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ἄκουε, μὴ φεῦγʼ. ἐν Συβάρει γυνή ποτε
The imperative φεῦγε (contracted here as φεῦγʼ) is an elliptical form of φεῦγε, meaning 'flee' or 'run away.' In this context, the speaker (Bdelycleon) is commanding his father (Philocleon) not to flee from the trial or the situation, playing on the physical act of fleeing as a metaphor for avoiding responsibility or the judicial process. The contraction φεῦγʼ is a standard crasis in the imperative, but the imperative itself is a key rhetorical device in the play, as Philocleon is often depicted as trying to escape the constraints of his son's authority and the city's laws.
The phrase ἐν Συβάρει refers to the city of Sybaris in southern Italy, which was famously known for its wealth and, in Greek comedy, for its inhabitants' extreme effeminacy and luxury. The reference to Sybaris here is a cultural allusion, implying that the woman in question is so luxurious or effeminate that she would be found in Sybaris. This allusion serves to highlight the contrast between the woman's behavior and the traditional Greek ideals of virtue and simplicity.
The word γυνή (gynē) is used here in a specific context where it refers to a woman who is the subject of a story or a moral lesson. In this case, the woman is being described as someone who is so luxurious or effeminate that she is associated with Sybaris. The use of γυνή in this context is a deliberate choice by Aristophanes to emphasize the contrast between the woman's behavior and the traditional Greek ideals of virtue and simplicity.
Wasps. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.