Πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ πρεσβύτερος ἀπέρχομαι
I come away more than a year older
Translated by David Whitehead8 Aug 2010Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
From the Homeric [phrase] "for in misery mortals quickly grow old", and "[Laertes' wife's death] placed [him] in cruel old age". So Aristophanes is saying, I am growing old through disgust: "for whenever I see any of these tricks, I come away more than a year older".
Greek original · Adler’s text
Πλεῖν ἢ 'νιαυτῷ πρεσβύτερος ἀπέρχομαι· παρὰ τὸ Ὁμηρικόν· αἶψα γὰρ ἐν κακότητι βροτοὶ καταγηράσκουσι. καί, ἐν ὠμῷ γήραϊ θῆκε. διὰ τὴν ἀηδίαν οὖν γηράσκω φησὶν Ἀριστοφάνης· ὅταν τι τούτων τῶν σοφισμάτων ἴδω, πλεῖν ἢ ἐνιαυτῷ πρεσβύτερος ἀπέρχομαι.
Betacode
*plei=n h)\ 'niautw=| presbu/teros a)pe/rxomai: para\ to\ *(omhriko/n: ai)=ya ga\r e)n kako/thti brotoi\ kataghra/skousi. kai/, e)n w)mw=| gh/rai+ qh=ke. dia\ th\n a)hdi/an ou)=n ghra/skw fhsi\n *)aristofa/nhs: o(/tan ti tou/twn tw=n sofisma/twn i)/dw, plei=n h)\ e)niautw=| presbu/teros a)pe/rxomai.
Notes
- Aristophanes, Frogs 17-18 (web address 1), with scholion. Dionysus is referring to the over-used stagecraft device of comic baggage-carriers. For
plei=n "more", see also pi 1732.
The Homeric quotations are both from the Odyssey: respectively, 19.360 and 15.357 (web addresses 2 and 3).
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 3 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from2 entries
- π1727Πλεῦνοςmore, additional[*pleu=nos can be used] instead of plei/onos. Herodotus [writes]: "as the siege required more [funds ...] they went away."
- π1732Πλεῖνmore[plei=n means the same as] ple-on. Aristophanes [writes]: "and this is worth more than ten thousand staters." And elsewhere: "more than ten thousand going off to shit." And elsewhere: "for much more modestly, to shit…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 18 Sep 2012
- tweaks, cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- tweaks — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, links, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead