Aristophanes Clouds 607

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Clouds. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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.) — 627-888a focus
Translations (1)
Clouds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Comedies of Aristophanes, Vol. I. Hickie, William James, translator. Bohn: London, 1853.) — 607 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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σπένδεθʼ ὑμεῖς καὶ γελᾶτʼ· ἀνθʼ ὧν λαχὼν Ὑπέρβολος
The phrase ἀνθ' ὧν functions as a causal particle meaning 'in return for this' or 'consequently', introducing the specific example of Hyperbolos as the object of the preceding command to 'pour libations and laugh'. The construction relies on the anaphoric neuter plural pronoun ὧν referring back to the collective situation of the chorus's mockery, a usage typical of Aristophanic comedy where the chorus directly addresses the audience or the stage action to validate the satire. The abrupt ellipsis of the verb (e.g., 'he is the one') following Hyperbolos is a deliberate dramatic device, leaving the name hanging to emphasize the absurdity of sacrificing to a man who has become the butt of the joke, thereby reinforcing the comic inversion of religious ritual.

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κατὰ σελήνην ὡς ἄγειν χρὴ τοῦ βίου τὰς ἡμέρας.
The phrase 'κατὰ σελήνην' (according to the moon) is a crucial crux here: it likely represents a corrupt or idiosyncratic reading for 'κατὰ τὴν σελήνην' or, more plausibly in the context of the Clouds' mockery of Socrates, a deliberate absurdity where the moon is personified as a guide. The construction 'ὡς ἄγειν χρὴ' (as one must lead) with the accusative and infinitive following the prepositional phrase creates a syntactic ambiguity: does 'ὡς' introduce a comparative clause of manner ('as one leads') or a result clause ('so as to lead')? In the context of the play, this ambiguity reinforces the Clouds' presentation of Socrates' teachings as a bizarre, pseudo-scientific regimen that treats celestial bodies as navigational instruments for daily life, a point of contention that aligns with the historical caricature of Socrates' alleged 'daimonion' and his focus on natural philosophy.