The Acharnians | Page 5

who,
with the Archons and the Epistatae, shared the care of holding and
directing the assemblies of the people; they were fifty in number. f[11]
The Peloponnesian War had already, at the date of the representation of
'The Acharnians,' lasted five years, 431-426 B.C.; driven from their
lands by the successive Lacedaemonian invasions, the people
throughout the country had been compelled to seek shelter behind the
walls of Athens.
HERALD Move on up, move on, move on, to get within the
consecrated area.[1]
f[1] Shortly before the meeting of the Assembly, a number of young
pigs were immolated and a few drops of their blood were sprinkled on
the seats of the Prytanes; this sacrifice was in honour of Ceres.
AMPHITHEUS Has anyone spoken yet?
HERALD Who asks to speak?
AMPHITHEUS I do.
HERALD Your name?
AMPHITHEUS Amphitheus.
HERALD You are no man.[1]
f[1] The name, Amphitheus, contains [the Greek] word [for] 'god.'
AMPHITHEUS No! I am an immortal! Amphitheus was the son of
Ceres and Triptolemus; of him was born Celeus. Celeus wedded
Phaenerete, my grandmother, whose son was Lucinus, and, being born
of him I am an immortal; it is to me alone that the gods have entrusted
the duty of treating with the Lacedaemonians. But, citizens, though I
am immortal, I am dying of hunger; the Prytanes give me naught.[1]
f[1] Amongst other duties, it was the office of the Prytanes to look after
the wants of the poor.
A PRYTANIS Guards!
AMPHITHEUS Oh, Triptolemus and Ceres, do ye thus forsake your
own blood?
DICAEOPOLIS Prytanes, in expelling this citizen, you are offering an
outrage to the Assembly. He only desired to secure peace for us and to
sheathe the sword.
PRYTANIS Sit down and keep silence!

DICAEOPOLIS No, by Apollo, I will not, unless you are going to
discuss the question of peace.
HERALD The ambassadors, who are returned from the Court of the
King!
DICAEOPOLIS Of what King? I am sick of all those fine birds, the
peacock ambassadors and their swagger.
HERALD Silence!
DICAEOPOLIS Oh! oh! by Ecbatana,[1] what a costume!
f[1] The summer residence of the Great King.
AN AMBASSADOR During the archonship of Euthymenes, you sent
us to the Great King on a salary of two drachmae per diem.
DICAEOPOLIS Ah! those poor drachmae!
AMBASSADOR We suffered horribly on the plains of the Cayster,
sleeping under a tent, stretched deliciously on fine chariots, half dead
with weariness.
DICAEOPOLIS And I was very much at ease, lying on the straw along
the battlements![1]
f[1] Referring to the hardships he had endured garrisoning the walls of
Athens during the Lacedaemonian invasions early in the War.
AMBASSADOR Everywhere we were well received and forced to
drink delicious wine out of golden or crystal flagons....
DICAEOPOLIS Oh, city of Cranaus,[1] thy ambassadors are laughing
at thee!
f[1] Cranaus, the second king of Athens, the successor of Cecrops.
AMBASSADOR For great feeders and heavy drinkers are alone
esteemed as men by the barbarians.
DICAEOPOLIS Just as here in Athens, we only esteem the most
drunken debauchees.
AMBASSADOR At the end of the fourth year we reached the King's
Court, but he had left with his whole army to ease himself, and for the
space of eight months he was thus easing himself in the midst of the
golden mountains.[1]
f[1] Lucian, in his 'Hermotimus,' speaks of these golden mountains as
an apocryphal land of wonders and prodigies.
DICAEOPOLIS And how long was he replacing his dress?
AMBASSADOR The whole period of a full moon; after which he
returned to his palace; then he entertained us and had us served with

oxen roasted whole in an oven.
DICAEOPOLIS Who ever saw an oxen baked in an oven? What a lie!
AMBASSADOR On my honour, he also had us served with a bird
three times as large as Cleonymus,[1] and called the Boaster.
f[1] Cleonymus was an Athenian general of exceptionally tall stature;
Aristophanes incessantly rallies him for his cowardice; he had cast
away his buckler in a fight.
DICAEOPOLIS And do we give you two drachmae, that you should
treat us to all this humbug?
AMBASSADOR We are bringing to you Pseudartabas[1], the King's
Eye.
f[1] A name borne by certain officials of the King of Persia. The actor
of this part wore a mask, fitted with a single eye of great size.
DICAEOPOLIS I would a crow might pluck out thine with his beak,
you cursed ambassador!
HERALD The King's Eye!
DICAEOPOLIS Eh! Great Gods! Friend, with thy great eye, round like
the hole through which the oarsman passes his sweep, you have the air
of a galley doubling a cape to gain port.
AMBASSADOR Come, Pseudartabas, give forth the message for the
Athenians with which you were charged by the Great King.
PSEUDARTABAS Jartaman exarx 'anapissonia satra.[1]
f[1]