Saturday, February 14, 2009

 

Make Love, Not War

Aristophanes, Peace 456-457 (Trygaeus and Hermes are speaking, tr. Jeffrey Henderson):
(TR.) Here's to Hermes; to the Graces; to the Seasons; to Aphrodite; to Desire.
(HE.) But not to Ares! (TR.) No. (HE.) Nor to Enyalius!

(ΤΡ.) Ἑρμῇ, Χάρισιν, Ὥραισιν, Ἀφροδίτῃ, Πόθῳ.
(ἙΡ.) Ἄρει δὲ μή. (ΤΡ.) μή. (ἙΡ.) μηδ᾽ Ἐνυαλίῳ γε.
Some assign Hermes' words to the chorus. Henderson has the stage direction "toasting," although S. Douglas Olson in his commentary says "sc. εὐχόμεθα" (i.e. we pray). It works as a toast, though, and if you're ever called on to make a toast, it's hard to improve on line 456.



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