1111.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-54
Line 1111
λεπτὰ μὴ γνῶναι λεγόντοιν,
The phrase λεγόντοιν represents a rare and specific morphological form: the dual optative of λέγω (λέγοιτοιν) used as a passive participle (or potentially a contracted form of λέγοιτοιν in a periphrastic construction), which is highly irregular for Aristophanes. While the dual optative exists, its usage here with the infinitive γνῶναι to express a prohibitive or potential nuance ('lest they be understood to speak thin things') is syntactically complex and likely involves a dialectal or poetic contraction not found in Attic prose. This construction is not merely an intermediate grammatical exercise but a deliberate archaism or metrical adjustment that challenges standard parsing of the dual optative in a comedic context.
1118.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-55
Line 1118
πάντʼ ἐπέξιτον θεατῶν γʼ οὕνεχʼ ὡς ὄντων σοφῶν.
The relative clause ὡς ὄντων σοφῶν functions as a causal explanation for the preceding assertion, relying on the construction ὡς with the genitive absolute (or more precisely, a genitive of cause following ὡς) to mean 'since they were wise.' While ὡς with the genitive is common in later Greek, its use here by Aristophanes to introduce a subjective, ironic justification ('since they [thought themselves] to be wise') is a specific syntactic feature of the comic diction that distinguishes the playwright's handling of causal particles from the more rigid structures found in Attic tragedy or prose.
1149.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-56
Line 1149
οὕτω γʼ ἂν εἴη πρὸς πατρὸς τυμβωρύχος.
The phrase πατρὸς τυμβωρύχος is a striking, hyperbolic self-description by Dionysus (or the character speaking) that relies on a specific historical and cultural pun. While τυμβωρύχος literally means 'grave-digger,' in the context of Old Comedy and the specific rivalry between Aristophanes and Euripides, it likely alludes to the accusation that Euripides 'dug up' or excavated the noble, tragic traditions of Aeschylus (and by extension, the 'father' of tragedy) to create his own, more 'barbarous' or modern style. Alternatively, it may refer to the physical act of digging graves for the dead, implying that Dionysus's current actions (mimicking Aeschylus or engaging in the underworld) are so futile or grotesque they resemble grave-robbing. The genitive πατρὸς here functions as a genitive of the object of the action, but the force is metaphorical: 'a grave-digger of the father,' where 'the father' is either the deceased Aeschylus (the 'father' of the tragedy being revived) or, more likely in the context of the play's satire, a reference to the 'father' of the household or the traditional moral order, which Dionysus is now violating. The use of the future conditional ἂν εἴη suggests a hypothetical scenario where this role becomes the speaker's defining characteristic, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
1196.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-57
Line 1196
εἰ κἀστρατήγησέν γε μετʼ Ἐρασινίδου.
The phrase 'κἀστρατήγησεν' (καὶ + ἐστρατήγησεν) is a colloquial contraction typical of Old Comedy, where the final -ν of the enclitic καί is elided before the initial vowel of the verb. The verb στρατηγέω here functions as a perfective aorist, but the use of the present stem with aorist meaning (a phenomenon known as the 'aorist of the present stem' or 'mixed aorist') is a distinct feature of the Attic dialect found in comedy and later Koine, though rare in classical prose. The phrase 'μετʼ Ἐρασινίδου' refers to the historical figure Erasistratus, a general known for his role in the Peloponnesian War, specifically his involvement in the Sicilian Expedition. The use of the preposition μετά with the genitive case here indicates 'alongside' or 'in the company of,' which is a standard construction but carries a specific connotation of shared military command in this context.
The reference to Erasistratus (Ἐρασινίδου) is historically significant as he was a prominent Athenian general during the Peloponnesian War, particularly noted for his role in the Sicilian Expedition. The mention of his name in this context likely alludes to a specific historical event or a well-known anecdote about his military leadership, which would have been familiar to the original audience but may require clarification for modern readers.
1201.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-58
Line 1201
ἀπὸ ληκυθίου σὺ τοὺς ἐμούς;
The phrase ἀπὸ ληκυθίου σὺ τοὺς ἐμούς is a proverbial idiom meaning 'Do you think you can get away with it?' or 'Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes?' (literally, 'Do you think I am a lekythos from which you can take my things?'). The construction uses the preposition ἀπό with the genitive to denote the source from which something is taken, but here it is used metaphorically to express the speaker's suspicion of the addressee's deceit. The word ληκύθιον (lekythos) refers to a small oil flask, often used in funerary contexts, and its mention here is a deliberate allusion to the idea of theft or trickery. The sentence is a rhetorical question that highlights the speaker's awareness of the addressee's attempt to deceive him.
