THE CLOUDS


By Aristophanes



Translated by William James Hickie

* All Greek from the original edition has been transliterated into Roman characters.







DRAMATIS PERSONAE

     Strepsiades     Phidippides     Servant of Strepsiades     Disciples of Socrates     Socrates     Chorus of Clouds     Just Cause     Unjust Cause     Pasias     Amynias     Witness     Chaerephon
     Scene: The interior of a sleeping-apartment:     Strepsiades, Phidippides, and two servants are in their     beds; a small house is seen at a distance. Time:     midnight.     Strepsiades (sitting up in his bed). Ah me! Ah me! O     King Jupiter, of what a terrible length the nights are!     Will it never be day? And yet long since I heard the     cock. My domestics are snoring; but they would not have     done so heretofore! May you perish then, O war! For many     reasons; because I may not even punish my domestics.     Neither does this excellent youth awake through the     night; but takes his ease, wrapped up in five blankets.     Well, if it is the fashion, let us snore wrapped up.
     [Lies down, and then almost immediately starts up     again.]     But I am not able, miserable man, to sleep, being     tormented by my expenses, and my stud of horses, and my     debts, through this son of mine. He with his long hair,     is riding horses and driving curricles, and dreaming of     horses; while I am driven to distraction, as I see the     moon bringing on the twentieths;  for the interest is     running on. Boy! Light a lamp, and bring forth my     tablets, that I may take them and read to how many I am     indebted, and calculate the interest.     [Enter boy with a light and tablets.]     Come, let me see; what do I owe? Twelve minae  to     Pasias. Why twelve minae to Pasias? Why did I borrow     them? When I bought the blood-horse. Ah me, unhappy!     Would that it had had its eye knocked out with a stone     first!     Phidippides (talking in his sleep). You are acting     unfairly, Philo! Drive on your own course.     Strep. This is the bane that has destroyed me; for even     in his sleep he dreams about horsemanship.     Phid. How many courses will the war-chariots run?     Strep. Many courses do you drive me, your father. But     what debt came upon me after Pasias? Three minae to     Amynias for a little chariot and pair of wheels.     Phid. Lead the horse home, after having given him a good     rolling.     Strep. O foolish youth, you have rolled me out of my     possessions; since I have been cast in suits, and others     say that they will have surety given them for the     interest.     Phid. (awakening) Pray, father, why are you peevish, and     toss about the whole night?     Strep. A bailiff out of the bedclothes is biting     me.     Phid. Suffer me, good sir, to sleep a little.     Strep. Then, do you sleep on; but know that all these     debts will turn on your head.     [Phidippides falls asleep again.]     Alas! Would that the match-maker had perished miserably,     who induced me to marry your mother. For a country life     used to be most agreeable to me, dirty, untrimmed,     reclining at random, abounding in bees, and sheep, and     oil-cake. Then I, a rustic, married a niece of Megacles,     the son of Megacles, from the city, haughty, luxurious,     and Coesyrafied. When I married her, I lay with her     redolent of new wine, of the cheese-crate, and abundance     of wool; but she, on the contrary, of ointment, saffron,     wanton-kiss                        
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