Aristophanes Wasps 1474-1515

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

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Wasps. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1906.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Σφῆκες (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.)

Translations (2)
Wasps (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1474 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.) — 1474 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

1479. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-88

Line 1479

τἀρχαἶ ἐκεῖνʼ οἷς Θέσπις ἠγωνίζετο·
The pronoun οἷς is a dative plural relative pronoun referring back to τἀρχαῖα (neuter plural), yet it governs the verb ἠγωνίζετο, which is singular. This creates a syntactic anomaly where the relative pronoun, functioning as the subject of the relative clause, agrees in number with the antecedent (neuter plural) but the verb is singular. This construction reflects a common phenomenon in Attic comedy where the relative pronoun is attracted to the case of the antecedent (dative) but the verb remains singular due to the collective or abstract nature of the antecedent, or as a result of the 'attractio inversa' where the relative pronoun takes the case of the antecedent but the verb agrees with the relative pronoun in number, though here the verb is singular while the relative is plural. This is a notable instance of syntactic flexibility in Aristophanes, highlighting the colloquial and dynamic nature of his language.

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Line 1503

ἀπολῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου.
The phrase ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου ('with a well-measured blow of the club') relies on a specific comic hyperbole characteristic of the 'old comedy' period, where the abstract noun ἐμμέλεια (measure, rhythm, proportion) is used ironically to describe a violent physical act. This construction is a rare instance of the dative of means being qualified by an adjective that typically governs artistic or musical performance, here subverted to describe the rhythmic precision of a beating, reflecting the play's central theme of the 'measured' justice of the jury versus the chaotic violence of the street.

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προσέρχεται γὰρ ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου.
The phrase ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου refers to a specific character in the parabasis or the play's dramatic action, distinct from the 'other' (ἕτερος) previously mentioned or implied. In the context of Aristophanes' *Wasps*, this likely points to a specific instance of character doubling or a reference to a minor character associated with the 'Crab' (Καρκίνος), a figure known in the comic tradition or perhaps a punning reference to a real Athenian. The use of αὖ here emphasizes a return or an additional entry, which is crucial for tracking the sequence of entrances in the play's complex staging.