[207] This Callias, who must not be
confounded
with the foe of
Pisistratus, had ruined himself.
Pisistratus, had ruined himself.
Aristophanes
[193] The State galley, which carried the officials of the Athenian
republic to their several departments and brought back those whose time
had expired; it was this galley that was sent to Sicily to fetch back
Alcibiades, who was accused of sacrilege.
[194] A tragic poet, who was a leper; there is a play, of course, on the
Lepreum.
[195] An allusion to Opuntius, who was one-eyed.
[196] The newly-married ate a sesame cake, decorated with garlands of
myrtle, poppies, and mint.
[197] From [Greek: polein], to turn.
[198] The Greek words for _pole_ and _city_ ([Greek: polos] and [Greek:
polis]) only differ by a single letter.
[199] Boeotia separated Attica from Phocis.
[200] He swears by the powers that are to him dreadful.
[201] As already stated, according to the legend, accepted by
Aristophanes, it was Procne who was turned into the nightingale.
[202] The son of Tereus and Procne.
[203] An African bird, that comes to the southern countries of Europe, to
Greece, Italy, and Spain; it is even seen in Provence.
[204] Aristophanes amusingly mixes up real birds with people and
individuals, whom he represents in the form of birds; he is personifying
the Medians here.
[205] Philocles, a tragic poet, had written a tragedy on Tereus, which
was simply a plagiarism of the play of the same name by Sophocles.
Philocles is the son of Epops, because he got his inspiration from
Sophocles' Tereus, and at the same time is father to Epops, since he
himself produced another Tereus.
[206] This Hipponicus is probably the orator whose ears Alcibiades boxed
to gain a bet; he was a descendant of Callias, who was famous for his
hatred of Pisistratus.
[207] This Callias, who must not be confounded with the foe of
Pisistratus, had ruined himself.
[208] Cleonymus had cast away his shield; he was as great a glutton as he
was a coward.
[209] A race in which the track had to be circled twice.
[210] A people of Asia Minor; when pursued by the Ionians they took
refuge in the mountains.
[211] An Athenian barber.
[212] The owl was dedicated to Athene, and being respected at Athens, it
had greatly multiplied. Hence the proverb, _taking owls to Athens_,
similar to our English _taking coals to Newcastle_.
[213] An allusion to the Feast of Pots; it was kept at Athens on the
third day of the Anthesteria, when all sorts of vegetables were stewed
together and offered for the dead to Bacchus and Athene. This Feast was
peculiar to Athens. --Hence Pisthetaerus thinks that the owl will
recognize they are Athenians by seeing the stew-pots, and as he is an
Athenian bird, he will not attack them.
[214] Nicias, the famous Athenian general. --The siege of Melos in 417
B. C. , or two years previous to the production of 'The Birds,' had
especially done him great credit. He was joint commander of the Sicilian
expedition.
[215] Procne, the daughter of Pandion, King of Athens.
