134 ARISTOPHANES.

of Simonides. The young man refused; A‘schylus
did not please him any better: he was an empty,
bombastic old creature. Pheidippides would repeat
nothing but Euripides. The father strongly objected,
and the affair ended by the young man giving the
old one a sound thrashing. In vain did Strepsiades
remonstrate. ‘ Shameless creature,” he cried, “don’t
you know that I attended to all your wants in your
infancy, and see how you treat me now!”

Phei, “Once upon a time I gave all my thoughts
to horses, and then I could not say three words with-
out making some blunder. My father made me give
up these ways, and turn my thoughts to clever,
sophistical speeches. Thanks to him, I can prove
quite convincingly that it is quite right for a son to
beat his father.”

Strep. “For heaven’s sake, go on with your horse-
racing! That isn’t as bad as beating me.”

Phei. “T shall return to the point at which you
interrupted me. Answer me this question: Did you
beat me when I was a child?”

Strep. “ Certainly, for your good.”

Phei. “ And shouldn’t I beat you for your good,
as it seems that beating does a person good? Why,
too, should you go scot-free and I not? I am free
born just as you. You say that it is right that a child
should be beaten. But an old man is a child twice
over. And an old man deserves to be beaten far
more than a child, as he has less excuse for doing
wrong.”