[250] A sophist of the island of Ceos, a
disciple
of Protagoras, as
celebrated for his knowledge as for his eloquence.
celebrated for his knowledge as for his eloquence.
Aristophanes
[238] The Germans still call it _Zaunkonig_ and the French _roitelet_,
both names thus containing the idea of _king_.
[239] The Scholiast draws our attention to the fact that Homer says this
of Here and not of Iris (Iliad, V. 778); it is only another proof that
the text of Homer has reached us in a corrupted form, or it may be that
Aristophanes was liable, like other people, to occasional mistakes of
quotation.
[240] In sacrifices.
[241] An Athenian proverb.
[242] A celebrated temple to Zeus in an oasis of Libya.
[243] Nicias was commander, along with Demosthenes, and later on
Alcibiades, of the Athenian forces before Syracuse, in the ill-fated
Sicilian Expedition, 415-413 B. C. He was much blamed for dilatoriness and
indecision.
[244] Servants of Pisthetaerus and Euelpides.
[245] It has already been mentioned that, according to the legend
followed by Aristophanes, Procne had been changed into a nightingale and
Philomela into a swallow.
[246] The actor, representing Procne, was dressed out as a courtesan, but
wore the mask of a bird.
[247] Young unmarried girls wore golden ornaments; the apparel of married
women was much simpler.
[248] The actor, representing Procne, was a flute-player.
[249] The parabasis.
[250] A sophist of the island of Ceos, a disciple of Protagoras, as
celebrated for his knowledge as for his eloquence. The Athenians
condemned him to death as a corrupter of youth in 396 B. C.
[251] Lovers were wont to make each other presents of birds. The cock and
the goose are mentioned, of course, in jest.
[252] i. e. that it gave notice of the approach of winter, during which
season the Ancients did not venture to sea.
[253] A notorious robber.
[254] Meaning, "_We are your oracles. _"--Dodona was an oracle in
Epirus. --The temple of Zeus there was surrounded by a dense forest, all
the trees of which were endowed with the gift of prophecy; both the
sacred oaks and the pigeons that lived in them answered the questions of
those who came to consult the oracle in pure Greek.
[255] The Greek word for _omen_ is the same as that for _bird_--[Greek:
ornis].
[256] A satire on the passion of the Greeks for seeing an omen in
everything.
[257] An imitation of the nightingale's song.
[258] God of the groves and wilds.
