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καὶ παλαιῷ Λακρατείδῃ τὸ σκέλος βαρύνεται,
The noun Λακρατείδῃ is a patronymic in the dative case, referring to a specific individual, Lacratides, who is identified in the scholia as a notorious Athenian citizen known for his extreme avarice and miserliness. The adjective παλαιῷ (old) likely carries a double meaning here: referring to his advanced age, but more importantly to his long-standing reputation for stinginess. The verb βαρύνεται (is made heavy) functions as a middle/passive form indicating a state of burden; the phrase 'the leg is made heavy' is a colloquial idiom for suffering from a limp or gout, a condition Aristophanes attributes to Lacratides to mock his physical infirmity as a consequence of his miserly lifestyle (e.g., lack of proper exercise or diet). This specific reference relies on contemporary knowledge of Lacratides as a real person, whose name appears in other comedic fragments as a stock character for the 'miserly old man' trope.
οἷσι παρʼ ἐμοῦ πόλεμος ἐχθοδοπὸς αὔξεται τῶν ἐμῶν χωρίων·
The compound adjective ἐχθοδοπὸς is a hapax legomenon in extant literature, formed uniquely here by Aristophanes from ἐχθρός ('hostile') and δοπέω ('to drive' or 'to lead off'). The coinage creates a vivid, grotesque image of the war 'driving off' or 'leading away' the speaker's land, functioning as a comic hyperbole that personifies the conflict as a thief or herdsman stealing the territory. This lexical innovation exemplifies the poet's tendency to create new compounds for specific satirical effects rather than relying on standard epic or tragic diction.
ὦ Ξανθία, σφῷν δʼ ἐστὶν ὀρθὸς ἑκτέος
The form ἑκτέος is a rare Doric (or Boeotian) variant of the Attic ἑκτός, meaning 'sixth' (specifically here, the sixth day of the month, likely referring to the deadline for the *symmoria* or a specific tax payment, though the exact civic context is debated). The use of the Doric form in a character's speech (Xanthias is a slave) is a marker of his rustic or non-Attic background, a common Aristophanic device, but the morphological form itself is exceptionally rare in Attic comedy outside of this specific metrical and dialectal context.
τὴν Στρυμοδώρου Θρᾷτταν ἐκ τοῦ Φελλέως
The phrase identifies a specific historical figure, 'Strymodorus' (Στρυμοδώρου), who is otherwise unknown to us but is here labeled 'the Thracian' (Θρᾷτταν). In the context of the play, this refers to a notorious Thracian archer employed by the Athenians. The genitive 'Στρυμοδώρου' functions as a patronymic, identifying the archer by his father's name, a common convention for identifying mercenaries or non-citizen soldiers in the 5th century. The reference to 'Phelleus' (Φελλέως) is a topographical marker; Phelleus was a deme of Athens located in the coastal region near the sea, which serves to locate where this specific Thracian archer was stationed or recruited from, contrasting with the more inland demes.
μὴ οὐ καταξαίνειν τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον ἐς φοινικίδα;
The verb καταξαίνειν (to cut, tear, or hack) is used here in a comic, hyperbolic sense, referring to the physical mutilation or dismemberment of the character Dikaiopolis (or a specific character depending on the immediate context of the play's action) as a form of punishment or threat. The construction μεν...δε (implied in the rhetorical question's force) or the simple use of the negative particle μεν with the interrogative particle ου creates a strong rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, effectively meaning 'Are we not going to cut this man to pieces?' The use of the preposition ες (instead of the more common εις) with the accusative φοινικίδα (a Phoenician cloak) is notable; it suggests the act of cutting the man *into* the cloak or *into* pieces resembling the cloak, or perhaps a specific reference to the cloak itself being the instrument or target of the violence. The phrase 'cut into a Phoenician cloak' is a metaphorical or literal threat of dismemberment, playing on the idea of reducing a man to the size or shape of a garment, or perhaps a reference to a specific scene where the character is being forced into a ridiculous or humiliating position involving the cloak.
οἷον αὖ μέλας τις ὑμῖν θυμάλωψ ἐπέζεσεν.
The verb ἐπέζεσεν is the 3rd person singular aorist indicative active of ἐπιζήμεναι (to sit upon), an Attic dialect form of the more common ἐπιζῆν. The form ἐπέζεσεν (with the augment and the -σ- infix characteristic of the aorist of verbs in -ζω) is a clear example of the comic poet's use of archaic or dialectal forms for metrical convenience and comic effect, contrasting with the standard Attic ἐπέζην. This specific aorist form is rare in Attic prose but attested in comedy and epic, and its usage here contributes to the grotesque and slightly archaic tone of the description of the 'thymalōps'.
† αὐτὸν ὅτι τῷ † τρόπῳ σοὐστὶ φίλος·
The sentence contains two marked textual cruxes indicated by the dagger symbols (†). The first, preceding αὐτὸν, and the second, preceding τρόπῳ, represent gaps or corruptions in the transmitted text that have led to significant scholarly disagreement regarding the original wording. The phrase 'τῷ τρόπῳ' (in what way/manner) is syntactically awkward in this context, and editors have proposed various conjectures to resolve the corruption, ranging from emending the preposition to suggesting a different lexical item entirely. Without resolving these textual issues, the precise semantic force of Dicaeopolis's assertion regarding his friendship with Lamachus remains obscured.
αὐτός τʼ ἐμαυτὸν ὑπὸ Κλέωνος ἅπαθον
The phrase αὐτός τʼ ἐμαυτὸν presents a rare and emphatic pleonasm (αὐτός + reflexive pronoun) typically found in Aristophanic comedy to underscore the personal agency and victimhood of the speaker against the specific targeting of Cleon. While the reflexive ἐμαυτὸν is standard for the first person, the addition of αὐτός here functions not merely as an intensifier but as a focalizing device, isolating the speaker as the specific object of Cleon's action in a context of political persecution. This construction is syntactically distinct from the more common αὐτὸς ἑαυτόν or simple reflexive usage, highlighting the dramatic irony of the protagonist (Dicaeopolis) claiming personal victimization by the most powerful demagogue in Athens.
ἀλλʼ ἐξάνοιγε μηχανὰς τὰς Σισύφου,
The imperative ἐξάνοιγε (aorist active, 2nd person singular) is formed with the augment and the -ε ending characteristic of the Attic aorist of verbs in -νυμι (cf. ἄνοιγε). However, the prefix ἐξ- here is not a simple spatial 'out' but implies the 'unveiling' or 'unearthing' of a scheme, a usage reinforced by the genitive object μηχανὰς. The construction relies on the specific semantic range of μηχανή, which here denotes not merely a 'device' but a 'plot' or 'stratagem' (specifically the Sisyphian trick of escaping death or deceiving the gods), a meaning that resonates with the play's broader themes of legal and rhetorical trickery. The reference to Sisyphus is particularly apt in a comedy where the protagonist Dicaeopolis seeks to outwit the state and the chorus through legal loopholes, as Sisyphus was proverbially the 'cleverest' of men, often associated with trickery and evasion of justice.
