Come, O Charitimides,[1] and Smicythus, and Draces, follow in haste, taking heed to yourself that you blunder in none of those things which you ought to effect. But see that, when we have received our ticket,[2] we then sit down[3] near each other, so that we may vote for all measures, as many as it behoves our sisterhood. And yet, what am I saying? for I ought to have called them "brotherhood."[4]
But see that we jostle those who have come from the city; as many as heretofore,[5] when a person had to receive only one obolus on his coming, used to sit and chatter, crowned with chaplets.[6] But now they are a great nuisance. But when the brave Myronides[7] held office, no one used to dare to conduct the affairs of the state for the receipt[8] of money; but each of them used[9] to come with drink in a little wine-skin, and bread at the same time, and two onions besides, and three olives.[10] But now, like people carrying clay, they seek to get three obols, whenever they transact any public business.
Blepyrus. (coming out of his house attired in his wife's
- ↑ The chorus addresses the leaders amongst the women by the names of men. Charitimides was commander of the Athenian navy. For Draces, see Lys. 254.
- ↑ See Liddell's Lex. in voc. σύμβολον, 3.
- ↑ The exhortative use of ὅπως is not confined to the second person. See vs. 300. Vesp. 1250. Nub. 882, 888. Ran. 8. Lys. 290. Pax, 562. Hermann, Vig. n. 255, and other examples ap. Krüger, Gr. Gr. § 54, 8, obs. 7.
- ↑ Φίλας—φίλους.
- ↑ They contrast the present eagerness to attend the Assemblies, now that the pay is three obols, with the unconcernedness of former times, when they only received one obol. Then they used to prefer to sit at home chattering, rather than attend the Assemblies.
"Die sonst, wo der Lohn gering,
Wo, wer zur Ekklesie ging,
Nur einen Obol empfing,
Heim sassen und schwatzten
Gekränzet in Zierlichkeit." Droysen. - ↑ Strattis ap. Athen. xv. p. 685, B.,
λουσάμενοι δὲ πρὸ λαμπρᾶς
ἡμέρας ἐν τοῖς στεφανώμασιν.
See Bernhardy, W. S. p. 209. - ↑ A general in the times of Pericles,—not Archon, as Brunck makes him. See Thuc. i. 105, 108; iv. 95.
- ↑ "Staatesdienst zu brauchen als Geldverdienst." Droysen.
- ↑ See note on Plut. 982.
- ↑ See note on Pax, 647.
