Aristophanes Wasps 1177

Wasps. 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)
Σφῆκες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1122-1264 focus
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.) — 1170 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.) — 1170 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

1177. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-64

Line 1177

πρῶτον μὲν ὡς ἡ Λάμιʼ ἁλοῦσʼ ἐπέρδετο,
The phrase 'ὡς ἡ Λάμιʼ ἁλοῦσʼ ἐπέρδετο' functions as a proverbial allusion to the fall of Lamia in 323 BCE, where the city was captured by Antipater and subsequently subjected to a humiliating defeat. Aristophanes employs this historical reference metaphorically to describe the state of the defendant or the situation in the courtroom, suggesting a moment of disgrace or defeat. The use of the aorist participle 'ἁλοῦσʼ' followed by the aorist verb 'ἐπέρδετο' (a vulgar term for 'farted') creates a comic juxtaposition of a serious historical event with bodily functions, characteristic of Old Comedy's tendency to debase high concepts.