Aristophanes
325δήξομἄρ᾿ ὑμᾶς ἐγώ. ἀνταποκτενῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν τῶν φίλων τοὺς φιλτάτους· ὡς ἔχω γ᾿ ὑμῶν ὁμήρους, οὓς ἀποσφάξω λαβών.
εἰπέ μοι, τί τοῦτ᾿ ἀπειλεῖ τοὔπος, ἄνδρες δημόται, τοῖς Ἀχαρνικοῖσιν ἡμῖν; μῶν ἔχει του παιδίον 330τῶν παρόντων ἔνδον εἵρξας; ἢ ᾿πὶ τῷ θρασύνεται;
βάλλετ᾿, εἰ βούλεσθ᾿· ἐγὼ γὰρ τουτονὶ διαφθερῶ. εἴσομαι δ᾿ ὑμῶν τάχ᾿ ὅστις ἀνθράκων τι κήδεται.
ὡς ἀπωλόμεσθ᾿· ὁ λάρκος δημότης ὅδ᾿ ἔστ᾿ ἐμός. ἀλλὰ μὴ δράσῃς ὃ μέλλεις, μηδαμῶς, ὢ μηδαμῶς.
(ἀντ)ὡς ἀποκτενῶ· κέκραχθ᾿· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ ἀκούσομαι.
336ἀπολεῖς ἄρ᾿ ὁμήλικα τόνδε φιλανθρακέα;
οὐδ᾿ ἐμοῦ λέγοντος ὑμεῖς ἀρτίως ἠκούσατε.
ἀλλὰ νυνὶ λέγ᾿, ὅ τι σοι δοκεῖ, τόν τε Λακεδαιμόνιον
Acharnians
Then I’ll bite you! I’ll kill in return your nearest and dearest; for I’ve got hostages of yours; I’m going to fetch them and cut their throats!
Tell me, fellow demesmen, what does he mean by this threat against us Acharnians? He hasn’t got somebody’s child, one of ours, locked up in there, has he? Then why is he so cocky?
Pelt me, if you like! And I’ll murder this! 45 I’ll soon see which among you has a care for kith and kindling!
Now we’re done for! That coal basket is from my deme! Don’t do what you’re set on doing! Don’t, oh don’t!
Kill I will. Shout away; I don’t intend to listen.
Then you’ll kill this, my coeval, my coal-eague?
You were deaf to my pleas a moment ago.
Very well, say your piece, tell us here and now