Aristophanes Wealth 296

ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.

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Wealth. Aristophanes. ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.. New York. 1938.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

Wealth (OCR draft) (English) (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Πλοῦτος Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.) — 296 focus
Translations (1)
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.) — 296 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

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καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ βουλήσομαι θρεττανελὸ τὸν Κύκλωπα
The compound verb θρεττανελὸ is a unique Aristophanic coinage (hapax legomenon) formed from θρέττω (to rear/nourish) and ἀνέλω (to take up/destroy), creating a semantic tension between nurturing and consuming. While the exact etymology of the first element remains debated—some suggesting a connection to θρέμω (to feed) while others propose a dialectal or onomatopoeic origin—the verb functions here as a grotesque hyperbole, depicting the Cyclops not merely as a predator, but as one who rears his victims before devouring them. This lexical innovation exemplifies the comic poet's tendency to forge new compounds to achieve a specific, visceral comic effect that standard vocabulary could not sustain.

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ἡμεῖς δέ γʼ αὖ ζητήσομεν θρεττανελὸ τὸν Κύκλωπα
The word θρεττανελὸ is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanic comedy, a compound noun formed from θρέττω (nurse) and ἀνελὼν (one who has lifted up), referring to a specific type of nurse who also acts as a midwife or caretaker of infants. In this context, the speaker uses it as a metaphorical epithet for the Cyclops, suggesting a grotesque inversion of the nurturing role, as the Cyclops is here being cast in the position of a 'nurse-lifter' who has been found and is now being sought. This neologism is a hallmark of Aristophanic comic invention, blending domestic vocabulary with mythological grotesquerie to create a unique and humorous image.