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ARGUMENT.

For the date of this Comedy see Clinton's Fasti Hellenici, p. 75, 2nd edit.

“Aristoph. "Ορνιθες. Arg. Avium ii. ἐδιδάχθη ἐπὶ Χαβρίου ἄρχοντος εἰς ἄστυ διὰ Καλλιστράτου ὃς ἦν δεύτερος τοῖς Ορνισι πρώτος Αμειψίας Κωμαστοῖς τρίτος Φρύνιχος Μονοτρόπῳ. Arg. Av. iii. ἐπὶ Χαβρίου τὸ δρᾶμα καθῆκεν εἰς ἄστυ διὰ Καλλίου (1. Καλλιστράτου.) [Elaphebolion, or March, Β. C. 414.] Schol. Αν. 998. καθεῖται δὲ καὶ ὁ Μονότροπος ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ χωρίου.”

The plot is simply this. Euelpides and Pisthetærus, two ancient Athenians, tired with the law, wrangling, and sycophancy of their countrymen, resolve upon quitting Attica. Having heard of the fame of Epops, sometime called Tereus (τὸν Τηρέα ἔποπα γενόμενον, Arg.) and now King of the Birds, they determine, under the direction of a raven and a jackdaw, to seek at him and his subject birds a city free from all care and strife. After some scrambling, their guides intimate to them that they are arrived at the residence of Epops. They knock, and Trochilus appears, under the influence of fright, as he takes them for fowlers. Epops, he informs them, is now asleep, v. 82:

εὕδει καταφαγὼν μύρτα καὶ σέρφους τινάς.

After some time His Majesty awakes, and upon their urging their suit, makes them the offer of several cities. These they refuse, and Epops descants on the happiness of living among the Birds. Pisthetærus proposes a scheme to enhance it.

Upon this Epops summons the Nightingale to call the Birds to council. They take flight, and are about to tear the two old worthies to pieces, imagining that their king has betrayed them. Epops explains his relationship, dwells upon their praise, and thus saves their lives. Following the advice of Pisthetærus they build out the Gods, and name their new city Nephelococcygia, or "Cuckoo-cloud-land." Arrivals from Athens, "with all their trumpery," are not wanting. But as by this city in mid-air the Gods above are deprived of their accustomed offerings, at the suggestion of Prometheus, who in private informs Epops of their famished state, the latter considers it a good opportunity for recovering the former dominion of the Birds, particularly as the Triballian Gods, who dwell "extra anni solisque vias," are on the point of attacking that august synod. An embassy arrives, consisting of Hercules, Neptune, and a certain Triballian God. After some disputes,

it is agreed that the Birds are to be reinstated in their ancient rights, and that Pisthetærus is to have Basilea in marriage. The Comedy concludes with the Epithalamion.

ΑΡΙΣΤΟΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΟΡΝΙΘΕΣ.

ΕΥΕΛΠΙΔΗΣ. ΠΕΙΣΘΕΤΑΙΡΟΣ.

ΕΥ. ΟΡΘΗΝ κελεύεις, ᾗ τὸ δένδρον φαίνεται;
ΠΕ. διαῤῥαγείης ἥδε δ ̓ αὖ κρώζει πάλιν.
ΕΥ. τί ὦ πόνηρ ̓ ἄνω κάτω πλανύττομεν ;

5

ἀπολούμεθ', ἄλλως τὴν ὁδὸν προφορουμένω. ΠΕ. τὸ δ' ἐμὲ κορώνῃ πειθόμενον τὸν ἄθλιον ὁδοῦ περιελθεῖν στάδια πλεῖν ἢ χίλια. ΕΥ. τὸ δ' ἐμὲ κολοιῷ πειθόμενον τὸν δύσμορον ἀποσποδῆσαι τοὺς ὄνυχας τῶν δακτύλων. ΠΕ. ἀλλ ̓ οὐδ ̓ ὅπου γῆς ἐσμὲν οἶδ ̓ ἔγωγ ̓ ἔτι. ΕΥ. ἐντευθενὶ τὴν πατρίδ ̓ ἂν ἐξεύροις σύ που; 10 ΠΕ. οὐδ ̓ ἂν μά Δία γ ̓ ἐντεῦθεν Εξηκεστίδης.

ΕΥ. οἴμοι.

ΠΕ. σὺ μὲν ὦ τῶν τὴν ὁδὸν ταύτην ἔθι.
ΕΥ. ἦ δεινὰ νὰ δέδρακεν οὗ ̓κ τῶν ὀρνέων,
ὁ πινακοπώλης Φιλοκράτης μελαγχολῶν,
ὃς τώδ ̓ ἔφασκε νῷν φράσειν τὸν Τηρέα,
τὸν ἔποφ ̓, ὃς ὄρνις ἐγένετ ̓ ἐκ τῶν ὀρνέων
κἀπέδοτο τὸν μὲν Θαῤῥελείδου τουτονὶ
κολοιὸν ὀβολοῦ· τηνδεδὶ τριωβόλου.

