Saturday, February 14, 2009
Make Love, Not War
Aristophanes, Peace 456-457 (Trygaeus and Hermes are speaking, tr. Jeffrey Henderson):
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(TR.) Here's to Hermes; to the Graces; to the Seasons; to Aphrodite; to Desire.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.
(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.
