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Λᾶσός ποτʼ ἀντεδίδασκε καὶ Σιμωνίδης·
The verb ἀντεδίδασκε (imperfect middle/passive of ἀντιδιδάσκω) is used here in a specific sense of 'countering' or 'replying to' a teaching or argument, a usage attested in Old Comedy but distinct from the more common ἀντιλέγειν. The construction with a proper name as the subject in the imperfect suggests an iterative or habitual action in the past, implying that Simonides was known for repeatedly refuting the lessons of the 'Láos' (interpreted by some ancient scholia as a specific, perhaps fictional or allegorical, teacher of the people, or a corruption of Λαῖος). The phrase serves as a comic analogy, equating the old man's stubbornness in the play with the poetic tradition of Simonides engaging in intellectual dispute.
The term Λᾶσος (Láos) is a crux in this passage. While the scholia offer various explanations, some identifying it with a specific historical figure or a metaphorical 'people', the most compelling interpretation in the context of Aristophanic satire is that it refers to a specific, now obscure, figure of authority or a corrupted reference to the 'laos' (people) in a way that plays on the idea of the common man teaching the poet. The ambiguity of Λᾶσος as a proper noun versus a common noun (with a potential textual corruption) makes this a significant textual issue.
Wasps. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.