Aristophanes Lysistrata 1247

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Lysistrata. Aristophanes. . Publication date not supplied in legacy source.

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Current edition Experimental

Lysistrata (OCR draft) (English) (English (Jack Lindsay). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Λυσιστράτη Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1247 focus
Translations (1)
English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) Experimental (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) — 1247 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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ἐπὶ δὲ δίδυμον ἀγέχορον
The phrase 'ἀγέχορον' (agchoron) is a hapax legomenon in extant comedy, formed from the privative alpha and ἄχωρ (choros). While the standard term for a 'leader of the chorus' is χορηγός or ἡγεμών, Aristophanes' coinage here creates a specific semantic tension: 'without a leader of the chorus' or 'leaderless chorus.' This is not merely a synonym for 'chorus' but a deliberate neologism likely functioning as a pun or a specific technical reference to a troupe that has lost its director, a situation of practical importance in the production history of the play (potentially alluding to the actual absence of the chorus leader, or a satirical jab at the state of the dramatic profession). The word's construction and rarity make it a significant lexical crux rather than a routine description.

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Ἰήιον
The word Ἰήιον is an adverbial form derived from Ἰή (a vocative exclamation addressed to Apollo or the god in a general sense), functioning here as an interjection or cry of alarm. In Aristophanic comedy, this usage is characteristic of the genre's tendency to blend ritualistic invocations with colloquial exclamations, often signaling a sudden shift in tone or a moment of dramatic irony. The form Ἰήιον, rather than the more common Ἰή, reflects a metrical or stylistic choice specific to the comedic context, where the elongated form may serve to heighten the emotional intensity or align with the rhythmic requirements of the iambic trimeter.

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Ταΰγετον αὖτʼ ἐραννὸν ἐκλιπῶα
The participle ἐκλιπῶα is an irregular Attic form of the aorist active participle of ἐκλείπω (to leave behind). While the standard Attic form is ἐκλιπών (masculine), the feminine form here (ἐκλιπῶσα) is often contracted or altered in dialectal contexts or specific metrical necessities. However, the form ἐκλιπῶα (with the alpha) is a rare Doric or poetic variant that may reflect the speaker's attempt to evoke a rustic or non-Attic tone, or it could be a metrical adjustment to fit the iambic trimeter. This construction is not typical of standard Attic prose and warrants attention for its morphological peculiarity.

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τοὶ δὴ πὰρ Εὐρώταν ψιάδδοντι.
The verb ψιάδδοντι is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and a rare example of a verb derived from the noun ψιάδις (a type of lettuce or salad plant). Here it is used intransitively in the present tense, third person plural, with a sense of 'gathering lettuce' or 'making salads,' likely as a metaphor for the women's leisurely, non-martial activities in contrast to the men's war. The form is notable for its dialectal flavor (Ionic/Aeolic influence) and its playful, rustic connotation in the context of the play's domestic setting.

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ᾇ τις ἔλαφος· κρότον δʼ ἁμᾷ ποίει χορωφελήταν.
The phrase 'χορωφελήταν' (chorophelētan) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, a compound noun uniquely formed here to denote a specific role within the chorus. While 'χορός' (chorus) is standard, the second element 'φελήτης' (phelētēs) is rare and etymologically debated; it likely derives from a dialectal or colloquial root related to 'phelos' (a type of flute or pipe) or potentially 'phelō' (to blow), suggesting a 'chorus-flute-player' or 'chorus-piper' who accompanies the dance. The accusative singular form with the suffix -ᾶν (rather than the expected -ᾱν or -ᾱν) reflects a specific Doric or comic dialectal variation common in Aristophanes' metrical constraints, marking a deliberate lexical invention to fit the iambic trimeter and evoke the rough, practical atmosphere of the comic chorus leader's instructions.