72 ARISTOPHANES.

I. “He is not the son of the man whom he
calls his father, and when he goes to battle, he
throws away his shield and runs! away.”

ff, “ Peace wants to know who is the first man in
the Assembly now?”

I. “ Hyperbolus,? of course. But, dear lady, why
so disgusted ?”

fT, “She is disgusted with the people for aieoane
such a leader.”

L. “Oh! he is only a make-shift. And besides,
we thought that, as we were all groping in the dark,
he might throw a little light on affairs. ee

ff, “How so?”

f. “Because he makes lamps.”

ff, “She wants to know whether witty old Crati-
nus? is alive.

I. “No, poor fellow, he died when the Spartans
invaded us. He saw a butt of wine staved in, and
it broke his heart to see so much good liquor
wasted.”

In the end it was arranged that Trygzus should
return home with Peace and her two handmaids, one

1 Cleonymus, probably a political opponent of the poet, is continu-
ally attacked by him on account of alleged cowardice. Nothing is
known of the circumstances.

2 The successor of Cleon, and according to Thucydides, a worthless
fellow.

3 Cratinus, a writer of comedies, and one of the most formidable
rivals of Aristophanes, was probably alive at the time. We find
frequent jests at his fondness for wine.