ARISTOPHANES - The Plays of Aristophanes: LYSISTRATA

ARISTOPHANES 
  The Plays of Aristophanes:  Lysistrata



QUOTES FOR DISCUSSION

Calonice: Why, what’s the matter? Don’t look gloomy, child. It don’t become you to knit-knot your eyebrows.
ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 583 

Calonice: I’m sorry, Myrrhina, That you should come so late on such a business.
Myrrhina: I scarce could find my girdle in the dark. But if the thing’s so pressing, tell us now.
ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 584

Lysistrata: Why do the rest of our officers feel always a pleasure in strife and disturbances? Simply to gain an occasion to steal.
ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 589

Lysistrata: Often at home on our housekeeping cares, often we heard of some foolish proposal you made for conducting the public affairs. Then would we question you mildly and pleasantly, inwardly grieving, but outwardly gay:
“Husband, how goes it abroad?”
We would ask of him; “What have ye done in Assembly today?”
“What would ye write on the side of the Treaty stone?”
Husband says angrily, “What’s that to you? You, hold your tongue!” And I held it accordingly.
Stratyllis: That is a thing which I would never do.
Magistrate: Ma’am, if you hadn’t, you’d soon have repented it.
Lysistrata: Therefore I held it, and spake not a word. Soon of another tremendous absurdity, wilder and worse than the former we heard.
“Husband,” I say with a tender solicitude, “Why have ye passed such a foolish decree?”
Vicious, moodily, glaring askance at me, “Stick to your spinning my mistress,” says he, “Else you will speedily find it the worse for you, war is the care and the business of men!”
Magistrate: Zeus! ‘Twas a worthy reply, and an excellent!
Lysistrata: So when aloud in the streets and the thoroughfares sadly we heard you bewailing of late, “Is there a Man to defend and deliver us?”
“No,” says another, “there’s no one in the land.”
Then by the Women assembled in conference jointly a great Revolution was planned.
ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 589

Magistrate: Heard any ever the like of their impudence. These who have nothing to do with the ward, preaching of bobbins, and beatings, and washing tubs?
Lysistrata: Nothing to do with it, wretch that you are! We are the people who feel it the keenliest, doubly on us the affliction is cast; Where are the sons that we sent to your battlefields?

ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 590

Lysistrata: Aye, in one word. The girls are – husband-sick.
ARISTOPHANES:   Lysistrata Great Books Vol. 5, pp. 592