Aristophanes Lysistrata 829

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

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Lysistrata. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1907.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Λυσιστράτη (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.)

Translations (2)
Lysistrata (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Jack Lindsay). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 829 focus
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.) — 829 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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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.

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Line 835b

παρὰ τὸ τῆς Χλόης.
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.

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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.