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

Praxagora
I must now go to the market-place to receive the property that is going to be placed in common and to choose a woman with a loud voice as my herald. I have all the cares of state on my shoulders, since the power [715] has been entrusted to me. I must likewise go to busy myself about establishing the common meals, and you will attend your first banquet to-day.

Blepyrus
Are we going to banquet?

Praxagora
Why, undoubtedly! Furthermore, I propose abolishing the whores.

Blepyrus
And what for?

Praxagora
It's clear enough why; [720] so that, instead of them, we may have the first-fruits of the young men. It is not meet that tricked-out slaves should rob free-born women of their pleasures. Let the courtesans be free to sleep with the slaves.

Blepyrus
[725] I will march at your side, so that I may be seen and that everyone may say, “Look at the Dictator's husband!”

He follows Praxagora into their house.

First Man
As for me, I shall arrange my belongings and take inventory of them, in order that I may take them to the market-place.

He departs.
There is an interlude of dancing by the Chorus, after which the man returns with his belongings and arranges them in a long line.

First Man
[730] Come hither, my beautiful sieve, I have nothing more precious than you, come, all clotted with the flour of which I have poured so many sacks through you; you shall act the part of Canephorus in the procession of my chattels. Where is the sunshade carrier? Ah! this stew-pot shall take his place. [735] Great gods, how black it is! it could not be more so if Lysicrates had boiled the drugs in it with which he dyes his hair. Hither, my beautiful mirror. And you, my tripod, bear this urn for me; you shall be the water-bearer; and you, cock, whose morning song [740] has so often roused me in the middle of the night to send me hurrying to the Assembly, you shall be my flute-girl. Scaphephorus, do you take the large basin, place in it the honeycombs and twine the olive-branches over them, bring the tripods and the phial of perfume; [745] as for the humble crowd of little pots, I will just leave them behind.