Servant.
Ah! there is one who makes a sign to you.
Trygæus.
Who is it?
Servant.
’Tis Ariphrades. He wishes to take her home at once.
Trygæus.
No, I’m sure he shan’t. He would soon have her done for, licking up all her life juice.[1] Come, Theoria, put down all this gear.[2]—Senate, Prytanes, look upon Theoria and see what precious blessings I place in your hands.[3] Hasten to raise its limbs and to immolate the victim. Admire the fine chimney,[4] it is quite black with smoke, for ’twas here that the Senate did their cooking before the War. Now that you have found Theoria again, you can start the most charming games from to-morrow, wrestling with her on the ground, either on your hands and feet, or you can lay her on her side, or stand before her with bent knees, or, well rubbed with oil, you can boldly enter the lists, as in the Pancratium, belabouring your foe with blows from your fist or otherwise.[5] The next day you will celebrate equestrian games, in which the riders will ride side by side, or else the chariot teams, thrown one on top of another, panting and whinnying, will roll and knock against each other on the ground, while other rivals, thrown out of their seats, will fall before reaching the goal, utterly
- ↑ He was a ‘cunnilingue,’ as we gather also from what Aristophanes says of his infamous habits in the ‘Knights.’
- ↑ Doubtless the vessels and other sacrificial objects and implements with which Theoria was laden in her character of presiding deity at religious ceremonies.
- ↑ The whole passage is full of obscene double entendres. Theoria throughout is spoken of in words applicable to either of her twofold character—as a sacred, religious feast, and as a lady of pleasure.
- ↑ Where the meats were cooked after sacrifice; Trygæus points to Theoria’s privates, marking the secondary obscene sense he means to convey.
- ↑ “Or otherwise”—that is, with the standing penis. The whole sentence contains a series of allusions to different ‘modes of love.’
