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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.
Lysistrata. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.