WAR Oh! Prasiae!(1) thrice wretched, five times, aye, a thousand times wretched! for thou shalt be destroyed this day.
f(1) An important town in Eastern Laconia on the Argolic
gulf, celebrated for a temple where a festival was held
annually in honour of Achilles. It had been taken and
pillaged by the Athenians in the second year of the
Peloponnesian War, 430 B.C. As he utters this imprecation,
War throws some leeks, the root-word of the name Praisae,
into his mortar.
TRYGAEUS This does not concern us over much; 'tis only so much the worse for the Laconians.
WAR Oh! Megara! Megara! how utterly are you going to be ground up! what fine mincemeat(1) are you to be made into!
f(1) War throws some garlic into his mortar as emblematical
of the city of Megara, where it was grown in abundance.
TRYGAEUS Alas! alas! what bitter tears there will be among the Megarians!(1)
f(1) Because the smell of bruised garlic causes the eyes to
water.
WAR Oh, Sicily! you too must perish! Your wretched towns shall be grated like this cheese.(1) Now let us pour some Attic honey(2) into the mortar.
f(1) He throws cheese into the mortar as emblematical of
Sicily, on account of its rich pastures.
f(2) Emblematical of Athens. They honey of Mount Hymettus
was famous.
TRYGAEUS Oh! I beseech you! use some other honey; this kind is worth four obols; be careful, oh! be careful of our Attic honey.