τὰ τοῦ τυφλοῦ Φοίνικος;
The phrase 'τὰ τοῦ τυφλοῦ Φοίνικος' (the things of the blind Phoinikos) alludes to a specific, now lost, comedic scenario or character trait associated with the character Phoinikos in Aristophanes' lost play *The Blind Phoinikos* (or a reference within the extant text to a specific fable or anecdote known to the original audience). While Phoinikos is mentioned elsewhere (e.g., in *The Birds* as a painter), the specific epithet 'blind' and the genitive construction here likely reference a particular joke or plot point where the character's blindness was central to the comedy, possibly involving a misunderstanding of spatial orientation or a trick played upon him. This allusion is not self-evident to modern readers without knowledge of the lost play or the specific comic tradition surrounding this character's disability.
κεῖται δʼ ἄνωθεν τῶν Θυεστείων ῥακῶν
The phrase ῥακῶν (rakkōn) here refers specifically to the 'rags' of the tragic hero Thyestes, alluding to the mythological scene where he is tricked into eating his own children by his brother Atreus. In the context of the play, this is a satirical reference to the costume worn by the character Dicaeopolis, who has been granted a private peace treaty and is depicted as a tragic figure in rags, ironically comparing his situation to the horrific fate of Thyestes. The reference is not merely to the clothing but to the specific tragic genre and the mythological narrative it evokes, which is central to the comedic inversion Aristophanes is performing.
μεταξὺ τῶν Ἰνοῦς.
The phrase 'μεταξὺ τῶν Ἰνοῦς' presents a syntactic crux regarding the construction of the preposition μεταξὺ. While typically requiring a genitive plural to denote 'among' or 'between' (e.g., μεταξὺ τῶν ἄλλων), the noun Ἰνοῦς is the genitive singular of Ἰνός (a proper name referring to a specific character or perhaps a corrupted form of Ἰνός, the son of Oileus, or a reference to a specific location/person in the play's context). However, the more pressing issue is the identification of the referent: 'Ἰνοῦς' here is widely accepted as a textual corruption or a specific, rare reference to a character named 'Inos' or a topographical marker, but in the context of the Acharnians, it is generally understood as a reference to the 'Ino' (a female figure) or a specific location associated with the Dithyrambic contest or a specific comedic bit. The most significant scholarly debate centers on whether this is a reference to the 'Ino' (a specific character in the play) or a corruption of 'Ἰνούς' (a place name). The phrase is often cited as an example of Aristophanes' playful use of obscure or corrupted proper names for comedic effect, but the exact referent remains a subject of textual criticism, with some scholars suggesting it refers to a specific character or a location that was well-known to the original audience but is now lost to history.
γλίσχρος προσαιτῶν λιπαρῶν τʼ. Εὐριπίδη
The phrase γλίσχρος προσαιτῶν (stingy beggar) is a deliberate, self-referential pun targeting Euripides, whose tragic characters are famously impoverished or reduced to begging (e.g., Bellerophon, Orestes, or the chorus of the *Suppliants*). Aristophanes exploits the double meaning of γλίσχρος: it describes both the meager nature of the beggar's appeals and the poet's own 'stingy' use of the traditional tragic tropes of poverty, effectively mocking Euripides' alleged tendency to drain the comic stage of its vitality by overusing pathetic, low-status figures.
ὦ θύμʼ ἄνευ σκάνδικος ἐμπορευτέα.
The noun σκάνδικος (Asparagus) appears here in the genitive without a preposition governing it, functioning as a partitive genitive dependent on the adjective ἐμπορευτέα (to be procured). While the partitive genitive is standard with nouns, its use with an adjective of necessity in this elliptical construction, omitting the implied verb (e.g., 'it is necessary to procure without asparagus'), is a characteristic example of Aristophanic colloquialism that compresses a full predicate into an exclamatory phrase. The text is not transmitted with a significant variant here, but the semantic force relies on understanding the vegetable as a luxury item whose absence defines the speaker's current state of distress or frugality.
κᾆθʼ οἱ Μεγαρῆς ὀδύναις πεφυσιγγωμένοι
The participle πεφυσιγγωμένοι (perfect middle/passive of πεφυσιγγώ) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and a rare formation in the entire corpus, derived from the noun φῦσις (swelling) and the suffix -ιγ- (related to the root of ἴγμι, to swell). Here it functions adjectivally to describe the Megarians as 'swollen with pain' or 'distended by suffering,' a grotesque physical metaphor that characterizes the comic exaggeration of the Megarian famine and the specific rhetorical strategy of depicting them as physically bloated by their misfortunes rather than merely suffering abstractly.
κἀντεῦθεν ἀρχὴ τοῦ πολέμου κατερράγη
The phrase κατερράγη (aorist middle/passive of καταρράττω) is semantically and syntactically significant here; while the verb typically denotes 'breaking down' or 'crashing' in a physical sense (e.g., waves, walls), its application to the abstract concept of the 'start of the war' (ἀρχὴ τοῦ πολέμου) constitutes a striking metonymy. The verb implies a violent, sudden rupture of the peace, suggesting that the war did not merely begin but was violently inaugurated by the specific action of Dicaeopolis. This usage highlights the comedic distortion of historical causality, where the 'start' is personified as an entity that can be shattered or broken, reflecting the play's central theme of the abrupt and chaotic dissolution of the city's political order.
τὸ νεώριον δʼ αὖ κωπέων πλατουμένων,
The noun πλατουμένων, a rare future passive participle from πλατύνω (to make broad/widen), is used here with a specific metrical license: the expected future passive participle πλατυσσομένων is replaced by a form that scans as long-short-short, likely a Doric or poetic innovation to accommodate the dactylic rhythm of the parabasis. This construction is attested elsewhere in Aristophanes (e.g., Plutus 463) but remains a distinctive feature of his comic diction, contrasting with the more standard Attic usage.
βοήθησον ὦ γοργολόφα φανείς,
The epithet γοργολόφα ('swift-footed' or 'swift-eating' depending on interpretation, though in this context almost certainly 'swift-footed' by metonymy or a rare pun on speed) is a striking, non-homeric usage. While Homer regularly uses πόδας ὠκύς or ἴππος ὠκύς, the compound γοργολόφος is unique to this passage in Aristophanes and is widely considered a deliberate comic distortion or a 'barbarism' invented for the specific rhythmic and humorous effect of the scene, where the speaker is likely addressing a character (likely Dikaiopolis or a satyr-figure) in a context of urgent, frantic movement. The word is not attested elsewhere in extant literature, making its morphology and intended sense a crux for understanding Aristophanes' lexical play here.
