Aristophanes
ἀλλ᾿ ἐκκυκλήθητ᾿.
ἀλλ᾿ ἀδύνατον.
ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως.
ἀλλλ᾿ ἐκκυκλήσομαι· καταβαίνειν δ᾿ οὐ σχολή.
Εὐριπίδη.
τί λέλακας;
410ἀναβάδην ποιεῖς, ἐξὸν καταβάδην; οὐκ ἐτὸς χωλοὺς ποιεῖς. ἀτὰρ τί τὰ ῥάκι᾿ ἐκ τραγῳδίας ἔχεις, ἐσθῆτ᾿ ἐλεινήν; οὐκ ἐτὸς πτωχοὺς ποιεῖς. ἀλλ᾿ ἀντιβολῶ πρὸς τῶν γονάτων σ᾿, Εὐριπίδη, 415δός μοι ῥάκιόν τι τοῦ παλαιοῦ δράματος. δεῖ γάρ με λέξαι τῷ χορῷ ῥῆσιν μακράν· αὕτη δὲ θάνατον, ἢν κακῶς λέξω, φέρει.
τὰ ποῖα τρύχη; μῶν ἐν οἷς Οἰνεὺς ὁδὶ
Acharnians
Then have yourself wheeled out. 54
Quite impossible.
Do it anyway.
All right, I’ll have myself wheeled out; I’ve no time to get up.
Euripides?
Why this utterance?
Do you compose with your feet up, when they could be down? No wonder you create cripples! And why do you wear those rags from tragedy, a raiment piteous? No wonder you create beggars! But come, I beg you by your knees, Euripides, give me a bit of rag from that old play. I’ve got to make a long speech to the chorus, and if I speak poorly, it means my death.
Which ragged garb? (rummaging through his costumes)