Aristophanes Acharnians 860-928

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

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Acharnians. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1906.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀχαρνῆς (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.)

Translations (2)
Acharnians (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; Liveright, 192?). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 860 focus
English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) Experimental (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) — 860 focus

Commentary

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) focus

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Line 860

ἴττω Ἡρακλῆς ἔκαμόν γα τὰν τύλαν κακῶς·
The sentence exhibits Doric dialect features characteristic of the comic chorus or rustic characters, specifically the use of -ω (ἴττω for Attic ἴτω), -ω (ἔκαμόν for Attic ἔκαμον), and the contraction of the dative article τὰν (τῇ) with the preceding preposition or particle context, alongside the Doric form τύλαν (τὴν τύλην, 'the club'). This is not merely orthographic variation but a systematic morphological choice to signal the speaker's rustic or non-Attic identity within the play's dramatic context.

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Line 861

κατάθου τὺ τὰν γλάχωνʼ ἀτρέμας Ἰσμηνία·
The vocative Ἰσμηνία is the distinctive Attic form of the name (cf. Homeric Ἰσμήν), here addressing the slave-girl Ismenias, a character known from the play's context for her role in the domestic comedy of the Acharnian's household. The use of the vocative with a specific slave's name highlights the social hierarchy and the intimate, often coarse, domestic setting of the scene.

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Line 866

ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν μοι Χαιριδῆς βομβαύλιοι;
The word βομβαύλιοι (bombaulioi) is a rare, onomatopoeic neologism coined by Aristophanes, likely mimicking the sound of a drum or a heavy, clumsy noise, used here as a vocative address to a character named Chaerides. Its formation is a compound of βομβέω (to boom/thunder) and the suffix -αύλιος (possibly related to αὐλός or simply a rhythmic ending), creating a comic effect that underscores the absurdity or noise of the scene. This is not a standard Attic word but a clear example of Aristophanic wordplay, and its exact referent in the play's context (whether a specific type of noise, a character's gait, or a metaphorical state) is debated among commentators, making it a prime candidate for lexical and semantic clarification.

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Line 867

νεὶ τὸν Ἰόλαον ἐπεχαρίττα γʼ ὦ ξένε·
The adverbial phrase ἐπεχαρίττα is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, formed with the intensive prefix ἐπι- attached to the feminine accusative of the adjective χαρίττα (itself a rare or coined formation related to χάρις). Its meaning here, roughly 'most graciously' or 'with the utmost favor,' is crucial for understanding the speaker's ironic tone: the speaker (likely Dicaeopolis) is mocking the pretensions of the Theban herald or a similar figure by using an inflated, pseudo-formal adverbialism to describe a request or action that is actually trivial or presumptuous. The construction relies on the colloquial yet hyperbolic register typical of Old Comedy, where such adverbial coinages serve to caricature the pompous speech of the antagonist.

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Line 868

Θείβαθε γὰρ φυσᾶντες ἐξόπισθέ μου
The verb θείβω (théibō), appearing here in the imperative θείβαθε (théibathe), is a comic coinage (or at least a rare Attic usage in this form) derived from θείβειν, meaning 'to blow' or 'to puff'. While the standard Attic verb for 'to blow' (especially in the context of a flute-player or a trumpeter) is φυσᾶν (physân), Aristophanes employs θείβω here to evoke the specific, perhaps harsh or nasal, quality of the sound produced by the aulos-player, or to create a phonetic onomatopoeia fitting the comic context of the 'Boeotian' character or the specific musical interlude. The form θείβαθε is the aorist imperative active, 2nd person plural, contrasting with the present infinitive φυσᾶν in the same clause, suggesting a shift from the general action to a specific, urgent command within the dialogue's rhythm.

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Line 874

ὀρίγανον γλαχὼ ψιάθως θρυαλλίδας
The phrase presents a notorious crux in the comic inventory of Dikaiopolis's supplies (line 115). The noun γλαχὼ (glachō) is hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and virtually unattested elsewhere in the corpus, appearing only in this list of cheap, dried provisions alongside ὀρίγανον (oregano), ψιάθως (rushes/mats), and θρυαλλίδας (tapers). While the surrounding items are concrete and mundane, γλαχὼ has generated significant scholarly debate regarding its precise identification. Traditional conjectures and glosses have proposed it refers to a type of dried vegetable, perhaps a specific variety of chard or sorrel, or a dried fish, but the lack of clear attestation outside this passage makes a definitive lexical identification impossible. The ambiguity is compounded by the possibility that Aristophanes may be employing a nonce-word or a highly localized dialect term for comic effect, emphasizing the meager and obscure nature of the rations.

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σκάλοπας ἐχίνως αἰελούρως πικτίδας
The three adjectives σκάλοπας (scallops), ἐχίνως (sea urchins), and αἰελούρως (hedgehogs) are all in the accusative plural, functioning as appositives or direct objects within a list of delicacies, yet the syntax relies on the omission of the verb 'to cook' or 'to serve' implied by the preceding context of the comic feast. More critically, the word αἰελούρως (hedgehogs) is a rare lexical choice in this context; while hedgehogs were indeed eaten in antiquity, Aristophanes uses it here not merely as a food item but as a deliberate hyperbolic element of the grotesque, contrasting the refined 'scallops' and 'sea urchins' with a creature typically associated with spines and dirt, thereby heightening the absurdity of the feast described. The form αἰελούρως is a dialectal or poetic variation of αἰελοῦρος (hedgehog), which appears in other comic contexts to evoke rustic or bizarre imagery, and its inclusion here serves to mark the speaker's exaggerated or corrupted taste.

