Aristophanes Frogs 937

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

Frogs. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

Current edition Experimental

English (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.) — 937 focus
Translations (1)
Frogs (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Matthew Dillon). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 937 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

938. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-38

Line 938

ἃν τοῖσι παραπετάσμασιν τοῖς Μηδικοῖς γράφουσιν·
The adjective Μηδικοῖς ('Median') here describes the παραπέτασμα ('curtain' or 'backdrop'). In the context of Old Comedy staging, this refers to the painted backdrop depicting a Persian setting, a specific theatrical convention that Aristophanes satirizes. The phrase alludes to the practice of using a single, reusable scenic element to denote 'the East' or 'Persia' in plays, a detail that clarifies the specific visual gag regarding the inscription being read.

943. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-39

Line 943

χυλὸν διδοὺς στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν·
The phrase στωμυλμάτων ἀπὸ βιβλίων ἀπηθῶν ('of grumblings from tiresome books') targets a specific cultural phenomenon of the late 5th century: the rise of written collections of 'wise sayings' or gnomic poetry (often attributed to figures like Theognis or Solon) that had become objects of pedantic, repetitive recitation in symposia and schools. Aristophanes satirizes the practice of extracting trivial moralizing from such texts (βιβλίων) to produce empty, grumbling speech (σωμυλμάτων), contrasting the living, spontaneous wit of the stage with the dead, tiresome authority of the written word. The adjective ἀπηθῶν ('tiresome', 'cloying') is particularly sharp here, suggesting that the content is not merely old, but actively repulsive due to overuse, a critique of the intellectual climate that valued rote memorization of written texts over genuine dialectical engagement.

956. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-40

Line 956

λεπτῶν τε κανόνων ἐσβολὰς ἐπῶν τε γωνιασμούς,
The phrase γωνιασμούς (goniasmous) is a rare hapax legomenon (or near-hapax) in Aristophanes, derived from γωνία (corner). Here it is used metaphorically to denote the 'turning points' or 'complex turns' of a poetic line, specifically alluding to the intricate, angular metrical structures or the sharp rhetorical turns of iambic or dactylic verse. The juxtaposition with κανόνων (rules/straight lines) creates a deliberate antithesis between linear regularity and angular complexity, reflecting the contemporary debate between strict metrical regulation and the more flexible, 'crooked' artistry favored by poets like Euripides or the comic poet's own satire of overly technical criticism.

963. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-41

Line 963

Κύκνους ποιῶν καὶ Μέμνονας κωδωνοφαλαροπώλους.
The phrase 'κωδωνοφαλαροπώλους' is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once) in extant Greek literature, coined here by Aristophanes to describe a specific type of charioteer or herald. The compound combines 'κώδων' (bell) and 'φαλαροπώλης' (seller of patches or, more broadly, a peddler of trinkets), creating a grotesque image of a noisy, huckster-like figure. This neologism serves the play's central theme of poetic competition by satirizing the pretensions of contemporary poets (specifically Aeschylus) who are accused of filling their works with bombastic, meaningless, or overly ornate language, reducing their grand figures like Memnon to mere bell-ringing peddlers.

970. mvp-tlg0019-tlg009-sanjaya-com-eng1-42

Line 970

πέπτωκεν ἔξω τῶν κακῶν, οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος.
The phrase 'οὐ Χῖος ἀλλὰ Κεῖος' relies on a specific pun regarding the reputation of wines from the two islands. In the context of the play, where Dionysus is comparing the quality of wine, the 'Chian' wine was proverbial for being strong and potentially adulterated (mixed with seawater or other substances to increase volume), whereas 'Keian' wine was often associated with being sweeter but perhaps less robust or simply distinct in character. The syntax here functions as a contrastive identification of the wine's origin, implying a qualitative judgment based on these regional stereotypes. The humor derives from the expectation that Dionysus, having 'fallen out of the evils' (presumably the 'evil' of thirst or poor wine), has now encountered a specific type of wine, and the distinction between the two islands is the punchline of the scene's satire on wine quality.