Laughing out loud at Aristophanes

I have to say that it’s pure pleasure to burst out laughing when reading Aristophanes.

In Thermosphoriazuzai at lines 866-868, Euripides’ in-law is caught having snuck into the women’s festival dressed as a woman. He’s being guarded by one of the festival participants. The in-law is channeling Euripides’ plays in hopes of saving himself. In these lines he’s quoting/paraphrasing Helen :

In-law: ὁ δ’ἄθλιος πόσις
οὑμὸς Μενέλεως οὐδέπω προσέρχεται.
τί οὖν ἔτι ζῶ;

Kritylla:
τῶν κοράκων πονηρίᾳ.

Henderson’s translation:

In-law: my own ill-starred husband,
Menelaus, has never come for me.
So why do I still live?

Critylla: Because the vultures are shiftless!

Mark