B

15

τὰ δ ̓ οὐκ ἄρ ̓ ᾔστην οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν δάκνειν.
καὶ νῦν τί κέχηνας; ἔσθ' ὅποι κατὰ τῶν πετρῶν 20
ἡμᾶς ἔτ ̓ ἄξεις; οὐ γάρ ἐστ ̓ ἐνταῦθά τις

ὁδός.

ΠΕ. οὐδὲ μά Δί' ἐνταῦθά γ' ἀτραπὸς οὐδαμοῦ.
ΕΥ. ἦν, ἡ κορώνη τῆς ὁδοῦ τι λέγει πέρι.

ΠΕ. οὐ ταὐτὰ κρώζει μά Δία νῦν τε καὶ τότε.
ΕΥ. τί δὴ λέγει περὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ ;

ΠΕ.

τί δ ̓ ἄλλο γ' ή

25

30

βρύκουσ ̓ ἀπέδεσθαί φησί μου τοὺς δακτύλους; ΕΥ. οὐ δεινὸν οὖν δῆτ ̓ ἐστὶν ἡμᾶς δεομένους ἐς κόρακας ἐλθεῖν καὶ παρεσκευασμένους, ἔπειτα μὴ 'ξευρεῖν δύνασθαι τὴν ὁδόν; ἡμεῖς γάρ, ὦνδρες οἱ παρόντες ἐν λόγῳ, νόσον νοσοῦμεν τὴν ἐναντίαν Σάκα. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὧν οὐκ ἀστὸς εἰσβιάζεται ἡμεῖς δὲ φυλῇ καὶ γένει τιμώμενοι, ἀστοὶ μετ ̓ ἀστῶν, οὐ σοβοῦντος οὐδενὸς ἀνεπτόμεσθ' ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος ἀμφοῖν ποδοῖν, 35 αὐτὴν μὲν οὐ μισοῦντ ̓ ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν τὸ μὴ οὐ μεγάλην εἶναι φύσει κεὐδαίμονα, καὶ πᾶσι κοινὴν ἐναποτῖσαι χρήματα. οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὖν τέττιγες ἵνα μὴν ἢ δύο ἐπὶ τῶν κραδῶν ᾄδουσιν· ̓Αθηναῖοι δ ̓ ἀεὶ 40 ἐπὶ τῶν δικῶν ᾄδουσι πάντα τὸν βίον. διὰ ταῦτα τόνδε τὸν βάδον βαδίζομεν κανοῦν δ ̓ ἔχοντε καὶ χύτραν καὶ μυῤῥίνας πλανώμεθα ζητοῦντε τόπον ἀπράγμονα,

ὅπου καθιδρυθέντε διαγενοίμεθ ̓ ἄν.

ὁ δὲ στόλος νῷν ἐστι παρὰ τὸν Τηρέα,
τὸν ἔποπα, παρ ̓ ἐκείνου πυθέσθαι δεομένω,
εἴ που τοιαύτην εἶδε πόλιν ᾗ 'πέπτετο.

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45

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ἄνω κέχηνεν ὡσπερεὶ δεικνύς τί μοι,
κοὐκ ἔσθ ̓ ὅπως οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθ ̓ ὄρνεα.
εἰσόμεθα δ ̓ αὐτίκ ̓, ἂν ποιήσωμεν ψόφον.

5

ΠΕ. ἀλλ ̓ οἶσθ ̓ ὁ δρᾶσον ; τῷ σκέλει θένε τὴν πέτραν. ΕΥ. σὺ δὲ τῇ κεφαλῇ γ ̓, ἵν ̓ ᾖ διπλάσιος ὁ ψόφος. 55 ΠΕ. σὺ δ ̓ οὖν λίθῳ κόψον λαβών.

ΕΥ.

ΠΕ.

παῖ, παῖ.

πάνυ γ', εἰ δοκεῖ.

τί λέγεις οὗτος; τὸν ἔποπα παῖ καλεῖς; οὐκ ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδός γ ̓ ἐχρῆν ἐποποὶ καλεῖν; ΕΥ. ἐποποί. ποιήσεις τοί με κόπτειν αὖθις αὖ;

ἐποποί.

60

ΤΡΟΧΙΛΟΣ. ΕΥΕΛΠΙΔΗΣ. ΠΕΙΣΘΕΤΑΙΡΟΣ.

TP.

Τίνες οὗτοι ; τίς ὁ βοῶν τὸν δεσπότην ;

ΕΥ. Απολλον ἀποτρόπαιε, τοῦ χασμήματος.

ΤΡ. οἴμοι τάλας, ὀρνιθοθήρα τουτωί.

ΕΥ. οὕτως τί δεινὸν οὐδὲ κάλλιον λέγειν ;

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