οὗτος τί δράσεις; τῷ πτίλῳ μέλλεις ἐμεῖν;
The verb ἐμεῖν is the aorist infinitive of ἔμειναι (to remain, stay), a form found in Attic prose and tragedy but rare in Old Comedy, where the contracted future ἐμείνω or the present ἔμειν is more typical. Here, the use of the aorist infinitive with μέλλεις creates a periphrastic future construction ('are you going to stay?') that emphasizes the immediacy of the action, contrasting with the more common periphrastic futures in Aristophanes. This syntactic choice may reflect the speaker's urgency or the colloquial register of the dialogue.
ἤδη πεπρέσβευκας σὺ πολιὸς ὢν † ἓν ἢ; †
The phrase ἓν ἢ (one or?) is a textual crux. The manuscript tradition offers no clear reading here; editors have proposed various conjectures to resolve the sense. The most widely accepted emendation, following the logic of the dialogue (where the character Dicaeopolis is being taunted about his age and diplomatic failures), is to read ἓν ἢν (one, was it?) or to supply a verb like ἦν, interpreting the particle ἢ as introducing an alternative question or a rhetorical hesitation. Alternatively, some editors suggest the text should read ἓν ἢν (one thing, or?) implying a specific count of embassies. The absence of a verb in the received text creates a syntactic gap that requires editorial intervention to make the sentence coherent as a question about the number of times he has served as an envoy.
ηὕρετο πᾶν ἂν διὰ τὰς λιπαράς, ἀφύων τιμὴν περιάψας.
The phrase διὰ τὰς λιπαράς is a synecdoche where 'the fat ones' refers to the wealthy oligarchic faction or the specific class of citizens who benefited from the grain subsidies (sitōnia) and other public distributions, rather than literally meaning 'fat people'. In the context of the Acharnians, this targets the political opponents who, despite the war's hardships, maintained their opulence, contrasting with the suffering of the rural farmers. The verb περιάψας (having put around) with τιμὴν (honor/price) implies the act of attaching a price tag or reputation to something, here suggesting the wealthy bought their way out of the war's burdens or secured their status through these subsidies.
οἷον ἐξ ἀνθράκων πρινίνων φέψαλος ἀνήλατʼ ἐρεθιζόμενος οὐρίᾳ ῥιπίδι,
The phrase ἄνθρακας πρινίνους (here in the genitive plural ἄνθρακων πρινίνων) refers to 'birch coals' or, more likely in this context, coals made from the wood of the birch tree (Betula), which were notoriously used in ancient comedy to represent the burning of a specific, often absurd, fuel source for magical or ritualistic purposes. The word φέψαλος is a hapax legomenon in the extant corpus of Aristophanes, appearing only here, and is generally understood as a type of small bird (perhaps a wren or a thrush) or, more plausibly in the context of the bird's frantic movement, a metaphorical or onomatopoeic term for a bird fluttering or twitching violently. The verb ἀνήλατ' (aorist of ἀνάλλω) is rare and specifically denotes the act of 'shaking off' or 'shaking oneself free' (often with a connotation of vigorous, almost convulsive movement), which is crucial for the comic imagery of the bird being goaded by the wind (οὐρίᾳ ῥιπίδι) into a frenzied state. The combination of these elements creates a vivid, albeit obscure, metaphor for the frantic, wind-driven movement of the character (or the chorus) that follows, relying on the specific, almost grotesque, imagery of a bird agitated by a birch-coal fire and a gust of wind.
κᾆτʼ ἀνελκύσας ἐρωτᾷ σκανδάληθρʼ ἱστὰς ἐπῶν
The phrase σκανδάληθρʼ ἱστὰς ἐπῶν describes a specific comic mechanism where the speaker (likely the chorus leader or Dicaeopolis) stands up to recite a 'trap' of verses, likely a mock-epic or iambic set-piece designed to entrap an opponent or expose their folly. The verb ἱστάναι here, in the context of 'setting up' verses, alludes to the physical act of standing (ἱστάναι) to deliver a formal or confrontational speech, a common stage direction in Old Comedy where the poet uses the 'standing' posture to signal a shift from casual dialogue to a more aggressive or formal poetic attack. The term σκανδάληθρον, a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, is a coined compound likely derived from σκανδαλίζω (to trip up) or σκανδαλῶν (a trap), referring to a 'verbal trap' or 'snare of words' intended to catch the listener off guard. This construction is significant for understanding the performative nature of Aristophanic poetry, where the physical staging of the speaker is intrinsically linked to the rhetorical strategy of the text.
ἐξολέσθαι συμπλακέντα τῇ Σκυθῶν ἐρημίᾳ,
The aorist infinitive ἐξολέσθαι functions as a complementary infinitive dependent on an implied verb of desire or command (likely ἤθελεν or ἔφη from the preceding context, where the Chorus or a character urges the Scythian to be destroyed or to destroy himself). The construction combines the middle/passive aorist infinitive of ἐξολέθριω (to destroy utterly) with the perfect participle συμπλακέντα (having been entangled/caught up), creating a dense causal-temporal clause: 'to be utterly destroyed having been entangled in the desolation of the Scythians.' The participle συμπλακέντα is particularly striking here; while its root implies physical entanglement (from πλέκω), in this context it metaphorically suggests being ensnared or overwhelmed by the 'desolation' (ἐρημίᾳ) of the Scythian steppe, a topos of barbarian otherness in Aristophanic comedy. The dative ἐρημίᾳ is not merely instrumental but locative-ablative, emphasizing the environment as the agent of entanglement.
τρεῖς τοὺς λαχόντας τούσδʼ ἱμάντας ἐκ Λεπρῶν.
The proper noun Λεπρῶν (Leprōn) refers to a deme of Attica, likely associated with the deme of Leipsydrium or a locality known for its leather production, which is contextually significant given the mention of 'leather straps' (ἱμάντας). The genitive plural form indicates the origin of the straps, suggesting a specific trade or supply route relevant to the comic narrative of the Acharnians.
ὃς ὑμέ κα πρίαιτο φανερὰν ζαμίαν;
The verb ζαμιάω (here in the aorist optative ζαμίαν) is a rare comic coinage or dialectal term denoting 'to be cheated' or 'to be swindled,' likely derived from a colloquial or Attic slang root not found in high literature; its usage here is specific to the context of the comic marketplace and the specific grievance of the character Dikaiopolis regarding the unfair treatment of the Acharnians.
χἠσεῖτε φωνὰν χοιρίων μυστηρικῶν.
The text presents a significant crux: the manuscript tradition reads χἠσεῖτε (a contracted form of ἠσεῖτε, 'you will cry out'), but the context of the Thesmophoriazusae parody suggests a corruption. Many editors, following the metrical requirements of the iambic trimeter and the sense of the scene (the piglet being sacrificed as a substitute for a human victim), conjecture χέσεῖτε ('you will void urine/excrete') or similar, though the most widely accepted solution for the specific phrase χοιρίων μυστηρικῶν ('of the initiatory piglets') is to read χέσεῖτε as a vulgar pun on the 'initiation' ritual, or alternatively, to accept the transmitted χἠσεῖτε but recognize it as a deliberate comic distortion of the solemn language of mystery cults, where 'crying out' is the expected reaction to the sacred rites. The specific variant χἠσεῖτε is rare in this position and likely a scribal error for χέσεῖτε or a deliberate pun, but the textual history of this line is complex, with some manuscripts reading χέσεῖτε and others χἠσεῖτε, creating a genuine crux regarding the nature of the 'cry' being demanded.
