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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.

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.) — 1474-1515 focus

Ξανθίας

νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον ἄπορά γʼ ἡμῖν πράγματα

δαίμων τις ἐσκεκύκληκεν ἐς τὴν οἰκίαν.
1475

ὁ γὰρ γέρων ὡς ἔπιε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου

ἤκουσέ τʼ αὐλοῦ, περιχαρὴς τῷ πράγματι

ὀρχούμενος τῆς νυκτὸς οὐδὲν παύεται

τἀρχαἶ ἐκεῖνʼ οἷς Θέσπις ἠγωνίζετο·

καὶ τοὺς τραγῳδούς φησιν ἀποδείξειν κρόνους
1480

τοὺς νῦν διορχησάμενος ὀλίγον ὕστερον.

Φιλοκλέων

τίς ἐπʼ αὐλείοισι θύραις θάσσει;

Ξανθίας

τουτὶ καὶ δὴ χωρεῖ τὸ κακόν.

Φιλοκλέων

κλῇθρα χαλάσθω τάδε. καὶ δὴ γὰρ

σχήματος ἀρχὴ —
1485

Ξανθίας

μᾶλλον δέ γʼ ἴσως μανίας ἀρχή.

Φιλοκλέων

πλευρὰν λυγίσαντος ὑπὸ ῥώμης·

οἶον μυκτὴρ μυκᾶται καὶ

σφόνδυλος ἀχεῖ.

Ξανθίας

πῖθʼ ἑλλέβορον.

Φιλοκλέων

πτήσσει Φρύνιχος ὥς τις ἀλέκτωρ—
1490

Ξανθίας

τάχα βαλλήσεις.

Φιλοκλέων

σκέλος οὐράνιόν γʼ ἐκλακτίζων.

πρωκτὸς χάσκει.

Ξανθίας

κατὰ σαυτὸν ὅρα.

Φιλοκλέων

νῦν γὰρ ἐν ἄρθροις τοῖς ἡμετέροις

στρέφεται χαλαρὰ κοτυληδών.
1495

Φιλοκλέων

οὐκ εὖ;

Βδελυκλέων

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ, ἀλλὰ μανικὰ πράγματα.

Φιλοκλέων

θέρε νυν ἀνείπω κἀνταγωνιστὰς καλῶ.

εἴ τις τραγῳδός φησιν ὀρχεῖσθαι καλῶς,

ἐμοὶ διορχησόμενος ἐνθάδʼ εἰσίτω.

φησίν τις ἢ οὐδείς;
1500

Ξανθίας

εἶς γʼ ἐκεινοσὶ μόνος.

Φιλοκλέων

τίς ὁ κακοδαίμων ἐστίν;

Ξανθίας

υἱὸς Καρκίνου

ὁ μέσατος.

Φιλοκλέων

ἀλλʼ οὗτός γε καταποθήσεται·

ἀπολῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου.

ἐν τῷ ῥυθμῷ γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστʼ.

Ξανθίας

ἀλλʼ ᾠζυρὲ

ἕτερος τραγῳδὸς Καρκινίτης ἔρχεται,
1505

ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ.

Φιλοκλέων

νὴ Δίʼ ὠψώνηκʼ ἄρα.

Ξανθίας

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐδέν γʼ ἄλλο πλήν γε καρκίνους·

προσέρχεται γὰρ ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου.

Φιλοκλέων

τουτὶ τί ἦν τὸ προσέρπον; ὀξὶς ἢ φάλαγξ;

Ξανθίας

ὁ πινοτήρης οὗτός ἐστι τοῦ γένους,
1510

ὁ σμικρότατος, ὃς τὴν τραγῳδίαν ποιεῖ.

Φιλοκλέων

ὦ Καρκίνʼ ὦ μακάριε τῆς εὐπαιδίας,

ὅσον τὸ πλῆθος κατέπεσεν τῶν ὀρχίλων.

ἀτὰρ καταβατέον γʼ ἐπʼ αὐτούς μʼ· ᾠζυρέ,

ἅλμην κύκα τούτοισιν, ἢν ἐγὼ κρατῶ.
1515

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

Xanthias
coming out of the house

By Bacchus! 1475 Some Evil Genius has brought this unbearable disorder into our house. The old man, full up with wine and excited by the sound of the flute, is so delighted, so enraptured, that he is spending the night executing the old dances that Thespis first produced on the stage, 1480 and just now he offered to prove to the modern tragedians, by disputing with them for the dancing prize, that they are nothing but a lot of old dotards.

Bdelycleon comes out of the house with his father who is costumed as Polyphemus in Euripides' Cyclops.

Philocleon

"Who loiters at the door of the vestibule?"

