Bdel. Aye, with which they destroyed Philippus,[1] son of Gorgias, on his trial.
Cho. And in turn we will utterly destroy you too. But turn, each of you, hither, and put forth your sting, and then rush against him, all ready, in good order, full of anger and fury, that he may know well henceforth what[2] a swarm he has enraged.
Xan. This, in truth, is now a hard case, by Jove, if we must fight; for I dread to behold[3] their stings.
Cho. Come, let go the man; otherwise, I declare you shall bless the tortoises for their shells.
Phil. On then, fellow-dicasts, irascible[4] wasps, do some of you in your wrath fly at their rumps, and ye others sting their eyes round about, and their fingers.[5]
Bdel. Midas, and Phryx, and Masyntias, render assistance here! and lay ye hold on this fellow, and do not give him up to any one; otherwise, ye shall breakfast on nothing in stout fetters. For I, having heard the sound of many fig leaves, know it. [Philocleon is seized by the servants.]
Cho. (to Bdelycleon). If you will not let this man go, something shall be fixed in you.
Phil. O Cecrops, hero, king, serpent-like in your feet! dost thou suffer me to be overpowered in this way by barbarians, whom I have taught[6] to weep four to the chœnix?
Cho. Then are there not, pray, many direful evils in old age? Doubtless there are. And now these two are forcibly overpowering their old master, having no recollection of the leather jackets of old, and the sleeveless frocks, which he used to purchase for them, and the caps, and used to benefit their
- ↑ See Av. 1701. Süvern, Clouds, p. 32.
- ↑ Cf. vs. 601.
- ↑ There is an equivoque here, since the word also means the dicast's stylus, with which the long mark of assessment was made. For δέδοικα with a participle, see Nub. 508.
- ↑ Vide Æschyl. Theb. 897, ed. Scholef.
ἐμοιράσαντο δ᾽ ὀξυκάρ—
διοι κτήμαθ᾽, ὥστ᾽ ἴσον λαχεῖν. - ↑ Vide Elmsl. ad Acharn. 343. He reads οἱ δὲ τὠφθαλμὼ ᾽ν κύκλῶ· See note on Ran. 40.
- ↑ According to Hussey, the chœnix = three κοτύλαι. Philocleon therefore asserts that he has made them weep four κοτύλαι to the chœnix, i. e. one above the statute measure. For the participle, see note on Ran. 509.