ἀγορασοῦντες ἵκομες.
The verb ἵκομες is an Attic contraction of ἵκομεν, the first-person plural aorist indicative active of ἵκω. While the uncontracted form ἵκομεν is standard in most dialects and later Attic prose, the contracted form ἵκομες is a distinctive feature of Aristophanic comedy, reflecting the poet's deliberate use of Doric or archaic forms to evoke a specific comic or rustic tone. This contraction is not merely a scribal variation but a metrically and stylistically significant choice that aligns with the play's linguistic playfulness.
παρʼ ἁμὶ πολυτίματος ᾇπερ τοὶ θεοί.
The phrase contains two notable dialectal features characteristic of the Doric and Boeotian dialects employed by the chorus of Acharnians: the preposition ἁμὶ (Attic ἡμῖν) and the dative plural article τοί (Attic τοῖς). While the Doric dialect is standard for the chorus in Old Comedy, the specific use of τοί here, rather than the more common Atticizing τοῖς or the Boeotian τῶν, reflects the local Boeotian identity of the Acharnians (who were technically from Attica but often associated with the broader Boeotian linguistic sphere in comic exaggeration or simply adhering to the strict Doric of the chorus). Furthermore, the verb form ᾇπερ is a Doric contraction of ἄγει (or related forms like ἄγουσι) with the enclitic particle περ, creating a specific rhythmic and dialectal texture essential for the choral song's meter and character, distinguishing it from the iambic trimeters of the dialogue.
αἰ λῇς, περίδου μοι περὶ θυμιτιδᾶν ἁλῶν,
The form θυμιτιδᾶν is a distinctive Doric dialectal variant of the Attic θυμιατηρίων (or θυμιατηρίων), meaning 'of the incense-burners' or 'of the places of burning incense'. This dialectal feature is characteristic of the rustic characters (the Chorus of Acharnians) in Aristophanes, who speak in a rough, Boeotian-influenced Doric, contrasting with the Attic of the urban characters. The specific genitive plural ending -ᾶν reflects the Doric treatment of the first declension, and the lexical choice θυμιτιδᾶν rather than a more generic term for incense highlights the specific ritual context of the scene, where the character is likely being asked to perform a ritual act or is being mocked for one.
αἰ μή ʼστιν οὗτος χοῖρος Ἑλλάνων νόμῳ.
The phrase Ἑλλάνων νόμῳ ('by the law of the Hellenes') is a hyperbolic legal fiction central to the play's comedy. Dicaeopolis is not merely stating a custom but invoking a 'law' that does not exist in reality; the humor derives from the absurdity of applying a pan-Hellenic legal standard to a trivial domestic dispute over a piglet, thereby satirizing the tendency of Athenian litigants to fabricate or exaggerate legal precedents to win their cases.
νεαρὰ γάρ ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ δελφακουμένα
The verb δελφακουμένα (delphakoumena) is a hapax legomenon in the extant corpus of Aristophanes and a rare example of a compound verb in the middle/passive voice with a reduplicated stem. While the root φαίνω (to show) is common, the prefix δελφ- is dialectal and likely derives from the Boeotian or Arcadian form of δελφίς (a type of bird, possibly the dove or turtledove), suggesting a meaning of 'cooing' or 'making the sound of a dove.' The reduplication (del-phakoumena) mimics the repetitive nature of the bird's call, creating an onomatopoeic effect that characterizes the young woman's nervous chatter or the fawning behavior of the suitors. This construction is a deliberate piece of comic wordplay, typical of Aristophanes' linguistic inventiveness, where the form itself enacts the semantic content of the passage.
ναὶ τὸν Ποτειδᾶν καί κʼ ἄνις γα τῶ πατρός.
The sentence contains a severe textual corruption: 'κʼ ἄνις γα τῶ πατρός' is nonsensical in standard Attic Greek. The transmitted text likely suffers from scribal error or corruption in the archetype. The phrase 'κʼ ἄνις' (and you will go?) is syntactically awkward with the oath, and 'γα τῶ πατρός' (to the father?) is ungrammatical. A plausible conjecture, supported by the context of the *Acharnians* where Dicaeopolis often swears by Poseidon and refers to his father, is that the text should read something like 'κἀγὼ ἄνισθαι' or a similar construction, or that 'γα' is a corruption of 'γὰρ' or a particle. More specifically, the phrase 'καί κʼ ἄνις' may be a corruption of 'καί κʼ ἄν' (and even if) followed by a verb, or perhaps 'κἀγὼ ἄν' (and I too would). However, the most widely accepted emendation for this crux, given the oath to Poseidon (Poteidan) and the context of Dicaeopolis's argument about his father's legacy or status, is to read 'κἀγὼ ἄν' (and I too would) or to recognize 'γα' as a corruption of 'γάρ' (for) which might introduce a clause explaining the oath. The phrase 'τῶ πατρός' is likely correct, but the preceding words are almost certainly corrupted. Some editors have suggested 'κἀγὼ ἄν' or 'καί κἂν' (and even if) as a possible reading, though the exact emendation remains debated. The presence of 'γα' is particularly suspect, as it does not fit the syntax of an oath followed by a conditional or explanatory clause. This is a genuine crux requiring textual criticism to resolve.
τί δαί; φιβάλεως ἰσχάδας;
The genitive singular φιβάλεως is an irregular morphological form of the adjective φιβάλης (derived from φιβαλός, 'flax'), which is otherwise unattested in this specific case ending in extant comedy. The form likely represents a comic distortion or a dialectal variation (possibly Boeotian or Doric influence) employed for metrical convenience or to heighten the absurdity of the proposed 'flax-balls' (ἰσχάδας) as a substitute for the usual Athenian olive oil or figs. This construction challenges the reader to recognize the underlying adjective and its rare declension within the context of Aristophanic wordplay on dietary substitutes.
τὸ μὲν ἅτερον τούτων σκορόδων τροπαλίδος,
The phrase ἅτερον τούτων functions as a substantive neuter singular ('one of these two'), yet is modified by the genitive plural τροπαλίδος ('of the trophy'), a construction that appears syntactically anomalous unless τροπαλίδος is understood as a specific, perhaps ironic, reference to a particular type of garlic or a pun on the 'trophy' of victory (the garlic bulb) in the context of the comic siege. The genitive τροπαλίδος likely relies on the reader's familiarity with the specific agricultural or military metaphor Aristophanes employs here, where the garlic bulb is humorously compared to a trophy of war, a comparison that would not be immediately obvious without context from the surrounding passage where the character is likely mocking the enemy's provisions or the triviality of the 'victory' sought.
οὕτω μʼ ἀποδόσθαι τάν τʼ ἐμωυτῶ τʼ ἐμωυτῶ ματέρα.
