Line 304
πορφυρὶς κερχνῂς κολυμβὶς ἀμπελὶς φήνη δρύοψ.
This line presents a series of five bird names in the nominative case, functioning as a catalog of birds that the chorus of birds claims to have seen or heard. The specific choice of 'πορφυρὶς' (porphyris) for a purple bird, 'κερχνῂς' (kerchnēs) likely referring to a kind of wren or similar small bird, 'κολυμβὶς' (kolumbis) for a diver or grebe, 'ἀμπελὶς' (ampelis) as the wryneck, 'φήνη' (phēnē) for the blackbird, and 'δρύοψ' (dryops) for the hoopoe, is significant for the play's theme of bird supremacy. The inclusion of 'δρύοψ' (hoopoe) is particularly crucial as it is the leader of the bird chorus and the character who advises Peisetairos to build Cloudcuckooland. The grammatical structure here is a simple asyndeton of nouns, which creates a rhythmic, incantatory effect appropriate for the bird-like nature of the chorus.
Birds. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.