Aristophanes Wasps 875

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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.) — 863-890a 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.) — 875 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

884. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-44

Line 884

τὴν ἀκαλήφην ἀφελέσθαι.
The noun ἀκαλήφη (stinging nettle) is used here as a metaphor for the aggressive, stinging nature of the litigious citizenry (the 'wasps') or, more specifically, the malicious lawsuits brought against the elderly. The choice of this specific plant, rather than a generic term for harm, relies on its characteristic stinging hairs and the sudden pain it inflicts, mirroring the experience of being dragged into court by a pro-demos rhetorician. While the plant is common, its metaphorical application to legal harassment in Old Comedy is a specific rhetorical device of Aristophanes, contrasting the organic, natural sting with the artificial, man-made sting of the law.