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μεταξὺ τῶν Ἰνοῦς.
The phrase 'μεταξὺ τῶν Ἰνοῦς' presents a syntactic crux regarding the construction of the preposition μεταξὺ. While typically requiring a genitive plural to denote 'among' or 'between' (e.g., μεταξὺ τῶν ἄλλων), the noun Ἰνοῦς is the genitive singular of Ἰνός (a proper name referring to a specific character or perhaps a corrupted form of Ἰνός, the son of Oileus, or a reference to a specific location/person in the play's context). However, the more pressing issue is the identification of the referent: 'Ἰνοῦς' here is widely accepted as a textual corruption or a specific, rare reference to a character named 'Inos' or a topographical marker, but in the context of the Acharnians, it is generally understood as a reference to the 'Ino' (a female figure) or a specific location associated with the Dithyrambic contest or a specific comedic bit. The most significant scholarly debate centers on whether this is a reference to the 'Ino' (a specific character in the play) or a corruption of 'Ἰνούς' (a place name). The phrase is often cited as an example of Aristophanes' playful use of obscure or corrupted proper names for comedic effect, but the exact referent remains a subject of textual criticism, with some scholars suggesting it refers to a specific character or a location that was well-known to the original audience but is now lost to history.
Acharnians. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.