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Line 880

ἰκτῖδας ἐνύδρως ἐγχέλεις Κωπαΐδας.
The phrase is a striking example of Aristophanic zoological hyperbole and comic cataloging, listing three specific types of aquatic creatures (ictiads, eels, and Copaic eels) to represent the entirety of the food available to the poor in the city. The specific mention of 'Copaic eels' (Κωπαΐδας) is significant as it alludes to the eel-rich Lake Copais in Boeotia, a region famously associated with abundant fish but also with the difficult agricultural conditions that forced the poor into such meager diets. The genitive plural forms function as a collective noun phrase, emphasizing the overwhelming, almost grotesque, variety of slimy, water-dwelling creatures that constitute the diet of the 'ichthyophagi' (fish-eaters) in this scene, a satirical reference to the diet of the Spartans or the impoverished Athenians depending on the immediate context of the dialogue.

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Line 894

σοῦ χωρὶς εἴην ἐντετευτλανωμένης.
The participle ἐντετευτλανωμένης is a perfect passive participle of the verb ἐντετυλάνω ('to be in a state of distress' or 'to be worn out'), derived from τυλάνω. While τυλάνω is attested in comedy, the perfect passive participle in this specific feminine form, agreeing with an implied subject (likely 'house' or 'city' in a broader context, or here functioning as a substantive), is a rare morphological construction in Aristophanes. The verb itself is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a creaking door or a groaning body, and its perfect tense here emphasizes a state of enduring affliction rather than a completed action. This usage is distinct from the more common τυφλός or τυφλός-related forms and highlights Aristophanes' tendency to coin or adapt verbs for comic effect, specifically targeting the physical sensation of weariness or distress in the character's voice.

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Line 905b

νεὶ τὼ θιὼ
The phrase νεὶ τὼ θιὼ presents a crux of textual transmission and dialectal morphology. The verb θιὼ is an archaic or Doric form of ἰόντος (genitive plural of ἰών, 'going'), appearing here in the dative plural to agree with the dual article τὼ. This construction, where the participle functions adverbially with a preposition (νεὶ = νηί, 'by/with'), is rare in Attic comedy and suggests either a deliberate archaism for comic effect or a corruption of a more standard Attic form (e.g., νηὶ τοῖς ἰοῦσι). Manuscript evidence varies: some codices read θιόν for θιὼ, which would require emendation to fit the dual context, while others preserve the Doric form, reflecting Aristophanes' known tendency to mix dialects for metrical or humorous purposes. The dual form τὼ θιὼ specifically refers to two individuals or entities in motion, likely alluding to a specific mythological or ritual context within the play's broader argument about war and peace.

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Line 907

ᾇπερ πίθακον ἀλιτρίας πολλᾶς πλέων.
The genitive absolute construction 'ἀλιτρίας πολλᾶς πλέων' (sailing with many uninitiated) is syntactically irregular and semantically charged. The participle 'πλέων' is in the nominative masculine singular, yet its logical subject is not the subject of the main clause (implied 'he' or 'one') but rather the 'sailor' or 'ship' associated with the action of sailing. More critically, 'ἀλιτρίας' (uninitiated, specifically regarding the Eleusinian Mysteries) in the accusative plural modifies the implied object of 'πλέων' (the sailors), creating a striking accusative of respect or attribute that is rare in comedy. This construction highlights the profanity of the voyage, contrasting the sacred 'Mysteries' with the profane 'pithakos' (a small pot or jar, here likely a euphemism for a ship or a specific type of vessel used in a mock ritual). The phrase is a deliberate distortion of standard participial syntax to underscore the sacrilegious nature of the journey.

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Line 920

ἐνθεὶς ἂν ἐς τίφην ἀνὴρ Βοιώτιος
The construction ἐνθεὶς ἂν ἐς τίφην relies on the temporal force of the aorist participle ἐνθεὶς combined with the modal particle ἂν to express a hypothetical or conditional scenario ('if he were to put...'). This specific usage of the aorist participle with ἂν to denote a future-in-the-past or potential action within a conditional frame, rather than a simple temporal sequence, is a distinctive feature of Aristophanic comic syntax that requires careful parsing to distinguish from the more standard temporal use of the participle.

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Line 922

διʼ ὑδρορρόας, βορέαν ἐπιτηρήσας μέγαν.
The noun ὑδρορρόας (hydrorróas) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, formed as a compound of ὕδωρ and ῥέω, literally 'water-flow' or 'gutter'. Here it refers specifically to the open-air drainage system or rainwater spouts of the house, a detail that underscores the comedic physicality of the scene where the character is navigating a domestic architectural feature to escape or conceal himself. The genitive construction depends on the implied motion 'through' (διʼ), functioning adverbially to specify the route of action.