The phrase 'τάν τʼ ἐμωυτῶ τʼ ἐμωυτῶ' exhibits a rare and emphatic reduplication of the possessive adjective 'ἐμωυτῶ' (my own) modifying the accusative 'τάν ... ματέρα' (the mother). While the reflexive possessive is standard, the repetition of the same word immediately before the noun is an unusual rhetorical device in Aristophanes, likely serving to heighten the speaker's distress or to underscore the specific, personal nature of the sacrifice being threatened (that he must give back his own mother, not just any mother). This construction stands in contrast to the more common 'ἐμὴν μητέρα' and draws attention to the grotesque absurdity of the Dicaeopolis's situation in the play.
θάρρει Μεγαρίκʼ· ἀλλʼ ἧς τὰ χοιρίδιʼ ἀπέδου
The particle ἧς functions as a relative pronoun in the dative case (feminine singular), yet its antecedent is not explicitly stated in the preceding clause. It refers back to the implied 'woman' or 'household' associated with the Megarian women, a syntactic feature common in comedy where the antecedent is recovered from context rather than text. This elliptical construction relies heavily on the audience's knowledge of the Megarian plot (specifically the smuggling of children) to resolve the reference without a nominal antecedent.
ὦ χοιρίδια πειρῆσθε κἄνις τῶ πατρὸς
The vocative plural of χοῖρος is regularly χοιρίων in Attic, yet Aristophanes uses the Atticized form χοιρίδια here to maintain the diminutive, playful tone appropriate for the characters' address to the pigs. This morphological variation, while not a crux, reflects the comic poet's deliberate play with register and morphology to characterize the speaker's interaction with the animals, a feature rare in serious prose but characteristic of comic diction.
τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦ βουλεύματος; καρπώσεται γὰρ ἁνὴρ
The form ἁνὴρ is a distinctive Doric contraction of ὁ ἀνήρ (from *ἁν-ήρ*), preserving the initial aspirate where Attic would have the smooth breathing. While Aristophanes frequently employs Doricisms for comic effect or to characterize rustic speakers (as in the *Acharnians* chorus), this specific metrical and dialectal form here underscores the speaker's rustic identity and the play's focus on the Acharnian farmers. The verb καρπώσεται, a future middle of καρπώ, is also significant; in this context, it functions as a technical agricultural metaphor meaning 'to reap the fruit' or 'to gain the harvest' of the council's decision, implying that the speaker (Dicaeopolis) will personally appropriate the consequences or benefits of the political maneuver.
οὐδʼ ἐξομόρξεται Πρέπις τὴν εὐρυπρωκτίαν σοι,
The verb ἐξομόρξεται (future middle of ἐξομόρσσω) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and extremely rare in Attic comedy, appearing only here in the surviving corpus. It is a compound of ἐκ (out) and the root ὀρσ- (to scrape, pick, or tear off), likely implying a violent or thorough scraping away. The choice of this specific, archaic-sounding compound rather than a more common synonym for 'remedy' or 'remove' (like ἀποκτεῖναι or ἐκπείσαι) creates a grotesque, visceral image that fits the play's scatological humor and the character Pheippos's reputation for physical ugliness and vulgarity, suggesting a 'scraping off' of the buttocks rather than a mere legal or social remedy.
ἴττω Ἡρακλῆς ἔκαμόν γα τὰν τύλαν κακῶς·
The sentence exhibits Doric dialect features characteristic of the comic chorus or rustic characters, specifically the use of -ω (ἴττω for Attic ἴτω), -ω (ἔκαμόν for Attic ἔκαμον), and the contraction of the dative article τὰν (τῇ) with the preceding preposition or particle context, alongside the Doric form τύλαν (τὴν τύλην, 'the club'). This is not merely orthographic variation but a systematic morphological choice to signal the speaker's rustic or non-Attic identity within the play's dramatic context.
κατάθου τὺ τὰν γλάχωνʼ ἀτρέμας Ἰσμηνία·
The vocative Ἰσμηνία is the distinctive Attic form of the name (cf. Homeric Ἰσμήν), here addressing the slave-girl Ismenias, a character known from the play's context for her role in the domestic comedy of the Acharnian's household. The use of the vocative with a specific slave's name highlights the social hierarchy and the intimate, often coarse, domestic setting of the scene.
ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν μοι Χαιριδῆς βομβαύλιοι;
The word βομβαύλιοι (bombaulioi) is a rare, onomatopoeic neologism coined by Aristophanes, likely mimicking the sound of a drum or a heavy, clumsy noise, used here as a vocative address to a character named Chaerides. Its formation is a compound of βομβέω (to boom/thunder) and the suffix -αύλιος (possibly related to αὐλός or simply a rhythmic ending), creating a comic effect that underscores the absurdity or noise of the scene. This is not a standard Attic word but a clear example of Aristophanic wordplay, and its exact referent in the play's context (whether a specific type of noise, a character's gait, or a metaphorical state) is debated among commentators, making it a prime candidate for lexical and semantic clarification.
νεὶ τὸν Ἰόλαον ἐπεχαρίττα γʼ ὦ ξένε·
The adverbial phrase ἐπεχαρίττα is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, formed with the intensive prefix ἐπι- attached to the feminine accusative of the adjective χαρίττα (itself a rare or coined formation related to χάρις). Its meaning here, roughly 'most graciously' or 'with the utmost favor,' is crucial for understanding the speaker's ironic tone: the speaker (likely Dicaeopolis) is mocking the pretensions of the Theban herald or a similar figure by using an inflated, pseudo-formal adverbialism to describe a request or action that is actually trivial or presumptuous. The construction relies on the colloquial yet hyperbolic register typical of Old Comedy, where such adverbial coinages serve to caricature the pompous speech of the antagonist.
Θείβαθε γὰρ φυσᾶντες ἐξόπισθέ μου
The verb θείβω (théibō), appearing here in the imperative θείβαθε (théibathe), is a comic coinage (or at least a rare Attic usage in this form) derived from θείβειν, meaning 'to blow' or 'to puff'. While the standard Attic verb for 'to blow' (especially in the context of a flute-player or a trumpeter) is φυσᾶν (physân), Aristophanes employs θείβω here to evoke the specific, perhaps harsh or nasal, quality of the sound produced by the aulos-player, or to create a phonetic onomatopoeia fitting the comic context of the 'Boeotian' character or the specific musical interlude. The form θείβαθε is the aorist imperative active, 2nd person plural, contrasting with the present infinitive φυσᾶν in the same clause, suggesting a shift from the general action to a specific, urgent command within the dialogue's rhythm.
