Aristophanes

Plutus

Warsaw 2020

Contents

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

Chremylus

Cario, Servant of Chremylus

Plutus, God of Riches

Blepsidemus, friend of Chremylus

Poverty

Wife of Chremylus

A just man

An informer

An old woman

A youth

Hermes

A priest of zeus

Chorus of rustics

[Scene:-The Orchestra represents a public square in Athens. In the background is the house of Chremylus. A ragged old blind man enters, followed by Chremylus and his slave Cario.]

Cario

What an unhappy fate, great gods, to be the slave of a fool! A servant may give the best of advice, but if his master does not follow it, the poor slave must inevitably have his share in the disaster; for fortune does not allow him to dispose of his own body, it belongs to his master who has bought it. Alas! ’tis the way of the world. But the god, Apollo [in tragic style], whose oracles the Pythian priestess on her golden tripod makes known to us, deserves my censure, for surely he is a physician and a cunning diviner; and yet my master is leaving his temple infected with mere madness and insists on following a blind man. Is this not opposed to all good sense? It is for us, who see clearly, to guide those who don’t; whereas he clings to the trail of a blind fellow and compels me to do the same without answering my questions with ever a word. [To Chremylus] Aye, master, unless you tell me why we are following this unknown fellow, I will not be silent, but I will worry and torment you, for you cannot beat me because of my sacred chaplet of laurel.

Chremylus

No, but if you worry me I will take off your chaplets, and then you will only get a sounder thrashing.

Cario

That’s an old song! I am going to leave you no peace till you have told me who this man is; and if I ask it, it’s entirely because of my interest in you.

Chremylus

Well, be it so. I will reveal it to you as being the most faithful and the most rascally of all my servants. I honoured the gods and did what was right, and yet I was none the less poor and unfortunate.

Cario

I know it but too well.

Chremylus

Others amassed wealth-the sacrilegious, the demagogues, the informers, indeed every sort of rascal.

Cario

I believe you.

Chremylus

Therefore I came to consult the oracle of the god, not on my own account, for my unfortunate life is nearing its end, but for my only son; I wanted to ask Apollo if it was necessary for him to become a thorough knave and renounce his virtuous principles, since that seemed to me to be the only way to succeed in life.

Cario [with ironic gravity]

And with what responding tones did the sacred tripod resound?

Chremylus

You shall know. The god ordered me in plain terms to follow the first man I should meet upon leaving the temple and to persuade him to accompany me home.

Cario

And who was the first one you met?

Chremylus

This blind man.

Cario

And you are stupid enough not to understand the meaning of such an answer! Why, the god was advising you thereby, and that in the clearest possible way, to bring up your son according to the fashion of your country.

Chremylus

What makes you think that?

Cario

Is it not evident to the blind, that nowadays to do nothing that is right is the best way to get on?

Chremylus

No, that is not the meaning of the oracle; there must be another that is nobler. If this blind man would tell us who he is and why and with what object he has led us here, we should no doubt understand what our oracle really does mean.

Cario [to Plutus]

Come, tell us at once who you are, or I shall give effect to my threat. [He menaces him.] And quick too, be quick, I say.

Plutus

I’ll thrash you.

Cario [to Chremylus]

Do you understand who he says he is?

Chremylus

It’s to you and not to me that he replies thus: your mode of questioning him was ill-advised. [To Plutus] Come, friend, if you care to oblige an honest man, answer me.

Plutus

I’ll knock you down.

Cario [sarcastically]

Ah! what a pleasant fellow and what a delightful prophecy the god has given you!

Chremylus [to Plutus]

By Demeter, you’ll have no reason to laugh presently.

Cario

If you don’t speak, you wretch, I will surely do you an ill turn.

Plutus

Friends, take yourselves off and leave me.

Chremylus

That we very certainly shan’t.

Cario

This, master, is the best thing to do. I’ll undertake to secure him the most frightful death; I will lead him to the verge of a precipice and then leave him there, so that he’ll break his neck when he pitches over.

Chremylus

Well then, seize him right away.

[Cario does so.]

Plutus

Oh, no! Have mercy!

Chremylus

Will thou speak then?

Plutus

But if you learn who I am, I know well that you will ill-use me and will let me go again.

Chremylus

I call the gods to witness that you have naught to fear if you will only speak.

Plutus

Well then, first unhand me.

Chremylus

There! we set you free.

Plutus

Listen then, since I must reveal what I had intended to keep a secret. I am Plutus.

Cario

Oh! you wretched rascal! You Plutus all the while, and you never said so!

Chremylus

You, Plutus, and in this piteous guise! Oh, Phoebus Apollo! oh, ye gods of heaven and hell! Oh, Zeus! is it really and truly as you say?

Plutus

Yes.

Chremylus

Plutus’ very own self?

Plutus

His own very self and none other.

Chremylus

But tell me, how come you’re so squalid?

Plutus

I have just left Patrocles’ house, who has not had a bath since his birth.

Chremylus

But your infirmity; how did that happen? Tell me.

Plutus

Zeus inflicted it on me, because of his jealousy of-mankind. When I was young, I threatened him that I would only go to the just, the wise, the men of ordered life; to prevent my distinguishing these, he struck me with blindness’ so much does he envy the good!

Chremylus

And yet, it’s only the upright and just who honour him.

Plutus

Quite true.

Chremylus

Therefore, if ever you recovered your sight, you would shun the wicked?

Plutus

Undoubtedly.

Chremylus

You would visit the good?

Plutus

Assuredly. It is a very long time since I saw them.

Cario [to the audience]

That’s not astonishing. I, who see clearly, don’t see a single one.

Plutus

Now let me leave you, for I have told you everything.

Chremylus

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This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.