ot have been in such a hurry to
introduce her to the Senate, if nothing were coming to you through
it;(3) you would not have failed to plead some holiday as an excuse.

f(1) Doubtless the vessels and other sacrificial objects and
implements with which Theoria was laden in her character of
presiding deity at religious ceremonies.

f(2) Where the meats were cooked after sacrifice; this also
marks the secondary obscene sense he means to convey.

f(3) One of the offices of the Prytanes was to introduce
those who asked admission to the Senate, but it would seem
that none could obtain this favour without payment. Without
this, a thousand excuses would be made; for instance, it
would be a public holiday, and consequently the Senate could
receive no one. As there was some festival nearly every
day, he whose purse would not open might have to wait a very
long while.

CHORUS Such a man as you assures the happiness of all his
fellow-citizens.

TRYGAEUS When you are gathering your vintages you will prize me even
better.

CHORUS E'en from to-day we hail you as the deliverer of mankind.

TRYGAEUS Wait until you have drunk a beaker of new wine, before you
appraise my true merits.

CHORUS Excepting the gods, there is none greater than yourself, and that
will ever be our opinion.

TRYGAEUS Yea, Trygaeus of Athmonia has deserved well of you, he has
freed both husbandman and craftsman from the most cruel ills; he has
vanquished Hyberbolus.

SERVANT Well then, what must be done now?

TRYGAEUS You must offer pots of green-stuff to the goddess to consecrate
her altars.

SERVANT Pots of green-stuff(1) as we do to poor Hermes--and even he
thinks the fare but mean?

f(1) This was only offered to lesser deities.

TRYGAEUS What will you offer them? A fatted bull?

SERVANT Oh no! I don't want to start bellowing the battle-cry.(1)

f(1) In the Greek we have a play upon the similarity of the
words (for) a bull, and to shout the battle-cry.

TRYGAEUS A great fat swine then?

SERVANT No, no.

TRYGAEUS Why not?

SERVANT We don't want any of the swinishness of Theagenes.(1)

f(1) Theagenes, of the Piraeus, a hideous, coarse, debauched
and evil-living character of the day.

TRYGAEUS What other victim do you prefer then?

SERVANT A sheep.

TRYGAEUS A sheep?

SERVANT Yes.

TRYGAEUS But you must give the word the Ionic form.

SE