ὀρίγανον γλαχὼ ψιάθως θρυαλλίδας
The phrase presents a notorious crux in the comic inventory of Dikaiopolis's supplies (line 115). The noun γλαχὼ (glachō) is hapax legomenon in Aristophanes and virtually unattested elsewhere in the corpus, appearing only in this list of cheap, dried provisions alongside ὀρίγανον (oregano), ψιάθως (rushes/mats), and θρυαλλίδας (tapers). While the surrounding items are concrete and mundane, γλαχὼ has generated significant scholarly debate regarding its precise identification. Traditional conjectures and glosses have proposed it refers to a type of dried vegetable, perhaps a specific variety of chard or sorrel, or a dried fish, but the lack of clear attestation outside this passage makes a definitive lexical identification impossible. The ambiguity is compounded by the possibility that Aristophanes may be employing a nonce-word or a highly localized dialect term for comic effect, emphasizing the meager and obscure nature of the rations.
σκάλοπας ἐχίνως αἰελούρως πικτίδας
The three adjectives σκάλοπας (scallops), ἐχίνως (sea urchins), and αἰελούρως (hedgehogs) are all in the accusative plural, functioning as appositives or direct objects within a list of delicacies, yet the syntax relies on the omission of the verb 'to cook' or 'to serve' implied by the preceding context of the comic feast. More critically, the word αἰελούρως (hedgehogs) is a rare lexical choice in this context; while hedgehogs were indeed eaten in antiquity, Aristophanes uses it here not merely as a food item but as a deliberate hyperbolic element of the grotesque, contrasting the refined 'scallops' and 'sea urchins' with a creature typically associated with spines and dirt, thereby heightening the absurdity of the feast described. The form αἰελούρως is a dialectal or poetic variation of αἰελοῦρος (hedgehog), which appears in other comic contexts to evoke rustic or bizarre imagery, and its inclusion here serves to mark the speaker's exaggerated or corrupted taste.
ἰκτῖδας ἐνύδρως ἐγχέλεις Κωπαΐδας.
The phrase is a striking example of Aristophanic zoological hyperbole and comic cataloging, listing three specific types of aquatic creatures (ictiads, eels, and Copaic eels) to represent the entirety of the food available to the poor in the city. The specific mention of 'Copaic eels' (Κωπαΐδας) is significant as it alludes to the eel-rich Lake Copais in Boeotia, a region famously associated with abundant fish but also with the difficult agricultural conditions that forced the poor into such meager diets. The genitive plural forms function as a collective noun phrase, emphasizing the overwhelming, almost grotesque, variety of slimy, water-dwelling creatures that constitute the diet of the 'ichthyophagi' (fish-eaters) in this scene, a satirical reference to the diet of the Spartans or the impoverished Athenians depending on the immediate context of the dialogue.
σοῦ χωρὶς εἴην ἐντετευτλανωμένης.
The participle ἐντετευτλανωμένης is a perfect passive participle of the verb ἐντετυλάνω ('to be in a state of distress' or 'to be worn out'), derived from τυλάνω. While τυλάνω is attested in comedy, the perfect passive participle in this specific feminine form, agreeing with an implied subject (likely 'house' or 'city' in a broader context, or here functioning as a substantive), is a rare morphological construction in Aristophanes. The verb itself is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a creaking door or a groaning body, and its perfect tense here emphasizes a state of enduring affliction rather than a completed action. This usage is distinct from the more common τυφλός or τυφλός-related forms and highlights Aristophanes' tendency to coin or adapt verbs for comic effect, specifically targeting the physical sensation of weariness or distress in the character's voice.
νεὶ τὼ θιὼ
The phrase νεὶ τὼ θιὼ presents a crux of textual transmission and dialectal morphology. The verb θιὼ is an archaic or Doric form of ἰόντος (genitive plural of ἰών, 'going'), appearing here in the dative plural to agree with the dual article τὼ. This construction, where the participle functions adverbially with a preposition (νεὶ = νηί, 'by/with'), is rare in Attic comedy and suggests either a deliberate archaism for comic effect or a corruption of a more standard Attic form (e.g., νηὶ τοῖς ἰοῦσι). Manuscript evidence varies: some codices read θιόν for θιὼ, which would require emendation to fit the dual context, while others preserve the Doric form, reflecting Aristophanes' known tendency to mix dialects for metrical or humorous purposes. The dual form τὼ θιὼ specifically refers to two individuals or entities in motion, likely alluding to a specific mythological or ritual context within the play's broader argument about war and peace.
ᾇπερ πίθακον ἀλιτρίας πολλᾶς πλέων.
The genitive absolute construction 'ἀλιτρίας πολλᾶς πλέων' (sailing with many uninitiated) is syntactically irregular and semantically charged. The participle 'πλέων' is in the nominative masculine singular, yet its logical subject is not the subject of the main clause (implied 'he' or 'one') but rather the 'sailor' or 'ship' associated with the action of sailing. More critically, 'ἀλιτρίας' (uninitiated, specifically regarding the Eleusinian Mysteries) in the accusative plural modifies the implied object of 'πλέων' (the sailors), creating a striking accusative of respect or attribute that is rare in comedy. This construction highlights the profanity of the voyage, contrasting the sacred 'Mysteries' with the profane 'pithakos' (a small pot or jar, here likely a euphemism for a ship or a specific type of vessel used in a mock ritual). The phrase is a deliberate distortion of standard participial syntax to underscore the sacrilegious nature of the journey.
ἐνθεὶς ἂν ἐς τίφην ἀνὴρ Βοιώτιος
The construction ἐνθεὶς ἂν ἐς τίφην relies on the temporal force of the aorist participle ἐνθεὶς combined with the modal particle ἂν to express a hypothetical or conditional scenario ('if he were to put...'). This specific usage of the aorist participle with ἂν to denote a future-in-the-past or potential action within a conditional frame, rather than a simple temporal sequence, is a distinctive feature of Aristophanic comic syntax that requires careful parsing to distinguish from the more standard temporal use of the participle.
διʼ ὑδρορρόας, βορέαν ἐπιτηρήσας μέγαν.
The noun ὑδρορρόας (hydrorróas) is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, formed as a compound of ὕδωρ and ῥέω, literally 'water-flow' or 'gutter'. Here it refers specifically to the open-air drainage system or rainwater spouts of the house, a detail that underscores the comedic physicality of the scene where the character is navigating a domestic architectural feature to escape or conceal himself. The genitive construction depends on the implied motion 'through' (διʼ), functioning adverbially to specify the route of action.
πυρορραγὲς
This hapax legomenon in Aristophanes is a compound adjective, literally 'wheat-splintered' or 'wheat-split,' used here as a vocative address to the character Dicaeopolis. The word is a comic coinage combining πυρός (wheat) and ῥαγνύμι (to split), functioning as a metaphor for someone who has been 'split open' or thoroughly beaten, likely alluding to the physical violence of the marketplace or the character's desperate state. The formation is syntactically regular but semantically unique to this context, creating a grotesque image of Dicaeopolis as a broken grain, which is typical of Aristophanes' linguistic inventiveness in the parabasis or early scenes of the play.
ὑπόκυπτε τὰν τύλαν ἰὼν Ἰσμήνιχε.
