[336] He had written a piece called 'The Mice,' which he succeeded with
great difficulty in getting played, but it met with no success.
great difficulty in getting played, but it met with no success.
Aristophanes
g.
the Dionysia, lasted three days.
Those in
honour of the return of Peace, which was so much desired, could not last
a shorter time.
[329] In spite of what he says, Aristophanes has not always disdained
this sort of low comedy--for instance, his Heracles in 'The Birds. '
[330] A celebrated Athenian courtesan of Aristophanes' day.
[331] Cleon. These four verses are here repeated from the parabasis of
'The Wasps,' produced 423 B. C. , the year before this play.
[332] Shafts aimed at certain poets, who used their renown as a means of
seducing young men to grant them pederastic favours.
[333] The poet supplied everything needful for the production of his
piece--vases, dresses, masks, etc.
[334] Aristophanes was bald himself, it would seem.
[335] Carcinus and his three sons were both poets and dancers. (_See_ the
closing scene of 'The Wasps. ') Perhaps relying little on the literary
value of their work, it seems that they sought to please the people by
the magnificence of its staging.
[336] He had written a piece called 'The Mice,' which he succeeded with
great difficulty in getting played, but it met with no success.
[337] This passage really follows on the invocation, "_Oh, Muse! drive
the War_," etc. , from which indeed it is only divided by the interpolated
criticism aimed at Carcinus.
[338] The Scholiast informs us that these verses are borrowed from a poet
of the sixth century B. C.
[339] Sons of Philocles, of the family of Aeschylus, tragic writers,
derided by Aristophanes as bad poets and notorious gluttons.
[340] The Gorgons were represented with great teeth, and therefore the
same name was given to gluttons. The Harpies, to whom the two voracious
poets are also compared, were monsters with the face of a woman, the body
of a vulture and hooked beak and claws.
[341] A tragic and dithyrambic poet, who had written many pieces, which
had met with great success at Athens.
[342] The shooting stars.
[343] That is, men's tools;--we can set her to 'fellate. '
[344] It has already been mentioned that the sons of Carcinus were
dancers.
[345] It was customary at weddings, says Menander, to give the bride a
sesame-cake as an emblem of fruitfulness, because sesame is the most
fruitful of all seeds.
[346] An Attic town on the east coast, noted for a magnificent temple, in
which stood the statue of Artemis, which Orestes and Iphigenia had
brought from the Tauric Chersonese and also for the Brauronia, festivals
that were celebrated every four years in honour of the goddess. This was
one of the festivals which the Attic people kept with the greatest pomp,
and was an occasion for debauchery.
honour of the return of Peace, which was so much desired, could not last
a shorter time.
[329] In spite of what he says, Aristophanes has not always disdained
this sort of low comedy--for instance, his Heracles in 'The Birds. '
[330] A celebrated Athenian courtesan of Aristophanes' day.
[331] Cleon. These four verses are here repeated from the parabasis of
'The Wasps,' produced 423 B. C. , the year before this play.
[332] Shafts aimed at certain poets, who used their renown as a means of
seducing young men to grant them pederastic favours.
[333] The poet supplied everything needful for the production of his
piece--vases, dresses, masks, etc.
[334] Aristophanes was bald himself, it would seem.
[335] Carcinus and his three sons were both poets and dancers. (_See_ the
closing scene of 'The Wasps. ') Perhaps relying little on the literary
value of their work, it seems that they sought to please the people by
the magnificence of its staging.
[336] He had written a piece called 'The Mice,' which he succeeded with
great difficulty in getting played, but it met with no success.
[337] This passage really follows on the invocation, "_Oh, Muse! drive
the War_," etc. , from which indeed it is only divided by the interpolated
criticism aimed at Carcinus.
[338] The Scholiast informs us that these verses are borrowed from a poet
of the sixth century B. C.
[339] Sons of Philocles, of the family of Aeschylus, tragic writers,
derided by Aristophanes as bad poets and notorious gluttons.
[340] The Gorgons were represented with great teeth, and therefore the
same name was given to gluttons. The Harpies, to whom the two voracious
poets are also compared, were monsters with the face of a woman, the body
of a vulture and hooked beak and claws.
[341] A tragic and dithyrambic poet, who had written many pieces, which
had met with great success at Athens.
[342] The shooting stars.
[343] That is, men's tools;--we can set her to 'fellate. '
[344] It has already been mentioned that the sons of Carcinus were
dancers.
[345] It was customary at weddings, says Menander, to give the bride a
sesame-cake as an emblem of fruitfulness, because sesame is the most
fruitful of all seeds.
[346] An Attic town on the east coast, noted for a magnificent temple, in
which stood the statue of Artemis, which Orestes and Iphigenia had
brought from the Tauric Chersonese and also for the Brauronia, festivals
that were celebrated every four years in honour of the goddess. This was
one of the festivals which the Attic people kept with the greatest pomp,
and was an occasion for debauchery.
