Aristophanes Knights 1120

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Knights. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

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

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Ἱππῆς Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1111 focus
Translations (2)
Knights (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1111 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.) — 1111 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

1120. mvp-tlg0019-tlg002-sanjaya-com-eng1-92

Line 1120

παρὼν ἀποδημεῖ.
The phrase presents a deliberate paradox (antiphrasis) characteristic of the comic genre, where 'being present' (παρὼν) is juxtaposed with 'going away' (ἀποδημεῖ) to describe the physical absence of the Demos (or the character) from the political stage despite his nominal presence, or conversely, the absurdity of the character's inability to act despite being on stage. In the specific context of the Knights, this likely refers to the Paphlagonian (Cleon) or the Demos himself being metaphorically 'absent' from the reality of the situation due to deception, or it serves as a metatheatrical joke about the actor's temporary exit. The construction relies on the audience understanding the double meaning of 'presence' in the theatrical and political spheres.