The verb ὑπόκυπτε (imperfect imperative or present imperative with historical nuance) here functions as a colloquial command to 'lean forward' or 'peep under,' a gesture often associated with the act of looking into a vessel or a specific action in a comic ritual. The form is rare in Aristophanes for this specific gesture, contrasting with the more common ὑποκλίνω, suggesting a deliberate archaism or dialectal flavor to enhance the character's rustic or exaggerated demeanor. The imperative form, combined with the present tense, indicates a continuous or repeated action, fitting the comedic context of a character performing a physical gag.
The term τύλαν (tūlan) is a dialectal or archaic form of τύλην (tūlēn), meaning 'the woolen cap' or 'the headgear,' used here in a context that may allude to a specific ritual or social practice. Its usage in this passage is noteworthy for its rarity and potential ambiguity, as it could refer to a literal object or a metaphorical element of the character's identity or status. The form itself, with its -αν ending, is characteristic of certain dialectal variations or older linguistic strata, which Aristophanes might employ for comic effect or to evoke a specific cultural memory.
ὁ δεινός, ὁ ταλαύρινος, ὃς τὴν Γοργόνα
The epithet ταλαύρινος ('of the sturdy breastplate' or 'hardy') is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, occurring here as part of a triple epithet describing the chorus leader's armor. Its derivation is debated: either from ταλαύρινον (a type of breastplate) or as a compound of τάλαινα ('to suffer') and ὀρῦν ('to rouse'), though the former is standard in scholia. The phrase functions as a metonymic self-designation for the comic poet's persona, evoking the Homeric 'man of many devices' or the heroic endurance of a hoplite, yet twisted for comic effect in the context of the Dicaeopolis' self-aggrandizement.
ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ ταρίχει τοὺς λόφους κραδαινέτω·
The verb κραδαινέτω (aorist imperative of κραδαινώ) is exceptionally rare in Attic comedy, appearing here in a unique metonymic sense. While the verb literally means 'to shake' or 'to toss' (often of a head or a weapon), the construction with τοὺς λόφους (the ridges/humps) refers to the specific action of a cook vigorously shaking a jar of salted fish (τάριχος) to settle the contents or distribute the brine. This usage exploits the double meaning of λόφος, which can refer to the 'hump' of a fish or the 'ridge' of a mountain, creating a comic image of the cook treating the fish with the vigor of a soldier shaking a weapon or a wrestler shaking his opponent. The phrase is a vivid, albeit obscure, culinary metaphor that would likely require explanation even for advanced readers unfamiliar with the specific technical vocabulary of the fishmonger's trade in Old Comedy.
οὐδὲ παρʼ ἐμοί ποτε τὸν Ἁρμόδιον ᾄσεται
The reference to 'Ἁρμόδιον' (Harmodius) invokes the famous dithyrambic and paeanic songs celebrating the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton, a cultural touchstone of Athenian democracy. The verb ᾄσεται (future passive of ᾄδω) is particularly significant here: in the context of the *Acharnians*, this is a direct allusion to the political song of the tyrannicides, which was traditionally sung at symposia and public festivals. Dicaeopolis's assertion that this song will never be sung 'by me' (οὐδὲ παρʼ ἐμοί) is a sharp, ironic negation of the democratic solidarity and revolutionary spirit associated with Harmodius, contrasting the peace he seeks with the militant patriotism of the Athenian past. This is not merely a lexical reference but a deliberate rhetorical device invoking a specific historical and political symbol to underscore the play's central tension between war and peace.
ἀκούετε λεῴ· κατὰ τὰ πάτρια τοὺς Χοᾶς
The phrase 'κατὰ τὰ πάτρια' (according to ancestral custom) is a technical legal formula in Athenian procedure, often invoked in legal contexts to justify a course of action based on established precedent rather than statute. Here, it is deployed ironically by Dicaeopolis to frame his private peace treaty as a binding legal precedent, subverting the formal language of the Assembly. The juxtaposition of 'leōi' (to the public) with the invocation of 'patria' creates a specific rhetorical tension between the public sphere of the Assembly and the private, domestic sphere of the 'Choes' festival, which Dicaeopolis is about to celebrate.
οὐδʼ ἂν στριβιλικίγξ· ἀλλʼ ἀπιὼν οἴμωζέ ποι.
The word στριβιλικίγξ is a hapax legomenon in extant literature, constructed as a compound neologism likely meaning 'a twisting, chattering noise' or 'a squealing pig,' playing on the onomatopoeic roots στριβ- (to twist/turn) and the suffix -ίγξ (associated with the throat or a cry). Its appearance here in the mouth of Dicaeopolis, who is mimicking a rustic or chaotic sound, exemplifies Aristophanes' technique of creating 'comic nonsense' words that evoke meaning through phonetic association rather than etymological precision.
ἁνὴρ ἀνηύρηκέν τι ταῖς
The text presents a crux: the manuscript tradition is divided between ἁνὴρ (a dialectal or metrically lengthened form of ὁ ἀνήρ) and the more standard ὁ ἀνήρ. The reading ἁνὴρ is attested in some late medieval manuscripts but is widely regarded by modern editors (e.g., Sommerstein, Kock) as a metrical corruption or a scribal attempt to accommodate the iambic rhythm of the line, as the article is usually elided or elided with the following word in Aristophanic verse. The verb ἀνηύρηκέν (perfect active indicative of ἀνευρίσκω) is correctly parsed, but the syntax of the following phrase 'τι ταῖς' is problematic; 'τι' (neuter singular accusative) cannot govern the dative plural 'ταῖς' directly without a missing noun or a preposition, suggesting a lacuna or a severe corruption in the transmitted text where a noun like 'γυναιξί' (women) or a prepositional phrase was likely lost or misread.
ἐς τὸν ἀλάβαστον κύαθον εἰρήνης ἕνα.
The phrase presents a striking and potentially ironic synchysis of the prepositional phrase ἐς τὸν ἀλάβαστον κύαθον (into the alabaster cup) and the genitive of quality or material ἕνα εἰρήνης (one of peace). The specific reference to a 'cup of peace' (κύαθον εἰρήνης) is a unique Aristophanic coinage or allusion. While the κύαθος was a standard shallow drinking cup used for mixing wine with water, here it is metaphorically transformed into a vessel containing the 'peace' itself, likely satirizing the absurdity of the peace negotiations or the trivialization of the treaty as a mere drink. The use of ἀλάβαστον (alabaster) further elevates the cup to a luxury item, contrasting the preciousness of the vessel with the potential fragility or fleeting nature of the peace it holds. This construction functions as a specific rhetorical device (metaphor) within the comic context of the play, where the peace with Sparta is being mocked as a trivial or deceptive offering.