Xanthias

Here comes our pest, our plague!

Philocleon

Let down the barriers. The dance 1485 is now to begin.

He begins to dance in a manner grotesquely parodying that of Euripides.

Xanthias

Or rather the madness.

Philocleon

Impetuous movement already twists and racks my sides. How my nostrils wheeze! how my back cracks!

Xanthias

Go and fill yourself with hellebore.

Philocleon

1490 Phrynichus is as bold as a cock and terrifies his rivals.

Xanthias

He'll be stoned.

Philocleon

His leg kicks out sky-high ...

Xanthias

... and his arse gapes open.

Philocleon

Mind your own business. 1495 Look how easily my leg-joints move. Isn't that good?

Bdedycleon

God, no, it's merely insane!

Philocleon

And now I summon and challenge my rivals. If there be a tragic poet who pretends to be a skilful dancer, let him come and contest the matter with me. Is there one? 1500 Is there not one?

Xanthias

Here comes one, and one only.

A very small dancer, costumed as a crab, enters.

Philocleon

Who is the wretch?

Xanthias

The younger son of Carcinus.

Philocleon

I will crush him to nothing; in point of keeping time, I will knock him out, for he knows nothing of rhythm.

Xanthias

Ah! ah! here comes his brother too, 1505 another tragedian, and another son of Carcinus.

Another dancer, hardly larger than the first, and similarly costumed, enters.

Philocleon

Him I will devour for my dinner.

Xanthias

Oh! ye gods! I see nothing but crabs. Here is yet another son of Carcinus.

A third dancer enters, likewise resembling a crab, but smaller than either of the others.

Philocleon

What's this? A shrimp or a spider?

Xanthias

1510 It's a crab, —a hermit-crab, the smallest of its kind; it writes tragedies.

Philocleon

Oh! Carcinus, how proud you should be of your brood! What a crowd of kinglets have come swooping down here! But we shall have to measure ourselves against them. 1515 Have marinade prepared for seasoning them, in case I prove the victor.

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

Xanthias: By Dionysus, we have a real problem!

Xanthias: some god has come round into the house.

1475

Xanthias: for the old man, as he drank after a long time,

Xanthias: He heard the flute-playing, and was overjoyed at the matter.

Xanthias: dancing all night he ceases nothing.

Xanthias: those things for which Thespis competed;

Xanthias: and he says that he will show the tragedians to be Cronuses.

1480

Xanthias: having led the dance a little while later.

Philocleon: Who is knocking on the courtyard doors?

Xanthias: This evil is now making its way.

Philocleon: Let these bolts be broken. And indeed, for

Philocleon: the beginning of the pattern —

1485

Xanthias: rather, perhaps it is the beginning of madness.

Philocleon: bending his side with strength;

Philocleon: What a snout is snorting and

Philocleon: My spine hurts.

Xanthias: drink hellebore.

Philocleon: Frinichus flaps [his wings] like a rooster—

1490

Xanthias: You will soon be struck.

Philocleon: kicking with his heavenly leg.

Philocleon: the anus is gaping.

Xanthias: look after yourself.

Philocleon: For now in our joints

Philocleon: the cup turns loosely.

1495

Philocleon: Not well?

Bdelycleon: By Zeus, not at all, but mad things.

Philocleon: Now, give me the word and I will call the opponents as well.

Philocleon: if any tragedian says that he dances well,

Philocleon: Let him come in here to dance a measure for me.

Philocleon: Does someone say it, or no one?

1500

Xanthias: Only one of those over there.

Philocleon: Who is this wretch?

Xanthias: son of Karkinos

Xanthias: the inside.

Philocleon: But this one will be swallowed up;

Philocleon: For I shall destroy him with the smoothness of a club.

Philocleon: For there is nothing in the rhythm.

Xanthias: But, you wretch

Xanthias: Another tragic poet, a Cratinite, is coming,

1505

Xanthias: his brother.

Philocleon: By Zeus, then he has been bribed.

Xanthias: By Zeus, nothing else but crabs.

Xanthias: for another of Cratinus is approaching again.

Philocleon: What was this that was creeping up? A wasp or a hornet?

Xanthias: This drinking-cup is of this kind,

1510

Xanthias: the smallest one, who makes the tragedy.

Philocleon: O Crab, O blessed in the excellence of your children,

Philocleon: How many lentils have fallen!

Philocleon: But I must go down against them; woe is me,

Philocleon: Grind salt for these, if I hold sway.

1515

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·

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Line 1479

Current edition Experimental

Φιλοκλέων τίς ἐπʼ αὐλείοισι θύραις θάσσει;

Ξανθίας τουτὶ καὶ δὴ χωρεῖ τὸ κακόν.

