Line 645
εἰς ἀπόφυξιν παλάμας.
The phrase εἰς ἀπόφυξιν παλάμας is an elliptical construction where the verb is supplied from the immediate context (likely a verb of 'stretching' or 'raising', such as ἐπιτείνω or ἀνέχω). The noun ἀπόφυξιν here functions not merely as 'escape' in the abstract, but specifically as a technical reference to the 'palm' (palma) gesture used in the context of the law courts or theatrical performance, where the raising of palms signifies a specific stance of defense or appeal. The use of the accusative of respect (or perhaps a peculiar accusative of the end with εἰς) to denote the specific physical action of the hands is a marked syntactic feature of Aristophanic comedy, compressing a complex physical description into a brief idiom that relies on the audience's familiarity with the physical gestures of the dikasteria.
Wasps. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.