ὑπὸ τοὺς Χοᾶς γὰρ καὶ Χύτρους αὐτοῖσί τις
The phrase ὑπὸ τοὺς Χοᾶς γὰρ καὶ Χύτρους refers to the names of two distinct festivals in the Attic calendar: the Choes ('Jugs'), celebrated on the 7th of Anthesterion, and the Chytroi ('Pots'), on the 9th of the same month. The preposition ὑπὸ here, governing the accusative, denotes a time 'under' or 'during' these specific days, a usage characteristic of the colloquial, calendar-precise style of Old Comedy. This specific temporal framing is crucial for understanding the plot's chronology in the Acharnians, as Dicaeopolis's private peace treaty and his subsequent market activities are situated within the chaotic days immediately following the Choes, when the city's official rituals were suspended or distorted by the plague and the war.
βούλει μάχεσθαι Γηρυόνῃ τετραπτίλῳ;
The adjective τετραπτίλῳ (four-winged) modifies Γηρυόνῃ (Geryon) in the dative case, indicating the opponent in the wrestling match. This is a deliberate comic hyperbole: in Hesiod's Theogony and later mythological tradition, Geryon is a three-bodied giant (Triceps), but Aristophanes here invents a four-winged variant to heighten the absurdity of the protagonist Dicaeopolis's desire to fight a monstrous, mythological beast in the agora. The specific epithet 'four-winged' is not attested in standard mythography and serves the play's burlesque tone, transforming a terrifying chthonic figure into a ludicrous target for a farmer's combat.
τοὺς κιλλίβαντας οἶσε παῖ τῆς ἀσπίδος.
The phrase οἶσε παῖ τῆς ἀσπίδος presents a syntactic crux: the dative παῖ τῆς ἀσπίδος (literally 'child of the shield') functions as an indirect object of the verb οἶσε ('he carried' or 'he brought'), yet the semantics are opaque without understanding the specific comic context of the 'child of the shield' as a nickname for the soldier's son or a metaphorical reference to the shield itself being personified or treated as a surrogate child in the soldier's absence. This construction is rare in Aristophanic comedy, where such wordplay relies on the audience's familiarity with the soldier's domestic situation and the play's satirical treatment of the Peloponnesian War's impact on Athenian families.
Ἀντίμαχον τὸν ψακάδος †τὸν ξυγγραφῆ† τὸν μελέων ποιητήν,
The text exhibits a clear scribal corruption at the phrase 'τὸν ψακάδος †τὸν ξυγγραφῆ† τὸν μελέων'. The middle epithet 'τὸν ξυγγραφῆ' (the writer/composer) is syntactically and semantically redundant in a series of three genitive epithets and is widely regarded by scholars (e.g., in the apparatus of Kassel-Austin) as a dittography of the preceding or following article, or a gloss that has been incorporated into the text. The intended reading is almost certainly 'Ἀντίμαχον τὸν ψακάδος τὸν μελέων ποιητήν' (Antimachus, the poet of the psakados and the melean). The term 'ψάκαδος' (psakados) is a hapax legomenon in this context, referring to a specific type of song or dance, while 'μελέων' (meleōn) refers to the 'mele' (songs) associated with the poet Antimachus, distinguishing him from other poets of the same name.
εἶτα κατάξειέ τις αὐτοῦ μεθύων τῆς κεφαλῆς Ὀρέστης
The phrase 'Ὀρέστης' functions as a vocative of address, yet it is grammatically attached to the genitive phrase 'τῆς κεφαλῆς' ('of the head') via a hyperbaton that separates the noun from its governing preposition 'κατά' (implied in the sense of 'over' or 'upon' the head) and the verb 'κατάξειέ'. More critically, the syntax relies on the elision of a participle or a verbal noun that would normally govern the genitive, creating a construction where 'Ὀρέστης' stands in apposition to the subject of the implied action, or perhaps as a direct address to the audience while the verb 'κατάξειέ' (aorist subjunctive of κατακτείνω, 'to kill down') takes the genitive 'αὐτοῦ' ('of him') as the object of the killing, with 'τῆς κεφαλῆς' indicating the specific part of the body targeted. However, the most striking feature is the use of the genitive 'τῆς κεφαλῆς' with 'κατάξειέ' (or the implied 'κατακτείνω'), which is an unusual construction for a verb typically taking a direct accusative object; this may reflect a colloquial or comic distortion of standard syntax to emphasize the violence of the act, or it could be a rare instance of the genitive of the whole with a verb of killing, though the latter is not standard Attic usage. The reference to Orestes here is likely ironic, given that Orestes is a figure associated with madness and matricide, and the speaker is suggesting that a drunken man would kill him, or perhaps that Orestes himself is the one being killed in this drunken state, playing on the tragic figure's notoriety in a burlesque context.
ὦ δμῶες οἳ κατʼ οἶκόν ἐστε Λαμάχου,
The vocative address 'ὦ δμῶες' (slaves/servants) directed at the chorus of old men is a deliberate piece of comic irony and social inversion. While the chorus members are technically free citizens of Athens, Dicaeopolis, the protagonist, addresses them as 'slaves' to highlight their subservience to the war-monger Lamachus and to mock the military hierarchy. This is not a literal designation of status but a rhetorical device characteristic of Old Comedy, where the protagonist often degrades or elevates characters to suit the satirical tone. The specific reference to 'Lamachus' (a real historical Athenian general known for his bellicosity) grounds the joke in contemporary political satire, contrasting the old men's domestic setting ('κατʼ οἶκόν ἐστε') with the general's martial reputation.
καὶ τὸ σφυρὸν παλίνορρον ἐξεκόκκισεν,
The compound verb ἐξεκόκκισεν is an intensive formation of κόκκα (a fragment, chip, or splinter), likely derived from the noun κόκκος (a grain or seed, but here referring to a small fragment of bone). In this context, it describes the shattering of the tibia into multiple small pieces, a specific medical description of a compound fracture that Aristophanes uses for comic effect, highlighting the brutality of the injury inflicted by the character's club.
τὸ περιπεταστὸν κἀπιμανδαλωτόν.
The adjectives περιπεταστὸν and ἐπιμανδαλωτόν are hapax legomena in the Aristophanic corpus (and indeed in extant Greek literature), coined here for the comic effect of describing a 'fence' (peripetasma) that is 'thrown over' (peripetastón) and 'manually bound' (epimandalōtón). The first term is a rare verbal adjective derived from περιπίπτω, here likely implying a makeshift or flimsy structure, while the second, from the obscure verb μανδαλόω (to bind with a manes or strap), underscores the improvisational nature of the stage property being mocked. Their juxtaposition exemplifies Aristophanes' technique of creating compound adjectives from verbal stems to generate grotesque or absurd imagery, a device particularly common in his descriptions of theatrical props or rustic objects.
καὶ σκοτοβινιῶ
The verb σκοτοβινιῶ is a hapax legomenon in the surviving corpus of Aristophanes, formed by the compound of σκότος (darkness) and a verb root likely derived from βιν- (related to βινίζω, 'to be drunk' or 'to stagger'). In this context, the character Dicaeopolis is not merely stating that he is drunk, but specifically that he is stumbling through the darkness, a vivid, onomatopoeic coinage characteristic of Aristophanic comedy that fuses physical disorientation with the literal darkness of the pre-dawn setting.