Aristophanes Ecclesiazusae 596

Ecclesiazusae. 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)
Ἐκκλησιάζουσαι Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 604 focus
Translations (2)
Ecclesiazusae (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 604 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.) — 604 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

596. mvp-tlg0019-tlg010-sanjaya-com-eng1-17

Line 596

καὶ τῶν πελέθων κοινωνοῦμεν;
The noun πελέθης (pelethēs) is a rare Atticism referring specifically to the 'hollow of the hand' or the 'palm' used to scoop up water or grain, distinct from the more common χείρ (hand) or παλάμη (palm). In this context, Aristophanes employs it in a grotesque metaphor: the women are asking if they will share in the 'pelethēs,' implying they will be allowed to scoop up (and thus control) the public funds or grain, a reference to the absurdity of women managing the state's resources with the same clumsy, scooping motion used for fetching water or serving food. The term's rarity and its specific connotation of a crude, utilitarian action heighten the comedic effect of the women's proposed governance.