Socrates: So now you won't acknowledge any gods except the ones we do — Chaos, the Clouds, the Tongue — just these three? Strepsiades: Absolutely — I… - Aristophanes

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Socrates: So now you won't acknowledge any gods except the ones we do — Chaos, the Clouds, the Tongue — just these three?
Strepsiades: Absolutely — I'd refuse to talk to any other gods,
if I ran into them — and I decline
to sacrifice or pour libations to them.
I'll not provide them any incense...

I want to twist all legal verdicts in my favor,
to evade my creditors.

Chorus Leader: You'll get that, just what you desire. For what you want is nothing special. So be confident — give yourself over to our agents here.

Strepsiades:
I'll do that — I'll place my trust in you. Necessity is weighing me down — the horses, those thoroughbreds, my marriage — all that has worn me out. So now, this body of mine I'll give to them, with no strings attached, to do with as they like — to suffer blows, go without food and drink, live like a pig, to freeze or have my skin flayed for a pouch — if I can just get out of all my debt and make men think of me as bold and glib, as fearless, impudent, detestable, one who cobbles lies together, makes up words, a practiced legal rogue, a statute book, a chattering fox, sly and needle sharp, a slippery fraud, a sticky rascal, foul whipping boy or twisted villain, troublemaker, or idly prattling fool. If they can make those who run into me call me these names, they can do what they want — no questions asked. If, by Demeter, they're keen, they can convert me into sausages and serve me up to men who think deep thoughts.
Chorus: Here's a man whose mind's now smart, no holding back — prepared to start. When you have learned all this from me you know your glory will arise among all men to heaven's skies.
Strepsiades: And what will I get out of this?
Chorus: For all time, you'll live with me a life most people truly envy.
Strepsiades: You mean one day I'll really see that?
Chorus: Hordes will sit outside your door wanting your advice and more — to talk, to place their trust in you for their affairs and lawsuits, too, things which merit your great mind.

English
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About Aristophanes

Aristophanes (Greek: Ἀριστοφάνης; c. 446 – c. 386 BC) was a Greek poet and playwright of the Old Comedy, also known as the Father of Comedy and the Prince of Ancient Comedy. Of his forty plays, eleven are extant, plus a thousand fragments of the others.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Native Name: Ἀριστοφάνης
Alternative Names: Father of Comedy
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Additional quotes by Aristophanes

Very soon we’ll be eating lepadotema choselackogaleokrani oleipsanodrimypotrimmatosil phiotyromelitokatake chymenokicklepikossyphopkat toperisteralektryonoptokeph aliokinklopeleiolagoiosiral obaphetragalopter ygdn.

Strep. Socrates! My little Socrates!
Socrates. Why callest thou me, thou creature of a day?
Strep. First tell me, I beseech you, what are you doing.
Soc. I am walking in the air, and speculating about the
sun.
Strep. And so you look down upon the gods from your
basket, and not from the earth?
Soc. For I should not have rightly discovered things
celestial if I had not suspended the intellect, and
mixed the thought in a subtle form with its kindred air.
But if, being on the ground, I speculated from below on
things above, I should never have discovered them. For
the earth forcibly attracts to itself the meditative
moisture. Water-cresses also suffer the very same thing.
Strep. What do you say? Does meditation attract the
moisture to the water-cresses? Come then, my little
Socrates, descend to me, that you may teach me those
things, for the sake of which I have come.

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