Φιλοκλέων κλῇθρα χαλάσθω τάδε. καὶ δὴ γὰρ σχήματος ἀρχὴ — 1485

Ξανθίας μᾶλλον δέ γʼ ἴσως μανίας ἀρχή.

Φιλοκλέων πλευρὰν λυγίσαντος ὑπὸ ῥώμης· οἶον μυκτὴρ μυκᾶται καὶ σφόνδυλος ἀχεῖ.

Ξανθίας πῖθʼ ἑλλέβορον.

Φιλοκλέων πτήσσει Φρύνιχος ὥς τις ἀλέκτωρ— 1490

Ξανθίας τάχα βαλλήσεις.

Φιλοκλέων σκέλος οὐράνιόν γʼ ἐκλακτίζων. πρωκτὸς χάσκει.

Ξανθίας κατὰ σαυτὸν ὅρα.

Φιλοκλέων νῦν γὰρ ἐν ἄρθροις τοῖς ἡμετέροις στρέφεται χαλαρὰ κοτυληδών. 1495

Φιλοκλέων οὐκ εὖ;

Βδελυκλέων μὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ, ἀλλὰ μανικὰ πράγματα.

Φιλοκλέων θέρε νυν ἀνείπω κἀνταγωνιστὰς καλῶ. εἴ τις τραγῳδός φησιν ὀρχεῖσθαι καλῶς, ἐμοὶ διορχησόμενος ἐνθάδʼ εἰσίτω. φησίν τις ἢ οὐδείς; 1500

Ξανθίας εἶς γʼ ἐκεινοσὶ μόνος.

Φιλοκλέων τίς ὁ κακοδαίμων ἐστίν;

Ξανθίας υἱὸς Καρκίνου ὁ μέσατος.

Φιλοκλέων ἀλλʼ οὗτός γε καταποθήσεται· ἀπολῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου. ἐν τῷ ῥυθμῷ γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστʼ.

Ξανθίας ἀλλʼ ᾠζυρὲ ἕτερος τραγῳδὸς Καρκινίτης ἔρχεται, 1505 ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ.

Φιλοκλέων νὴ Δίʼ ὠψώνηκʼ ἄρα.

Ξανθίας μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐδέν γʼ ἄλλο πλήν γε καρκίνους· προσέρχεται γὰρ ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου.

Φιλοκλέων τουτὶ τί ἦν τὸ προσέρπον; ὀξὶς ἢ φάλαγξ;

Ξανθίας ὁ πινοτήρης οὗτός ἐστι τοῦ γένους, 1510 ὁ σμικρότατος, ὃς τὴν τραγῳδίαν ποιεῖ.

Philocleon "Who loiters at the door of the vestibule?"

Xanthias Here comes our pest, our plague!

Philocleon Let down the barriers. The dance 1485 is now to begin. He begins to dance in a manner grotesquely parodying that of Euripides.

Xanthias Or rather the madness.

Philocleon Impetuous movement already twists and racks my sides. How my nostrils wheeze! how my back cracks!

Xanthias Go and fill yourself with hellebore.

Philocleon 1490 Phrynichus is as bold as a cock and terrifies his rivals.

Xanthias He'll be stoned.

Philocleon His leg kicks out sky-high ...

Xanthias ... and his arse gapes open.

Philocleon Mind your own business. 1495 Look how easily my leg-joints move. Isn't that good?

Bdedycleon God, no, it's merely insane!

Philocleon And now I summon and challenge my rivals. If there be a tragic poet who pretends to be a skilful dancer, let him come and contest the matter with me. Is there one? 1500 Is there not one?

Xanthias Here comes one, and one only.

Philocleon Who is the wretch?

Xanthias The younger son of Carcinus.

Philocleon I will crush him to nothing; in point of keeping time, I will knock him out, for he knows nothing of rhythm.

Xanthias Ah! ah! here comes his brother too, 1505 another tragedian, and another son of Carcinus.

Philocleon Him I will devour for my dinner.

Xanthias Oh! ye gods! I see nothing but crabs. Here is yet another son of Carcinus.

Philocleon What's this? A shrimp or a spider?

Xanthias 1510 It's a crab, —a hermit-crab, the smallest of its kind; it writes tragedies.

Philocleon Oh! Carcinus, how proud you should be of your brood! What a crowd of kinglets have come swooping down here! But we shall have to measure ourselves against them. 1515 Have marinade prepared for seasoning them, in case I prove the victor.

Commentary

Line 1479

Stable identifiers

Φιλοκλέων

τίς ἐπʼ αὐλείοισι θύραις θάσσει;

Ξανθίας

τουτὶ καὶ δὴ χωρεῖ τὸ κακόν.

