Lysistrata

Lysistrata
Aristophanes

Translated by Alan Sommerstein

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE p.2
PARODOS p.12
FISRT EPISODE p.16
FIRST STASIMON p.23
SECOND EPISODE p.25
SECOND STASIMON p.28
THRID EPISODE p.30
FOURTH EPISODE p.36
FOURTH STASIMON p.38
EPILOGUE p.39
EXODOS p.43

CAST

Lysistrata, leader of the Athenian women
Calonice and Myrrhine, women of AthensLampito, leader of the Spartan coalition of women
Male Chorus leader
Female Chorus leader (Strayllis)
Athenian Magistrate
Cinesias, Myrrhine’s husband
Manes, Cinesias’ slave
Spartan herald
Spartan ambassador
Athenian negotiator
Reconciliation, a goddess
Male Chorus
Female Chorus
Athenian woman 1
Athenian woman 2
Athenian woman 3
Athenian woman 4
Athenian woman 5
Officeress
Baby, a propPROLOGUE

Scene: In front of the entrance to the Athenian Acropolis. At the back of the stage stand the Great Gateway (the Propylaea); to the right, a stretch of the Acropolis wall with a shrine to Athena Nike (Victory) built into it; to the left, a statue of the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton. It is early morning.

(Lysistrata is standing in front of the Propylaea,looking with increasing impatience, to see if anyone is coming)

Lysistrata (stamping her feet and bursting into impatient speech):
Just think if it had been a Bacchic celebration they'd been ask to attend — or something in honor of Pan or Aphrodite — particularly Aphrodite! They would have been beating down the doors. And now look — not a woman here!

(enter Calonice)

Ah! Here's one atlast. One of my neighbors, I — Why, hello, Calonice.

Calonice:
Hello, Lysistrata. What's bothering you, dear? Don't screw up your face like that. It really doesn't suit you, you know, knitting your eyebrows up like a bow or something.

Lysistrata:
Sorry, Calonice, but I'm furious. I'm disappointed in womankind. All our
husbands think we're such clever villians —

Calonice:
Well,aren't we?

Lysistrata:
And here I've called a meeting to discuss a very important matter, and they're all still fast asleep!

Calonice:
Don't worry, dear, they'll come. It's not so easy for a wife to get out of the house, you know. They'll all be rushing to and fro for their husbands, waking up the servants, putting the baby to bed or washing and feeding it —

Lysistrata:
Damn it, thereare more important things than that!

Calonice:
Tell me, Lysistrata dear, what is it you've summoned this meeting of the women for? Is it something big?

Lysistrata:
Very

Calonice (thinking she detects a significant intonation in that word):
Not thick as well?

Lysistrata: As a matter of fact, yes.

Calonice: Then why on earth aren't they here?


Lysistrata (realizing she hasbeen misleading)
No, not that kind of thing — well, not exactly. If it had been, I can assure you, they'd have been here as quick as you can bat an eyelid. No, I've had an idea, which for many sleepless nights I've been tossing to and fro —

Calonice (under her breath and rolling her eyes):

Here we go again …


Lysistrata:
What was that? Calonice, we woman have the salvation of Greecein our hands.

Calonice:
In our hands? We might as well give up hope, then.

Lysistrata:
The whole future of the City is up to us. Either the Peloponnesians are all going to be wiped out —

Calonice:
Good idea, by Zeus!

Lysistrata:
— and the Boeotians be destroyed too —

Calonice (dryly):

Not all of them, please!


Lysistrata:
and Athens — well, I won't say it, but you knowwhat might happen. But if all the woman join together — not just us, but the Peloponnesians and Boeotians as well — then we can save Greece.

Calonice:
The women! — What could they ever do that was any use? Sitting at home putting flowers in their hair, putting on cosmetics and saffron gowns and Cimberian see-through shifts, with slippers on our feet?

Lysistrata (grabs Calonice’s arm...