Aristophanes Peace 551

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Peace. 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)
Εἰρήνη Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 657-728 focus
Translations (1)
Peace (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 551 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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ὡς ἅπαντʼ ἤδη ʼστὶ μεστὰ τἀνθάδʼ εἰρήνης σαπρᾶς.
The phrase σαπρᾶς εἰρήνης ('rotten peace') is a sharp ironic inversion of the standard heroic or diplomatic ideal of εἰρήνη. Aristophanes uses σαπρός, typically describing decaying food or moral corruption, to characterize the peace as not merely imperfect, but actively putrid and useless, suggesting a peace that has ceased to provide sustenance or order. This lexical choice is deliberate satire, contrasting the audience's expectation of a 'good' peace with the reality of a corrupt settlement.

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ἥπερ ἡμῶν τοὺς λόφους ἀφεῖλε καὶ τὰς Γοργόνας·
The phrase 'τὰς Γοργόνας' functions as a comic hyperbole for the Aeginetans. In the context of the play, Aristophanes is satirizing the Aeginetans' martial reputation and their historical piracy; by equating them with the Gorgons (monstrous female figures whose gaze turned men to stone), the poet suggests they are not merely dangerous enemies but mythical monsters. This identification relies on the specific historical rivalry between Athens and Aegina, where Aegina was often depicted as a thorn in the side of the city, and the 'lophous' (crests of enemies) refers to the spoils of war or the heads of defeated foes. The use of the plural 'Gorgons' rather than a singular is a deliberate rhetorical choice to emphasize the collective threat and the monstrous nature of the Aeginetan fleet.

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εἶθʼ ὅπως Λιταργιοῦμεν οἴκαδʼ ἐς τὰ χωρία,
The verb Λιταργιοῦμεν is a comic neologism coined by Aristophanes, derived from the name of the minor god Litaios (or a corruption of Lityerses, a figure associated with threshing). It functions as a verb meaning 'to thresh' or 'to trample grain,' here used humorously to suggest returning home to thresh grain in the fields, playing on the agricultural context of the play's conclusion. This is a rare example of Aristophanic wordplay where a proper name is verbalized for comic effect.

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ἐμπολήσαντές τι χρηστὸν εἰς ἀγρὸν ταρίχιον.
The phrase ταρίχιον (tarichion) is a diminutive of τάρῑχος (salted fish), here used with a specific comedic effect to describe a meager purchase ('a little salted fish') that the characters have managed to acquire for the farm, contrasting sharply with the grandiose agricultural aspirations implied by the context of the play. This usage highlights the economic desperation of the setting and the triviality of the 'good' (χρηστὸν) they can afford.