Οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔτ' εἰσίν οἱ δ' ὄντες κακοί
for some are no longer alive and those that are are bad
Translated by David Whitehead15 Dec 2002Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
[sc. A proverbial saying] in reference to things sought-after because they are scarce. Aristophanes in Frogs brings Dionysus on stage; he wants to descend into Hades to search for Euripides, and he says 'I am in need of a clever poet'; and he adds 'for some are no longer alive and those that are are bad'.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔτ' εἰσίν, οἱ δ' ὄντες κακοί· ἐπὶ τῶν διὰ σπάνιν ἐπιζητουμένων. Ἀριστοφάνης Βατράχοις εἰσάγει τὸν Διόνυσον Εὐριπίδην εἰς ᾅδου ἐπιζητοῦντα κατιέναι βούλεσθαι, λέγοντα, δέομαι ποιητοῦ δεξιοῦ· τὸν δὲ φάναι, οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔτ' εἰσίν, οἱ δ' ὄντες κακοί.
Betacode
*oi( me\n ga\r ou)k e)/t' ei)si/n, oi( d' o)/ntes kakoi/: e)pi\ tw=n dia\ spa/nin e)pizhtoume/nwn. *)aristofa/nhs *batra/xois ei)sa/gei to\n *dio/nuson *eu)ripi/dhn ei)s a(/|dou e)pizhtou=nta katie/nai bou/lesqai, le/gonta, de/omai poihtou= deciou=: to\n de\ fa/nai, oi( me\n ga\r ou)k e)/t' ei)si/n, oi( d' o)/ntes kakoi/.
Notes
- The headword phrase is Aristophanes, Frogs 72, itself (as the scholia there note) a quotation (Euripides fr.565.2, from the Oineus). For the paroemiographers see Gregorius 3.22a, etc.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 7 Aug 2013
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented note; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Revised — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead