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καὶ τέμαχος, οὗ Περικλέης οὐκ ἠξιώθη πώποτε.
The verb ἠξιώθη (aorist passive of ἀξιοῦμαι) here carries the specific sense of 'deem worthy of' or 'consider fit for,' a usage common in Attic prose but distinctively ironic in Aristophanic comedy. The sentence implies a hyperbolic contrast: the piece of meat (or perhaps the opportunity) is of such high quality or rarity that even Pericles, the preeminent statesman and patron of the arts, was never deemed worthy to receive it. This reflects the comic trope of elevating mundane or grotesque subjects to the level of high political discourse, while simultaneously mocking the perceived exclusivity or unapproachability of Periclean Athens.
Knights. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.