Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae
Eugene O'Neill, Jr., Ed.

Praxagora
But his riches will no longer be of any use to him.

Blepyrus
Why?

Praxagora
[605] The poor will no longer be obliged to work; each will have all that he needs, bread, salt fish, cakes, tunics, wine, chaplets and chick-pease; of what advantage will it be to him not to contribute his share to the common wealth? What do you think of it?

Blepyrus
But is it not the biggest robbers that have all these things?

Praxagora
Yes, formerly, under the old order of things; [610] but now that all goods are in common, what will he gain by not bringing his wealth into the general stock?

Blepyrus
If someone saw a pretty wench and wished to lay her, he would take some of his reserve store to make her a present and stay the night with her; this would not prevent him claiming his share of the common property.

Praxagora
But he can sleep with her for nothing; I intend that women shall belong to all men in common, and each [615] shall beget children by any man that wishes to have her.

Blepyrus
But all will go to the prettiest woman and try to lay her.

Praxagora
The ugliest and the most flat-nosed will be side by side with the most charming, and to win the latter's favours, a man will first have to get into the former.

Blepyrus
But what about us oldsters? If we have to lay the old women first, how can we keep [620] our tools from failing before we get into the Promised Land?

Praxagora
They will make no resistance. Never fear; they will make no resistance.

Blepyrus
Resistance to what?

Praxagora
To the pleasure of the thing. This is the way that matters will be ordered for you.

Blepyrus
It's very well conceived for you women, for every wench's hole will be filled; but what about the men? [625] The women will run away from the ugly ones and chase the good-looking.

Praxagora
The ugly will follow the handsomest into the public places after supper and see to it that the law, which forbids the women to sleep with the big, handsome men before having satisfied the ugly shrimps, is complied with.

Blepyrus
[630] Thus ugly Lysicrates' nose will be as proud as the handsomest face?

Praxagora
Yes, by Apollo! this is a truly popular decree, and what a set-back it will be for one of those elegants with their fingers loaded with rings, when a man with heavy shoes says to him, “Give way to me and wait till I have done; you will pass in after me.”