nothing　undone　to　save　me。
  EURIPIDES
  Very　well！　I　swear　it　by　the　Aether；　the　dwelling…place　of　the
  king　of　the　gods。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Why　not　rather　swear　it　by　the　sons　of　Hippocrates？
  EURIPIDES
  Come；　I　swear　it　by　all　the　gods；　both　great　and　small。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Remember；　it's　the　heart；　and　not　the　tongue；　that　has　sworn；
  for　the　oaths　of　the　tongue　concern　me　but　little。
  EURIPIDES
  Hurry　up！　The　signal　for　the　meeting　has　just　been　raised　on　the
  Temple　of　Demeter。　Farewell。
  （They　both　depart。　The　scene　changes　to　the　interior　of　the
  Thesmophorion；　where　the　women　who　form　the　chorus　are
  assembled。　Mnesilochus　enters；　in　his　feminine　attire；　striving
  to　act　as　womanly　as　possible；　and　giving　his　voice　as　female　a
  pitch　and　lilt　as　he　can；　he　pretends　to　be　addressing　his
  slave…girl。）
  MNESILOCHUS
  Here；　Thratta；　follow　me。　Look；　Thratta；　at　the　cloud　of　smoke
  that　arises　from　all　these　lighted　torches。　Ah！　beautiful
  Thesmophorae！　grant　me　your　favours；　protect　me；　both　within　the
  temple　and　on　my　way　back！　Come；　Thratta；　put　down　the　basket　and　take
  out　the　cake；　which　I　wish　to　offer　to　the　two　goddesses。　Mighty
  divinity；　oh；　Demeter；　and　thou；　Persephone；　grant　that　I　may　be
  able　to　offer　you　many　sacrifices；　above　all　things；　grant　that　I
  may　not　be　recognized。　Would　that　my　well…holed　daughter　might　marry　a
  man　as　rich　as　he　is　foolish　and　silly；　so　that　she　may　have　nothing
  to　do　but　amuse　herself。　But　where　can　a　place　be　found　for　hearing
  well？　Be　off；　Thratta；　be　off；　slaves　have　no　right　to　be　present　at
  this　gathering。
  （He　sits　down　amongst　the　women。）
  WOMAN　HERALD
  Silence！　Silence！　Pray　to　the　Thesmophorae；　Demeter　and　Cora；　pray
  to　Plutus；　Calligenia；　Curotrophus；　the　Earth；　Hermes　and　the
  Graces；　that　all　may　happen　for　the　best　at　this　gathering；　both　for
  the　greatest　advantage　of　Athens　and　for　our　own　personal　happiness！
  May　the　award　be　given　her　who；　by　both　deeds　and　words；　has　most
  deserved　it　from　the　Athenian　people　and　from　the　women！　Address　these
  prayers　to　heaven　and　demand　happiness　for　yourselves。　Io　Paean！　Io
  Paean！　Let　us　rejoice！
  CHORUS　（singing）
  May　the　gods　deign　to　accept　our　vows　and　our　prayers！　Oh！
  almighty　Zeus；　and　thou；　god　with　the　golden　lyre；　who　reignest　on
  sacred　Delos；　and　thou；　oh；　invincible　virgin；　Pallas；　with　the　eyes
  of　azure　and　the　spear　of　gold；　who　protectest　our　illustrious　city；
  and　thou；　the　daughter　of　the　beautiful　Leto；　queen　of　the　forests；
  who　art　adored　under　many　names；　hasten　hither　at　my　call。　Come；
  thou　mighty　Posidon；　king　of　the　Ocean；　leave　thy　stormy　whirlpools　of
  Nereus；　come；　goddesses　of　the　seas；　come；　ye　nymphs；　who　wander　on
  the　mountains。　Let　us　unite　our　voices　to　the　sounds　of　the　golden
  lyre；　and　may　wisdom　preside　at　the　gathering　of　the　noble　matrons
  of　Athens。
  WOMAN　HERALD
  Address　your　prayers　to　the　gods　and　goddesses　of　Olympus；　of
  Delphi；　Delos　and　all　other　places；　if　there　be　a　man　who　is
  plotting　against　the　womenfolk　or　who；　to　injure　them；　is　proposing
  peace　to　Euripides　and　the　Medes；　or　who　aspires　to　usurping　the
  tyranny；　plots　the　return　of　a　tyrant；　or　unmasks　a　supposititious
  child；　or　if　there　be　a　slave　who；　a　confidential　party　to　a　wife's
  intrigues；　reveals　them　secretly　to　her　husband；　or　who；　entrusted
  with　a　message；　does　not　deliver　the　same　faithfully；　if　there　be　a
  lover　who　fulfils　naught　of　what　he　has　promised　a　woman；　whom　he
  has　abused　on　the　strength　of　his　lies；　if　there　be　an　old　woman　who
  seduces　the　lover　of　a　maiden　by　dint　of　her　presents　and
  treacherously　receives　him　in　her　house；　if　there　be　a　host　or　hostess
  who　sells　false　measure；　pray　the　gods　that　they　will　overwhelm　them
  with　their　wrath；　both　them　and　their　families；　and　that　they　may
  reserve　all　their　favours　for　you。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Let　us　ask　the　fulfilment　of　these　wishes　both　for　the　city　and
  for　the　people；　and　may　the　wisest　of　us　cause　her　opinion　to　be
  accepted。　But　woe　to　those　women　who　break　their　oaths；　who
  speculate　on　the　public　misfortune；　who　seek　to　alter　the　laws　and　the
  decrees；　who　reveal　our　secrets　to　the　foe　and　admit　the　Medes　into
  our　territory　so　that　they　may　devastate　it！　I　declare　them　both
  impious　and　criminal。　Oh！　almighty　Zeus！　see　to　it　that　the　gods
  protect　us；　albeit　we　are　but　women！
  WOMAN　HERALD
  Hearken；　all　of　you！　this　is　the　decree　passed　by　the　Senate　of
