Aristophanes Wasps 1071

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Wasps. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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.) — 1122-1264 focus
Translations (1)
Wasps (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1071 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

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ἥτις ἡμῶν ἐστὶν ἡ ʼπίνοια τῆς ἐγκεντρίδος,
The noun ἐγκεντρίς (genitive ἐγκεντρίδος) literally denotes a 'fly' or 'gnat' but functions here as a technical term for the 'wasp' in the context of the play's title (Σφῆκες) and its central metaphor. The phrase 'the wasp of the fly' (or 'the fly-wasp') creates a deliberate taxonomic confusion that underpins the play's satire: the chorus of old men, who identify as wasps, are being reduced to the status of mere pests (flies) by the protagonist's legal manipulations, or conversely, the 'wasp' (the aggressive juror) is being defined by the 'fly' (the prey or the trivial matter). This usage relies on the semantic overlap and confusion between the two insects in Attic colloquialism and legal metaphor, where the distinction between the predator (wasp) and the nuisance (fly) is blurred to highlight the absurdity of the litigation culture.

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ἐμαχόμεσθʼ αὐτοῖσι, θυμὸν ὀξίνην πεπωκότες,
The adverb ὀξίνην (from ὀξύς, 'sharp' or 'bitter') is a rare poetic form here functioning as a predicate adjective or adverbial modifier with πεπωκότες ('having drunk'), describing the quality of the 'wine' or the resulting state of the drinkers. While ὀξύς is common, its use in this specific compound construction with the perfect participle of a drinking verb to denote a state of intense, 'sharp' anger (θυμός) is a distinctive Aristophanic usage, blending the sensory experience of wine with the psychological state of the jurors. The phrase effectively personifies the anger as a potent, fermented substance.

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εἶτα δʼ εἱπόμεσθα θυννάζοντες ἐς τοὺς θυλάκους,
The participle θυννάζοντες is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, derived from θύννος (tuna). While literally meaning 'acting like a tuna,' the context of the passage (a parody of a legal trial where the chorus mimics bees) suggests a specific comedic connotation: either the 'stinging' behavior of the bees or the frenzied, chaotic movement of tuna schools. The verb is rare enough that its exact nuance—whether describing the physical motion of the 'bees' (the chorus) or their aggressive, swarming intent—requires specific attention to the comic imagery of the scene.