Φιλοκλέων

κλῇθρα χαλάσθω τάδε. καὶ δὴ γὰρ

σχήματος ἀρχὴ —
1485

Ξανθίας

μᾶλλον δέ γʼ ἴσως μανίας ἀρχή.

Φιλοκλέων

πλευρὰν λυγίσαντος ὑπὸ ῥώμης·

οἶον μυκτὴρ μυκᾶται καὶ

σφόνδυλος ἀχεῖ.

Ξανθίας

πῖθʼ ἑλλέβορον.

Φιλοκλέων

πτήσσει Φρύνιχος ὥς τις ἀλέκτωρ—
1490

Ξανθίας

τάχα βαλλήσεις.

Φιλοκλέων

σκέλος οὐράνιόν γʼ ἐκλακτίζων.

πρωκτὸς χάσκει.

Ξανθίας

κατὰ σαυτὸν ὅρα.

Φιλοκλέων

νῦν γὰρ ἐν ἄρθροις τοῖς ἡμετέροις

στρέφεται χαλαρὰ κοτυληδών.
1495

Φιλοκλέων

οὐκ εὖ;

Βδελυκλέων

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ, ἀλλὰ μανικὰ πράγματα.

Φιλοκλέων

θέρε νυν ἀνείπω κἀνταγωνιστὰς καλῶ.

εἴ τις τραγῳδός φησιν ὀρχεῖσθαι καλῶς,

ἐμοὶ διορχησόμενος ἐνθάδʼ εἰσίτω.

φησίν τις ἢ οὐδείς;
1500

Ξανθίας

εἶς γʼ ἐκεινοσὶ μόνος.

Φιλοκλέων

τίς ὁ κακοδαίμων ἐστίν;

Ξανθίας

υἱὸς Καρκίνου

ὁ μέσατος.

Φιλοκλέων

ἀλλʼ οὗτός γε καταποθήσεται·

ἀπολῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου.

ἐν τῷ ῥυθμῷ γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστʼ.

Ξανθίας

ἀλλʼ ᾠζυρὲ

ἕτερος τραγῳδὸς Καρκινίτης ἔρχεται,
1505

ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ.

Φιλοκλέων

νὴ Δίʼ ὠψώνηκʼ ἄρα.

Ξανθίας

μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐδέν γʼ ἄλλο πλήν γε καρκίνους·

προσέρχεται γὰρ ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου.

Φιλοκλέων

τουτὶ τί ἦν τὸ προσέρπον; ὀξὶς ἢ φάλαγξ;

Ξανθίας

ὁ πινοτήρης οὗτός ἐστι τοῦ γένους,
1510

ὁ σμικρότατος, ὃς τὴν τραγῳδίαν ποιεῖ.

Philocleon

"Who loiters at the door of the vestibule?"

Xanthias

Here comes our pest, our plague!

Philocleon

Let down the barriers. The dance 1485 is now to begin.

He begins to dance in a manner grotesquely parodying that of Euripides.

Xanthias

Or rather the madness.

Philocleon

Impetuous movement already twists and racks my sides. How my nostrils wheeze! how my back cracks!

Xanthias

Go and fill yourself with hellebore.

Philocleon

1490 Phrynichus is as bold as a cock and terrifies his rivals.

Xanthias

He'll be stoned.

Philocleon

His leg kicks out sky-high ...

Xanthias

... and his arse gapes open.

Philocleon

Mind your own business. 1495 Look how easily my leg-joints move. Isn't that good?

Bdedycleon

God, no, it's merely insane!

Philocleon

And now I summon and challenge my rivals. If there be a tragic poet who pretends to be a skilful dancer, let him come and contest the matter with me. Is there one? 1500 Is there not one?

Xanthias

Here comes one, and one only.

Philocleon

Who is the wretch?

Xanthias

The younger son of Carcinus.

Philocleon

I will crush him to nothing; in point of keeping time, I will knock him out, for he knows nothing of rhythm.

Xanthias

Ah! ah! here comes his brother too, 1505 another tragedian, and another son of Carcinus.

Philocleon

Him I will devour for my dinner.

Xanthias

Oh! ye gods! I see nothing but crabs. Here is yet another son of Carcinus.

Philocleon

What's this? A shrimp or a spider?

Xanthias

1510 It's a crab, —a hermit-crab, the smallest of its kind; it writes tragedies.

Philocleon

Oh! Carcinus, how proud you should be of your brood! What a crowd of kinglets have come swooping down here! But we shall have to measure ourselves against them. 1515 Have marinade prepared for seasoning them, in case I prove the victor.