: now it’s a mule: and now The loveliest girl.

DIONYSUS O, where? I’ll go and meet her

XANTHIAS It’s ceased to be a girl: it’s a dog now.

DIONYSUS It is Empusa!

XANTHIAS Well, its face is all Ablaze with fire.

DIONYSUS Has it a copper leg?

XANTHIAS A copper leg? yes, one; and one of cow dung.

DIONYSUS O, whither shall I flee?

XANTHIAS O, whither I?

DIONYSUS My priest, protect me, and we’ll sup together.

296–306d
Ξανθίας 296σάφʼ ἴσθι. Διόνυσος ποῖ δῆτʼ ἂν τραποίμην; Ξανθίας ποῖ δʼ ἐγώ; Διόνυσος ἱερεῦ διαφύλαξόν μʼ, ἵνʼ ὦ σοι ξυμπότης. Ξανθίας ἀπολούμεθʼ ὦναξ Ἡράκλεις. Διόνυσος οὐ μὴ καλεῖς μʼ ὦνθρωφʼ, ἱκετεύω, μηδὲ κατερεῖς τοὔνομα. Ξανθίας 300Διόνυσε τοίνυν. Διόνυσος τοῦτό γʼ ἧττον θατέρου. ἴθʼ ᾗπερ ἔρχει. Ξανθίας δεῦρο δεῦρʼ ὦ δέσποτα. Διόνυσος τί δʼ ἔστι; Ξανθίας θάρρει· πάντʼ ἀγαθὰ πεπράγαμεν, ἔξεστί θʼ ὥσπερ Ἡγέλοχος ἡμῖν λέγειν, ἐκ κυμάτων γὰρ αὖθις αὖ γαλῆν ὁρῶ. 305ἥμπουσα φρούδη. Διόνυσος κατόμοσον. Ξανθίας νὴ τὸν Δία. Διόνυσος καὖθις κατόμοσον. Ξανθίας νὴ Δίʼ. Διόνυσος ὄμοσον. Ξανθίας νὴ Δία.

XANTHIAS King Heracles, we’re done for.

DIONYSUS O, forbear, Good fellow, call me anything but that.

XANTHIAS Well then, Dionysus.

DIONYSUS O, that’s worse again.

XANTHIAS (To the Spectre.) Aye, go thy way. O master, here, come here.

DIONYSUS O, what’s up now?

XANTHIAS Take courage; all’s serene. And, like Hegelochus, we now may say “Out of the storm there comes a new fine wether.” Empusa’s gone,

DIONYSUS Swear it.

XANTHIAS By Zeus she is.

DIONYSUS Swear it again.

XANTHIAS By Zeus.

DIONYSUS Again.

XANTHIAS By Zeus.

DIONYSUS O dear, O dear, how pale I grew to see her,

XANTHIAS But he, from fright has yellowed me all over.

DIONYSUS Ah me, whence fall these evils on my head? Who is the god to blame for my destruction?

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 48.0–181Book 48: The Giants attack Dionysos; he wrestles Pallene
  2. Euripides, Bacchae 434–508Second episode: Pentheus questions the captive stranger
  3. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 48.474–652Book 48: Dionysos' wine-spring and the sleeping Aura
  4. Euripides, Bacchae 775–847Third episode: Pentheus calls for arms; Dionysus persuades him to spy
  5. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.2.1–4.5.4Dionysus

English translation by Benjamin Bickley Rogers (1919). Original text: Greek text: F. W. Hall and W. M. Geldart (eds.), Aristophanis Comoediae, Oxford Classical Texts, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906-1907, as digitised by Perseus. English: Benjamin Bickley Rogers, The Frogs of Aristophanes, second edition, London: G. Bell and Sons, 1919.

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, Greek: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain (Rogers). Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.