The Battle of Frogs and Mice

A digital edition by George Grimbilas and Phillip Mitsis,
illustrations by David Beck and readings by David Starr.
Text under construction - send comments and observations to
phillip.mitsis@nyu.edu

Divine Intervention: Zeus & Ares

καὶ τότ’ ἀπολλυμένους βατράχους ᾤκτειρε Κρονίων,

κινήσας δὲ κάρη τοίην ἐφθέγξατο φωνήν·

“ὤ πόποι, ἦ μέγα ἔργον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι·*

οὐ μ’ ὀλίγον πλήσσει Μεριδάρπαξ ὃς κατὰ λίμνην*
ἁρπάζειν βατράχους ἐπαπειλῶν· ἀλλὰ τάχιστα

Παλλάδα πέμψωμεν πολεμόκλονον ἢ καὶ Ἄρηα,

οἵ μιν ἐπισχήσουσι μάχης κρατερόν περ ἐόντα.”
ὥς ἄρ’ ἔφη Κρονίδης· Ἄρης δ’ ἀπαμείβετο μύθῳ·

“οὔτ’ ἄρ’ Ἀθηναίης Κρονίδη σθένος οὔτε Ἄρηος

ἰσχύει βατράχοισιν ἀμυνέμεν αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.

ἀλλ’ ἄγε πάντες ἴωμεν ἀρηγόνες· ἢ τὸ σὸν ὅπλον

κινείσθω· οὕτω γὰρ ἁλώσεται ὅς τις ἄριστος,

ὥς ποτε καὶ Καπανῆα κατέκτανες ὄβριμον ἄνδρα

καὶ μέγαν Ἐγκελαδόν τε καὶ ἄγρια φῦλα Γιγάντων.”

270. ἀπολλυμένους

Cf. note 85.

ᾤκτειρε

3 sg. aor. ind. act., οἰκτ(ε)ίρω [οἰκτρός = ‘worthy of pity’], ‘to commiserate, have compassion or pity for.’

271. κινήσας

masc. sg. nom. aor. act. part., κινέω, ‘to agitate, move; extens. to shake, knock.’

ἐφθέγξατο

Cf. note 12, line 92.

272. ὤ πόποι

onomat. iter., interjection of surprise, anger, or pain.

ἦ

‘certainly, undoubtedly, indeed,’ to confirm an assertion, usu. at the beginning of a sentence, but after voc. or exclam.

273. πλήσσει

3 sg. pres. ind. act., πλήσσω, ‘to strike, beat; fig. to trouble, upset.’

274. ἐπαπειλῶν

Cf. note 263.

275. Παλλάδα

Παλλάς -άδος, ἡ, ‘Pallas, epith. οf Athena, abs. for Ἀθήνη.’ Either from πάλλω, ‘to brandish a weapon’ or from παλλακίς, ‘young woman.’ Burkert argues she is the “Pallas of Athens,” (p.139). For a combination of Ares and Athena in a fight, see the Cyclic Telegony by Eugammon of Cyrene (summary by Proclus, lines 318-320 Severyns).

πολεμόκλονον

Cf. note 4.

276. ἐπισχήσουσι

3 pl. fut. ind. act., ἐπέχω, ‘to keep back, restrain,’ s.o. from sthg.

περ

Has concessive force with a participle. Cf. note 141.

277. μύθῳ

Cf. note 92.

278. Κρονίδη

voc., Κρονίδης -ου, ὁ [Κρόνος], ‘son of Kronos, Kronides, usu. Zeus.’ Cf. note 177.

279. ἰσχύει

3 sg. pres. ind. act., ἰσχύω [ἰσχύς], ‘to be potent, have power, with inf.’

ἀμυνέμεν

ep. pres. inf. act., ἀμύνω, ‘to ward off sthg. from s.o.,’ Cf. notes 234, 243.

αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον

Cf. note 249.

280. ἀρηγόνες

ἀρηγών -όνος [ἀρήγω], ‘auxiliary, relief,’ cf. note 172.

ὅπλον

ὅπλον -ου, τό, sg., usu., ‘instrument, tool,’ here Zeus’s lightning bolt.

281. κινείσθω

3 sg. pres. imper. pass., κινέω, mid., ‘to move, stir, be moved or agitated.’ Cf. note 271.

ἁλώσεται

3 sg. fut. ind. pass., ἁλίσκομαι, ‘to be taken, captured, or slain.’Ares agitates for slaughter, but Zeus merely scatters the combatants.

282. Καπανῆα

Καπανεύς -έως, ὁ, ‘Kapaneus,’ hero. During the war of the Seven Against Thebes, Kapaneus, an Argive, boasted that Zeus himself could not stop him from invading the city. For his arrogance, Zeus struck and killed him with a lightning bolt.

κατέκτανες

Cf. note 113.

ὄβριμον

ὄβριμος, -ον, ‘strong, impetuous, mighty, powerful,’ of gods and heroes.

283. Ἐγκελαδόν

Ἐγκέλαδος -ου, ὁ, ‘Enkelados,’ a giant. Enkelados is the traditional opponent of Athena (cf. notes 171, 182) during the first of the attacks of the Gigantomachy and is said to be buried under Mount Aetna in Sicily (Callimachus, Aetia, fr.1.36). In lines 6-7, the mice are described as imitating the deeds of the Giants and excelling. Ares encourages Zeus to ward off destruction from the frogs and to kill the best of the mice, presumably Share-Snatcher, in the way that Zeus killed the Giants. Zeus, however, merely scatters the combatants. Enkelados appears in later literature including Shakespeare, Keats, Dumas, Melville, and Longfellow.

ἄγρια

ἄγριος -α -ον [ἀγρός], fig. ‘savage, violent, cruel,’ of persons.

φῦλα

φῦλον -ου, τό, ‘tribe, stock, race.’ On ἄγρια φῦλα Γιγάντων. see Odyssey 7.206: ὥς περ Κύκλωπές τε καὶ ἄγρια φῦλα Γιγάντων.

Thereupon the son of Kronos pitied frogs in their ruin, [270]

and shaking his head he uttered a cry to this effect:

“Oh my! What a great deed I see before my eyes;

In no small way is Share-Snatcher troubling me as he along the pond

threatens to snatch away the frogs; but quickly

let us dispatch Pallas, rouser of war’s tumult, or even Ares, [275]

who will keep him back from battle though he is strong.”

In this way then the son of Kronos spoke; and Ares responded in counsel:

“O Son of Kronos, neither the strength of Athena nor of Ares

has the power to ward off sheer destruction from the frogs.

But come let all of us go as relief; or let your lightning bolt [280]

be stirred; for in this way whoever is most excellent will be slain,

just as you once killed Kapaneus an impetuous man

and great Enkelados and the savage tribe of Earth’s Giant Sons.” [283]

No illustrations available for this section.

Listen to the Text

Lines 270-276

Lines 277-283