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Aristophanes · Frogs Βάτραχοι

Aristophanes, Frogs 615–665: Episode: the test by flogging

Ancient Sources / Aristophanes / Frogs / 615–665

Xanthias offers his slave to be tortured, and Dionysus claims to be a god, but Xanthias says that a real god will not feel the whips. Each is struck in turn, and whichever flinches or cries out must be the slave, so each tries to hide the pain with a verse or a joke. Aeacus cannot tell which is the god and takes them both in to Pluto and Persephone.

Lines 615–665 · 514 words · click a number to copy its link
615–624
Ξανθίας 615καί σοι ποιήσω πρᾶγμα γενναῖον πάνυ· βασάνιζε γὰρ τὸν παῖδα τουτονὶ λαβών, κἄν ποτέ μʼ ἕλῃς ἀδικοῦντʼ, ἀπόκτεινόν μʼ ἄγων. Ἄιακος καὶ πῶς βασανίσω; Ξανθίας πάντα τρόπον, ἐν κλίμακι δήσας κρεμάσας ὑστριχίδι μαστιγῶν, δέρων, 620στρεβλῶν, ἔτι δʼ ἐς τὰς ῥῖνας ὄξος ἐγχέων, πλίνθους ἐπιτιθείς, πάντα τἄλλα, πλὴν πράσῳ μὴ τύπτε τοῦτον μηδὲ γητείῳ νέῳ. Ἄιακος δίκαιος ὁ λόγος· κἄν τι πηρώσω γέ σου τὸν παῖδα τύπτων, τἀργύριόν σοι κείσεται.

XANTHIAS And if you find I’m guilty, take and kill me.

AEACUS Torture him, how?

XANTHIAS In any mode you please. Pile bricks upon him: stuff his nose with acid: Flay, rack him, hoist him; flog him with a scourge Of prickly bristles: only not with this, A soft-leaved onion, or a tender leek.

AEACUS A fair proposal. If I strike too hard And maim the boy, I’ll make you compensation.

XANTHIAS I shan’t require it. Take him out and flog him.

AEACUS Nay, but I’ll do it here before your eyes.

625–644b
Ξανθίας 625μὴ δῆτʼ ἔμοιγʼ. οὕτω δὲ βασάνιζʼ ἀπαγαγών. Ἄιακος αὐτοῦ μὲν οὖν, ἵνα σοὶ κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς λέγῃ. κατάθου σὺ τὰ σκεύη ταχέως, χὤπως ἐρεῖς ἐνταῦθα μηδὲν ψεῦδος. Διόνυσος ἀγορεύω τινὶ ἐμὲ μὴ βασανίζειν ἀθάνατον ὄντʼ· εἰ δὲ μή, 630αὐτὸς σεαυτὸν αἰτιῶ. Ἄιακος λέγεις δὲ τί; Διόνυσος ἀθάνατος εἶναί φημι Διόνυσος Διός, τοῦτον δὲ δοῦλον. Ἄιακος ταῦτʼ ἀκούεις; Ξανθίας φήμʼ ἐγώ. καὶ πολύ γε μᾶλλόν ἐστι μαστιγωτέος· εἴπερ θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ αἰσθήσεται. Διόνυσος 635τί δῆτʼ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ σὺ φῂς εἶναι θεός, οὐ καὶ σὺ τύπτει τὰς ἴσας πληγὰς ἐμοί; Ξανθίας δίκαιος ὁ λόγος· χὠπότερόν γʼ ἂν νῷν ἴδῃς κλαύσαντα πρότερον ἢ προτιμήσαντά τι τυπτόμενον, εἶναι τοῦτον ἡγοῦ μὴ θεόν. Ἄιακος 640οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως οὐκ εἶ σὺ γεννάδας ἀνήρ· χωρεῖς γὰρ ἐς τὸ δίκαιον. ἀποδύεσθε δή. Ξανθίας πῶς οὖν βασανιεῖς νὼ δικαίως; Ἄιακος ῥᾳδίως· πληγὴν παρὰ πληγὴν ἑκάτερον. Ξανθίας καλῶς λέγεις. Ἄιακος ἰδού. Ξανθίας σκόπει νυν ἤν μʼ ὑποκινήσαντʼ ἴδῃς.

AEACUS Now then, put down the traps, and mind you speak The truth, young fellow.

DIONYSUS (in agony.) Man! don’t torture me! I am a god. You’ll blame yourself hereafter If you touch ME.

AEACUS Hillo! What’s that you are saying?

DIONYSUS I say I’m Bacchus, son of Zeus, a god, And he’s the slave.

AEACUS You hear him?

XANTHIAS Hear him? Yes. All the more reason you should flog him well. For if he is a god, he won’t perceive it.

DIONYSUS Well, but you say that you’re a god yourself. So why not you be flogged as well as I?

XANTHIAS A fair proposal. And be this the test, Whichever of us two you first behold Flinching or crying out—he’s not the god.

AEACUS Upon my word you’re quite the gentleman, You’re all for right and justice. Strip then, both.

XANTHIAS How can you test us fairly?

