785.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-35
Line 785
οὕτως ἦν νεανίσκος Μελανίων τις,
The construction οὕτως ἦν with a following noun phrase (νεανίσκος Μελανίων τις) serves as a narrative introduction to a character, a formulaic usage common in comedy and historiography to signal the emergence of a new actor or the focus of a specific anecdote. While the indefinite τις is standard, its placement after the proper name in apposition to the common noun, combined with the demonstrative οὕτως ('such was the case that...' or 'in this manner...'), creates a specific narrative pivot point often found in the parabasis or in the recitation of a *fabula* within the play, distinguishing it from a simple descriptive statement.
796.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-36
Line 796
τοῦ Μελανίωνος οἱ σώφρονες.
This phrase functions as a sarcastic epithet or ironic tag rather than a full syntactic clause. The genitive τοῦ Μελανίωνος (of Melanion) likely refers to Melanion, a figure mentioned in Aristophanes' lost play *The Babylonians* or potentially conflated with the character Melanthus, though the specific association here relies on lost comic tradition or a specific local Athenian reference not preserved in the standard scholia. The adjective σώφρονες (sober/wise) is used with heavy irony, contrasting the perceived recklessness of the chorus or the situation with the name of a man whose historical or mythical persona might have been associated with folly or a specific negative trait known to the original audience but obscure to modern readers without specific prosopographical knowledge of Athenian comic character types.
822.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-37
Line 822
The phrase '†ἔδεισά γε.†' is bracketed in critical editions (e.g., Diggle, Thomson) as a suspected interpolation or scribal gloss. The particle γε, while common, here creates a syntactically awkward emphasis following the negative 'μηδαμῶς' that is atypical for Aristophanes' tight, rapid-fire dialogue in this scene. The interpolation theory suggests the phrase was added by a scribe attempting to clarify Lysistrata's hesitation or to balance the line metrically, though it disrupts the immediate, punchy rejection of the preceding argument. Its exclusion restores the standard comic rhythm of a curt denial.
826.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-38
Line 826
καίπερ οὔσης γραὸς ὄντʼ αὐτὸν
The construction καίπερ οὔσης ... ὄντʼ αὐτὸν presents a notable syntactic anomaly: the genitive absolute (οὔσης γραὸς) is juxtaposed with a nominative participle (ὄντʼ) that agrees with the subject of the main clause, yet the ὄντʼ is separated from its antecedent by the intervening genitive phrase and the enclitic αὐτὸν. This creates a momentary ambiguity regarding the syntactic attachment of ὄντʼ, which resolves only upon recognizing that ὄντʼ αὐτὸν functions as a predicative nominative participle modifying the subject of the main verb (implied or explicit in the broader context), while καίπερ οὔσης γραὸς forms a concessive genitive absolute. The elision in ὄντʼ and the placement of αὐτὸν after the participle reflect Aristophanes' characteristic compression and rhythmic play, but the structural tension between the two participial forms demands careful parsing to avoid misattributing the case agreement.
827.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-39
Line 827
κομήτην, ἀλλʼ ἀπεψιλωμένον
The noun κομήτην (komētēn) is used here not in its primary astronomical sense ('comet' or 'long-haired star'), which would be anachronistic for the context of a man's appearance, but as a metaphor for 'long-haired' or 'befuddled' (from κόμη, 'hair'). The adjective ἀπεψιλωμένον (apepsilōmenon) is a rare, humorous coinage derived from ψιλόω ('to shave' or 'make bald'), functioning as a verbal adjective in the perfect passive participle. The phrase creates a comic antithesis: a 'comet' (implying long, wild hair) that has been 'shaved bald,' mocking the pretensions of a philosopher or a specific character type associated with unkempt appearance. This juxtaposition relies on the audience's recognition of the astronomical term as a pun on physical hair, a specific Aristophanic device that requires noting the semantic shift of κομήτης in this comedic context.
834.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-40
Line 834
μεδέουσʼ, ἴθʼ ὀρθὴν ἥνπερ ἔρχι τὴν ὁδόν.
The form ἥνπερ is a relative pronoun with the enclitic particle -περ, functioning here as an emphatic demonstrative ('the very road' or 'the right road itself'). In Attic comedy, this construction often serves to mark a path or manner as the singular, correct option in contrast to potential alternatives, reinforcing the imperative's urgency. The particle -περ here is not merely emphatic in a generic sense but specifically restricts the scope of 'road' to the one that is 'straight' (ὀρθήν), creating a tight semantic link between the moral and physical direction of the journey.
