Aristophanes, Wasps 1284-91 = T 25 Kassel-Austin; Scholion to Wasps 1284 = T 25 Kassel-Austin; Scholion to Wasps 1285 = T 25 Kassel-Austin

How to quote this translation

Aristophanes, Wasps 1284-91 = T 25 Kassel-Austin

M = reading of the whole MS tradition
m = reading of part of the MS tradition
P = reading on a papyrus
 

εἰσί τινες οἵ μ’ ἔλεγον ὡς καταδιηλλάγην,
ἡνίκα Κλέων μ’ ὑπετάραττεν ἐπικείμενος1285
καί με κακίσας κακίσας Briel: κακίσταις M ἔκνισε, κἆιθ’, ὅτ’ ἀπεδειρόμην,
οἱ ’κτὸς ἐγέλων μέγα κεκραγότα θεώμενοι,
οὐδὲν ἄρ’ ἐμοῦ μέλον, ὅσον δὲ μόνον εἰδέναι
σκωμμάτιον εἴ ποτέ τι θλιβόμενος ἐκβαλῶ.
ταῦτα κατιδὼν ὑπό τι μικρὸν ἐπιθήκισα·1290
εἶτα νῦν ἐξηπάτησεν ἡ χάραξ τὴν ἄμπελον.

There are those who said that I had made peace, when Cleon stirred up trouble for me and pressed hard on me, and stung me with his abuse, and then, when I was being flayed alive, those who weren’t involved laughed when they saw him shouting loudly, not caring a whit for me, but only whether I’d produce some joke as I was being squeezed. When I saw this I played a little trick. And now the stake has deceived the vine.

Scholion to Aristophanes’ Wasps 1284 = T 25 Kassel-Austin

ἄδηλον, πότερον τῆς Καλλιστράτου εἰς τὴν βουλὴν εἰσαγωγῆς καὶ νῦν μιμνήισκεται, ὅτι αὐτὸν Κλέων εἰσήγαγεν, ἢ ἑτέρας κατ’ αὐτοῦ γενομένης Ἀριστοφάνους, ἢ Kassel: εἰ m: καὶ m μὴ εἰσαγωγῆς ἀλλὰ ἀπειλῆς τινος, ὅπερ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐμφαίνεται.

It is unclear whether here, too, he is recalling the summoning of Callistratus into the Council—that Cleon summoned him—or another summons against Aristophanes himself, or not a summons but some threat, which seems most likely.

Scholion to Aristophanes’ Wasps 1285 = T 25 Kassel-Austin

ἐπέκειτο γὰρ αὐτῶι αὐτῶι Ald.: γᾶρ αὐτὸ m: τῶι Ἀριστοφάνει m ὁ Κλέων, ὅτι ἐκωμωιδεῖτο ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ· ἄδηλον δέ, εἰ μετὰ τὸ διδάξαι τοὺς Ἱππέας λέγει.

For Cleon attacked him because he was mocked by him: but it is unclear whether he means after the production of The Knights.

Relevant guides Aristophanes