AEACUS Easily, I’ll give you blow for blow.

XANTHIAS A good idea. We’re ready! Now! (Aeacus strikes him), see if you catch me flinching.

AEACUS I struck you.

XANTHIAS (Incredulously.) No!

AEACUS Well, it seems “no,”’ indeed. Now then I’ll strike the other (Strikes Dio.)

DIONYSUS Tell me when?

645–652
Ἄιακος 645ἤδη ʼπάταξά σʼ. Ξανθίας οὐ μὰ Δίʼ. Ἄιακος οὐδʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς. ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐπὶ τονδὶ καὶ πατάξω. Διόνυσος πηνίκα; Ἄιακος καὶ δὴ ʼπάταξα. Διόνυσος κᾆτα πῶς οὐκ ἔπταρον; Ἄιακος οὐκ οἶδα· τουδὶ δʼ αὖθις ἀποπειράσομαι. Ξανθίας οὔκουν ἀνύσεις τι; ἀτταταῖ. Ἄιακος τί τἀτταταῖ; 650μῶν ὠδυνήθης; Ξανθίας οὐ μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐφρόντισα ὁπόθʼ Ἡράκλεια τἀν Διομείοις γίγνεται. Ἄιακος ἅνθρωπος ἱερός. δεῦρο πάλιν βαδιστέον.

AEACUS I struck you.

DIONYSUS Struck me? Then why didn’t I sneeze?

AEACUS Don’t know, I’m sure. I’ll try the other again.

XANTHIAS And quickly too. Good gracious!

AEACUS Why “good gracious”? Not hurt you, did I?

XANTHIAS No, I merely thought of The Diomeian feast of Heracles.

AEACUS A holy man! ’Tis now the other’s turn.

DIONYSUS Hi! Hi!

AEACUS Hallo!

DIONYSUS Look at those horsemen, look!

AEACUS But why these tears?

DIONYSUS There’s such a smell of onions.

653–665
Διόνυσος 653ἰοὺ ἰού. Ἄιακος τί ἔστιν; Διόνυσος ἱππέας ὁρῶ. Ἄιακος τί δῆτα κλάεις; Διόνυσος κρομμύων ὀσφραίνομαι. Ἄιακος 655ἐπεὶ προτιμᾷς γʼ οὐδέν. Διόνυσος οὐδέν μοι μέλει. Ἄιακος βαδιστέον τἄρʼ ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τονδὶ πάλιν. Ξανθίας οἴμοι. Ἄιακος τί ἔστι; Ξανθίας τὴν ἄκανθαν ἔξελε. Ἄιακος τί τὸ πρᾶγμα τουτί; δεῦρο πάλιν βαδιστέον. Διόνυσος Ἄπολλον—ὅς που Δῆλον ἢ Πυθῶνʼ ἔχεις. Ξανθίας 660ἤλγησεν· οὐκ ἤκουσας; Διόνυσος οὐκ ἔγωγʼ, ἐπεὶ ἴαμβον Ἱππώνακτος ἀνεμιμνῃσκόμην. Ξανθίας οὐδὲν ποιεῖς γάρ· ἀλλὰ τὰς λαγόνας σπόδει. Ἄιακος μὰ τὸν Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἤδη πάρεχε τὴν γαστέρα. Διόνυσος Πόσειδον Ξανθίας ἤλγησέν τις. Διόνυσος 665ὃς Αἰγαίου πρῶνας ἢ γλαυκᾶς μέδεις ἁλὸς ἐν βένθεσιν.

AEACUS Then you don’t mind it?

DIONYSUS (Cheerfully.) Mind it? Not a bit.

AEACUS Well, I must go to the other one again.

XANTHIAS O! O!

AEACUS Hallo!

XANTHIAS Do pray pull out this thorn.

AEACUS What does it mean? ’Tis this one’s turn again.

DIONYSUS (shrieking.) Apollo! Lord! (calmly) of Delos and of Pytho.

XANTHIAS He flinched! You heard him?

DIONYSUS Not at all; a jolly Verse of Hipponax flashed across my mind.

XANTHIAS You don’t half do it: cut his flanks to pieces.

AEACUS By Zeus, well thought on. Turn your belly here.

DIONYSUS (Screaming.) Poseidon!

XANTHIAS There! he’s flinching.

DIONYSUS (singing) who dost reign Amongst the Aegean peaks and creeks And o’er the deep blue main.

AEACUS No, by Demeter, still I can’t find out Which is the god, but come ye both indoors; My lord himself and Persephassa there,

People and places in this passage

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

  1. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.2.1–4.5.4Dionysus
  2. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 31.0–69Book 31: Hera appeals to Persephone against Dionysos
  3. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.29.1–11Epidaurus and Aegina: the Aeaceum and the stories of Aeacus and Phocus
  4. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 24.62–178Book 24: The gods carry the Bacchic host over; Thureus reports to Deriades
  5. Euripides, Bacchae 434–508Second episode: Pentheus questions the captive stranger
  6. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.12.1–7Dardanus, Priam and the royal house of Troy

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.