Aristophanes Frogs 1216

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

Frogs. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (English) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Βάτραχοι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 1206 focus
Translations (2)
Frogs (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Matthew Dillon). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 1206 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.) — 1206 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

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.