t to their allies in Thrace,(1) who have lost it
for them.

f(1) Brasidas perished in Thrace in the same battle as Cleon
at Amphipolis, 422 B.C.

TRYGAEUS Long life to you, Thracians! My hopes revive, pluck up courage,
mortals!

WAR Take all this stuff away; I am going in to make a pestle for myself.

TRYGAEUS 'Tis now the time to sing as Datis did, as he abused himself
at high noon, "Oh pleasure! oh enjoyment! oh delights!" 'Tis now, oh
Greeks! the moment when freed of quarrels and fighting, we should rescue
sweet Peace and draw her out of this pit, before some other pestle
prevents us. Come, labourers, merchants, workmen, artisans, strangers,
whether you be domiciled or not, islanders, come here, Greeks of all
countries, come hurrying here with picks and levers and ropes! 'Tis the
moment to drain a cup in honour of the Good Genius.

CHORUS Come hither all! quick, hasten to the rescue! All peoples of
Greece, now is the time or never, for you to help each other. You see
yourselves freed from battles and all their horrors of bloodshed. The
day, hateful to Lamachus(1), has come. Come then, what must be done?
Give your orders, direct us, for I swear to work this day without
ceasing, until with the help of our levers and our engines we have drawn
back into light the greatest of all goddesses, her to whom the olive is
so dear.

f(1) An Athenian general as ambitious as he was brave. In
423 B.C. he had failed in an enterprise against Heracles, a
storm having destroyed his fleet. Since then he had
distingued himself in several actions, and was destined,
some years later, to share the command of the expedition to
Sicily with Alcibiades and Nicias.

TRYGAEUS Silence! if War should hear your shouts of joy he would bound
forth from his retreat in fury.

CHORUS Such a decree overwhelms us with joy; how different to the edict,
which bade us muster with provisions for three days.(1)

f(1) Meaning, to start a military expedition.

TRYGAEUS Let us beware lest the cursed Cerberus(1) prevent us even from
the nethermost hell from delivering the goddess by his furious howling,
just as he did when on earth.

f(1) Cleon.

CHORUS Once we have hold of her, none in the world will be able to take
her from us. Huzza! huzza!(1)

f(1) The Chorus insist on the conventional choric dance.

TRYGAEUS You will work my death if you don't subdue your shouts. War
will come running ou