1208.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-59
Line 1208
The participle κατασχών (from κατασχεῖν) functions as a causal or explanatory adjunct to the implied action of the subject (Dionysus), indicating that he secured Argos as the strategic basis for his subsequent military operations against Sparta. This construction relies on the audience's knowledge of the immediate historical context: the Sicilian Expedition's aftermath and the subsequent Spartan occupation of Decelea, which left Athens vulnerable. The specific choice of κατασχών rather than a simpler aorist indicative emphasizes the completed, decisive nature of the seizure, a detail critical to Aristophanes' satirical contrast between Dionysus' 'great' achievements and his actual incompetence. The phrase alludes to the real historical event where Argos was a key Athenian ally, and its control was pivotal in the Peloponnesian War's final phase, though the play was written before the war's conclusion, making this a pointed reference to contemporary political anxieties.
1216.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-60
Line 1216
τὸν πρόλογον οὐχ ἕξει προσάψαι λήκυθον.
The phrase προσάψαι λήκυθον (to 'attach a lekythos') is a vivid metaphorical idiom derived from the practice of attaching oil flasks (lekythoi) to the handles of wine jugs (oinochoai) or, more likely in this comedic context, the ritual of suspending a lekythos as an offering or a prop in a specific theatrical or ritual performance. Here, Aristophanes uses it to suggest that the prologue will be so short or insignificant that there is no 'handle' or 'hook' to which one can attach a substantial offering or elaboration. This construction relies on the audience's familiarity with the physical culture of symposia and ritual offerings, transforming a mundane object into a metaphor for the lack of substance in the upcoming speech. The verb προσάπτω here carries the specific sense of 'to append' or 'to add on' in a way that is physically impossible given the context, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
1226.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-61
Line 1226
The phrase Ἀγήνορος παῖς ('son of Agenor') serves as a periphrastic designation for Cadmus, the founder of Thebes. In the context of the *Frogs*, this allusion is significant: Aristophanes uses this genealogy to evoke the Theban mythological tradition, specifically the lineage that includes the Sphinx and the tragic history of Oedipus. This is not merely a biographical identifier but a deliberate literary allusion to the Theban cycle of myths, which stands in contrast to the Athenian context of the play's action, potentially highlighting the thematic tension between the tragic gravity of the past (represented by Aeschylus) and the contemporary comic present.
1227.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-62
Line 1227
ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνδρῶν ἀποπρίω τὴν λήκυθον,
The phrase ἀποπρίω τὴν λήκυθον is a proverbial idiom literally meaning 'to split the oil flask,' used here as a metaphor for ruining a situation or ruining someone's plans. The verb ἀποπρίω (from πρίω, to split) combined with λήκυθος (a small oil flask) creates a vivid image of domestic disaster, likely alluding to the practical consequence of breaking a valuable oil container in a household economy. In the context of the Frogs, this is a humorous exclamation directed at a character whose actions are perceived as foolishly destructive.
1229.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-63
Line 1229
The verb πρίωμαι is a rare, archaic perfect middle form of πρίω (to buy), used here as a present in meaning. In Attic comedy, Aristophanes often employs such archaic or dialectal forms for metrical convenience or to evoke a specific character voice (here, likely a merchant or someone in a transactional context). The form is attested in the manuscript tradition of this passage, though some editors have emended to a more standard present form, but the textual evidence supports the archaic perfect.
1246.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-64
Line 1246
τὸ ληκύθιον γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς προλόγοισί σου
The phrase ἐπὶ τοῖς προλόγοισί σου employs a specific comedic pun: while the physical object (a lekythos) is being placed 'upon' or 'at the head of' the prologues as a metaphorical capstone or reward, the idiom ἐπὶ τοῖς + dative can also imply 'in addition to' or 'on top of' the preceding arguments, suggesting that the speaker's previous words have been merely a prelude to this final, perhaps absurd, action. Furthermore, the use of the archaic dative plural form προλόγοισί (rather than the later προλόγοις) is a deliberate archaism characteristic of the comic chorus's meter and style, distinguishing the choral voice from the iambic trimeter of the dialogue.
1264.
mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-65
Line 1264
Φθιῶτʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ, τί ποτʼ ἀνδροδάικτον ἀκούων
The vocative 'Φθιῶτ' Ἀχιλλεῦ' addresses Achilles not by his personal name alone but by his patronymic or territorial epithet ('son of the Phthian'), referring to his origin in Phthia (Thessaly). This specific form of address, combining the ethnonym in the vocative with the personal name, functions as a solemn, epic-style invocation typical of the tragic tradition Aristophanes is parodying here. In the context of the play, it is a deliberate mimicry of the opening lines of Euripides' lost tragedy *Bellerophon* (fr. 227 TrGF), where a similar vocative construction is used to summon a hero from the underworld, highlighting the metatheatrical nature of the scene where Dionysus and Xanthias have arrived in Hades.