835b.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-41
Line 835b
The phrase παρὰ τὸ τῆς Χλόης is a fragmentary reference to a specific location or object associated with a woman named Chloe. In the context of the Lysistrata, this likely alludes to the 'house of Chloe' (οἶκος τῆς Χλόης), a known brothel or a location associated with sexual licentiousness, which serves as a satirical contrast to the domestic and political setting of the play. The preposition παρὰ here indicates proximity or location ('at' or 'near'), and the genitive τῆς Χλόης identifies the owner or occupant. This is a rare and specific reference that requires knowledge of Athenian social geography and the character of Chloe, who is not a major figure but is mentioned in other comedic texts as a courtesan.
846.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-42
Line 846
χὠ τέτανος ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τροχοῦ στρεβλούμενον.
The term τέτανος here functions as a technical medical term for the 'spasm' or 'convulsion' associated with tetanus, distinct from its general sense of 'tension' or 'strain.' Aristophanes exploits this clinical terminology for comic effect, equating the physical spasms of the character's body with the mechanical action of a turning wheel (ἐπὶ τροχοῦ), thereby visualizing the grotesque contortion of the body as a deliberate, machine-like process.
886.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-43
Line 886
πολλῷ γεγενῆσθαι κἀγανώτερον βλέπειν·
The participle βλέπειν (accusative singular feminine of the present participle of βλέπω) functions as an adverbial modifier of manner or degree, dependent on the comparative adjective κἀγανώτερον. This construction, where a participle in the accusative agrees with a comparative adjective in the accusative (here implied by the ellipsis of the subject of the infinitive clause or functioning as a supplement to the comparative), is a distinctive feature of Attic comedy syntax. While comparatives often take genitives of comparison, the use of the accusative participle to intensify the comparative sense ('to be far more gentle in one's gaze') relies on the colloquial, fluid syntax characteristic of Aristophanic dialogue, contrasting with the more rigid constraints of High Attic prose. The particle γε here emphasizes the affirmative or concessive force of the statement, typical of the speaker's rhetorical strategy in this passage.
887.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-44
Line 887
χἂ δυσκολαίνει πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ βρενθύεται,
The verb βρενθύεται is a hapax legomenon in extant Greek literature, appearing only here in Aristophanes. It is a compound of the preposition ἐκ (implied in the reduplication or prefixal sense) and a root related to βρένθος (a well or deep pit), used here as a comic metaphor for 'drowning' or 'being overwhelmed' in a state of sullenness or grumpiness. The verb is not attested elsewhere, making its precise semantic range dependent entirely on this context, where it likely conveys the image of someone sinking into a deep, suffocating mood.
898.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-45
Line 898
τὰ δὲ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἱέρʼ ἀνοργίαστά σοι
The noun ἀνοργίαστά (accusative plural neuter) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and extremely rare in extant Greek literature. It is a compound formed from the negative prefix ἀ- and ὀργία (orgies, specifically of the cult of Aphrodite), functioning as a substantive adjective meaning 'orgies without ritual' or 'uninitiated rites.' The term is a technical satirical coinage targeting the character's lack of proper religious or sexual initiation, relying on the audience's knowledge of the distinction between sanctioned orgiastic cult practices (orgia) and profane acts. Its rarity and specific theological/sexual connotation make it a prime example of Aristophanic lexical invention.
928.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-46
Line 928
ἀλλʼ ἢ τὸ πέος τόδʼ Ἡρακλῆς ξενίζεται.
The verb ξενίζεται is in the passive voice, but here it functions as a middle with a reflexive or deponent sense ('is made a guest-friend' or 'is treated as a guest-friend'), a usage characteristic of Aristophanic comedy where the passive form often absorbs the middle's nuance of personal interest or benefit. This construction, while attested, requires the reader to distinguish the semantic weight of the passive form from a standard passive meaning 'to be hosted by someone else' in order to grasp the speaker's ironic suggestion that the phallus is being accorded the status of a guest-friend.
966.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg007-sanjaya-com-eng1-47
Line 966
καὶ μὴ βινῶν τοὺς ὄρθρους;
The verb βινῶν is a hapax legomenon in the extant corpus of Attic comedy, appearing here as a present participle of a verb derived from βίνος (wine). While the context implies 'to be drunk' or 'to act the drunkard,' the specific morphological formation and the author's coinage highlight Aristophanes' lexical creativity in personifying the effects of wine as an active agent of disorder. The phrase 'not being drunk at dawn' serves as a sharp critique of the early-rising, sober diligence required of the protagonist, contrasting with the habitual nocturnal revelry of the chorus.
