Aristophanes Clouds 875

Clouds. 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)
Νεφέλαι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 889-1104 focus
Translations (2)
Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 889 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.) — 889 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

875. mvp-tlg0019-tlg003-sanjaya-com-eng1-61

Line 875

ἢ κλῆσιν ἢ χαύνωσιν ἀναπειστηρίαν;
The phrase ἀναπειστηρίαν is a hapax legomenon (unique occurrence) in the surviving corpus of Aristophanes and Attic comedy. Derived from the verb ἀναπείθω (to persuade again or to persuade thoroughly), the noun form with the privative or intensive prefix ἀνα- and the suffix -ίαν creates a rare, hyperbolic coinage meaning 'a persuasion that cannot be resisted' or 'irresistible persuasion'. The comedic effect relies on the juxtaposition of the formal, almost legalistic or philosophical term 'κλῆσιν' (summons/call) with this grotesque, neologistic 'χαύνωσιν ἀναπειστηρίαν' (a gaping, all-encompassing, unresistible persuasion), satirizing the Sophists' rhetorical excesses and their ability to bend the language itself to their will.