),
in which many thousands of Athenian citizens perished.
in which many thousands of Athenian citizens perished.
Aristophanes
C.
This was on the first day of the
festival of Adonis--ever afterwards regarded by the Athenians as a day of
ill omen.
[422] An island in the Ionian Sea, on the west of Greece, near
Cephalenia, and an ally of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
[423] Cholozyges, a nickname for Demostratus.
[424] The State treasure was kept in the Acropolis, which the women had
seized.
[425] The second (mythical) king of Athens, successor of Cecrops.
[426] The leader of the Revolution which resulted in the temporary
overthrow of the Democracy at Athens (413, 412 B. C. ), and the
establishment of the Oligarchy of the Four Hundred.
[427] Priests of Cybele, who indulged in wild, frenzied dances, to the
accompaniment of the clashing of cymbals, in their celebrations in honour
of the goddess.
[428] Captain of a cavalry division; they were chosen from amongst the
_Hippeis_, or 'Knights' at Athens.
[429] In allusion to a play of Euripides, now lost, with this title.
Tereus was son of Ares and king of the Thracians in Daulis.
[430] An allusion to the disastrous Sicilian Expedition (415-413 B. C.
),
in which many thousands of Athenian citizens perished.
[431] The dead were laid out at Athens before the house door.
[432] An offering made to the Manes of the deceased on the third day
after the funeral.
[433] Hippias and Hipparchus, the two sons of Pisistratus, known as the
Pisistratidae, became Tyrants of Athens upon their father's death in 527
B. C. In 514 the latter was assassinated by the conspirators, Harmodius
and Aristogiton, who took the opportunity of the Panathenaic festival and
concealed their daggers in myrtle wreaths. They were put to death, but
four years later the surviving Tyrant Hippias was expelled, and the young
and noble martyrs to liberty were ever after held in the highest honour
by their fellow-citizens. Their statues stood in the Agora or Public
Market-Square.
[434] That is, the three obols paid for attendance as a Heliast at the
High Court.
[435] See above, under note 3 [433. Transcriber. ].
[436] The origin of the name was this: in ancient days a tame bear
consecrated to Artemis, the huntress goddess, it seems, devoured a young
girl, whose brothers killed the offender. Artemis was angered and sent a
terrible pestilence upon the city, which only ceased when, by direction
of the oracle, a company of maidens was dedicated to the deity, to act
the part of she-bears in the festivities held annually in her honour at
the _Brauronia_, her festival so named from the deme of Brauron in
Attica.
[437] The Basket-Bearers, Canephoroi, at Athens were the maidens who,
clad in flowing robes, carried in baskets on their heads the sacred
implements and paraphernalia in procession at the celebrations in honour
of Demeter, Dionysus and Athene.
[438] A treasure formed by voluntary contributions at the time of the
Persian Wars; by Aristophanes' day it had all been dissipated, through
the influence of successive demagogues, in distributions and gifts to the
public under various pretexts.
festival of Adonis--ever afterwards regarded by the Athenians as a day of
ill omen.
[422] An island in the Ionian Sea, on the west of Greece, near
Cephalenia, and an ally of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
[423] Cholozyges, a nickname for Demostratus.
[424] The State treasure was kept in the Acropolis, which the women had
seized.
[425] The second (mythical) king of Athens, successor of Cecrops.
[426] The leader of the Revolution which resulted in the temporary
overthrow of the Democracy at Athens (413, 412 B. C. ), and the
establishment of the Oligarchy of the Four Hundred.
[427] Priests of Cybele, who indulged in wild, frenzied dances, to the
accompaniment of the clashing of cymbals, in their celebrations in honour
of the goddess.
[428] Captain of a cavalry division; they were chosen from amongst the
_Hippeis_, or 'Knights' at Athens.
[429] In allusion to a play of Euripides, now lost, with this title.
Tereus was son of Ares and king of the Thracians in Daulis.
[430] An allusion to the disastrous Sicilian Expedition (415-413 B. C.
),
in which many thousands of Athenian citizens perished.
[431] The dead were laid out at Athens before the house door.
[432] An offering made to the Manes of the deceased on the third day
after the funeral.
[433] Hippias and Hipparchus, the two sons of Pisistratus, known as the
Pisistratidae, became Tyrants of Athens upon their father's death in 527
B. C. In 514 the latter was assassinated by the conspirators, Harmodius
and Aristogiton, who took the opportunity of the Panathenaic festival and
concealed their daggers in myrtle wreaths. They were put to death, but
four years later the surviving Tyrant Hippias was expelled, and the young
and noble martyrs to liberty were ever after held in the highest honour
by their fellow-citizens. Their statues stood in the Agora or Public
Market-Square.
[434] That is, the three obols paid for attendance as a Heliast at the
High Court.
[435] See above, under note 3 [433. Transcriber. ].
[436] The origin of the name was this: in ancient days a tame bear
consecrated to Artemis, the huntress goddess, it seems, devoured a young
girl, whose brothers killed the offender. Artemis was angered and sent a
terrible pestilence upon the city, which only ceased when, by direction
of the oracle, a company of maidens was dedicated to the deity, to act
the part of she-bears in the festivities held annually in her honour at
the _Brauronia_, her festival so named from the deme of Brauron in
Attica.
[437] The Basket-Bearers, Canephoroi, at Athens were the maidens who,
clad in flowing robes, carried in baskets on their heads the sacred
implements and paraphernalia in procession at the celebrations in honour
of Demeter, Dionysus and Athene.
[438] A treasure formed by voluntary contributions at the time of the
Persian Wars; by Aristophanes' day it had all been dissipated, through
the influence of successive demagogues, in distributions and gifts to the
public under various pretexts.
