Aristophanes Wasps 1294

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.) — 1292-1449 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.) — 1292 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.) — 1292 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

1294. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-74

Line 1294

ὡς εὖ κατηρέψασθε καὶ νουβυστικῶς
The adverb νουβυστικῶς is a hapax legomenon derived from νουβύσσις (or νουβύσσω), a term of uncertain etymology but clearly carrying the sense of 'slyly,' 'cunningly,' or 'with a sly wink.' In this context, the character Bdelycleon uses it to sarcastically praise his father's ability to 'dig' (κατηρέψασθε) into the affairs of the jury, implying that the old man has mastered the art of the 'sly dig' or 'cunning probing' characteristic of a professional informer or a shrewd litigant. The word is a comic coinage, likely reflecting the specific jargon of the courtroom or the street, and its rarity makes it a prime example of Aristophanic neologism.