  the　Women　under　the　presidency　of　Timoclea　and　at　the　suggestion　of
  Sostrate；　it　is　signed　by　Lysilla；　the　secretary：　〃There　will　be　a
  gathering　of　the　people　on　the　morning　of　the　third　day　of　the
  Thesmophoria；　which　is　a　day　of　rest　for　us；　the　principal　business
  there　shall　be　the　punishment　that　it　is　meet　to　inflict　upon
  Euripides　for　the　insults　with　which　he　has　loaded　us。〃　Now　who　asks
  to　speak？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  I　do。
  WOMAN　HERALD
  First　put　on　this　garland；　and　then　speak。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Silence！　let　all　be　quiet！　Pay　attention！　for　here　she　is　spitting
  as　orators　generally　do　before　they　begin；　no　doubt　she　has　much　to
  say。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  If　I　have　asked　to　speak；　may　the　goddesses　bear　me　witness；　it
  was　not　for　sake　of　ostentation。　But　I　have　long　been　pained　to　see　us
  women　insulted　by　this　Euripides；　this　son　of　the　green…stuff　woman；
  who　loads　us　with　every　kind　of　indignity。　Has　he　not　hit　us　enough；
  calumniated　us　sufficiently；　wherever　there　are　spectators；
  tragedians；　and　a　chorus？　Does；　he　not　style　us　adulterous；　lecherous；
  bibulous；　treacherous；　and　garrulous？　Does　he　not　repeat　that　we　are
  all　vice；　that　we　are　the　curse　of　our　husbands？　So　that；　directly
  they　come　back　from　the　theatre；　they　look　at　us　doubtfully　and　go
  searching　every　nook；　fearing　there　may　be　some　hidden　lover。　We　can
  do　nothing　as　we　used　to；　so　many　are　the　false　ideas　which　he　has
  instilled　into　our　husbands。　Is　a　woman　weaving　a　garland　for　herself？
  It's　because　she　is　in　love。　Does　she　let　some　vase　drop　while　going
  or　returning　to　the　house？　her　husband　asks　her　in　whose　honour　she
  has　broken　it：　〃It　can　only　be　for　that　Corinthian　stranger。〃　Is　a
  maiden　unwell？　Straightway　her　brother　says；　〃That　is　a　colour　that
  does　not　please　me。〃　And　if　a　childless　woman　wishes　to　substitute
  one；　the　deceit　can　no　longer　be　a　secret；　for　the　neighbours　will
  insist　on　being　present　at　her　delivery。　Formerly　the　old　men
  married　young　girls；　but　they　have　been　so　calumniated　that　none　think
  of　them　now；　thanks　to　that　line　of　his：　〃A　woman　is　the　tyrant　of　the
  old　man　who　marries　her。〃　Again；　it　is　because　of　Euripides　that　we
  are　incessantly　watched；　that　we　are　shut　up　behind　bolts　and　bars；
  and　that　dogs　are　kept　to　frighten　off　the　adulterers。　Let　that
  pass；　but　formerly　it　was　we　who　had　the　care　of　the　food；　who　fetched
  the　flour　from　the　storeroom；　the　oil　and　the　wine；　we　can　do　it　no
  more。　Our　husbands　now　carry　little　Spartan　keys　on　their　persons；
  made　with　three　notches　and　full　of　malice　and　spite。　Formerly　it
  sufficed　to　purchase　a　ring　marked　with　the　same　sign　for　three　obols；
  to　open　the　most　securely　sealed…up　door！　but　now　this　pestilent
  Euripides　has　taught　men　to　hang　seals　of　worm…eaten　wood　about
  their　necks。　My　opinion；　therefore；　is　that　we　should　rid　ourselves　of
  our　enemy　by　poison　or　by　any　other　means；　provided　he　dies。　That　is
  what　I　announce　publicly；　as　to　certain　points；　which　I　wish　to　keep
  secret；　I　propose　to　record　them　on　the　secretary's　minutes。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Never　have　I　listened　to　a　cleverer　or　more　eloquent　woman。
  Everything　she　says　is　true；　she　has　examined　the　matter　from　all
  sides　and　has　weighed　up　every　detail。　Her　arguments　are　close；
  varied；　and　happily　chosen。　I　believe　that　Xenocles　himself；　the　son
  of　Carcinus；　would　seem　to　talk　mere　nonsense；　if　placed　beside　her。
  SECOND　WOMAN
  I　have　only　a　very　few　words　to　add；　for　the　last　speaker　has
  covered　the　various　points　of　the　indictment；　allow　me　only　to　tell
  you　what　happened　to　me。　My　husband　died　at　Cyprus；　leaving　me　five
  children；　whom　I　had　great　trouble　to　bring　up　by　weaving　chaplets
  on　the　myrtle　market。　Anyhow；　I　lived　as　well　as　I　could　until　this
  wretch　had　persuaded　the　spectators　by　his　tragedies　that　there　were
  no　gods；　since　then　I　have　not　sold　as　many　chaplets　by　half。　I　charge
  you　therefore　and　exhort　you　all　to　punish　him；　for　does　he　not
  deserve　it　in　a　thousand　respects；　he　who　loads　you　with　troubles；　who
  is　as　coarse　toward　you　as　the　vegetables　upon　which　his　mother　reared
  him？　But　I　must　back　to　the　market　to　weave　my　chaplets；　I　have　twenty
  to　deliver　yet。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  This　is　even　more　animated　and　more　trenchant　than　the　first
  speech；　all　she　has　just　said　is　full　of　good　sense　and　to　the
  point；　it　is　clever；　clear　and　wel